plantronics voyager edge vs 5200

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The best bluetooth headsets

The plantronics voyager edge is the best option for most people..

By Marianne Schultz and Nick Guy

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter , a buyer's guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here .

If you're hopping on and off the phone throughout the day, or if you're typically talking on the phone while driving (despite the safety concerns ), the Plantronics Voyager Edge is the best Bluetooth headset for most people. After putting in 50-plus hours of research and testing more than 15 models over the past three years—including 12 hours of testing and three new models for the latest update—the Voyager Edge continues to lead the pack with its combination of stellar sound quality, long battery life, excellent Bluetooth range, and comfortable fit.

Who needs this

If you don't do much talking on your mobile phone, but you prefer to talk hands-free, you're probably fine using the earbuds that came with it. But a good mono (one-ear) Bluetooth headset is a great accessory if you speak on the phone frequently and want the convenience of having your hands free—you don't want to stay tethered to your handset by a wire, or to have to hold the phone with your shoulder while you talk, which is terrible for your neck and back. A headset is also appealing if you need to be sure that your voice sounds clear to the person on the other end, even when you're talking in an environment with a lot of wind or other background noise.

If you have a new iPhone 7, which lacks a headphone jack and has only a single Lightning-connector port for headphones or charging, a Bluetooth headset lets you charge your iPhone while you take calls hands-free.

How we picked and tested

Three headsets we tested for the 2016 update to this guide, from left: Jabra Steel, Plantronics Voyager 5200, and Plantronics Voyager Edge. Photo: Marianne Schultz

For our 2016 update, we looked for any newcomers to the market since the previous iteration of this guide. Consulting reviews on sites such as PCMag and ComputerWorld, and user reviews on Amazon, we narrowed the options down to two new models from major manufacturers that seemed worthy of hands-on testing.

You shouldn't expect exceptionally long battery life, but you at least want your headset to last through a workday. We consider five hours of actual talk time to be the minimum. Some headsets, including our top pick, come with a charging case—a battery-equipped storage case that charges the headset when you put it inside—to extend battery life significantly, but the headset itself should still be able to last a good while alone.

In terms of functional design, you want a headset that charges via Micro-USB rather than with a proprietary cord or charger. You probably already have at least one or two other gadgets that use Micro-USB cables, so it's nice to be able to use the same cable and charger for everything.

We tested for battery life, comfort, sound quality, and Bluetooth range. We also looked for headsets with excellent controls that allow you to answer calls and adjust the volume easily and intuitively. We gave bonus points to models that allow you to perform some of these functions hands-free, using just your voice. For more on our testing procedures, see our full guide .

The Voyager Edge sits comfortably in your ear. Photo: Marianne Schultz

The Plantronics Voyager Edge remains our pick for most people because it's a solid all-around performer. As in the past two years, it came out on top in our latest batch of audio-quality and comfort tests. In terms of battery life, it came in second out of the three headsets we tested this year, with a talk time of 6 hours; however, its included charging case gives it a total of 16 hours of talk time, the longest of the bunch. The Plantronics Voyager 5200 bested the Edge in Bluetooth range, but the Edge's range is more than sufficient for most people. The Edge also has simple pairing, easy-to-use controls, and a smartphone companion app that makes it easy to adjust the headset's settings.

The Voyager Edge supports Bluetooth 4.0, plus NFC pairing with compatible smartphones. We found pairing with an Apple iPhone 7 Plus to be quick and easy, and using the headset is just as simple. In addition to voice control, the Voyager Edge has sensors to determine whether you're wearing it. The headset has physical buttons for on-off, volume level, call answer, and voice command, each of which are easy to find and press.

Call quality is the most important aspect of any Bluetooth headset, and the Voyager Edge excels here. In our tests of call audio quality, it was edged out slightly by the more-expensive Voyager 5200 in a quiet office environment, but performed better than the 5200 in a busy coffee shop and a windy car—the Edge was a solid, all-around performer, particularly given its compact size. The Voyager Edge is usually around $30 cheaper than the Voyager 5200, so the minor differences we heard in audio quality makes the Edge a better overall value.

The Voyager 5200 fits over the ear for a more secure fit, but it's more of a hassle to put on. Photo: Marianne Schultz

The Voyager 5200 is a beefier headset with more features. It has an additional microphone for noise-cancelling (for a total of four, compared with three on the Voyager Edge), and its Bluetooth range is the most impressive of the bunch. Plantronics says the 5200 can reach 98 feet without audio dropping out; in our tests we noticed dropouts in voice calls at just over 70 feet, but streamed music didn't get choppy until around 150 feet.

A budget alternative

Photo: Marshall Troy

The Plantronics Explorer 500 is a good choice for people who don't want to spend a ton and are willing to give up some audio quality. The Explorer 500 is smaller than the Voyager Edge, but its battery lasts about an hour longer. It also has great Bluetooth range: In our tests, audio didn't drop out until around 54 feet for voice and 95 feet for music. In our quiet-office and coffee-shop tests, however, our listening panel didn't love the audio the 500 transmitted. One panelist in an earlier test described voice as sounding "blobby" in the office, and in another test the Explorer picked up more background noise than other units did. In the coffee-shop test, it lost some audio whenever plates clinked in the background.

This guide may have been updated by The Wirecutter . To see the current recommendation, please go here .

Note from The Wirecutter: When readers choose to buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn affiliate commissions that support our work.

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• Electronics

The Best Wireless and Wired Headsets

By Kaitlyn Wells and Melanie Pinola

Office headsets are designed to address a specific need: They allow you to take or make calls from a computer or mobile device while hearing and being heard over the distracting noise that surrounds you.

Wireless headsets can connect to your phone and allow you to talk even when you’re dozens of feet away from your desk. Wired headsets, which are less expensive, eliminate battery-life concerns and stress over potential Bluetooth issues.

After testing more than four dozen popular headsets, we’ve found that the Poly Voyager Focus 2 is the best wireless headset and the Jabra Evolve2 30 is the best wired headset. If you’d prefer an old-school monaural Bluetooth headset that wraps over one ear, we like the Poly Voyager 5200 UC .

All three options offer the sound quality, comfort, and features that professionals who spend all day on the phone need.

Everything we recommend

Poly Voyager Focus 2

The best wireless headset for work.

With a battery that lasts for days, great microphone quality, and large, comfortably padded earcups, this wireless headset has all the features we look for.

Buying Options

Upgrade pick.

Jabra Evolve2 65 Flex

The best sound quality without a cable.

This headset has the best mic we’ve found in a wireless model and a collapsible design that makes it easy to carry. But it’s twice as expensive as our top pick, and its battery life is shorter.

Jabra Evolve2 30

The best usb headset.

If you’re at a computer all day and don’t need to use a headset with your phone, this wired headset offers mic quality similar to that of our wireless picks—for less than half the price.

Jabra Evolve2 50

Superior sound at a premium price.

This is the best-sounding wired headset we’ve tested, with large, comfortable earpads.

Poly Voyager 5200 UC

The best single-ear bluetooth headset.

This headset captures voices clearly while suppressing background noise. It’s lightweight and comes with a flexible earhook that makes it more comfortable to wear than bulky, traditional Bluetooth headsets.

