Plantronics Pulsar 260 Review
By Jason Tomczak
April 11th, 2007
Summary
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.
Full Review
Features & Design
The Plantronics Pulsar 260 is a smartly designed stereo Bluetooth headset targeted for use with cell phones that double as MP3 players. It is roughly the size of a first-generation iPod Shuffle (the white one) and weighs less than an ounce. And although the Pulsar 260's exterior is constructed mostly of molded plastic, it looks and feels like a high quality device able to withstand the rigors of heavy daily use.
The black and silver color scheme is sexy, professional, and hip — something easily worn by soccer moms, IT geeks, and powerful execs alike.
The Pulsar 260 uses a technology called Advanced Audio Distribution Profile, or A2DP. A2DP enables users to listen to stereo music wirelessly, while at the same time allowing them to interrupt the music to take a call. Typically, users would need to use a separate Bluetooth headset for calls and dedicated headphones for their music. A2DP merges these functions into one headset. Of course, one needs to have an A2DP-capable phone to take advantage of this technology.
The controls on the Pulsar 260 are easy to master. IPod users will recognize the simple, circular layout – play/pause/mute in the center, volume up and down, and music tracks forward and reverse. On the left side of the “pendant” (the Bluetooth transceiver) is the power button. Under the clothing clip is a tiny reset button used for resolving connection problems (if they ever occur).
Before buying the Pulsar 260, it's a good idea to visit www.plantronics.com to find out if the Pulsar 260 will work properly with your Bluetooth cell phone. (The Pulsar 260 will most likely work with every Bluetooth phone on the market for phone calls, but it may not work for listening to stereo music. Not every Bluetooth phone is A2DP compliant.)
The Plantronics Pulsar 260 and Motorola RAZR
Setup & Use
Setting up the Plantronics Pulsar 260 is very straightforward and, much to my pleasure, very easy. It takes no more than 20 seconds to retrieve all the Pulsar 260's parts and prepare the headset pendant for charging.
With the pendant plugged into the wall with the included mini-USB wall plug, I spent a few moments inspecting the rest of the package contents. Plantronics quickly proves to be a generous and caring company — they've included everything one could possibly need to use the Pulsar 260 with a Bluetooth mobile phone. In addition to the Pulsar 260 pendant, you'll find the stereo corded headset, three (3!) sizes of comfy gel-type, sound-isolating eartips, an audio-out cable (use covered later), a lightweight but sturdy and stylish lanyard, and the AC-to-mini-USB wall charger.
It's important to note that Plantronics avoided the painful and insulting mistake of using a proprietary charging jack for the Pulsar 260. By setting it up with the standard-sized, 4-pin, mini-USB plug for charging, Plantronics has allowed consumers to pare down their cable collection a little bit more. The same USB cable that I use to download photos from my digital camera, charge my cell phone, and transfer files to a portable hard drive can now be used to charge the newly beloved Plantronics Pulsar 260 Bluetooth headset.
Pairing the Pulsar 260 with a cell phone is pretty simple. First, make sure the Pulsar 260 is turned on. Hold the power button and the play/pause/mute button until the indicator lights flash blue and red. From your cell phone's Bluetooth setup options, select "Find Device" (or whatever your phone suggests). The Pulsar 260 quickly shows up. Select it and enter in the 4-digit pass code. Your phone and the Pulsar 260 should pair instantly.
Audio Quality
When in standby mode, the Pulsar 260 is dead silent, as it should be. When placing and receiving calls, the Pulsar 260 is crystal clear at low and medium volume levels. As one increases volume levels past the middle range, the headset emits a very slight electronic audio signature, sort of like a quiet hiss. This is common to nearly every Bluetooth headset in production, though it may only be evident to those with very sensitive hearing.
Audio quality for MP3 playback is really good. The sound-isolating nature of the earbuds really helps block external noises and focuses the undiluted audio straight into your ear canal. Bass, mids, and treble all sounded high quality with the MP3 files I used. Of course, final audio quality will hinge on the original recording and bit rate used when converting the music to MP3.
Connecting the Pulsar 260 to an external set of speakers was simple. Plantronics supplies a special 2.5mm-to-3.5mm audio cable that connects the Pulsar 260 directly to any powered audio source with 3.5mm (1/8") audio input (think iPod HiFi, AudioEngine A5, etc.). With a 1/8" female-female adapter ($2 at electronics stores), the Pulsar 260 can be connected to any number of computer speakers without dedicated input jacks.
Battery Life
The Pulsar 260 has a very respectable battery life, giving 7 hours of listening time (voice or music), 9 hours of talk time, and upwards of 200 hours standby time. The user manual suggests that it takes 3 hours to properly charge the Pulsar 260, but real-world tests showed that the charging time is much shorter (by nearly half).
Bluetooth Range
The standard range for Bluetooth 2.0 headsets is about 10 meters (32 feet). I was able to walk over 36 feet from my phone and the audio quality never dipped.
Skype
While I was able to quickly pair the Pulsar 260 with my MacBook Pro, I found that it did not work well with Skype. Placing calls resulted in repetitive Bluetooth connection errors. Plantronics' website only acknowledges Skype compatibility for one Bluetooth headset: the .Audio 910.
The Pulsar 260 in-line remote
Conclusion
Around my friends and family, I'm known as a guy who buys and then quickly retires an excessive number of Bluetooth and corded headsets. I'm a stickler for quality and functionality. I'm also very unforgiving when it comes to headsets that don't fit well, weigh too much, sound crappy, or make my ear canal hurt. Why should I, as a consumer, have to suffer with a well-marketed but poorly-developed product?
Happily, I found that the Plantronics Pulsar 260 was almost everything I had hoped it would be. The sound quality was great, the headset had very good range from my Bluetooth cell phone, and the Pulsar 260's controls are easy to master, even when you're not looking directly at the pendant. It fit comfortably and felt light. The three sizes of eartips especially won me over; they were a little extra perk that meant a lot.
In fact, the only disappointment I experienced while getting to know the Pulsar 260 was the trouble with Skype. In some senses, it's a minor issue, but with VoIP being such an omnipresent force in modern communication technology, Plantronics made a silly mistake in overlooking it.
Finally, the $50-$60 USD price range is hard to beat for such a solid performer. I'd happily recommend the Pulsar 260 to any of my friends, co-workers, or family members in need of a Bluetooth/stereo headset.
Pros:
• Different-sized earbuds included
• Very lightweight
• Excellent wireless range
• Impressive sound quality
Cons:
• Intentionally uneven headset cables are annoying
• Skype/VoIP support lacking
Specs
System Type Headset
Headset Type In-ear ear-bud
Total Harmonic Distortion 5 %
Min Frequency Response 20 Hz
Max Frequency Response 20000 Hz
Impedance 32 Ohms
Wireless Technology Bluetooth 2.0
Additional Features Battery level indication, Answer/end button, Volume control
Power Features Battery Type 1 x headset battery - rechargeable - lithium polymer