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The most helpful favorable review
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182 of 187 people found the following review helpful:
supper comfortable headset
I've been using this headset for over a month now. In the interest of full disclosure I should state I am a supplier to Plantronics (and other headset manufactures), but am NOT employed by Plantronics (or any headset manufacture). I was given a early production unit before they were generally available.
The Discovery 640 comes with much more than what is...
Published on October 14, 2005 by Mark W Scrivener
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82 of 85 people found the following review helpful:
Great unit EXCEPT for the sound quality!
A great headset - if used in a quiet environment. At the above price, it's a bit expensive, but an excellent value. It should have come with a USB charger adapter included; instead, this is supposedly available as an add-on accessory, yet can't be found for sale anywhere. My report card:
Design: A-, very simple and lightweight design. Buttons are few and...
Published on January 16, 2006 by Dr. Sam Beckett
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182 of 187 people found the following review helpful:
supper comfortable headset, October 14, 2005
This review is from: Plantronics Discovery 640 Bluetooth Cell Phone Headset (Wireless Phone Accessory)
I've been using this headset for over a month now. In the interest of full disclosure I should state I am a supplier to Plantronics (and other headset manufactures), but am NOT employed by Plantronics (or any headset manufacture). I was given a early production unit before they were generally available.
The Discovery 640 comes with much more than what is pictured here. The complete kit is quite impressive and includes:
The headset (shown)
Small, Med, and Large soft ear inserts (pic shows med insert)
Ear stabilizer loop (not shown in pic)
charging holster
AAA battery holder for charging off battery
cell phone charger adapters for using your cell phone charger (Nokia, Motorola, Sony, and ???)
wall transformer (if you don't want to use the cell phone charger)
All of this is supplied in a stylish metal case that measures about 6"x3"x1".
Pros:
The headset is very comfortable and surprisingly stable without the ear loop installed. After a few minutes you completely forget you are wearing a headset - it is that comfortable.
The sound quality is very good - as one would expect from a Plantronics headset.
While it is certainly the smallest most comfortable headset I have seen, it is the charging holster and AAA battery case that steals the show. With the AAA battery attached, the holster is about the size of a cigar tube or very fat pin. It has a clip for attaching to your shirt pocket or securing inside your purse. The holster provides the dual purpose of storing the headset when you don't want it in your ear, and providing boost charge (via the AAA battery). When done talking, simply drop the headset in the holster to store the headset and recharge the battery.
Oh, and the holster will vibrate if you receive a call while the headset is stored there! Removing the headset will answer the call.
Cons:
Talk time is short (claimed 5 hrs), but using the holster and AAA battery eliminates this problem (15hrs talk time). If I recharge the headset at night and use the AAA booster during the day I have no problem getting though the day - and the AAA battery lasts about a week.
Headset is so small and comfortable it would be easy to loose and not realize it. Of course using the ear stabilizing loop (or keeping it in the holster) would prevent this.
Conclusion:
If you want a small, stylish headset, this is the one! If you want lots of talk time and don't want to use the holster to refresh charge, get the Voyager 510.
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82 of 85 people found the following review helpful:
Great unit EXCEPT for the sound quality!, January 16, 2006
This review is from: Plantronics Discovery 640 Bluetooth Cell Phone Headset (Wireless Phone Accessory)
A great headset - if used in a quiet environment. At the above price, it's a bit expensive, but an excellent value. It should have come with a USB charger adapter included; instead, this is supposedly available as an add-on accessory, yet can't be found for sale anywhere. My report card:
Design: A-, very simple and lightweight design. Buttons are few and usable, after some practice. Comes with 4 different adapters for OEM phone chargers, which is a novel yet cumbersome approach. Includes additional accessories for a more custom fit. Carrying pocket doubles as charging station; headset fits dangerously loosely inside, and the pocket itself doesn't clip securely onto shirt pockets or belts. An aluminum carrying case is provided to keep everything together.
Aesthetics: A-, it's a tiny and stylish piece.
Build quality: B+, the materials look more solid than they are. Construction is fair.
Comfort: A+, the most comfortable and stable headset ever. Multiple "ear gels" aid in attaining a custom fit that is quite secure. An earhook is also provided for added stability, but probably won't be needed.
Compatibility: A, no problems pairing or using this headset. Full handsfree functionality is available, but controls differ greatly for different functions and take some learning.
Outbound sound quality: B+, callers can hear me great, along with any other noises in the environment. Lack of noise cancellation makes this headset worthless in, for example, a crowded room. No echo whatsoever, though.
