Plantronics 80935-21 Audio 655 USB Multimedia Headset with Noise Canceling Microphone for PC and Mac

What's UP with all the BAD REVIEWS?????? I bought this headset over a year ago so it's strange coming back to finally write a positive review only to see all of the negative reviews that have been left since then. Product issue or a user issue? Probably the latter. I go through headsets like they're going out of style.....not because I have to have the new next best thing but because I am a little irresponsible and impatient.......I forget to take them off while jumping out of my seat which breaks the cord, I set them on the floor by my bed at night before going to sleep......only to wake up and step on them. Friends come over and don't see me attached to the t.v. and walk right into the cord ripping it out breaking the connector.....etc. This is close to my 30th headset in 7 years and I have to say......I love them. My wife accidentally broke my last set a month back because I didn't put it away properly so I just went ahead and reordered another set 5 minutes ago which made me think to leave this review. It seems like most of the bad reviews are due to popping and hissing sounds along with "big ear", "big head" discomfort and recorded background noise (which isn't a big issue if you have a good recording software). There's nothing I can say to help with the "big ear", "big head" discomfort.....I have relatively small ears in comparison to some of my dumbo eared friends so the set fits me perfectly and I don't have an overly large head so they do not feel like they are trying to "squeeze" the grey matter out of my noggin. I can however comment a bit on the hissing and popping sounds and the recorded background noise.......so here we go: If you are running either Windows Vista or Windows 7 64 bit version then there is a patch/update you will need to download and install that will completely eliminate the hissing and popping noises. The patch/update has nothing to do with Plantronics as the issue effects a ton of other audio recording/listening devices.....not just this one. I had the same issue when I first bought my headset, but unlike many others MY first thought wasn't that the product was defective but rather that Windows 7 64 bit had an audio driver issue......which is exactly the case. Ask questions first, shoot last. Keep in mind that this happened over a year ago so I have no idea where I downloaded the patch/update, however, I could have only got it from one of two places which are either on the Microsoft site itself or it may have been an audio driver update for my Nvidia sound card. If it was the audio driver update then you would need to find out what sound card you are using and then go to the manufacturers website to see if they have an updated version for you to install. Most manufacturer sites nowadays have a "scan" feature that will scan your pc to detect what model of sound card you have which will then give you a link to your update when finished scanning. Once I had installed the patch/update I restarted my laptop and voila! All of the hissing and popping magically went away and I was blessed with absolute silence and superb audio clarity. Best Headset I have Ever Owned for the Price!!!! and I do say that from first hand experience. I even returned my Sennheiser RS 180 Digital Wireless Headphone System that I purchased on January 25th 2012 from Amazon due to the fact that the audio quality of the Plantonics was comparable to a headset that cost 10 X more AND I could use the headset to record audio which I couldn't do with my Sennheiser. Do I miss the walk around the house, never trip over a cord again $300 headset with charging station? A little.....but not enough to get them again. As far as the microphone goes......is it sensitive as all heck? You bet. Is that a bad thing? Not in the least. 1. First thing, is don't have the mic right next to your mouth otherwise you will hear your monstrous breath hitting the mic and you will even hear your your lips macking as you talk. I always put the mic about 2 inches up from my mouth. 2. Second thing is the background noise.......the mic picks up EVERYTHING so you either need to be in a soundproof room while recording........or.......you need to purchase a recording software that enables you do get rid of the background noise post production. I personally chose the software route because a soundproof room just isn't an option for me. I use Camtasia Recording Studio for all of my audio and video recording because I do a lot of online video tutorials so this works perfectly for me. The background noise cancellation feature is absolutely amazing.......and I live on one of the NOISIEST streets in Waikiki, Hawaii where when the buses go by they sound like they are quite literally driving through my living room. My experience with this headset has been nothing but all A pluses as has my experience with most electronic I have bought here on Amazon.....or anywhere for that matter. Keep in mind, the average pc user hasn't the foggiest of what they are really doing once they go beyond sending out emails or web browsing. They expect to "Plug and Play" without knowing how to properly troubleshoot or to even read the manual for compatibility issues. Most of the "Bad Reviews" left for ANY electronic device or product have nothing to do with the product itself and have EVERYTHING to do with the reviewer's own ineptitude. No offense meant, but that's a fact that I see all too often in my line of business. Definitely a good buy if you are able to troubleshoot and problem solve. If not, then this won't be the only headset you'll leave a bad review for.

