A new headset? That sounds like a good idea--especially when it's the new Plantronics .Audio 655 USB Headset. It's the first headset to support Skype's SILK super wideband audio codec, which was introduced with Skype 4.0. Is the sound from the .Audio 655 SILKy smooth? Read on for my review...

First Impressions

The first thing I noticed about the Plantronics .Audio 655 headset is how comfortable it is to wear. It's certainly on the large side, but the big ear pads fit my head comfortably and the sides easily adjusted to fit just right. The earpads cover your ears but they don't isolate noise, so you can still hear a little bit of what's going on around you. The fit is tight enough to be comfortable but loose enough to ensure that your ears don't get too hot. They have a long cable (2m), so you have some freedom to move around, and they're quite lightweight (however they don't fold, which makes them a bit less convenient to travel with but more comfortable to wear in my opinion). Setting up the headset with Skype was a breeze--I just plugged it in and Skype immediately recognized it and automatically adjusted my mic level.

Functionality

I tested out the Plantronics .Audio 655 for over a week in my office, using it for long and short regular Skype calls, SkypeOut calls and conference calls. My longest call was over 90 minutes and headset remained comfortable the entire time--I barely noticed I was wearing it. The noise cancelling 'QuickAdjust' microphone boom comes down on the left side of your face, and very conveniently mutes itself when you push it up and out of the way. There are also volume controls on the left side of the headset, so you don't need to fumble within your computer's audio settings or Skype to adjust your volume quickly.

The Plantronics .Audio 655 is the first Skype Certified headset that supports Skype's SILK super wideband audio codec, and I could notice the difference that SILK made. The sound quality during my calls, particularly for Skype-to-Skype calls, was really good--people nearly sounded like they were in the room with me. The speakers in the .Audio 655 headset are 40mm and are of very high quality--they reproduce bass really well and never sounded tinny.

Conclusion

All in all, I thought this was a great headset. I generally prefer USB headsets over regular headsets because they bypass your computer's sound card--I find that the digital connection tends to sound better. This combined with the enhanced audio from the SILK super wideband audio codec makes the Plantronics .Audio 655 truly somethinig worth getting excited about. Hopefully we'll see more headsets taking advantage of the SILK codec soon. You can learn more about the Plantronics .Audio 655 on Plantronics's site here, and in a review on Pocket Lint here. The Plantronics .Audio 655 will be available in the Skype Shop soon.