Written by: Kirsten Richards
Holding a cell phone while you are trying to accomplish other tasks is incredibly difficult. In fact, some states have outlawed holding a cell phone while driving. The Plantronics Explorer 240 Bluetooth Headset will allow your hands to be free, either to drive or take care of any of your other important tasks.
This headset provides DSP (digital signal processing) that reduces the background noise during your calls, which makes it sound less like you are outside or in your car. This will make whoever is on the other end of the line happier because he or she won’t be distracted by excess noise. Set up for the headset is also easy with QuickPair technology: go to the “wireless settings” area on your phone, enable Bluetooth, turn on the Plantronics Explorer 240, and voila! It will appear on the screen, ready to pair with your phone.
Turning the headset on and off is also easier than most headsets. The Explorer 240 has a simple power switch on the headset, so you don’t have to deal with holding in a button while the device is still in your ear and listening for the “power up” or “power down” sound. There is also a button integrated into the outside of the headset for controlling call interactions. To answer or hang up, it just takes one tap of the button. It also has a voice-dialing feature, so you don’t have to pick up your phone at all when you’re driving.
The battery has a decent life-span of 5 hours talk-time and 7 days on standby. It comes with a charger that can plug into an outlet, but if you have a charger with a USB connector for your phone or other electronic device, it will most likely be compatible.
The one downside about the headset is that it is a little difficult to control the volume. The volume button is separate from the call button, which is nice. However, it must cycle through all levels in order to get to the volume you want. So, if the volume is too high, you may have to cycle through a volume that is also too low to get to the right level.
Other Bluetooth headsets, like the Samsung WEP460, are similarly priced on Amazon.com. But while the Samsung headset does offer up to 8 hours of talk time, it does not provide noise cancellation technology or voice-dialing. The Motorola H390 is also similar in price, but it weighs 5.1 ounces, while the Explorer 240 only weighs 11 grams.
Clearly, the Plantronics Explorer 240 Bluetooth Headset is the best Bluetooth headset in its price range. It is perfect for the average person who needs to talk in the car occasionally or do tasks around the house while on the phone. It is easy to use, lightweight, comfortable, and has great extra features. Someone who needs more from a headset will most likely need to search for higher-priced items.