Customer Reviews

Plantronics Explorer 330 Bluetooth Headset

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(64)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

This Thanksgiving and Black Friday, instead of standing in the line for the deals, I spent the time online looking for a Bluetooth headset. For some reason, I ended up buying 4 headsets on a leading auction site. Apart from this one, I got a Motorola H3 and two Samsung WEP200. Of all the three models, this one turned out to be the best engineered product.

I'm someone who puts more emphasis on the functionality than the styling or looks. My take on the form: Apart from the the hook that goes around the ear, the part that you put in the ear is designed with a slight bent/curve. This way, the headset 'hugs' your ear in two places - around the ear and inside the ear. This is why the headset stays put and doesn't wobble or move or fall down, unless you intentionally remove it. It doesn't hurt a bit to have it on, even for a prolonged period of time.

Now the functional part: This headset holds charge for atleast two days of continuous use. I haven't tested beyond that. Linking with the phone is truly a breeze. If you have this headset 'authorized' or 'trusted' by your phone, it takes only one click of the button to reconnect. A double click while linked will redial the last called number.

When the phone is out of range of the headset, it will obviously disconnect; but it reconnects automatically when the phone is within the range again without you having to do that.

When I'm wearing this in the stores or drive around, it alerts you with a beep tone if the network isn't available and alerts you again when the network becomes available. I find this to be very helpful and interesting, as it gives you an idea of the coverage of your provider.

None of the people I spoke to, had any problems hearing me or had static, echo etc.

My phone doesn't support voice dialing, so I couldn't test that feature.

Plantronics is a company that I've come to love over the years. This product just reinforces that trust. I would gladly recommend this headset whether it is your first Bluetooth device or it is your fifth one.

I originally bought this headset for my wife (her first BT headset) because she didn't like the look of my Plantronics Voyager 510 Bluetooth Headset with Multipoint Technology [Retail Packaged]. She found the 330 painfully uncomfortable and decided to sacrifice style for comfort (quite a departure from her typical choices, particularly regarding footwear); thus she is now enjoying my 510 and I'm getting by with the 330. I don't find the 330 uncomfortable for the first few hours, but I never forget it's in my ear like I did with the 510. If you have very small ears, it's probably a bad choice.

Here's a brief comparison between the two with my 5 point ratings:

STYLE & DESIGN
I greatly prefer the 330's single side button that makes it very easy adjust the volume. On the 510, I found the volume and power buttons behind the ear difficult to reach and easy to confuse - probably my biggest complaint with the 510.

I prefer the look and size of the 330. It's more modern and discreet. However, it's not a fashion accessory and everyone looks like a dork with a flashing blue light next to their ear with any BT headset. I wish people would realize this and take these things off in public (especially in restaurants). I only use mine in the car or when at the computer so this is the least important criteria for me.

COMFORT
The 510 is the clear winner here for both me and my wife. Everyone's ear is different and I find the 330 less uncomfortable than my wife did. A few may find the 330 fits them better than the 510, but the 510 includes 3 ear pieces to provide a custom fit.

PERFORMANCE
This is the best reason to get the 510. I've used worse headsets than the 330, but none better than the 510. With the 330, I get static if the phone is on the other side of body from the headset. The 330's claimed 30' range - maybe at high altitude with no obstructions, no other radio interference with no solar flares and a full moon - real world, more like 10' with no obstructions.

Noise canceling is far superior on the 510. People would never guess I was using a headset - usually they couldn't even tell when I was in my car. The 330 is about useless in a windy environment and picks up a lot of background noise.

Both headsets seem to have very good battery life and audio quality for listening. The 510 also has the advantage of being able to pair with 2 devices simultaneously but I've never tried this feature.

STYLE & DESIGN
330 - 4
510 - 2

COMFORT
330 - 3
510 - 5

PERFORMANCE
330 - 3
510 - 5

FEATURES & PRICE
330 - 4 (probably better than most headsets < $30)
510 - 5 (more expensive but worth it for features and performance)

OVERALL
330 - 3
510 - 5

The comfort and performance of the 510 justify the extra $16.

I got this because it was the least expensive, decent looking bluetooth headset available. One really big thing in its favor is that, in comparison to other bluetooth headsets, the 330 is pretty discreet. Okay, I admit, it flashes blue every once and a while and people look at you funny. But it is by far one of the least obnoxious and lowest-impact earpieces in terms of appearance. For me, that is a good thing. You may desire a different, more bling bling look. Another good thing is the price.
However, the price seems to show in the quality of the earphone. The microphone appears to work fine- no complaints from people that I could not hear them clearly. But in my experience, this headset has been very variable in regard to how clearly I can hear the other person. The fidelity seems variable and I can't explain why. At this price, I really would not hesitate to buy it, though. I got it when it cost a little more and I do not regret buying it. I do not doubt that there are better bluetooth headsets out there, but I do not think that for thirty bucks this is a waste of money. If I'd paid $150 for it, I would say that the fidelity of the earphone is not up to par for an item of that price, but that's not the case.