The Poly Voyager Focus 2 offers excellent call quality. Our panelists said they “heard every word” of our audio-sample recordings, and they liked the warm and natural tones the mic produced.

Rated to last 25 hours of call time or 40 hours of listening time before needing to be recharged, the Voyager Focus 2’s battery will easily last several working days. Its built-in sensors make it fun to use, too. Folding and unfolding the boom mic, or removing or donning the headset, can mute or answer incoming calls.

Plus, the combination of a flexible headband and large, padded earcups that swivel 180 degrees make wearing the Voyager Focus 2 for long periods of time more comfortable in comparison with our wireless upgrade pick, the Jabra Evolve2 65 Flex, whose earcups swivel only 90 degrees.

In our tests with this headset, we could get only about 40 feet away from our phone before the connection broke up—about a quarter of the advertised 164 feet, and half of what we could do with the Jabra Evolve2 65 Flex. Your mileage will vary depending on the layout of your home or office, but a limited headset range could be frustrating when you’ve misplaced your phone right before an important call. Still, 40 feet offers you plenty of space to pace around an office.

This headset’s app also offers a find-my-device feature that runs on the Tile network, but this feature doesn’t work if you don’t keep the headset paired to your phone every day.

The Jabra Evolve2 65 Flex is easy to connect wirelessly to a computer or phone, and it offers the best range of the headsets we recommend. It should make you sound great, too: It uses six microphones to offer better vocal clarity than what you can get from most of the models we tested.

Testers described the overall sound as clear and loud. But some preferred our top pick, the Poly Voyager Focus 2, which offered a better balance between vocal clarity and background noise reduction than the Evolve2 65 Flex.

This model’s memory-foam ear cushions create a soft seal around the ears that with the press of a button can passively or actively block background noise; the cushions also make the headset pleasant to wear for hours-long stints. That said, with its active noise cancellation turned on, this headset creates a noticeable eardrum-suck sensation , which some people may find uncomfortable.

The Evolve2 65 Flex also has foldable earcups and collapses to half its size, making it easier to stash into a bag in comparison with our other picks. But it needs recharging more often than our top pick does.

Of all the wired headsets we’ve tested, the Jabra Evolve2 30 offers the best mix of great audio quality—both input and output—and lightweight comfort. Compared with less expensive options, it did a better job in our tests of suppressing background noise while still capturing clear, warm vocals .

On the downside, the controls on the right earcup are somewhat small, but it’s not hard to get used to them.

The vocal recordings we made with the Jabra Evolve2 50 were the best of the bunch: clear and natural-sounding, even with loud background noise.

Its headband padding is thicker than that of our wired headset pick, the Jabra Evolve2 30. The foam earpads are larger, too; they make the Evolve2 50 a bit heavier than the Evolve2 30, yet they’re still comfortable. In addition to using the on-ear buttons to control volume, play music, and answer calls, you can mute or unmute the headset by raising or lowering the mic boom.

Although the Evolve2 50 costs a bit more than our other wired-headset pick, at this writing it is still around $140 cheaper than the best-sounding wireless headset.

If you prefer the old-school look or want the portability of a tiny Bluetooth headset, go with the Poly Voyager 5200 UC . In our tests with almost deafening coffee-shop chatter in the background, the Voyager 5200 UC made us sound as if we were calling from a sound booth.

In exchange for that superior voice isolation, however, the Voyager 5200 UC sacrifices natural vocal warmth and smoothness. We sounded more robotic with this headset in comparison with half of the other headsets we tested.

Still, the Voyager 5200 UC has a decent seven-hour battery life, and we found that its flexible earhook made it more comfortable to wear than other Bluetooth headsets with thin plastic wraps. It’s also the only Bluetooth model we’ve tested that comes with a charging case. The case doubles as a stand so you can quickly set it down between calls without having to wrangle it back into its box.

The research

Why you should trust us, who this is for, how we picked and tested, the best wireless headset: poly voyager focus 2, the best sound quality without a cable: jabra evolve2 65 flex, our wired headset pick: jabra evolve2 30, wired headset upgrade pick: jabra evolve2 50, the best bluetooth headset: poly voyager 5200 uc, other good headsets, the competition.

Senior staff writer Kaitlyn Wells has been with Wirecutter since 2017 and has covered everything from standing desks and dictation software to laser printers and email unsubscribe services .

Senior staff writer Melanie Pinola wrote previous versions of this guide. She has also written about technology and working from home for outlets such as Lifehacker, PCWorld, Laptop Magazine, and Consumer Reports.

To get help in devising our criteria for evaluating office headsets, we consulted nine professionals from different industries who used headsets all day, every day, for meetings and communication with their teams, customers, and potential clients.

To evaluate the mic quality of the headsets, we asked a dozen people to review our contenders and compare their performance over both phone calls and video conferences. For previous versions of this guide, we also enlisted expert panelists, including Wirecutter senior staff writer Lauren Dragan (who has tested more than 1,000 headphones ) and Grammy-winning music producer and audio engineer Charles A. Martinez .

An office headset is the ideal choice for anyone who spends a large part of the workday tethered to devices for phone and video calls. With their boom microphones, which sit close to your mouth, these headsets are designed to capture exceptionally clear dialogue. And with their long cords or Bluetooth wireless connections, they allow you to get up and move around as you converse.

In addition to headsets with boom mics, we also considered monaural Bluetooth headsets—the kind you might associate with stock brokers, salespeople, and lawyers. You know, people who spend much of the day on the go, taking calls. These headsets are much lighter and more portable but generally lack robust call controls, have a short Bluetooth call range, and suffer from a short battery life.

All of these headsets represent a compromise: They don’t sound better than the best headphones , and they can’t make you sound nearly as good as the best USB microphone can. While our stereo headset picks comfortably outclass much more expensive headphones in speech-to-text accuracy, their sound is notably compressed, with less dynamic range than you’d get from many other mics. In other words, you wouldn’t want to use even the best of these headsets to record a podcast.

If you talk on the phone or over video-conferencing software only occasionally, you don’t need one of these headsets. Pretty much any good pair of headphones with a microphone—or even your device’s built-in speakers and mic—should suffice.

We started by looking at the headsets released by major manufacturers and reading recommendations from sites including PCMag and ZDNet. Our interviews with professionals, in addition to verified owner reviews on Amazon, helped us determine the main features that people look for in a wireless headset for use in a home office or small office:

• connectivity to a mobile device and a computer
• high-quality audio
• long battery life that lasts at least two working days
• comfortable fit
• noise cancellation for the microphone

We used the same criteria, minus the battery life, to evaluate wired and Bluetooth headsets.

We weren’t able to find many over-ear headsets (the kind with huge earcups that rest on your skull rather than on your ears), and those we did find, such as the Jabra Evolve2 85 , cost over $400.

For the wireless contenders, we also discounted headsets that use DECT wireless technology, since they are limited compared with headsets using Bluetooth, which can connect to many more devices.

We tested wireless, wired, and Bluetooth headsets in separate batches, using the same methodology for each group: We wore each headset for at least one full workday, taking one- to two-hour breaks between stints. On the following days, we swapped between headsets for a side-by-side comparison.

We spoke and listened during countless video-conferencing calls, called family and friends, asked them to call us, and left an embarrassing number of voicemail messages to ourselves. We also recorded calls with each headset in both a quiet environment and one where we played coffee-shop sounds in the background, using the Coffitivity app.

