Plantronics Calisto Pro Review
Ever find yourself trying to juggle three different phone lines at once? Well Plantronics has solved that problem with the new Calisto Pro. Does it work seamlessly? How is the quality? Find out more after the jump.
The Calisto Pro allows you to use the same headset for your landline, VoIP connection, or mobile phone. In the box you'll find: the cordless headset, a charging base, and a multi-function Bluetooth headset. In addition, you'll find a USB cable for connecting the charging base to your PC which allows you to handle VoIP calls via Skype or Yahoo! Voice wirelessly.
We setup the Calisto Pro in our offices using both a landline and a Bluetooth-enabled Nokia N82 cell phone. We also setup the Calisto Pro using Skype on Windows (sorry Mac users, only Windows is supported) and we were off to the races. The handset is small, yet extremely easy to use. You can choose one of 10 ringtones, enter in phone numbers and contacts in the address book, and change voicemail settings.
The Calisto Pro uses the new DECT 6.0 technology which unlike the 2.4GHz wireless range cordless phones, works without interfering with your WiFi network. You can use the handset up to 300 feet from the charging base with the Bluetooth headset, or by itself.
We liked the headsets over the ear design, but it became uncomfortable after a long period of time. We tested the Calisto Pro using the landline, mobile phone, and VoIP connections. The only problem we had was that we couldn't answer a landline call when we were on a mobile phone connection. You have to complete your current call before accepting a new one. The call quality was great on both the headset and the handset, and we experienced no problems transitioning between any of the connections. Battery life on the handset and the headset was pretty good, getting around 9 hours of talk time.
You'll have to be ready to shell out the $280 bucks for the Plantronics Calisto Pro, but you can find it at Amazon for just under $225 with free shipping.
Pros
- Excellent sound quality.
- Works seamlessly.
- DECT 6.0 technology doesn't interfere with wireless networks.
Cons
- Expensive.
- Headset becomes uncomfortable over long periods of time.
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Entries(RSS)
I guess my ears are tough. The headset seems to wear fine; much more comfortable that my previous wired headset.
Mac software is now available. (1-09 purchase).
Wasteful packaging design.
The LCD display is tiny, and the numbers are too small for eyes over 50. Couldn't the display have options for larger type? There's also a lot of extra real estate on the handset for a larger LCD. My $30 cell phone has a larger, easier-to-read display.
Handset keys are TINY. About half the size of the number keys on my cheap cell phone. VERY difficult to use in a home office environment.
Integration with Skype VOIP seems to work reasonably well.
Given the cost of wireless headsets, this unit is price competitive and gives you a handset and speaker phone as well.
Phones have different features for different needs. This is one way of liking it.