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Plantronics Inc.'s Discovery 655 Bluetooth headset does its job and may even tickle the fancy of the average gadget lover with its modular design, but it does not meet the high standards that the California-based headset maker has set for itself. The last of the company's Bluetooth headsets we reviewed - namely, the Voyager 510 - exceeded those standards, and we were excited to receive the Discovery 655, the first of five new headsets Plantronics recently introduced. The Discovery 655 looks pretty in the box and left us drooling when we peered inside, but the excitement pretty much stopped there. BlueTomorrow.com's review team hopes Plantronics' other new releases - the Discovery 640E, the Explorer 330, the Explorer 340, and the Explorer 350 - realign with our expectations.
Plantronics has 44 years of experience developing headsets focused on sound quality, comfort and ease of use. The Discovery 655 Bluetooth headset's sound quality is excellent for the user, since Plantronics uses digital signal processing to enhance the sound. The user's voice doesn't come through as well for the listener on the other end of the phone, however; especially when the user is competing with background noise. We wonder why Plantronics did not use a noise-canceling microphone with this device when it worked so well with the Voyager 510. The headset is not as comfortable as some of the company's other models, though at 0.3 ounces (9 grams) it is rather light, which helps. The headset by itself works intuitively, but there are a number of problems associated with the device's many components and attachments, making it cumbersome as a package. For instance, the headset's attachable soft gel ear tips and earloop fall off the device regularly, which could lead to their easy loss.
While some might enjoy the various options to charge the Discovery 655 (and there are at minimum, three), we found the charging adapters superfluous. We can imagine a user deciding on one of the charging options, and piling the other adapters in a forgotten drawer. Of all of the adapters, the Mini-USB charger is best, and we prefer that type of charger to Plantronics' own charger-port design. We recommend Plantronics abandon its current charging port in favor of a Mini-USB port and forget the Mini-USB charging adapter. The AAA-battery charger adapter may come in handy when a user doesn't have access to a wall socket or car charger. But the device can't be used while it is being charged, so it may be easier just to shut off the device once it runs out of juice.
Also disappointing, the Discovery 655 does not get more than a 15-foot range from a mobile phone, even though the company advertises a 33-foot (10-meter) range. The device gets an extremely short 3.5 hours of talk time and it takes just about as long - at 3 hours - to charge, which is too long. In addition, the device does not last as long as Plantronics' advertised 80 hours in standby. Perhaps that's why the company designed the accompanying AAA-battery charger adapter?
Keep reading for more detail about how Plantronics' Discovery 655 Bluetooth headset performed during our reviewer's tests.
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