Customer Reviews

Plantronics Pulsar 590A Bluetooth Headset and Analog Adapter

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

Overall, good headphones. I won't really comment on the quality of the audio, because it's so subjective... but I can say that I'm satisfied. Using headphones without wires simply makes you wonder why they all can't be this way; once you try them, the convenience is hard to beat.

The battery life appears to be excellent for both the headphones, and the analog adapter (which you also have to charge, it's the transmitter for the signal.) On full charge, my iPod died before the headset+transmitter. Nice.

However, there are two issues to be aware of. Using the adapter, there is an audio lag. It's about .5 seconds. This isn't noticeable with audio, but once you watch video... it's a problem. I have a video iPod and was disappointed with the lack of lip-synching. Strangely, the lag appears to be slightly variable... sometimes it's half a second, but when I mute the audio with the headset, then unmute, the lag appears to be slightly less. Always present, but variable. In any case, it's enough where you will not want to watch television or a movie this way.

Since I also wanted to use the headset in my home, without disturbing others at night, it's a significant drawback.

The second issue is cosmetic, and a nitpick. In use, the headset flashes a bright blue ring of light around the right earphone. It's very bright and practically screams "Look at me!"

Not really my bag, but that might be your thing. ;)

--

Update (12/23/2006)
The quality of the plastics/assembly has proven disappointing.

After several months, some hairline cracks appeared, and shortly afterwards, pieces of plastic around the hinges started breaking off. Internally, pieces began rattling as well... and after a year, it would no longer charge unless you moved one of the headphone speakers around in a specific position. Finally, the left headphone just gave up. Terrible!

I just received my 590a earlier this week and having been doing multiple levels of testing. First, I paired it with a Nokia 6600 cell phone. The quality is excellent on my side. The primary comment that I've received is that it seems to come through quieter on the other side. It's very comfortable for long calls though. After my initial pairing, I went into the phone options and manually connected the headphones. After that first setup, the phone would automatically pair once the headset was on.

Using the universal adapter I paired it with my ipod after that. No problem with the sound quality overall. I can't say that it is the most amazing quality but I do enjoy the convenience of Bluetooth capability. Keeping it paired with a cell phone at the same time works well. Note that while the volume buttons seem to work, they are very stiff to press and not intuitive to locate while wearing them. It seems to work best if you pair the phone first and then turn on the adapter. I was getting some interruption when I tried it with the ipod first.

Pairing with the computer...I have a Mac PowerBook G4 that I tested it on. Setup wasn't that bad but there is almost no documentation and the user guide that comes with the headset is very minimal to say the least. You do a normal Bluetooth pairing (same instructions as the phone in the users guide to make it discoverable). Once you have successfully paired it to the mac, you'll need to go into the system preferences and sound to manually set the output and input to "590Plantronics". I was the least impressed with sound quality here - at least concerning listening. I used GarageBand to test vocal recording and then ported that out as a podcast to see how the sound was. The sound quality was decent. I think that it will need some tweaking on the computer to get a better sound capability but I am quite happy with my purchase.

The primary negatives that I found were the stiff buttons and as another reviewer pointed out, you can't have your computer and the cell phone paired at the same time. As long as you keep its limitations in mind, I think that it is a wonderful purchase.

I've been using this headset for about three months now, and although it was a little confusing at first, I've been very happy with it since I got everything working. I wanted a headset that I could use with VOIP for internet gaming, but something that I could also use for making Skype calls and listening to music wirelessly. This fits the bill pretty well. In order to use it as both a headset and headphones, I had to create two separate Bluetooth profiles on my computer. I just switch between the two for use as a headset or headphones (the sound quality is much better when used as headphones). The only drawback I have encountered is that some games with integrated VOIP do not recognize the headset as an input, but this is easily circumvented by using Teamspeak or Ventrilo, third-party VOIP software. It also comes with a Bluetooth reciever that can be plugged into any standard 1/8-inch audio jack, so you can go wireless with just about anything. Also included is a cable for use when on an airplane. Anyway... a neat little gadget.

