Plantronics Voyager 510 - this rookie bluetooth user is happy (update: 07/13/06)
Written: Jun 30 '06 (Updated Jul 13 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent, clear communication from a comfortable headset. Easy setup.
Cons: No package for earpieces or carrying pouch. Noise cancelling has problems in outdoor windy conditions.
The Bottom Line: This is a great headset for the price, and I am enjoying telling others about it.
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| peachjam's Full Review: |
I am new to Bluetooth technology, but my first experience has made me a believer. This Plantronics L510 Wireless Bluetooth headset was easy to setup, is easy to use, and is comfortable to wear. Battery life is excellent, and conversations are clear.
Why purchase a Bluetooth headset?
Although my Sony Erickson z520a phone came with a wired earpiece for hands-free conversations, I was annoyed at the tangled wire and the fact that the wire would often yank the earpiece out of my ear. It was also limiting to use the hands-free speakerphone option on the Sony cell phone when at the office or in the car because it would pick up outside noise, and was not private when others were around. The first Bluetooth device I ever noticed was at a rest stop along the interstate. A limousine driver walked into the service station with a very small headset on and a confident, happy look on their face. My first reaction was that it didn’t look as geeky as I would have expected. I liked the idea of no wires. I liked the idea of having the cell phone further away from my head because of all the controversy of cancer-inducing cell phones. I liked the idea of more private conversations while not having to hold a phone up to my ear all the time (my arm would get really tired, plus I couldn’t type or otherwise work while on a conversation).
Why purchase the Plantronics?
I did my research and thought that Plantronics had a great product. After all, they made the communication headset that carried the first words from the moon in 1969 “that’s one small step for man, one giant step for mankind.” (They have a really cute commercial the at Plantronics website about those first words: http://www.plantronics.com/north_america/en_US/winatriptospace/commercial.jhtml)
The best reviews seemed to be aimed at a much smaller device called the Plantronics Discovery 640. But its price at the time ($75) was more than I wanted to spend for this new convenience that I was about to try. The 640 was also out of stock during the week I was making the purchase or I might have splurged. The Plantronics L510 headset also got great reviews and was more moderately priced at around $45. I also had a $25 coupon from Buy.com that lowered the price even further.
The many features available in this headset was what finally convinced me. These features include: Noise-cancelling microphone with WindSmart technology for clearer voice transmission, a boom microphone that swivels for use on either ear, interchangeable earpieces for the right fit, Voice calling, one-touch redial of last number, one-touch call retrieval and hang up, versatile use on multiple Bluetooth devices, and a sharp silver look.
So, how well does it work?
Setup
The Plantronics 510 was very easy to set up with my Sony Erickson z520a cell phone. I had to charge the headset for awhile before connecting it to my cell phone. I chose to let it fully charge overnight, although 15 minutes would have probably been enough to set the initial pairing of the devices. Pairing a cell phone with a Bluetooth device is important for several reasons. The primary reason is so that the two devices recognize each other’s signal since there are no wires connected. The secondary reason is so that other Bluetooth devices don’t get ‘mixed up’ when used in close proximity.
I turned on the 510 headset, then I turned on the Bluetooth functionality on my cell phone. Immediately the cell phone gave a message that the Bluetooth device was in range, showing me the device ID of the headset. With one click of my cell phone button the new Plantronics headset was paired to my phone. Additional settings on my phone allow me to hide my phone from other devices and to save battery power by not searching as often for other Bluetooth devices. Besides reading the instructions, the setup process took about two minutes. Most of the instructions necessary were on the cell phone, not on the headset.
Use
The Plantronics 510 has 4 simple buttons and one status light. The buttons are: A) Power on/off/mute, B) Volume up, C) Volume down, D) Call control. The power button must be pressed for three seconds to either power on the device or power off the device. Powering on the headset changes the status light to a nice blue color that blinks about every five seconds. Powering off the device changes the status light to red for several seconds before turning the light completely off. The power button also doubles as a mute button by pressing it quickly once during a call. A tone will sound every 15 seconds while mute is on. To take the call off mute, short press the button again.
The volume buttons are self-explanatory. Pressing the volume up button during a call increases the call volume. Pressing the volume down button decreases the call volume. The power button is ‘pointy’ enough to distinguish it from the volume button. It takes a little practice to be able to feel the volume buttons well enough to control the volume, but is not difficult even with my large hands once you get used to it.
