Customer Reviews

Logitech Laptop Headset H555 Portable Audio For Notebooks (981-000261)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I wear this headset 12 hours a day on the average for work; it's comfortable and convenient, and the sound quality is fantastic -- good enough for making high-quality recordings.

However, it will break. The reliability of this device is abysmal. I'm on my 5th one. However, it's worth mentioning that I keep getting the same one despite it's terrible track record.

When I first went looking for a headset, I bought about 6 different models from different manufacturers, and tested each for comfort, sound quality, recording quality, and noise reduction; this headset was the clear winner by a fairly decent margin.

So my solution, and my recommended solution, is to buy the headset from some place that offers a reasonable extended warranty program. Every time it breaks, take it back and get a new one, presumably at no additional charge. Plus, you get a new headset every few months.

Length:: 5:26 Mins

This Logitech headset is perfectly adequate for chats on Skype (or any other VOIP software). However, that's about it. Although the headset is very comfortable, the quality of the microphone is barely better than Telephone-quality. You won't be using this for voiceovers or podcasts. In fact, you can probably get better sound out of your built-in microphone!

Take a listen as I compare this microphone with the built-in mic of my MacBook Pro, and then with my Audio Technica 2035 (just to see what a good mic sounds like).

I work from my home so I use a headset 5 days a week. I purchased 2 of these headset and own 4 of them(Logitech has sent replacements). Let me first say I like Logitech products A LOT. I just don't like this one.

I gave it 2 stars because when it works it's great.


Pros:
Very Comfortable
Sound is good
Mic is good when it works
Logitech support is good(I should not have to know that).

Cons:
Both of the the ones I have purchased the Mic went out.
Logitech has sent me 2 replacements of the 2...only 1 is still working...you guessed it Mic went out.
So out of the 4 set's 3 have dead mic's

PACKAGING
I know this type of packaging is supposed to be great...that is unless you are the end consumer. It is theft-free. However how many of you have nearly destroyed your product getting it out of the package? On the back it said "Easy Open" and no manner of prying revealed what was easy open about it. I could not figure out where they meant to pull, push or otherwise. Finally I used the scissors method and while prying open the clamshell, I found there was some hash marks in the plastic where putting the right amount of pressure would have opened it. I looked at the cardboard where it was relative to the plastic and still think even knowing what I did, would have missed it. Maybe you won't.

BEHIND THE EAR HEADSETS
Well I'm new to this style headset and being female with long layered hair does not make this headset that easy to use. Ironically they show a young woman on the cover with long hair, neatly swept back in a pony tail, with the back of the head set tightly against her head. First of all, I never wear my hair in a ponytail and if I do, not at work. Second, I don't like my hair plastered down on the back of my head. This is worse than a top-supported headset that you can place on top of your head. In order to use a back of the head mounted one, you have to smooth your hair down as well as over your ears, to get the head set on, unlike the top supported one that you can just plop on and move the hair from over your ear. For some reason it seemed harder to get my hair out of the way. Third, I'm not a small person, but the back of this headset never rested on the back of my head...not even close. Not sure that matters though. Maybe this means I don't have to smooth my hair down quite so much. I will figure that out, once I use this enough. Once I got the headset on, it fitted well, with very light pressure on my ears. Though that means comfortable, that means not noise-proof at all. There was no reduction in outside noise with the head set on.

INITIAL USE:
Once installed this system was recognized and up and running after Windows recognized it. I'm on Windows XP just for reference. Unlike normal headsets, since it is USB and has a microphone, it needs to have some software installed. I had to do nothing to get this to happen and that is great. I have since used this headset on a second computer and it also installed seamlessly. The only issue was minor. When I tried to use this as a microphone for speech recognition in Microsoft word and having previously used another headset, I had to change my computer's designated microphone. Simple enough.

MICROPHONE RECEPTION:
Briefly using this headset for speech recognition demonstrated that it worked well. It was not noticed that it ever missed when I was speaking. Then on top of that, when my son was deliberately trying to mess with my dictation, he could not. It seems it is very directional which is a good thing. Not having a Skype account, I did not check it for phone calls.

MUSIC PLAYBACK:
For music playback, I found this headset too light fitting and for this reason background sound often interfered. Unfortunately, the volume I also found too restrictive. Even set at top volume, my computer volume was at 75% to hear a average volume song that had some quiet sections: (Dire Straits: Man's too strong). If I was listening to a quiet classical piano solo, this headset would not be sufficient.

Storage:
This headset folds nicely flat and has a carrying case, that would fit easily into a laptop case.

SUMMARY:
I'm sure I will use this headset for music at work, or voice recognition dictation. However for listening to quiet music, it would not be sufficient in a busy (noisy) office. Also, not being fond of the back head support it will not be my first headset of choice. I give it pluses for microphone accuracy and clear sound however.

Bought to deliver web-based training and Skype friends. Although its only been a few weeks, the headset has been reliable, delivers great sound -- both ways -- and is the perfect size for mobile laptop use. I really like the "behind the head" configuration and find it comfortable. I bought the product from Amazon and received a great deal including a manufacturer rebate. Very satisfied.

I've had mine for over 4 years, I use the headset about 2 days of the week every week when telecommuting. It's been great, I bought these because of the hard case (no longer an accessory?) and fold-up ability so I could easily have a good head set with me portable at all times and I would not have to worry about crushing or ruining them being on the outside of my laptop case.

Then the foam ear protectors wore out.

