Home | Stories | Reviews | TreoCast | Treo Store | Accessories | Software | Discussion at webOS Nation | Mobile | About | Search
 
treocentral.com >> Products & Reviews >> Accessories
Plantronics Explorer 320

Fri Dec 2, 2005 - 10:39 PM EST - By James Hromadka

Overview

I had high hopes for the Plantronics Explorer 320. I have always been a fan of the company's landline headset products and still use them to this day. I was hoping that the Explorer 320, with its long talk time and diminutive size would be just as useful. Unfortunately I was wrong.


Features


On paper, the Explorer 320 looks like a winner. It is very lightweight (0.6oz / 17g) and looks sharp. The blue LED is small and not as annoying as some other headsets, and the earpiece quickly swivels so you can switch ears. The Explorer 320, unlike any headset I have ever used, has only one button. The button pulls double-duty, acting as both a volume control and as an action button when pressing it in.

To pair the Explorer 320, hold the action button in for 6 seconds until the LED continuously blinks blue then red. Passcode is four zeroes. Unlike other headsets, the volume control and action buttons are combined into a single button. Rock the button to adjust the volume or press it in to answer/disconnect calls.


Usability


It is this unique all-in-one button that makes the Explorer 320 a real pain to use. By combining buttons, it is very difficult to press the action button instead of the volume controls. The earpiece uses a hard rubber nub that goes into the ear canal. When I have seen this feature on other headsets, the rubber nub could be removed, but it is a permanent fixture on the Explorer 320. If you don't like inner-ear nubs, you're out of luck.

Sound quality was poor. Audio was scratchy and cut in and out unless the headset was within a few feet of the Treo. It was even worse when the Treo was in a skin case. On the other side of the call, audio was Ok but got worse when I moved a few steps away from the Treo.

The Treo didn't seem to play well with the Explorer 320 either. If I switched back to handset use, the Treo's microphone would sometimes stop working or the Treo would become sluggish for a few moments. I even had a soft reset once.

Next Page: Conclusion >>



Treo accessory store
 
User Opinions
Thumbs Up 29% Thumbs Down 71%

Read Opinions (14)


Would you recommend Plantronics Explorer 320 Headset?
Yes   No  

Product Info
Details
> Name Plantronics Explorer 320 Headset
> Company Plantronics
> Weight 0.6 oz. / 17 g.
> Talk time 8 hrs
> Standby time 240 hrs
> Test Unit Unlocked Treo 650 on T-Mobile
> Fact Sheet & User Opinions
Availability
> Available
Pricing
> $29.95

Sponsored Links


Plantronics Explorer 320 Headset from
TreoCentral Store


References
Actions
> Print this page
> Digg!

 
 

Copyright 1999-2016 TreoCentral. All rights reserved : Terms of Use : Privacy Policy

TREO and TreoCentral are trademarks or registered trademarks of palm, Inc. in the United States and other countries;
the TreoCentral mark and domain name are used under license from palm, Inc.
The views expressed on this website are solely those of the proprietor, or
contributors to the site, and do not necessarily reflect the views of palm, Inc.
Read Merciful by Casey Adolfsson