Plantronics Audio 995 Review

Reviewers say the Plantronics .Audio 995 is the best option if you're in the market for a wireless PC headset. However, its performance with movies, music and games falls short of that of most wired headsets. Durability is fine, but some of the materials feel cheap.

Good for VoIP calls, but little else

Wireless connections never sound quite as good as wired connections, and that holds true with the Plantronics .Audio 995. Voices and dialogue sound clear, but PC World (Australia) warns that bass and treble sound off, making this PC headset a poorer choice for media watching or game playing.

Decent wireless range

Reviewers say you can travel over 30 feet without running into any sort of interference issues; that's a good distance, but just a tad short of the 40-foot range claimed by Plantronics. You can't use the headset while its battery is recharging, however.

Easy on the ears

The adjustable headband, swivel-mounted ear cups and flexible boom microphone makes the .Audio 995 a good fit for most users, though we did spot a handful of reviewers saying that the headset was a tight fit for them. PC World (Australia)'s Campbell Simpson finds the padded headband and faux-leather ear cups to be comfortable for prolonged chatting sessions.

Build quality could be better, but the .Audio 995 seems to hold up fine

Some complain that the headset feels cheap because it's made of plastic. On the other hand, we spotted no real complaints regarding breakage or shorter-than-expected life spans.

You pay a premium if you want to chat without a tether

Anytime you buy a wireless headset you're paying a premium over its wired counterparts, and the Plantronics .Audio 995 is no different. The Logitech USB Headset H530 (*Est. $40) is corded so you don't get the freedom of wireless, but it costs a little less and does a decent job on movies and games as well as voice chats. The fact that the .Audio 995's battery can't be replaced only lessens its overall value rating; once the battery wears out your only recourse is to replace the entire headset. The USB Bluetooth dongle is proprietary and non-replaceable as well.

Finding feedback

To learn more about the Plantronics .Audio 995, we turned to PC World (Australia), which provides a solid stand-alone review. A whopping 400-plus users leave critiques on Amazon.com, while dozens also leave ratings and write-ups on Newegg.com.