Articles

INTRODUCTION

   While I’m typing these lines the upcoming Wing Commander/Freelancer/Privateer/Starlancer type Squadron 42/Star Citizen crowd-funded game has now officially breached the $4.500.000 line and is heading towards $5.000.000 at full speed so i really think that congratulations are in order for Chris Roberts, his crew and of course each and every single person out there who supported this game from even before the launch date (and of course everyone after that), whether it is just by spreading the word or by pledging either in the RS page or on KS (my thanks go to all regardless). This review however does not revolve around games or anything related with games since for the past month or so quite a few people have asked for a review of the latest Bluetooth wireless headset by Plantronics to hit the market called the Voyager Legend and of course we obliged.

   From the day two airline pilots working in a garage set out to invent a new kind of aviation headset until today, we have considered breakthroughs in audio technology as our daily business. We pioneered the lightweight headset, the mobile headset, noise-canceling technology and the personal speakerphone, always driven by a single obsession: remove the barriers to simply smarter communications. The result? Our products are used by everyone from pilots, astronauts, and 911 emergency workers to 100% of the Fortune 100. From friends conversing across the globe, to mobile professionals doing business on the road, to contact centers and executive offices, Plantronics is the choice for everyone united by digital technology and the human need to communicate. Plantronics is a publicly held company (NYSE: PLT) headquartered in Santa Cruz, California with offices in 20 countries, including major facilities in China, England, Mexico, and the Netherlands. Our products are sold and supported through a worldwide network of Plantronics partners, including resellers, systems integrators, retailers and mobile carriers. And a half a century later, we are striving every day to deliver simply smarter communications with innovative design and technology.

   The Voyager Legend is the last addition to the Voyager line of wireless headsets by Plantronics which started off with the release of the original Voyager quite a few years back and followed by the Voyager Pro, Voyager Pro+ and the Voyager Pro HD. So just like its predecessors the Voyager Legend was not designed to compete with the smallest Bluetooth wireless headsets in the market but instead it was given a medium size which in turn offers a very good battery life, excellent stability (even while exercising) and superior audio quality (for both ends). However with the previous Voyager Pro HD being one of the best wireless headsets we've ever tried it seems that the Voyager Legend has its job cut out for it and so for the past 12 days we've been using it on a daily basis to see just how good it is and how better (or worse) it is compared to its predecessor the quite excellent Voyager Pro HD.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

White boxes look very nice (hard however to take proper shots on a white background) and the Voyager Legend arrived in one such box with a large product image at the front along with the product name and the Plantronics logo.

The main features of the Legend are printed on the left side.

The list of contents is placed over at the right side.

At the rear we see the unit’s features written in 10 languages and the specifications table.

The top front part opens upwards to reveal the Voyager Legend behind a clear plastic cover.

Inside the box Plantronics has placed the Voyager Legend wireless headset, 2 silicon eartips (s/l), 2 foam covers (s/m), AC charger with two tips (UK/EU), Car charger, USB cable, safety guide, get started guide and a user’s manual.

THE VOYAGER LEGEND

I was happy to see that the design of the Legend is almost identical to the design of the Pro HD. However this time over the headset is quite smaller and weighs just 19g (with the pre-fitted silicon eartip).

To see just how smaller it is i placed the Voyager Legend right next to the Voyager Pro HD.

This time over Plantronics has used an triple-microphone featuring active DSP (Digital Signal Processing), adaptive 20 band equalizer, echo cancellation and sidetone detection. The design of the exterior also plays a significant part since thanks to the stainless steel area (windscreens) you can have calls even when on a bike.

The answer/end call button is quite small but faces towards the right direction (easier to use).

This is also the first time we see gel-like eartips with a Voyager headset and these actually look and feel better.

The Plantronics logo is placed vertically on the rear lower end of the headset.

Both the volume control and the power on/off switches are placed at the rear and this is where things get somewhat weird.

Above we have the volume controls for the Voyager Pro HD, quite nice looking right ? Bellow we have the new one which actually doesn't look just as good (seems like a step back in terms of design). However it really works better since it's easier to find with your fingers.

And then we have the on/off power button which looks great on the Voyager Pro HD but again looks worse on the Voyager Legend, however it's also easier to use.

My only real concern is the power connector since unlike the old micro-USB connector which ment you could recharge the Voyager Pro HD with any such adapter (that's today’s standard for most smartphones and headsets) the new one is actually magnetic and that means you can only use that to recharge the Voyager Legend.

Once you turn the headset on for the first time you will need to follow the voice instructions in order to pair it with your smartphone (should appear as PLT_Legend).

USING THE VOYAGER LEGEND

Before you actually start using the Voyager Legend i strongly recommend heading over to the official Plantronics support page to download their MyHeadset updater utility (and to also learn of the available apps they have for android and OS devices).

The utility is not only the means for you to perform an automatic firmware update but also allows you to setup the headset as you see fit (enable disable caller announcement, change the language, set your current location etc.).

According to the MyHeadset updater utility our sample arrived with firmware version 29 and already Plantronics has released version 44. The update procedure takes around 3 minutes to finish.

CONCLUSION

   If i said that i was taken off guard by the overall performance of the Voyager Legend i would be lying since its predecessors have already set the bar high enough so it's somewhat natural that Plantronics would only release something better, at least in terms of performance. Now i say this because it's quite evident (by my comparison) that the design of both the volume and power switches is inferior to that of the ones used in the Voyager Pro HD while the new magnetic power connector is incompatible with the chargers/cables most smartphones use right now so if you lose that you will need to find an identical one which may prove somewhat hard (certainly harder than if it used a micro-USB port). As i already mentioned however the new volume/power switches may look worse and outdated compared to the ones of the Voyager Pro HD but they are far easier to use and that goes a long way with us. Also according to Plantronics the battery is good for up to 7 hours of continuous talk but in our tests with the volume set at maximum we hardly crossed the 6 hours mark (still better than most headsets out there including the Pro HD).

   The entire Voyager line never came cheap especially at launch and the Voyager Legend being the last and best couldn't really be an exception so currently it retails for around USD99 inside the USA (Best Buy/Amazon) and 75Euros inside the EU. Certainly for all of you who can't afford the Legend the Pro HD is also a good solution and retails at around USD30/20Euros less while sharing most of the features found on the Legend. Regardless, for us the Voyager Legend may not look just as good as its predecessor (at least the rear doesn't) but it's smaller, lighter, offers improved audio quality for both ends and even has an improved battery life, what more could we ask in order to give it our Platinum award?

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design (Overall)
- Size / Weight (19g With The Eartip)
- Audio Quality (Both Ends)
- Tri-Mics With Wind Canceling Technology
- Caller Announce / Voice Commands
- Battery Life (Up To 6+ Hours Of Continuous Use)
- Bluetooth 3.0 (A2DP/AVRCHP/HFP/HSP) 

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Magnetic USB Connector (Harder To Replace)