27
Dec
For the longest time a Bluetooth headphone was considered a “no go” in my gadget collection. When the very first Bluetooth headset in the world hit shelves I purchased one, and vowed to never do it again. Of course, times have changed since I owned my Ericsson HBH-10 and it was time to find the perfect Bluetooth headset. My demands were modest; Bluetooth 2.0 (for the range), good battery life, no bright blue “I’m a dork” flashing light on the front and most importantly; Stereo audio support.
I tried out everything from cheap Chinese models (don’t bother) to the Plantronics Pulsar 590E (great sound, but massive). But when Plantronics announced the Voyager 855 back in September I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. Sadly it took till November for me to finally find them (at the local BestBuy of all places) and here is my quick and dirty review.
The Voyager 855 looks like any other Bluetooth headphone available at the moment, with one exception; a wire for a second earpiece coming out of the earclip. This second earpiece allows you to use the headphones as Stereo headphones (Bluetooth Advanced Audio Distribution Profile aka A2DP) on a compatible Bluetooth device. In my case I connect it to my smartphone or laptop.
In the box you’ll find the headset, a non-stereo earclip (if you just want a mono headset), a set of ear gels and a pouch. You also get a MicroUSB charger (not shown).
Answering a call is easy; you can press the “call” button, or simply slide the boom forward. Using a sliding boom is brilliant; it brings the microphone closer to your mouth so the person on the other end of the call doesn’t think you are calling from the Moon.
The Voyager with the “mono” ear clip installed.
In day to day use I’m extremely impressed. Even though I don’t carry a headset I have tested 100′s of them over the past years, and without a doubt I have to say that so far the Voyager 855 is the best. Every aspect of this headset is great. Audio on a phone call is bright, loud and free of static (when used on a Bluetooth 2.0 phone). My fellow callers never complained about too much background noise or volume issues.
Using the Voyager as a stereo headphone is equally impressive. Audio sounds just as crisp as with wired headphones. In addition to the stereo Bluetooth profile you also get the Bluetooth support for remote control of your media player (with the Bluetooth AVRCP profile). Of course, none of this is any good if your device doesn’t support it, so be sure to check the manual or manufacturer web site to find out. In my test I paired the headset with an HTC TyTn II and installed Coreplayer. I placed Coreplayer under a softkey so I could start it with just one push of a button. As soon as the TyTN discovered the headset all audio was routed to it. On the headset I could start and stop audio and control tracks forward and back. When a call is received the audio stops, and starts again as soon as I hang up. I’ve also paired it to my UMPC (Samsung Q1 Ultra) and used it to control iTunes and make a Skype call. I had to boot my machine in Windows XP as Windows Vista users may not be able to stream audio over Bluetooth.
My main complaints were that the 2 earpieces don’t feel the same; the headset earpiece doesn’t go in your ear as much as the wired portion which gives a weird sensation that it isn’t on right. My other complaint is the use of MicroUSB for the charger; meaning most of us roadwarriors will need yet another charger cord in the carry on.
iPod users can use the Voyager 855 with an optional iPod Bluetooth adapter. iPhone users will be disappointed to know that Apple does NOT include stereo audio support, despite the iPhone having Bluetooth integrated.
The Plantronics Voyager 855 is widely available at the moment, and priced as low as $69. The MSRP is $149.
Manufacturer website: Plantronics
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