Digital Trends

Plantronics .Audio 550 DSP March 5th, 2007 | by Justin Whitaker

Comfort and Ergonomics

Throughout the listening sessions the .Audio 550 DSP headset is initially comfortable to wear, but after about 45 minutes of use the pressure from the ear cups begins to cause discomfort. This is due to the fact that the ear cups actually sit on your ears rather than around your ears. The pressure from the ear cups pushes your ears against your head, which is good for keeping out external noise, but makes them uncomfortable for extended listening.

Another point that took away from the overall comfort of the headset was that ear cup pressure is not evenly distributed. When you look closely at the .Audio 550 DSP, you will see that the headband connects to the earcup at a point that is not in the center of the earcup. The headband actually connects to the earcups at a point forward of the center. While this design aspect is not necessarily a flaw, it does cause focused pressure on the front of your ears.

Conclusion

The Plantronics .Audio 550 DSP headset is an great headset for use while gaming or using VoIP applications. It also provides above-average, although not exceptional, vocal and instrument reproduction across all genres of music. The downloadable Persono software provides a convenient centralized tool to adjust sound settings, and the in-line volume control allows volume adjustments without the need to access your PC. With simple plug-and-play installation, the .Audio 550 DSP has a lot to offer for its reasonable $119.95 retail price tag.

Despite these plus points, the .Audio 550 DSP falls short of the billing as the “ultimate performance headset”. Wearing the headset for long sessions of more than 45 minutes poses a comfort problem, and the headset is limited to being used with devices that have a USB port. In addition, the fact that it is not portable limits its use with MP3 players, laptops and other on-the-go devices. All-in-all, the .Audio 550 DSP is most suitable for those who use Skype or other VoIP applications extensively, and only occasionally listen to music or play games.

Pros:

• Excellent sound and microphone performance for gaming and VoIP
• Sleek styling
• In-line volume control.

Cons:

• Not portable
• Uncomfortable for long listening sessions
• Not suitable for use with MP3 players.