I don’t use many Bluetooth headsets – I rarely drive – but I found the Discover 975 to be a welcome addition to the headset pantheon. Unlike larger – or, dare I say, smaller – headsets the D975 seems just the right size for easy insertion and removal and it is unobtrusive enough to avoid the dreaded Bluetooth Douchebag Syndrome (BDS), a disease that slowly affects the human male causing them to purchase a Motorola headset with a blinking light and wear it all the damn time and cause them to, in no particular order: purchase those stickers showing a nuclear family with two parents and X kids for their Hummer, wear golf shirts, and talk loudly about how they’re getting “brews” at CostCo.
That said, the 975 is manly enough for those who occasionally need a quick Bluetooth fix and the case with built-in battery encourages storage when not in use. With the charging case you will get about 35 hours of talk time. Without it you’ll get about five.
As I said before, I won’t be testing this but I’d like to send it to a citizen reviewer. Tell me how you will avoid BDS in comments and I will send you this to write about. Sound good? Sound off!
I promise to not be a douchebag by drinking scotch instead of “brew.” (I like my scotch how I like my women..18 and single.) By walking or biking to work (you’re already a douchebag if you drive a hummer, bluetooth or not.) And by testing the device with my iphone and ps3 at times/places that won’t disturb others.
ROFL.
I wish to become a proud Citizen Reviewer. I have a real need for a bluetooth headset. I have a 1 1/2 hour commute on train and bus. I have to have some type of headset in order to hear anything.
I promise to give a thorough report on a NON BDS stand point, and I promise to keep it in the case and avoid the Cyborg syndrome.
L
I will avoid BDS by wearing one of those large rainbow-colored afro wigs (to cover the headset) that one used to see at sporting events. I won’t, however, carry around a sign that says “John 3:16.”
I do drive (about 25 minutes to one client), and about town. I’ve ditched my old motorola headset and would love to test that new Plantronics one.
Since I learned these guys did the wireless gear for the Apollo missions, I’ve started taking them more seriously.
I’m currently working with an old beat Jabra that is in dire need of upgrade. I strive to not catch BDS by only wearing the set when in use. While I know using it for all calls may indicate the onset of BDS I am only looking out for my overall health. Please refer to http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/02/cell.phone.elbow/index.html for an important safety advisory.
I am looking for a BT unit for my Pre. I hate holding the thing while driving and my city just passed a hands-free law in school zones, which I drive through on the way to work. I had considered the Voyager 510, but would love the opportunity to try this in the manner it is intended, to keep your hands free off the phone while driving, not looking like a pompous schmuck thinking they are important while standing in the line at wally-world to buy corn chips and diapers.
I spend between 2.5 – 3 hours in the car everyday commuting. Having a BT is vital for me especially since in certain areas it is a ticketable offense to use a phone without handsfree. I’ve been using a Motorola H375 which has been a lot better than the last Motorola set I used. That being said I’ve lost the rubber ear piece that that keeps the speaker from boring into your cranium through the ear canal. Needless to say it doesn’t fit in my ear correctly and makes using it a study in practiced torture. I have been looking for a replacement but I’m loathe to sink money into a device that won’t last. I would really appreciate the opportunity to test drive this headset and share my opinion with my fellow gadget-philes.
I drive some 35 miles to and from work and I have been frantically calling loan officers and realtors in order to make a sale. I have an older Plantronics bluetooth headset that has an extended boom, and the noise reduction is shit. I would love nothing more than to help see if Plantronics can get it right.
BDS, I’ll have to add that to the Lexicon.
It’s not the headset that makes one a douche, it’s where they wear it. As long as it’s not in public then you’re fine. The only approved places really are in the car or at home with all the blinds shut:
http://bluetoothdouchebag.com/about-hfh/
I would love to be a citizen reviewer. I drive a lot for my job and ONLY use a headset when in the car. Nothing is worse than someone who is talking on a headset in a store or a hotel. Use it only in the car and you do not look like a douche you look like a safe driver.
