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Discovery 655 (Pairing and Functionality)

Pairing

I tested the Discovery 655 with Motorola's RAZR V3c Bluetooth cell phone. The device must first be paired with a phone before it can be used. Before pairing, users may need to read over their mobile phone's instruction manual to find out how to pair the device from the phone's side of the Bluetooth communication. Motorola phone users should note that they must first turn on their phones' Bluetooth radio before pairing it with a Bluetooth device.

Pairing Plantronics' Discovery 655 with Motorola's RAZR V3c was straightforward. If you're experienced in pairing, you will barely even need to read the user guide to do it. Pairing is as easy as turning on both devices, holding down the call control button on the Discovery 655 for 10 seconds until the headset status indicator flashes red then blue, then searching for and selecting the device, "6xxPlantronics," on your mobile phone. Users will have 120 seconds from that point to complete the process. Usually, the mobile phone's program will prompt users for a security code, which can be found in the Discovery 655 user manual. Once the phone and headset are paired, the headset's indicator should flash blue.

During normal use of the Discovery 655 each day, I connected the headset to my phone with a simple press of the call control button. The same button also allows users to make calls, receive calls, redial the last number and launch their phone's voice activation function.

Style and Comfort

Discovery 655 on pocket Plantronics Discovery 655 Bluetooth headset, by itself is stylish. On the ear, it looks good, even with the ear loop. However, when the device is inside the charging pocket attached to a shirt pocket, as if it were a pen, it looks geeky in my view. The device looked even geekier when the AAA-battery charger adapter was attached. I didn't like it and didn't wear the device on my shirt pocket. It just made me feel uncomfortable. Instead, I kept the device in my pocket, which led to the problems I discussed in the "setting up the headset" section earlier. I will acknowledge that some people might like the modular look, and describe it as "techie."

The Discovery 655 is extremely lightweight at 0.3 ounces (9 grams) and small at 2 inches long (about 5 cm), slightly more than a half-inch (1.6 cm) wide and slightly less than an inch (2.2 cm) thick with the ear tip. Even in its charging pocket, it's small, at three inches (7.6 cm) long. But smaller is not always better. Add the AAA-battery charger adapter and the combined device is 5-and-a-quarter inches (13.3 cm) long. It looks strange, to say the least, regardless of how it's used. The modular design may seem neat on first consideration, but it ends up being more cumbersome and even annoying in the end.

Discovery 655 OptionsTo be more specific, I'm simply not comfortable carrying around all the different charging adapters that come with the Discovery 655. I thought a Bluetooth headset was supposed to simplify my life, making it easier to talk wirelessly? Instead, the Discovery 655 seems to complicate things with all these needless parts that I have to make sure not to lose. And as I wrote, I've already lost the ear loop, and I've only had the device for a few months.

In terms of comfort, the Discovery 655 falls into the average column. With the ear loop, which is necessary to keep the device on my ear, it cuts into my ear after extended use. Without the ear loop, it feels like it's going to fall out of my ear if I turn my head too abruptly. It does feel much more comfortable to wear without the ear loop, but after reviewing the Voyager 510, the Discovery 655 just doesn't measure up.

Functions

Modular adapters aside, the Discovery 655's three-button interface is amazingly easy to use. And three buttons do it all. One call control button will connect the device with the mobile phone its paired with, answer calls, end calls, redial calls, reject a call, switch an active call from the headset to the mobile phone or vise versa, and connect to voice-activated dialing. Besides their obvious function, the volume buttons will mute a call when pressed together. Top volume on the Discovery 655 still sounds excellent, which is one of the device's main strengths.

If the device is in its charging pocket when a call is received, the pocket will vibrate. Intuitively, removing the headset from the pocket will answer the call and returning the device to the pocket will end it. This feature left a smile on my face, to say the least.

I've touched on the reasons why I don't like the adapters that come with the Discovery 655, but to be fair, they do work well. Attaching them to the charging pocket is simple, though they do come apart a little too easily. The AAA-battery charger adapter could be useful if it wasn't cumbersome. If I had a separate, Mini-USB-to-wall-socket charging cord, the Mini-USB adapter would be fantastic. But I had to use my Motorola charger with the adapter, meaning that I couldn't charge my Motorola phone at the same time. I suppose I could use the adapter with the provided Mini-USB-to-USB cord, but then, why would I want to charge the device with my computer when I could just as easily use a wall socket?

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