The Plantronics 995 wireless headset is the first wireless headset said to be made ‘for gamers and chat users alike.’  I figured I’d try it out, so I went to the local Best Buy and purchased it.plantronics_audio_995

Getting started with the headset is a breeze.  Take it out of its packaging, plug it in to a usb port, and let it charge.  First charge on the headset should be about 3.5 hours, but I let it charge overnight.  Charging status is clearly indicated on the left ear pad with either a blue or red light.  Blue means charged, red means needs charge.  Simple.

First thing I noticed out of the box was the size of the headset.  Compared to other wireless headsets it is quite big.  The pads rest on the ears and have multiple controls on them.  This feature is really nice for anyone using the headset for music listening.  Play/pause, skip track, and volume controls are all on the left earpad.  Very convenient.  The weight of the headset is good, however it does pinch a little bit on the ears.  I don’t know if it is because I wear glasses , but it can become uncomfortable after a few hours of gaming/chatting.   My ears also get very hot while wearing the headset.

I’ll be honest; the main reason I purchased the headset was for the wireless feature.  Time after time I have ruined headsets by running over the cords with my chair.  For this purpose, the headset excels.  The freedom of no cords is very nice for raiding, taking a break in between pulls, or simply leaning back in the chair.  The range of the headset is pretty nice as well.  During a raid break I was able to make a sandwich and fix a drink downstairs; all while remaining on ventrilo.  The stats say it gets up to a 40 ft. range.  I would say that is pretty accurate.

Battery life on the headset is pretty good for the casual user.  The tech specs say up to 8 hours on a single charge.  In my experience I was able to get around 3-6 hours of playtime per charge.  This is good for some, but for my gaming usage it is inadequate.  I recommend having a back-up headset, or a mini-usb (at least 6 ft) cable available to charge the headset if the battery fails.

The quality of the sound is pretty good for a wireless headset.  The speakers are good and the microphone is excellent.  People on ventrilo commented that I sound a lot clearer on this headset than previous ones.  I never use push-to-talk, much to the annoyance of everyone.  The sensitivity of the mic is excellent, picking up my first word to the last.  A cool feature on the headset is the way the mic mutes.  To close the mic, simply put the mic all the way up and it mutes.  Very cool.

Overall, the headset does exactly what it says.  It allows you to play games and listen to music while communicating with other people.  On a scale of 1 to 5, I would score this unit a 3.5.

The skinny:

Pros:

  • Wireless freedom
  • Excellent mic
  • Controls on the headset for media control

Cons:

  • Battery life isn’t good for marathon gaming sessions
  • Headset can pinch glass-wearers’ heads and make ears hot
  • Short charging cable

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