Plantronics Pulsar 590A Bluetooth headset
Manufacturer: Plantronics, Inc. Part number: P590A
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Plantronics's Pulsar 590A Bluetooth headset is a great choice for mobile power users who don't want to sacrifice quality for convenience.
Read more
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CNET editors' review
Plantronics Pulsar 590A Bluetooth headset price range: $14.95 - $119.99
- Reviewed by: Brian Bennett
- Edited by: Jasmine France
- Reviewed on: 11/02/2005
The good: Functions as both a hands-free headset and stereo headphones; solid sound quality and battery life.
The bad: Small volume buttons.
The bottom line: Plantronics's Pulsar 590A Bluetooth headset is a great choice for mobile power users who don't want to sacrifice quality for convenience.
The Plantronics Pulsar 590A comes in two basic parts. The main section is a futuristic over-the-head-style headphone unit constructed from silver and black plastic. The right ear cup sports call answer, mute, and volume up/down buttons along with a telescoping microphone tube. Backing this up is a circular universal Bluetooth adapter, which is about the size of a bar of hotel soap. Also bundled is a small, flat cradle and an AC power cord to charge the headphones' and adapter's rechargeable batteries. Once charged, indicator lights on both devices glow a steady blue. You can charge with just the AC cord sans cradle if space is critical.
The Plantronics Pulsar 590A is very easy to use. First, we followed the simple directions laid out within the manual for pairing the adapter to the headphone unit, then the headphones to our Bluetooth-capable cellular handset; you'll need to do this procedure only once. With this done, we connected the adapter to our MP3 player using its standard headphone jack. With all devices involved powered up and linked, we casually tossed the MP3 player, the adapter, and the cell phone in a bag and walked out the door. While walking the streets of NYC, we were able to groove to tunes in stereo with surprisingly solid audio quality. The two volume buttons, however, are small and tricky to depress. When a call came through, the Pulsar automatically cut out the music and chimed an alert. We simply answered by pressing the Call Answer button once. Once our chat was over, the Pulsar resumed music playback. In our anecdotal tests, callers said we sounded reasonably clear, but they could tell we were using a cell phone. Battery life also proved to be good in cursory testing. We played audio through the Pulsar 590A continuously over a period of about 11 hours without having to recharge. This is not bad, but a word of warning: It's a pain to recharge a device such as headphones when you're not used to doing so.
User reviews
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Excellent multipurpose headset!
by TruenoBoricua on February 17, 2006
Pros: Great sound, very versitile, personally found better compatibility than advertised, stupendous tech support.
Cons: Context switching not as seamless as advertised, manufacturing defect.
Summary: I was following these headphones when the first preview leaked on the net. When their compatability list showed up it said it was not compatible with my HP 6315 but ...
Summary: I was following these headphones when the first preview leaked on the net. When their compatability list showed up it said it was not compatible with my HP 6315 but with the dongle it was suppose to be compatible with anything that the adapter fit into. Since my 6315 supported the headset profile and the headphones did too i decided to take the plunge and bought it once it was available.
Boy do i love these things, it has a better quality then my prior in ear bluetooth handsfree device (G2) and it is extremly versitle. I take phone calls and listen to my music from my 6315 and combined with the MS Voice Commander software i never need to take my phone out of my pocket on those cold NYC winter days.
Playing music by saying "play classical" or "play hip hop" and hearing it come out in stero sound rocks. Getting on Skype and talking to my brother or getting on Vent when i am playing World of Warcraft and never beng disconnected even, if i go on a refrigerator raid, is cool. I could gush for a while about these things.
The two cons i ran into was that switching between devices or functions is not very seemless and i need to manually retrigger connections between different client devices from those devices.
The second was the tension on area around the screws on the headbands led to cracks after about 2 weeks. After about 6 weeks the band broke. I sent it back to Plantronics and the shipped me a replacement with overnight mail, wow business rated customer service i love it. Heres to hoping these dont begin to crack (although i doubt it).
An excellent investment well worth the money i paid. Hopefully these headphones wont crack.10 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Headphones (With a Hidden Caveat)
by mattg on June 26, 2006
Pros: Excellent sound quality
Cons: Only for music
Summary: Granted, I got these looking for a way to listen to my iPod untethered. And for that purpose, they work beautifully. But once I got them, I started thinking of ...
