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Boring thread, I know.
I spend a lot of work time on Teams call so don't mind spending money on my own headset. I have a Plantronics headset and been pleased with it but it is now falling apart, seems to be a weak point where the plastic arms attached to the metal frame. Mic arm has now started falling apart as well. Time to replace. Requirements:
Up to £150.
Headphone style, not sales rep headset
Decent Bluetooth range so I can make coffee in kitchen whilst in boring call
Comfy ear bits, both ears, not single sided. I like the ear bits that sit on the ear, not cup the ear completely.
Robust enough to be dropped, shoved in a bag
Ideally connect to x2 Bluetooth devices so I can listen to music on my phone when in the office
Ideally certified for Teams
I'm assuming solution is a Jabra model, but which one?
Got a jabra 75 which is great.
And a 65 which has brilliant sound quality for music. And was good for calls, until I lost the dongle
https://www.jabra.co.uk/business/office-headsets/jabra-engage/jabra-engage-75
And a 65 which has brilliant sound quality for music. And was good for calls, until I lost the dongle
Do you need the dongle? I have one for my PLT headset but I don't use it as I can connect directly to laptop Bluetooth.
I've got a Jabra Speak 510 speaker. I find it more comfy than headphones and (apparently) I sound fine through it.
It may not work for you if you're not alone while working, or have a noisy keyboard and type a lot while on calls. (And I know it's not what you asked for.)
I like the speaker but I also like to get the laundry done, make coffee, tidy the kitchen whilst listening in on calls. Bluetooth headset makes this easier.
Plantronics (now Poly) Focus UC has been my regular one for years. Can get for around the £150 mark now https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plantronics-Bluetooth-Charging-Microphone-Cancelling-black/dp/B08F8TN8F1/ - there's a newer Focus2 version but it doesn't seem to add much, design is almost identical.
Had it so long I've replaced the earpads once, other than that it's still perfect. Comfy to wear for hours, the charging stand is handy and easy to grab headset if you have a call come in, great sound quality, decent range, mute button easy to find on the boom mic, ANC if you need it. I have it paired to the dongle in my work laptop for calls but also paired to personal laptop for music/radio/youtube/whatever - it favours the work one so never have to worry about stopping music.
Simon, that is what I currently use. However, arms have failed in the same place. In fairness, probably over 6 years of regular use but I still think the failure is a weak spot.
Blimey, not come across that with the Focus.
Jabra equivalent is probably the Evolve2 65 but it doesn't feel as well built IMO. That's purely subjective though.
Do you need the dongle? I have one for my PLT headset but I don’t use it as I can connect directly to laptop Bluetooth.
Ah um, Er 🤔😊😌
I'm probably not the best person to ask about electrickery. I'm sure you're right!
I realise this is an annoying response because it's double your budget, but I recommend the Jabra Evolve2 85 if you can stretch to them. I've had the Evolve2 65 and 85 (not the 75, mind you) and the over-ear design plus ANC of the 85 is great when you're in a busy office.
Being closed back and over-ear, they block a lot of sound anyway, and with the active noise cancellation on top I don't get at all distracted by loud conversations nearby. Before, with the Evolve2 65s, it was a real struggle to concentrate.
The microphone noise cancellation (for the far end during calls) of the 65 and 85 is equally good imo, despite Jabra's claim that the 85's mic is way more betterer.
We use the [url= https://www.jabra.co.uk/business/office-headsets/jabra-evolve/jabra-evolve-75##7599-842-109 ]Jabra Evolve 75 UC's[/url] at work, yes they come with a dongle but they can be used over Bluetooth (though check if that limits their function, I don't think it does though).
We also use the [url= https://www.jabra.co.uk/business/speakerphones/jabra-speak-series ]Talk 2 speakers[/url] and they're great if you have a quiet environment and don't need to be moving.
There are cheaper options in the Evolve 2 series that should come in or around budget
https://www.jabra.co.uk/business/office-headsets
Got a jabra 75 which is great.
And about 2x the OP's budget if it's the Engage as linked.
@TonyD the headset comes on budget, the charging stand doubles the price!
EDIT - gonna stop stealth editing now
Another vote for Jabra 75. Comfy on ears, connects to at least two devices, 10 or so hours talk time. Decent enough.
