Customer Reviews

Plantronics Voyager 510 Bluetooth Headset [Retail Packaging]

5 star:		(1,771)
4 star:		(995)
3 star:		(285)
2 star:		(185)
1 star:		(189)

 

 

What a sigh of relief. After purchasing the Motorola HS850 and having a horrible experience (see my review), I thought Bluetooth technology was a lost cause. However, based on many reviews I saw right here about the Voyager 510, I decided to try it one more time and bingo, just what I was looking for. So first the negatives for the skeptics like myself:
1. The 510 is bulkier than the Motorola HS850 and does not fold up to easily fit in your pocket. I am afraid that I will brake it at times, but it has held up to mild abuse in my pocket.
2. It is difficult at times to get on your ear. It is very flexible, which makes for added comfort, but makes it difficult to position on your ear initially.
3. The power button is very difficult to use when the headset is on your ear. This is a huge drawback, especially since it is difficult to get on your ear. This is such a pain that I dropped my rating from a 5 star to 4 star. There has been a few times that I forgot to turn the device on before placing it on my ear and I have to take it off to turn it on because the power button is difficult to find and push.
4. The device is not too sexy, but I could care less because I was looking for utility not a piece of jewelry. For those of you who do care, it doesn't look as good as the HS850. However, a piece of advice, you don't need to put the sponge over the mic. It looks much better if you just install the ear piece but keep the mic bare.

As you can tell by my 4 stars, the positives far outweigh the negatives:
1. It works! I can hear everyone clearly and they can hear me, even if I am driving. I haven't tried it in the airport yet, but it has worked superbly in all the other environments in which I daily encounter noise including walking around in the city. This is totally opposite my experience with the HS850.
2. It was relatively easy to program to my phone.
3. Although heavier and bulkier than the HS850, it is much more comfortable on my ear and stays in place as I walk. The HS850 tended to dangle and not stay in place.
4. It is easy to answer and hang-up a call with just a press of the button on the side of the headset.
5. Great battery life that last longer than the talk time on my phone.
6. 3 different ear pieces that are each shaped differently are included, so you can get the right fit for you. I found one that fit my ear great and I can hear crystal clear with it.
7. And let me stress again that I have not had anyone complain that they could not hear me and I can hear others as if I have a wired headset. This headset is truly great if you are looking for a device that works with a Blackberry.

And that is the word of D Critique!

I have tried oh so many bluetooth headsets (various ones by Motorola, Sony, Plantronics, the nXZEN 5500, and the Jawbone). All have had significant usability issues. Most were completely unusable in moderate wind and most were not loud enough to properly receive calls on the streets of Manhattan. Only the nXZEN and Jawbone had DSP processing sufficient to block out most street noise, but the DSP wasn't so effective in moderate to strong wind. Plus the nXZEN had relatively lousy audio quality on the receiving end of things, so it was often difficult to understand callers.

At last I have found a usable headset, the Voyager 510. The audio quality of this headset on the user end of things is absolutely phenomenal. It is several magnitudes louder than any other bluetooth headset I have tried. I have good hearing so I don't expect a headset to be super loud, but most bluetooth headsets are so low that conversation from a caller can almost be unintelligible. This Plantronics headset produces clear, loud, largely static free sound.

The headset also transmits audio extremely well. I spoke to several people on the streets of Manhattan and they couldn't tell I was even on a headset. I also left several voicemails for myself and the audio quality was quite good. Moderate wind is not a problem for this headset at all. However, I don't believe that this headset employs the same type of DSP as the the nXZEN or Jawbone, so if you are on a noisy street the person you are talking to may hear the background noise. However, even with back ground noise you will be reasonably easy to understand---the headset just doesn't actually block the noise as much as one that uses DSP as much as the nXZEN or Jawbone does.

There are a few small drawbacks. As others have noted, the headset is larger than many out there. But it is EXTREMELY light and VERY easy/comfortable to wear. It easily fits in my pocket. I certainly prefer a headset that works well to one that doesn't work but is smaller. One other minor drawback that not too many people have noted is that the headset does not support call waiting. I find that to be a strange omission from an otherwise excellent headset. You can still use call waiting while on the headset. But you must switch between calls by using the phone, not by using a button on the headset. The headset may not be so reliable either. My first one simply stopped working after a year and I had to purchase a second one.

