Plantronics .Audio 995 headset

[Athena]

I need a good headset to use in narrating videos. I've had problems with wired headsets -- frayed and broken connections -- and am considering getting a wireless unit. Would this work well for my purposes?

Thank you.

 

[corkyg]

Plantronics is a solid brand - the choice of many professionals. The Audio 995 is a wireless headset, and it should be satisfactory for your use. However! The wireless link is not Bluetooth or standard Wi-Fi, and requires a dedicated dongle. While it costs a bit more, the Plantronics Voyager Pro is a solid Bluetooth headset that runs on standard Bluetooth. You pays your $$$ and takes yer choice.

 

[Athena]

Thanks for the warning about the dongle. I don't think it matters in this case because I'll be using the headset at my desk and I can just leave the dongle permanently plugged into the back of the tower. I'm also considering the Logitech ClearChat wireless headset and it seems to use a standard WiFi signal.

I did see the Voyager Pro but not very enthusiastic about the one-ear headsets for this particular application -- I prefer to have both ears covered so that I can focus on the work.

Buy.com has an attractive promotion on the Plantronics .Audio 510. They might have worked except for the fact that they are wired. I ripped the cord completely off my last headset when I stood up without realizing that the cord was wrapped around the chair and I woud prefer to avoid all possibility of a repeat performance.

Athena

 

[murphyslabrat]

Just so you know, wired headset quality loosely corresponds to the price asked by the manufacturer. This post is going to be defending wired headphones, so prepare to ignore me if you are dead set on wireless.

It is your money, and it would be your savings. I would generally recommend against paying for wireless, excepting that you understand how much you are paying for it to be wireless. the 955 is essentially a wireless version of the 655, which is a USB version of the 355. So, you are essentially paying $110 for a $30 headset.

You cannot expect cheapo headphones to last forever, but you can pick your products carefully. You can get a pair of headphones with a removable cables, and then purchase a mic separately. The Sennheiser 212 is a good option, and can be had from ~$45 to $60, and uses a replaceable cable. Meanwhile, a $20 Logitec (which has overwhelmingly 5-egg ratings @the egg) would save you $30 to $45, and would get you a much better experience.

However, for just $16 you can get in on that sale for the Plantronics .Audio 510, which would save you a whole ton more, for, basically, the same audio experience.

 

[Athena]

Hi,

Thank you for your post. As you noted, the premium for wireless is considerable -- so give wired ones another try. The Plantronics 955 was on sale at the egg for $30 a few weeks ago but at the time, I was leaning toward wireless.

In any case, I figured that for only $16, the 510 was at least worth trying so I ordered a pair. I really like the way the sound and isolation they provide. Since they are USB, I can use an external hub and route the cable so that they are less likely to tangle. If I pull these apart, I'll look at wired again but for the time being, I think I'm set.

 

[murphyslabrat]

Yeah, I just got mine yesterday. I was very pleased with it's performance, in almost every respect. I got a used Creative Fatal1ty headset for the same kind of money, and it edges out the 510 by the barest amount. Mostly on the Creative set, the mids are a little recessed, causing the highs and lows to stand out more, which is something I definitely like. The 510, on the other hand has a more typical (I.e. flatter) curve.

It's definitely a good headset, I was listening for 3 hours straight comparing that one and the Creative set I got. I was immensely pleased with both.

I think your favorite part will be the huge honking cord, which is probably larger than 3/8ths of an inch below the inline volume-control. Above that, it's a little closer to 3/16ths or 1/4 inch wide.

 

[somethingsketchy]

I personally used a Plantronics headset (wireless) for I.T. Helpdesk work. From what I have done with this headset, Plantronics makes some solid products. The headset I used allows me to answer the phone while typing information into a ticket system. Definitely a time saver when I don't have to juggle a phone handset and type at the same time.

I would recommend Plantronics for anyone's use.