Отзывы о Компьютерная гарнитура Plantronics Blackwire 3220 USB-A
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Скроменый эксперт
25.12.2012
4/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
A few years ago I had purchased the Plantronics Gamecom 777 headset and at the time I had loved them. They were comfortable, sounded pretty good, and made for a great introduction into gaming audio. Unfortunately, this is not at all the case with the 780 series.The good:If you are running a program that supports the Dolby 7.1 surround, the headset provides a great audio experience with rich quality and clarity.The bad: (Yes there was only ONE good aspect.)If the program you are running is NOT 7.1 surround, the headset leaves a very feint, hollow sound to the audio. In games that only support up to 5.1 ch, it feels as if you're in a long empty hallway and every voice that speaks and every shot you make echoes.The construction and design of these headphones are terrible. Reviews state that this headset squeezes your head, and this is absolutely true. A few reviewers said that theirs loosened up to comfortable levels, but so far that is not the case after about a month of use. The first week of use I began getting headaches if I wore them for over an hour due to the squeezing of pressure points.Inside of the ear cuffs is a poorly design choice which makes prolonged use impossible. The ear cuffs are elongated horizontally instead of vertically, so for someone with slightly larger than normal ear size your ears will NOT fit within the cushions resulting on the tops and bottoms of them being smashed against your head instead of cradled. Inside, the speakers are covered with a really hard plastic with sharp holes drilled across the surface and its only covered with a very thin FABRIC. My ears become sore and throb after wearing this headset for awhile due to the rubbing against the plastic surface inside.A small but important annoyance is also how short the USB cable is on this headset. Previously I could plug my headset into a USB port on the rear of my PC tower and have plenty of cable to lay over my desk and be able to move comfortably about in my chair. This cable won't even reach my head should I plug it in at the rear of my PC sitting next to my feet. Luckily I have a USB port on the back of my keyboard.The headset controls are terrible. The volume rocker is very sensitive and is placed on the back rear edge of the ear cuff, resulting in the unintentional adjusting of the volume every time you adjust or put on the headset. Other controls are greatly lacking, such as an on-the-fly channel settings switcher and especially a mic volume control.Unfortunately for me, I chose to stick it out with this headset and try to see if they will break in and become acceptable. I'm now past the return period and wish that I could send this junk back to Plantronics.
Скроменый эксперт
18.04.2012
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
This headset has a very cool design, good sound quality, and is very comfortable. However, be aware that this Plantronics Gamecom 780 headset is very similar to its predecessor, the Gamecom 777, with it's 40mm speakers (difference is minimal) and microphone (amazing recording quality). Aside from some similarities, there are some notable changes: volume control on-ear, swiveling earpods with spin joints, USB only connection, and a more open, sleeker headset design.Features:+ 40mm speakers (good balance and bass)+ Noise canceling microphone and flips up when not in use+ Swiveling earpods with spin joints+ Earpods are connected to spint joints with tin barsImprovements from the Gamecom 777VOLUME CONTROL*Volume control is on ear - Located on the back of the left earpod, there is a volume dial and microphone switch. The volume dial is with an up and down fashion, which easy to reach and provides tremendous convenience. No more staring down on the cord to change the volume.DOLBY DIGITAL SOUND CARD*No more dolby digital USB adaptor. Instead of having a headphone and microphone input, it's now merged into one usb connection. I actually prefer having the option to connect to other audio devices. This headset is only for the computer.DESIGN* Swiveling earpods with spin joints. It gives the headset another dimension and choice of opening the headset flat.* The headset has a far more "open" and sleek design. Instead of a the bulky headband, The headband is thinner and there are tin bars connecting the earpods to the spin joints. The rear of the earpods are glossy and has a jagged blocky design.* The microphone is good and better than the Gamecom 777. Noise cancellation is very clear and captures the voice perfectly. I thoroughly enjoy using this microphone as voice over for video editing. It's no condenser microphone, but this microphone captures a very crisp, clean sound.Similar or worse than the Gamecom 777DESIGN* I see a potential durability issue when looking at the Gamecom 780's headband. At where the spin joint meets the headband, there is a curve that creates a little flex. I've noticed that there is a limit as to how far I can pull the two earpods apart. With care, the headband should not snap. However, there is still a chance that the headband can snap if the earpods are pulled too far part. With all electronics, with care, the product should be fine in the long run.SOUND QUALITY* The sound quality is almost identical to that of the Gamecom 777. I would not be surprised if the 40mm speakers are the same speakers used for the Gamecom 777. Still, the sound quality is very good and clear. Bass, highs, lows, voices, dialogue are all generally good. What I like about the sound is that the bass does not overwhelm the other sounds. It's good to have a balance, and this headset does well at that. Again, the 777 and 780's sound are very similar.If you don't mind the bulky design and blocky look, the Gamecom 777 is a better value choice. Otherwise, paying a little more for the Gamecom 780 gives you a stylish design, many subtle convenient design details, and an impressive noise cancelling microphone.Compared to the Gamecom 777, the main difference is the sleeker and cooler design. However, with the more open and sleeker design, some bulk and durability may have been compromised. Sound quality of both 777 and 780 are similar.I hope that my comparison the Gamecom 777 has helped. This Gamecom 780 headset is great for gaming, communication (skype, video calling), and music.