PROS:
- Light weight solution for both an audio source and cell phone
- Good sound quality on both ends
- Comfortable fit
- Travel case for protection

CONS:
- 0.5 second delay when watching video (must use the hardwire solution)
- The original MSRP is a bit high for something that is not closer to perfect
- Not all of the audio controls work, even when using the dongle
- CANNOT USE WHILE DRIVING (therefore you must have another headset for this purpose)


I am looking into buying this unit from a friend's electronic's store. He was gracious enough to loan a floor model to me for a night. I spent some time reading reviews from many different sites and I have to say, while the reviews at Amazon were the most technically oriented, they were also the most critical. Therefore, I made it my goal to attept to disprove some of the claims that I read here in the hopes of finding this product to be a real gem. Among the claims that I attempted to disprove were:

- Failure to charge
- 0.5 second delay affecting video
- Poor audio sound quality from dongle (i.e. when using an iPod/Laptop)
- Hoaky switch between dongle and phone when making/receiving calls
- Find the source of the "design flaw"

The tests were done with the following items:
- iBook G4 1.2Ghz
- LG VX9800 (mine)
- Motorola E815 (caller)
- 5th Gen 60GB iPod Video
- Belkin Bluetooth USB Adapter (model F8T003)

The first tests that we ran, naturally, were to see if we could pair the VX9800 up with the headset. That took all of two seconds; very easy. I then walked into another room and called the E815. The quality was no better or worse then any of your other higher end bluetooth headsets. WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE is that you now have two ears focused in on the conversation, so in a sense, you're hearing more and paying attention more to the phone conversation (versus having the noise of the office in your other ear). I initally walked away from my cell phone and it got a bit garbled, but as soon as I brought my cell phone with me, I had no problems. I then switched phones with the caller so that I could hear what she was hearing. The quality was good. I didn't have any problems hearing what she was saying to me. Voice dial worked beautifully from the headset and I didn't find myself shouting.

The next test that we did was to pair up the dongle and use it with the iPod (audio first). Pairing up the dongle was very easy. While Edward Rios claims that the audio he heard was "no better then AM radio", I firmly disagree with this statement. I started out playing some classical (with no EQ settings set on the iPod). I'll agree that the quality of the audio was not on the same level as my Seinnheiser's, however once I adjusted the EQ in the iPod the bass and thus the quality was improved somewhat (Bass Booster setting worked well). I also noticed that the track jogger did not work with the iPod. In the manual it states "Only works if Bluetooth device supports Bluetooth Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP); does not work when using universal adapter." This was a bit disappointing because it was feature I was looking forward to. The "PLAY/PAUSE" button did work... somewhat. The audio pauses, but not on the iPod. Next we moved on to receiving a phone call. As a call came in, I heard a beep in the headset. Pressing the call button, the music stopped and the call interrupted. Once the call was complete, the phone hung up and the music continued (please note that the ipod did not pause during this time, only the source of the signal switched). This was tested several times. It was very easy. However, I do agree with Steve Gardner in his assessment that the dongle is a short term pair. In other words, if you turn the dongle off, you will need to pair it again (once again, a very simple process).

On to the video. I turned on some Family Guy that I had on my iPod. I indeed did notice that there was some amount of delay, but with cartoon characters, it wasn't that obvious. Not a problem, I decided to up the ante. I then turned on an episode of The Office, specifically a scene where Steve Carrell is speaking. Yes, there IS a .05 second delay. It seems to fluctuate as if the dongle is racing to catch up. I then put the Pulsar in headset mode by turning it off and plugging in the hardwire cable. This fixed the problem (this same resolution was found by both testers). My final thoughts on this? Unless you're planning on trying to watch video from across the room, this solution will work for you.

Feeling a bit adventurous, I decided to test the headset with my iBook. I first tried to pair the Pulsar up with my iBook using the Belkin BT adapter. That didn't work. Although I heard it clicking when the pairing process was going on, it never went through. Not a problem, I'll use the dongle. Using the dongle I was again able to hear the audio, but I was not able to get the unit to work as a mic/headphone combination. Others have claimed to be able to get this to work, but for the average person, the short answer is that it doesn't work that great. I'm going to take N. Nelson's comments one step further, if I may, and say that this unit is really only for Audio Sources / Cell Phone combinations.

At the end of the night I decided to charge it. I placed it in the cradle and, sure enough, it started charging. At some point later I picked it up and then placed it back in the cradle and it didn't charge! I thought, "A'HA! I proved another one true!" Not so fast... I took out the USB charger to see if the problem was the cable and began charging the headset off of that. A few minutes later I put the headset back in the cradle and low and behold, it began charging again! Is there a hardware problem here? I'm not sure, but that is what I found. It charged smoothly the rest of the night.

