I bought the Plantronics 88120 for an upgrade in overall quality compared to the cheaper earpieces I'd had before. The Plantronics definitely does the job. I stay connected in many different environments, and the sound quality is consistent everywhere. Consistent, yes. As good as it could be? Well, it's a little "tinny," which really doesn't bother me for the price I paid. But here's the best part. A week ago I was emptying the dryer when I discovered my Plantronics at the bottom of the pile of clothes. It could only have gotten there by going through the washer in my shirt pocket. I took it out of the dryer and turned it on. Dead, as expected. Just for fun, I plugged it in. Wonder of wonders, the charging light came on. I let it sit overnight, unplugged it in the morning and turned it on. Into my ears came the familiar voice telling me I had seven hours of standby time and four hours of talk time (or something like that). I called a friend and the earpiece worked perfectly. I don't advise washing your Bluetooth earpiece regularly, but I am amazed the little thing survived.
This one has sophisticated voice menus, very small, sounds loud enough, but perhaps due to the fancy voice recognition and voice menu prompts it has very poor battery life compared to other Plantronics headsets.
I bought a handful of Plantronics headsets because it's hard to differentiate through the different models. The model numbers don't mean much and at these prices why not buy a few and choose the best and gift away the rest.
This model has fancy voice menu prompts and voice recognition. I don't plan on using the voice recognition but the prompts make it easier than other models to pair with your device.
Sound is loud and clear but not any better than the M55 or M70, so save a few bucks buying those instead. It's definitely louder than the lousy E50 which is the nominal replacement for the excellent but sadly discontinued M50.
Like the other M55 and M70, the silicone rubber earpiece holds the headset surprisingly secure and comfortably in the ear.
Battery life is lousy compared to anything else. My new unit reports 7 hours of talk time. The M55 and M70 report 11 hours.
I previously owned a Jawbone Era and will compare these two items.
Jawbone Era has 4 Hours of life; Plantronics M165 has 8 Hours of life.
While receiving calls: Jawbone reads out the phone number, then you can press the button to answer; Plantronics just says "answer or ignore" and its up to you to say either word to answer the phone or not. You don't need to press a button which is a nice feature people who cook and touch raw meat, or cannot touch the button because your hands are tied up.
Tracking: I really love the app you can download onto your smartphone for Plantronics. If you forget your bluetooth, maybe at a friend's or relative's house but aren't sure, you can open the app on your phone and use the GPS signal. Also, if you misplaced it somewhere in your room but cannot find it, the app allows you to send a Tone to the bluetooth so you can hear it beep to help you find it.
Plantronics app also has a battery tracker for your bluetooth which shows exactly how much life you have left.
Sound: Both sound very clear. not much to say.
Mic: Jawbone has a Better background noise cancellation built in than Plantronics. However, this Plantronics does have a solid one built into it also. Both bluetooth devices are mics that are solid enough for people on the other end to hear me speak in a regular tone (no need to speak loud).
While i did like Jawbone Era, I would recommend the Plantronics M165 based on battery life and the App on the smartphone. Both are very solid as far as being a Bluetooth device. However, the features on the Plantronics and the Price of it overshadows the Jawbone Era.
I bought this bluetooth headset for my wife since she was starting to experience neck pain from holding her phone against her shoulder while talking on the phone (we have four kids so her hands are busy for much of the day). It connected to her phone without delay and worked very long on a single charge. However, the main reason I'm writing this review is to the sing the praises of how amazingly SOLID this bluetooth headset is!
My wife had this headset for a couple of months when she misplaced it. She thought for sure she'd left it at a store but then, where did it turn up? In the dryer! She typically would remove the earpiece from her ear and place it in the back pocket of her pants. This particular time, it stayed in her pants and went through an entire cycle in the washing machine... and then it went through an entire cycle in our dryer! After first being recovered from the dryer, it didn't turn on. After we charged it, it started working again! We were amazed!
Then she lost it again. Aaaannnnnd... it went through the washer/dryer cycle again. Once again, it survived and worked just fine until... she lost it. Apparently for good this time.
All in all, I can't say how amazed I am that this little headset survived not one but TWO trips through our laundry. If we ever find it again, I'm confident that it will work perfectly. Highly recommended!
Thank you a inexpensive, well designed earpiece that does not make my ear sore. I can wear all day without feeling like I am underwater. I struggle with ear aches and sinus pressure with in ear headphones. I have purchased several on ear Motorola earpieces in the past because I liked their concept, only to be disappointed that they broke shortly after the warranty expired. Quite a little investment ... if you will. I have had trouble trying to find something compatible, but better quality and design. At one point I researched purchasing another Motorola, only to find that the particular model I had purchased in the past between $30.00 & $50.00 dollars, had skyrocket to $150.00 dollars or more. Totally, ridiculous. Anyway, through trial and disappointment through several other brands, I finally came across this particular model. The reviews were positive. I couldn't believe the price ... very reasonable. I trusted my gut feeling and gave this one a try. I say all of this to say, "I LOVE THIS EARPIECE".
