5. In Use & Sound Quality

Charging the GBMHKIT takes about 2 hours, with 6.5 hours of play time promised. Of course the "in reality" bit comes in here, so you're looking at more like 4 to 5 hours, depending on how heavily you use the set (making a lot of phone calls, listening to loud music and so on.)

Pairing devices is, as we'd expect, no problem. However, the GBMHKIT does take its sweet time-where the Pulsar 590 could pair up with devices in 5 to 10 seconds, the GBMHKIT takes more like 30 to 60 seconds, depending on the device, the location and how many virgins you offered to the sea last week.

The sound quality, when it's good, is alright. There's a good volume range and decent bass, and it certainly doesn't make you want to cry. However "when it's good" is the operative phrase in the above sentence. The GBMHKIT is extremely sensitive to interference, it would seem, and even with the headset and other Bluetooth device sitting on top of one another you can forget about enjoying music. Phone calls become more painful than usual (depending on whom you're conversing with...)

It's not that there's constant static-the sound just goes extremely scratchy, and eventually your music simply sounds like somebody running their fingernails on a blackboard. This makes anything, from gaming to calling to enjoying music, an impossibility with the GBMHKIT.

Conclusion

The GBMHKIT is a promising stereo Bluetooth headset let down by its temperament towards pairing with other Bluetooth devices. It takes too long, and half the time when you do pair up the sound quality goes to hell. Not what you'd expect for a device with a $170 price tag...

Which to Choose?

In this light it hardly seems like we need to compare the GBMHKIT and Plantronics Pulsar 590 any further, as the decision is clear based on sound quality alone. However it is worth pointing out that the 590 trounces the GBMHKIT in many other ways as well: the button to switch between music listening and phone calls, the hard carry case for extras, the sturdier, more flexible design... in all, the 590 is a far superior product.

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