The Plantronics Voyager 520 is the follow up to the very popular Voyager 510 with newer features and better technology. The Voyager 520 is targeted at the user who is looking for supreme comfort and solid sound quality. It maintains professional styling and ease-of-use to provide the user a great Bluetooth headset. How does it perform? Does it measure up to the uber-popular Voyager 510?

Read on for the rest of the review!

Design

Let’s put it this way. The Voyager 520 isn’t the most stunning Bluetooth Headset you’ve ever seen. There are headsets that are smaller, sleeker, and use better colors. The headset is fairly large because of the locked-in, large ear loop. The front face of the Bluetooth Headset looks overly-complicated, with harsh lines, multiple patterns, and different colors.

Don’t get me wrong, the Voyager 520 is most definitely not an ugly headset—it’s just not the prettiest one either. The Voyager 520 looks like the Bluetooth Headsets of yore, more professional and business-like than sleek and stylish.

However, styling and design issues aside, I was amazed at how comfortable and light it felt when worn. The large ear loop rotates nearly 360 degrees and is made of a softer, silcone-esque material. It is likely one of the better, more comfortable ear loops on the market. You’ll barely notice it hanging on your ear

Also, the earbud of the Voyager 520 is unique because it sits soft in your ear canal. As opposed to a lot of classic earbud designs, the Voyager 520’s earbud sits naturally in the ear because of its almost funnel like shape. The earbud is the best compromise of in-ear designs and classic ear phone designs.

When you’re wearing the Voyager 520, the comfortable ear loop and the even more comfortable ear bud makes the headset essentially unnoticeable. Some headsets may be prettier but few even come close to the superb fit the Voyager 520 offers.

Usability

Syncing with the iPhone is a cinch. Plantronics chose to implement a multifunction button that doubles as a volume switch. I found the button to be easy enough to hit but switching the volume up and down proved to be more cumbersome. I accidentally ended a call when trying to turn up the volume.

As I mentioned before, the Voyager 520’s fit really stands out. Even after wearing the device for hours, my ears were perfectly fine and I didn’t feel the need to remove the device. Typically, my ears need a break when earbuds are lodged in but the unique design of the Voyager 520’s earbuds made it a joy to wear.

The incoming sound quality is rock solid. Because of the funnel shape of the ear bud, incoming callers were clear and pronounced. It felt like I was getting the best of both worlds—in-ear sound quality but classic ear phone feel. Also, Plantronics uses AudioIQ to smarten the audio, getting louder in noisier environments and softer in quiet surroundings.

Outgoing sound quality is also good. Though it does pick up some background noise, it wasn’t enough to be bothersome to the caller. Callers felt that I sounded clear with no digitization and preferred the headset to many competitors. In quiet environments the headset’s performance was simply stellar, callers never even imagined me being on a Bluetooth headset.

Talk time is 8 hours, which should be plenty for most users. You’re also able to pair to more than one device, which is definitely convenient. Unfortunately, the Voyager 520 uses a proprietary AC adapter.

Final Thoughts

The Voyager 520 really surprised me. When I first saw the headset, I was expecting middling performance and an uncomfortable fit. I could not be more wrong. The fit of the Voyager 520 might be best in class—it hangs light on your ear yet sits naturally in the canal. Also, the audio quality ranged from decent in noisy environments to simply superb in quiet surroundings. Though I still have a few quips with the design and styling, honestly, it’s closer to being pretty than ugly while still remaining professional. I think the Voyager 520 should be seriously considered by any potential headset user and should be considered a steal for the price!

PROS

• Very, very comfortable fit
• Smart Ear Bud Design
• Solid Audio Quality
• Good Battery Life

CONS

• Average Styling
• Fairly Large
• Weird Charger

FINAL RATING:

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Review: Plantronics Voyager 520 Bluetooth Headset

Bluetooth headsets often offer the same feature set, the same styling, and the same performance. Plantronics is known for offering unique takes on Bluetooth Headsets and often add a new wrinkle to each headset in their product line. Popular because of their comfortable fit and Audio IQ technology, the Plantronics line constantly innovates.

With the Plantronics Voyager 815 Bluetooth Headset ($89.95), the innovation is an in-ear earbud and a sliding boom mic. Do they create a better Bluetooth Headset? Or are these features just bells and whistles? How does the Plantronics Voyager 815 perform?

Read on for the rest of the review!

Ed note: people looking to future-proof themselves might consider the Plantronics Voyager 855, it’s identical to the 815 but supports A2DP Stereo for music. If the iPhone ever supports Bluetooth Stereo, it’s a good option. Note, however, that the 855 has a 2nd earbud attached to the earhook, which might be annoying

Design

The Plantronics Voyager 815 falls in line with the look of a classic Plantronics headset. The sleek black plastic is outlined by a silver strip that tastefully adds symmetry to the design. It is extremely lightweight and feels very durable, Plantronics succeeds again in creating another quality looking Bluetooth Headset. The build quality is definitely that of a higher end headset.

