I talk a lot on my phone, anyone who knows me will tell you that my phone may as well be surgically attached to my hand. However, there is one instance where I must put down my phone and that’s when I’m driving. So a couple of years ago, I bought a new Skoda Superb and it came with all the lovely extras as it was the show model. This included the in-car hands-free system, which I was really excited about as none of my previous cars had this capability. The excitement was short lived, however. It didn’t take long to find out that the in-car hands-free was, in fact, rubbish with a capital R!
I struggled through the next year or so until I was contacted by Halfords to try out a Plantronics Voyager Legend headset. Now, it’s been so long since I had a headset in the car. I didn’t actually think many people used them anymore, as most cars these days have built in hands-free and Bluetooth. Being totally honest, I was unsure about how the Voyager would perform in comparison to my in-car hands-free. Plantronics, as a tech company, was also a new one on me, so I wasn’t sure what kind of quality to expect.
When the unit arrived, it was smartly packaged, as I would have expected for a £70 item of this kind. The Voyager Legend came with an in-car charger, charging lead, silicon ear tips, foam ear tip covers and clear instructions on how to use the product. The unit came already charged and so I was able to use it straight out of the box.
The Plantronics Voyager Legend is an over the ear headset with a small, smooth, microphone arm which you can position wherever you feel is most comfortable. Due to the flexibility of this awesomely designed headset, you can wear it in either ear. I have never been a fan of wearing headsets, certainly not on long journeys, however at just 18g, it’s super light and I’m almost always forgetting to take it off. This leads me on to it’s only down side… Because it’s so comfortable, once I have taken it off inside, I sometimes forget to take it back out with me. I’ve had to be really strict with myself and almost create a ritual of taking it off before I get out of the car and pop it in a safe place in my car. My in-car hands-free is now pretty much useless and now, even if I have forgotten it, I don’t re-connect my phone to the car. I would rather go without and miss a call or pull over than use my awful car hands-free.
There are so many pros, I barely know where to start! Battery life is fantastic. You get 7 hours fully charged, 11 hours standby and it only takes 90 minutes to fully charge. It comes with a ‘magnetic snap fit’ charger which is great for on the move and when you switch on the headset, the voice tells you how many hours battery life you have left. Bearing in mind I use this little gadget daily, I’ve only needed to charge it every 2 – 3 weeks. Massive pro in my opinion! You can also check your battery life via the Plantronics app.
Next would be connectivity. This is one of the quickest and easiest bluetooth items I’ve ever used. Literally the moment I turn it on, it connects immediately to my phone (provided my bluetooth is turned on, of course). Making a call is simple and you can also use voice activation to answer or decline a call. There are four small buttons you can use. On/off obviously, answer, mute and volume control.
Having tested the sound quality, I’ve been super impressed. The device boasts multi microphones to help with sound control and background noise minimisation. Those people who I speak to regularly have commented on the clarity of the sound and instantly know when if I’ve switched to my in-car hands-free or the loud speaker on my phone.
“It’s useful, it works and it’s quality!”
I have to say, if the guys from Plantronics are reading this, I just want to say that this is the most awesome item of tech I’ve received this year!It’s useful, it works and it’s quality! I’m super impressed with build and sound quality. This has made my life so much easier as I do so much driving around. As a mum to two boys, the driving side of things is unavoidable and this makes my life much easier!
Finally, on a very random note, when I first tested this little headset, I took it out on a run… yes a run. I was *really* surprised that it felt secure and I could hear my music and answering the call I received on the run was easy and sound quality was QUALITY! So, maybe it’s not just for those who drive! Running headset, car headset, business headset… It’s a winner whatever way you use it!