Big disappointment

Author's Rating:

Pros: Great battery life (up to 7 hours talk time), good volume.

Cons: A LOT of static, picks up background noise.

The Bottom Line: 
I would not recommend this unit based on the amount of static and background noise.

Author's Review
I bought the Plantronics Voyager 520 because Plantronics makes quality telephone headset equipment in offices nationwide. Most high volume call centers use Plantronics equipment, so I figured I would try their Blue Tooth product.

Frankly, I'm disappointed, and will be returning the 520 after just a few days of use.

Most people I know go through BT's like water, in an attempt to find the holy grail of BT earpieces, so I am aware that I will likely not find the perfect solution. So I seek one with the best quality sound and comfort. I couldn't care less what it looks like or what color it is. For me, it's about function.

The 520 advertises a 33-foot range, yet my experience is that I literally cannot be more than 3 to 5 feet from the phone without hearing a lot of static, clicks, and pops. I typically have my phone holstered to my hip when walking around, but if the phone is on my left side and the 520 is on my right ear, I get a lot of static. If I am just 10 feet from the phone sitting right on my kitchen counter with no obstructions, I get much more static. If there is ANY obstruction between the phone and the 520, it sounds like someone is crinkling 6 plastic grocery bags into the phone.

This unit is somewhat of a hybrid in that it has both an over-the-ear loop as well as a rubber extension that sits inside the ear canal. I am on the phone constantly, so I wear this thing all day. I find my ear becomes sore after a few hours, even though the inner ear piece is not tight-fitting.

Voice quality is so-so. People I talk with tell me the 520 seems to chop off upper frequencies so that the letter 's' is dull, muffled. Words do not come across as crisp and natural as with the phone itself. Also, noise cancellation is poor. I had my wife switch between the 520 BT and the phone itself while standing outside. The 520 picked up the sound of our chimes in the background very loudly, while the chimes could barely be heard with just the phone. That means the 520 is not only picking up background noise, but its even amplifying it ! Additionally, I have difficulty hearing other people in an environment with any level of noise.

There is a volume button on the unit, but it's the only button on the unit, and it's so stiff that when I push it to adjust volume, I just end up disconnecting the call completely.

It's also chunkier than I prefer. I would like something smaller, more compact.

Some people complain that most BT's have a flashing blue light that can be annoying. This one does not.

Since sound quality is critical to me, I have to give this unit a low score. Perhaps that's a matter of compatibility from phone to phone, so maybe it wouldn't have so much static with another phone. Then again, I have a Blackberry Curve, not exactly a cheap phone, so I tend to feel the problem is with the Plantronics Voyager 520.