Скроменый эксперт
23.12.2012
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
I just picked these up at Best Buy after checking Amazon for reviews. With so many glowing reviews I'm astounded that I hate these headphones so much.First, I typically have speakers and headphones going at the same time. My wife and son sit nearby and many times if I find a funny video or something while using headphones I simply turn on my speakers so they can hear it too. Doesn't work with these, you can not output to USB headphones and your sound card at the same time. I now have to either unplug the headphones or disable them then close and re-open the program to get audio to change. Another use for dual outputs is that many times I'll have music playing for everybody to hear, but be listening to it much louder on my headphones. No can do with these.*EDIT* - Looks like I found a bit of a work arrund for this one. [...] is free and lets you assign a hot-key on your keyboard to switch audio outputs on the fly.Second, The volume control on the headphones doesn't actually adjust volume. It makes a low pitched beeping sound if you move the control one way, and a higher pitched sound if you move the other way, but the actual volume never changes. If I'm in a game and want to change volume I have to tab out and change it in Windows then go back in to the game. Support suggests unplugging the headphones, rebooting PC, then plugging the headphones back in to fix it. Doesn't seem to work for me, plus it seems like I would have to do this EVERY time I want to unplug or plug in these headphones.*EDIT* - It seems I've found the fix for this. The last post at [...] solved this problem, all I had to do was manually start the HID service.The one saving grace is the sound quality. Wow these sound good. I have a pair of (analog) Plantronics Gamecom 367 or 377 (don't recall, both models look identical) and these 780's blow those out of the water in a back to back (well sorta - read above!) test.I'm going to give these another day or two, but I have a strong feeling that they will be getting returned.*EDIT* - Turns out the saving grace REALLY WAS the sound quality. At first I had only played a game for long enough to get angry at the above complaints. After listening to some music the sound quality made me want to keep these enough that I really dug in and looked for solutions. Below each issue is the solution I eventually found and now I'm pretty happy. The only issue remaining is that I can't listen to both at once and that seems like its either truly not possible or it's going to take some real digging, but I can live with that. My review has been changed from one star to 4.
Скроменый эксперт
03.02.2013
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
This headset is amazing, hence the 5 stars.Everybody talks about how comfortable and amazing the sound quality is--and they're TOTALLY RIGHT!...So I'm going to share my thoughts on some SMALL negative things (that I honestly can't fault this headset for):***YES, this headset can totally BLAST YOUR EARS OFF... IF you set all of the volume settings to max.I can listen to music in Winamp at 100% volume for a little while.It's VERY loud, but I love super loud music sometimes (until it gets to be painful).But I noticed that I can NOT tolerate max volume when watching videos on Youtube.I ALMOST DIED when I first tried watching a video at max volume.I've spent a LOT of time messing with the Volume Mixer (I'm using Win7 x64, by the way), and after a long time, I came to a conclusion:***Reduce Youtube's volume down to about 70%(It would be nice if the Volume Mixer in Windows 7 actually SAVED the volume configurations, but they get reset when you close/re-open applications.Useless!!)100% headset volume + 70% Youtube volume = a very good combination, in my opinion.It's still very loud, but not enough to cause me pain.So, AS A RULE OF THUMB, set your headset to max volume, and then adjust the volume levels on all of your applications so that it's ALMOST painfully loud.This will be your new max volume, and you'll never have to worry about blood stains on your headset!SIDE-NOTE:By the way, when you finish installing/updating the headset's drivers, your headset is set to 5.1 surround sound by default (mine was, at least).To change it to 7.1:1. Go into your sound options (it's just called 'Sound' in Win7)2. Open the 'Playback' tab3. Right-click your headset4. Click 'Configure Speakers'5. Set them to '7.1 Surround'SIDE-NOTE (again):By the way, the volume knob doesn't always respond IF an Adobe Flash Player window is the active window.Unfortunately, all Youtube videos use Flash, and this seems to be an issue with Flash--not this headset.***The only way to work-around this is to left-click outside of the Youtube window (your taskbar, for example) to give it focus and then adjust your volume with the knob on your headset....Hopefully, this will be fixed in a later version of Flash, but for now, it's a small annoyance I (and possibly others) have to deal with.TO RE-ITERATE, this is an AMAZING headset, so do yourself a favor and BUY IT. NOW! =D...And buy it from Amazon (the vendor)! I always get my stuff within 2 business days of ordering!
Скроменый эксперт
23.12.2012
4/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
I got these to replace my aging Plantronics 770's thinking they would be a nice upgrade. Well not so much. They are well constructed and are relatively comfortable during long gaming sessions, ie: 3+ hours or more. The look and style of the Plantronics 780 is also well done and very sturdily constructed. The integrated sound card makes the need for high dollar standalone cards.The 780's have too many annoying little things that have cause me to stop using them all together and for me to go back to my 770's. First the "Dolby" sound system on these is very poor. The sound driver tries to create the illusion of multiple speakers and distance but fails badly, ultimately causing anyone talking to sound like they are speaking in to a tin can. I ended up playing with the Dolby sound turned off. The second thing is the volume control. It is a total pain to deal with as it's not only full digital so you have to hold the slider button that is located on the back left speaker case till the desired level is reached but it resets to a default level each time you restart your computer. This makes you have to reset the volume each time you fire up your rig and as there is not an actual set and forget control you have to play with it till it's just right for you each and every time. Thirdly the mic mute stitch is very near the volume and the switches feel identical of you are not paying attention and you may accidentally shut your mic down. Fourth thing, (still about the volume here) sometimes the headset just flat out refuses to turn down and gets stuck. The fifth thing is mic echo. Because of the pass through design and the mic being hyper sensitive it picks up the sound front he left speaker and you get a constant feedback echo on Vent of team speak. Now on the sixth issue, The 780 refuses to turn all the way down at times when watching some flash videos. The system volume can be set to all the way down but they still play as if the volume was set to 50-60%.Audio quality is not as good as one should expect from these. While the 780 does a superb job at the mid and high range frequencies, there is little to no low end bass to back it up. There were countless times action in movies or games that these headphones just failed to produce that low end punch that should have been there. I really wanted to like these and hoped they would be a suitable replacement for my older Plantronics 770's. I gave them a fair try for over two months and just had too many things that I didn't care for. So I went back to my 770's and have to continue looking for a replacement headset.
