It resembles a model ship from the Star Wars fleet, a shiny and muted metallic pod. Once you pair it with your phone (a ritual required by all Bluetooth devices, simple enough if you follow the directions), a variety of tones confirm your actions — a low tone for voice dialing, a high chirp to end a call and a downward major scale meaning, "I'm shutting down."

The key to handsfree is sound quality, and when I paired the HF800 with a Motorola V600 from AT&T Wireless, it did a passable job. In the car, I kept it above my head, tucked into the visor. (If you choose, you can use a visor clip, or even a lanyard for your neck.) I could hear everybody I called just fine. The funny thing was that when I brought it into my home and tested it out, my test subjects say they heard a constant background din, as if I was still in the car. (The V600 itself has a built-in speakerphone, which performed with fewer complaints. Unfortunately, I did not test that in the car.)

Curious about the state of Bluetooth handsfree devices in general, I also tested two headsets: Plantronics M3500 ($169.95; plantronics.com) and Cardo Systems' Allways ($99.99; allways1.com). Judging from the differences in price as well as Plantronics' reputation as a market leader, I assumed I'd hear a big difference in sound quality. They do sound different, but the result is a trade off. The M3500 is clear but tinny, and the Allways is more muffled, but in certain situations easier on the ears. The Allways gets points for its eyeglass-frame attachment, a bonus for four-eyed folks (like me) who don't want competing hoops behind the ear.

The bottom line: Bluetooth handsfree products are terrific for drivers and office-bound cell-phone users alike, but — in the sound quality department — you can't expect more from them than you expect from your cell phone itself. No matter what, they beat holding a phone to your ear for an hour or worse, getting strangled by the wire of your twentieth-century headset.