Mobile Fun Blog

Review: Plantronics Voyager Pro+

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

When it comes to Bluetooth Headsets you are spoilt for choice as there are just so many available, but with so many brands available, deciding on one can be a bit overwhelming.

There are numerous bluetooth headset manufacturers, but the top three are Plantronics, Jabra and Jawbone. I’ve already reviewed the Jabra Stone and Jawbone headsets, so I thought I’d take a look at the Plantronics Voyager Pro+.

Plantronics Voyager PRO+ Bluetooth Headset

In The Box

Plantronics are quite generous when it comes to the accessories in the box. As well as the standard mains adapter, you also get a continental adapter, a Micro USB charging cable, a car charger adapter and a supply of spare ear buds – more than I’ve seen in any other Bluetooth Headset recently.

Plantronics Voyager PRO+ Bluetooth Headset

Features

The Voyager Pro+ is more than just an everyday headset. It’s aimed at road warriors and heavy users that need a strong, clear and reliable headset. In terms of features, the headset packs a lot in to a surprisingly small shell. The pictures don’t really do much to convey the size of the headset, but I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box.

The Voyager Pro+ features a boom mic which houses dual microphones . The microphones have three layers of noise reduction built in to eliminate background noise, road noise and wind noise. One microphone listens out for your voice, while the other one picks up background noise – clever software then removes these noises from the voice microphone for exceptionally clear audio.

Plantronics Voyager PRO+ Bluetooth Headset

Another handy little feature that’s built in is the voice prompts. These audible alerts will let you know when your battery is running low and confirm when the microphone is muted. It works well, but it would have been nice if it also read out the callers number when you receive a call.

Battery life is also worth a mention here. It offers up to 6 hours talk time and five days of standby, so even the heaviest of uses shouldn’t have a problem with it running out of power.

Design

Not every one will like the design of the Voyager Pro+ as at first glance it looks quite bulky, but when you see it in the flesh you’ll be surprised at just how small it is. The bulk of the unit sits behind your ear, leaving just the earpiece and boom mic visible.

Plantronics Voyager PRO+ Bluetooth Headset

It can be worn in either ear and the microphone is fully adjustable, so finding a comfortable fit isn’t a problem. The number of buttons have been kept to a minimum, both to improve the look of the headset and to keep it simple to use.

Controls & Set Up

There are just 4 buttons on the Voyager Pro+, but they aren’t all that obvious. The answer/end key is exactly where you’d expect it, but the power and volume keys are a hidden away on the main part that sits behind your ear. For the power button, this isn’t really a problem as you’re not really all that likely to turn it off while you’re wearing it, but some people may find the volume keys a little on the small and fiddly side.

Plantronics Voyager PRO+ Bluetooth Headset

They’re located on the top of the headset and are quite close together. You shouldn’t have any problems in pressing the wrong one, but as there are no raised markings, you might struggle to remember which is up and which is down!

Setting it up is incredibly easy. I tried one with the iPhone and pairing was almost too easy. The first time you turn the headset is on it goes into pairing mode, so all you have to do is search for Bluetooth devices on your phone. I wasn’t asked for a Passkey on the iPhone, most other new handsets don’t require one either.

Audio Quality

As you’d expect from Plantronics, the audio quality is excellent. The noise cancellation on the Voyager Pro+ is brilliant, I actually prefer it over the Jawbone (which can sometimes make people sound robotic) The ear gels fit well and are quite open in order to channel the sound into your ears, unlike some ear gels that partially cover the speaker.

I had no problems in hearing the caller or being heard even at 70mph on the motorway. It still worked well with the window slightly open, although road and wind noise were increased, but not to the point where the headset became unusable.

Why Choose

Plantronics have been around for a very long time and it shows in the quality of their headsets. The Voyager Pro+ is well built, easy to use and exceptionally clear. It is by far the best option if you spend a lot of time in the car making calls and don’t want a loud speaker.

There are a few features that I’d have like to have seen on the Voyager Pro+, Text To Speech, Support for music playback being the main two but neither are really that important and neither feature prevents the Voyager Pro+ from being an outstanding bluetooth headset.

Also Consider

Jabra Stone

Jawbone Icon

My Rating

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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Top 9 Micro USB Bluetooth Headsets

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

Over the course of the next 12 months, all the big names in mobile phones will be moving over to just one type of charger – a Micro USB connection. The main reason behind the change is to reduce the amount of chargers that are being thrown away. Long term, I can see mobile phones not coming with a mains charger as manufacturers will assume you’ve already got one. Great if you live in a house where everyone has a different phone – you can now share chargers, and if you go on holiday and forget your charger, finding someone with a charger for your phone will be a whole lot easier!

There are already a lot of phones available that use a Micro USB charger; Both the BlackBerry Storm &  Black Berry 8900 Curve, Nokia have the 6500 Classic and the recently released Nokia N97, and Samsung use Micro USB charging on the Samsung Omnia HD and the Samsung Jet.

Fed up of tangled cables?

