With more states passing “hands-free” cell-phone laws, the streets around us have become filled with Bluetooth users. While all Bluetooth headsets offer the same function, they differ slightly in style, comfort, and audio quality. The new Plantronics Discovery 925 excels at all three traits, but it will cost you.


APPEARANCE

At 2.7 inches from the back of the earpiece to the front of the microphone, the Discovery 925 is longer than the most recent Bluetooth headsets on the market, but it is certainly not an eyesore. The microphone emerges from a diamond-shaped earpiece, forming a point. It looks very similar to a hairpin. The earpiece is stylish, without being too obnoxious. I’ve seen plenty of ugly and awkward-looking headsets. This is definitely not one of them. The Discovery 925 boasts a celebrity approval, with Eva Longoria Parker and Brooke Shields among those wearing the earpiece. The earpiece comes in three different colors: Silver, Gold, and Pink.


COMFORT

When I first noticed that the Discovery 925 does not come with an ear hook, I have to admit that I was a little skeptical. Because of most headsets’ weight, ear hooks are critical to keep it in the ear with support and comfort. But at .28 ounces, an ear hook is not necessary, and the ear-piece is sufficient in keeping the headset lodged in the ear, without it feeling “weighed-down.” The Discovery 925 comes with three different ear-buds for small, medium, and large ears. The headset impressively passed the “shake-my-head-until-it-hurts” test. My neck, however, did not.


SOUND QUALITY

I paired the Discovery 925 with a Blackberry 8800 phone, and the sound quality was better with the Bluetooth headset than the handset itself. It was loud, crisp, and clear. The headset boasts the “AudioIQ technology”, which blocks out background noise in most situations. On the other side of the phone, the people I called said I sounded very good.


EASE OF USE

Right from the initial pairing, the Discovery 925 is easy to use. The large call control button turns the earpiece on and off, answers and rejects calls, makes calls, transfers calls between the earpiece and phone, redials the last number you called, and activates voice dialing. The small volume control button toggles between three volume settings.

When you turn on the Discovery 925 for the first time, it automatically enters pairing mode, making it very simple to set it up with your phone.


FEATURES

More and more people are using their phone on-the-go, and the “hands-free” car laws have made battery life a critical component in purchasing a Bluetooth headset. The Discovery 925 boasts a battery life of five hours of talk-time (7 days of standby), and comes with three different ways to keep your earpiece juiced at all times. The first two are standard accessories with most headsets: a wall charger and USB charger.

However, the third charge source is very unique, creative, and effective: the carrying case. The Discovery’s case—shaped like a lipstick case—provides a rechargeable power source to keep your headset functional at all times. It provides a one full charge to the earpiece, meaning five extra hours of talking.


COST

At $150, the Discovery 925 is much more expensive than the average Bluetooth headset, and is beyond the budget of most practical people. I would only recommend this headset to heavy talkers. If you have a long commute to work, the comfort and quality of the Discovery 925 make it a good value. Add in the charging case ($50 retail by itself), and you will always be connected, and look quite fashionable at the same time.

Street Price: Approx. $150.00

Manufacturer: Plantronics

http://www.plantronics.com

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