Unfortunately, the one thing I was not able to test in a 24 hour time span was the design flaw. Obviously I would have to use it every day for two weeks to see if this is true. My gut instinct is telling me that it's possible a bad batch of product is to blame, but I have no way of proving this. Until I see it, I can't put faith in that it will happen to me. All I will say on this is that it apparently has happened to more then one person so it is possible that it could happen to you. One thing I did notice is that the headset gets "stretched" as you wear it, but then it gets "compressed" as you put it back in the cradle. Could it be that all this stretching AND compressing is causing the cracks? Would this have happened to these people if they didn't use the cradle? I don't know. Maybe the design flaw is in the cradle itself and NOT the headset. Who knows...

My final analysis of this product overall is very good. I don't think Plantronics set out to make this the "one stop shop" for all headset needs (although they might want to have a conversation with their marketing department about "truth in advertising"). While I was typing this I was listening to some good ol' fashioned punk rock using the dongle and I was bouncing my head the whole time; very enjoyable. I do believe that Plantronics is preparing for the next wave in Bluetooth technology by adding support for profiles that others don't support YET. All in all, if you're looking for a headset that can seamlessly switch between your cellphone and your iPod, then this will work for you. If you're looking for an "one stop shop" you will be sorely disappointed. One thing I would have liked to see would be some sort of design improvement where one of the earphones could flip outward thus to be legally complaint with driving requirements. They are the best option available (the Motorola pair does not come with a transeiver which is something you have to purchase extra... and something else you have to carry and something else you run the risk of losing). In the end, will I buy these? Probably, but I won't be running towards the store like a bat out of hell.

Pros

- they look great
- handy wired dongle and charging stand
- very good sound quality
- comfortable and light

Cons

- distracting blue light flashing (it's bluetooth I get it already)
- slight sound lag
- every once in a while signal drops out replaced by grating static sound (can be fixed by pressing the link button, but is jarring none the less).
- after a few weeks the charging connector pin on the headphones became faulty and stopped taking a charge. was still able to get a charge by placing headphones at a *very specific* angle connected to the portable charging cable. annoying to say the least, but workable.
- after about two months (ten minutes ago) the plastic on the headphones cracked and fell apart leaving the left earphone dangling by a wire. I was very careful with these comparatively expensive headphones and had never dropped them.

It's a shame, initially it seemed close to perfect.

Be aware that Plantronics does not offer refunds, only replacements.

I'm an audiophile more than a cellphonephile. So when I was referred to this item by a friend, I checked the specs and found that this matched my needs and more. I was looking for a headset that could leave me wires and hands free to my iPod, however, this benefitted me a little more since I could marry this up with my Blackberry too. I've had it for three days now and I'm very happy with it. Below are some PRO's and CON's to consider when recommending it to others.

PRO's
- Much better sound quality than expected. Play with iPod
equalizer and you get the sound that you want out of it.
Don't expect noise canceling quality -- just enjoy the fact
that there are no more wires!
- Extremely easy set up to iPod and bluetooth phone.
- Excellent iPod to cell phone call transfer ability.
- Bluetooth range for analog far better than expected. I
continued to get high-quality sound past 50ft.
- Very light weight and practical to wear.
- Nice carrying case.

CON's
- There is definately a lag in voice to video but it's not
completely unbearable.
- The analog adapter and headset status lights are a bit tacky.
I got on an elevator and saw Danny Disco in the mirror with
all the blue flashing status lights between the analog device
and the headset. Just hide your pod and deal with the headset.
- Big downside for iPod gen 5 - no track forwarding or back. I
assume it works with all previous generations.
- Light weight headset means lightweight plastic. Take care of
it and don't sit on it as the plastic is that of cheap
sunglasses.

Hope this helps the masses.

Happy consumer.

received this headphones this morning
the headphones is comfortable and firm (earpieces may be kinda tight)
it also comes with USB charge cable, regular headphones cable (used when it's turned off as regular headphones), AC adaptor, charge stand (I don't use it anyway), a case
the sound is pretty good, whether through wireless or hard-wired, bass is full and deep, mid and treble are well-balanced, since it's fully open air design, it should be pretty comfortable when listening (no hollow effect), and the sensitivity is pretty high when hard wired (single battery walkman is OK)
the analog audio adaptor is another plus, it can also be used with moto HT820 (same passcode)
the RF of the headphones is good as well, it claims 10m radius range, it really has 10 meters, I can get even more range with class 1 bt adaptor
I worried about the hinge breakage, but after examine, I found out why: when you use charge stand, fully extend the headband, and let the earpieces face each other to prevent breaking, or simply use AC adaptor or USB charge cable directly (the jack is located on the left)
the handsfree works pretty well with nokia 6270, loud and clear on both sides
no dropoffs on a2dp with T-Mobile MDA and Dell X51v, about audio lag, I notice all bt a2dp clients have same issue (moto HT820, itech R35)
the only thing I don't like is buttons layout, the volume control should be located up and down, but now they're located left and right
conclusion: this model is one of the few over the head bt headset, and this one works exceptionally well, the money is pretty worth spent, I'd give 96/100, better than 91/100 for HT820

As there are some other excellent reviews here, I am concentrating on what has not been written.

