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Initial impressions of the headset are good. It has an attractive circular design, with a piano black outer cover and silver highlights around the edge. On the outside is the main function button, which powers on the headset and answers calls. On the top edge are two volume buttons, with two status lights between them.

The ear clip is on a hinge and it combines with the earphone like appendage to secure the headset onto your ear. For the most part the headset is fairly comfortable, there are no awkward points of friction and the headset is moderately secure.

But, it must be said that the EVOQ isn't the smallest or lightest of Bluetooth headsets. Weighing in at 25g it may not sound heavy, but compared to the Jabra JX10 at 10g and even the Motorola HS-850 at 19.9g, it's really quite chunky. This becomes evident the longer you use the EVOQ too, and after a few hours of wearing the headset it can cause a little soreness. This is obviously a bit of a problem, especially if you're given to wearing a headset throughout the day.

Another disappointment is the battery life, which is quoted at 150 hours standby and up to five hours talk-time. This is quite a way below expectations, with many competing devices managing 200 hours or more standby and six or so hours of talk-time. Testing verified the five hour figure to be pretty accurate though, so at least no fibs are being told.

Thankfully, the EVOQ does redeem itself because it does deliver on its promises. It does a good job of filtering background noise and enhancing voices during phone calls. The Acoustic shock limiter is also very handy, preventing over zealous children from shouting down the phone into your ear drum. Occasionally we found some digital distorting as the processing kicked in, but in truth it was a rare occurrence.

Overall, though, the noise cancelling features of the EVOQ performed well, making the EVOQ a good solution for those who find audio clarity a problem. But, one can't help but think the slightly disappointing battery performance and weightiness of the EVOQ will become a real annoyance over time. Put simply, the EVOQ just isn’t as comfortable over long periods as other headsets and this is just as important a consideration as sound quality.

Verdict

The Qstik EVOQ is a Bluetooth headset with some intriguing features, but it's let down the bulky design that makes prolonged use awkward. Moreover, although it performs well, the EVOQ is by no means alone in offering noise reduction features and we'd sooner have something lighter.

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