Inbound sound quality: B, volume is beyond plentiful. Inbound voices are rich in bass but *completely* lack crispness. Frequent static regardless of range or line-of-sight.
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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
Everything is relative...., October 14, 2006
This review is from: Plantronics Discovery 640 Bluetooth Cell Phone Headset (Wireless Phone Accessory)
this might seem to be a long review but i believe it would be of help to you =) and i am going to say lots good things about this headset but please be advised that your milage may vary, and more importantly there are cheaper headsets out there, which is probably a concern for many of you.
i have been researching for HOURS and thought it might be helpful to write a review since i know how frustrating it is to find a bluetooth headset...let's start with few general points...
first of all, you have to realize the limitations of bluetooth technology and how a headset can not bypass that, this means:
the max distance is 30-35feet(right now) and even that is technical, your milage may vary based on factors such as other wireless signals. this means no matter what kind of headset you get, you WILL experience minor static, minor delay, etc in Comparsion to your phone speaker. however a good headset should not add excessive distractions to your conversation. and plantronic 640 worked out nicely for my RAZR.
second of all, comfort. It really is the more important factor in purchasing a headset. One phrase sums it up: people have different ears... this means that all clip on headsets can either be the best or worse or possibily in between... all motorola over the ear design flaps over my ear and i feel it's falling off, but apparently it's fine on lots people othereise product recall? so the best solution is to try them on before you make your purchase online inorder to avoid the return over snail mail problem. what i realized is that the "in ear" design of Plantronics along with the three different size of gel insert has the best chance of fitting most ears, of course there are other companies with this design, such as sony, jabra...etc. my 640 is very comfortable, however many people does not like the in ear design, because you do feel it more compare to the over the ear design. again, it's relative, and your milage may vary. i choose to wear mine without the ear hook, it stays in my ear nicely, i do notice it sometimes but it's not heavy at all.
last but not least, please don't read EVERY review on amazon, that's what i did and it didn't help me much because one review would give it 10stars and other would wish there was a -10, what really helped me is to simply try on the headset. for example if a friend has it, that's great.. or maybe a store. must sales person would be happy to let you try them on. not best buy tho, they lock them up in a nice perfectly transparent plastic box... =)
ok thanks for being so very parient, now it's the review for this particular headset... i will just ignore facts like looks etc since people have different taste, i promise you it look exactly like the picturea above, fair enough? =)
sound quality
incoming = i am a average teenager owning a ipod for about a year, so my hearing is definitly not the BEST. Due to the in ear design however, this headset does block out lots noises, and i can hear my conversations fine, in doors (definitly), out doors(with no problem), and while driving.(with windows up of course) For those of you owning a RAZR, it is louder than the standard audio of RAZR,(not speaker phone) For me that's good enough. what i have realized looking at many reviews complaining about audio is that can you really hear your phone with the phone speaker going 80mph with window down in a car to begin with? of couse lot of indoor reviews too, but those are mostly over the ear design.
outgoing call-
very good quality, people do not realize that i am on a headset, as many reviews have pointed out. however it is a bit too sensive and when i close my car door etc, people on the other end can hear the noise probably more so than the RAZR H3 headset i had. i even got some complaints that i am too loud??? O_O that's really a first... just a point of reference, with the RAZR H3 Bluetooth headset, i did have to repeat sometimes even in my room. with plantronics it's all clear.
Connection, pairing etc-
connected to my RAZR no problem, easy to use, however a important point is that i can not speak for all the phones out there, for example, a treo... but there are lots of reviews regarding treo, so there you go. no complaints about about battery, quick charging etc... again, no matter which headset you end up getting, the max as for right now is about 10hours talk, technically...
comfort
basically the theme of this review, what works for me might not work for you, but you do have a better bet with this particular design than the over the ear once. you can wear without the earhook, which eliminates many potential problems, with the trade off of security. it does stay in my ear perfectly fine tho.
in conclusion, Plantronic 640, or in ear design provides a much better incoming call volume and comfort. outgoing call plantronic 640 is great, unless you are worried about backgroud noise etc(however phone mic has backgroud noise, so does all headsets). It is not excessive, but it's there.(maybe the plantronic 645 with DSP technology would reduce the backgroud noise, it should show up on your amazon search)
Finally, everything is relative. it really depends on what you want. there are cheaper headsets out there(lots motorola once works just fine) but if you want the extra performance and comfort over all, this is the one to get. or you can wait a bit until they get cheaper and more importantly perfect the bluetooth technology... i still think it's rediculous to make 4 transactions in order to find the one that I like...