Скроменый эксперт
02.09.2012
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
We all know good quality headsets are ridiculously over priced. I think the MSRP for this is 80, Amazon had and has this for 57 dollars new. For 57 dollars, it's well worth it, as good as the other overpriced models. Simulated 7.1 works, not the same as real 7.1 but you really do get a much richer sound, and you can hear voices clearly. Great for games and music, surprisingly good bass response. I've seen people plug and play this in a mac, but never tried it so don't guarantee it. Software (for 7.1) won't work on a Mac anyway. The software puts a shortcut to turn on the 5.1, and a shortcut tot he sound control panel to decide what is the default speaker/mic, on your start bar. You can switch from game/movie 7.1 to music 7.1 there.Volume control on the back is disguised as a wheel, but it's actually a sort of switch you hold up or down. Mute button on the back with it, along with the very bright 7.1 button on the front that lights up when on. All buttons have an audible noise in the headset when pressed, with the volume one getting louder or softer depending on which way you pressed it so you know what level you put it at.I found it comfortable, I have an average-to-large size head, and it was constricting for the first two days but either I got used to it or it got used to me. Ear muffs are comfortable even though my earlobe doesn't fit inside and is pressed on by the ear muff, I don't feel it. Your ears MIGHT get hot, but it's felt and not leather. I also had just switches from a flimsy Logitech "behind the head" set up, so I may have been used to that. Plenty of cushioning on the earmuffs and on the arch over the head. Sometimes they hurt after an hour or so.It does fold away to store sorta flat, but it's like a bad spreading its wings, it gets large.There is a sound leakage issue if you have it a bit loud, so be prepared for that if you use it in a public space. With the good sound your tempted to up the volume, anyone within one or two meters will notice it and if you have it loud enough will hear it clearly enough to make out whats being said.The only two cons is the microphone can be a touch too sensitive when I have my fan on, but every headset I've ever used has had that problem. Also, on skype there is a rare but noticeable buzzing coming through the speakers when I talk, almost like a feedback. I hear it, others do not. It is a rare occurrence, but it can be slightly bothersome when I do hear it.I also wish the cord was 8 feet instead of 6.5, but I solved that with a USB extender I had lying about so I could listen in bed. I like some music before I go to sleep.All in all, I'd recommend this...if it stays at under sixty five dollars. I use it for skype, gaming, music, and movies. One word of caution for Skype, it loves to automatically reduce your mic gain because the mic is sensitive. Disable that feature in skype's control panel and manually set it. It's not the headset's fault, it's Skype's fault.
Скроменый эксперт
08.01.2013
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
These are my second pair of Plantronics headsets, and they don't disappoint. The audio from this particular headset is amazing. A choice of 5.1 surround sound is standard, but there's also an option for 7.1 Dolby Surround with a push of a button that lights up blue when pressed directly on the left ear piece. With the installed GameCom software you can change the Dolby Surround mode between Gaming/Movie or Music. I'm not much of an audiophile, so I can't really tell the difference between the modes; I often use the Gaming/Movie mode anyway. One thing to note that I've noticed: if you're playing a game that wasn't programmed for use of 7.1 Surround Sound, then you won't hear much difference between 5.1 and 7.1 modes, at least I couldn't. Bass response is my favorite thing when it comes to sound, and this headset satisfies that. I can hear all the lows, and explosions sound outstanding. My gaming in certain online FPSs have improved because I can actually hear where an enemy is running from. Close sounds actually sound near me, and distant sounds actually sound far. It's great! Makes the battles sound legit.The size of the cans are perfect for me. They're HUGE! But that's my preference. They cover your entire ear, but they do so comfortably with a sort of velvet-like cushion on both cans and on the head rest. These are super comfortable to me, and I have a large head! Favorite perk; they keep my head warm during winter gaming sessions! They're comfortable enough to wear for long gaming sessions.The construction feels sturdy enough. I've read some negative reviews saying this set is too fragile, and that the plastic pieces break with little effort. I believe these people are too rough with the headset, probably tossing them on their desks or something, but they feel very sturdy to me. Again, I have a fairly large head, so it does take some stretching of the headphones to get on properly, but it does it with ease. The controls on the headset are very convenient; you have the volume dial, mute switch, and 5.1/7.1 button all on the left can.The microphone works just fine as well. I've had no complaints with other players stating difficulties with hearing me. The placement of the mute switch directly on the headset is much more convenient than having it on a control panel on the cord.Overall, if you're on a budget and want a fantastic wired USB-connected headset that produces great sound with clarity and adds BOOM to your games, movies, or music, this headset is perfect!
Скроменый эксперт
21.01.2013
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
Decent sound, but there are negatives to considerThe quality of the construction and materials seems average. I would prefer if they were a little better built, but they're acceptable for the price. The fabric used on the ear pieces and the head padding is the same fabric they use in fabric lint rollers. It's soft enough, but collects lint accordingly. The mic boom is flexible rubber and decent quality, but it doesn't allow you to adjust its location in and out and sits further from the mouth than expected.Pros:Sound - The sound quality is very decent. I'm not an audiophile so take it with a grain of salt, but both games and music are quite enjoyable for me with this headset.Comfort - At first I found these uncomfortable and pinching which after an hour of use caused significant discomfort. However, once I lowered the ear pieces to wear this a bit loose (more loose than I normally prefer headphones) they fit much better. After hours of use they are still comfortable for me.Microphone - The mic is very sensitive and picks up sound really well.Cons:USB - The USB interface is one you want to avoid for headsets if you have a good soundcard. USB headsets include their own audio card built-in to the device in order to work. Therefore, using these will bypass the soundcard in your computer. Also, the USB cable is quite short. This device isn't compatible with USB 3.0. Since I only have 3.0 on the front panel of my computer I would prefer a longer cord to run it from the back.Dolby - The simulated 7.1 is not appealing to me. It simulates surround by making the audio more `spatial'. This doesn't add to the audio quality though; it makes the sound worse in my opinion. The default setting is off,Volume Control - The volume control is a rocker switch in a convenient location on the back of the left ear-piece. The rocker switch is annoying. You rotate and hold it in one direction or the other to change the volume. I would prefer a dial instead of holding a switch.No Audio Controls - This device has no equalizer to adjust the audio. The audio levels it ships with is okay, but if you wanted to customize your sound you should purchase a different headset.Microphone - The mic is overly sensitive and even on low input volumes it picks up any background noise like you mouse and keyboard, breathing, etc.In summary, decent sound and comfort for the price, but has some limitations.
