Customer Reviews

Plantronics .Audio 355 Multimedia Headset

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This headset was the right price for what I needed for PC gaming/talking on aim/Skype. I wanted a quality headset microphone that would make me clear to hear to people.

The mic quality is GREAT, and so is the sound quality of the headphones. The sounds are all clear and I had no hissing or anything. The headset feels very sturdy and of quality construction, especially the fabric-covered padding. I love how the headset folds up and away if needed. You can bend the sticking-out mic part forward/back towards your mouth, and then the joint at the head does up/down, so it's a lot more precise than the loosey-goosey free wire-bending boom mics. It basically gives me the steady-placement FEEL of a hard plastic fixed position mic...only this one IS adjustable.

My only complaint is the headband was TOO TIGHT - it pinches my earlobe tops against the padding to my head. I've been leaving it on a box to stretch out the plastic of the headband. My head is small by human standards and my ears are not large either - so I don't know how other people feel about the tightness.

For wearing with extended times of playing online games.....it was not comfortable unless stretched out (after being "de-tightened" by being left on a box to stretch it, it is good though).

Also the plugs on the headset that plug into the back of the computer (this is an analog headset which is good cause I have many USB devices and I need those ports open) are not color coded - they are both black and look the same (they have tiny engraved symbols for 'line out' and 'mic' on them). One being RED would have been nice so it's easy to see which is which - cause not everyone can easily see/get to the back of their computer. Mine is a large desktop tucked aganist a balcony edge....I have to lean way over and half blindly plug them in. Though this is easily fixed with some paint or color tape (already did that so problem solved) the designers should have thought of that I think.

Best gaming headset I ever used, beats all my logitechs, and my Bose!! Good buy good buy!

PROS: Cheap, AWESOME for Price, Amazing sound quality, GOOD bass

CONS: SHORT CORD, BEWARE, if you're like me and walk around while on skype and such, you will not go far!

UPDATE: My second pair has broken, after intense gaming it came down to about 2 of these per year...Too expensive and the flimsly headband made me switch to a nicer, around ear plantronics. Great for the temporary user though!

I bought these based on other reviews and its price. Since having and using them for over 2 months now, I'm very satisfied. They sound very good, are very comfortable to wear, and the mic works very well. I use them to chat on MSN--still can't figure out the problem w/Skype--and help me w/my language course, work perfectly. The adjustable mic is an added plus. My only negative would be that they tend to pinch my ears after a prolong session of chatting, not sure if that's b/c they are new or designed that way. Overall, I'd recommend them to anyone looking for a solid pair of multimedia headphones at a VERY reasonable price.

I needed (and still need) a headset which had a good sound filtering microphone for dictation, ear cupping headphones to block noise from getting in and from sound getting out only to be picked up by the mic, and I needed it to be, at the very least, not-painful because I use it for significant stretches at a time.

The mic on this product picks up everything and not in a clear, crisp, useful way, but in a way where dictation software has a field day, either unable to pick anything out or just making stuff up. dictation software is finicky but this is clearly not the software.

The ear cups on this product are not made for human ears, except, maybe, little baby ears. So maybe these are good for baby ears but I am sorely disappointed. Which brings me to my final critique.

My ears are sore, very sore, it has been less than an hour and because my ears are not baby ears the edges of the cup sit wholly on top of my ear as apposed to around it. This leads to constant pressure on the edge of your ear, pressure which quickly becomes pain.

This product is a waste of my time and money. In an attempt to save money I wasted money on this.

I went looking for a headset after my last ones mic went. I purchased these because I wanted a bigger speaker and something that wasnt directly pressing on my ear all the time. I didnt think that it was the same manufacturer as the last set.

Comfort
I can play for HOURS without any real discomfort. My ears get warm but thats fine.

Sound quality
Is pretty good. I was surprised they sounded so good. The mic sounds fine too, never had any complaints about how I sounded. The boom is flexible and you can put it right where you want it and it rotates to slide up and out of the way.

Looks
They look alright until you put them on. The top hoop goes way out to the sides. Then again who cares what they look like? Just letting buyers know you will look silly

Construction
The boom movement feature and inline mute and volume controls are nice, but after only 2 months the left speaker gave a gasp (crackle) and ceased working. It was annoying but I dealt with it for a day then the right one got VERY soft. I cranked up onboard volume, pc volume, and game volume and could barely make out the sounds. Then the next day it went altogether. I made do by wearing this set around my neck and positioning the mic near my mouth and the old set of Plantronics on my head with the mic out of the way so I could talk and hear until the session was over. Now I get to go look for another headset.

Be warned buyers. I might have thought Id gotten a lemon, its possible with anything you buy, but for two headsets dying within 6 months. You get what you pay for/

I needed a cheap headset/mic and this fit the bill. It's comfortable, the sound is very good, and the mic seems to work well. It feels like a more expensive product. I bought this after trying out a cheap Logitech headset, and there's no comparison...this blows it out of the water. Only reason I don't give it 5-stars is I get the feeling that the plastic making up the headset will fatigue and be prone to snap over time given the design. For the price though, this headset seems untouchable.

I use the headset for making Voice Over IP calls from my computer. The audio quality is very good and people hearing me on the other end, comment on the clarity of the microphone.
The headset is a bit on the heavy/bulky side and the ear cushions are a bit too firm. The mike boom can rotate up and down but does not adjust in or out from the face.
For the price, this is a good value.

They may not be great, but they're only $20 right now. No matter how great the phones are, the weak link in these always seems to be the connecting wire and how it handles the strain. I just replaced an acceptable set of phones (not Plantronics) because the wire frayed at the volume switch and I couldn't use them any longer.

I have used these almost daily for the last 6 weeks for gaming and Skype and they work fine. The sound is good; the mic picks up fine and clearly. While the volume switch does adjust the sound a bit, it does not go all the way to zero. The plugs are actually a little flattened at the finger grips which actually helps you hold on to them when inserting or removing them from PC jacks. If this headset was worn out, I'd get the same ones again and be happy.

Overall these is the worst headset I've personally ever owned. Comfort is a big issue with these. The close ear part of this 'may' be decent for a child or teenager, but for an adult male they are way too small and crush either your top or bottom earlobe... any amount of time over 30minutes will result in painful ear pain. (physical not auditory).

The sound is really good and they're a snap to use.

Bought these to replace Audio 365 Closed-ear Full-range Set that I rolled over in my chair and destroyed the cord. These are OK, but the ear cups are too small. The 365s were perfectly sized, so I was expecting close to the same thing. These set on, not over my average sized ears. Drives me nuts. Pretty good sound, the mic is in a nice location, very much out of the way. The volume control and mute are nice and close the the head set, not way down the cord. They are comfortable over a couple of hours at a time. Overall nice, I just wish I hadn't destroyed my old 365s!!

****

Edit

The right ear has stopped working now. Oh well, I wish I hadn't destroyed my 365s!