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Long term tests

Renault Clio 197

Harry Metcalfe finds the answer to fielding telephone calls in the noisy Clio 197 cabin

Don’t know about you, but I’ve always struggled to find a hands-free device that works really well, and the noisy cabin of our rev-happy Clio 197 only exacerbates the problem.

I’ve tried the plug-in cords that come with most phones, but while they work OK, they rarely last long in my hands, normally coming to an unhappy end when I slam the door shut on one or both of the earpieces. A Joe 90-style Bluetooth headset is a better bet, I reckon, yet finding a good one is always tricky. But I reckon I’ve discovered a real winner.

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Bang & Olufsen’s EarSet 2 features noise-cancelling technology that suppresses background noise to the point where callers think I’m in a limo rather than the Renault. Even more impressively, I’ve been clearly heard at motorway speeds in my latest car purchase – amazing given that it’s a convertible and I had the roof down.

In fact, the only catch with the EarSet 2 is its £200 price, but it really removes the frustration from taking calls on the move, and being from B&O, quality seems second to none.

Running Costs

Date acquiredNovember 2006
Total mileage20,960
Costs this month£5 (0.5 litres of oil)
Mileage this month2,040
MPG this month29.1mpg
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