The bottom line is that this is the best bluetooth headset I have ever used. It really works as advertised and provides a user with an easy way to make handsfree calls. Plantronics likes to advertise its long heritage of making quality headsets and frankly I am often put off by such marketing hype--but in this case, Plantronics wisely chose to release a headset that lives up to its history/marketing. I hope its next model is even better, but thank goodness Plantronics released a product that works in a crowded field full of largely half-baked products.

Update As of December 19, 2007

Since I originally wrote the review above, I have also tried the Jawbone headset that many people rave about. The Jawbone is quite effective at blocking ambient noise. If you regularly use your headset in a really noisy office or restaurant or with the radio on in your car, then the Jawbone may be a better choice than this one. But the Jawbone is largely ineffective at blocking out wind noise whereas the Voyager 510 is still the champ in that regard. The Voyager 510 is still the choice for me due to its ability to largely block wind noise since I make most of my calls walking along the streets of Manhattan. Also, the Jawbone is not very comfortable at all and it is very hard to get it to fit well in my ear and on my face.

I should note that I had to purchase a new Voyager 510 after about a year since the first one just stopped working for no apparent reason. The new one works just as well as the old one, but the Voyager 510 may not have the best long term reliability.

Update as of May 21, 2008

In my opinion, the Voyager 510 has finally been dethroned as the king of bluetooth headsets by the New Jawbone. I just pourchased the New Jawbone and I have tested it in extremely windy conditions near the water on the the streets of Manhattan. I made several test calls to friends and to voicemail. The New Jawbone seems to block wind noise approximately as well as the Voyager 510 and beats it in terms of blocking out other sound. The New Jawbone is also 1/3 the size of the Voyager 510 and much lighter. Of course the New Jawbone also costs 3 times as much as the Voyager 510. Audio quality on the user end is still slightly better with the Voyager 510, but only very slightly.

Please note that I am referring to the New Jawbone (which was released less than a week ago). The old Jawbone had fit, wind noise, and audio quality issues that made it inferior, in my opinion, to the Voyager 510.

Use Update:

I had the mic on the Voyager 510 crap out on me in November. I used Plantronic's website to e-mail the problem and the service tech gave some ideas for fixes. After none of the fixes worked, I returned the product and they replaced it with a brand new one for free. I beat this thing up for several hours a day, so while I wasn't pleased about the mic dying, I was very pleased with the Plantronics service. After sending my old headset in, I had a new one within a week.

Original Review

This is a review of the Plantronics Voyager 510 based on my comparative experience with this headset against a Motorola H500 - possibly the most popular headset out there. It was/is being used with a Motorola E815 cell phone on the Verizon Wireless network. I am on the cell phone for business over 1000 minutes per month.

Comfort:
I've seen a few reviews where this headset is less comfortable. Compared to the Motorola H500, I think it's much more comfortable as it's more flexible (doesn't look like it in the pictures though). The grasp of the ear clip is not as strong, and that means it might feel a bit less secure on your ear, but it's also wearable for long periods of time. The Motorola H500 was tight enough on my ear that after 30 minutes, the pressure on the back of my ear was painful - not good when conference calls are usually over 30 minutes long. Additionally, with 3 sizes for the ear-piece, once I got the correct size attached to the Voyager 510, it helped make the whole set fit more snugly and securely.

Listening Quality:
With the Motorola H500, major static was present even with the phone held right next to the headset. None of that is present with the Plantronics Voyager 510. I should note that in terms of volume, the Voyager was significantly less loud until I got the right ear piece in. Not that the ear piece is snug (and not a few millimeters away from my ear) I can hear just fine. As the Motorola comes with a single ear piece, I never got it quite so dialed in.

Transmission Quality:
Often people who I called complained about the incredibly bad quality of my signal with the Motorola H500. When I was in a perfectly silent room, the H500 was ok. When in the car, it was almost totally unsuable if I had to speak. I'm not sure if the Plantronics noise reduction really works, but people don't complain about my voice quality, and I certainly don't have to yell to be heard.