Here’s how we evaluated their features:

• Microphone quality: Since call quality is paramount for office headsets, we made several vocal recordings to test microphone quality. In particular, we considered how clear and crisp our voices were, and whether the mic picked up too much background noise.
• Noise cancelling and speaker quality: We listened to how clear other parties sounded through the headsets, as well as how much detail we could make out when listening to music. We listened while ambient noise—train whistles, leaf blowers, planes flying overhead, television in the background—spiraled around us.
• Comfort: We paid attention to how the headset felt when worn, and whether any fatigue around the head, temples, or ears occurred after several hours of use.
• Call controls: We used the volume controls and mute buttons to see if they were easy to reach and use. Headsets should also offer a quick way to answer or reject a call—a feature that regular headphones don’t often provide.
• Connectivity: We paired each wireless headset with a Mac and an iPhone. We noted any connectivity hiccups, as well as how smoothly the headsets reconnected once we came back into range.
• Appearance: Let’s face it—headsets, especially Bluetooth models, look kind of silly. We went for the least conspicuous models possible.

The Poly Voyager Focus 2 is the best wireless headset for professionals who make calls day in and day out but don’t want to sacrifice voice quality for battery life. Compared with other wireless headsets we tested, this model stood out for its microphone quality, with its clear, crisp rendering of human voices. And it’s comfortable to wear all day, too.

It sounds great. The Voyager Focus 2’s call quality was excellent compared with that of its peers. Panelists said they could “hear every word,” and that the headset was the “clearest” and “best” in audio quality out of the models we tested.

Most panelists agreed that the Voyager Focus 2 did a superb job of blocking out background noise. But some testers detected a noticeable sibilance, or hiss, on calls with the active noise cancelling turned on.

Its battery lasts a long time and recharges quickly. The Voyager Focus 2 uses Bluetooth 5.2 wireless connectivity, which accounts for its long battery life. Bluetooth 5.0 and above force all audio connections to use Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE), which makes headphones that use it far more efficient than those that use previous versions of Bluetooth.

If the headset ever does tell you that the battery is low, you can charge it for two hours to get a full, 25-hour charge for calls or 40 hours of listening time. Or, just connect this headset to your computer with the included Micro-USB cable for additional audio time.

It’s easy to use. In our tests, pairing the Voyager Focus 2 with our devices was easy. We were able to switch seamlessly between paired devices, such as a phone and computer, and when calls came through, the headset automatically muted the music on the computer while we answered the call and instantly resumed playback when we hung up. And being able to answer a call and mute or unmute just by moving the boom arm is an especially fun feature.

It’s likely to fit lots of people comfortably. The Poly Voyager Focus 2’s round earcups are designed to comfortably fit different head shapes. They can swivel 180 degrees, a wider angle than many other headsets can accommodate. In comparison, the Jabra Evolve2 65 Flex’s earcups have slightly thicker padding but swivel only 90 degrees.

The app can be useful. The Poly Lens app lets you customize settings and tracks battery life. It also offers a device tracker using Tile’s location-tracker technology, which sends an alarm tone to the headset when you activate it. However, this find-my-device feature works only if the headset is paired to your mobile device and turned on. And the phone’s volume control dictates how loud the alarm tone blares, so you need to remember to adjust the volume before activating the feature.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• Weighing 6.2 ounces, this headset isn’t the lightest wireless model we found. The lightest headsets we tested include the Jabra Evolve2 55 (4.6 ounces) and the Shokz OpenComm2 UC Bone Conduction Headset (a particularly impressive 1.2 ounces). Still, the Voyager Focus 2’s cushioned earcups and flexible headband offer a comfortable fit.
• When you turn on the headset, a voice tells you whether the battery life is high, medium, or low—not how many hours are remaining, as other headsets do—so it’s unclear how soon you’ll need to recharge.
• Bluetooth 5.0 and above has at least four times the promised wireless range— about 800 feet indoors —of previous Bluetooth versions. But in our tests, we couldn’t get that far from our devices without losing the connection. That’s not surprising, since Poly says that its headset is rated for up to 164 feet without an extender. But in our experience, the real range was considerably shorter, as calls started to drop out when we went outside, around 40 feet away from our phones and through a shared apartment wall. That said, calls never dropped out within the apartment, regardless of the room we were in. Your mileage may vary depending on your setup, but this range is good enough for taking calls and pacing nearby. If you work in a large office, you can extend the range to 300 feet by purchasing the optional, $170 Voyager Office Base .
• For this model, Poly offers an optional charging stand. In our testing, though, we found that the bulky stand merely took up valuable desk space; we don’t think it’s worth the $120 upgrade for most people. We found it easier to charge the headset via the included USB cord and then pack the headset into its case after a day’s use. But if you can snag a headset-and-base bundle for just $20 more, which is a common deal price, go for it.

The Jabra Evolve2 65 Flex offers clear call quality, great sound, and expansive Bluetooth range that makes taking calls away from your desk more enjoyable. It’s also a great headset for hybrid workers who want a comfortable and compact option that they can toss into a bag while on the go.

But some testers still preferred our top pick, the Poly Voyager Focus 2 , which provided warmer, more natural vocals. The Evolve2 65 Flex also needs recharging more often than the Voyager Focus 2.

Vocals are remarkably clear. Thanks to its six microphones, this headset stands out for its voice clarity. Several panelists described this headset as “clear” and “loud” during voice calls and video-conference calls.

Still, some other testers said that the Evolve2 65 Flex’s audio samples sounded “fuzzy” or detached, and they preferred the Voyager Focus 2 for its balance of warmth and clarity. We think that effect may be due to this model’s slightly shorter boom arm, plus its active and passive noise-cancellation technologies, which can distort output.

The noise cancellation is a game-changer. The Evolve2 65 Flex’s active noise cancellation (ANC) could be helpful if you tend to get distracted by the sounds of the world around you while working. However, you should confirm that “ eardrum suck ” (discomfort from using ANC headphones) doesn’t affect you.

ANC helps reduce low-frequency sounds such as the loud rumble of air conditioners or the droning in an airplane cabin. It doesn’t, however, block out high-pitched children’s screams or the bright chime of a doorbell, which we think is a good thing.

This headset also has a sound pass-through button, which you can use to better hear the noises around you when the situation demands it, such as a doorbell ringing or an IRL request from a colleague. You can also adjust the level of ANC through the Jabra Sound+ app.

Setup is simple. As with the Poly Voyager Focus 2, setting up the Jabra Evolve2 65 Flex was a breeze in our tests, and so was pairing it with a computer and mobile devices.

It has good range. The Evolve2 65 Flex is rated for a Bluetooth range of up to 100 feet, and the Voyager Focus 2 is rated for up to 164 feet. Neither device worked that well in the real world. But in our testing, we were able to travel 80 feet away from our phones using the Evolve 2 65 Flex—roughly twice the distance we could travel while using the Voyager Focus 2.

This advantage could be attributed to the Evolve2 65 Flex’s Bluetooth 5.2 chip, which is slightly newer than the Voyager Focus 2’s Bluetooth 5.1 chip. The 40 extra feet that the 5.2 chip provides can make all the difference during a busy workday when you’ve misplaced your phone right before an important call.