Summary: Granted, I got these looking for a way to listen to my iPod untethered. And for that purpose, they work beautifully. But once I got them, I started thinking of other ways they could come in handy.
The idea of late night TV watching without waking up my wife came to mind, so I tried it out, only to experience a noticable lag time between the audio and video. You have to really dig around on the Plantronics site before you find them admitting that this is expected.
So these 'phones are excellent for music (and really, the sound quality is as good as any high-quality, over-the-ear wired headphones) but I won't use them for video.
(Alternately, you can plug the wired connector in and listen that way, with no a/v sync problems, but that sort of defeats the purpose of having a wireless headset.)9 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Warning...Not compatable
by marktscott on January 12, 2006
Pros: Work barely OK as standard headphones
Cons: Many, see below
Summary: Warning, Plantronics Plusar 590a headsets are not mp3 cell phone player compatible.
My phone is an LG8100 and others are said to be affected. Even though the advertising states they ...Summary: Warning, Plantronics Plusar 590a headsets are not mp3 cell phone player compatible.
My phone is an LG8100 and others are said to be affected. Even though the advertising states they are an “Ultimate Stereo Bluetooth Headset” and as personally stated by an online rep. “Absolutely compatible with the LG8100 cell phone”, they will not work as such with my phone. Unfortunately I purchased these ($250 retail) phones as a solution for allowing good mp3 tunes “in stereo” while puttering around my office while at the same time being able to switch to the phone as they quote “seamlessly”. Not! They will not access the mp3 player on the phone. Their support personnel wrote me this cop out note when, after purchasing, I inquired why they wouldn’t work as their advertising states. “Your phone needs to support the "A2DP" profile (advanced audio distribution) in order to enable full stereo sound and streaming audio with the Pulsar headset. Most currently available phones do not yet support this profile and thus can only make sue of the headset as a mono device for phone calling, not as a media headset for music and other audio outputs.” Sorry to sound so negative but to me this was a real bummer and a waste of money. It’s kind of stupid running around the office wearing a full stereo headphone set just to answer mono phone calls. Be wary,
Mark14 out of 22 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good wireless headset but better wired headset
by Mr.Sadistic on August 11, 2006
Pros: great accessories, wired and wireless capability, charging via usb or wall, very versatile
Cons: tinsley sound when listening to music, not as high quality sound when using wireless. When connected to computer you cannot have stero headphones when in headset mode, only mono.
Summary: This headset has its high points and its low points. If your looking for a decent bluetooth headset with a lot of options this is it! Bluetooth capability or wired ...
Summary: This headset has its high points and its low points. If your looking for a decent bluetooth headset with a lot of options this is it! Bluetooth capability or wired capability. If you don't have a bluetooth dongle or capability for a device, including your computer, just use the included adaptor and plug it into any stereo jack and you have your bluetooth. If you run out of batteries or are on a plane, simply use the wire adaptor and you have normal wired headphones, keep in mind that when using wired mode, the mic does not work.
This headset is GREAT for doing phone conversations via skype, other voip services, or with cell phones. the mic does pull out and retract, which is a great feature to have, not many bluetooth headsets put the mic closer to your mouth. In headset mode this device is very good for talking, however gaming is thrown out the window.
My second biggest problem with this headset is no stero headphones when in headset mode. There should at least be an option for stereo or mono when in headset mode, but there isn't. So something like gaming sucks with this headset unless you want to use mono sound. Another down side is that this headset has a bit of a delay when using stereo mode. If anyone plays video games, especially first person shooters, expect a slight delay in sound, it's not huge but somewhere around 1/8 to 1/4 of a second delay. It's not a HUGE deal but an inconvience. However i don't think this headset was geered towards gamers.
My biggest complaint with this headset is the music quality when in stereo mode. It's not awful, but mediocre. I expected a little better for the price tag, but what can you do. When in wired mode the headphones sound very crisp, what I would expect to hear.
Despite a few flaws this headset all in all is a pretty good product. The case and accessories is a big plus. The BT technology needs to be improved before devices like this can compete with wired headsets in quality. If your looking for a decent bluetooth headset i would recommend it.