Cambridge Consultants, the folks behind Bluetooth™ technology, are releasing xIDE for Interface Express™, an embedded Bluetooth™ application development toolkit.
Tech developers like Plantronics can now accelerate a product’s time to market, gaining access to more performance and more memory to support multi-profile Bluetooth applications without the need for a costly host-processor, saving them precious development costs.
See for yourself: http://www.cambridgeconsultants.com/news_pr249.html
I think that this will come in real handy when I take my seat on one of those death panels — oops — that was supposed to be secret. Oh well, it will match the color of my new robe and the rest of the star chamber — oh crap, was not supposed to reveal that either. Never mind. I will use this to call me elder mom — send it quick.
I got into a confrontation with some a**hole at the airport who was suffering from BDS. Here I was walking down the terminal, minding my own business, when I pass a coffee shop and some dbag starts yelling at me from a foot away. So I stop, turn around, and confront him the prick. Dumbass did a total double take, had no idea what had offended me because it apparently never occurred to him that screaming at people passing by with a bluetooth device concealed in his ear *might* just piss people off since they think they’re being yelled at. I’ll use the 975 as ammunition the next time I run across one of these guys by hucking it full tilt at their open ear. That’s how I’ll avoid BDS and do some good for the public welfare while I’m at it. Print it.
I own the predicessor to this headset, the Discovery 925. This new headset, the 975, improves on an already very good product. Having an LCD on the charger is really nice and being able to talk outdoors in windy conditions was my biggest gripe. Other than that, its pretty much the same headset with outstanding call quality and very comfy to wear. I will be buying it soon.
I may unknowingly exhibit BDS already. Going places with both a baby and a preschooler I end up wearing my BT headset all the time, not just in the car — when your hands are full it’s a godsend to answer the phone with a quick ear-tap! Unfortunately I can’t resist features so my current Jabra BT8010 headset is ginormous with vibrating alert, LED caller ID display and a huge silver rotary control knob: http://tinyurl.com/bt8010pic
I suspect that my wife is no fan of my current headset. Besides dropping small hints (”PLEASE take that thing out of your ear while we’re eating”) I think she occasionally makes ugly faces at it….though I can’t be certain since it’s hard to see out of the corner of my eye and over the bulk of the headset.
It gets worse: for music the headset pairs with an almost-as-big slave earpiece for stereo sound. Now that I am aware of BDS I wish to take preventive action before I succumb to DBDS (Double DBS) and look like this guy: http://tinyurl.com/bt8010pairpic
Please, Mr. Biggs, allow me the chance to try the 925 and, at least for a few fleeting review days, live like a normal non-BDS person despite wearing a headset everywhere I go. I’m sure my oft-embarrassed wife will thank you as well.
I am a field technician for three major computer company’s, I currently own the plantronics 925 and think it’s the greatest headset I have ever owned. I am on the phone all the time and would love to test the new Discovery 975 my review would BIOS. My review would be based on battery life, sound quality and functions.
I Promise not to be a douche by:
a. I don’t drink so screw saying brew.
b. It’s all about attitude I’m a painter so theres not a whole lot to get snooty about.
c. this freaking economy is strapping me for cash so the only way I can test this little gem is to citizen review it.
also I am quite familiar with bt headsets having used most of the earlier motorola units, several plantronics models, the lame apple bt headset, various blueant, jabra & logitech headsets so I feel well qualified to review this unit for you
Bluetooth Douchebag Syndrome (BDS) is a little known condition that mainly affects males. Symptoms include the delusion that the bigger the blinking blue ear-bling, the cooler the person is. Other symptoms may include psychosis and random outbursts, compelling the subject to project ones voice as loud as possible, together with the appearance of talking to oneself or an imaginary friend.