Compared with our top pick’s longevity, its battery life is short but still good. The Evolve2 65 Flex is rated for 32 hours of music listening and 20 hours of talk time—about 20% less than what the Voyager Focus 2 offers on a single charge. (Both models need 120 minutes to reach a full charge.) As you might expect, advanced features such as additional microphones (the Evolve2 65 Flex has six in total) and active noise cancellation can drain battery life faster.

To better conserve battery life, the Evolve2 65 Flex enters “nap mode” when you take it off your head. After four hours in nap mode, it changes to “sleep mode,” and it turns off completely after 24 hours without use. You can adjust these settings through the Jabra Sound+ app to better accommodate your personal schedules.

The large, padded design is comfortable. The Evolve2 65 Flex’s earcups offer more padding than those of the Voyager Focus 2. But the earcups swivel only 90 degrees, in contrast to the Voyager Focus 2’s 180-degree swivel.

While that narrower swivel shouldn’t bother most people, it could be uncomfortable if you prefer earcups that sit at a wider angle and offer a more relaxed fit against your ears. Still, in our tests, the large earcups sat gently on the ears, and the headset applied minimal pressure on the head and temples.

It’s the most portable wireless headset we’ve found. The “Flex” in this model’s name refers to its collapsible design. Just fold the headset into thirds at the earcups before tossing it into your bag.

The optional wireless charging base elevates the look. We especially like this nice-to-have accessory because it gives the illusion that the headset is floating. All you have to do is place the chargeable left earcup on the charging base to activate the setting.

But the USB charging cord that comes with the headset works just fine, too. Opting for Jabra’s stand ups the total price by $60; there’s no reason to buy it unless you hate having extra wires clogging up your desk space.

It’s expensive. The Evolve2 65 Flex costs twice as much as our top wireless-headset pick, and at a typical price of $330, it’s the most expensive model we recommend. And that’s before adding on the optional, wireless charging base.

The Jabra Evolve2 30 is the best USB headset for people who take a lot of calls at their computer. It combines excellent mic quality with wear-all-day comfort, and the headphones sound great with both music and voice. It’s vastly better than all the cheaper wired headsets we tested because it does a better job of reducing background noise while still making you sound clear and natural.

Its mic suppresses background noise effectively. The Evolve2 30 was the second-best wired headset in our sound-quality evaluations after the Jabra Evolve2 50 , our wired upgrade pick. Its two-mic boom picked up crystal-clear audio without broadcasting ambient noise or loud coffee-shop sounds playing in the background.

Less expensive wired headsets, such as the Logitech H540 , couldn’t eliminate background noise and made our voices sound more muffled.

Its audio output is nice, too. With the Evolve2 30, music, conference calls, and podcasts all sounded good—not tinny or distorted, as with the cheaper headsets we tested.

It sits lightly on the head. Thanks to the Evolve2 30’s lightweight construction and design, it was the most comfortable of the wired models we tested.

The wide, steel headband is easily adjustable, and the memory-foam earpads are covered in soft, plush leatherette—not scratchy fabric or thinner foam, like the earpads on many of the other headsets we tested. The earcups also swivel, allowing for a better fit across different ear and head sizes and shapes.

We love its attractive and useful physical design. In particular, we appreciated the large, easy-to-find button on the outside of the right earcup that answers or rejects calls (or, for the Microsoft Teams version of the headset, opens a Microsoft Teams notification).

An unobtrusive red light on the right earcup lets others know when you’re on a call, and the headset’s USB connector illuminates in red to show when your microphone is muted. Both are small but helpful touches unique to Jabra’s wired headsets.

• When we recorded with loud background noise, the Evolve2 30 compressed voices a bit more than our panelists would’ve liked. However, this is an issue for all headsets (and microphones) that try to reduce background noise. And the Evolve2 30 still captured voices accurately without making us sound overprocessed, as cheaper headsets tended to do.

• The buttons to mute/unmute, play/pause, and control volume are on the right earcup, and they’re tiny, so they take some getting used to. They’re well spaced, however, and the mute button is at the front of the earcup, separate from the volume and play buttons at the rear, so there’s less chance that you’ll accidentally mute or unmute yourself when you mean to press one of the other buttons.

The Jabra Evolve2 50 is the best-performing wired headset we’ve tested in microphone and speaker quality, and though its larger earcups and headband make it heavier than the Evolve2 30, in our tests we found that it was still comfortable to wear for hours at a time. But whether the improved audio is worth the investment for you is likely to come down to how much time you spend on calls.

Its extra mics help it yield better sound than the competition. The Evolve2 50 has four microphones, versus two in the Evolve2 30, which might explain its slightly better performance. Our vocal recordings were crisp, clear, and warm—even when the mic was cancelling out loud background noise.

The headset is equally impressive. During our tests, incoming audio also sounded excellent, with both bass and treble notes shining through in songs. We found that the earcups alone did little to block out external sound, leaving the bustle of a coffee shop immediately noticeable. But turning on the active noise cancellation feature quickly pushed even the noisiest ambient sounds into the background.

It has a substantial feel that sets it apart from the competition. The Evolve2 50 has thicker headband padding and bigger earcups than the Evolve2 30, which makes it more comfortable for people with larger ears and better at passive noise cancellation.

We found it surprisingly comfortable. Even though it’s not as lightweight as the Evolve2 30, the Evolve2 50 feels great on the head. At just over 5 ounces, it weighs less than most of the wired and wireless headsets we’ve tested.

The controls are straightforward, if a little small. The controls on the Evolve2 50 are on the front of the right earcup, rather than the back, so they’re more intuitive to use with a press of the thumb. The small buttons on the edge of the earcup control volume, playback, and mute, and a larger button on the earcup answers or ends calls.

In addition, during calls you can raise the Evolve2 50’s mic boom to mute yourself or lower it to unmute, which we found to be very useful in practice.

The Poly Voyager 5200 UC is the best monaural Bluetooth headset you can get if background noise reduction is your primary concern. Even if you’re in a busy airport or at a playground where children are squealing with joy, the Voyager 5200 UC’s mics can make you sound as if you’re in a quiet room. The trade-off is lower overall sound quality in comparison with what you can get from our other picks.

It blocks out every noise. During testing, our panelists unanimously noted the Voyager 5200 UC’s “unbelievable” noise cancellation in loud environments compared with other headsets we tested. While the BlueParrott M300-XT offered excellent noise reduction, with loud coffee-shop chatter only slightly audible in between spoken words, the Voyager 5200 UC eliminated almost all sounds aside from the speaker’s voice.

This is likely because the Voyager 5200 UC uses active digital signal processing (DSP) on its four mics, plus other technologies designed to optimize incoming sound for the speaker’s voice. Other Bluetooth headsets, including the Jabra Talk 25 SE , have just one or two microphones that don’t block as much background noise.

It’s comfortable to wear. We were surprised to discover that the Voyager 5200 UC’s bulky-looking earhook was comfortable to wear for hours, once our testers selected from the three included ear-gel sizes and angled the earpiece for the best fit. In contrast, we had high hopes for the sleek-looking Jabra Talk 25 SE and BlueParrott Point but found that their thin earhooks dug into the skin and often felt as if they would fall off.

Taking calls is a smooth experience. The Voyager 5200 UC offers a few more controls and conveniences than most other Bluetooth models, such as a button to pause or play music, which you can also use to interact with Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri voice assistants.