Скроменый эксперт
28.12.2012
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Ok so I choose 4 stars because it's lacking a needed EQ for the headset. Other than that the headset is great quality, the padding used for the ear cups are the best. Leather ear cups don't breathe at all but these have no issues, it's great. The headset isn't to heavy.The mic only comes down on the left side so you can't wear the mic on the right side of your head if anyone does that I don't know.The wire used is pretty nice, it doesn't tangle so much but I have to hold the wire sometimes with the headset dangling so it can untwist itself. When it does that I've noticed that the cord gets shorter and it kind of gathers up but doesn't tangle and get in a knot or anything.This headset is VERY loud. If I have my computer volume set to max, I have to set my Winamp volume under 5% if I'm in Skype with people. My game volumes are turned down to about the same. What you could do is set the volume on the computer to low and set everything else on max. Also the volume control on the headset controls the computers volume, not the actual headset. Be careful because I truely feel you could go deaf with these if you aren't careful with volume and you all a sudden get a commercial on Youtube that's insanely loud and you blow your ear drums..I tried connecting to USB 3.0 and it does not work. It makes horrible crackling noises and I feel like it could break your speakers. I did something that Plantronics recommended on their site and it didn't work.The surround sound on this thing is amazing. Playing FPS games again thanks to this thing and its been great. You can truly tell where footsteps are coming from and gun shots etc.The bass is really nice on this headset, crisp and deep. I wish I could get more out of it thanks to an EQ but we don't have one.Sound quality as a whole is amazing. The mic is amazing as well, everyone says I'm crystal clear.I game for hours a night at times and this thing is pretty comfy. There's always times your'e going to adjust it because you just have to. No headset is 100% comfy.For the price this is a amazing headset for gaming. I recommend it to people I know if they are looking for something cheap and worthwhile.I think Plantronics is slacking on making software for this headset. They are to focused on releasing weird headsets for people in work places or something. They have an amazing product here and if they added this one thing they could really pull ahead in the gaming industry.
Скроменый эксперт
21.01.2013
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
I didn't bother with the included driver cd, opting to download the latest drivers directly from Plantronics' website instead. The issue is that the driver package doesn't exactly like Windows Server 2008 r2. By going into the driver package's properties and setting its compatibility mode to WinXP SP3, I was able to get everything to install without an issue.The driver program itself is simple; Dolby surround On/Off and Gaming/Movie or Music modes are your only options. Like other reviewers, I had to go into the sound control panel and set the headset to 7.1 (it defaulted to 5.1 on my system), where the control panel complained about some other program using the device, and how all sorts of doom and gloom could possibly come to my system if I continued trying to access the device with two different programs. Ignoring that part is a good idea! ;PSince I've had these for all of 30 minutes, I've only been able to play MechWarrior Online, which produced the expected amount of surround. The bass is definitely a bit lacking (my head wasn't rumbling from all the heavy ordinance used in MechWarrior), but I haven't had time to try out the bass boost setting that is native to Windows.As for comfort...the pads are all gloriously soft. I want a bed made of this stuff. The problem is that, even though I'm a tiny guy (5'3"), my bean is apparently WAY TOO BIG (or soft) for the pressure these things can squish with! Seriously, I've never had a pair of headphones make my head feel so much like it's just a grape in the hands of a toddler. Again, this is all after only about 30 minutes of wear. I'm hoping that I'll be able to stretch these out over time, because I love everything else about them so far.I have not had a chance to try the microphone, so you'll want to look elsewhere for advice on that.And as a final thought, there is no way to connect these to something that is not a computer. You're stuck with USB only here. The Plantronics GameCom777 Gaming Headset, however, has normal stereo and microphone 3.5mm connections that plug into a USB breakout box to provide surround for a computer.Due to the excruciating pain caused by wearing these headphones, and the omission of the 3.5mm to USB connection that the previous version had, I'm only giving this 3 stars. But for the money ($57 at the time of purchase), it does everything else right.
Скроменый эксперт
03.01.2013
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
I was originally looking for a USB headset to handle conference calls while working remotely from home using Avaya one-X Agent (VoIP).I first went to Target and got the Logitech h390, but promptly went back to return it the next today. The Logitech h390 was way too tight on my ears (I have a small head), the controls were mediocre, and music sounded very hollow. Realizing that there was a lot of researching to do, I scoured the Internet for various USB headsets specs and reviews.USB headsets for business all had one caveats or another, and none were well-rounded. Some had speaker quality issues, some had microphone issues, some had volume/mute control issues, some had build quality issues, and some had software compatibility issues.I stumbled upon the GameCom780 while browsing the Plantronics product catalog, and all the reviews from different blogs and websites were very positive. I bought this from Amazon.com since they had the best price ($50) at the time.So here's my review of the Plantronics GameCom 780:It's plug-n-play. Windows XP 32-bit and Windows 7 64-bit will detect the speaker/mic as USB Audio. I didn't have to install any software to get it to work with Avaya one-X Agent and Skype.The factory sound quality is very good. It doesn't come with an equalizer (which I wish they could have included), but 3rd-party software equalizer can get it to sound amazing and just the way you want.If you like music or enjoy gaming with great sounds effects and soundtracks, the *REAL GEM* about the GameCom 780 is the Dolby Pro Logic IIx that comes with the software. Prior to this, I was familiar with the Dolby Pro Logic of the 1990's, which wasn't too impressive and sounded like fake surround sound. Dolby Pro Logic IIx will take your stereo sound to another level of depth and perception. If your game or movie supports 5.1 output, make sure to turn it on and turn Dolby Pro Logic IIx on the headset. Switching back to 2-channel stereo will suddenly sound flat and dull.All controls are on the headset, on the side the mic is attached to. It has volume up/down, mute, and Dolby Pro Logic IIx controls (Dolby feature requires software to be installed). The mute button is actually a slide switch, which is great in figuring out if you're muted or not muted without looking.The headset is pretty massive, so I wouldn't wear at to work if your office is a suit and tie kind of place.
