Stick this in your ear.

Recently I noticed a need for a bluetooth headset. I had to stand up sometimes  from underneath a vehicle just to answer a phone call. Not always convenient but I have to answer the phone or lose potential customers.
So off to Walmart for some price busting savings and comparisons. Yeah, right, I just love to nose around before I buy anything. And nothing expensive because, as I work on vehicles it will probably get broken. So; straight to the electronics aisle I went. Skipping all the way like a kid. I am buying a new tech toy. Oh I get this epiphany at 3am by the way. Best time to shop in my opinion.
Now as I am searching the cell phone accessory aisle, there are only 3 different bluetooth headsets available to me. Cost varies at $19.97, $29.98, and $78.99. I may be off slightly on the numbers but you get the point.
I read each box carefully for features, performance, and talk time or battery life as some call it. Let’s just say a cheapy, a mid priced, and a top of the line model for the article. The top of the line model had longer range so it said, as well as  longer battery life. Noise cancelling was standard on all 3 models and one of my requirements as well. After many minutes of reading, comparing, and contemplating it’s useful lifespan, I decided on the mid-grade headset. A Plantronics model M25. That even sounds impressive. Hey buddy, I got my M25 right here !

Initial charge time was 45 minutes and it said up to 2 hours for the first time in the user’s guide. I am hoping that means it wasn’t in a warehouse for a long time. Since I have not worn a headset since my truck driving days, it was awkward to attach to my ear the first time. It has gotten more routine now. Makes me think of the Borg from Star Trek with all their flesh integrated technology. Battery life is 11 hours or close enough for talk time. I have to recharge every other day or about 3 times per week.

The range is poor outdoors. I am gonna say between 5 and 10 feet; and if you turn your head the wrong way, it will disconnect. I have the phone in my pants pocket and it will disconnect at times. If I lay my phone down and nothing gets between it and I, that is the way it works best. The weather is very humid here and I do believe that also reduces the range. The headset works very well indoors when I lay my phone on a table or counter top. Range increases to about 11 feet then, not a great deal but it is better inside an apartment.

There is an easy slide button on the side for power on and off. Another easy to use button adjusts volume levels and a third button on the face connects calls and activates other phone features. That is a real plus for the M25. Still sounds cool !

Overall I am somewhat disappointed with the range and reception quality. That is where my complaint ends. I have banged it, dropped it, and lost it in my tool box. The buttons still work and nothing broke. It fits well into the ear and it is loud enough to have a conversation in moderate noise levels. The noise cancellation works well I am told. Obviously I cannot hear myself to back up this claim. Not a bad purchase but I wouldn’t mind trying more mid priced headsets just to compare. I have had expensive bluetooth headsets and there is no comparison with this unit. It works well enough for my needs now. It will not be with me in the future for long.

So stick it in your ear and share this blog,

Troy Lied.