In order to avoid BDS, one should:
1. Reduce consumption of “foo-foo” caffeinated drinks with names that are too long to even tweet (e.g. Double Ristretto Venti, Half-Soy, Nonfat, Decaf, Vanilla Double-Shot, Gingerbread Frappuccino, Extra Hot With Foam Whipped Cream Upside Down Double Blended)
2. Seek out professional help to get treated for any insecure feelings relating to one’s self-esteem or the need to compensate for any shortcomings.
3. Avoid name-dropping in public and claiming to be “friends” with celebrities just because you follow them and receive their tweets.
4. Get ears checked to ensure hearing is balanced on both sides. Add load-balancer if necessary.
5. Read TechCrunch and CrunchGear on a more regular basis.
I’d love to test drive this thing. BDS is seriously annoying, and I try my best to avoid looking like a douche bag while using my headset. How? Easy:
First, I shut off that silly blinking light. Often times, I find myself having to use my headset in public, especially after work when walking home with groceries/gym bag/briefcase. Shutting off that light helps in hiding the fact that I am wearing a bluetooth headset. BDSers are oblivious to the fact that they look like tools when wearing headsets, and actually enjoy that blue light.
Second, I never, EVER wear and use my headset while holding my phone. Why not extend my arm upward and place the phone against my ear? BDSers can often be seen holding their cell phone while talking on their bluetooth headset. Even worse, some even hold their cellphone with one hand while mushing the bluetooth headset securely in place with the other! How silly is that?!? Using a cell phone is a one-handed activity (uhh…). If you need two hands to talk on the phone, you are doing it wrong! Even further, the beauty of bluetooth headsets is that it frees both hands, allowing you to occupy them with other things (uhhhhh…)
Third and finally, if my hands are free, and I feel the need to use my bluetooth headset in public (often times because these things offer excellent noise canceling, and many MANY cell phones do not have such features built in), I place the headset in my ear when I receive a call, and remove it when I am done. BDSers will wear their headsets all day long. In fact, one of my worst encounters with a BDSer was in a movie theater when this dude wore his headset DURING the movie. Yes, it was blinking! Let’s be real. These things are not comfortable for more than an hour. NONE of them. I don’t care how squishy the earbud is, having something hanging off of your ear is not natural, and will thus become painful after a while. Furthermore, I can’t help but giggle every time I read a review where the person says, “It’s so comfortable, you forget you’re wearing it!”. Yeah right. How can anyone forget you have a hook across your ear lobe, and/or a piece of rubber shoved into your ear canal. Save yourself the ear ache, and wear your headset sparingly. Thankfully, the 975, 925, Jawbone Prime (and others) are very easy to place and remove with one hand because of how their earbuds are designed.
With that said, I think I would do this review justice. I know bluetooth headsets inside and out, and I have a broad knowledge base help me expertly critique the Plantronics Discovery 975. I would test it’s sound quality on a noisy street corner, in a public bus, while driving, and against wind and music. Yes, I get that using a headset in some of these locales would make me look like a big fat douche bag, but I will take that risk to write a great review. I would use my iPhone 3G, Android Developer Phone (HTC Magic G1), and my Macbook to test it’s connectivity.
John Biggs and Crunchgear, I am ready to do this!
Thanks,
Wes
Ok here’s a review of the headset first and NOT BDS.
Clarity is excellent for incoming and outgoing calls in the non-BDS environment (car, home, office). The only complaint you could say this bluetooth has is in really noisy situations this headset doesn’t perform as well as the plantronics pro or the jawbone, but it still offers a good amount of noise reduction. There are some bluetooth headsets that does look big and ugly, this is the few that doesn’t.
As for guys who look at BDS, MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. You guys are acting like little high school girls who eyes out every other girl that’s not as pretty as you. Pathetic. Ok the movies and the blinking light I get and the Starbucks guy, but still if they’re wearing it aren’t bothering you then don’t get your panties in a bunch.
Tip for making you not look like a BDS. Get a sleek looking bluetooth like one of these. If on call you could put your finger on your bluetooth and it’ll really look like you’re on a call instead of you looking like you’re talking to yourself.