Скроменый эксперт
10.12.2012
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
The Plantronics GameCom 780 is the best-for-the-money gaming headset that you can get. I had for about 3 months now, and I can say that these aren't perfect, but for $60 with the feature it has, it can't get any better.The quality of the microphone is fantastic. While playing with friends, they would ask what headset I had, because the microphone quality is great. The noise cancelling feature isn't as great as I thought it would be and it does pick up some background noises, but it doesn't bring the down the quality of the microphone.The quality of the sound is something to be desired a little more. Don't get me wrong, Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound is fantastic, and it sounds so awesome when I watch movies or play games. But I could notice the sound quality of the headphone speakers while listening to music. I own many headphones and I can tell how music sounds like because I'm a musician. The bass is something to be desired a little more and it has a slightly muffled sound to it. It may be the Dolby 7.1 technology at fault, but for $60, this is definitely okay. The average Joe probably won't be bothered by it. Also, others around you can hear everything that you're listening to. The only way this can be bad is if you have someone else in the same room as you are and you are trying not to disturb them.Comfort wise, I personally don't think these headphones are very comfortable. They are only bearable (that's why I knocked down a star from the rating). I think of myself having big ears, and the headphones barely cover my ears. As a result, the tip of my ears bend a little or gets squished by the foam, and it kind of hurts my ears after a while of wearing it. Those with big ears, this might be a problem, but others won't have a problem. The only thing saving the headset from being annoying is the foam (which has cushion and is soft to the touch).The build quality of this is fantastic. For $60, I thought that the build quality wasn't going to be the greatest, but Plantronics uses high quality plastic to ensure that the build quality is great. Also, the headset can lay flat on your shoulders, which is a good feature.If you're thinking of buying a gaming headset on a budget, look no further. Pick this up right now! Although I have my reservations with the headset, I find that at the price point (and with Dolby 7.1), this can't be beat!Props to Plantronics in making a great gaming headset.
Скроменый эксперт
16.04.2012
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
I work in a home office and have used the headset to make calls, listen to music, and play online games in the evenings for about 3 years now. I wear this headset sometimes more than 8 hours a day. It is extremely comfortable despite my large head and glasses. This was one of my main concerns, as I have owned several headsets and headphones over the years, and they have all been uncomfortable, if not impossible, to wear longer than half an hour. Not this headset. It also has great sound quality using the provided USB sound card on my 2010 iMac--better than the on-board sound for sure.It does have a few flaws, however.Flaw #1: The microphone rotates up and down but will no longer stay in the upright position on its own. From having read other reviews, I knew to expect this and wasn't surprised. You may as well plan on this happening to you. I use a twist-tie to keep it out of the way--it's easy to quickly lower the mic when I need to answer the phone and then hook it back in the upright position when done.Flaw #2: The USB soundcard is about 3 inches long and juts directly out from the port. It has a cheap plastic case that was quickly cracked when one of my kids tripped on the cord. Now it sits loosely in the USB port and the sound goes in and out anytime the desk or cord gets jiggled. Very frustrating, but unlikely to be a problem if you're more careful than I was. I ended up having to buy a new sound card, the Griffin iMic, which also had the benefit of solving the weird problem I talk about at the end of the review.Flaw #3: This is a biggie. After about 3 years of frequent use, some kind of short has developed inside the volume knob housing. There's a little plastic housing about 18 inches down the cord from the headset itself, where there's a little knob that you can use to adjust the volume. There's also a little clip there so you can attach it to your shirt front or whatever. I use it all the time, and it's really convenient. However, recently whenever I change the volume, it creates a burst of static in the speakers as I rotate the knob, and the right speaker drops in and out as the knob turns. Depending on where I stop rotating the knob, the right speaker will remain silent until I squeeze the plastic knob housing or wiggle the knob a little. This is very annoying and frustrating. I'm going to have to buy a new headset soon. I guess if you use your headset less than me, you may not experience this kind of wear and tear. I use my headset for several hours a day almost every day. Still, I'm downgrading my rating to three stars for this headset. For $80 I expect better quality than this.This is a good headset if you can deal with those flaws. One other thing to mention for Mac users. The Mac OS, from Tiger through Lion, has a bug that will cause your voice to turn into an unintelligible and staticky robot voice if you talk for a certain amount of time. It seems to vary for different people. For me, it's almost exactly one hour. It's a bug that occurs with all USB headsets when used with Macs and is something to be aware of if you're a Mac owner. The Griffin iMic solves the problem and is probably worth the investment for many people.
Скроменый эксперт
23.02.2012
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Compared to other gaming headsets that I own, the Plantronics GameCom 780 Surround Sound Stereo PC Gaming Headset is, in several ways, a notch better. And well that should be for a poduct coming from a company that specializes in commercial headsets. Headsets that routinely take and survive a beating on the job. On the other hand, there are some surprising omissions with this product.The fit is nice and comfortable with plenty of padding. Although there is little to no ear pad ventilation so expect your ears to get a bit warm after a while. (Think of wearing ear muffs and you'll have the idea.) The GameCom 780 looks like it will hold up over time, but that remains to be seen.I especially appreciate that, while it is primarily intended as a gaming headset with included microphone, the software that comes with the GameCom 780 also supports music, movie and Dolby Digital audio--making it a versatile product for different kinds of audio sources. I tried it with two computer simulations, World of Subways Volume 3 and Train Simulator 2012. Setting the software to the surround sound game mode, the background subway noise in World of Subways, Volume 3 came alive. I couldn't pinpoint precisely where the talking and subway noises were coming from, but I felt immersed in the sounds. And that's the point, isn't it? Train Simulator 2012 wasn't quite as dramatic and three-dimensional, but the audio was acceptable.I switched the software to music mode and listened to several Internet radio stations and songs in my music library. I noticed that the bottom was a bit muddy. Overall the sound was not the same as it is with my higher quality Sennheisers and Koss pro headphones, but still perfectly acceptable especially considering the sources and the intent of the headset.I did not test the microphone, but that is on my "to do" list.There are a few features that I would have liked to see included on the unit.For one thing, the included Surround Software doesn't work with Macintosh computers. And that's a shame because the headset does indeed work with a Macintosh computer. In fact the exact model is recognized and reported by the OS X (Lion) Sound Control panel for both the headphones and the microphone. Alas, because of the Windows-only software there is no way, out the box, for Dolby Digital Surround Sound audio to work on a Mac. Given how Macs are used these days and their current popularity, this is a serious omission on Plantronic's part. Therefore I gave the Plantronics a one star penalty for this product. They should have been far more open minded about non-Windows support.There is no volume control on the headset cord (including one is something of a mixed bag, but they still are nice to have.) And there is no way that I could find to mute the microphone. And some USB headphones, as of late, have come with adapters that allow them to be plugged into MP3 player and other non-USB audio inputs/outputs. The GameCom 780 does not include this kind of adapter in the package. These are omissions missing from the GameCom 780 Headset that several competing, less pricey, gaming headsets include.Still, in terms of wearability, flexibility (especially if you are using the GameCom 780 with a Windows computer) the Plantronics GameCom 780 Surround Sound Stereo PC Gaming Headset gets a nod from me.
