Jabra M5390

Jabra's M5390 headset connects both corded desk phones and Bluetooth mobile phones to a single Bluetooth headset. The M5390 is aimed at office staff, managers and specialists who spend plenty of time away from their desk. However, the lack of an included handset lifter is a disappointment.

The headset itself is quite large, so although it can be used as a regular Bluetooth headset, it's best suited for wearing in and around the office; using it outside could result in quite a few puzzling stares as Bluetooth headsets do have a certain stigma. The overall design is fairly unremarkable. The M5390 sports a plain, matte black finish, and its build quality feels excellent. The subtle style should appeal to most users. A minor complaint lies with the controls: considering the size of the headset, they are a little too small for our liking and could have been larger without compromising the M5390’s size and weight.

Comfort can be an issue, as the M5390’s ear bud doesn’t sit firmly and tends to dig in after prolonged periods of use. Thankfully, Jabra has also included an over-the-head band complete with a soft cushion ear cup. This can be used as an alternative to the standard ear hook; both can worn be on either ear.

The M5390 is quite easy to set up: simply plug the desk handset into the bottom of the base station, then connect the base station to your desk phone with the included cord and finally plug the unit into AC power using the supplied adapter. The base station-cum-dock acts as both a connection to your desk phone and a charger for the headset.

Synchronising the M5390 with your mobile phone is also a simple process. Pairing mode is entered by holding down the answer/end call button for three seconds and finding the M5390 using your mobile phone. Once your mobile and desk phone are connected, the M5390 will allow you to take calls from both using the single headset.

Jabra also bundles a PC Bluetooth dongle (A335w). This allows the M5390 to be used with a wide range of PC-based softphones, including Skype. Conveniently, even when using the headset with the A335w, the range is up to 70 metres and the quality is on par with both desk and mobile phone use.

We tested the reception with thick concrete walls separating us from the base station in and around the office, and the quality of calls wasn’t affected. Audio performance for both desk and mobile phones is excellent, though incoming audio could have used a boost in volume. Sound is passable in quiet environments, but it does tend to deteriorate when there is background noise, which is easily picked up by the microphone and does have a slight effect on outgoing sound.

Unfortunately for using the M5390 with a desk phone there is no handset-lifter included in the sales package. This means that you'll have to lift your handset like you normally would to make and receive calls, despite sound coming through the M5390 headset. A handset-lifter is available as an optional accessory.