The last thing I want to do when walking down the street listening to my IPod is remove my earphones to answer a call from my mom, phoning with an update on her latest cold. Ignoring the call is not an option, so Plantronics' $40 MX100s headset is the next-best thing.
The MX100s doubles as a cell-phone headset and stereo headphones. The Y-style cords offer a whopping 60 inches of length with a 3.5mm jack that connects to your music player on one end, and a 2.5mm jack that plugs into most headset-ready mobile phones (for instance, many Samsung, LG, and Motorola models) on the other. If you own certain Nokia or Sony Ericsson models, Plantronics will send you an adapter for free. I thought that was pretty cool, considering that nothing extra's free anymore--I even have to pay for ketchup at my local burger stand.
To make or answer a phone call while you're listening to music, you flip a switch on the cord: The two settings are clearly differentiated by a musical note icon and a phone icon (guess which one's which). The switch also features a volume controller. A well-integrated microphone dangles from the left earbud for the times you're using the headset for a call.
My shipping MX100s offered solid sound quality, especially considering its reasonable price tag. Music sounded good, and mom's voice came through loud and clear. Callers on the other end were able to hear me equally well, even with a cement truck in the background. Unfortunately, when I had my music blasting, I couldn't always hear my phone ringing--and the phone doesn't ring through on the headset.
The earbuds feature a strange design: A flexible rubber grip curves under the bottom of your ear and around back, kind of like a clip-on earring. This grip felt funky at first, but I got used to it, although I could see where some people might dislike it. Also, the cord tends to tangle easily, so between that and the unorthodox earbuds, it can take some time to get the earphones situated. Once in your ears, however, they're secure enough to use during light exercise.
The MX100s headset isn't for use in a car, but its simple design and solid audio quality make it perfect for those times when you want to walk around town listening to tunes and yapping on the phone.
Cathy Lu, special to PC World
