Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Was skeptical when I read the raves about this new Plantronics Voyager PRO Bluetooth Headset when it was first announced. Am a heavy cell phone user, and spend quite a bit of time on the road and in environments where I need a good and reliable hands-free solution for communication. There have been a number of Bluetooth headsets released in many different price ranges over the past few years, and I've bought many of them, some of which now sit uselessly in the bottom of my electronics drawer. But this time the raves were right, as in my opinion, it's tuned out to be the best one on the market to date. Read on and you'll see why I came to this conclusion. First Impressions: Upon arrival, opened it immediately, as I had a good test scenario in which to use it the following day: walking around a noisy outdoor flea market. The packaging was excellent, and found immediately that the instruction manual was written in a very clear and concise fashion, with easy-to-follow text and good illustrations. Followed the directions and charged the unit for the suggested 30 minutes before first use. As it was charging, looked carefully at the new Bluetooth headset and immediately thought that it might be uncomfortable, as the battery pack portion which rests behind the ear appeared larger than many on the market. I also wear glasses, and didn't think that it would be at all comfortable. Found later that I was quite wrong in both cases. After its initial charge, tried to see how easy it might pair with my often-stubborn cell phone, and exercise that has sometimes required a few tries. The Plantronics Voyager PRO paired up on the very first try, which was a first for this user. Found that the standard medium ear tips were a perfect fit, and then tried each of the additional ones that came with the unit, settling back to the original. I wear my Bluetooth headsets on the left side, and found it easy to change in seconds by rotating the boom mike. After all of this was done, finished charging the headset for the suggest 1.5 hours to full charge. Trial Run: The following day was a Saturday when I was going to be visiting a busy outdoor flea market with a friend, and it seemed to be the perfect time to test the unit. The noise levels were as expected, so I tried making a few calls using free weekend minutes. The first thing that people with whom I was talking noticed was that the sound was so clear, better than they had ever heard from my previous calls, and this was even with a moderate wind blowing at times. Most thought that I was still home. Wore the headset into the early afternoon, a little over eight hours straight, and found it to be the most comfortable Bluetooth headset that I've yet to encounter... for the most part didn't even realize that it was there. Also found that it didn't interfere with wearing glasses at all, which is a strong plus for this user. Pros: * Great ergonomics, fits easily right out of the box. * Superb sound quality, even in windy conditions. * First-rate controls for power, volume and call control. * Automatic voice prompts alert battery & mute status. * Excellent and clearly written instructions. * Non-proprietary charger port (micro USB). * Up to six hours of continuous talk time, confirmed. * Single charge standby of five days.. Cons: * None. Can't find a single one so far... another first. Regular Use: The Plantronics Voyager PRO has become an item that I use daily, which I couldn't say about my old Bluetooth headsets, including my old basic Motorola H505 Bluetooth Headset, which had actually served me quite well for a couple of years. The Voyager PRO is far more comfortable and ergonomic than the photos might indicate, something that one can only find by actual extended use. Have worn mine for 12+ hours a day at a time, and it's been quite easy to adapt to over extended periods of time, with no discomfort whatsoever. I ride a mountain bike some distances over suburban streets and wooded trails on a regular basis each week, and the first thing that callers notice is that the sound quality is excellent, with no wind noise reported by anyone. Suggestion: Did some checking on the Plantronics site (just google Plantronics Voyager Pro) and found that if one registered the unit, the company would send out a free car charger. The site said: "Purchase a Plantronics Voyager PRO headset and register your new product to receive a FREE power charger for your car." So I registered mine, and within about a week received it and received another pleasant surprise in that the quality of the free car charger was as good as the Voyager Pro. So be sure to register your unit if you get one of these. Summary: Have had this unit for over a month now and have subjected it to more use than the average product that I might review here. Looked carefully to see if there were any flaws or omissions in the product or its performance and for once just couldn't find a single one. Kudos to Plantronics for bringing such a product to market, for it satisfies the Bluetooth headset needs of the demanding user such as me. A true 5-star offering, without a doubt. [UPDATED] I would have kept this Voyager PRO Headset for years, as it perfectly satisfied all of my needs, but I had an accident with the one reviewed here, so when I had to get a replacement, I decided to replace it with the Plantronics Voyager 520 Bluetooth Headset, as it had been recommended by a friend as a reasonably priced alternative. That was a mistake, putting it simply, and since then have replaced the Plantronics Voyager 520 headset with the newer Plantronics Voyager PRO+ Bluetooth Headset earlier in 2012, and recently posted a review on it, as can be seen in the notes here. The Voyager PRO+ was a logical move considering my personal needs, though whether it's any better that the Voyager PRO remains to be seen. I'll gladly keep answering questions on the older one as much as possible, as I've been doing all along... and thanks to all of you who have tracked this review. 4/17/2012