Problem: A customers recently called us because they heard an echo or their voice when using their Plantronics CS55 wireless headset.  It was working fine yesterday and now all of a sudden this echo appeared.

Solution: This is a problem that customers have had with their Plantronics CS55 wireless headsets and other similar CS wireless models (e.g. CS70N, CS351N) and a simple fix is to make sure the compatibility dial, located to the left of the base, is properly set.  The indicator, set at 3 o’clock, normally points to #1 (that covers 90% of phones) on that dial but you may need to use one of the other 3 settings for optimum clarity.  It should never be set between numbers.  The right compatibility setting is crucial to the proper operation of your Plantronics CS55 wireless headset.  On occasion you or someone else in your office may bump the unit and not realize the the dial has been slightly turned.

Question: What types of businesses really buy headsets?  I mean, I’m just a small one-man operation and a headset is quite an investment.  Do I really need a headset?

Answer: Well, aside from all the reports on the safety and ergonomic benefits of headsets, (click here for ergo benefits), they really do help you conduct your business in a more efficient manner.

Here are some of the businesses that buy our headsets:

Doctors, lawyers and accountants, oh my!  Auto parts stores, mechanics, bikers, hang gliders, L.A. commuters and even that granny from Pasadena.  Museums, manufacturing plants, distribution warehouses, Texas ranchers who need to stay connected on their thousand-acre spreads, Starbucks® coffee drinkers, massage parlors, the I.R.S. and every branch of government…and yes, even that backbone of American enterprise, the one-to-five-person small business operation.

And don’t forget…you can count it as a business expense.

First there are two types of Audio IQ.  AudioIQ makes wireless conversations effortless and pleasant, regardless of the environment. For incoming calls, AudioIQ automatically adapts to background noise levels and intelligently improves the receive quality, clarity and volume level. For outgoing calls, AudioIQ reduces background noise for listeners up to 7-8 decibels, or by approximately 50 percent. It also minimizes interference from artifacts such as speech distortions to maintain exceptionally clear voice intelligibility.  AudioIQ² makes use of two microphones–one that’s focused on your speech and the other that picks out distracting background sounds, such as road hum and construction noise–then compares data from the two microphones and eliminates the unwanted sounds, leaving your unique voice free to be heard clearly and naturally.

WindSmart provides wind-noise reduction technology for optimal sound clarity. It’s highly recommended for calls made outside (or in moving vehicles with open windows).

Q: Will my Plantronics CS55/HL10 work with either a digital or analog phone system?

A: With the CS55/HL10 combination you will be connecting the wireless headset base to the phone where the handset is connected.  Think of it as a wireless extension of your handset. By reconnecting your handset to the front of your wireless headset base you now have a choice between headset and handset.

This will work with either a digital phone, like Cisco or Nortel, or an analog phone, like Avaya Partner or what you would have at home. Remember, if you are using this at home, your phone cannot have remote cordless units or any features on the handset.

After talking to Plantronics tech support, regarding the MOC headsets, we learned the following:

HW251N-USB (discontinued) - The same as the one below but not MOC certified – QD and hardwired versions.

HW251N/DA (digital audio) M (microsoft) – Single ear with QD feature - MOC certified, has the firmware to default to MOC plug & play and compatible with their hookswitch capability.
HW261N/DA M – Same as above but two ear model.

HW111N USB M – The less expensive version of the ones above – Single ear, no QD – MOC certified
HW121N USB M – Same, dual ear

Plantronics  said the headsets above that are MOC certified loose their hookswitch capabilities on non-MOC software. The reverse is true for applications such as the DA45/H251N. With the persono suite and regular softphone software the hookswitch feature is supported but that is lost on MOC applications.

DA261N and DA261N USB – “D” signifies that these are true stereo headsets. The USB model does not support hookswitch.