Review: Plantronics Discovery 665 Bluetooth Headset

Plantronics Discovery 665

Plantronics Discovery 665

Plantronics Discovery 665

Plantronics Discovery 665
Weight	9g (0.3 oz)
Body Size	10.16mm x 12.7mm x 50.8mm (0.4" x 0.5" x 2")
Talk Time(1)	3:10
Ear Loop	Over Ear
Left/Right Ear?	Both
LEDs	1, Red and Blue
Pairings	Unspecified
Headset Sound	Excellent
Mic Sound	Good. Noise reduction didn't perform well in noisy envorionment.
Included Accessories	3 ear buds, car charger, USB charger, charging case
1) hh:mm. Music was piped continually through the headset in both directions, for a worse-case scenario

One could be forgiven for mistaking the new Plantronics Discovery 665 for its predecessor, the Discovery 655. The look of the two headsets is remarkably similar right down to the charging pocket. This is not necessarily a bad thing though, as when we reviewed the 655 back in August 2006, we gave the device a Highly Recommended rating. Let's see if the updated 665 can live up to its predecessor.

The most distinct feature change between the models is the inclusion of Plantronics' new AudioIQ technology in the 665. Plantronics also decided to do away with the AC and battery-powered charger, instead opting for just the USB and car charger. The 665 is fully compatible with accessories from the 655 though.

The Discovery 665's car charger is an arm with a 180-degree flexible elbow that the charging case clips on to. The charging case is similar to that of the 655, and is quite impressive. It has a red and blue light in the side that glows when you first plug it in, when a call is coming in, and flashes intermittently after you have missed a call. A simple press of any of the headset's buttons will stop the missed call alert. As well as clipping on the end of the car charger, the small charging case can be put in your top pocket with a pen-like clip, or can have the USB charger attached to the bottom. Taking the headset from the charging case when the phone is ringing will answer the call.

The 665 has retained the form factor of the 655, but has inverted the colors, so the strip down the center that doubles as the volume buttons is now silver and the rest of the face is now black. This design looks a little classier in my opinion. The small protrusions on the volume buttons make them easy to find and press when wearing the headset, and being arrow shaped also give an indication of which direction they alter the volume. The small silver multifunction button (MFB) is located near the back of the headset and is bordered by an LED light that is capable of glowing both blue and red. The LED is a very handy feature of the 665; it shows the user when the device is in pairing mode, when there is an incoming call, and most impressively, it alerts the user to the status of the battery. The LED will flash red three times when there is more than two thirds of battery charge remaining, twice if there is between one and two thirds remaining and once if there is less than one third of the battery charge left.

The Plantronics Discovery 665 isn't just a pleasant looking headset, it is also very light and quite compact. It weighs just 9g (0.3oz) and measures a neat 10.2mm x 12.7mm x 50.8mm (0.4" x 0.5" x 2.0"). The 665's lithium ion battery delivered a disappointing 3:10 (hh:mm) of talk time and has a rated manufacturer standby time of three days. This was one of the most disappointing features of the 665, and something that we had hoped Plantronics would fix after a similar performance from the 655.

Charging pocket

Car adapter

Inbound call