Introduction

For about two years now I’ve had a cell phone of one type or another that supports Bluetooth headsets, so for close to two years now I have been using such headsets when I’m in the car, at home, and really just whenever I can so I don’t have to occupy one of my hands with holding a phone. This is just going to a quick review, I’m not a professional, I’m just a gadget geek who appreciates well-designed products.

First, a quick background of what I’m comparing this against. My first phone-bluetooth combination was a Sony Ericsson T635 with a Motorola HS-810. I then bought (and hence became addicted to) a BlackBerry 7290. Despite the low volume and middling voice quality, I held onto the HS-810 because I love the quick-flip feature that turned it on and answered an incoming call at the same time. Once I lost that headset through a hole in my shorts, I bought a BlueTrek G2 — and promptly got rid of it a day later for sounding, frankly, like the cheapest piece of crap I’d ever heard. I searched around but couldn’t find anything I liked particularly better than the Motorola flip design, so I bought the HS-850 — the slightly louder successor to the HS-810 which also sported somewhat longer battery life.

Again, the Motorola HS-850 was only acceptable in most categories. It wasn’t loud enough, and people sometimes had trouble understanding what I was saying, but it was lightweight, the battery lasted quite a long time, and it had the flip formfactor I loved. It was while I had the HS-850 that I upgraded to the BlackBerry 8700c. The HS-850, however, met an untimely demise in the washing machine. I swear it snuck back into my pants pocket on its own.

After about two months of not having a Bluetooth headset, I couldn’t take it anymore and started searching again. Based mostly on size and sound quality, I was drawn to the Plantronics Discovery 645, only to discover it was about to be replaced by the Discovery 655. Update: I have been informed that the 655 won’t actually replace the 645, as the 645 will still be for sale and will have a slightly different accessory lineup. Although I couldn’t yet find any real reviews on the 655, I loved the way it looked and since the 645 seemed to fit the bill I figured its successor would too. So I took a chance and bought a new 655 on eBay for $100 shipped from a reputable seller.

Package contents and design

When it arrived four days later I immediately unpacked the box and surveyed the contents (see image). There is a wall charger, a battery charger with a AAA battery, a mini-USB charging adapter, a six-inch long USB to mini-USB cable, three sizes of ear gel pieces, an ear hook, the holster, and of course the headset itself. Quite a bit compared to the usual fare I received with other headsets.

The headset itself is the best looking Bluetooth headset to date, I think. It’s sleek and clean, very small but not ridiculously tiny, and very lightweight. The main button sits on the earpiece part of the device, and is ringed by a clear piece of plastic through which the blue and red LEDs shine. The two volume buttons are integrated into the black strip running down the top of the device. A small rubber standoff on the underside keeps the microphone from rubbing against your cheek when you’re talking on it. The soft silver and black color scheme ensures it will look good with just about anything.

Once I was satisfied that it looked as good in person as in the pictures, it was time to put it to use. The manual says to charge the headset for a minimum of one hour before use; I slipped the headset into the charging holster (with a firm, satisfying click — it’s not going anywhere), plugged it in and let it charge for about 90 minutes. The headset gives a quick vibrate when you connect it to a charger to confirm that it is receiving power. The one odd thing I’ve noticed is if the headset is completely drained — as it is when you first remove it from the package — it will actually vibrate five or six times when you first plug it in. At first I thought my new $100 headset was going nuts, but then it quieted itself and continued charging.

Pairing and fit

Pairing is simple: hold down the main button on the headset until the light starts flashing red-blue, then discover it with your handset. My 8700c picked it up with no problem. Subsequent pairings are quick — about 3 to 4 seconds from when the headset is turned on.

I next set about fitting the 655 into my ear. I didn’t want to use the ear hook, but I admit I had some trepidation about relying on nothing more than an ear gel to hold my $100 headset in my ear. However, the middle-sized gel fits my ear pretty well, and after figuring out how it slipped in I shook my head back and forth pretty violently — but the headset didn’t budge. It did take a little practice though before I could slip it into the right position quickly. Also, the ear gel rotates so the 655 can be put into either ear. It stays firmly in place, unlike what I’ve heard about the 645; this headset won’t droop down and point at your shoulder.

Sound quality and volume

My first call was placed to my voicemail. Wow! For the first time ever, I had to turn the volume down on a Bluetooth headset. The sound quality was good, at least as good as listening directly to my handset. Next I called my fiancé. Her voice also came through loud and clear, and when I told her I was on a new Bluetooth headset she was surprised. She reported it sounded perfectly clear and was definitely a lot better than the Motorolas I had had.

I also tested it in the car the next day when calling a few friends. I have a BMW 540i, and with no accessories turned on the car is very quiet so of course there was no problem with that. Then I cranked up the air conditioning to full blast and turned on some music at a moderate volume — my callers reported they could hear some of the background noise but didn’t have any trouble making out what I was saying. That is a huge improvement over the Motorola headsets I had, which when I had a call I had to turn the A/C down and turn the music off if anyone was going to understand what I was saying. The fancy DSP noise cancelling on the Plantronics 655 certainly seems to be doing its job.

Making and receiving calls

Making calls on the 655 is similar to any other Bluetooth headset. If the headset is paired to your phone when you place a call, it gets put on the headset. My BlackBerry also supports redial from the headset by tapping the main button twice. The 655 also supports initiation of voice command dialing if your phone offers that feature — my BlackBerry does not, unfortunately.

Receiving calls is what can be the real gem with this device. This is where the holster comes in, which I so far have not mentioned except in reference to charging. If the headset is paired to your phone and in the holster when a call comes in, it will vibrate and blink. Pretty cool, huh? Not only that, but removing the headset from the holster will then answer the call — and placing it in the holster when you’re done will terminate the call. I know some of you hate carrying things on your belt, but if you don’t mind like I do then this is a really handy feature. If you don’t want to use the holster, then you can still just press the main button on the 655 to answer and terminate a call.

Conclusion

I’ve had the 655 for over a week now and can confidently report that this is the best Bluetooth headset I have ever used (in addition to the Motorolas and Bluetrek I owned, I have also used the newer Motorola H700 and the Jabra BT500). It’s loud, it’s clear, I’ve only charged it once all week and haven’t been able to kill the battery, it looks good, has solid build quality, and is lightweight. I particularly like the holster, and the myriad of charging options — wall outlet, mini USB, AAA — ensure that you’ll never be without power. You can find the Plantronics Discovery 655 online from various vendors in the $100-$120 range, much less than the $149 MSRP. It may be a little pricier than many headsets, but it my opinion it’s well worth it. This is the first Bluetooth headset I’ve used that feels like there are no compromises.

Final verdict: 9/10

The good:

• Sleek design
• Lightweight
• Great sound quality and volume
• Lots of charging options
• Innovative holster
• Good battery life
• Solid build quality

The not-so-good:

• Can be troublesome to situate correctly in your ear
• Minor bug where it vibrates for awhile when charging from completely drained