You can also answer a call by simply saying “Answer” if the headset is already on. Alternatively, if you’re not currently wearing the headset, you can pick up the call by putting the earpiece in your ear, since the Voyager 5200 UC has sensors to determine when you’re wearing it.

• The multipurpose button on the end of the mic boom, which you use for answering calls, interacting with Microsoft Teams, or interacting with Siri or Google Assistant, is smaller and harder to reach than those on our wireless and wired picks, which position it on the earpiece.
• This headset’s digital processing makes your voice sound less natural in comparison with our former top Bluetooth pick, the BlueParrott M300-XT, and incoming audio can sound choppier as well. Senior staff writer Lauren Dragan, Wirecutter’s headphone expert, noted “slight digital clipping and stuttering” in our audio recording, but that didn’t interfere with her being able to understand what we were saying. Because the Voyager 5200 UC does everything else well and offers a nearly all-day talk time and comfort to match, we think the trade-off is acceptable.
• Getting the Voyager 5200 UC back into its charging case can feel like playing Twister—you have to twist the mic and twist the ear wrap in a way that seems counterintuitive. We found the complicated design to be somewhat frustrating.
• Like the Poly Voyager Focus 2, this headset has a somewhat impractical device-location feature. Its ping function sounds only when the device is paired and turned on, and your mobile device controls how loud it sounds. If you haven’t paired your device that day or forget to adjust the volume level, you may be out of luck in your attempts to track your missing Bluetooth headset down.

If you have sensitive ears or want better situational awareness: The Shokz OpenComm2 UC Bone Conduction Headset performed on a par with the Poly Voyager Focus 2 , our top wireless pick, in call quality and noise cancellation. But it costs more than our main pick and offers a shorter talk range and battery life, and its magnetic charging cable doesn’t attach very securely.

The Shokz OpenComm2 uses bone-conduction technology to vibrate soundwaves directly into the cochlea—the inner part of the ear that interprets sound—rather than broadcasting them through the air and into the ears as traditional headphones do. The sensation and pressure against the temples may be off-putting to some people, including those who are neurodivergent and don’t like feeling even the slightest movement against their skin. If the vibration isn’t an issue for you, this Shokz headset may be a good choice if you prefer a lightweight model that doesn’t cover your ears.

If you want the cheapest headset that doesn’t totally suck: The Logitech USB Headset H540 is about a third of the price of the Jabra Evolve2 30 , and it was the best of the wired headsets we tested under $50. However, we don’t recommend it unless you absolutely need a cheap headset and don’t already own any other alternatives, such as a pair of earbuds or headphones with a mic.

The H540’s microphone conveys voices clearly but also captures a lot of room noise; in our testing, it made us sound as if we were in an air tunnel. It also has no indicator to show whether you’re muted, and to our eyes the cheap-looking, shiny plastic didn’t seem like it would last long.

If you’d prefer a wired headset with in-line controls rather than on-ear buttons: The Logitech Zone Wired is a great alternative to our wired-headset pick, the Jabra Evolve2 30 . Its in-line controls feature clear markings for answering or rejecting calls, muting or unmuting, and playing or pausing. They reside on a thick, braided cord that’s less prone to tangling than rubbery alternatives, and a lapel clip helps to keep the controls close at hand. You can also mute or unmute yourself, respectively, by raising or lowering the mic boom—this is a handy feature that the Evolve2 30 doesn’t have.

This headset offers excellent audio quality and background-noise reduction in line with that of the Evolve2 30, though it seems to be tuned for softer-spoken individuals. Those with louder natural speaking voices may need to adjust the input volume.

But the Zone Wired is heavier and a little less elegantly built, and in our tests its microphone didn’t capture voices with quite the same rich, warm tone.

This is not a comprehensive list of all the headsets we’ve tested. We have removed models that have been discontinued or no longer meet our testing criteria.

Wireless headsets

The mic boom on the Avantree Aria Me AS90TA is flimsy, and in our tests it could barely suppress background noise.

The EPOS | Sennheiser Adapt 360 has a tight clamp, which is good for passive noise cancellation, but after half an hour it can feel like a vise on your head. We also heard some static when listening to music.

Our recordings on the EPOS | Sennheiser Adapt 660 exhibited a robotic tin-can sound, which we believe is the result of comb filtering (video) .

The Jabra Evolve 65 has an unpadded headband, smaller earcups, a shorter battery life, and poorer voice quality in comparison with our current picks from Jabra.

The Jabra Evolve2 55 produced noticeable eardrum suck and had a short wireless range, and the control buttons were difficult to use.

Our previous pick, the Jabra Evolve2 65 , didn’t perform as well as our current picks with their active noise cancellation and crystal-clear sound.

The Jabra Evolve2 75 did a terrible job of isolating our voice, and it often cut out during calls.

Producing middling voice quality, the Jabra Evolve2 85 couldn’t justify its $400 to $500 price tag.

We dismissed several Logitech models—the Logitech Zone Vibe 100 , Logitech Zone Vibe 125 , Logitech Zone Vibe 900 , and Logitech Zone Wireless —for their poor voice quality, subpar pairing performance, and uncomfortable headsets.

The Poly Voyager 4200 ’s speaker made female vocals sound a little distorted and grainy.

In our testing, the VXi BlueParrott S450-XT earned the lowest scores for outgoing audio quality, and it was also the bulkiest and heaviest headset we tested.

We preferred the performance of the Shokz OpenComm2 UC Bone Conduction Headset over that of its predecessor, the Shokz OpenComm UC Bone Conduction Headset .

Wired headsets

The EPOS | Sennheiser Adapt 165T is a decent headset: It’s lightweight and comfortable to wear, and our voices transmitted clearly. However, background noise came through louder with this headset than with our picks, and the build quality felt a little less premium.

Our previous picks from Jabra, the Jabra Evolve 40 and Jabra Evolve2 40 , don’t offer background-noise cancellation or audio quality as good as that of our current picks.

The Microsoft LifeChat LX-6000 , our previous budget headset pick, has tiny earcups and a tight headband, which made it uncomfortable for us to wear for even a 30-minute call. The microphone also glitched on occasion during our testing.

Like their wireless siblings, the Logitech H390 and Logitech Zone 750 fell out of contention for their staticky audio, volume issues, and uncomfortable designs.

Bluetooth headsets

The BlueParrott M300-XT , a previous top pick, doesn’t sound as good, and doesn’t pair as easily, as our current pick.

The BlueParrott Point , the FimiTech Bluetooth Headset , and the New Bee Bluetooth Earpiece had poor noise cancellation and made our voices sound unpleasant.

The Jabra Perform 45 offered solid performance but lacked robust control features, such as voice activation.

Despite the Jabra Talk 25 SE ’s advertised 33-foot call range, we couldn’t leave our desks during testing to make a call without the connection dropping.

The Jabra Talk 45 and Mpow EM16 didn’t sound as good as our top pick in our tests, and they lack volume and mute buttons.

This article was edited by Ben Keough and Erica Ogg.

Meet your guides

Kaitlyn Wells

Kaitlyn Wells is a senior staff writer who advocates for greater work flexibility by showing you how to work smarter remotely without losing yourself. Previously, she covered pets and style for Wirecutter. She's never met a pet she didn’t like, although she can’t say the same thing about productivity apps. Her first picture book, A Family Looks Like Love , follows a pup who learns that love, rather than how you look, is what makes a family.