Sound quality varies, depending on how you use the headphones. Basically, both comparisons with AM radio and HiFi Sound are more or less true. Here is why.

I find the earphones of an excellent quality at low to middle sound levels, delivering sound better than my Koss Porta Pro and on par with Sennheiser PC-150. But this is only true, when the earphones are wired to the source. It is also loud, at 50% PB output level sound get unbearable. Good sensitivity and sound detail.

Using the including Bluetooth dongle, quality slips to the level of FM radio. Using it with iPod, which does not offer that good output quality (at least no comparison to my Al PowerBook 1.5GHz), quality slips a bit further. This is partially due to limitation of the Bluetooth and the fact that sound is amplified twice (both in iPod and headset).

Further gets worse :(. By connecting vie Bluetooth to the PowerBook, quality does goet to the level of the AM Radio, as Mac currently do not support A2DP Bluetooth profile for improved audio quality. It is really a no go for listening to music, and Skype quality drops to the level of a normal phone.

To get it working, however, there is one thing to keep in mind. I guess, Macs do not support another feature of Bluetooth, multi-access. Since I am using headset as a phone headset as well, it is constanly connected to the mobile phone. It seems like macs do not like sharing headsets, so bluetooth on the mobile phone has to be switched off. Otherwise, no problem whatsoever. Dongle-phone (SONY Ericsson K750i) combination works perfect and is REALLY cool stuff. It switches sources, once you get a call and then switches back to the iPod.

Basically, I am keeping the headset, as getting rid of the wires on the go is worth the sound quality penalty. For a good quality, 3.5 mm jack is the only option for some time to come, in my opinion.

So, this is an awesome product, well designed, very well built. If it suffers some quality issues, it is actually due to the limitations of the technology, not the product. I had no problems with charging, as did some other users. Another batch maybe :p. Accordingly, 5 stars for the product, 1 star penalty for inperfect technology (Bluetooth and Mac), 4 Stars in total.

Oh! One annoying thing, there is a blinking blue ring light on the right earphone. At night it is really bright, so you'll end up looking like a lighthouse. During the day it is not that obvious. Still annoying, as I would prefer to use my cool headset rather discreetely.

All I can say is...wow!

I have been waiting for the longest time for a binural (two speaker) wireless headset that actually worked well and didn't have a bulky battery pack.

This headset went far and above my expectations. So enough about the praise, here's the nitty gritty.

Ordered my unit from Amazon, received it within 5 days.

Setup the headset with my Motorola Razr, worked like a charm, but this isn't why I bought it. I bought it to be used with my computer, as I develop web based audio/video conferencing solutions. So I tried using the headset with my Bluetooth 1.2 Adapter (cheapy from Walmart) - It took a little bit of setup (had to upgrade the bluetooth stack on windows xp, then pair the headset with the computer. I got it to work, but the audio didn't sound very good. It sounded a lot like a record.

Seeing as how the headset is Bluetooth 2.0 I decided to purchase a bluetooth 2.0 adapter. Found a kingston unit at BestBuy for $40.00, installed this unit. (This time setup was easier as the kingston install removed the old bluetooth software and installed the new) - This time the audio was incredible, CD quality.

Microphone is very sensitive, was able to pick up a co-worker's voice 10 feet away crystal clear.

Over-all I highly recommend this unit - a little pricey, but worth every penny!

I just received my headset and bluetooth 1.2 adapter. I am warning all who buy this with plans to use it with a computer. It will only do stereo music when the microphone is disabled. Making the features work with a computer are to say the least "very glitchy". If you enable the microphone you will only get poor quality 22khz phone type sound (very muffled and indistict). When it comes to pairing, you cannot pair it to your computer and use the microphone and also pair it to your cell phone, it is either or. The computer takes the place of the cell phone. It does however work extremely well with the included headset adaptor. It is really cool. If you pair it with your cellphone and the use the adaptor you will recieve a beep in your ear when a call is incoming. You can also listen to stereo music from you computer (if you mess around long enough). It also has incredible range. Anyway dont buy this for multiple uses. It is only for IPOD + Cell phone, thats it. Getting it to work on a computer is a incredible pain.