People noted that they received me louder with the Motorola, but were happier with the Plantronics as I didn't cut in and out.

Range:
Range was poor on the Motorola. If I had the phone clipped to the belt and the H500 on the opposite ear (so my body was between the phone and headset), the reception would cut in and out. If I walked more than 10 feet away from the phone, the H500 would cut in and out. With the Plantronics, I can walk up to 20 feet away without problems. The only issue is if there is a wall between the phone and the Plantronics. Otherwise reception and range are much better than the H500.

Controls:
Yes - everyone is right about the on/off button being poorly placed and not user friendly on the Plantronics Voyager 510. That said, I don't use it anyway in favor of just controlling functions from the phone. The only headset functions I use on the headset are increasing the volume control which works well and easily. One nice feature of the Plantronics is the ability to switch a call back to the phone. This was not available on the Motorola. User friendly controls go to the Motorola in this case, but just barely because of the way I personally use the headset.

Overall I obviously am keeping the Plantronics. It's larger than the Motorola by far and less stable on the ear. However, it's more comfortable, has much better reception and transmission quality. 2 thumbs up!!

I bought this exact model of Bluetooth headset a couple of years ago, and it was excellent. When it died on me, I ordered another one, but to my great disappointment, Plantronics changed the design of the microphone. The result is that your voice is muffled to the point where people have trouble understanding what you're saying, especially if you're driving a car, since the noise reduction has suffered as well. Plantronics effectively broke this device when they changed the design.

I can no longer recommend this headset.

UPDATE:

Since writing the above, I have come into possession of another, identical headset, which actually works well. After examining other reviews, it seems that the problem is rather a number of 'lemons' floating around in the supply chain, which are not extracted from the batch offered to consumers in a timely manner. Be aware of this, and be prepared to return your purchase as defective if you are not satisfied with its performance.

This is my second Bluetooth device. The first was also a Plantronics, from Verizon, and while I was happy with the volume, with increased volume did not come increased clarity. I'm hearing impaired, so clarity is something that I'm very concerned about with any hearing device, be it phone, hearing aid, stereo headphones, and especially TV EARS!

Anyway, turning up the volume means I'll hear the sounds, but it doesn't always mean that I'll be able to discern them. "Hi, this is J.K. Rowling calling, and I'd like to invite you to tea," could turn into, "Your bowling league called, and said they want some bees." If I'm lucky. I returned the unit I received with my phone (as a matter of fact, I returned all of the accessories Verizon packaged with my Motorola Q - they were all junk) and bought this headset based on the strength of all the positive reviews. After testing it out, I couldn't be happier, and have to add my voice to the chorus of approval. Not only is this headset capable of great volume, it also is extremely clear.

To put this in perspective, I have less than 50% hearing in my left ear, and none in my right. I *need* these devices to work, and work well. Using the headset in my left ear (of course), I called my roommate, who is very soft spoken. He came in loud and clear. I not only heard what he said, I understood what he said.

I tested this again when I had to call Dell for technical support. The person had a very heavy accent, and while talking to him on my Motorola Q, I had a very, very difficult time understanding him. When I switched from the phone to the headset, I was able to (mostly) understand him. To me, that was the real litmus test, because for people like me with nerve damage, clarity is key, and accents are h - e - double toothpicks.

Buy this with confidence.

I've been using this headset for about two weeks with a Blackberry 8700C. The headset has a very comfortable fit and the volume is nice and loud. The downside is that the battery life seems a bit sub-standard. I have been caught several times using it and running out of batteries. I also have some random disconnects with my Blackberry. Tough to say whether these disconnects are phone or headset related. I think this is a great value for the money though and prefer it over the Motorola's and Jabra's (better fit, louder sound). There is some difficulty pressing the buttons on this headset too - nothing that I could not work around though.

The Plantronics Voyager 510 is a good bluetooth headset for its current price. However, depending on how you plan to use it, it could either become a great headset or a nightmare.

The first thing you notice out of the box is that it's quite large, both in the size of the battery pack that hangs over your ear and especially the depth of the microphone. Put another way, it sticks out quite a bit from your cheek rather than laying flat against your face. This not only can cause some sound quality issues, but also makes it very conspicuous. So, if you prefer to keep a low profile while working hands-free, this may not be the best one for you. The size of the piece that hangs over your ear also makes wearing glasses or even a hat an issue. All that said, the unit is very comfortable provided you don't have anything else hooked over your ear. It's also easily configured for either ear.