Melanie Pinola

Melanie Pinola covers home office, remote work, and productivity as a senior staff writer at Wirecutter. She has contributed to print and online publications such as The New York Times, Consumer Reports, Lifehacker, and PCWorld, specializing in tech, work, and lifestyle/family topics. She’s thrilled when those topics intersect—and when she gets to write about them in her PJs.

Further reading

The Best Gaming Headsets

by Haley Perry

The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 offers better sound than many more-expensive gaming headsets, has an excellent onboard microphone, and is comfortable enough to wear for hours.

All the Headphones Wirecutter Recommends

by Lauren Dragan

If you’re shopping for headphones, this is the place to start. Here are all of our headphone recommendations.

The Best Wireless TV Headphones

by Nena Farrell and Lauren Dragan

Wireless TV headphones let you watch TV or play games without disturbing others. We like Insignia’s NS-HAWHP2 for its comfort, ease of use, and minimal lag.

The Best Over-Ear Headphones

Whether you’re looking for the best sound or just to cancel out the noise, we’ve picked the best headphones for anyone who wants an immersive experience.

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Plantronics Voyager 5200 Bluetooth Headset Headphones Review

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 is a mediocre mono Bluetooth headset for phone calls. While the boom mic does an excellent job at separating your voice from background noise, unfortunately, the recording quality is sub-par and your voice sounds muffled and dark. The earbud doesn't enter your ear canal too deeply, making it comfortable to wear for an entire workday and should it start to cause discomfort, you can easily swivel the microphone and use the headset on the other ear. The 6.4-hour battery life falls a bit short of the 7 hours that are advertised, but thanks to its standby mode, it should be more than long enough for an entire work day. While the sound profile isn't well-balanced for music, it's well-tuned for phone calls and voices sound present and detailed, without being harsh or piercing.

Our Verdict

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 is mediocre for mixed usage. Since this is a mono Bluetooth headset, it isn't designed for listening to music and is meant for use while making or receiving phone calls. The microphone does an excellent job of separating your voice from background noises, so the person you're speaking to will hear you clearly even in a noisy office. However, your voice sounds dark and muffled while on phone calls. The comfortable and stable fit makes this headset a very good option if you make a lot of phone calls while running or jogging. Since it's Bluetooth-only, it isn't recommended for gaming, as there's likely too much lag.

• Comfortable and stable fit.
• App offers a ton of customization for phone calls.
• Easy to use controls.
• Microphone has excellent noise handling.
• Swivel microphone allows headset to be worn on either ear.
• Battery doesn't last quite as long as advertised.
• Disappointing microphone recording quality.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 isn't recommended for neutral sound listening. This is a mono Bluetooth headset that's designed for making phone calls and not listening to music.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 isn't recommended for listening to music during your commute or while traveling. Since it's a mono Bluetooth headset, it's primarily designed for phone calls. While it could be a decent choice for making or receiving calls during your commute, it doesn't block out any background noise, so it can be tough to hear the person on the other end of the line if you're in a loud environment, like on a bus or airport.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 is a very good option for making phone calls while running or jogging. The headset is comfortable and feels very stable in the ear, so it shouldn't move even during more strenuous workouts. As it doesn't block out any background noise, it's good for running outdoors so you can stay aware of your surroundings. However, its sound profile is tuned for phone calls, and music will be severely lacking any bass.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 isn't recommended for listening to music in the office, though they can be an okay choice if you make a lot of phone calls at work. While it's comfortable enough to wear all day, and the 6.4-hours of talk-time should last you a full work day, the unbalanced sound profile and mono design aren't meant for listening to music.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 isn't recommended for wireless gaming. This headset is Bluetooth only and isn't compatible with PS4 or Xbox One. While you can use it with any Bluetooth-enabled PC or mobile device, the latency will likely be too high for competitive gaming. The sound profile is also lacking in bass and is designed for listening to voices, so explosions and gunshots in your game will be severely lacking in thump.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 is a Bluetooth-only headset that cannot be used wired.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 is mediocre for phone calls. While this Bluetooth headset is comfortable enough to wear for long periods, and will likely last an entire work day, the microphone recording quality is disappointing. While on phone calls, your voice sounds dark and muffled. On the bright side, the noise handling is excellent and even in noisy environments, the person you're speaking to can hear you clearly. The app also includes a ton of customization options for phone calls, and the buttons on the headset are easy-to-use while in the middle of a call.

• 6.0 Mixed Usage
• 5.7 Neutral Sound
• 5.7 Commute/Travel
• 7.9 Sports/Fitness
• 5.3 Wireless Gaming
• 5.2 Wired Gaming
• 6.1 Phone Calls
• Updated May 15, 2020: Review published.
• Updated May 12, 2020: Early access published.
• Updated May 07, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
• Updated May 07, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
• Updated Oct 07, 2019: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We purchased and tested the Plantronics Voyager 5200. There is also a model called the Voyager 5200 UC that comes with a USB dongle for PCs, as well as some 'Office' models that include a dock. These results are only applicable to the regular 5200, as the other variants may perform differently.

Compared To Other Headphones

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 is a mono Bluetooth headset designed for making and receiving phone calls. Unlike most headphones we've reviewed, it isn't designed for listening to music, and its sound profile is tuned so that voices are clear and don't sound piercing or harsh. While the boom microphone's recording quality is sub-par, it does an excellent job of separating your voice from background noise, making it well-suited to use in a noisy office. Check out our recommendations for best Bluetooth headsets for phone calls , or if you want something better-suited for gaming, best wireless gaming headsets .

The Plantronics Voyager Legend Bluetooth Headset is a much worse mono headset for phone calls than the Plantronics Voyager 5200 Bluetooth Headset. Both headsets share almost the same design and feel equally comfortable, well-built, and stable, except the 5200 charges via Micro-USB while the Legend uses a proprietary magnetic charging clip. The 5200 has a better-balanced sound profile for phone calls, resulting in less piercing and painful voices. It also has a much better microphone that makes your voice sound slightly more natural and does a significantly better job of separating your voice from background noises. On the other hand, the Voyager Legend has longer battery life.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 Bluetooth Headset is better for phone calls than the Jabra Talk 45 Bluetooth Headset . The Plantronics is more comfortable, better-built, and it has more controls, including a volume control. Its boom microphone performs much better in noisier environments. That said, the Jabra's microphone has a better recording quality.

The Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless and the Plantronics Voyager 5200 Bluetooth Headset are designed for different uses. The Voyager 5200 is a mono Bluetooth headset that isn't meant for listening to music, while the Apple are truly wireless headphones designed for listening to music. The microphone on the Voyager does a much better job at handling noise, and the app gives you a ton of customization options for phone calls. On the other hand, the Apple come with a charging case, and two earbuds so you can listen to stereo music. Their sound profile is also much better-balanced for music.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 Bluetooth Headset and the Jabra Elite 65t Truly Wireless are different styles of headsets designed for different uses. While the Plantronics is a mono Bluetooth headset that's designed for phone calls, the Jabra are truly wireless headphones that can be used for phone calls as well as listening to music. The Plantronics' microphone does a much better job at handling noise. Overall, if you're looking for headphones to listen to music and make phone calls from time to time, the Jabra are a better choice, but if you need a headset for the office that's designed specifically for phone calls, the Plantronics is a better pick.

