Review: Plantronics 370 Headset Gets Down and Dirty

Posted by: weiganla on Aug 11 2008

Just thinking about it offhand, you might doubt whether a normal person needs a Bluetooth headset with military-grade ruggedization. It’s not like the average Joe abuses his headset with dirt, water, and shock every day, you say.

Have you looked around lately?

I’m not a slob, but I am a complete klutz. I never felt comfortable carrying my last Bluetooth headset, a Plantronics Voyager 510, on the road because I was afraid the delicate microphone would get squashed. Or dropped. Or knocked into the middle of the only puddle in the tri-state area. When it comes to electronics, I’m a firm believer in Murphy’s Law.

So when I was offered the chance to take a look at the ruggedized Plantronics Explorer 370, I jumped at it. I was also eager to see if this headset improved on some of my quibbles with my last headset, like noise cancellation, transmission volume, and structural design.

Read on to see how the 370 measures up!

The Rambo of Headsets

In the package are the Explorer 370 headset, a wall charger, and a lanyard so you can make a style statement by dangling your headset around your neck. The Ruggedized version of the 370 (as opposed to the Sport) has a hard rubber outer shell with grippy ridges down the sides and an attractive blue color that goes from navy to royal blue depending on the light.

 

When Plantronics says the Explorer 370 is rugged, they mean it. One of the world’s first rugged headsets, the 370 is certified to MIL-STD 810, meaning it passed an intense battery of military tests including being dunked, frozen, roasted, thrown around, and blown up. The 370 is tough, and it shows.

 

With its sturdy body-and-earloop design, the 370 has a traditional if slightly bulky Bluetooth headset form factor. The earloop hinges and swivels to fit either the left or right ear. On the back, a speaker shaped like a curved funnel sits between the two little wings of cartilage inside your ear and points down into the ear canal. The speaker doesn’t rotate, so there’s no way to tweak the angle of the microphone to your mouth without compromising the fit of the eartip.

There’s Something In My Ear!

I sometimes wonder if Bluetooth headset makers put enough thought into how the things fit. I mean, getting something that people wear in their ear to FIT in an ear is a pretty big deal. Most of the headphone folks have caught on to that.

The 370 doesn’t hang on my ear quite as securely as I would like. The eartip tends to slip out if my head tilts even slightly while I’m talking, and the loop’s curve is too loose for my ear. I think a moldable loop would go a long way toward solving my fit problems, and I was disappointed that the only way to “customize” the fit of the 370 is swiveling the loop on the body. In fairness, not all ears are the same — the 370 fits great on both my parents — but on the other hand, headset design should take into account that not all ears are the same.

Is That a Call Button or a Roadside Sobriety Test?

Most Bluetooth headsets, including the 370, have moved to an all-in-one button for power, pairing, and connecting to calls. The 370’s button, a big black can’t-miss-it job on the front of the body, is not only conveniently located, it’s also easy to find and press by feel.

Pairing is automatically activated the first time you turn the 370 on, and after that, controls are easy: answer and end are a short press; on/off, transfer to/from phone, and reject are press and hold; and redial is a double press. The headset gives tonal feedback for many of these functions, which is a nice touch.

Separate volume controls sit on the side under round nubbins that stand up very well under my fingers, especially when the headset is worn on the right ear so the side with the volume buttons faces up.

Yeah, I’m Standing Under a Waterfall Right Now…

When you get right down to it, call quality is what separates the good Bluetooth headsets from the tons of mediocre ones out there. The Explorer 370 is designed for use in outdoor conditions (which tend to be noisy), and it features Plantronics’ wind screen technology. I enlisted my father to help test the sound, with one of us manning my Palm Centro and the headset and the other on the landline. (Thanks, Dad!)

During regular indoor calls, Dad and I noticed a huge difference in clarity when we received calls from the Centro by itself versus through the headset. I’ve never had complaints from the people I’ve called on the Centro, but compared to your caller using the 370 it was like listening to someone talk through a sock. Dad thought volume was slightly softer when I called him on the headset, but I couldn’t detect much difference. Calls received through the 370 were also sharp and clear.

In my corner of the American South in August, we don’t get a lot of wind — 100+ degrees Fahrenheit temperatures, yeah, but we’d kill for a breeze. So I had to improvise. The 370 barely noticed as much breeze as I could make by fanning a magazine in front of it, with just a few faint crackles.

Are You Beeping At Me?

Battery life is rated at 7 hours of talk or 8 days of standby. Like most people I tend to mix the two, so all I can tell you is that I got a “low battery” purple light after about four days on including three hours talking. Recharging is quick, with less than 2 hours getting the 370 to full juice.

Conclusion

The Plantronics Explorer 370 is the toughest headset I’ve ever seen, and I wouldn’t hesitate to take it from the Sahara to the Amazon rainforest. Although the fit is a potential drawback, the 370 delivers durability, ease of use, and good call quality at a reasonable price. It’s worth a look for anyone who makes life rough on their electronics, from extreme adventurers to parents.

What I Liked:

Easy to use

Tough and durable

Reasonable price

Good call quality

What I Didn’t Like:

Insecure fit on my ear

Lack of fit customization options

Vital Stats

The Plantronics Explorer 370 Ruggedized retails for $79.95 — but it’s easy to find one for less — and supports headset and hands-free profiles (ie practically all Bluetooth phones). You can find one from numerous shops online and at many local electronics stores.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!