Скроменый эксперт
28.12.2012
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
I'd always bought Turtle Beach headsets in the past which were not the greatest quality as far as sound or durability. I decided to see if I had any other options and found these after following customer recommendations. I decided not to review them until I've had them at least 6 months. Now the time has come:Pros:+ Very comfortable. My gaming sessions can be incredibly long at times. I've never once felt discomfort anywhere on my head from the headset. The band over the head and earphones are covered in about an 1/2 - 1 inch layer of cushy foam. Sewn over that is a soft suede-like material. Earphones have a wide range of adjustment and enclose my entire ear.+ Durability. The cable is beefy. I haven't run over it with my chair yet since it isn't impractically long like other brands, but I imagine it could withstand more abuse than the cheap cables I've seen on other headsets. Each earphone can rotate about 90 degrees. This helps when the headset is set down in a hurry, accidentally jarred, etc. The rotation makes the earphones very hard to break from the head band portion.+ Sound quality. The microphone is such a good quality I can almost not stand to hear recordings of myself since it picks up EVERY little sound I make. Not the kind of quality I expected with a budget headset. I play Dayz a lot and can hear every in-game sound crystal clear and can accurately estimate the direction it came from. No complaints.Cons:- Included software. The volume control interface program that gets put onto your taskbar is simplistic and yet sometimes unresponsive to the on-board volume control. There is sometimes 2-3 second lag between my hitting the volume control (which is not a wheel that rotates, but a wheel-looking part that can only be forced up or down a few notches) and an actual change in volume. Feels a bit cheap and does not respond quickly.- Some construction concerns. There isn't really a conventional stress relief where the cable attaches to the earphone. So far it has not caused a problem, but it is a bit worrisome. I would also kind of like the mic to be on a flexible arm, but I'm nit-picking.Overall the pros far outweigh the cons. Within the price range I haven't encountered a headset that I've been happier with.
Скроменый эксперт
18.01.2013
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
These headphones looked like the ones for me- USB connection, extremely high ratings, and a good price. Shipped fast and in perfect condition, with easy setup too. They're comfortable, the microphone works great, and all that stuff.Unfortunately, I encountered one problem that, after two hours of Google searches, seems to plague many others with this headset- on all three computers in my house, two running Windows 7 Professional, 64-bit, and one running Vista Home Premium, 64-bit, the sound is extraordinarily loud at the computer's lowest volume. This seems to affect only 64-bit systems, which you can check by going to Start->Right click Computer->Properties under "System Type". As someone who is used to changing the volume via my wireless keyboard's buttons, leaving them alone and adjusting slider bars on iTunes, YouTube, various games, etc. is quite annoying. This sucks, because the headphones feel and otherwise work incredibly well.After messing around with some sound settings and emailing Plantronics, I think I'm going to have to suck it up because I love these headphones. I am going to try to get Plantronics to deal with this issue, because I doubt it is the headphones themselves. Without this problem, easily 5 stars though.EDIT: Well, an hour later and here I am making an edit. It appears that, on my computer (Windows 7 Professional 64-bit), installing the CD that comes with the headphones (it's the software to install the 7.1 surround sound) makes it so it has this volume problem, with the additional problem of playing sounds through the speakers when the computer is at zero volume. I am currently unsure what to do with this situation. I have no idea how nobody else has encountered this problem on Amazon before, seeing how widespread it is when I Googled it. More updates to come as I try to figure this out.EDIT 2: I returned these headphones a week later. The issues with it and my computer just didn't work for me. I am currently using a cheaper pair of Logitech headphones, but I am still looking at Plantronics for another set- preferably 3.5mm headphones that I will buy an adapter to use on my combo jack-equipped computer.
Скроменый эксперт
22.02.2012
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
I have been a big fan of headphone audio and do a lot of my listening through a Headroom DAC and headphone amplifier coupled with AKG 701s (open) or beyerdynamic 770s (sealed). I also play some multiplayer games online through Steam, especially Team Fortress 2. Oddly enough, I never had a gaming headset. I used my headphone amplifier for audio and used the microphone on a webcam for voice. While the audio was great through the USB DAC, the voice solution left a lot to be desired.So I jumped at the chance to try out a dedicated gaming headset. This Plantronics set acquits itself nicely.I downloaded the headset's management software from the Plantronics website. (Seriously, who installs drivers from CDs included with products anymore? They're always stale! Get the latest version from the website.) It installed without a hitch. When I then plugged in the USB cable, Windows 7 detected the headset and loaded up the drivers. The Plantronics software is incredibly simple and allows you to toggle the Dolby surround mode on and off as well as offering a selection of a music or gaming/movie profile. You can access it in the system tray on the lower right or via the control panel's audio device menu, where it adds a GameCom icon.I tried streaming some music through them from MediaMonkey, the audio software I use. It allows you to stream USB audio without involving the kernal mixer in Windows. I ran some lossless files through them. These are adequate for music in a pinch. It isn't really fair to compare them to the AKGs or beyerdynamics, and they don't come close. They are sealed headphones, so you don't get sound leakage (something that your spouse or roommate might appreciate); however, they do suffer from the typical acoustic problems many sealed headphones have. They're a bit chesty and boomy for music.But, wow, they're nice for gaming. With the Dolby surround switched on, I played some TF2 and Terraria. The audio is great for gaming. There's good detail retrieval, and the simulated surround actually seems to work well.The microphone works well, too. No problems getting it set up in Steam for voice chat or in TF2. People can hear me clearly now. That's a huge plus.The construction of the headset is decent. It's not quite as solid as the beyerdynamics, but it doesn't feel cheap either. The earcups are padded with a velvety fabric covering the foam donuts. The headband also is padded. I was able to wear them for a few hours without feeling discomfort.The controls on the headset are useful. The left earcup has a volume control, a mic on/off switch, and a switch that will toggle the Dolby effect. That last switch glows blue. The volume control beeps when you nudge it up or down, which is helpful because you can get a sense of where the volume is set before an explosion in-game blows your eardrums out.In all, this is a solid product. It looks decent and doesn't have all the hype graphics and extraneous endorsements that some competing products have. It really is a form-follows-function headset.I'm glad to have had the chance to use and review it. Given how well the microphone works, I'll probably check out their Bluetooth earpieces if I ever decide to get one of those.Recommended as a great value at the price point.