This headset is extremely easy to use, synced with my Motorola L2 with no problem. The sound is loud and clear, and no one has been able to tell I was talking to them via a Bluetooth connection. If you are outside and in windy conditions, however, the person on the other end will not be able to hear you because of the wind noise. This can most immediately be remedied by turning your head so the headset is on the leeward side of your head.

It took a few tries to learn how to put the headset on my ear, simultaneously putting the hook over the ear and the earbud just inside the flap in front of the ear canal. For the most part it stays in well, but if I turn my head quickly while driving the earbud will sometimes slip out. The headset will not fall off because of the hook, but you have to reinsert the earbud, which can be annoying. If you tend to have lots of earwax, a periodic tissue ear cleaning is in order to help this headset stay in.

In addition to colored LED lights to tell you such things as the status of the battery and whether you've missed a call, the headset will also emit various soft beep tones at seemingly random times. I assume these tones mean either that the Bluetooth connection is weak or disconnected or the battery might be low, but the tones are not explained in the manual. The tones are not annoying and never interrupt a conversation, I just don't know what they mean.

I have not tested the range of this headset, though one time I received a call when I was outside of my truck and my phone was inside of my truck, and I was able to hear the ring (the headset rings in your ear) and answer the call. I'd say I was probably 7 to 8 feet away from my phone.

Battery life is superb. I received this headset approximately three weeks ago, charged it up and am still using it on that initial charge. I only use it while I'm driving, and turn it off when I'm not using it, so my actual talk and standby time is probably only 4 to 5 hours per week.

Overall this headset is a really good value. Unfortunately the only way to actually try any of these Bluetooth headsets is to buy them, so you should do as much online research as you need to feel comfortable that the headset will work for you.

This is a good inexpensive Bluetooth headset. I have used it in all types of conditions, walking in noisy urban areas, driving, etc. I can hear the people I am speaking with and they can hear me.

The only reason I did not give it the 5th star is that it is touchy when trying to voice dial. You have to be in a very quiet environment to voice dial with this headset.

I would recommend this product. You can't beat it for the price.

I got 2 of these Plantronics Explorer 330 headsets; 1 for me, 1 for the wife. We got them since California passed a law that you needed a hands-free phone if you want to talk in the car.

Neither my wife or I are heavy cell phone users, so we wanted something reasonable priced, but of decent quality & easy to use. These were just the thing. We have different model Nokia phones with AT&T service. The headsets were up & connected & working with each of the phones in 5 minutes total time; a piece of cake.

Sound quality is good (roughly the same as the normal phone) and they fit both of our ears comfortably. I would recommend these to people looking for a reasonably priced headset. great deal, very satisfied.

I had swapped this for a Motorola unit. The Motorola unit fit sloppily.. too much play / wanted to fall out. This unit fits snug and comfortable. Sound quality very good. Battery life seems to be triple the Motorola unit. For the price.. a no brainer.

- Great sound quality: I hear people as well as my headset or better, and they can hear me even when I'm walking around outside in the wind
- Excellent fitting, it's comfortable as well as secure
- Retains some stylishness while keeping high quality, not bulky at all
- Wonderful price for its quality compared to other BT headsets out there
- Easily paired with my RAZR V3

Only MINOR issue that I have is that the charger seems like it doesn't have a secure connection with the headset, but it does still charge just fine. I would make sure that it's charged in a place where it can't get moved around however, to make sure the charger doesn't fall out.

Overall, excellent headset for the price. I chose this for it's cheaper price in comparison to the Voyager 510, and I'm so happy I did!

This bluetooth is easy to pair with your phone and offers great clarity. This is my second Plantronics and I will continue buying them since the product is good and the price is quite reasonable.

This is my second Bluetooth Headset; I had a Motorola HS820 before. It turns out they have complementary problems:

The Motorola sounded good but wouldn't stay on my ear. It feel off once too often and stopped working after less than a year.

This Plantronics 330 sticks to my ear like gravy. But the call quality is indifferent-to-bad.

Using it with a Cingular 2125 it is hard for people to understand me; "Quiet" and "echoey" are the two most common complaints. I can understand them quite well but only provided that I hold the phone within 3 feet of the receiver. The range is appalling.

I used to wear my Motorola headset and wander around the room with no impact on signal quality; with the Plantronics 330 if I wear the headset on my right ear and put the phone in my left jacket pocket it causes the quality to deteriorate sharply. If I've been on a call for 20 or 30 minutes, I have to hold the phone within inches of the headset to maintain a tolerable signal.

I do find it very comfortable and stable. It has a little rubber bud that one inserts inside one's ear and it never falls off, but based on its limitations I would not recommend this device.