Review - Plantronics Voyager 855

[WVOz1970]

As mentioned in another thread, I decided to jump in and buy a Voyager 855. This is my initial review, I will add details as I break the thing in.

First off, here's what I got... Mono headset, stereo earpiece adapter, wall charger, multiple fit earbuds, two sizes of ear stabilizers, and some kind of lanyard. (My guess is the lanyard is something you can wear around your neck to keep the headset from accidentally falling out of your ear and getting lost). Oh... and a spiffy little pouch to hold the thing.

These pictures are from my Q, so they are pretty lousy quality. A pic of the stuff in the box, minus the charger:



Here is the mono headset, which I will be using it this way most of the time.





And the headset with the stereo bud attached.



The headset inserts right into your ear through the use of one of four ear buds you can choose to fit you the most comfortably. The headset seems fairly stable, but you can also attach an ear loop (two sizes included) if you need added stability.

The mic is a boom mic that slides out. This will also hang up the phone when you slide it back in. Here's where the stability is lacking. You can't just push the main button or slide the mic without having a good grip on the headset or it will fall out of your ear.

Speaking of pushbuttons, there is a volume rocker and a mute button on the side. Then there is the main control button in the middle. As of yet, I do not see a way to get the main button to activate my voice dialing function. As far as I can read in the manual, I have to dial via the q9m. I also have had problems with voice dialing when activated from the phone. I push the button on the q9m, then wait for the "Say a command." Once there, I say "Call xxxx mobile". I get the confirmation message "Did you say...?" When I answer yes or no, it just sits there like it does not hear my response and then finally disconnects. Hands-free dialing is not a deal-killer for me, but it could be problematic for some.

The sound quality is better than I anticipated. Bass is lacking, but that is to be expected on a headset of this style. Bose needs to get into the market... then we'd have some rocking headsets! Anyhow, the sound quality was fine. I was able to hear my callers in various noisy situations, mostly due to the seal created by the earbuds, I'm sure. That was one of the key reasons I chose this headset though, was the in-ear placement of the headset.

For stereo listening, you plug in an ear loop that has the other earpiece attached. The cable drapes behind your neck and you now have stereo listening. If a call comes in, the headset will automatically pause your playback and then resume when the call is completed. The connecting cable reminds me of old cloth-covered electric lines we had on our stage lighting when I worked in a theater. (Those, I'm sure, were filled with asbestos). This cloth covering seems to make the cable a bit more flexible, but I find it constantly catching on my collar and starting to pull the earpiece out.

Pairing was quick and easy. I was also able to pair it with my laptop BT, so I can listen to music from there if I want. I'll test it out on Skype soon and see how it performs.

All in all, I think I'm pleased with my choice so far. The quality was better than anticipated. Time will tell for the other stuff.

So that's the early trial review... I'm about six hours into using it. We'll see how things look in a few days and weeks.

[n99hockey]

thanks for the review!

[WVOz1970]

It's been a while since I posted about my headset. Thought I'd update...

First off, I finally figured out how to activate voice dial from the headset. You have to hold down the main button for three or four second and when it beeps, let go. Voice dialing then comes up. The down side continues to be stability... although I've learned how to hold the thing in my ear while pressing the buttons. I really do like how it seals in my ear and blocks out quite a bit of noise. Makes it much easier to hear my conversation. The mic could pick up just a little better.

You can also control your music playback via the headset, but again, the thing wants to fall out of your ear when you are trying to push one of the four buttons. I stick to using my Q's controls when I listen. We have a local talk radio station I really enjoy, and I can't get it inside my office. Plus, our corporate firewall locks out streaming... so I frequently put the stereo set on and stream this station through my Q. Works fantastically!

Overall, I'm still pleased with my purchase. Battery life has been fine. I need to find an additional charger, cause I always forget mine at work. I'd recommend this headset if you're looking for a lightweight, stereo BT.