Last but not least, I read every review for this headset on CNET before buying it. Some people complained about it not working with their computer very well, as well as their cell phones. MAKE SURE YOUR DONGLE WILL SUPPORT BT 2.0. I had a cheap BT dongle and the headset worked like crap with it. I was lucky if I could get any connectivity with it. I bought another dongle and everything works PERFECT. This is the dongle I got (http://www.uxcell.com/uxcell/retail/item/show
ItemLayout.php?action=showItem&id=a06030300ux0
001)
it doesn't come with great documentation but it works perfect with the 590a and all other BT devices I have. As for cell phones...MAKE SURE YOUR CELL PHONE SUPPORTS STEREO HEADPHONES FOR BT. Many cell phones do not, others do. Some phones, especially PDA and Smart phones need firmware upgrades, others just have real poor BT adaptors and won't work well with a headset like this in stereo mode. Do some research on the BT adaptors you have before buying this headset so you can use it to it's full potential once you have it.
Hope this review helps you out!4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The only stereo headset for the frequent traveller for phone, tunes and in-flight use.
by tgalambv on June 3, 2006
Pros: Sound quality and bass. Distance much greater than the 33 ft. spec. Complete package with almost every accessory you could imagine. Outstanding battery life. No battery necessary while in-flight.
Cons: Ears get warm after about 20-30 minutes. Oddly missing the in-flight splitter.
Summary: This product has it all. The futuristic look is a signal that you are buying high tech. The sound is quite good considering there is no noise cancelling and the ...
Summary: This product has it all. The futuristic look is a signal that you are buying high tech. The sound is quite good considering there is no noise cancelling and the muffs are not enclosed (neither one would make this a better product and would simply add bulk). The battery will outlast your iPod (10-12 hrs.) with a 2 hour recharge. The accessory kit has nearly everything you could want as a traveller and is very compact with room for some extra gadgets. I'm glad I did my research in advance since this is one of the few headsets that has an in-flight feature that does not require the battery but does require a wire but it still beats ear buds. The FAA prohibits wireless devices on all aircraft so if you opted with a cheaper headset, you go back to ear buds in the air anyway - bummer. The universal adapter pairs first shot, every time, working with anything that has a 3.5 mm jack for listening only. If you have a bluetooth computer, it sets up quick and easy for either tunes or VOI. Each requires a seperate profile that is easily setup and can be toggled on the PC. Microphone is very clear but will not work through the universal adapter. The headset is a normal over the top of the head style. I find this more comfortable then buds or behind the head types. Great buy.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Disapointment
by Chopman001 on February 20, 2007
Pros: Good Sound Quality
Cons: Poor Materials, Compatability Issues
Summary: Well cared for unit.
Good Sound Quality.
Plastic at the adjusters fracture and fall apart. Poor quality plastic. My head's not that big...
Poor customer service, all they know ...Summary: Well cared for unit.
Good Sound Quality.
Plastic at the adjusters fracture and fall apart. Poor quality plastic. My head's not that big...
Poor customer service, all they know is what's on the computer screen in front of them.
Its a shame it could have been a great product.2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I used my 590a for 19 months with zero problems
by jlysic on April 1, 2009
Pros: I work often in noisy environments and the fact that I can hear my calls in both ears is a HUGE benefit to me. In one case I set my phone in the grass outside the building I was working in and worked on equipment inside the building with this headset
Cons: no cons that I ever ran into - wish it came in a model that offered longer range for more $$, I would pay it happily.
Summary: Love this headset, I accidentally broke mine so I am buying another. I have used many bluetooth headsets for my phone and only this one has survived. No other headset ...
Summary: Love this headset, I accidentally broke mine so I am buying another. I have used many bluetooth headsets for my phone and only this one has survived. No other headset that I have tried offers telephone audio in both ears like this one does.
Volume level range is excellent so that I can crank it up in noisy areas.
I even wear this at the golf driving range while I am listening in on long conference calls. I can hit golf balls and listen to the call at the same time, stopping every now and then to offer my reports during the call - how cool is that?
The range is consistently around 30-35ft which is better than any other I have tried.
Call quality is always excellent, I have never had a complaint in 19 months.
At the gym I leave my phone across the room and listen to Music from my Blackberry and if a call comes in I simply touch a button, take the call and then when I hang up the paused music starts right back up.