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
EXCELLENT!, November 1, 2005
This review is from: Plantronics Discovery 640 Bluetooth Cell Phone Headset (Wireless Phone Accessory)
This is my first Bluetooth headset. I use it with my Nokia 6230 and it works great! The reception is clear. My callers have no problems hearing me or vice versa. It picks up the calls quickly. If you get a call while the headset is in the carrying pocket, it will vibrate and flash.
It is very comfortable and light weight. You might even forget it is there! Mine stays in securely with the ear plug so I don't need to use the ear hook.
With the Nokia 6230, I am able to use voice activated dialing with this headset. This is a very convenient feature.
I can use my Nokia phone charger to charge it because it comes with an adapter that fits. That is a positive feature because that is one less charger I need to carry while traveling on business. The battery back up charger is a great plus.
TIP: Make sure you phone is compatible. It has charging adapter for Nokia, Motorola, Siemens, and Sony Ericsson. I went to Plantronics website to make sure it would work with my phone.
At first, I was nervous I was going to break it when I was snapping the parts together and apart because it seems fragile, however, if you follow the directions it works fine and I haven't had any problems.
The styling speaks for itself. It is very sleek, refined, and elegant. It is neither bulky nor obtrusive.
Caution: If you have longer hair, like I do, and it completely covers up the headset, be warned that people may look at you like you are crazy because you will look like you are talking to yourself! haha!
Since this was my first bluetooth headset, I wanted to buy a good one the first time so I did a lot of research before I bought this one from Amazon. I am very pleased with this headset. I highly recommend it!
I hope this helps those of you who are also doing your due diligence before making a purchase!
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
Great little headset!, March 23, 2006
This review is from: Plantronics Discovery 640 Bluetooth Cell Phone Headset (Wireless Phone Accessory)
I got this headset after purchasing my Treo 650 with the very odd placement of the headset jack. Being that I have teeny tiny almost elf-like ears, I never considered purchasing a bluetooth headset (I've tried standard headsets with the ear loop, and they never fit right). After deciding to purchase a bluetooth headset, I tried several different styles, and none of them fit. A local store was having a sale, and they told me they could order me the Plantronics Discovery, so I figured I'd give it a try.
WOW!!! This is a great headset! I love the little case with all the attachments (reminds me of something a super spy would carry), though it is a little big to put in a purse at times. What I really love about this headset is all the flexibility it offers. You can charge it using a single AAA battery or using the adapter that comes with it. If you have one of the more common phones (Motorola, Siemens, etc.), you can even use your cell phone charger using the detachable adapters. Very cool!
I really like that it comes with three different sized ear gels, making it a perfect fit for virtually all ears. Plus, the ear loop is smaller than with other headsets, and is optional, which I like. I must admit, I do use the ear loop on this one, because it is small enough to fit my ears.
The Discovery has good call clarity (as long as you stay within range), and good battery life (though I find when charging it from a AAA battery, the AAA doesn't last too long. To compensate for that, use rechargeable AAAs for charging). Great little headset, well worth the money!
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
I like it, March 13, 2006
This review is from: Plantronics Discovery 640 Bluetooth Cell Phone Headset (Wireless Phone Accessory)
I was using a Jabra 250 before this one, but ended up breaking the Jabra accidently (it's a good product itself, by the way), so wanted to get something to replace it.
I was drawn to the "coolness" factor of the Plantronics, the nice case, the attachments, the little holder with clip, etc. And the fact that it's so small. Also, i've used Plantronics headsets for many years and they make a great product.
It's not perfect, which is why I give it a 4 out of 5. But it does work well, and it's so small and lightweight you barely notice it's there. The 3 earbuds give you a pretty good range of sizing, in my opinion, but the ear-clip thing is not that great. It's much better just balanced in your ear with the right size earbud.
No, you can't use it outside on a windy day, but you can't use ANY headset like that, well, maybe some of the higher end noise cancelling units, but not something this small. The reviews that knock that fact are not being fair. It works great for what it's designed for, and if you need to use it in bad conditions, get a noise cancelling headset, or you will never be happy.
Paired up with my Treo 650 with no problems, and actually works better than the Jabra with my Treo. The Jabra would want to be 'reset' before every call, or it would default to the built in mic, but the Plantonics just works once it's turned on. And when you get a call while wearing it, just hit the easy to find button to answer and again to hang up. Works fine.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
I am a hard one to please but I LOVE THIS PRODUCT., April 27, 2006
This review is from: Plantronics Discovery 640 Bluetooth Cell Phone Headset (Wireless Phone Accessory)
Despite 1 problem I had with it I would highly reccomend this to anybody.
