Sometime back before writing this article Mobilefun.uk delivered a Plantronics Explorer 240 bluetooth headset. I was excited as it was my first bluetooth headset (yes, I am not much touched by bluetooth headsets). What made me excited was the technology itself and not how Plantronics bluetooth headset performed. There is a reason why I said this and to know why read on my personal experience using this device below:
Initial Expression
The first thing that caught my eye was the packaging. Yes! The packaging of the product itself. Though this has got nothing to do with the technical aspect of the review but for me, packing of a product shows how a company perceives the overall looks of a product apart from its performance. Plantronics scored here. The bluetooth headset came in a cylindrical container with the headset nicely placed at the top, beautiful.
Along with the packaging the headset itself is shiny and looks good. Plantronics Explorer 240 weighs barely 10 grams which makes it easy to place on your ears for a longer duration (only from the weight prospective). Moreover in terms of size, it is small enough to go unnoticed if you’ve got light beard 😉
Generally Bluetooth headsets have similar resemblance but differ in terms of performance. This was realized when I started using Plantronics Bluetooth Explorer 240.
Range
First things first. Range. The crucial aspect of a bluetooth device. Unless a bluetooth headset has a good range it is rendered useless. Fortunately, Plantronics Explorer has a acceptable range of 30 feet, which I believe is more than enough unless you are in a habit of talking with your bluetooth headset while your mobile phone is lying in some corner of your house/office :p
Battery
Yet another important aspect. A good battery backup is really a boon if you do a lot of talking over bluetooth headset. In this area Plantronics really pleased me. Plantronics Explorer 240 comes with a rechargeable battery, charging which yielded a talk time of 6-7 hours for me. Although their website and manual clearly states a talktime of hours but for me it did very well. A charge of 2 hours returned 6-7 hours of talktime, something to be appreciated in my opinion.
Design
Again, a good design and comfortable wear is necessary for you to keep the bluetooth headset on for a longer period. Plantronics Explorer 240 though has a comfortable in ear speakers but after wearing it for more than an hour, it starts itching. While using it I had to keep on shifting the headset from left ear to right and vice versa. Plantronics Explorer 240 also has a weird earloop to support the headset. It didn’t fit properly and the tip of the earloop failed to maintain a contact with my ear. I had this feeling that my headset will fall (though it never did).
Sound Quality
Ah. The one factor which really decides if a bluetooth headset is worth buying or not. Plantronics Explorer 240 can be judged on 2 aspects:
- As a headset for JUST calls: If you plan to use this headset just for calling purposes and nothing more than that, then Explorer 240 performs well. The quality of audio is good, not much pitch nor bass. Optimum level of audio is maintained. I had no complaints in using Plantronics Explorer 240 for calling purposes.
- As a Music earphone: If you a music listener and intend to listen music on Explorer 240 then you’ll be seriously let down by it. Explorer 240 delivers no music experience at all, be it bass, pitch, etc. Music will sound dull with Plantronics Explorer 240. Stay away from it if listening to music is your first preference.
- Plantronics Explorer 240 Specifications
To Sum Up
Advantages:
- Good rechargeable battery life.
- Healthy bluetooth range.
- Volume control buttons.
- Poor fit. Earloop doesn’t hold on properly.
- Sound quality good enough for calls. Fails to deliver bass, nor crisp.
The quick pair and noise cancelling feature is really worth the money for this headset.