Customer Reviews

Plantronics CT10 900 MHz Cordless Headset Telephone

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

This an updated version of the CT-901 with a far better battery and more portable design. The dial pad fits in your palm or disappears into you pocket. Below is my review for the CT901 (which is a good, lower priced alternative) and all qualities hold true for this unit as well. I have bought 3 of those (some for gifts. I'm not that crazy) and vouch for Plantronics products as well as customer service. They also make the equiptment for about 70% of the world's call centers.

---

I have tried a number of cordless headset phones and this is by far the best. The headset is so light, you will forget that it is on your head (this can cause some embarassment). The microphone is excellent and in three years of use no one on the other end has ever had issue with the quality of the sound. Being analog, there are limits to the range (150ft), but no more than any other 900MHZ models. Unless you are running around a very large house, I wouldn't worry about this.

If this is your first cordless headset phone, you will be very pleased with the freedom to do other things while on the phone without the neck suffering. For home office workers, this enables painless multitasking beyond you wildest dreams.

***

I operate a financial advisory business from my home office and am often on the phone, internet and filing cabinet simultaneously. This little gem has been a godsend! Not only does it free my hands for working while on the phone, the cordless unit allows me to go to another room without worrying about missing a call.

I reviewed quite a few units (online and in person) before deciding on this phone. All the reasons I went with this one were accurate once it was in use. First, Plantronics makes a quality product. After working in a company with a large call center that used Plantronics equipment, it was apparent that they knew what professional phone-users need.

The headset is light, comfortable and separate from the unit. So, if you don't like it, replace it. Others are permanent and cannot be replaced even if they go bad. It also has a mute, which many others do not. Very important in a potentially noisy environment. The size is incredible - you won't believe how tiny it is, yet the buttons are a breeze to use, even for my large hands/fingers.

Other reviewers complained about the volume, but I found it quite acceptable with a reasonable adjustment range. My only complaint - I wish it was digital rather than analog to provide a little crisper sound. Overall a great product.

The Plantronics CT-10 is simply a fantastic cordless headset phone. The headset is comfortable. The keypad unit that goes on your belt is small and light weight. The batteries can handle a full day of calls on a single charge. The sound quality is top notch. The range is excellent (I can even go to the end of my 100-ft driveway to take out the trash and pick up the newspaper while on a conference call). The headset is plugged into the keypad unit, not hardwired, so you can replace the headset if necessary or if you prefer a different type. There is a mute button, so you can go to the bathroom and flush without the person on the other end even knowing (a must for long conference calls!). The freedom and mobility that this hands-free cordless phone provides is awesome: make a trip to the fridge, put the laundry in the dryer, drink beer outside on the deck, you name it and you can do it while on the phone.

I like this phone so much, I bought five (four were for gifts). Since I bought the first phone, I've been looking around to see if there's anything else out there that's better. So far, there isn't anything else that comes close to the CT-10. Other models have crappy headsets, hardwired headsets, clunky keypad units, poor sound quality, poor range, or no mute button.

The only thing about this phone that is short of total nirvana is the headset volume level. The volume level is adjustable, but even at full volume it's still not very loud. Max volume is adequate to hear even the softest talkers if the ambient noise around me is low to medium. However, I have trouble hearing people who speak softly when there is a high noise level in the room with me (e.g. kids carrying on). 98% of the time this is no issue, but if the Plantronics design team is looking for ways to make this great phone even better, then I want to be able to adjust the volume higher.

I've read other people's complaints about the buttons on the keypad being too small. This is not an issue for me. The buttons are on the small side, but that's the price of having a small keypad unit. Given the option of bigger keys with a bigger keypad unit or sticking with the current design, I'd take the current design without hesitation. If big keys are real important to you and you don't care what size brick you lug around on your belt, then you might make a different choice.

Bottomline: The Plantronics CT-10 is a great cordless headset phone. In my opinion, it's the best available.

This is just about the coolest thing. Now that I have gotten that out I can be more technical.

I looked on the internet and I looked in stores, but all the photo headsets I've seen out there have a big block you have to wear on your hip or you have to plug into a phone and lug that around. Not the case with this product.

The unit you clip on your belt is smaller than most beepers I have seen in length and width, however, it is thicker. They use the battery pack as the backside of this clip. Only time will tell if that proves to be a problem, but on a couple days of usage it was not.

