04-12-2007, 02:00 PM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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Digital Trends Gives the Plantronics Pulsar 260 a Test Run
"Since the early 1960s, Plantronics has been at the forefront of providing lightweight communications headsets and wide-ranging audio equipment to consumers, large businesses, and government agencies like NASA. With a very impressive corporate resume and hundreds of stellar products, Plantronics brings yet another high-tech headset to the masses: the Pulsar 260 Bluetooth/stereo headset. Does the Pulsar 260 live up to Plantronics� solid rep? Does it offer everything users expect in a newly-released Bluetooth 2.0 headset? Read on to find out."
It's been mere days since the Plantronics Pulsar 260 was announced, and Digital Trends has already given it the once-over and tagged it with a respectable 8/10. Have any of you tried/own this headset? If so, let us know your thoughts.
Update: More reviews at The Gadgeteer and Gear Diary.
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04-12-2007, 02:36 PM
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Unfortunately, this review (as with all the other "formal" reviews ever published on the 260, not counting in the one published by me) doesn't test these headphones with Windows Mobile devices either. As is well known, the Microsoft BT stack is fully incompatible with a LOT of A2DP headphones, including all Plantronics products - yes, including the 260.
That is, I would in NO WAY recommend these headphones to anyone with the Microsoft BT stack. (The Widcomm BT stack is an entirely different animal.) In addition, it has some other, very annoying problems like loud beeps even with the volume turned down and the usual strong blue light pretty much making the big brother 590A useless during the night, which can't be switched off.
Incidentally, you may want to check out my 260 review & comparison to two other A2DP headphones. I've tested the 260 with some 15 different A2DP sources & setups, most of them being Windows Mobile.
Check out http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/foru...ic.php?t=54260 for more info - you'll like it.
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04-12-2007, 05:40 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10
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I'm using these with a HTC Trinity/P3600 and works like a charm on my device.
The volume beeps are annoying, but I can live with them.
Sound quality is excellent and comfortable to use.
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04-12-2007, 08:57 PM
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I still recommend comparing the sound quality of the headphones to that of, say, the Nokia HS-12W  (The Nokia is one of the very few headphones that IS fully compatible with the MS BT stack.) Or, still better, not � you�ll then, most probably, want to sell your 260 and get a really compatible pair of headphones 
(Read: with my P3600, even after trying to use the A2DP BT hacks, the sound quality of the 260 was really sub-par because of the MS BT stack incompatibility. Yes, I�ve tried all the possible hacks and yes, the sound quality of the same P3600, with the same hacks, was EXCELLENT with the Nokia HS-12W.)
Please also note that sound quality is subjective and, more importantly, the ears get �acclimatized� to even comparatively bad sound quality; as is the case with screens with washed-out colors (for example, that of the venerable HP iPAQ 2210) � one�s eyes perceive these screens as flawless and �only� see the (vast) difference in color reproduction when comparing the screen to a better one at the same time, side-by-side. Please note that I�m not questioning here at all your ears and your calling the sound quality of a - with the MS BT stack, IMHO, subpar - pair of headphones excellent because I too know the ears do get �acclimatize� . It�s pretty easy for me to write comparative reviews because I get all the new gadgets and programs (my mailbox is full of mail asking me to write a (comparative) review of or, at least, check out a new program) and, therefore, I have the chance to directly compare the quality of these gadgets, without having to rely on memory and the non-dependable (because of the acclimatizing ears) memory. Not with people that don�t have the chance to directly compare really expensive gadgets like A2DP headphones.
However, if you do have a chance, why don�t go for a pair of headphones that DO deliver good or even excellent sound quality � even without having to rely on the ears� acclimatizing?
Unfortunately, the (complete) lack of device-to-device, headphones-to-headphones comparison of most reviews (including the linked one) is a problem too. Would-be purchasers should need comparative info because, as has already been pointed out, the quality of a headphones can only be measured objectively if you have something to compare it to right away, to get rid of the ears� acclimatizing.
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04-12-2007, 09:02 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 17
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Menneisyys
As is well known, the Microsoft BT stack is fully incompatible with a LOT of A2DP headphones, including all Plantronics products - yes, including the 260.
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You may want to revise this, it works on Windows Mobile Smartphone. I am in the middle of reviewing a set as I type.
Edit: I do agree with some of your above comments re sound quality though.
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04-12-2007, 09:14 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,097
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I'd love for Jason to review a pair of these. I remember when he reviewed the Cingular 3125 (HTC STRTRK) he lamented over the proprietary headphones, and complained that there were no bluetooth earbud-type headphones. I totally agree and thus have never used my 3125 as a music player. I'd really like to hear his impression of them.
Of course, I haven't a clue what BT stack the 3125 comes with... :?
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04-12-2007, 10:31 PM
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by dckiwi
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Menneisyys
As is well known, the Microsoft BT stack is fully incompatible with a LOT of A2DP headphones, including all Plantronics products - yes, including the 260.
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You may want to revise this, it works on Windows Mobile Smartphone. I am in the middle of reviewing a set as I type. |
Yeah, it connects and - kinda - works. But at a VERY bad sound quality when compared to what the headphones are capable of with a (more) compatible A2DP source like the Widcomm BT stack - or, with 100% compatible headphones like those of Nokia.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by dckiwi
Edit: I do agree with some of your above comments re sound quality though.
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That is, did you find the headphones producing sub-par sound reproduction quality too (with the MS BT stack)?
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04-12-2007, 10:35 PM
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5000+ Posts? I Should OWN This Site!
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Damion Chaplin
Of course, I haven't a clue what BT stack the 3125 comes with... :?
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MS BT stack, unfortunately. I don't think it will be any good. Hope I turn out to be wrong, though (I haven't tested any A2DP headphones with the 3125).
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04-12-2007, 11:55 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 17
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Menneisyys
That is, did you find the headphones producing sub-par sound reproduction quality too (with the MS BT stack)?
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I'm going to baseline the MS stack against a few other options, will certianly give it a good going over (so far I have only tested it with the MS BT stack though).
I'm not overly impressed with the sound quality thus far, but as you eluded, this could be the stack. Test will be a bit more scientific once I bring the other phones in to the experiment.
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04-13-2007, 04:06 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 15
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Bluetooth stack improvements in WM6?
I have been following the whole bluetooth debacle uncover for the last couple of months, as I have been wanting to get a pair of bluetooth stereo headset myself, but have never been able to find/research a fully functional pair, it's a disgrace to be honest, it will deter many novices from using or believing in bluetooth.
I have heard of some news with WM6 from the xda forums, I cannot remember which developer it was, might be kephyr, but users of of the upgrade noted that their clicking had either diminished or were gone.
There was an article here on pocketpcthoughts which lead to the XDA forum WM update site, but can't find it now, will post back!
Hope this gives some hope, as I would really like to use this headset for it's ability to also hook up to a stereo, true wireless..
Regards,
Kenny Oldenskov
my tears cure cancer, but I never cry!
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