Edit: No idea how much they are though! Got mine from my last employer
Double edit: This is the one I've got, £170, except mines got a charging stand thingummy. You don't need the dongle for laptop, it'll connect over bluetooth.
Do you need the dongle? I have one for my PLT headset but I don’t use it as I can connect directly to laptop Bluetooth.
It's a very good idea to use it. If everything is good on your laptop (decent bluetooth chipset, drivers kept up to date, not using other BT stuff like mice) you might be OK pairing directly.
On the typical corp laptop with crappy BT and driver updates completely ignored, it's a recipe for all sorts of weird audio issues.
Beyond quality, the dongle is usually needed for things like muting to by synced between client and headset.
Use the dongle if you have one, keep up with firmware updates on both dongle and headset, and don't create problems for yourself.
I bought a used set of Jabra Evolve 65's a couple of years ago and they have done me very well. They didn't come with a dongle (which is why they were cheap I guess), and to my surprise I found they were pretty crappy (stuttery connection) until I bought a dongle. It's quite possible the Bluetooth hardware in my work issued HP laptop is crap and they'd be find dongle-less on decent hardware.
EDIT: I didn't actually read @simon_g 's post above before replying - but my experience confirms exactly what he said.
Oh hi, something within my wheelhouse on STW!
I work for EPOS (formerly Sennheiser Communications) —> https://www.eposaudio.com/en/gb
From what you’ve mentioned above, I’d recommend the following.
Good - ADAPT 260 - https://www.eposaudio.com/en/gb/enterprise/products/adapt-260-bluetooth-headset-1000882
Better - ADAPT 560 II - https://www.eposaudio.com/en/gb/enterprise/products/adapt-560-ii-bluetooth-headset-1001160
Best - ADAPT 660 - https://www.eposaudio.com/en/gb/enterprise/products/adapt-660-bluetooth-headset-1000200
All 3 are Bluetooth with multipoint connectivity for connection to PC & mobile at the same time. All ship with dongle and are Teams Certified. The 560 II and 660 also have active noise cancelling too!
For your needs/budget, I’d suggest the ADAPT 560 II as your best bet 👍
Jabra Speak 510 here too. Don't like wearing headphones plus I can hear it ping when oiling the bike/preparing for the next call.
I use Earfun Air S in-ear thingies.
£60ish, plenty of battery, excellent noise cancelling (important for the microphone - I was two rooms away from our builders and folk couldn’t hear them).
The only question is whether you find them comfortable.
I do, others might not.
Tried loads of different ones - Jabra Evolve 75 (not the evolve2 model) have been a reliable workhorse for 4 years now. They work brilliantly with Mac - I’ve found the usb chip makes quite a big difference on windows laptops though - maybe it’s just at HP thing but all Bluetooth headsets have been rubbish with 3 different HP laptops.
My company supplied us with Microsofts modern wireless headsets.
The wireless range and battery life is good, I charge them about once a week and they mute when you flip the mic up which is handy when walking around. There are some teams specific buttons on them but I've never bother with them.
Can't speak to durability as I've only had them 6 months.
They're about £64 at Amazon.
I use a second generation AirPod. Yes just one. Then when it runs down I swap over for the second and replace the first for charging. This works fine with Teams on Windows on my HP laptop. Of course it also works on my MacBook.
Of course what I really use is my hifi with a high definition Razer camera as a microphone in my home office. When down in the dining room I use a wired Senheisser desk speakerphone which is also excellent.
But in the work open-plan office today the AirPods were used for four hours without issue. It helps to have AirPod-shaped ears of course. And I do.
Those look great, @explorerboy. The mic is amazing for a can-mounted array.
Proper over-ear cans make a huge difference in an office, imo, where colleagues can be distracting. But at home I use a mic and speakers for comfort and so I can her the doorbell.
@benos those ADAPT 660 Mics are something amazing. A colleague of mine regularly works from an M&S cafe filled with yummy mummies and biddies and the amount of background noise it cuts down is INSANE.
The Jabras we use are reasonable. The ANC is less powerful than Bose, but without the weird pressure sensation, and the mic’s rejection is weaker than others, but with very few cancellation artefacts. No major complaints.
But the sound quality for music is really nothing to get excited about, and it needs the dongle’s EQ to remove the ridiculous bass emphasis.
I’d definitely choose something else if Jabra weren’t imposed on us by IT purchasing. EPOS would be top of the list for sure.