Today at the Plantronics Design: Body & Form event in New York City, Plantronics announced new additions to its lineup of stereo mobile headsets, including the Pulsar 590 Stereo Bluetooth headset series and MHS series of corded headsets. All of the products enable users to listen to music and video in high-quality stereo sound and answer or initiate mobile phone calls with the single touch of a button.

The Plantronics Pulsar 590E Stereo Bluetooth Headset, based on the popular Pulsar 590A, enables those users with mobile phones that support stereo Bluetooth to wirelessly listen to music and answer/end calls without the need for an adapter. Stereo Bluetooth on mobile phones is enabled by the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP). Pulsar 590E features include the following:

• High-fidelity stereo sound and superior audio performance
• Telescoping voice tube for clear conversations
• Up to 12 hours of talking time and 10 hours of listening time
• Freedom to roam up to 33 feet from a Bluetooth device
• Compatibility with any A2DP mobile phone
• Support for the Audio Visual Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) to allow customers to remotely control functions such as mute, volume level or track forward/back
• Dedicated buttons for accessing call and music control functions directly from the headset
• Foldable headset design for convenient travel and compact storage

The growth of mobile phones supporting the latest entertainment protocols, such as A2DP and AVRCP, is rising sharply. According to Strategy Analytics, more than 50 percent of the 500 million Bluetooth mobile phones sold globally in 2008 will have the A2DP and AVRCP profiles installed. This projection increases to 70 percent in 2009 (June 2006).

The Pulsar 590E will be available in August and has a manufacturer suggested retail price of US $139.95.