I can't find any replacements and having the hard plastic against the really is uncomfortable. I give this a 1 star for comfort since the pads wear out and there does not seem to be an easy way to replace them. Logitech should ship the product with an extra set of foam pads, the extra cost vs. the inconvenience to the customer when pads are not available warrants such a gesture.

I also find they tend to sag/slip down... but that's because the foam pads help keep the ear pieces in place, now with a slippery plastic edge, they do not (even uncomfortably) remain set.

A great product, the behind the head design does not interfere with with my glasses, and I get to wear the headset about 7 hours a day, in my job. I purchased the H555 Portable laptop for my wife, a gamer. I was disappointed in the design change where this headset has a moulded or integrated USB and not the separate USB adapter the Premium Notebook Headset had used. It is a good product but it is not as good as the previous version. :( Still, I think it is better than any of the other headsets I have found or used.

The Logitech ear phones are great. They are lightweight and compact. I loved that they have their own carrying case so the cords don't get wrapped around items in your briefcase. The sound quality was very good. I liked the plug and play feature. No software to install. Yahoo Messenger recognized the headphones and allowed me to set this as my default when making calls. I also like the ability to adjust the volume on the headset itself as well as mute the microphone. This comes in handy when you're on a conference call and the dog starts barking or the kids get a bit loud.

The adjustable headset is good but still not small enough for my head. The microphone flips easily out of the way and I was able to use the headphones to listen to a movie on my PC. I prefer my noise reduction headphones for movies and programs but the Logitech headphones will do nicely when you don't have the bigger headphones.


Notes:

- Light and compact
- Bonus carrying case
- Plug and play
- Headset adjustment of volume and mute
- Easily adjusts to different head sizes but not small ones
- Microphone flips easily out of the way
- Good sound quality

I've been using my H555 headset for a few weeks now, and haven't been able to find any real faults. I ignored the instructions and just plugged the USB cable into my laptop, and was immediately using the headset. The audio is great, and the microphone not only gives good quality sound, it also folds away neatly when you're not speaking.

All of my testing has been in 25-man ICC raids. The positioning of the volume control and mic switch was ideal, making volume adjustments easy to do on the fly without taking my eyes off of Omen (was working with a struggling off-tank paired with overgeared dps). Raid leader alerts came through clear over the game sounds, and when I had to call out "I have slime!" I was clearly heard and cleansed.

Careful readers will notice the "Vine Voice" tag on this review. I did receive this headset free, but I would actually pay real money for one. It's very good, no complaints. Super-careful readers will note the 4/5 on comfort. I have a non-standard head shape (think of the youngest kid on So I Married an Axe Murderer) and no headset is truly comfortable for me. But this is close.

Great headset, highly recommended.

You buy this if you want to use internet telephony, VOIP, or whatever. That is, you want to turn your PC into a telephone.

If you have any experience with internet telephony, then you know that its a squirrely thing. One minute the call quality is great, the next minute you've got echoes, static, whatever. I actually gave up on internet telephony a few years ago because I needed a solution that would also be suitable for work and the internet just wasn't cutting it. Why? Because you share the "bandwidth" with a lot of other people. If my wife starts doing something thats bandwidth intensive in the next room the quality of my call can get pretty bad. Or millions of other people can clog the internet highway during peak hours.

So when I heard that this headset actually improves call quality by using a new codec (more sound using less data) I was instantly interested.

The short version:
The sound quality and construction has MUCH improved since USB headsets of a few years ago. This headset, along with newer versions of skype and other services using the new codec, helps you get more sound through a weaker internet connection. This means better call quality. I called my wife using skype and she said it sounded "great". I called a person across the USA and they said it was "crystal clear". They couldn't tell I was using the internet. This morning I called someone in Europe and the quality was also excellent. I would rate this unit a "buy".

The long version:
If you are like me you are about tired of hearing about each and every new thing out there. Half of the new things are just promotional gibberish and they're forgotten about within a few weeks.

So this headset supports "super wideband audio". Its easy to say "huh." and let it go. Now, I'm reviewing this, so I decide its my job to know what that means. Super Wideband Audio is the latest, best "codec" or "transport code". Super Wideband Audio basically means "we can transport better quality sound using less bits and bytes". Another way of looking at this would be "we can get more juice through a smaller pipe". And if your internet speed is not so great, getting more through a smaller pipe is a good thing.

Please note I was using the latest version of skype which supports Super Wideband Audio. Not all pc-telephone software supports the new codec.

CALLS:
I made a few calls using this mic, both domestic and overseas, and the quality is excellent.

MUSIC:
I also listened to some music with a lot of bass and I was really pleased. I've used professional studio headphones and no you won't find that quality here. But for mid-priced skype headphones the sound was great! These are good enough for use with anything (movies, music, games).

COMFORT:
The design engineers really knew what they were doing, its very configurable and it doesn't slip. You can get it snug on your head without feeling pain in 5 minutes. And the boom mic folds back 180 degrees so its out of the way.

It includes a little pouch which is nice only because it doesn't get dusty when I'm not using it. I don't like to put something on the shelf for two weeks and then have it covered in dust. So I appreciate the little carry bag just for that reason.

Overall, I'm very content.

DISCLAIMER: The internet is a shared experience. Buying this headset does not ensure that you will always get fantastic call quality. This headset, using the new software, just increases your chance of having a good call. Its not a silver bullet that fixes all internet telephony problems.