Bluetooth headset vet Plantronics is stepping up its game in the noise-canceling department with the Voyager 835 ($119.95 list), the company's first dual-mic AudioIQ headset. This means that the headset is capable of reducing background noise in two directions—so not only do you sound clearer to other callers, but other callers sound good to you through the earpiece as well. (The Voyager 520, a top-quality older model and a previous Editors' Choice, included a single mic, but its noise canceling wasn't particular effective.) Plantronics also packed in its trademark multipoint pairing technology and a new QuickPair feature for easy setup with your cell phone.

Compared with stylish alternatives like the Aliph New Jawbone and the voice-enabled BlueAnt V1, the Voyager 835 doesn't look like much. An unassuming over-the-ear model, the 0.4-ounce 835 is made of glossy black plastic, with a silver surround and a translucent, soft plastic ear hook. In the package you'll also find an AC charger, the instruction manual, and a nifty L-shaped car charger that eliminates the need for a cord—simply stick the 835 onto one end and plug the contraption straight into your car's DC power outlet.

On the downside, Plantronics doesn't include any extra earbuds or ear hooks. Other manufacturers do, so you can get the best fit possible. To be fair, though, this is one of the best- fitting headsets I've tried recently. The earhook has just enough flex that you can easily fit it around your ear, and the rubber earbud's "point" sits just inside your ear without feeling intrusive. Still, a few different size options would have been nice.

Along the top of the headset sit two recessed volume buttons that can be difficult to distinguish by touch. (Just remember that the + button is closer to your ear and you should be fine.) There's a proprietary mini USB–style charging jack on the back, along with a small rubber cover. A multifunction Call button blends into the front panel; it lights up blue when you first power it up and red when you turn it off, and alternates blue and red pulses while in pairing mode.

The QuickPair function means the unit will enter pairing mode automatically the first time you power it up, making it a cinch to get the headset acquainted with your cell phone. My Voyager 835 review unit paired on the first try with an unlocked Nokia N95 8GB, a Sprint BlackBerry 8130, and a BlackBerry Curve 8330 (from Verizon), without problems. Like the Voyager 520, the 835 can be paired with two devices simultaneously. For example, you can connect it to two different cell phones, and then take calls on both with a single headset, or you could alternate between one cell phone and a Skype setup on a nearby PC.

In a series of test calls, the 835 performed very well. Sound quality on my end was exceptional, with crisp voices, a natural timbre, and no pesky background noise coming from callers on the other end, even if they were in reverberant rooms or outdoors. On the other hand, callers told me that my voice sounded robotic—a common complaint with many of today's Bluetooth headsets. However, the 835's noise canceling worked exactly as advertised. In one test, I turned a large fan on its highest setting and stood right next to it; the caller on the other end noticed no change, regardless of whether I was speaking or not. The headset was also resistant to wind and other outdoor disturbances.

Plantronics lists the headset's range at 33 feet, typical for Bluetooth devices. My unit sounded fine until I walked about 10 or 12 feet away from the test handset, after which static took over. (If you need a longer range, try the Callpod Dragon, which fared much better on our tests.) The 835 lasted 5 hours 55 minutes on a talk-time rundown test, which was an average result.

The Plantronics Voyager 835 is almost the Aliph New Jawbone's equal in noise canceling and is better in the battery life department. But it's not as pretty and doesn't sound as natural to other callers, which is why the New Jawbone remains our Editors' Choice. For those not dependent on noise canceling, the Voyager 520 remains a shrewd deal and offers almost 9 hours of talk time on a charge, and the BlueAnt Z9i is small and unobtrusive, sounds crisp and clear, and at $100 costs less than the 835. Still, this headset is a true workhorse, offering good (if not class-leading) sound quality, effective noise canceling, and, perhaps most important, an extremely comfortable design that you won't notice during a long workday.

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