The M100 is a stylish and compact dual microphone Bluetooth headset from Plantronics. The Plantronics Voyager PRO UC I reviewed earlier gave one of the best experiences but having the microphone boom design may not fit everyone’s taste. To those who prefer a more compact Bluetooth headset, take a look at the Plantronics M100.
As you can see from my photo below, the M100 is really small and it actually weighs only 9 grams which is really amazing.
The design is quite slick too in a matte finish with blue stripe lines in front of the body. It does not feel silly wearing the M100 in the office, in the car, or even when I’m on the road.
It comes with different sizes of ear tips and also an optional ear hook (so you can hook the M100 up to your ear to make it more stable like in my pictures). I find that the M100 is pretty stable even without the ear hook on. The gel ear tips are also comfortable even after wearing the M100 for quite some time. The M100 can also be used in either left or right ear.
There is a multifunction button on the center of the body which makes it easier to access. Press once to answer a call. Hold it for a couple of seconds and you can do a voice command through the phone. Hold it longer for Bluetooth pairing, and so on. Unfortunately, the volume button is following this design approach. There is only 1 button to control the volume and the volume level goes in steps. So to go to the lowest volume, you need to press the button a few times to go past the maximum level and another press to go back to the lowest. I’d prefer a separate button to raise and lower the volume but this design might be necessary to keep it compact.
There is also a slider to turn the M100 on and off which is good because it’s easier to check whether you have turn the M100 off or not by simply looking at the area.
On top of the M100 is the charger jack and according to its specification, the Plantronics M100 has a 6 hours talk time or 10 days on standby. This makes the Plantronics M100 ideal if you are always on the road making and answering calls.
When being recharged, there is a solid red/blue LED light that also serves as an indicator when you are turning the M100 on/off or when trying to pair it. Apart from the LED indicator, there are various sound and voice alerts so you’ll always know what’s going on when you do certain actions with the M100.
If you hook it up with an iPhone, there is also an extra battery indicator which is a big plus for iPhone users:
This way, you don’t need to make a guess whether the M100 can serve you throughout the day before running out of juice.
Plantronics M100 Review Conclusion
Overall, the sound quality is great but can be better. I can feel a tiny distortion voice on the maximum level which makes it a bit uncomfortable at that setting (the increase in decibel is a bit too high on that level for me). On a noisy environment, the other side of the call could hear me really well, thanks to the noise cancellation technology that the M100 has. It also reduces the wind buffeting noise which normally happens on a windy day or when you are inside a car and have the windows opened. The other end of my calls never had problems hearing my voice when I tested it, it was crystal clear as promised by Plantronics.
The Plantronics M100 is a compact, stylish, and affordable Bluetooth headset. Combined with noise cancellation technologies, your voice will always be clear on the other side of the call – whether you are in the field or inside a car with your windows opened. Audible alerts are varied to update you on what you do with the M100 but it never annoys you with too much information.
Definitely recommended if you are searching for a compact and stylish Bluetooth headset to buy!
Note: Sample unit provided for the review
