Plantronics Pulsar 590A Bluetooth Headset Review

What?s in the box?

For a street price of around $115, the Pulsar 590A comes loaded with everything you need to get you up and communicating using your favorite devices. Along with the Headset, you get a cool looking Travel Case, a USB Charging Cable, a handy In-flight Cable, and a Desktop Charging Stand.

The Plantronics Pulsar 590A headset natively supports the Bluetooth Audio Distribution Profile for wireless stereo listening. The (A2DP) Advanced Audio Distribution Profile in Bluetooth specifies the protocols and procedures that define the distribution of high quality audio content, in either mono or stereo on ACL (Asynchronous Connectionless link) channels. Devices that do not support the A2DP profile must use the included Plantronics universal adapter. Since most devices and PC adapters don?t natively support this profile, having an included adapter makes a huge difference in the performance of this headset and with your wallet.

When we examine the Plantronics Pulsar 590A, it has the look and feel of a high-end quality audio device. The weight is solid, but not too heavy sitting on your head. Even though the cushioned drivers seem a bit thin, the headset was comfortable to wear during long periods.

Plantronics does a really good job of incorporating headset controls with lighted status indicators. On the right side of the headset, the indicator light alerts you of a number of different things: battery level, charging status, paring status, and connect/talk status. You will also find microphone/voice tube on this side. It telescopes to get out of your way when you are just listening and not trying to communicate. We found this feature to be very nice as it makes the headset compact and versatile.

A full set of headset controls are found on the right-side headset as well. Even though the protocol doesn?t yet exist, the Pulsar 590A has controls to forward and reverse tracks that you are listening to via Bluetooth. There are also volume controls that work independently of the source you are listening to. Also on this side, you will find the power switch, Mute/Play button, and the Call Control button. The Call button allows you to swap from your audio source to a cell phone easily.

Out of the box, it took about 3 hours for us to initially charge the headset. A great feature that Plantronics has included is the multiple ways you can charge the Pulsar depending on your location or mood. First up, Plantronics includes a standard AC adapter that you can plug directly into the headset to charge. The adapter was the same that is used to charge some of their other Bluetooth headsets such as the Discovery 640. Also included is a very cool looking Desktop Charging Stand that you can store and charge your headset. You can ideally place this charger next to your computer or favorite AV device to charge the headset once you are finished using the set. Lastly, Plantronics includes a USB charging cable that is lightweight to allow you to charge the Pulsar 590A and the Universal Adaptor from your PC or laptop. All of these different powering options make using the Pulsar 590A headset very convenient for home, work, or during travel.