Скроменый эксперт
26.11.2012
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
I've used these for a month now and I've concluded they're perfect! I enjoy the full, powerful sound that comes from the LARGE and HIGH QUALITY drivers in this headset. The quality invested in the 40mm drivers makes all the difference.Music: my previous headset was a $35 corded stereo Philips headset. As much of a step up as those were from earbuds, the Plantronics 780 is just as big a jump in quality from the Philips. These far exceed the quality of $120 Turtlebeach headphones I've tried. Best I've heard.Surround Sound: (IMPORTANT)The 7.1 simulated surround sound is perfect. Don't believe those that claim "true surround sound" achieved by multiple drivers in each earphone is in any way superior. Your perception of the direction and distance of a sound is due to the difference in pitch, volume, and arrival time of the sounds in each ear. That's why having one large and high quality driver for each ear paired with sophisticated computer software to subtly alter pitch, volume and arrival time is the best surround experience you can get.Gaming: If you play a scary game with these on, wear adult diapers. If you play a competitive shooter (I played Blacklight Retribution) you're going to really appreciate the HD gunshots.Microphone: The flexible microphone arm is a MUST. An appropriate distance of the mic to your mouth (1 inch) makes the biggest difference in recording quality. I used it to voice record an audio book. The results sounded like I used a $60 dedicated microphone. With a little noise filtering in Audacity it might have been recorded on a $90 dedicated mic.Comfortability: I'm a big guy with a big cranium and a long neck. Most headphones strain my neck with their cumbersome weight and compress my skull with their small size. These are comfortable in comparison, though I still adjust them on my head a couple of times an hour. I appreciate the felt earphones breathing instead of sticking to my skin.Build Quality: If you don't want lint on them, don't drag them over wool blankets or through a field of foxtails. In a normal computer environment, they shouldn't have lint. These are sturdy and light at the same time. They look good, too.Overall, these are one of the best purchases I've made. The value and quality are tops. I can't imagine ever wanting an upgrade.
Скроменый эксперт
24.02.2013
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
These headphones are amazing! I have used them for multiple purposes. I work as a IT Help Desk agent. I have used so many other types of reasonably priced headphones and had so many complaints.The GameCom 780's are just great. They are very comfortable. Still not pillows on your ears but very comfortable (4/5), The appear to be amplified. I can actually hear the people when I used these for incoming calls at work. The surround sound is just ok. I mean I can see how they appear to be 5.1 and I know they are advertised as 7.1--but honestly they sound like a really nice stereo headset. I don't know if I would call them surround sound but I guess they are. When you press the Dolby button on the front-left-side, it turns blue and adds what I would refer to as "a really nice Dolby effect". It gives everything and open ambient sound, almost hollow but not quite empty. Still the sound quality is pretty nice. Clear Highs, mids, and nice lows (not overpowering). I have used them for gaming, and media as well. Sound-wise I would give these (4/5). The mic seems to work great. It is not noise cancelling and will pick up everything in the room. You may need to adjust it's setting, but it does work really well. It also flexes into position and swivels up/down. It is not removable and the cord is attached to it's base. The mic I would give (4/5). The head phone cups do swivel back, but with the way they flex on the headband--I honestly don't see why you would use that feature. I have been a professional Hip-Hop DJ for 15 years and I can see that they were trying to adapt the same feature found in DJ headphone, but the design somehow seems too rigid and clumsy. The cord seems strong and the headphones themselves seem fairly well made. Again, quality wise I would give them (4/5). The cord is fairly long but I use a desktop mounted powered USB hub that they plug into.I would definitely recommend these to a friend. For the price, they are fantastic!
Скроменый эксперт
02.01.2013
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
We own five of these, so that right there should tell you quite a bit about how we feel about this headset.Are you going to get studio quality sound out of these? Of course not - they're meant to be a basic headset/microphone for use with a computer, with an emphasis towards voice quality since the microphone boon implies that these will be used with products like Skype, TeamSpeak, Ventrilo and the like.I think these deliver excellent sound for the price, both incoming through the headphones and outgoing through the mic. Those I chat with say my speech is clear and ungarbled, easy to hear without constant changes in volume. I'm able to hear voices, or music, quite nicely through these.I also will mention - I have very small ears, and finding earbuds or headphones that I can wear comfortably is a HUGE issue for me. These are the only headphones I've found that I can actually wear for several hours without trouble. My husband, who has more normal sized ears, says they are very comfortable for him as well.I really like the boom mic on this headset, too - I like that I can position it as needed, and easily move it out of my way when it's not needed. I've had a few headsets where it felt like the mic boom was somehow "pulling" the headset forward with its weight - something I never understood, I mean, just how heavy does a mic really need to be?? These don't give that sensation at all... they feel very balanced.These do have a fairly tight fit on the head. It's easy enough to stretch them out a bit simply by putting them over the arm of a sofa (or something similar) overnight. As long as you wear them somewhat regularly after that, they'll maintain the stretched sizing. If unused, they will go back to being nearly as tight as they were at time of purchase... that might actually be a bonus to some buyers. It's of course a simple matter to stretch them again if needed.So yes, we like these so much we own five sets. We use them with all of our computers/laptops, and it gives us spares for when a set eventually gives out.We consider these to be an excellent product for the price. We're definitely getting good value out of them.