Sound quality can be very good, but only in quiet environments. Even small amounts of wind noise will render the microphone useless. I've been surprised to have people complain to me that voicemails that I've left have been all broken up, even when I was in what I thought was a quiet place.

I've also found that reception will be spotty unless the phone is placed closer than normal to the headset. For instance, in order to maintain good signal, I typically have to have my phone in my shirt pocket. But on the plus side, the unit is very easy to set up, with a variety of phones and PDAs immediately connecting to it with no effort.

This headset would be ideal for someone who is looking to use it exclusively in an indoor office while working hands-free. You'd get optimal sound and would be able to connect to all of your devices quickly and easily. You wouldn't even feel self-conscious about the unit's size. But for those on the go, its reception and microphone quality are too poor to recommend.

PROS
* Excellent battery life means very little downtime for charging
* Simple to set up - instantly compatible with numerous devices

CONS
* Sound quality from the microphone, especially in places with even minimal background noise
* Big, bulky design makes fit difficult, especially with glasses or a hat

After trying a Motorola and the Treo Bluetooth (made by Jabra) headset for my Treo 650, I thought I'd never get the same quality I could achieve with a wired headset. After much use of my wired headset, the socket for inseting the wired headset into gave out, and I had to have the entire phone replaced (under warranty). So I figured wireless was the way to go, as well as it seemed much more convienient than having a that cord draped across my chest while driving.
I researched all the Blutooth headsets on Amazon, looking at everyone's descriptions, and that's hard! It seems like so many of the headsets have equal fans and detractors. However, the Plantronics 510 seemed to have very consistent reviews, as well as my awareness of their legacy as a high quality headset manufacturer going back to the Space Program of the Sixties.
Well, it's nothing short of perfect! It has volume to spare! I could never get the Motorola or Jabra to be loud enough in areas where there might be competing sounds. The noise cancellation feature is spectacular!
I've asked people I'm speaking to, and they havve no idea I'm on a headset. Crystal clear sound both ways.
This is an amazing headset, at an amazing price. Maybe not as teeny as some bluetooth headsets, but this works and is frustration free. It synced up with my Treo in a heartbeat.
February 2010 Update: I'm still using the same headset four years later! It works perfectly with my iPhone.

Well, after reading tons of reviews on blue tooth headsets that work with the Palm Treo 650, I decided on the Plantronics over the Jabra. I've been using it extensively for 1-week now so here's the scoop in a nutshell...

1) My Treo immediately recognized the headset and installation was a breeze.

2) The sound clarity is crystal-clear and loud! Whoever you are talking to will hear you loud and clear and won't believe your on a wireless headset.

3) It is very comfortable behind your ear and you won't feel like it is going to fall off, like other blue tooth headsets. I have a small ear canal however and the bud can be a little uncomfortable. I noticed that if I position it just right, it doesn't bother me at all however.

4) The mute/on & off button is TERRIBLE. You need needle-fingers to use it. But then again, you only use the button to turn it on and off so what's the big deal, right?

5) If you get more than 8 feet away from your cell phone you'll hear some crackling in the line.

Overall, I highly recommend this item to you. It's certainly worth the $52 I paid on Amazon for it!

That's correct, for men! This headset is heavier then most but the sounds quality is excellent and most importantly it can be VERY LOUD! Most other Bluetooth headsets that I've tried have issues with volume level. They are not loud enough (Motorola, Logitech and Jabra) especially in a car drive fast. But be aware, it's on the heavy side for many. It's perfect for me but I am almost 6 feet tall and weight close to 230 lbs. I would not recommend it for most ladies.

Also, the noise cancellation is good; people on the other side can hear me very well.

Battery life is excellent; I estimate about 5 hours maybe 6.

Drawbacks are:
* It does not have a USB re-charger like some
* The mute and off/on button is too small. Basically so small that it's useless. But then my phone has a mute button
* It's heavier then most (not as heavy as Jabra though)