Plantronics .Audio 995 Wireless USB |
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By
Plantronics
Average Customer Rating: 
List Price: £81.73
Our Price: £46.99
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- Noise-cancelling microphone
- Plug'n'Play
- Full range stereo sound
- Lightweight design
- Plantronics audio technology delivers full range stereo sound you won't believe is wireless
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Plantronics 995 wireless headphones, 2010-07-27
I bought these headphones for gaming and I am very pleased with them. The microphone enables voice talk in game and is very clear,the sound quality is good particularly when listening to music. I had to adjust the bass / treble levels using the eqauliser built in to windows media player to get the very best sound (as they were bass heavy straight from the box) this transformed the sound and they now sound punchy and clear. The controls built into the headphones are a neat touch and adjust the volume and play/FF/rewind etc. functions on your P.C and work well. The headphones were very easy to set up and you can download a fuller user guide from the company`s website. The wireless range seemed good with no hiss or drop outs in my experience but I did not stray too far from the USB transmitter. Although the headphones are recharged using a USB socket on a P.C I have a mains USB charger that came with an mp4 player(look around and you may be able to pick up a similar charger)so I just plug the`phones in to it now and again when my P.C is off. The only negative point I feel is that they would benefit from a little more/better quality padding on the ear cups. Never heard of plantronics before but I did spy an Altec Lansing motif in one of the leaflets that came with the `phones !. I haven`t had these for long but I am satisfied so far.
works well, range is not great though, 2010-07-09
bought this to not be attached to my computer anymore when I have conference calls using my IP phone. I am generally very happy with it, sound quality is good, it is easy to use, mute function works well, easy to re-charge.
Downsides: range is not great, particularly indoors (walls); when the battery runs out, there is no warning
 Not possible to use and charge at the same time, 2010-07-28
After wearing out a Logitech ClearChat PC Wireless headset (know other people that have experienced the same problem on this kit - poor build at the ear piece mount point) I decided to try the Plantronics as the wider coverage and what appears to be a more solid build appealed to me.
However after purchasing I realised that it is not possible to charge the headset at the same time as you use it. This to me is a critical feature that the Logitech sports. If you are anything like me, on spotify or skype all day long, you can easily empty a newly charged headset during a working day. Add to this if you forget to stick the headset in the charger at the end of the day then you are running a higher probability to run out of batteries the next day.
With the risk of sounding negative. Just to point out as a feature missing from both the Plantronics and Logitech - a soft phone answer button.
Wireless Freedom!, 2010-07-09
As other reviewers have stated, there is an appalling lack of decent bluetooth headsets for under £[], so I went for te Plantronics 995s, as they were £[] (although now I see they're down to £[]!) and had a lot of favourable reviews.
I've had them now for a few months, using them solely for Skype and I have to say they're (nearly) perfect. I got them out of the box, plugged the USB dongle into my USB hub and they were ready to use immediately (using Vista).
The sound quality is really good, both from and to the caller, most people saying it sounds better than when calling from a mobile or landline (guess that's a VOIP thing as well though). The headphones themselves are very light, although at the same time feel fairly well made and are very comfortable to wear, with the padded bit for the top of your head (good if you're a baldy) and nicely cushioned ear mufflers. They do muffle the sound really well, and sometimes I have to shift them slightly off the ear as it gets a bit disconcerting not being able to hear yourself talking through the earpieces (like you can on a phone) but this by no means detracts from their usability. The buttons on the left earpiece for volume and play/ffwd are useful, and you can mute the call just by folding the mic up, so you're not tied to your laptop if you're on a call.
The range is fairly good. My office is in the back room upstairs and I can move around most of the house (Victorian semi) and still keep contact, although sadly can't quite make it to the kitchen before the signal drops out. If you move back in range the signal seems to pick up pretty quickly though and the call won't drop out. The range will obviously depend on how much junk you have in your house and the layout etc, but it seems good enough.
The idea of having a USB charging cable is a good one, and I prefer this to having a cradle as it's tidier, one less chunk of plastic to have on your desk and takes up less space in a drawer. Also, it's cheaper to replace if lost or broken. Charging time initially is about 3-4 hours, and you can get about 2 hours use before it needs charging again - best idea is to just keep it on charge and make sure your laptop is plugged in as it does take a fair bit of battery.
I've read a few reviews where comments have been made about the way you have to switch the sound source if using these, but I've had no problems. If you use Skype, you can just select these as the device for mic and speakers and continue to have your media player output to your normal speakers.
The only improvement I think could be made to this headset is to allow it to stay switched on when it's charging. When you plug the charging cable in, the headphones switch off. If a call comes in through Skype you just need to unplug the charging cable and remember to switch the headphones on before you pick up the call otherwise the caller gets silence and I've had a few instances where they've hung up. Not a problem if you can get into the habit, but that's why I just like them and don't quite love them.
In summary, great value for money, well made and really easy to setup, wear and use. If you're looking for a decent bluetooth headset for under £[] I reckon this is it.
 Uncomfortable, 2010-07-19
I find these headphones uncomfortable to wear for any length of time, meaning more than an hour. Unfortunately I need a pair that I can wear for longer than that. I've now found that I've reverted back to the old ones I was using (wired)while I saved up the money to buy these! Wish I hadn't.
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Batteries: 1
Binding: Electronics
Brand: Plantronics
EAN: 5033588030300
Label: Plantronics
Manufacturer: Plantronics
Model: 80930-05
Publisher: Plantronics
Release Date: 2009-07-01
Studio: Plantronics |
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