The "Out of the box" experience (I'm a usability engineer) with this product was a good one.

You were given a base, the assembled battery and belt unit, the head set and a transformer for AC. As most consumers, I looked at the instructions after I hooked it up but, only as a curiousity.

You plug the phone line in the bottom of the base along with the transformer for power.

You attach the headphone to the clip unit remove the battery strip and you then place on the base. My unit charged in about 2 hours and was ready for use. It may have been shorter but I left the house for that period of time and it was fully charged when I got back.

For those of you that have not seen a battery strip before it is a neat thing they do so a customer does not have to install the batteries. The batteries are put in the unit with a strip of paper between the battery and the contact, so the batteries don't get drained. When the unit is bought the customer just has to remove this strip by pulling it out and voila, you have batteries in place and ready to go.

My only complaint was that the cords for the transformer and the one for the phone jack come out a large opening in the base. It is easy not to line these up and end up with the base on a tilt (on one of the cords). I like to have my wires neatly arranged, so this was not as neat as I would have liked.

Additionally, this unit just drapes the headset on the holder there is no clipping in place (easier to remove for that reason) and it may be knocked off if in a busy area.

Another thing I will note is that the instructions show you attaching the battery pack to the clip unit and I did not have to do this, it was already assembled.

Once I had the unit up and running it was a breeze to use.

The head set was adjustable and comfortable. It also felt sturdy.

During usage, the person on the other end did not detect the difference between this and a regular phone.

The clip stayed secure both on my belt or in my pocket. At one time I put it on the lapel of my jacket, but it is a bit heavy for that.

Additionally there is a little clip between the headset and clip unit that you can use to keep that cord out of your way as well. I didn't need to use this, but it does not get in your way.

The only thing I could think that might be a problem and then a minor one, was that the buttons on the clip unit are a bit small. That is a tradeoff you have for the size however. Even with this reduced size you had the essentials: Redial, Mute, Volume adjust and memory functions. Also the base has the requiste find capability where you could make the headset beep. Very useful in a multi user situation. (Now if I can only get my teenage daughter to give it back)

One other feature this system has that I have heard other units criticized for not having is the ability to remove the headset from the clip unit if it gets damaged. This seems like a good thing, and when you thing about it, that is a nice feature to have.

Great system.

Just remarkable -- great improvements over the 901 model.

First, the handset is perfectly fitted to be able to dial using only the thumb of the same hand you're hoold the device with (like Nokia phones).

Second, it is so wonderfully small -- nothing else even compares.

Third, they put a clip for the wire so the movement does wear out the headphone jack in the long run (I had to replace two phones b/c of this).

Fourth, it has a full volume control (not just loud/soft but gradiated) -- it still could be louder, however.

Fifth, the base has an very useful holder for the headset and a reasonable sleak design. It hides the cords very well.

Sixth, the battery life is incredible. I think I've done about 5+ hours w/o dropping back in the cradle.

You can compare this with any other cordless headset model and find they are simply generations behind. Totally worth an upgrade from the CT-901-HS. These guys are one of my favorite companies for great customer service (they replaced worn parts for free) and smart (user-driven) innovation. Great gift for people with babies who always need two hands free and enjoy talking on the phone.

After expressing interest in the CT10, my fiancee did a little shopping around to see if she could find something better. Someone at an electronics store told her about some other brand that claimed "97% voice quality" over the CT10's alleged "78% voice quality" (percentages are approximate based upon my recollection of third-hand info), but since the dealer didn't sell Plantronics (but did sell the other brand), I didn't put too much stock in that assessment. I joined the shopping expedition, jumping from store to store doing the "shop-around" at various brick-n-mortar shops.

