Stereo Bluetooth Headset Face-Off: Plantronics Pulsar 590A vs. IOGear GBMHKIT

Bluetooth headsets have traditionally been used where complexity is not a requirement, such as in mono phone calls. The times are a changin', however, and the Plantronics Pulsar 590A and IOGear GBMHKIT are two examples of the new breed of stereo Bluetooth headset, which aims to compete at the same level as our existing ear warmers.

Bluetooth is all about mobility in operation, and while the Pulsar 590A obviously has to be larger than its little brothers to accommodate full stereo sound, Plantronics has gone to town on the foldable joints. This has produced a relatively small stereo headset that can fold up in about a half a dozen ways, with earphones that sit on rather than covering the ear itself.

You can swing the arm up into the headband and rotate the earphones; generally speaking, you won't find it too difficult to get the Pulsar 590A to fit snugly into a laptop bag. The set is adjustable to fit most heads, and is so lightweight that you won't notice anything after even a few hours of use. The advantage of having earphones which sit over the ear rather than covering it, is that you're not likely to feel like your head has been stuffed inside a rubber balloon after prolonged use.

The controls for the headset itself are located on the right hand earphone. These controls allow you to turn the set on and off, pair up with a Bluetooth device, mute the volume, turn the volume up and down, and skip tracks using buttons that surround the central part of the control surface. Finally, there is a button that allows you to quickly switch from listening to music to take an incoming phone call, and then switch back to your music when you're finished.

The onboard controls are rather smart, and once again highlight the mobile advantages of using a Bluetooth headset. They are out of the way, but still accessible, and allow you to control your phone or music without having to reach for a separate remote control. There is also an onboard, omnidirectional microphone, which is again on the right earphone.

The headset gives you messages using a simple series of flashing blue and red lights. When it's charging, it will tell you if the battery is low, half or fully charged by flashing red once, red twice or by staying blue, respectively. Similar flashes show you when it is pairing or paired with another Bluetooth device. It is a simple and effective way of communicating the status of the headset without having to stick something silly like an LED screen on the left earphone.