The Jabra Evolve2 65 Wireless are more versatile than the Plantronics Voyager 5200 Bluetooth Headset, though they're radically different devices with different intended uses. The Jabra are Bluetooth stereo headphones with a better-balanced sound profile, much longer battery life, a broader range of configuration options, and a superior boom microphone. Meanwhile, the Plantronics is a mono earbud that's far more portable and does a much better job of staying in your ear. Both offer multi-device pairing capability, though only the Jabra are Bluetooth 5.0-compatible.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 Bluetooth headset is a better mono headset for phone calls than the Jabra Steel . The Plantronics is more comfortable, has better controls, and has a more even sound profile that suits speech better. However, the Jabra's boom mic has a better recording quality. 

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 Bluetooth Headset is better for phone calls than the Plantronics Voyager 3200 Bluetooth Headset . The 5200 is more comfortable and stable and is better-built. It also leaks less noise, and its microphone has a better recording quality and noise handling performance. That said, the 3200 has a better-balanced treble range, so voices and sibilants sound more detailed.

The Mpow EM12 Wireless Earphone and the Plantronics Voyager 5200 Bluetooth Headset are mediocre mono headsets. The Plantronics is more comfortable, has much better controls, has a better-balanced sound profile for voices, and has much longer battery life. Its boom microphone also handles background noise significantly better than the integrated microphone on the Mpow, and Plantronics has a dedicated companion app with a ton of customization options. On the other hand, the Mpow has a more casual look, and its microphone has a better recording quality.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 Bluetooth Headset is a better Bluetooth mono headset than the TaoTronics TT-BH041 Bluetooth Headset . The Plantronics is far more portable, easier to use, and is far more stable on the ear. It also has a microphone that isolates speech from ambient noise with greater effectiveness, not to mention it has multi-device pairing as well as a dedicated companion app. Meanwhile, the TaoTronics has a substantially longer continuous runtime and does a better job of reducing audio leakage.

The  BlueParrott B450-XT Headset is a better headset for phone calls than the Plantronics Voyager 5200 Bluetooth Headset. The BlueParrott has a more balanced sound profile and its boom microphone has a better recording quality. It also has a longer continuous battery life and you can use it while it's charging. However, the Plantronics Voyager is more comfortable and since it's an earbud headset, it's also more portable. Its microphone is better at noise handling, which is handy if you need to take calls on the road from your truck.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 Bluetooth Headset and the Mpow Pro Trucker Bluetooth Headset are both solid choices for taking phone calls on-the-go. Some users may prefer the Plantronics' mono earbud design, which is more portable and more stable than the mono on-ear design of the Mpow. The Plantronics also comes with a companion app, and its microphone performs better in noisier environments. That said, the Mpow has a longer continuous battery life, and its microphone has a better recording quality.

Test Results

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 has a fairly standard Bluetooth-headset design. There's a fairly large ear-hook that goes around your ear, and a thin boom microphone. Overall, it's a little bulkier than some other options but has a straight-forward and professional look.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 is comfortable. It comes with three sizes of silicone tips, and since they don't enter deep into the ear canal at all, they're comfortable for extended periods. The ear-hook part of the headset is flexible and doesn't put too much pressure on your ear. After a couple of hours, it may start to cause a bit of discomfort and fatigue. Luckily, you can flip the mic around, so you can move the headset from one ear to the other to help reduce discomfort during long periods.

The controls of the Plantronics Voyager 5200 are decent overall. There are volume up/down buttons on the top of the ear-hook, a power toggle on the rear, and two call/media control buttons on the microphone itself. These two buttons more designed for call controls rather than media controls, and while you can only pause/play tracks, there's a good amount of call controls including answer, reject, and redial. You can also use one of the buttons on the mic to trigger your phone's assistant, which can be convenient.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 is very portable. While it's a bit larger than most pairs of truly wireless headphones, you should still be able to easily slide it into most pockets. If you want something even more portable, check out the Mpow EM12 Wireless Earphone .

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 doesn't come with a case. While a charging case can be purchased separately, we haven't tested it.

The build quality of this headset is good. It's made primarily of silicone and plastic and should be able to withstand a few accidental bumps or drops without sustaining too much damage. The ear-hook is fairly flexible, which should help prevent it from snapping or breaking easily.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 feels very stable in the ear. Unlike the Plantronics Voyager 3200 Bluetooth Headset , the ear-hook helps keep it in place well, and even more severe head movements don't cause it to fall out or move. The boom mic also stays in place well and shouldn't slide or move around.

• Plantronics Voyager 5200 headset
• 3x Tip sizes
• Micro-USB cable

The sound profile of the Plantronics Voyager 5200 is well-tuned for voices and speech. It lacks quite a bit of bass, but voices sound present and aren't piercing or harsh. However, some voices may sound slightly dull and lispy.

The frequency response consistency of this headset is very good. Provided you achieve a proper fit with the included tips, you should experience similar bass and treble response every time you use it.

The bass accuracy of this headset is very bad. There is practically no low-bass, which is responsible for the thump and rumble in music. Mid-bass, where the body and punch of the bass sits, is very lacking. Luckily, high-bass, where instruments and some low voices get their warmth, is fairly flat and only slightly under-emphasized. While overall music will be lacking bass, this headset is tuned for phone calls and voices, and most people shouldn't notice the lack of bass. If you're looking for a mono headset with significantly better bass accuracy, check out the BlueParrott B450-XT Headset .

The mid-range accuracy of the Plantronics Voyager 5200 is outstanding. The entire range is very well-balanced and accurate, especially the high-mid which, along with low-treble, is responsible for most vocal frequencies. This results in clear and full voices that don't sound weak, distant, or harsh.

The treble accuracy of this headset is okay. Most of the low treble range is fairly well-balanced and accurate, resulting in vocals that should be somewhat detailed, articulate, and present. While the mid-treble range is fairly underemphasized, making vocals sound slightly dull and lispy, this is better than if it were overemphasized, which would result in piercing and painful voices. Most of the high treble range is recessed, resulting in audio that sounds fairly lifeless instead of being hissy, though this shouldn't affect voices too much, as most voices don't reach these higher frequencies.

The peaks and dips performance of this headset is mediocre. The largest peak is in mid-high treble which makes some frequencies sound slightly harsh. Overall, it's small enough that most voices don't come across as piercing or painful. While the peak in mid-high bass doesn't necessarily represent an over-emphasized mid-bass, it shows the relative increase in that range over the very recessed low bass.

Because the Plantronics Voyager 5200 is a mono headset, there is no stereo imaging.

Like with most in-ears, the passive soundstage of this headset is poor. This is because properly activating the resonances of the pinna (the outer ear) is one of the important factors in creating an out-of-head and speaker-like soundstage. Since in-ears and earbuds completely bypass the pinna, their soundstage tends to be perceived as small and located inside the listener's head. That being said, because there's only one earbud, the openness is excellent.

This headset doesn't have any virtual soundstage features.

Note: We were unable to reach 100dB volume while testing this headset. Therefore, the '100 dB' score was tested with the headset at max volume and the '90 dB' score was set 10dB lower.