What I saw in stores made me cringe. Most units' headset was hard-wired to the tranceiver...which is an exceedingly poor idea because once you damage the cord or sit on and break the headset, you're off to the store to buy an entirely new phone. Ick. The Plantronics line of phones (the CT10 included) have plug-in headsets that can easily be replaced. Incidently, the headset also works on cell phones as well, so if you're on your computer and someone calls you on your cell phone, all you have to do is plug the headset into the phone and keep on typing (a big plus for e-commerce software engineers on call :-)

Some "hands-free" telephones you find in the store are nothing more than a full-sized cordless phone with a headset jack and a belt clip--which makes you feel like you're carrying a small canteen of water around the house. Uncool. The Plantonics unit is about the size of two beepers stacked back-to-back, and just about as light. I read a previous review in which the writer bemoaned the small keypad, but I don't agree with the writer's opinion. My hands are huge (11 7/8" from pinky to thumb, and my ring finger is a size 14 1/2) and I don't have a problem with the keypad in least bit. Even the mute, redial, flash, channel, and memory buttons (the smallest of them all) are not difficult to pick out. If *I* can dial this thing with my mitts, so can you. Fear not the small buttons.

The headsets I saw on all the models I compared usually were a bit on the small size, and uncomfortable to wear at that. I've got a pretty big melon, so when I strapped on "the other guys'" headsets, the side opposite the earpiece tended to dig into my cranium leaving a small, temporary dent--a recipe for a headache. The headset that comes with this unit still isn't quite big enough to fit my skull, but it's a far cry better than what I saw in the brick-and-mortar stores--it's lightweight but not flimsy, and I hardly notice I'm wearing it, save the silver -colored boom protruding in front of my face. (Which, by the way, has a really cool ambient noise-cancelling circuit in it so that nobody hears your background noise but you--I frequently have the radio on during calls and I get more distracted than the person on the other end! :-)

Lastly, this phone has great range. I strapped it on and went down to the ground floor laundry room in my thin-walled apartment building and reception was near flawless (there was a spot or two in the tiny laundry room that caused two brief static pulses, but nothing serious). If you've got a house too big to use the CT10, chances are you're rich enough to just use your cell phone anyway. :-)

If there is one complaint I have about the unit, it's that the microphone is a *bit* too sensitive and will make you sound like a panting lunatic if the boom is too close to your mouth, as it will pick up every breath you take (and every move you make). To remedy the situation, I typically keep the mic at lip level, but angled out as far as it will go (about 3") and people on the other end hear me just fine. Once I got used to the mic's sensitivity, though, I've gotten quite comfortable with it. It would probably be very useful, however, to have a little foam ball to fit over the mic, like the foam windscreens you see roving reporters use on TV.

As for that salesman's claim that Plantronics' voice quality is sub-par, I can only laugh and chalk his comments up to commissioned bias. To christen the phone, I called a friend and after talking for about 10 minutes, asked how my voice sounded. When I told her I was using a headset telephone (and a cordless one at that), she wigged out and said it sounded as if I were basically sitting right next to her. 78% voice quality? Pshaw.

Buy this phone with supreme confidence--it's a great buy, and you'll be *very* hard-pressed to find anything better, especially for the price!

I almost didn't buy this phone because there were a number of people saying the phone didn't work well, was too quiet, etc.

I am so glad a bought it anyway! When I work from home, it's so much easier to have a headset. The hands free feature is great and the actual keypad is lighter than I thought it would be.

I can completely see why people think the earpiece is too soft; however, once you up the volume (and make sure the headset is on properly) it's plenty loud enough.

I would absolutely buy this phone again. It's most useful while typing, straightening up while I'm on conference calls, and general I-need-to-use-my-hands-but-I'm-holding-the-phone type of call. (especially if conversations end up going 30 minutes plus)

The only downside is the room you're speaking in has to be relatively quiet. If there's a lot of background noise (like the dishwasher, AC, people talking) I find myself unable to hear the person speaking to me on the other end of the line.

Other than that, the phone is great. Hope this helped!

Two weeks ago, I purchased the CT-10 after reading a few online reviews. My concerns about the volume proved to be valid. My hearing is not perfect, but my girlfriend had trouble with the level as well. I have been using a Plantronics Binaural Supra headset at work for many years, and have been very happy with it, so I was hopeful that the CT-10 would meet my needs. Bottom line: It doesn't get loud enough.

With the volume cranked, I still could not hear the other party well in 50% of my calls. I even ordered the adapter to see if there was any improvement with the use of my Supra headset. It didn't help any. I'm disappointed, as I like many of the features of the unit. The base and phone are well designed and I like the fact that the headset is detachable, but none of it is enough if you can't hear your call. I was often asking a party to speak up and to repeat himself.

