Customer Reviews

Plantronics DSP-400 Digitally-Enhanced USB Foldable Stereo Headset and Software

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(68)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

Bought this headset for use with Mac OS 10.3.9 and skype.

Pros:
1. Works perfectly with skype--great sound quality both in and out.
2. Hardware controls (volume, mute) work perfectly with Mac
3. No software necessary for Mac
4. Neat folding design
5. Comfortable even for long conversations.
6. Great value (paid less on Amazon then they typically go on eBay)

Cons (relatively minor for me):
1. Even after folding, kinda bulky if you will be traveling with them a lot.
2.Wish the wires werent so long--too long for the average user--perhaps making them prone to damage?
3. Plantronics used to include a nice case, BUT NO CASE INCLUDED ANYMORE (at least as sold on Amazon)
4. One minor glitch (?) with Mac is that the headphones revert to "mute" whenever first plugged in or computer is restarted.

All in all, the best wired headset available for the Mac and skype.

This headset offers good comfort, especially for the price. I use this headset almost entirely for VoIP (i.e. Skype) and have had great success with the audio quality both on the headphone prtion and microphone portion. The fact that it is a USB headset is wonderful because I can select it as my audio device for Skype, but I can still have my computer speakers playing music, even while I'm on the phone. That would not be possible with a standard, non-USB headset. Installation was also a breeze, everything was automatic for me in Windows XP Pro SP-2.

My bigest complaint is the exteremly long cable and large box that hangs off of it. This is an issue for me because I use a laptop and this headset travels with me all over town everyday. Unfortunately all USB headsets have some time of box hanging off of them. The benefits of a USB headset for me outweight his problem, and I'm happy to lug it around, but still wish it wasn't required.

I have used this headset for playback of music and while the quality isn't great, I don't believe that is this headset primary purpose and for the price I think it performs acceptably. Overall I would recomend this headset, especially for VoIP like uses.

I purchased this headset to replace the rather chintzy, monaural headset provided in the box with Dragon's Naturally Speaking 8 (Standard.) I was delighted to discover that, even prior to further 'training' of the software, the voice recognition ratio improved immediately and dramatically. Unlike the hardware from Nuance (the current makers of Dragon), the Plantronics set is USB2 plug-and-play with XP, requiring no software and it works, just as advertised, right out of the box. Other reviews that have criticized this set because of it's inadequate 'portability' and the feeling that the way it can be folded compromises it's structural integrity, simply have not been my experience. I must say, though, that it doesn't travel. It sits on a hook next to my PC.
Voice recognition is not the perfect (or even improved) solution to every writing need - however, coupled with a GOOD headset/microphone combination, it is well worth having and using for many usual Word and emailing functions

Someone in an earlier review rated the DSP-400 headset as useless for voice recognition. Not sure what his technical problem might be, but Dragon rates it as "6 dragons" on its hardware compatability list which is the max, and I have bought two of them...at different times...one for work and one for home since I was so pleased with performance using two completely different types of PC's, memory size, etc. It works great for me at least. I am a long time Dragon user, and this is the best headset I have tried. So beware the "worthless" review. Picking the right headset that works with your particular system can be iffy...but I have two of these headsets and I couldn't be happier with the recognition voice quality. (I use Dragon Preferred Version 9 at the moment, so I can't say whether a different version would affect performance.)

This has to be one of the best mics I have personally owned. The first thing I did with the included driver disk was to toss it in the trash. Plugging the DSP-400 into my Powerbook G4 resulted in no pesky "driver needed" BS that currently plagues the dark side of the computer world. Bringing up the sound prefs I was delighted in seeing that not only was the DSP-400 recognized, but it was raring to go. Changing the default I/O's from the onboard line in and speakers to the USB interface was all that was needed to get it up and running. All level functions and effects are accessable and fully functional, since they are a function of the OS and not a driver.

No, the DSP-400 is not a noise cancelling headset, but the mic does a very good job of weeding out reasonable ammounts of background noise. And as for it being heavy, I did not notice any unreasonable heaviness.

Yes, the cord is a bit long, but I would rather have it a tad long than short.

Having come across varying reports about Plantronics headsets, I was pleasantly surprised at how well the DSP-400 actually worked. Purchased this model for use with VoIP, having had little success previously using Apple's Plain Talk microphone along side a set of Walkman-type earphones. Now not only can I communicate clearly over Gizmo and Skype, but I have found the stereo sound good enough to enjoy music with. Interestingly this device is compatible with Mac and required no drivers to install-- the only problems I encountered was in switching my sound port settings. As instructed by the manufacturer, I plugged in the headset to the computer's USB port and opened Sound to select Plantronics USB for both Input and Output and adjusted the volumes accordingly. But I still had my amplified speakers plugged into the Built-in Audio port and though the Plantronics device was recognized it did not become activated until I unplugged those speakers. After that the headset worked fine, and once I pugged my speakers back in I could effectively switch between ports. Now, if no music/media is playing when VoIP is launched, the Plantronics headset will automatically become active, whether or not its USB Port is the currently selected sound output. Plus, the DSP-400 can run off a hub such as a USB keyboard, rather than having to be plugged directly into the computer, as is the case with some other USB telephony devices.

The DSP-400's generously long connection cable gives me tether enough to rummage around my office without having the comfortably light-weight headset get jerked off my ears. And the remote volume control with the red LED would just make the coolest tie clip... if I ever wore a tie.

I've been trying out a number of these headsets(I'm picky) for skyping and podcasting. This is the most comfortable so far but the sound quality is not even in the ballpark with the Logitech 350 which cost $10 less. But if you don't care so much about quality and are going to wear one of these for hours it's extremely comfortable

This headset is very good. The usb connection is so relable and fast, unlike the analog connections on normal hearsets that require 3 plugs (right audio, left audio, mic)! This is great if you don't have a sound card. The audio quality is very good too. I listen to music, play games and watch movies. The mic is handy in games that I play like The Specilists, Counter-Strike, and Day of Defeat. The sound quality is beautiful and gives me the chills when I play games like Deus Ex Invis War at night. The robust booms of mortar fire rock my world in Call of Duty. My friends sometimes don't even have their mics on because their mic analog plug is so far from the other sound plugs. Sometimes I wonder why I got my soundblaster audigy 2 soundcard and 6.1 mega works speaker system, o ya, for parties, duh! Anyways, this is a great headset, I don't quite know why the other have experianced what they have.

The microphone is incredibly sensitive to electrical noise from laptop power supplies or powered USB hubs, causing a very obtrusive hum when used with applications such as Skype. As a result this Plantronics model can be used on laptops only when running on battery power. Since that's not practical, I am now the proud owner of a stylish $40 paperweight.

It would have been easy for Plantronics to include a low-frequency rolloff around 120 Hz which would filter out the hum, but leave voice signals unchanged. (Unless you're singing a bass part....)

It's a pity, really, because otherwise the sound quality is quite good.

I was wary about this purchase at first due to the other reviews stating the headset felt flimsy or of poor build. But I like the fact that they fold up when not in use. Also the mouthpiece is nice and long which suits a soft spoken person like me. I was not surprised to find that indeed it does feel flimsy in the hand. If I were to use the headset on a daily basis, I would likely opt for one that was sturdier. But I would rather be able to fold it up than have it last forever. It is comfortable and suits my needs. It's what I was looking for. If you plan this headset for occasional but not heavy use, then I recommend it.

Update: After 6 years they are still working great. There are some signs of aging, some of the foam on the earpieces is worn away.. but I feel like I have gotten my money's worth out of them, and I plan to keep on using them for years to come.