I’ve always wanted earbuds with a boom mic. I’ve wished for years that they make one. Finally, Plantronics got around to it with the Plantronics .Audio 480.
I saw the package at BestBuy, and didn’t hesitate to pick it up. When I opened the package, however, I got a nice little surprise. The buds have two plugs at the end (mic and headphones), as expected. But, the nice thing is, it also came with a USB adapter. No more too-short cords… Just get a USB hub however close you might need, and you’re all set.
Also included are a stylish leather(ish?) case with magnetic clasp, a few different size support tabs, and additional sizes and styles for the buds themselves.
Because these are earbuds, there’s no discomfort while wearing glasses or a hat. If you’ve worn either for extended periods of time while wearing over-the-head headphones, you know what I mean. The left earbud is the one with the boom mic attached, so it weighs a tiny bit more, but it’s still extremely light.
Audio quality is excellent using the USB adapter or not. With XP Pro SP2, there were no drivers to install, it just worked moments after I plugged it in. I recently wore them at a LAN party, off and on for about 12 hours, with only mild discomfort at the event, and no problems the following day.
Rating:
A+
Price:
$100
The music test on Audio 480 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/reviews/4774 showed that there is no BASS, why you say the music is great?
I don’t listen to music on this headset… I use it for gaming and VoIP, so I didn’t really mind the lack of bass.
Oh, I just remembered… To get proper bass with any headphones that fit like this, you have to get a proper seal inside your ear. Even with that, though, the bass is still weak.