I was told by tech support at Plantronics that the CA-10, their cordless headset amplifier that hooks up to a regular phone, would have better volume. It looks almost identical, but it is simply an amplifier, so I suppose this could be true. I'm not willing however, to shell out more money for something that does less. If you wanted to answer phones remotely with the CA-10, you would need the handset-lifting device, and you can't dial remotely with it. That may eventually be a good solution for me, but for now I have exchanged my Plantronics CT-10 for a GE cordless headset phone with caller ID.

It is larger, and I am kind of amused by the spring-loaded contacts that want to tip the phone out of the charging base, but my calls are "loud and clear." The headset is hardwired into the phone which is a negative if it needs to be repaired, and it is more than twice the size of the CT-10, but in my opinion, it does the job better. Granted, I have only been using the GE unit for a few days, so I may discover other issues, but for now it is the solution at $30 less. That reminds me: I also had a problem with static on my CT-10. It was associated with the headset jack. Just touching the jack lightly while on the phone would cause an annoying static that both parties could hear. I assumed that my unit was defective, but didn't want to try another CT-10 anyway.

The GE model is: 26970GE2-A. Good luck.

MP

ABSOLUTELY GREAT LITTLE PHONE

I'm still thrilled with this little phone. One two minor concern areas and a whole lot of positives.

TWO MINOR CONCERNS: Two concern areas, easy to work around.

1. Easy to knock headset off of holder. My solution was to put it in a very low traffic area.

2. Moving the headset jack where it plugs in the spot that has the buttons gives you a crackling sound, when using. Bottom line, just don't do this. I make sure this area is not likely to get brushed when I'm using it.

7 MONTHS OF FREQUENT USAGE: I use this phone for 3 hours per week and any time I get put on hold for any length of time. This has been pretty consistent for the last 7 months. I have neck and jaw problems and this unit is a lifesaver.

MUTE FEATURE: One feature that is fantastic is the mute feature which gives you a low level beep reminding you that you are on mute. I have attended many a conference call with this on while folding laundry. The beep is a subtle reminder that you have no audio.

DURABLE: I find the headset durable even under multiple adjustments and highly flexible for ear position. My teenage daughter also uses this unit, so it gets adjusted often.

SINGLE EAR PIECE MORE NATURAL FOR ME THAN TWO: The ear piece is comfortable and the mouthpiece nicely done in hard plastic. Easy to flip up, when threatened with a sneeze. I like the single ear piece, as the other headsets I've used, have two earpieces and quite frankly I'm not used to that when I'm on the phone.

STAYS ON COMFORTABLY: With the single ear design and light feel of the unit initially I was concerned that it would not stay on well, but it is very stable and I have never had it fall off.

QUALITY: The sound quality has always been excellent and the range as well. I have gotten the mail on the side of the road without even a crackle. Mind you the neighbors think I'm talking to myself but they'll get over it.

CHARGE: Only one time did I have the unit start to lack in charge and this was when my teenager had left the unit off the cradle for a day or so. Only then after an hour conversation did it begin to wane. My weekly usage is often for calls that last over two hours, and these have never been effected.

Great little phone.

I love the convenience of this little phone especially when I'm on hold a long time. I've used it while cooking, washing dishes, making beds, sorting laundry, and typing at my computer. I've used it downstairs and upstairs in a 1000ish sq. foot two-story townhouse and about 10 feet outside of the house. Also, the mute button is a handy feature.

Unfortunately, the sound quality is not as good as its corded land-line predecessor that was plugged into the same outlet. If the person on the other end is talking on a cheap cordless or cell phone, I sometimes give up and revert back to a regular landline, despite having excellent hearing. The volume is fine but the sound quality can be rather echoey or tinny. Most of the time, however, the sound quality, although not perfect, is good enough to have a conversation. I usually end up putting the phone in a pocket because it often falls off when I clip it to my clothes. My other gripe is the plastic headset. It's comfortable, but the ear-pad has popped off a couple times, and I've had to snap it back in place. Also, when the phone is in its cradle, it takes a few seconds longer to answer than a regular phone, because I have to slip the headset on and push the talk button.

I would not hesitate to buy this phone again because of the great time- and neck-saving convenience, and because to-date, I know of no other small cordless headset phone. However, if someone makes a small cordless headset phone with better sound quality, I would gladly switch to that product.