Plantronics Headset MX153-M1 for Mobile Phones

Rating:
Summary: Light, comfortable, great for eyeglass wearers, good sound.
Review: Pros: Light and comfortable, very good microphone clarity, good earpiece sound.
Con: Somewhat difficult to wear; no earpiece volume amplification and microphone mute button.

I purchased a Plantronics MX153-M1 (for $22 at an family-run electronics store a few blocks away from J&R Music and Computer World), the version of the MX150 made specifically for Motorola phones - v60, v70, v120, T720 and later phones. The MX153-M1 adds a push-button towards the upper-middle of its cord that enables the headset wearer to dial the last-dialed number, use voice-activated dialing, answer calls, and end calls without touching the phone. The MX153-N1 and MX153-N3 are push-button versions of the MX150 for Nokia phones. The base MX150 itself does not have the push-button and associated functionality.

The MX150's earbud is anchored to the wearer's ear by a soft rubber grip that wraps under and essentially clips the earlobe (pinna). It takes several seconds to fit the earbud and pivot the microphone boom to their proper angles; this must be done each time the wearer puts on the headset. The disadvantage of this fitting requirement is that if you are not already wearing the headset when your phone starts ringing, you are better off answering your phone the old-fashion way. Once fitted however, the MX150 is light and comfortable to point of being unnoticeable. The MX150's FlexGrip design (shared by the Plantronics MX100 family) is better than ear-loop designs that can get in the way of eyeglasses and sunglasses; headband designs that can pull on the wearer's hair; and classic earbud designs that can easily fall off. People with earrings may not be comfortable with the MX150 because of its grip on the ear's pinna.

In contrast to generic headset microphones that often make the wearer sound distant, the MX150's microphone performance is very good and makes the wearer sound clear and close to the phone. The noice-cancelling microphone does a good job of eliminating ambient noise - even inside a moving New York City subway car. The MX150 family does not have microphone volume control and microphone mute functions.

Earpiece performance is good. The MX150 lacks earpiece volume control, relying instead on the phone's volume control functions. As with any headset design lacking self-powered earpiece volume amplification, ambient noise may be an issue in open or noisy environments, e.g. a busy New York City street or subway car.

The MX150's price competition is with the Jabra ProBoom. The latter has battery-powered earpiece volume amplification, but consumers should carefully weigh this great advantage against the MX150's fit and weight benefits. The two competitors also differ in push-button support. The MX150 family has push-button models for Motorola and Nokia phones, while the ProBoom family has push-button models for Nokia and Samsung phones.

Of the three Plantronics headsets that I have purchased (the other two being the M175 and M100), the MX153-M1 is the best one that I have yet used.