No other headset on the panet can touch this one, I have tried.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent all-rounder
by SzydlowskiA on December 14, 2007
Pros: Great audio performance, comfortable for many hours of use
Cons: Setting up mic's correct sensitivity is tricky, at higher mic sensitivity settings strong reverberation
Summary: I use it at work to cut myself off of the open space where I work with legal contracts. The headset is not afraid of higher volumes where it handles ...
Summary: I use it at work to cut myself off of the open space where I work with legal contracts. The headset is not afraid of higher volumes where it handles the bas nad treble nicely. Wear is comfortable however not as much as with audiophile headsets but it wasn't something you'd expected at his price level. Rectractable microphone tube makes the headset easy "to take". Supplied bluetooth transmitter is small and easily attached to any personal audio device.
Make a great set with Plantronic's Voyager bluetoothed system. This is how I use it at work: for computer audio listening and simultaneously as a phone headset.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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BE CAREFUL: A FEW DIFFERENT PACKAGES AVAILABLE
by helm777 on February 2, 2007
Pros: NEW ITEM WORKS WELL & EASY TO PAIR UP.
Cons: PACKAGE 590E IS HEADSET & CHARGER ONLY- NO ADAPTER, CASE OR STAND
Summary: Be careful when price comparing this product with various retailers. There's a few different packages [590E, 590A] & to make things more confusing it looks like some retailers offer ...
Summary: Be careful when price comparing this product with various retailers. There's a few different packages [590E, 590A] & to make things more confusing it looks like some retailers offer the better package 590A but only mention the Headset & charger [590E]. Other retailers offer the 590E & mention the universal adapter which I don't believe is included [Included with 590A.]. I think it's also possible to get the larger package 590A [Headset, Universal adapter, charger, case, stand, etc.] at the 590E price [Retailers also confused.]. It's important to be aware the Universal adapter sells for approx $50 on it's own.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Headphones
by Corrupt_Data on January 16, 2007
Pros: Good Speaker Quality, Good Range, Good Battery Life
Cons: 12+ Hours Sometimes Isn't Enough Music
Summary: These headphones are an excellent buy. The quality of the neodymium powered speakers is noticeable. They are extremely light. The battery life is quite good. While these headphones are rated ...
Summary: These headphones are an excellent buy. The quality of the neodymium powered speakers is noticeable. They are extremely light. The battery life is quite good. While these headphones are rated at 10 hours of audio battery life, they regularly last me over 12.
My only criticism is not of these headphones but of bluetooth. If you are going to use these for your computer I highly recommend getting a USB Bluetooth dongle as they don't have the slight delay associated with the included universal adapter. Also, the universal adapter doesn't last quite as long as the headphones. Not to mention, the headphones have a better Digital To Analog converter than most sound cards.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Plantronics, Inc.
- Part number: P590A
- Description: The Pulsar 590A is a Bluetooth stereo headset that lets users listen wirelessly to music and movies with excellent audio quality and switch seamlessly to mobile phone calls with the single touch of a button.
General
- Product Type Headset,
- Bluetooth - Weight 3.5 oz
- Recommended Use Cellular phone,
Portable audio system,
Home audio system,
PC multimedia - Additional Features Volume control,
Answer/end button,
Mute button,
Foldable Headphones
- Headphones Type Headphones - Binaural
- Headphones Form Factor Semi-open
- Connectivity Technology Wireless - Bluetooth
- Bluetooth Profiles Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP),
Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP),
Hands Free Profile (HFP),
Headset Profile (HSP) - Sound Output Mode Stereo
- Response Bandwidth 20 - 20000 Hz
- Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) 5 %
- Impedance 32 Ohm
- Diaphragm 1.1 in
- Magnet Material Neodymium
Microphone
- Type Built-in,
Boom - Microphone Operation Mode Mono
Remote Control
- Type None
Wireless Link
- Transmission Range 33 ft
Connections
- Connector Type Bluetooth
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Bluetooth adapter,
Carrying case Power
- Power Device Battery charger - External
- Battery 1 x Headset battery - Rechargeable - Lithium polymer
- Included Qty 1
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Plantronics, Inc. products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Plantronics, Inc.
- Address:
345 Encinal Street
Santa Cruz, California 95060 - Phone: 1-831-426-5858
- Fax: 831-426-6098