Feature Product
- HIGH QUALITY BLUETOOTH HEADSET: Dual microphones reduce noise and wind for clear, crisp call quality while in the office or at the gym.
- VOICE RECOGNITION: Manage calls hands free without pressing buttons through Plantronics voice recognition technology, just say Answer or Ignore.
- LONG LASTING BATTERY LIFE: Battery lasts for over 7 hours of talk time and features DeepSleep power-saving mode when away from your phone.Charge time (maximum)- 90 minutes for full charge
- COMFORT: Three optional eartips; small, medium, and large, for the most comfortable fit in either ear.
- FIND MYHEADSET: The app will locate your headset through your iPhone, iPad, Android, or other smart device by sending a tone so you can hear where it is hiding.
Description
Plantronics Marque 2 M165 Bluetooth headset is the perfect companion for smartphones, with universal-fit conformable gel ear tips, a Deep Sleep power-saving mode and dual microphones that reduce background and wind noise for crisp, clear call quality. Listen to music or stream audio and Internet radio, manage your calls without pressing buttons - just say "Answer" or "Ignore". The headset does not have recording feature and active memory. Operating and storage temperature 32°F to 104°F.
I had two basic needs for this. It does a decent job at one but is only barely acceptable at the other. I should note that this is my first Bluetooth headset. The problem might simply be the difference between a wired and Bluetooth connection.
One of my needs is to use with my Panasonic cordless phone because my hearing has been getting worse and I'm having trouble understanding some people. I've bought several Plantronics wired headsets in the past and had high hopes for this Bluetooth one, but it did not live up to my expectations. The voume wasn't loud enough and the sound not clear enough. Also, people on the other end of the line said my voice didn't sound as clear as when I used the phone handset. It might be OK for people with normal hearing,but not for me. Instead of using this with my cordless phone, I've ordered a 3.5mm to 2.5mm adapter so I can use one of my wired Plantronics headsets with my cordless phone.
My other use for it was for hearing turn-by-turn navigation from my smart phone when I'm driving. It works well for that purpose, so I'm keeping the device and not returning it.
I am very impressed with how well it fits and stays in my ear. I expected to need the clip-on ear loop, but it isn't necessary. It stays in my ear easily. Overall I'm impressed except for audio quality on my cordless phone. Battery life is excellent and it paired easily both with my Panasonic cordless phone and with my Moto G (1st gen) phone.
It' s possible that the audio problem is in Bluetooth and not in thie particular headset. This is the only Bluetooth headset I've tried, and I was also unhappy when I tried pairing my cordless phone with my Moto G smartphone. I may just need a wired connection.
Great buy! What I love about this blue tooth device are:
-the voice activation during calls (You can either answer or reject a call just by saying those 2 words. No need to press the device).
-the range is magnificent! My lost Samsung device would usually disconnect from my phone at a distance of around 20 ft and when I go close to my phone it doesnt automatically reconnects to it. But with this, I can go more than 50ft with walls obstructing and it is still connected! and if it does disconnect, it automatically reconnects.
I take off a star because there are times that when I drive in a remote place that the bluetooth gets disconnected and I had to pair it up to my phone like what I did when I first used it.
This is my second Plantronics 88120-41 M165 Marque 2 Ultralight Wireless Bluetooth Headset - Compatible with iPhone, Android, and Other Leading Smartphones --
as the first one wore out after two years (it worked but held its charge a shorter time).
I can press the bluetooth when I drive or when I walk and tell Siri whom to call. This is an important feature that many portable bluetooths do not have. As my car does not have wifi, it is especially important to me that I can make calls and send texts handsfree while driving ("Call Mom Mobile" for example) or walking, even on noisy streets.
The voice quality on this one is less good, but still quite satisfactory, than my first. But what a joy when the voice comes on and says "7 hours of talk time" even when I've left the bluetooth in my purse well over 24 hours. I'd forgotten what a really convenient gadget this is, with really good staying power and not needing charging very frequently.
I use this every day. I needed something small and lightweight to take calls while working from my home office. One perk is that you can have two BT devices paired so I am also able to take VOIP calls from my computer as well as those on my phone. The only downside is I can't seem to get it 100% comfortable in my ear. But I'd say it's 90% comfortable and the rest is just my ears. I'd recommend to anyone looking for a good BT earpiece.
Update 7 months later: This sits in my ear (comfortably now that I've gotten used to it) 8 or more hours a day, five days a week.
Sound is good, not tinny, base is good.
Navigation and pairing are simple to follow.
Outgoing sound seems ok but there is a delay.
product and packaging are standard.
I presently use this approximately 10ft away from my mobile, you can hear the Bluetooth recycling the connection (voice sounds digital) sometime but not all the time. Perhaps once or twice in a 20 to 60 min call. UPDATE ***NOW Bluetooth is recycling the connection to the phone 50% of the time*** The recycling of the connection between the device and the phone affects how others are hearing you as well. I am using it the same distance from my phone (10ft). The device is rated for 30ft. I am using my phone simultaneously as a wifi hotspot while on the phone itself.
will report back with additional thoughts...
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