Hands-free headsets live up to the task at hand

— -- Wireless Bluetooth headsets remind me of early seat belts. Drivers may have recognized the safety benefits but were reluctant to wear them. Similarly, some headsets don't look or feel great. Some seem complicated. Voice quality can be spotty.

But as more states ban the use of cellphones in cars without a headset or other hands-free system, more people will likely embrace Bluetooth, however unenthusiastically.

I encountered a few relatively minor issues testing four pricey Bluetooth headsets in and around New York City: Aliph's $130 Jawbone, Jabra's $180 Jabra JX20 Pura Titanium Edition, Plantronics' $150 Discovery 925, and Sound ID's $130 Sound ID SM100 EarModule.

The Jawbone and Jabra JX20 stood out in my tests, but each of the four headsets lived up to the task at hand.

The audio quality was generally good at both ends of the conversation. You don't feel like there's this great weight tugging on your ear.

A couple of overarching quibbles with the models I tested: The tiny controls on these headsets are not entirely intuitive. You may have to futz around or connect different ear-loops or tips before they fit just right.

To complete my tests, I "paired" the headsets with an Apple iPhone; pairing is how Bluetooth earpieces recognize the handsets they are meant to work with. You may have to dig out the manuals to figure out how to pair the headsets with your phone.

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A heads-up on the headsets, each of which can be charged via wall plug or USB:

Jawbone: Keeps noise down

Aliph deserves plaudits for the way Jawbone filters out background noises, while still permitting your own voice to be heard. Its noise-suppression technology comes out of military research. The company's latest 0.35-ounce model is 50% smaller and more stylish than its much-praised, 2-year-old predecessor. It comes in matte black (the unit I tested), silver and rose gold.

For the NoiseAssassin feature to work, you'll have to don the Jawbone so that its voice-activity sensor gently touches your cheek. This sensor detects bone vibrations as you speak to isolate your voice from noises in the background. Software can then remove ambient sounds.