Plantronics Voyager Edge BT Headset & Charging Case

The Plantronics Voyager Edge is an impressive headset, and packs the right balance of features, usability, and comfort to make it the go to choice for high end bluetooth headsets. Let me start by saying that I have for years been a Jawbone user. Without turning this into a complete Jawbone rant I will warn those comparison shoppers out there—a group to which I belonged—beware of the latest Jawbone offering. Having been a longtime user of the original Jawbone, then the Era, I initially sought out the new Jawbone Era, despite shoddy reviews. And this, even after having read such positive reviews of the Edge. Save yourself the trouble and go with the Edge. The Edge, unlike the new Era, provides great sound quality for the people with whom you are speaking on the other end. This would seem to be a primary qualifier for any headset that you are going to drop over $100 on. After all, who wants a headset that nobody can hear you on? I have had the Edge for several weeks and regularly solicit feedback on the call quality from those on the other end. So far so good. The Edge has great battery life. I listen to a lot of podcasts, audiobooks, and internet radio with the headset. I have found this to be one of the most enjoyable features of the newer bluetooth headset capabilities. Although not scientifically based, I don’t doubt the 6 hour talk time estimate, and the handy charger case makes it very convenient to extend the time well beyond that. The Edge is the most comfortable headset I have tried out of the box. I have very small ears and have historically used a custom made insert with my headsets. Although I will continue to do so, I have been using the small silicone insert that came with the Edge and have been pleasantly surprised. I can wear the Edge for about 2 hours at a time before my ear becomes fatigued. One downside, however, is that it doesn’t form a tight seal. This means you will often have to crank the volume up to be able to hear in noisy environments. This is a fairly small quibble, and one that will be fixed with a custom ear insert. The size of the headset was an initial detractor. I was used to the tiny Era (original) and had then tried the even tinier new Era. But I found that small size definitely does not equal better quality. While the size is considerably larger than its chief competitor at Jawbone, it is not a heavy headset, and is still very comfortable. An unforeseen benefit of the Edge’s size is that it is harder to lose. Much to my chagrin, I have lost or accidentally washed my previous Era headsets (while in pants pockets) more times than I’d like to admit. I don’t think I’m as likely to do that with this headset, which is a bit meatier and more apparent when in a pocket. Finally, the sound quality for streaming audio may be the one area in which the Edge doesn’t beat out the Era. Era’s HD audio is still superior, but not by a wide margin. I’m obliged to mention this, but I wouldn’t let it deter anyone’s decision on whether to use this headset over another, particularly the Era. Plantronics has created a winner here, and I hope to have many more months and even years of good use from this headset.