There are three different in-ear earbuds you can insert to fit your ear not to mention the standard, included one. The in-ear earbuds are soft and malleable, they fit gently yet securely, in your ear. I found that the in-ear earbuds were very similar to high-grade earphones such as those from V-moda and Shure. Also, there are 2 different ear loops that allow you to stabilize the headset, though not required, I found it more comfortable with the ear loops attached.

The sliding boom mic is a unique feature in that it is supposed to make your outgoing audio sound clearer. There is no lock or extra click to fasten the boom mic, rather just simply a smooth slide to utilize the mic. You can also answer and end calls via sliding the boom mic. Though when extended, I felt the mic extension wouldn’t be as durable as the rest of the body of the headset because the plastic thins out. The headset is charged via micro USB.

Usability

The overall fit of the Plantronics Voyager 815 boils down to if you prefer the in-ear fit of noise isolating ear buds over the classic, less immersive regular earphones. Because this is strictly an in-ear headset, those who prefer the alternative should reconsider. The earbuds are of high quality materials and fit snugly in your ear canal, though the in-ear design may rub off some, the comfortable earbuds combined with the lightweight headset equals a great, almost unnoticeable fit.

The benefit of an in-ear design is that it blocks out surrounding noise and allows for a clear conversation. I found that though I’m typically not a fan of in-ear designs, using this headset is almost enough to convert me. Combining the AudioIQ technology (which automatically adjusts the volume to your surrounding) with the in-ear design, the incoming audio is superb. No static, great volume, and no background noise.

In varied tests with the PLantronics Voyager 815, I found that the outgoing audio quality was absolutely superb in quiet settings. Callers could hear my voice clearly without any digitization and no echoing. I was stunned by the quality of the outgoing audio quality, it worked wonderfully.

However, the Plantronics Voyager 815 isn’t quite the noise assassin that the Jawbone is so background noise is a bit of a problem. Extending the boom mic does help outgoing audio quality in this regard but the overall effect is minimal. Given a quiet surrounding and the Plantronics Voyager 815 excels, with a noisier background its performance is middling.

Final Thoughts

The Plantronics Voyager 815 Bluetooth Headset has become my go-to headset. The in-ear design blocks out surrounding noise and allows you to focus on the conversation. The fit is perfect, its lightweight body resting gently on your ears. The outgoing audio quality is superb when it is quiet and performs as well as most other headsets when background noise exists.

I think this is the perfect headset for anyone who prefers an in-ear design. The sleek and modern look is an added bonus and the comfortable fit is consistent with the Plantronics platform. Overall, this is easily one of the better headsets on the market today. You should consider it a BUY if you are looking for an in-ear design and a comfortable fit with great audio quality.

PROS

• Very Comfortable Fit
• Stylish Design
• Superb Incoming Audio Quality, Outgoing Audio Quality Shines In Quiet Areas
• Lightweight, Great Build Quality

CONS

• Average Performance in Noisier Environments
• In-Ear Design Not for Everyone

FINAL RATING: 4.5/5

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Review: Plantronics Voyager 815 Bluetooth Headset

With more and more Bluetooth headsets looking alike and new releases feeling like old ones, the Plantronics Discovery 925 Bluetooth Headset ($129.95) offers a much more unique take and infinitely more appeal. Its futuristic, luxury look was eagerly anticipated and has definitely shaken up the headset industry, putting all makers on notice.

Is the Plantronics Discovery 925 all show and no go? Or does it perform as good as it looks? And does it even look THAT good in your ear? Well read on for the rest of the review!

Read on for the rest of the review!

Design & Fit

Overall, the design of the Plantronics Discovery 925 is cutting edge, to put it mildly. With a sleek design that carves a hole in between the boom microphone, the headset truly looks like something from Star Trek. Personally, I am a fan of the design, I find it refreshing in the market of bland headsets and applaud Plantronics for creating such a bold headset.

From my experience, Plantronics headsets offer superb fit and comfort and the 925 is no different. Though the shape of the ear gels are a tad weird (they have a handle bar across the top edge that supposedly fits better to the interior of your ear, Plantronics calls it stabilizers), the gelly substance used in the ear tip is an excellent design choice in both style and comfort. I had no problem taking the 925 in and out of my ear.

The 925 is also very, very light. This is important since weighty or uncomfortable Bluetooth headsets often defeat the purpose of even using one, having a Bluetooth headset that is essentially unnoticeable is almost as important as the headset’s sound quality.

