Plantronics Foldable USB Stereo Headset (Optimized for Laptop Use) (Audio 470 USB)
by Plantronics
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Our Price: $129.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Plantronics Foldable USB Stereo Headset (Optimized for Laptop Use) (Audio 470 USB)
Customer Review: Nice headset
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased this headset to bypass the audio buzz problem I was having with my laptop - and it succeeded there with flying colors; I no longer have a loud humming noise when I'm trying to record on screen video. However, to get the noise to go away (it's a ground/power issue on my laptop), you have to use the USB attachment.
Some good points:
The chord is super-long - you can walk around quite a bit & still stay attached.
I can hear audio well with this headset & it's improved my accuracy with my voice recognition software.
Some bad points:
The mouthpiece is on the left side - for me, this is something that took some getting used to.
The headset folds up - while this could be seen as a good point to some, I'm finding it too easy to get the headset tangled up with the chord while it's being stored.
If you notice - these "bad" points are weak... this is a great headset overall.
Customer Review: Good Mic, good USB adapter, ok headphones, might have a Vista issue
Summary: 4 Stars
I used these for screencasting some software training sessions. The mic quality was pretty good using XP (though a little limited in the higher frequency ranges). The headphones were acceptable for music, but not nearly as good in the area of bass as a lower-cost full ear-cup model from Plantronics designed for gaming (HS-1). I tried using this 470 headset for screencasting on a new Vista Notebook (High-end Sony running Home Premium, all updates + SP1), but I got a really bad hum from the mic when recording with them. I tried troubleshooting the issue but no luck. I then took my my HS1 headset and plugged them into the 470's USB adapter and the recording hum disappeared, which leads me to believe that there might be an issue with the mic on this 470 with the Vista O/S, which would be a shame, since the portability of these, along with the overall useability (in XP anyway) make them a nice solution for the notebook bag. - Recommended, with reservations/concerns for Vista use.Customer Review: Headset works well; Long cord both an advantage and disadvantage
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm enjoying my Plantronics headset. I returned a Koss headset after being dissatisfied with the sound quality of the microphone and am very pleased with the sound quality of this microphone. I think that the sound quality of this mic is better than the sound quality of my partner's Logitech headset (we often speak to each other on Skype).
I like the way the headset folds to make it smaller and easier to pack into my laptop computer case.
I had read reviews about the long cord and thought that it was a plus to have a long cord. I still feel that this is an advantage. However, the cord often gets intertwined with other cords that come out of the computer. As I'm writing this, I decided to put a Velcro tie onto the cord - I just did it: I created a loop of 2 or 3 feet of cord and tied it together to shorten the cord. I should be able to release the Velcro in a few seconds to lengthen the cord, whenever I want it longer.
Customer Review: Sound quality ok, but very flimsy build
Summary: 2 Stars
As others have noted, the sound quality on this headset is perfectly adequate. The microphone seems to work well, too. However, I agree with the dissenters about the build quality.
The microphone "mute" slider on the volume unit does nothing. I assume mine is broken, and I plan to return the unit. But both the slider switch and the small volume dial are extremely flimsy, so it doesn't surprise me that the slider was DOA.
I also agree that the large USB to 1/4" jack converter is obtrusive and likely to be broken or lost. The wires, as others have noted, are quite thin and feel (too) delicate.
Finally, the headset is comfortable, but the feeble foldable plastic headband offers soo little pressure that the headset doesn't feel secure on my head. (Maybe my head is too skinny?)
In all, this doesn't feel like $40 worth of equipment.
Customer Review: Simply plug and play
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought it and immediately used it for a 2-hour call on Skype, and everything worked great. The sound was great, and the microphone worked perfect. The person at the other end of the call said the audio quality was great.
The headset was VERY comfortable, and I can't stress this enough. For my previous call I had used a pair of wireless headphones and microphone from a different company and my ears were aching really bad by the end of the 2-hour call. But this one felt so light and comfortable.
I used the USB sound card, and I just plugged it and used it. Really simple. The USB card slots and the cables have clear markings for the microphone and the headset, so you don't have to guess. My only small complaint is that the band that goes on the head feels flimsy. If my 2-year old gets his hand on it, he could easily break it.