A Bluetooth Headset from the headset experts

Plantronics M1000Plantronics is a heavyweight in the headset business. They have been making wired mobile phone headsets for some time now, and have recently expanded into making Bluetooth headsets.

At first glance, the M1000 looks remarkably similar to its other mobile and office headsets. Although it weighs only 28 grams, it feels a lot heavier in your hands than others weighing only 2-3 grams less. The M1000 has a traditional design with a boom mounted microphone. This boom can be swivelled to allow for optimal microphone placement.

The ear loop is flexible towards the bottom. I found this made putting on, and taking off the headset very easy. It also makes the headset suitable for people of all ear sizes. There is actually a system you have to use to get the best results from the headset. When I am finished with a call, I take off the headset and make the ear loop the largest possible while doing so. Next time I have to put it back on, I just place it on top of my ear and fold the flexible part to fit my ear. This may sound complicated but it was actually quite quick and easy. The M1000 was very comfortable. I never felt that it was pinching or applying pressure to my ear. It is possible to wear this headset for hours on end.

The only pitfall of this system is the actual ear loop. It is connected to the headset via a small piece of plastic, which is not exactly the most reliable way to attach something. Within a week I broke the first ear loop. Luckily, Plantronics provide another ear loop as a backup, but if they know it is prone to breakage, why not make the ear loop a little stronger?

The M1000 can be used on left or right ear with the changing of the direction of the ear attachment. This takes quite a bit longer to do than with the HBH-30 with its swivelling ear piece.

The actual speaker is quite big. Personally it doesn't fit in my ear as nicely as I would like. If it were a little smaller and longer (like the HBH-30) it would also protect the headset from moving while in use.

The controls are located on top of the headset. There is one "Main" button, which controls on/off, and a "jog-dial" type button which controls volume up/down and Bluetooth pairing duties. The jog-dial made it very easy to use the M1000, because rather than pressing a button and applying pressure to your ear in the process, the jog-dial allows users to simply move it up and down. The Main button also doubles as a status light. When you are using the headset, the light flashes quickly to allow others to know that you are busy with the phone. The light is also used when setting the M1000 for pairing (which is done by holding down the jog-dial). I would have liked the status light to flash the whole time it is activated. Without this, the only way to tell if the headset is on or not, is by checking if the unit beeps when changing the volume.

One excellent feature in the M1000 is the ability to remove the battery. This allows you to replace the battery (which is 1/3 AAA size) when it starts losing its charge. The battery is hidden behind a little plastic flap. In the same compartment is a sticker with the passkey printed on it - a good backup in case you are prone to forgetting like me. Overall I would rate the build quality as average. The Unit itself feels quite sturdy, but the ear loop problem is quite problematic.

Enough about the physical aspects. So how does the M1000 perform? Pretty well actually. I tested it with a SonyEricsson T68m (with the latest T68i firmware) and a Siemens S55. Both phones are known for being highly compatible Bluetooth devices. The pairing process is quite easy - press the jog-dial and type the supplied passkey into the phone. Once paired, the M1000 detected almost all of the calls, unlike previous headsets I have used, which used to drop about 15-20%. It seems that Plantronics' experience has paid off. The headset was very clear within close range of the phone (2 meters) and most people I talked to couldn't tell I was using the headset. No doubt this has something to do with the adjustable boom microphone, which uses noise-cancelling technology. The M1000 also performed well when moved to 5 meters away from the handset. Although there was some crackle, voices were easily distinguishable.

The farthest I got before a call dropped out or had too much interference was 6 meters with a double-brick wall in between. In direct line-of-sight the distance was about 9 meters. In terms of reception and range, the M1000 does well compared to other headsets. One issue I did have was with the volume being too low. This is not a good headset if you plan to use it in a noisy place such as a busy office. Otherwise, for general home and (quiet) office use, the M1000 performs quite well.

More photos are available on the following pages.

 

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