Versatile Earbuds GADGETS OF THE WEEK

By Stephen C. Miller

Anyone who has one set of earbuds for the cellphone and another set for the music player, all spooled up in briefcases or pockets, has been waiting for the Swiss Army knife of headsets.

The Voyager 855 from Plantronics, which works as both a hands- free headset for the phone and a stereo headset for the music player, may be that multifunction tool for the plugged-in set.

The 855 is a transformer. Extending the boom microphone pauses the music played on a phone and answers a call. Ending the call restarts the music. Both earbuds are activated for listening to music in stereo by plugging a detachable cable to the main unit.

But the 855, available next month at electronics and office supply stores for $150, works only with phones that are A2DP- compliant. A2DP is a Bluetooth protocol for streaming audio wirelessly to headphones. You can see whether your phone supports this standard by going to the Plantronics Web site, www.plantronics.com. Now, if those headphones only came with a screwdriver and a can opener.

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Stephen C. Miller

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[accompanied by illustration of The Voyager 855 from Plantronics]

Originally published by The New York Times Media Group.

(c) 2007 International Herald Tribune. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.