Plantronics Introduces New 975 Bluetooth Headset

by Agen Schmitz on August 21, 2009

A couple months back, I lamented the fact that I'd accidentally run my Plantronics 925 Bluetooth headset through the washing machine and was looking for recommendations for a new headset. Well, I never found another headset that felt as good in my ear with its gel earpieces or worked as well as the 925 (see my mini review), so I hopped back on the train and got another model. However, if I could have waited just a bit longer, I could have updated to the 925's sequel--the just announced Plantronics Discovery 975.

The 975 retains the jewelry-like emphasis on design from the 925, and the microphone boom has become even sleeker, going to a one-piece boom from the open V-shape of its predecessor. It also replaces the 925's LED earpiece (which lit up to show connectivity) with a leather-like covering. And it retains a distinctively Plantronics look and feel thanks to what Darrin Caddes, vice president of design for Plantronics, in an interview with Fast Company calls "the 'power funnel'--the pinched transition from the headset's body to the slender boom. Every Plantronics headset has that element in some way or another. It was inspired by the shape of a tuning fork, where the tines curve into the handle."

Aside from the design, the 975 has also been blessed with the latest versions of Plantronics technologies, including the AudioIQ 2 dual-microphone noise cancellation and WindSmart wind-noise reduction. Additionally, the charging case (with integrated rechargeable battery) has been updated to include a small LCD screen that shows the remaining battery life of both the case and the headset. And by storing the headset in the case, Plantronics claims that you'll receive up to triple the talk time (up to 15 hours) of the headset.

I've found with the 925 that the case really is an integral part of the headset's package, and not only for its battery life-lengthening properties. I find that the 925 is so lightweight and thin that it would fly out of my pocket without my noticing. Thusly, I always pop the 925 into what my wife calls my "lipstick case" (an assessment that CNet's Crave agrees with) when I'm done with it, and then put the whole thing into my pocket. I can only imagine that I'd have the same issue with the 975 (with both headsets having the same 8-gram weight).

The Plantronics Discovery 975 is available for pre-order now.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz