Crown Deals

Let me start by saying this is a great headset. Comfortable, lightweight, and easy to hear and operate.

The layout of the controls is spot-on; they''re easy to use and locate. The button on the end of the mic boom is awesome for answering and ending calls. If your phone has voice-dialing, holding down that button will launch your phone''s voice dialing feature. The volume rocker was easy to use; however, pushing it in to mute the mic produced the same tone as swiveling the rocker to change the volume, so you never really knew if you had muted your call or just adjusted the volume. They really should have had different tones associated with those functions, especially since it''s two distinct functions in one control. Range and battery life were all outstanding. Charging is quick, and the status light is handy. Pairing was a snap; worked first time. It''s comfortable enough to wear for long periods, and it''s very unobtrusive. Not so much that you''d forget it''s there, but enough to leave on and not bug you.

This headset has only two downfalls. One: no noise reduction circuitry. The microphone on the headset works very well; unfortunately, too well if there''s *any* sort of noise in the area -- another conversation, a TV twenty feet away, a barking dog in the next room -- were all as clearly heard by my caller as my own voice, prompting her to ask me to move to another room where it wasn''t quite so loud. And trying to use it in the car, forget it. I was told that I was barely distinguishible from the noise of the car.

Two: The manual. This is one of those manuals where they give you one small illustration and 327 different languages (actually, it''s only 7, but it feels like 327) on each page, so the pairing instructions took up about 5 pages, but about half a napkin''s worth of content. That''s a thoroughly annoying feature; so annoying to me that I skipped the manual altogether and went straight to the website to get the instructions all in one language. That''s significant enough to me to be a downfall.

All in all, this is a great entry-level Bluetooth headset, priced right for the "value-conscious" consumer. But for anyone who expects superior quality conversations, rivaling those offered by your "actual phone," I would pay more for a better quality headset with some noise-cancelling circuitry. I suggest looking at the Jabra FreeSpeak BT250. It''s got the same general wrap-around-the-ear design, but it''s a little more than the Plantronics (about twice the price at the time of this writing). However, it''s still under $100, and with built-in noise reduction, it''s well worth it, IMHO.

While I found the range to be quite decent (>20ft on a Nokia 6230) and sound quality to be a bit staticy but still fairly good, the thing just didn''t fit very tightly. The headset is large and moves around easily, particularly if you use the buttons a lot or wear glasses.

I had a previous generation Plantronics with a Sony T68i phone, and had the same kinds of problems that people are reporting for this model. In all honesty, I think it may be a matter of how well Bluetooth is implemented on the phone.

On the Motorola RAZR V3, I have NEVER had any problem. I have clear calls, and people can hear me clearly. I can leave the phone on my desk at home and walk around the house (about 45 feet of distance), with no problems. Voice dialing works (a function triggered by the M2500, but available based on if your phone supports it.) I can hang up calls, and transfer calls from the headset to the phone, and phone to the headset with no problems.

However, I will recommend that you keep the headset charged. I have not run into any battery issues on this headset, but on my previous generation Plantronics, I had all sorts of issues related to a dieing battery. (Callers could not hear me, or I would sound staticy and distorted).

I generally conserve battery life by not leaving the headset in standby. (Turn off when not using). If I am waiting for a call, I will leave the headset on, but if I take the headset off and put it in my pocket, I''ll shut it off. If someone calls, I''ll answer my phone, then transfer the call to my headset if I think that I will be talking for more than a few minutes.

Update on June/2006: I still have this headset and I am now using it with a Motorola SLVR L7. It still works flawlessly. One thing I will mention, I am on my second M2500 headset because the first one broke in my pocket. (The plastic from the ear piece to the microphone is some what delicate). This was entirely my fault, and not necessarily a defect of the product, I simple suggest caution while having this in a pocket.

In any case, I believe this headset is worth a try. I''d probably shy away from using this as a Bluetooth headset on a computer. (I''ve yet to find a stable bluetooth implementation on a Windows machine), but if you are considering this for your phone, I''d give it at try.

-Brian