Plantronics Blackwire C325-M Review

Unboxing: The new Plantronics Blackwire 300 Series. Plantronics will sell these in bulk via the case. Call One, however, will break cases and sell as 1ea. Blackwire 300 Series come packaged in bubble wrap, well at least headset portion. USB cable/inline control are wrapped in a plastic baggie. This Blackwire C325-M included is Quick Start Guide and pretty nice, mesh-like storage bag with zipper.

Headset: I am evaluating the dual ear Plantronics Blackwire C325-M model optimized for Microsoft Lync. Looks just like the other 300 series except for two differences: leatherette ear cushions and foldable speakers that allow the headset to lay flat. The microphone boom is flexible however it does NOT have a 360-degree rotation.

USB Inline Control: It’s standard inline control. Call Answer/Hang Up button, Volume Up/Down and Mute. Placement of inline is actually higher up/closer to the headset so it’s not down by my foot. It’s in a more accessible location/position. The answer/hang up button didn’t work. I can’t seem to answer or hang up using inline control. The Mute button works well.

Comfort: It’s “ok”. The Plantronics Blackwire C325-M is not the most comfortable, however, not uncomfortable either. I headband does seem to feel like it’s digging into the top of my head.

Set Up: USB headset, plugged it in and allowed drivers to be installed. It is Lync optimized so once the device was ready for use, it became an Audio Device option via Lync client.

It’s also detected via Plantronics software:

AudioQuality: It’s “ok”. Not spectacular but it works. I can hear and be heard. The person on the other side stated I sounded “muffled”. I’ll make a few more calls to identify if isolated or not. Other calls state I sound good and clear.

Summary: Not certain how this product is priced compared to existing Blackwire 300 Series however, I’m assuming it will be lower price point than Blackwire 500 and 700 Series. After just an hour of wear, I find myself wanting to take it off. The headband feels like its digging into my head. May I just have a pointy head. Also, it feels like it’s squeezing my head. I’m certain after a few days it will loosen up.