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Pairing
 I tested the Plantronics Voyager 520 headset with LG’s VX8100 handset for Verizon and LG’s “the V” handset for Verizon. Before attempting to pair the headset, I made sure that both phones’ Bluetooth settings were activated and charged the headset for the recommended two hours.
The Bluetooth pairing process was very simple and I had no problems at all. The first time that I turned on the Plantronics Voyager 520 it was automatically in pairing mode for ten minutes. During this time I was able to search for available Bluetooth devices on my VX8100 and within a few moments the handset was able to find the Voyager 520, displaying “5XXPlantronics” on the screen. At this point I was prompted for a passkey and entered “0000.” Once the headset was paired successfully, the LED indicator began to flash blue.
One of the features new to the Plantronics Voyager 520 is the ability to subsequently pair with two Bluetooth devices at the same time. I achieved this when pairing the Voyager 520 with LG’s “the V” by turning off the headset first. I then turned the headset back on by pressing and holding the call control button until the indicator flashes red/blue to put the Voyager 520 into pairing mode. From there “the V” was able to locate and connect to the device. Now that there were two devices connected to the headset, the Voyager 520 headset has the functionality to switch between the two handsets with the simple press of the call control button located on the earpiece.
Battery Life and Charging
 As with most Bluetooth headsets, you must charge the Plantronics Voyager 520 before the initial use. It only takes two hours to achieve a full charge, but it can get a usable charge in just one hour.
The headset claims to come with two ways to charge, but they are both using the same AC charger. You can either use the AC charger to connect directly from a power outlet to the phone or use the desktop charging cradle with the AC charger. Basically the desktop charging cradle provides you with a stand to hold the Voyager 520 during charging. While this is a nice accessory it hardly validates the claim that this headset provides two charging option.
The Plantronics Voyager 520 has a battery life which comes very close to meeting the 8 hours of talk time stated by Plantronics. While testing the battery, I was able to keep the headset powered on and paired with my cell phone for about four and a half days before it began to die. Overall, the Voyager 520 offered a combined standby time of just less 110 hours and a talking time of 122 minutes, or just over 2 hours.
The Voyager 520 also offers a convenient battery charge level indicator each time that the headset is powered on. This feature gives you a reasonable estimate of the remaining charge of the battery each time that you turn on the headset for use. This feature provides visual feedback through a sequence of red flashes of the LED indicator on the Voyager 520, one flash meaning less than 1/3 full, two flashes meaning 1/3 to 2/3 full, and three flashes meaning more than 2/3 full. By paying attention during this phase of startup you can monitor the battery life of your headset and hopefully never get caught with a completely depleted battery.
Style and Comfort
 The Plantronics Voyager 520 headset has a sleek, modern shape which is very compact and lightweight. It’s casing is glossy black with silver accents.
With a flexible rubber earhook that swivels 360 degrees, the Voyager 520 fits securely on either ear. The headset’s rubberized earpiece is extended to fit inside your ear. The earpiece happened to be a perfect fit for my ear, so I found it to be very comfortable. However, for users with different ear sizes, the earpiece may turn out to be too big or too small. It would be nice if Plantronics offered various earpieces to accommodate user’s varied ear sizes.
At 0.63 ounces the Voyager 520 is extremely lightweight. I wore the headset for hours at a time and wasn’t even aware of its presence. The dimensions are 2.5x0.7x0.5 inches, which is standard compared to other Bluetooth headsets. With regards to its overall design, I thought the Voyager 520 was one of the most comfortable headsets I’ve ever worn.
Functions
The Plantronics Voyager 520 provides all the standard functions of a Bluetooth headset. Conveniently, all the functions are controlled through one multifunction button on the headset’s front face. The LED indicator light is located immediately above the multifunction button.
The multifunction button allows you to turn the device on and off, reject calls, answer and end calls, engage voice dialing, redial the last number called, transfer calls between the headset and your phone, and switch between calls on two separate devices. The multifunction button also rocks back and forth to control the volume.
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