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(More customer reviews)Plantronics Mx500i 3 in 1 headset.
I purchased this headset to be used on my computer with Skype and have had it about three days now, making a few calls with it. I'm not an expert in how headsets should `sound', all I know is that I can hear people well and they can hear me. Everyone I've talked to hasn't realized that I'm calling from a computer or using a headset.
The headset itself is pretty light and sits on my ear well. The back of my ear did get a little sore after an hour the first time using it but I adjusted the position and the soreness went away. Even though the piece hangs off the ear I don't feel any real weight and it's incredibly comfortable to the point where I forget I'm wearing it. It also fits very snugly against my ear and there's no wobbling of any kind when I move my head. I actually leave in on when I'm working and not making calls because it's more bothersome to take it on and off then leave it in.
From the picture you can see that the back of the piece is grey which is a soft, flexible rubber. This is the part that sits behind the ear and holds the piece in place. The earbud swivels left or right allowing you to put it in either ear and has a bit of soft rubber on it although it seems to be more for design then function. The swivel is downward with a 180 degrees range from the horizontal position. The tube coming out of the piece which carries your voice to the receiver is set in a ball that can pivot depending on where you want the microphone to sit. It can also be turned to accommodate whichever ear you want to use. The head of the tube or `the microphone' is covered in a hard, porous, foam. When placed in the ear the tube comes down to about the corner of my mouth.
The cord that comes out of the headset has various attachments on it to adjust volume and the like. The cord can be broken up into two pieces. Part One extends from the headset and runs about four feet to the 2.5mm phone plug. This is the plug that can be put into a normal, cordless household telephone. This plug also plugs into Part Two of the cord which seems to be pretty long (five feet or longer?) and transforms into the USB portion that plugs into your computer.
On Part One of the cord is a clip to attach to your shirt to create stability. The clip can slide up and down on the cord between the headset and the volume control switch. Below the clip, about sixteen inches from the headset, is a volume control switch which is about an inch and three quarters long. The switch has a volume control wheel in the side, a mute button and a tiny, recessed, microphone boost switch in which you'd need a paperclip or pen tip to switch.
On Part Two of the cord is the 2.5mm phone plug receiver. A few feet away from that is a black plastic `something' about three and a half inches long and an inch wide. I'm guessing this is what digitizes you voice. From there, the cord extends about a foot until it turns into the USB plug.
Also to note, Part One of the cord is very similar to the thin headphone style cords with the double wire coating. Beginning on Part Two, the cord becomes thicker into a single coated cord and the last foot, after the plastic `something' it becomes even thicker before turning into the USB plug.
So far I like this headset a lot. I've read complaints as to its size and, when comparing it to a Bluetooth headset, they'd be right but I'm coming from an over the head style headset which means it's smaller then what I'm used to. It's incredibly light and comfortable. There's was some soreness at the back of the ear initially but maybe it was because I wasn't use to it. I like that I can unplug the 2.3mm plug and walk around the house while leaving the piece in my ear. I also like that I can put it in either ear in case one gets tired.
I haven't found a quick way to put it in my ear yet, wrestling with the soft rubber and the cartilage in my ear but once it's in it's fine and I usually just leave it in.
Something to note: I purchased my headset from Circuit City, a major electronic retail store. The first one I purchased had a manufacturing defect, one of the wires was exposed through the rubber. Luckily they had another one I could exchange it for. This might be something you want to keep in mind in case you're purchasing online.
The product is perfect for what I need. The only improvement I'd request is 1. A case, because I like to go to the café and work and I'd be worried about throwing it in my bag without some type of protective covering, and 2. a shorter Part Two cord. Again, going to the café to work and make calls, pulling out a 6+ foot cord is a little unwieldy. I'd even opt for purchasing a shorter version of Part Two.
So, all in all, it's great for use at home but too much cord for using anywhere else. I really like the product. Works well for me, light, and not as `huge' an earpiece as other reviewers led me to believe.
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