Believe it or not there are some tech-journalists who didn’t get an iPhone to review.

I’m not bitter. I’m content to watch those who apparently rate play with their iPhones, showing them off at every opportunity, writing their columns and reports on every cool facet of Apple’s next new thing. No, I’m not bitter. Not bitter at all.

It’s all good though, because I have something that trumps the iPhone, at least in one tiny way: I can listen to my iPod on Bluetooth stereo headsets. No wires baby! Even better, I can make and answer my Bluetooth-capable cellphone through my Bluetooth headsets! When a call comes in, the music fades and I hear a pleasant tone alerting me to the call. I answer simply by pressing a button on the headset. When the call ends the music fades back in.

Pretty sweet, huh? Yeah, I figured that would get your attention.

This bit of technological sweetness is called the F1 and the TX+RX, both from iSkin.

iSkin F1

Yes, that’s iSkin, the same folks who make cases for iPods. Who would have thought these guys would offer something so... techie? iSkin calls this Bluetooth system Cerulean, and it is a system.

Here’s how it works: You need the basic components: The TX, which is the Bluetooth transmitter, and the RX which is a receiver I’ll talk about that in a moment.

The TX connects either to your iPod (any iPod with a standard iPod docking port will do) or to your computer (Mac or PC) via an included USB cable.

You then need the F1, which is an interesting looking set of earphones based on earbuds. The phones are connected to each other by a single wire and there are clips to help keep them in place in your ears.

iSkin TX+RX

Linking the TX to the F1 is very simple. You just turn them on, they find each other, and voia là! Music! Good sounding music, too. Tunes through the F1 compare well with wired earbuds.

Now, you can pair the F1 with your Bluetooth capable cellphone and voia là encore! Your calls come through the F1! Callers sound good too, and you sound just as good to them as if you were using a dedicated headset for your phone.

The F1 has volume controls for both your phone and your iPod. You also media controls for your iPod from the F1 as well. Next track, previous track, and pause/play are available when your iPod is active. All of the familiar phone/headset controls are available as well voice dialing (take THAT iPhone).

It takes about 2 hours to recharge the F1 and that will get you 300 hours of standby time, 8 hours of music listening time, and 10 hours of talk time. Not bad. The TX and RX get power through the docking port or from the USB cable.

The F1 is lightweight. The styling may be something you can get use to, maybe not, but I like it. 

Now, about the RX: This little jewel acts as a surrogate iPod and plugs into the docking station on any iPod-compatible system or through the USB port hidden on the side of the unit. Your new home stereo setup, your car, or one the hundreds of iPod-compatible speaker systems available are fair game. Now your iPod (or computer) can play music through your speakers remotely, up to 30 feet away. There nothing you have to do to get the RX to work. Just plug it in, it finds the TX and music starts playing. Pretty cool.

iSkin F1 and TX on my 30GB iPod

The downside, and you knew there would be a downside, is that the TX+RX and the F1 are sold separately, and they are not cheap. The F1 lists for US$129, TX+RX goes for $149. The good news is that the TX can be bought separately from iSkin for $89, and iSkin plans on offering the F1+TX later this year for $189. Again, not cheap.

Another point against the F1 are those darn ear buds. Somehow paying over $100 for earbuds just doesn’t seem right. True, these are excellent earbuds powered by Bluetooth, but they are still earbuds. A system that lets me use whatever listening device I want would have been better.

There are three nits that I need to bring up as well. First, when you want to set the system up so that you can answer your phone through the F1 you have to go through this ritual: Plug in the TX, turn on the iPod (if it isn’t already on), turn on your F1, wait until they link and music starts playing, and then use your phone’s connection menu to link the F1 to your Bluetooth phone (this is after you have paired the phone and the F1, of course). You have to do it this way every time and it can get old, fast, and doing it wrong can result in very loud static from the F1. When this happens just turn off the F1 and turn it back on again. Once everything is set up it works almost perfectly.

Which brings me to my second nit. For some reason, when dialing through my cellphone, the F1 won’t let me hear my call unless I disconnect the TX. This is very strange and I’m sure it’s something I’ve done wrong, but try as I might I cannot get this to work. If other F1 users have the same problem please let me know.

The third nit is that if your iPod powers down for any reason, powering it back up won’t start the TX. You have to unplug it and plug it back in. When this happens you should reconnect your cellphone to the F1 else your iPod will start acting strange when a call comes it. Remember, the connection sequence is iPod THEN cellphone.

I believe this is a problem peculiar to Bluetooth 2.0 and its multiple device connection feature so iSkin is not entirely at fault, but I’m not so sure something can be done to improve this.

iSkin shows the iPhone on its site when it mentions device compatibility. I imagine that you have to use a TX to get a stereo Bluetooth connection out of you iPhone, which is decidedly uncool. This is an iPhone problem and Apple needs to fix this ASAP.

The bottom line is this: iSkin may have a hit on its hands. The TX+RX and F1 works well if you can get pass the earbuds and cost, which makes the nits I mentioned more glaring. Still, for what the F1 does (iPod and phone control) you may find the set to be worth the cost.

The more I used the F1 the more I liked it. After about 2 weeks of steady ear-time I’ve gotten use to the connection ritual. The controls are easy to understand and use, and while I may never get use to the earbuds I’ve been able to make them work well enough for me to actually want to use the F1. 

The TX+RX are pictures of simplicity. Nothing could be easier than just plugging in the devices to enjoy music remotely from your iPod or computer. No fuss, no bother. A godsend for technophobes.

All in all the iSkin F1 and TX+RX are a bit on the pricey side, but they work and work well. I think you are getting your money’s worth.

I highly recommend the iSkin F1 and TX+RX.

Vern Seward is a writer who currently lives in Orlando, FL. He’s been a Mac fan since Atari Computers folded, but has worked with computers of nearly every type for 20 years.