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Plantronics Voyager 510 USB
Price: £103.50 incl VAT

Features
Performance
Ease of use
Value for money
Overall

Reviewed By: Andy Shaw

This review updated: 22/06/2006
Featured in magazine:
Issue 138
Manufacturer Contacts:
Supplier: Plantronics
Tel: 0800 410014
Web Address: www.plantronics.co.uk


Although making phone calls over the internet using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) can save you money, there's still a bit of initial investment to be done. In order to make the calls you need some kind of microphone and speaker combination – a headset with a built-in microphone is the most convenient. Mobile phone users may already have a Bluetooth headset, which lets you make hands-free calls on your mobile. But if you've tried also using it to connect to your PC you may have run into bother, because of the need to pair Bluetooth devices together each time you want to swap between PC or mobile calls.

This snazzy headset from Plantronics aims to get around all this and comes complete with a special Bluetooth USB adapter designed to allow the headset to swap between your PC and a mobile phone without fuss.

Features
Apart from the seamless integration of mobile and VoIP, the other important feature is comfort. All the electrical gubbins is built into a unit that sits behind the ear, so it's perfectly comfortable to wear. The earbud is non-obtrusive and rests on the edge of your ear, and the microphone boom hardly sticks out at all.

Performance
For such a small device, the sound quality is excellent. There's a wind reduction system for using the headset outside and the microphone does an admirable job of picking up your voice. Incoming sound quality is also decent, without you having to wedge the speaker into your ear.

Ease of use
The volume and call controls are all easily accessible and it paired up with our test phones quickly and efficiently. You can answer and terminate mobile calls by pressing a button and, if you're using VoIP while a mobile call comes in, quickly swap between the two without having to worry about re-pairing your devices.

Value for money
All these features inevitably leave it at the top end of the price bracket for Bluetooth headsets, but you can justify the cost by telling yourself you're actually getting two headsets – a wireless VoIP headset and a Bluetooth headset for your mobile.

More Internet Peripherals reviews:

• Netgear SPH200D Dual-Mode Phone
• Belkin Wi-Fi phone for Skype
• Vonage Wi-Fi Phone
• Netgear Skype Wi-Fi Phone SPH101
• Plantronics Voyager 510 USB