Decent Sound but Uncomfortable Fit This Plantronics Audio 655 USB headset has a lot going for it in terms of sound and microphone quality. Plug-and-play was seamless on both PC and Mac, and the noise-canceling mic does a solid job of keeping background chatter out during calls. Music and videos sound good enough for casual use, not audiophile-level but better than most budget headsets. The problem is the fit. The earcups press a bit too firmly, and after about 30 minutes my ears and head start to feel sore. The padding isn’t as plush as it looks, and the clamping force doesn’t seem adjustable enough to relieve the pressure. For short meetings or quick gaming sessions, it’s fine, but anything longer becomes uncomfortable. Bottom line: If comfort is your priority, you may want to keep looking. If you just need decent sound and mic performance for short-term use, this headset delivers, but extended wear is tough.

I was looking for an entry level headset for nothing more than listening to music on my laptop and mild gaming. I spent hours of research time looking at reviews and product and also purchased 3 other headsets including, Turtle Beach, Logitech, and Sentry. They all pale in comparison to this headset. I finally found exactly what I was looking for. A headset that has 'presence" when listening to music. Great bass, and great clarity throughout the frequency range including crisp highs. Enough volume to feel bass drum kicks which is the way I like my music. Pros for this product include comfortable padding on both headband and earpieces. The unit is lightweight so extended wear is not an issue. The volume buttons on the left earpiece are awesome, easy to locate and in my opinion much better than the inline which you need to clip to yourself, limiting mobility or leave hanging causing you to fumble looking for them. The fact that the headset volume syncs with the system volume is a big plus so you are not playing with 2 different master volume levels and causing distortion. With my laptops sound-card I can then control specific volumes with the mixer while leaving the headset full volume. Totally plug and play, no software. Windows 7 saw and identified the unit as a Plantronics 655. Using the EQ in Media player provides an awesome musical sound and the headset can produce tone quality throughout the 20/20 frequency range. There are two cons of a small nature which by no means to me are a deal breaker: The chipset and all of the technology is in the USB plug causing it to be extra wide. In my case, I have a USB hub where this is not an issue but if you have a limited number of USB ports and they are very close together, this plug may interfere with the neighboring plug. The other con is that although the headset reduces outside noise well, the outside can hear the headset very well. I was told at full blast(which is the way I listen quite often) the music could be heard on the first floor of my home while I'm on the second. All-in-All an awesome headset. If you are looking for a price range of $35 to $50 you WILL NOT find anything better than these. Take it from someone who really did his research and returned plenty of poor quality headsets. Just stopped by to add that I have this now for about a month now and nothing has changed. Quality above my best expectations.

- El audio de los auriculares es de calidad, mas de lo esperado. - El audio del micrófono es bueno para la función para la que ha sido pensado, hablar con gente, no lo es tanto para poner audio a vídeos pues añade ruidos de fondo. - La construcción en general es buena. - La ergonomía no es nada buena, como los auriculares aprietan mucho y no cubren la totalidad de la oreja eso hace que provoquen unos dolores muy fuertes tras media hora de uso. Conseguí solucionarlo temporalmente forzando el puente para darlo de sí, el problema es que eso duro poco tiempo y el plástico volvió a su lugar. Conclusión: No los recomiendo, en su lugar compraría mejor los que uso en el trabajo que son los Plantronics 81960-15, tampoco son cómodos pero no aprietan tanto por lo que se pueden llegar a usar durante 1 o 2 horas.

Sound clarity and ease of use is fantastic. Only issue I felt is the ear cups are small and hence causes pain in earlobes on prolonged use.

la unica razon que le doi 4 estrellas y no 5 es que no me gusto el deseño de el control esta en el audifono y la cuerda esta bien delgada y parese que no va durar tanto. Pero me llego en 3 dias en lugar con envio gratis, me gusto eso mucho. El precio se me ace barato para la calidad del sonido. Bueno vendedor y envio rapido gratis. Estaba que lo iba recibir el dia 12 y los ordene el dia 3 de febrero 2018 llego ayer en la tarde como a las 3pm.

Goog condition.

My wife prefers this model although it's an old model for video conferencing