Plantronics gets back into the ultra high-end headset game with an update to the popular Voyager 510. Can they compete with the Aliph Jawbone? Find out in our Plantronics Voyager Pro review.
Review summary of the Plantronics Voyager Pro:
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 The design of the Plantronics Voyager Pro isn't quite cool enough to be called retro, but we have no trouble calling it comfortable and easy to wear. The headset was easy to use, with a simple design and an intuitive interface that didn't have us reaching for the owner's manual every time we paired it with a new phone. Call quality was also good, and the phone had good enough reception that we could walk away from our phone and still keep the conversation going. We're still skeptical about wireless Bluetooth headsets replacing our wired sets, or even our Bluetooth speakerphone, but for constant chatters looking for an untethered option for long conversations, we have no trouble recommending the Plantronics Voyager Pro. The headset sounded clean and natural, better than other headsets we've seen except under truly rock-n-roll conditions. Price: $100.
Pros: Great call quality. Comfortable design. Long battery life. Noise reduction works well for wind, engine and deep repetitive noises.
Cons: Sound quality still doesn't match a good wired headset. Design a bit dated looking, rather large. Not enough aural feedback while talking, too much aural feedback while windy.
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Full Plantronics Voyager Pro Review:
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Design – Good
The Plantronics Voyager Pro has a fairly stodgy design, but we never mind when function trumps form in a high-quality gadget. The device takes cues from the older Plantronics Voyager 510 headset. It has a large section that fits behind the ear, as well as a swiveling boom microphone that extends towards the face. It may look dated, but the Plantronics Voyager Pro was very comfortable to wear. All of the surfaces that rested on our head were coated in soft, comfortable rubber. The headset is also very lightweight. The earpiece itself fit nicely in our ear, but it didn't provide a seal like so-called noise-isolating earbuds.
For buttons, Plantronics has wisely kept it simple on the Voyager Pro. There are 4 buttons, including the volume up and down keys. Using the headset was easy and intuitive, especially if you've used Bluetooth headsets before. We didn't need to consult the user manual to pair the headset with a variety of phones.
Calling – Excellent
Making and taking calls with the Plantronics Voyager Pro was intuitive and effortless. The headset has a good range. Once, we forgot our Apple iPhone 3G was still paired with the device until it automatically connected during a call, even though the Voyager Pro was deep inside our house while we were sitting in our car in the driveway. Reception on the Voyager Pro was pretty good, though we did experience a few moments when the headset would break up a bit. This was usually when we were handling our phone, pulling it out of our pocket, or otherwise blocking the antennas. Even so, we never lost calls. Battery life was also very good. We managed about 7 hours of talk time with the Plantronics Voyager Pro, which is better than Plantronics promises. For standby, the headset easily lasted days between uses, and still retained enough power to make a few phone calls.
Sound quality – Good
The Plantronics Voyager Pro makes some of the best sounding calls we've heard on a portable Bluetooth headset. We've used the best on the market, and the Plantronics device had a very natural sound quality. While headsets like the Aliph Jawbone can have a digitally processed quality to the sound, especially in noisy environments, the Voyager Pro stayed balanced and even. We wish there was a bit more aural feedback for the user. We like hearing our own voice in our ear while we're talking, it helps keep us from yelling too much.
We tested the Plantronics Voyager Pro in a variety of calling environments, ranging from a quiet bedroom to car on the highway with the radio blasting and the windows rolled down. Probably thanks to the noise cancellation technology, the Voyager Pro was very good at handling wind noise. We got an unwelcome amount of feedback in our own ears while the wind was blasting, but callers said they could hear us loud and clear, even at 75 MPH. Noise cancellation is much better at handling repetitive noises, like wind and airplane engine sounds, than dynamic sounds, like music and conversations, and this was true on the Voyager Pro as well. With loud music blaring, our phone calls quickly fell apart, and callers could hardly hear us. In fact, some times our callers said the headset seemed to cut out our voices in favor of the background tunes.
So, the Plantronics Voyager Pro is definitely at the top of our list for Bluetooth headsets, but that still doesn't make these small earpieces our preferred calling option. Even with dual microphones and all of that noise canceling technology, the Plantronics Voyager Pro can't quite match a wired headset, except in terms of convenience and style. It also didn't beat out our preferred Bluetooth calling device, the BlueAnt Supertooth 3 speakerphone. Our ideal would obviously be a wireless headset that rivals those options, but we're not ready to toss the wires just yet.
Price and availability
The Plantronics Voyager Pro is available now in stores and from online retailers for about $100.
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