Скроменый эксперт
21.02.2013
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Before owning these I owned Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 and Corsair Vengeance 2000. I'm a big fan of wireless headsets, and went back to corded headsets only because I had to ask myself - was it worth the extra money? For me, it wasn't. For whatever reason I probably destroy a headset every 18 months, so they don't last super long in my house.Suffice to say this is a good product when compared to Logitech and Corsair. I think the Corsair was more comfortable. The Logitech got too hot for my ears. I think I prefer cloth it doesn't get as hot when you play hours-on-end like I do. I had these for a few days now and I did find that my ears did hurt a bit from wearing them too long. Also the cord to this headset is always getting in my way - I wish it was a bit longer and didn't have the kinks & crimps in the cable from the plastic cable. I'm not sure how to describe that - the cable isn't perfectly straight, from being wound up it comes out all kinked when you try to straighten it. A minor issue and maybe I can fix if I hang up the headset & cord over a door for a few days but I don't have time for that.Aside from those minor issues, in which it loses 1 star, I think the sound quality is great. No complaints. For the cost, it's pretty reasonable on Amazon at around $54 - which is half of what I spent on the Logitech and still a savings over the Corsair. The problem with wireless headsets is that if you are an avid gamer you are charging them all the time - and if you forget to charge it, and try to play the next day often you are playing with a corded headset because it is charging while you are playing. Also the battery life of wireless is good, but it degrades over time. What starts as a good 8 hour battery a year later is a good 5 hour battery. If you play games, like I do, all night, you want 8+ hours of gaming uninterrupted, which is why I went back to corded headsets. But, to each their own.
Скроменый эксперт
25.04.2012
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
The first thing I noticed about these headphones was the solid feel that they had. They aren't heavy but feel solid. The cord seems like a standard USB cable to me which is heavier than most headphone cables and therefore should last longer as well. On the left earphone you have an attached microphone, mute switch, volume rocker switch, and Dolby activation button with LED indicator. Some headphones that I have used in the past seemed to rest enough on my earlobes to make them hurt after a while. That does not happen with these headphones. Each side swivels allowing them to lay perfectly flat on your head. They totally cover my ears with their velvety padding resting comfortably on my noggin. I can wear these for hours comfortably without them bothering me. They are not totally enclosed allowing you the ability to hear sounds around you still. That may be a good or bad thing; it comes down to personal preference.The instructions said to plug the headphone in and then install the software. That is the opposite of what you usually do for a USB device. Then when you go look at the USB plug it is covered with a sticker that says to install the software first. That is a pretty crappy mistake to be making in your already minimal documentation. One part I was unsure of was how you were supposed to configure the headphones to be sure you were getting the proper simulated surround sound effect. The software that installs only has Dolby on and off along with a Mode setting for Game/Movie or Music. I wrote to Plantronics and asked the following and got this reply fairly quickly.Question:If you go to the speaker icon down by the clock in Windows 7, right click the icon, select playback devices, select the GameCom headset, click the configure button below, does 7.1 need to be selected here or doesn't it matter?Answer:Yes, to get the full 7.0 surround sound it needs to be configured for 7.1.So that is another area that the documentation could have been improved.As far as the sound produced I think it is not bad but could be improved. The Dolby effect doesn't really impress me and for a lot of things I think it sounds better with it turned off. I don't notice an improved surround effect vs. other regular headphones. It just seems to add an echo effect to me. Also the overall sound while sounding good is relatively flat sounding. If the software had an equalizer I think it would add a lot to how these could sound. Don't misinterpret that as they sound bad, I still think they sound good overall. Turned up to their max they are louder than you'd want to experience for an extended period of time and have minimal distortion.Overall I would recommend these headphones for their decent sound and high comfort level. I don't think I am the only one asking for some kind of equalizer to be added to the software so hopefully Plantronics can implement it down the road in an update.
Скроменый эксперт
03.04.2013
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
I bought the plantronics GameCom 780 headset to be used with video-making on my YouTube channel. I was a little skeptical of the headset as it was only 50$ but seemed to be good quality and have dolby surround sound. But I took the chance, and GEE I am happy I did.My headset came in about 3-days time (regular shipping!), it was very nicely packaged with some bubble-wrap and was in its factory shipped box. When I opened up the box everything was perfect, nothing seemed to be broken.It took me about 1 minute in total to download the software for the surround sound and hook the headset in. It uses a USB cord, so it can be used with your ps3, but the mic is not compatible with the ps3, only the sound.The side buttons help a TON. When a family member walks in on me, I can quickly mute my mic with the buttons on the left cup. The volume control is also very smooth and works nicely, as when you raise the volume there is a sound and vice versa.The surround sound button turns a light blue when you turn it on and makes a "ding dong" sound when it is turned on.Overall it is a great headset, mine is still in perfect condition.Pros:- Buttons on ear-cup are VERY helpful- The ear cups are plush and have a velvet feel, they are thick making long gaming sessions, or work sessions a walk on the beach.- The USB cord makes it very easy to switch to and from consoles or computers.- The surround sound works amazing- The wiring, and overall headset is of high quality, and feels strong.Cons:- The velvet-ish fabric on the ear muffs does collect dust/hair so I suggest having a clean enviorment or a lint brush. Its not a major detail but some people like it clean.My rating? 5/5
Скроменый эксперт
03.01.2013
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
It's hard to be the voice of discontent against so many positive reviews, but I didn't find this headset to be all that others claim it to be and ended up sending it back and replacing it with a pair of Logitech G35's.I've been using a pair of Sennheisers for the last 7 years and I thought that technology had gotten to the point where I could invest in something that would go beyond stereo at a reasonable price. I'm a frugal man, so after seeing so many positive reviews, I went with this pair of headphones.The first thing I noticed when I got the item was that the ear cups are much smaller than any previous "over-the-ear" headphones I've ever owned or used. My ears are not abnormally large, but I had to finesse my ears to fit inside the cups and I found it uncomfortable. By contrast, my Sennheisers fit completely over my ears with room to spare, so does the Logitech G35's ear cups. The small ear cups were my #1 reason for returning this headset.Sound quality was OK, but not awesome. I'm no audiophile, but I guess I've been spoiled by my Sennheisers, because the sound in these headphones wasn't noticeably better in any way. Also, the surround sound just didn't sound very pronounced or obvious. I was really hoping that this would give me the feeling of full immersion in my games, but I could barely tell if there was any surround sound at all. In defense of Plantronics, my Logitech G35s provide the same limited amount of "surround sound", so I suppose this is common with low-end 5.1/7.1 headphones.I will admit that if your audio experience has been limited to desktop speakers or simple headsets, then this will absolutely blow you away. This pair of headphones sounds WAY better than my desktop speakers by a long shot. For the price, they are a very nice sound option. Just be aware of the small ear cups, as that's the one and only real thing I can fault them on. I probably would've kept these had they been made larger.
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