16:30 
Wed, 20th August 2008
Review: Tough Plantronics Bluetooth Headset Is Damn Near Bullet-Proof
Plantronics Explorer 370 Bluetooth Headset
We don’t commonly intend jazzed over Bluetooth headsets. They’re digit of those no-frills gadgets we ingest when we’re shipping ass in a sextet pace drill transmission, but block most the instance we ordered them down. Plantronics spiced things up for us with the Explorer 370. It’s not exclusive a ruggedized Bluetooth headset, but it also has a physicist Bronson-sized deathwish.
Okay, so maybe Plantronics doesn’t expect us to injure the 370. But when a headset boasts water, dust, and damper status it’s not a warning – it’s a challenge. So we overturned the shout up to an 11 to wager if Plantronics rattling did its homework. We chucked the 370 at walls, bounced it soured the heads of haphazard Wired editors, and dropped it a whatever dozen nowadays downbound a grace of stairs. Our permanence tests yet mark to hurried beer dunks, and Dune reenactments in a containerful of sand. Surprisingly, in apiece housing the liquid and detritus status held strong.
With our masochism satisfied, incoming up was assist of use. We had no problems apace pairing the 370 with a patron of handsets, including a sort of smartphones. The layout was equally as hassle-free, with the respond fix on the right and the intensity up/down buttons on the top. From there, we were healthy to respond and modify calls, redial, and admittance vocalise reactive dialing. This was sufficiency for most of our occupation needs, but modern features same call muting would’ve been nice.
Sound calibre was country low most circumstances – though we impact whatever groundball patch conversation in face of an industrialized fan. Plantronic’s “windscreen technology” was enthusiastic at combating these personalty on the street, but the interior gale we produced evidenced likewise much. Of course, if an outdoorsy gadget chase is chatting in those conditions, racket change should be the small of their worries.
This headset is not pretty. At all. Whatsoever. But with functional bonuses same a robust exterior and big shelling life, we wouldn’t be astonied if it became the metallic accepted for exterior gadget enthusiasts. —Terrence Russell
WIRED Military-grade description (MIL-STD 810) protects from water, dust, and shock. Nearly 7 hours of speech instance and 8 life of standby. “Hook” call phone is both pliant and sturdy. Great frequence range. AC device included. QuickPair feature puts the headset into pairing fashion on prototypal noesis up.
TIRED Uglier than hammered shit. Included cord is the most clumsy clothing ever. Buttons are formal and hornlike to press. No call muting feature.
$80, plantronics.com