Usability

Because of the 925’s minimalist design, there aren’t too many buttons or features that complicate the process. Simply, slip the headset into your ear and you’re rolling. There are two buttons on the 925—one for volume control and the other to power up, make calls, and end calls.

I found that incoming audio quality performed fairly well. The AudioIQ technology works well and it is possible to hear callers loud and clear. There wasn’t many issues with static or feedback—it was very easy to hear the incoming caller. In louder environments, the 925 adapts to its surroundings and offers louder volume. I found this feature to be a great addition to the headset because I never had to worry about manually controlling the volume—the AudioIQ smartens up the headset.

Outgoing voice quality is good but falls short of being great. In regular usage—like in the car, or in a room, it is a more-than-able performer. Callers hear your voice loud and clear, without any digitizing or static. Few even noticed the difference between the 925 and the iPhone. However, the Plantronics 925 doesn’t do a great job of masking environmental noise. Callers complained about background noise that came from the TV, other people, and/or wind.

Final Thoughts

The Plantronics 925 is a good piece of hardware with a great design. Though it doesn’t offer much new features or innovative controls, the comfortable fit and fashion forward look should push those looking for a Bluetooth Headset to consider the Plantronics 925. In my experience, there are few headsets that fit as comfortably as the 925 and even fewer that look as striking as it does.

Though its high price may deter potential buyers from committing, the Plantronics 925 is a good headset that just falls short of great. If you are looking for a headset that will turn heads and fits great, this is the headset for you.

Pros

• Bold, Striking Design
• Extremely Comfortable Fit
• Easy Sync Process
• Simple Controls
• Carrying Case doubles as a charger!

Cons

• Fairly Expensive
• Not a Standout Performer

Final Rating: 4.5/5

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Review: Plantronics Discovery 925 Bluetooth Headset for iPhone

With so many traffic laws being passed regulating cell phone usage in your car, a Bluetooth headset is on the top of every cell phone owner’s mind. The Plantronics Discovery 665 is targeted as the ideal solution for those road warriors who have frequent and lengthy phone calls while on the road so that they can keep their hands and attention on the wheel.

The Plantronics Discovery 665 Bluetooth Headset ($69.95) is a slick looking Bluetooth headset that uses AudioIQ technology to enhance performance. Does the technology translate to real life success? Could this be the Bluetooth headset for commuters around the world?

You’ll have to read on for the rest of the review!

What Comes In The Box

• -Plantronics Discovery 665
• -Three Gel Ear Tips (small, medium, large)
• -Ear Loop
• -Headset Base Station
• -Car Charger
• -USB Charger

When I opened the box, I was already confused. Where was the AC Adapter? How was I supposed to charge the dang thing? Until I realized how it all works together. Road warriors mainly use their Bluetooth headsets in the car, so it would logistically make more sense to include a car charger before a AC adapter right..? But what about those city-slickers who take the subways where there is no cigarette lighter to plug your charger in? It certainly seems to isolate a target group of potential buyers. Also, it is befuddling why they would include a USB Charger over the more classic AC adapter, I mean come on, really? Computers are more common than electrical outlets?

Everything else included is pretty much standard fare (wires, ear loop, gel ear tips), except the ‘base station’ that looks more like a 21st century PEZ dispenser than a holster/charger for a Bluetooth headset. It is an odd looking So I guess though first impressions were a little different from the usual, everything did have a purpose and came with some sense.

Design and Fit

The Plantronics Discovery 665 is a very sleek looking Bluetooth headset. In fact, I would even argue that, it looks like what a Bluetooth headset should look like. The design is sharp without being too safe and fashion-forward without being too minimalist. Weighing no more than 9 grams, the headset is also barely noticeable on your ear or in your pocket. With or without attaching the ear loop, the headset feels very secure. I never once worried about the security of the headset when it was in my ears.

The gel ear tips are surprisingly, very, very comfortable, you can barely notice yourself wearing the headset. The size configurations of the gel ear tips (small, medium, large) should accommodate most ear sizes. I have larger-than-norm sized ears and the medium fits me quite perfectly. The fit is superb, the gel ear tips adapt to the ear canal and manage to do a great job in dissipating the stress that Bluetooth headsets normally take on your ear. The gelly substance is a very forgiving material and a great step away from the usual harsh plastic edges of Bluetooth headsets. The soft gel does attract dust and dirt fairly quickly, but the feel and fit is really quite amazing. I can’t stress enough how good it feels in your ear

My only concern is the quality of the volume buttons. Instead of being made from a harder material such as plastic, the buttons are constructed from a fragile soft rubber. In fact, when having a conversation with the headset on, I attempted to change the volume but in doing so, punctured said rubber volume button. The replacement headset had no such quality problems so it may be that my first headset was just an isolated issue, but it is still worthy to note.