PROS:
1)fits seemlessly in my odd shaped ear(without anything going around the top of my ear, just the little piece inside my ear and the little piece that comes out on your cheek a bit) so well that I forget that its in.
2)battery lasts forever(not sure how long that is but twice as long as the motorola i returned)
3)great sound quality
4)lets you dial contacts just by pressing a button on your ear and saying the name.
5)you can charge it on the fly with a single AAA battery.
6)it looks cool(for a headset anyway. i think they all look ridiculous if you ask me)
7)fancy aluminum carry case.
CONS:
1)fancy aluminum carry case is hard to open and way to large for what it holds.
2) the adapter to charge it using the phone charger did not fit my sony erricson like it said it would. big deal for me- 2 other ways to charge it.
My 2 cents. I hope it helped.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
buyers with problems using RAZR, please read, June 8, 2006
This review is from: Plantronics Discovery 640 Bluetooth Cell Phone Headset (Wireless Phone Accessory)
The only reason I've decided to write a review here is to let the buyers with problems using the RAZR's mini-USB connector.
There are 4 adapters included in the package - Nokia, Motorola, Palm/Treo and Mini-USB.
Check the bottom of the retail box and make sure "Mini USB" is included.
If it does, it should work perfectly with the RAZR charger.
However, the mini-USB adapter looks a little different than the conventional one - it almost makes you think that the mini-USB connector won't fit.
But go ahead and plug the connector into the adapter...you'll see it fits perfectly.
I'm not sure why they made it in such odd shape, but it works.
By the way, some buyers have complained that the headset unit doesn't fit well into the carrying pocket and that it doesn't stay securely.
There is a charging connector inside the carrying pocket and the headset unit needs to be firmly but gently pushed in.
If you just drop the headset unit into the carrying pocket, it won't stay in.
So do yourselves a favor and give this a try - push in the headset unit firmly but gently. This should help.
I gave this product 4 stars.
As some reviewers mentioned, it's not perfect.
However, I don't think there is one that's perfect so this isn't a problem to me.
This product does what it's supposed to do very well.
The most important requirement for a headset to have is a good sound quality and the Discovery 640 has it.
I'm actually very impressed with it - I'm able to hear the other end loud and clear, and the other end confirms they can hear me loud and clear. Most of them didn't even know I was using a headset.
And it's so compact and light.
Plantronics could have made it a little better in the usability department, but that would raise the price.
So overall, I'm very pleased with the product and would recommend it to everyone.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
Small, good audio quality, November 22, 2005
This review is from: Plantronics Discovery 640 Bluetooth Cell Phone Headset (Wireless Phone Accessory)
At airports watching people talking into space with some huge clam attached to their ear with a flashing blue light swore me off bluetooth. This headset from Plantronics is extremely small, nicely packaged, it paired immediately with my Blackberry 7100t.
The packaging is very cleverly done and the headset itself is a simple silver cylinder and weights a mere 9 grams. Audio quality was high and a recent 7100t software upgrade increased volume levels to more than acceptable. A variety of included ear pieces ensure you're likely to find a comfortable fit. I've been getting about 2-3 hours of talk time on a single charge which while not perfect is adequate for most people.
As a small minus, the button to connect/disconnect/turn-on or off takes a bit of getting used to as it feels a bit mushy missing a positive click to confirm your selection.
If you're worried about compatibility, the Plantronics website provides a pull down selector for mfg/phone to confirm.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
TREO 650 OWNER'S, GET THIS HEADSET!!!!!!!!!!, November 1, 2005
This review is from: Plantronics Discovery 640 Bluetooth Cell Phone Headset (Wireless Phone Accessory)
I have owned several Jabra bluetooth headsets (see other reviews) and non of them give the quality of clarity this headset delivers NOT EVEN CLOSE. It is super comfortable in fact so much that I have to wear the ear stabilizer to keep from losing it and not knowing it. I have had VERY LITTLE crackling noise from this headset and it only occurs in certain settings (ie.hospital). If you have a TREO 650 then you must know how hard it is to find a decent bluetooth headset; The TREO is the hardest phone to sync well. The only bad thing about this headset is if you are not careful you will rip the eargels be sure to insert and remove them carefully ( snap don't twist them). Also, the carying piece is nice but offers no protection for the eargel if carying it in your pocket. Overall this is an EXCELLENT headset, a little pricey but worth it.
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