Most of the attention now goes to the call control button. With this one button you can activate the many features of this headset. Once the headset is paired with the cell phone, turning on the Headset tells the phone to go to hands-free mode. When a call is detected, you can press the call control button to answer the call. It takes just a second or two for the call to be connected, so a few times I have had to say hello twice before the caller hears me. Another press of the call button would end the call. You can also pick up the cell phone and retrieve a call from the cell phone. A message on the screen gives you the option of switching the call to the cell phone or to leave the call on the headset. The default is to retrieve the call on the headset (if it is turned on). There have been a few times that I left the headset turned on but setting on the desk several feet away. I tried getting the call on the cell phone without looking at the screen and could hear nothing because the headset picked up the call. After a few episodes like this I have learned to look at the phone when I get the call to see if I need to transfer the call back to the headset.
If your cell phone has voice activated dialing you can use that as well. Press and hold the call control button for three seconds. After hearing a long tone and then a short tone, you can speak a pre-recorded name that you have programmed into your phone and the cell phone will dial the assigned number. This is a great feature for a hands-free headset. After all, if you can leave the phone on the desk or in your pocket, then you can really call it hands-free. I only have one number programmed for voice dialing currently – my home phone. I find that it may take two or three tries for the voice recognition to work – it doesn’t recognize my command. I think outside noise is the biggest factor – with wind or radio or AC fan noise confusing the voice recognition. But this may be a weakness of the phone, not necessarily the headset. With the call control button you can also quickly redial the last number dialed by pressing the button twice quickly. A tone lets you know when the call has been initiated.
The net result of these features is that I can just leave the phone in my pocket most of the time when I am wearing the headset. In the car, receiving a call is as simple as pushing the button on the headset rather than fumbling for the phone in my pocket. Dialing can be just as simple.
You can reject calls from the headset (press and hold the call button until you hear a tone), transfer a call back to the phone, or transfer a previous, in-progress call on your cell phone back to the headset.
Other great features
Comfort (Updated 07/13/06)
I find the 510 to be very comfortable to wear. It is not always easy to get into position. I find that folding my ear slightly on the top to get the earpiece in place works the best for one-handed installation. Once there, I can easily forget I am wearing it. The unit comes with three sizes of ear piece to fit your ear size/shape. The boom is adjustable to swivel into the correct position, which the manual says is pointing toward your mouth. The headset can be switched around to fit your right ear or left ear.
(update) What about wearing glasses with the 510? I don't wear prescription glasses, but I do wear sunglasses while driving. I noticed recently that my sunglasses that have thicker earpieces can interfere with the 510. I tried on my wife's reading glasses and found that the earpiece on the glasses is thin enough that I could wear the glasses and 510 with no problems.
Battery Life
Batteries have come a long way since the first bag-style cell phone I used many years ago. It had a battery the size of a Video Tape and the weight of several rolls of quarters. The Plantronics 510 squeezes a 6 hr. talk-time (100 hr. standby time) into a device that weighs only a few ounces. I don’t talk for many hours per day (about 700 minutes per month), so I have never had to recharge my headset two days in a row. I can go several days before needing to charge it. If, during a call, the battery runs low, an audible warning will be heard through the headset as a single beep repeating every 20 seconds. The headset status light will also flash red when the battery needs to be recharged. You should recharge the headset immediately.
If the headset does have a low battery, 1 hour of charging can have you ready for another call. In 3 hours the unit is fully charged.
Range
The 510 is rated to 33ft from the cell phone. I think the effective range may be even more than this. It seems more than adequate to me. If I walk too far away from the headset with the phone, the phone will beep to alert me that it has lost the signal from the headset. If I return to within range, the headset and cell phone will automatically pair up again, giving a short signal from the cell phone when this occurs.
Accessories
Although I do not own any of the optional accessories, there are some interesting add-ons for this headset. For $230 you can buy a Headset System, which consists of a desktop charger that also allows you to connect a desktop phone to your Bluetooth headset. With this setup you can answer and make calls on your home/office phone in the same ways you would use your cell phone. Multipoint technology allows you to use the headset with both the desk phone and your Bluetooth cell pone, and it’s smart enough to know which device you’re using.
Summary
It seems that the Plantronics engineers who helped Neil Armstrong broadcast his message from the moon also gave a lot of thought to the features of this headset. I have taken longer to describe this than the manual itself does. The manual is simple and straightforward. I really enjoy the headset and it has made me glad I chose a cell-phone that was Bluetooth capable.
Today’s Trivia: The term “Bluetooth” was a name chosen by the Swedish company Ericcson, after the Danish King Harald "Bluetooth" Blatand (910-940 A.D.) Bluetooth creators in Sweden thought it fitting to name the technology that unites computer devices and telecommunications after this Viking leader who is know for “uniting the warring factions of Denmark and Norway and bringing Christianity to Scandanavia” (http://www.du.edu/~ccfergus/bluetoothweb/history.htm).
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
peachjam
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Member: Troy Funte
Location: Titusville, PA
Reviews written: 84
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About Me:
I'm a family man, which actually keeps me off epinions more than I would like.
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