Set Up

Pairing the iPhone with the Plantronics Discovery 665 was a cinch. Turn on Bluetooth on the iPhone and press the button on the headset for 10 seconds until it blinks red and blue. Select 6xxPlantronics on the iPhone and type in the 0000 passkey and you’re done. You’ll never have to pair it again, the iPhone automatically recognizes the headset whenever the headset is turned on and directs all calls to the headset. The ease of the whole connection is great for those who demand technology to make their lives easier.

Usage

The headset isn’t too complicated to use, there is one main “call control” button and two volume buttons. Essentially, the main button does the brunt of the work while the volume buttons just control the volume. To charge the headset, you place the headset into its ‘base station’ and plug the holster into either the car charger or USB charger. The base station also plugs into a triple AAA battery charger and AC adapter but those are not included with the headset. The idea of a base station is unique, it also doubles as a holster for the headset and lights up when there is an incoming call.

The range of the headset is great, I managed to maintain a conversation about 15 feet away from the iPhone with little to no quality loss. When jumping into the 30’s of feet, the quality loss is more pronounced but that issue is common among all Bluetooth headsets on the market.

The battery life, however, is sub par when compared to other headsets currently on the market. Having a listed life of 3 hours and 30 minutes and a 3 day standby time, I managed to get a shade over that, which is always a pleasure, but compared to the more common 7-8 hours of talk time and 5-6 days of standby on the market today, the Plantronics Discovery 665 is definitely on the low end of the spectrum in terms of battery life.

Performance (Outgoing Audio)

According to Plantronics, the Plantronics Discovery 665 is supposed to reduce background noise by 50%, though in my tests with the headset, the results varied from situation to situation. Talking in noisier environments such as outdoors or in the car with the radio on, the headset was a very average performer. The callers I spoke to, often claimed to hear heightened background noise, which they didn’t hear when I was using the iPhone itself. But when I used the headset in quieter areas, such as inside the car with no radio or in the bedroom with no noise, few callers noticed that I was even using a Bluetooth headset, and we’re truly surprised to find out that I was. Though its performance in noisier environment leaves room to be desired, its quality in the quieter environments is definitely noteworthy.

The claims that Plantronics markets are hefty, but in some situations, the technology inside the Discovery 665 does deliver. Though it doesn’t have great noise-canceling technology, if you were going to use this headset more in the car than out walking on busy streets, it would be a perfect addition to your mobile life.

Performance (Incoming Audio)

This is where the headset really shined. Using the AudioIQ technology, I noticed a significant difference when using the headset outdoors and indoors. The AudioIQ technology essentially smartens up the incoming audio—if you are in a noisy area, it increases the volume and if you are in a quiet area, it’ll adjust the volume to your surroundings. What is surprising is that the Audio IQ actually works. When I was at the park filled with little children running around, I had no problem hearing the voice of the caller—the headset automatically adjusted its settings for the environment. The idea of the AudioIQ is simple and smart, and especially useful considering how delicate the volume controls are.

The incoming audio is very, very good. In fact, I’d rate it better than almost all Bluetooth headsets on the market and even clearer than the iPhone itself. I found myself reaching to use the Bluetooth headset even when my hands were free because of the superb incoming quality. Callers were clear and pronounced, static was nonexistent and I never had trouble hearing any parts of the conversation. Combining those facts with the extremely comfortable fit, the Plantronics Discovery 665 is a true winner in enhancing the user experience.

Final Thoughts

Though its incoming audio quality is very average, the Plantronics Discovery 665’s sleek design, exceptional fit, and excellent incoming audio quality is perfect for anybody looking for a Bluetooh headset. Adding to the fact that the headset pairs wonderfully easily with the iPhone, the Plantronics Discovery 665 should be considered a BUY.

The ideal user of the Plantronics Discovery 665 would most likely be those who frequently use their cell phones in the car. Others who mostly use a headset on foot or in a cramped subway will certainly have issues with their outgoing voice quality but the Plantronic’s AudioIQ will accommodate incoming audio quality for those noisier surroundings.

I can fully recommend this headset to anyone who is looking to upgrade or simply looking for a headset that looks sleek, fits and feels great, and most importantly, enhances audio quality.

Pros

• Extremely Comfortable Fit
• Great Incoming Audio Quality
• Car Charger Included
• Sleek Style

Cons

• Very Average Outgoing Audio Quality
• Sub-par Battery Life
• Rubber Volume Buttons Aren’t Durable
• No Included AC Charger

Overall: 4 / 5

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Review: Plantronics Discovery 665 Bluetooth Headset