[charlesn]

CONCLUSION: Read or don't read what I've written below. All you need to know is that you should buy the Voyager 520 now. Priced in the mid-$40s from online retailers, and packed with great execution of the latest technologies, this is a no-brainer purchase and the Bluetooth bargain of the year.

REVIEW: For the last couple of years, I've had a love/hate relationship with various Plantronics Discovery models. Loved the form factor and, for the most part, the performance. Hated the short battery life, the delay when picking up calls from my Blackberry and, most of all, the multitude of small parts that you were guaranteed to lose or not have when you needed them. Why, I wondered, couldn't a Discovery model have the battery life and direct mini-USB charging port of, say, the similarly small Nextlink AX2? Well, I guess that would deprive Plantronics of the chance to charge you $30 plus shipping to replace your lost "charging sleeve," even though it probably costs less than 25 cents to manufacture.

So, the search for a better Bluetooth solution led me to the new Voyager 520, which is the closest I've come to the Holy Grail of BT headsets. Not that it achieves it, mind you, but I can see myself happily using the 520 for a long time to come.

LIKES: 1) Pairs easily and works flawlessly with the Curve. No delay, no echo, no nothing. 2) Voice quality excellent on both ends. The DSP does a good job of minimizing background noise, without sounding "digital." 3) Awesome battery life. I could never seem to keep my various Discovery headsets charged (most recently the 665), often encountering a dead or dying battery when I needed to use it. The Voyager 520 just goes and goes. 4) Hallelujah! A charging port on the headset, eliminating the need for silly charging sleeves and tons of loseable parts. But Plantronics screwed it up with a proprietary charging interface--see Dislike #1 below. 5) Charging stand isn't necessary. Although photos show the 520 in the stand, it's just a non-powered piece of plastic and rubber in which you can mount the power cord from the wall charger. I guess it makes for a neater-looking solution on a desktop, but you CAN just plug the power cord directly into the headset. I threw my "charging stand" away. 6) Plantronics nailed an elegant one button interface on the 520. A big improvement, IMO, over the Discovery interface. It really works with guy-sized fingers, and without requiring the kind of pushing that hurts your ear. 7) Appearance. Again, the word elegant comes to mind. Some might call it boring, but I'm okay with that--it's better than a headset that makes you look like a loser from a Star Trek convention. While the 520 is bigger than the Discovery, it's smaller than you think, and the modest increase in size is well-worth the increased battery life.

NEUTRAL: 1) Form factor/Ergonomics. Let me be clear: what I really want is a Discovery with the performance, charging port and battery life of the 520. We ain't there yet, and in the meantime, this will have to do. As an eyeglass wearer, I haven't mastered the ear clip yet--it's okay once I get it on, but it does take some jockeying to get both the clip and earpiece positioned properly and comfortably. Maybe I'll get better at it over time. 2) The earpiece is one-size-fits-all, and it happens to fit me, so no complaints here, but YMMV.

DISLIKES: 1) C'mon Plantronics! What's the point of an industry-standard interface like mini-USB if you're not going to use it?! The charging port on the 520 is the same one used on the Discovery charging sleeve. So, yes, the Discovery wall charger will work on the 520.

UNKNOWNS: 1) Wind. I mostly use my headset in the car with the windows up and the A/C on. So I don't know how resistant the 520 is to wind noise, and online reviews have varied in their opinions. (Which baffles me a little, because it's either resistant to wind noise or it's not.) 2) Voice Dialing. The 520 supports this feature on the Curve, but I haven't set this up on my phone as yet.

If you're considering a 520, I hope this review has helped with your decision.

[jeremyckitching]

Thanks for the review. I had used a Plantronics before (the Discovery 640 I believe) and didn't like the fact it came with such an uncomfortable ear hook. And I couldn't really get the ear gel thing to stick in my ear well.

I looked at the Voyager 520 and like the fact it comes with a standard-looking ear hook. I may give this a try.

[jnelson2000]

I have used one for about 1 month now.

Only complaint I have is that the 510 has better range (less static) than the 520 does. Having the headset on right ear and holding phone in left hand produces some static on my end. Most of the time it is a non-issue, but expect limited range with this headset.

Fit is nice, appearance is good, talk time is escellent (6-8 hrs).

[telli97]

Can you all post some online retailers that would sell a "new" PLT 520 model. I normally use bberry.com and they have been great, but their price on the 520 is pretty high.

Advise.

JP

[ShelW]

I just picked up a Voyager 520, and really love it so far!

Don't really agree with you about the charging stand... yeah, it is a cheap piece of plastic, but still, I prefer using it and having the 520 clip quickly to it, and standing up when charging, rather then simply lying on my desk. It's easier to see when it's fully charged. Putting the cord into the stand is a two minute process, and they give you very detailed instructions... no biggy.

What I love is the excellent sound quality, and great fit. I've worn these for several hours, and you actually forget they're on your ear! Sound in both directions is great! Haven't had any complaints from anyone.

One bonus for me, I previously owned the Plantronics Explorer 350, which came with car charger and convenient car a/c vent holder, and the 520 works with both of these! So, I've got a clip for storage in my car (clips onto the a/c vent) and a car charger!

By the way, I"ve read a few reviews which talked about the newly designed, innovative multi-function button, which could be toggled up/down for volume, or pressed in to connect calls, activate voice dialing, etc. The reviewers (not the review above, others) go on and on about what a great innovation this is. Well, while I agree it IS a great innovation, Plantronics made this innovation back about two, three years ago... the Explorer 340/350 both have this exact same one button control! None the less, it is an excellent, easy to use multi function button!

Bottom line for me, as the reviewer stated above, this is an excellent headset with minimum number of compromises... wish it were slightly smaller, but the great comfort and excellent sound quality, along with looooooooong battery life make's this headset a winner!

(By the way, not that it matters, but I"m using it with a Pearl 8100)

[ShelW]

Originally Posted by telli97

Can you all post some online retailers that would sell a "new" PLT 520 model. I normally use bberry.com and they have been great, but their price on the 520 is pretty high.

Advise.

JP

Buy.com lists the 520 for $45.99, shipping FREE, currently out of stock.

Amazon.com has them for $65.95

Newegg.com has them listed at $59.99, also out of stock.

Radio Shack, if there's one near you, has them for $79.99.

Good luck!

[athenslb57]

Got my 520 in yesterday and I love it. I had the 510 before and the 520 is so much more comfortable. SQ has been excellent thus far.