This is of course great news, but you’re still going to need seperate chargers for any other accessories that you might have, your Bluetooth Headset for example.  You’re still going to need a different charger for each device, and there is still a risk of leaving one behind when you pack for your travels.

Fortunately, there is a solution on its way.  Micro USB chargers are also being adopted by accessory manufacturers, so you’ll be able to use the same charger on your headset as you use on your mobile phone.

Jabra, Nokia and Plantronics are all starting to introduce Micro USB charging to their range of Bluetooth Headsets and Stereo Bluetooth Headsets so I’ve put together a list of our top micro USB Bluetooth Headsets

(more…)

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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Pairing Instructions: Plantronics Bluetooth Headsets

Friday, February 20th, 2009

Before you can start to use your Plantronics Bluetooth Headset you will need to pair it with your phone. Pairing is the name of the process that allows your phone to find and connect with another Bluetooth device. In order to pair your devices you will need to put your headset into pairing mode and enter a passkey.
For detailed instructions on how to pair your Bluetooth Headset to your phone, Plantronics have created a pairing guide.

Now, I do have to warn you, it is a little bit cheesy and is designed for use in America, but it still tells you what you need to know to get your phone and headset to talk to each other.

Service Provider:
As I mentioned before, this pairing guide is aimed at the American market, so the Service Providers/Networks listed here are USA networks. Its not a problem though, just select “Other” from the bottom of the list.

Phone Manufacturer:
This guide will help set up headsets with standard mobiles and smartphones. If your device is a Smartphone, choose “Other PDAs”, if its a normal mobile phone, choose “Other Phones”

Phone Model:
You’ll only have the option here for other phone, and an image of a Motorola V3 will be displayed. Don’t worry too much about this, the steps for pairing are similar for all phones. If you want to try and find specific instructions for your phone, you can try selecting a network at step one and browsing through the handsets, but the USA seems to be a little bit behind us at the moment, and the handsets listed are a little old now.

Plantronics Headset:
You’ll now be presented with a list of all the Plantronics headsets. Select your headset from the list and you’ll then be shown and talked through the steps needed to pair the headset to your phone. If you want to start again at any point, just hit start over at the top of the screen.

Now that you know how to use it, you need to head over to the Plantronics Pairing Guide.

(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

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Bluetooth Headset Buyers Guide

Friday, September 26th, 2008

When choosing a Bluetooth Headset, its easy to become overwhelmed by the vast range of headsets available. They all look the same, do the same basic job, so whats the difference and what should you be looking for when choosing a Bluetooth Headset?

Design:
Bluetooth Headsets come in a range of shapes and sizes. They range from the more conventional "over the ear" with a boom microphone, to small "in the ear" headsets that are barely visible. Each style has its advantages – In ear headsets can be more comfortable, especially for those who wear glasses, where as "over the ear" headsets can be a bit more secure, with less risk of them falling off. All headsets can be adjusted to be worn on either the left or right ear.

Weight:
The smaller the headset, the lighter it should be. If you’re going to be wearing your headset for long periods, a lighter headset will be more comfortable, but with less weight and smaller size, you may have to compromise on battery life. The weight of a Bluetooth Headset ranges from around 9g to over 20g.

Battery Life:
Battery times on headsets have improved significantly over the last few years. It’s not unusual to find headsets with upto 12 hours talktime and upto 300 hours standby time. If you’re going to be using your headset more for making regular calls, talktime will be more important to you. If you don’t really make that many calls, but need a headset for when you do get the occasional call, then opt for one with a longer standby time.

Music:
Bluetooth Headsets aren’t just for taking calls. Stereo Bluetooth Headsets allow you to listen to your music in stereo (if supported by your phone). They work in the same way as a normal Bluetooth Headset, and will automatically pause your music when a call comes in. Stereo Bluetooth Headsets aren’t recommended if you’re driving, but are ideal for using at the gym, or during sporting and leisure activities. Most Stereo Bluetooth Headsets have music controls on them, allowing you to control your music without having to touch your phone. In order to stream music to a Stereo Bluetooth Headset you will need to make sure your phone supports the A2DP profile. Read our Bluetooth Guide for more information.

Charging:
How your headset charges can be quite important. A lot of headsets charge using the same connector as mobile phones, so its normally a good idea to opt for a headset that’s made by the same manufacturer as your phone. By using the same charger as you use on your phone, you won’t have to purchase a second charger for in the car, and you will only have to carry one charger around with you when you travel. Some headsets also support USB charging, making it easy to charge using a USB cable connected to your laptop if you’re out and about.

Multipoint:
Multipoint is a relatively new technology in Bluetooth Headsets. Standard Bluetooth Headsets normally allow you to pair with 2 or more phones, but only one can be active at any one time. Multipoint Bluetooth Headsets allow you to connect and use two phones at the same time – ideal if you carry a work mobile and a personal mobile. With Multipoint, both phones are connected, and when a call comes in, the audio is transferred to the headset automatically. If a call comes in on your other phone, you can easily switch between calls, just by pressing a button on the headset.
For more information on Multipoint and how it works, check out our guide to Multipoint.

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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