Plantronics Marquee 2 Bluetooth headset review

Some years ago I wrote about the first version of this Bluetooth headset and it was great. Since then, Plantronics has launched a second version, the Marquee 2, model name is M165. It is not new, it’s been a few years already in the market, but the reason why I’m writing about it now is because it simply is the best Bluetooth headset out there.

The battery is great: it lasts 7 hours of talk time and about 14 (or more) of idle time. One time I dropped it while turned on at my wife’s car and found it a day and a half later with still about 2 hours of battery life!

On to the practicality of the device. It has voice commands to answer calls, so if you’re driving or washing the dishes, you don’t even have to touch a button. Now, there are other devices that have this too, but most of them are above the $50 USD price. The Plantronics Marquee 2 is only $35 USD.

Another good feature is the physical switch to turn it on/off, a button for volume and a button for commands. This is very important for reliability. I have a Moto Hint, it’s a beautiful piece of hardware, but it is extremely unreliable. With the physical buttons you are sure that the device is on/off and that it does exactly what you want when you need it. No accidental presses, no battery drain surprises because you thought you turned it off and it wasn’t. Also every time you turn it on, a voice tells you how much battery time is left. No need for an app with an indicator or a special button press to get that info.

The hardware design is roughly the same as the previous M155 version. It now comes in white and black and it has a matte finish. It is very light and comfortable. It comes with several ear holder sizes to adjust it and also a loop if you feel more secure with that. It’s not long like the famous top quality Plantronics Voyager, which I wouldn’t feel comfortable using in the street. This one is very discreet and small, and you can put it safely in your jeans right side pocket (yeah, that small one that almost no one uses).

About the sound quality, for $35 USD it is surprisingly good. A decent high volume, loud enough to hear music or conversations in a busy street. Noise cancelling is not the best in the market but you get a clear sound across. I’ve done tests with the Jawbone Icon HD which is almost twice as expensive and every time my test subjects on the other side of the line tell me that when I’m on the M165 it sounds like I’m using the handset microphone and with the Jawbone Icon HD I sound very far away. Oh and you can also use it to listen to music, not only calls.

In general, I can’t stop recommending this device for price, sound quality and reliability. If you’re looking for a Bluetooth headset, you won’t be disappointed with this one.

If you would like to buy the Plantronics M165 you can get it for a good price at this link. Buying it from that link will also support this blog.

Tell me your experience with this or with any other headset you recommend in the comments section. Also if you like this bluetooth headset review.

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