Reviews of Plantronics Headsets

Plantronics headsets are some of the most popular computer microphones on the market today. Whether you intend to record your voice for web audio, participate in chatting, send your voice over IP, or use speech recognition software, Plantronics has an appropriate headset. Plantronics headsets can be broken down into two main categories: analog headsets and USB headsets. Their most popular models are the Plantronics Audio 90 analog microphone and the Plantronics DSP 500 USB headset.

Analog Plantronics Headsets

The top analog mic is the Plantronics Audio 90 Multimedia Stereo PC headset. The Audio 90 has large, comfortable ear cones, and therefore good bass response in the headphones. But what really matters for web audio is the microphone's ability to capture your voice accurately. The frequency response of the mic is 100 Hz to 8 Hz. That's more limiting than a "pro microphone" response of 50 Hz to 18 kHz, but what do you expect for less than $40 US? This range is adequate for most voice work that you would do with your computer, including voice over IP, chat, recorded messages, and speech recognition.

Other comparable models to the Audio 90 are the Audio 60, Audio 70, and Audio 80 Plantronics headsets. These three other models have the same microphone frequency response as the Audio 90, (100 Hz to 8,000 Hz), however they all have smaller headphone speakers and ear cones.

The Audio 60, 70, and 80 headsets are virtually the same except for the construction of the headset itself.

• The Audio 60 has a lightweight and comfortable over-the-head stereo headset.
• The Audio 70 has a lightweight behind-the-head stereo headset.
• The Audio 80 has a foldable stereo headset which is good for portability.

Plantronics does make other models that feature single-ear headphones, but the frequency response of the headphones isn't as good as these four models.

If you would like "the best" Plantronics analog headset and plan to listen to CD's and other multimedia through the headphones, I recommend the Plantronics Audio 90. If you need a portable headset, choose the Audio 80. Otherwise, the Audio 60 or Audio 70 Plantronics Headsets would do fine for your web audio. You will get good sound for a decent price.

USB Plantronics Headsets

The top Plantronics USB headset is the Plantronics DSP 500 Digitally-Enhanced Multimedia Stereo PC Headset. Like its analog cousin the Audio 90, the DSP 500 has large, comfortable ear cones (40 mm with 12 mm foam) and therefore good bass response in the headphones.

More importantly, however, the microphone on the DSP 500 has a better frequency response than on the Audio 90. The microphone captures 100 Hz to 10,000 Hz. That extra 2,000 Hz on the high end may not seem like much, but it really helps to capture the high-frequency-sounds of your voice, lending extra crispness to the sound of your voice.

All Plantronics DSP headsets come with special equalizing software that lets you customize the sound of the microphone by adding extra bass or extra treble/high end to your voice. Very cool!

Other comparable models to the Plantronics DSP 500 are the DSP 300 and DSP 400 Plantronics headsets. These two USB headsets are comparible to the DSP 500 in all ways except the size of the headphone speakers. The headphone speakers on the DSP 300 and DSP 400 are smaller (28mm with 4mm foam) and have a lower frequency response. The DSP 400 features a folding stereo headset. The DSP 300 has a standard, lightweight headset.

If you want "the best" Plantronics headset, I recommend the Plantronics DSP 500. If you need a portable headset, choose the DSP 400. Otherwise, the DSP 300 would be a great solution for recording your web audio.

View Plantronics headsets against other headset microphones