These are the settings used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid when listening using these settings.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 isolates almost no background noise. This is likely by design, as while on phone calls, it helps to be able to hear your own voice when speaking. This is also due to the fact that the earbuds rest inside the ear as opposed to going deep into the ear canal and creating a 'plunger-like' feeling that blocks sound.

The leakage performance of this headset is good. There's some leakage at higher frequencies that's slightly above the noise floor of an average office. This means that when using this headset at high volumes, coworkers right next to you may hear some leakage.

This headset has a boom mic.

Like with most Bluetooth headsets and headphones, the recording quality of the mic is sub-par. While your voice is fairly natural and easy to understand, it's also slightly dark and muffled sounding. For a Bluetooth mono headset with better recording quality, check out the Jabra Steel Bluetooth Headset or the Jabra Talk 45 Bluetooth Headset .

The noise handling of the microphone is excellent. Thanks to the boom microphone that sits close to your mouth, the person you're speaking to can hear you fairly clearly even in noisy environments.

The overall battery performance of this headset is sub-par. While the 6.4-hour battery life is only mediocre for headphones, it should be more than long enough for a headset. This is because unlike listening to music continuously throughout your work day, it's likely that you will take breaks between phone calls. The headset also features a standby mode which can help conserve battery life when it's not in use. If you want something similar with better battery life, check out the Plantronics Voyager Legend Bluetooth Headset , though it doesn't perform as well overall. If you want a longer battery life, you could also consider the TaoTronics TT-BH041 Bluetooth Headset or the Mpow Pro Trucker Bluetooth Headset .

The dedicated companion app for the Plantronics Voyager 5200 is good. While it doesn't have an EQ to change the sound profile, like with most good apps for headphones, it has a lot of customization options specific to phone calls, such as the ability to configure the sensors in the headset to automatically answer or reject a phone call while you're wearing the headset. The headset is also compatible with the 'Tile' app so you can find it in case it's misplaced.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 supports NFC pairing to easily connect to an NFC-enabled device. You can also pair it to two devices so you can easily switch between your phone or PC. The Android latency is among the lowest we've ever recorded. However, it's noting that this was measured while streaming a YouTube video, and apps seem to compensate for this differently, so your mileage will likely vary in real-world usage.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 is a Bluetooth-only headset.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 is a Bluetooth-only headset that can't be used wired. It comes with a Micro-USB cable for charging.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 is Bluetooth-only and isn't compatible with PS4. It should work with any Bluetooth-enabled PC, however.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 is Bluetooth-only and isn't compatible with Xbox One.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 we tested doesn't come with a dock. While some variations are available with a docking cradle, we haven't tested this.

Plantronics Voyager Edge Review

Plantronics knows a thing or two about Bluetooth headsets, being one of the stalwarts of the industry, but the new Voyager Edge still has something unusual to it. Fitting in-between Plantronics' Legend and Discovery lines of earpieces, the Voyager Edge claims to pair the performance of the former with the style of the latter, in a headset suitable for both home and office. There's some strong competition from Jawbone's Era , however; read on to find out which deserves a spot on your ear.

Design and Comfort

The Voyager Legend has a well-deserved reputation for excellent call quality, but with its chunky behind-the-ear battery block and extended boom, it's hardly discrete. On the other hand, Plantronics managed to make a far more discrete headset in the Discovery 975, but it misses out on the rock-solid audio.

The company's goal is to address both those issues with a single headset, the Voyager Edge. Like the Discovery 975 it's a slim boom and a discrete, diamond-shaped block; however, inside is effectively the same hardware as the Legend.

It's smaller than the Legend, too, though still not as dramatically tiny as the Jawbone Era. Still, Plantronics has put the boom length to good use, making sure there's not only a set of buttons for volume and call answer controls, but a dedicated trigger for the Voice Command system too. In contrast, the Era has a single, multi-function button and a power switch.

There's a detachable plastic ear-loop in the box, if you're a traditionalist, but I've a feeling most will stick with the standard selection of rubber ear-tips. Each has a protruding fin which, with a little adjustment, can be coaxed into lodging into your outer ear and keeping the headset in place.

That's the theory, anyway. In practice, at times I struggled to get the Voyager Edge feeling as secure as I'd have liked. To be fair, it only became dislodged after a particularly vigorous head shake, but it never felt quite as secure as the deeper ear-tip Jawbone uses on the Era.

Even if you do drop it, however, there's P2i nano-coating to make the headset moisture-resistant (though not waterproof, so still best to avoid puddles), and Plantronics' companion app has a "find my headset" option which helps you hunt it down.

Performance and Battery

Not for nothing does Plantronics have one of the best reputations for Bluetooth handsfree quality, and the Voyager Edge happily comes close to the legacy established by its beefier Legend sibling. Pairing is simple on both iOS and Android, though if the latter has NFC then it's as straightforward as touching headset to phone.

From that point on, while there are physical controls you can do most of the key features more easily. Picking up the headset when the phone is ringing and putting it into your ear will answer the call; if you're already wearing it, then saying "answer" will do just that. "Ignore" rejects the call instead, while saying "call back" redials the last number.

I tested it side by side with the Era, and found the Edge to be the better balanced of the two when it comes to both incoming and outgoing audio. Jawbone's headset goes louder in the earpiece and A2DP music (albeit streamed in mono to one ear) sounds fuller in the low-end than the Plantronics, but callers told me they preferred the audio of the latter. The Era needs its little nub to be touching your cheek to get the best noise-cancellation results, whereas the Edge relies solely on its triple microphone array.

As for battery life, Plantronics rates the Voyager Edge as good for up to 6hrs of talk time from a full charge. In a mixture of tests with an iPhone 5s and Samsung Galaxy S5, I saw in the region of 5 to 5.5 hours.

However, Plantronics also includes a battery case, into which the Edge clips. It's a neatly designed thing, with two separate three-LED battery gages – one for the case, the other for the headset – though it's bulkier than the equivalent Jawbone includes with the Era.

That does mean the Edge's case protects its earpiece (the Era's is left sticking out) and it fits a bigger battery, too, with Plantronics claiming up to ten hours more talk time. Both case and headset have a microUSB port for recharging.

It's generally difficult to find a Bluetooth headset that delivers solid audio quality without leaving you looking like you've just come off-shift from a call center. Jawbone's Era has since its launch been our pick of the handsfree kits, with its diminutive design and solid audio performance. The Voyager Legend sounded better, undoubtedly, but it fell far short in aesthetics.

With the Voyager Edge, Plantronics changes that. By blending the style of the Discovery 975 and the performance of the Legend, the company has come up with an excellent compromise that, while not as discrete as the Era manages to be, makes up for it with the reliability of its sound.

You'll pay for that, mind: the Edge, at $129.99, carries a $30 premium over the Legend (the street price of which is closer to $70) and matches the Era, though Jawbone also offers its headset under the $100 mark if you're willing to give up the charging case. Plantronics will eventually sell the Edge headset-only, but not at launch.

If you're solely using your Bluetooth headset in the office or in the car, saving money and opting for the Legend is the cost-conscious choice. For everyday use, however, the Voyager Edge's combination of looks and performance do elevate it.

Plantronics Voyager 5200 review

The plantronics voyager 5200 is a noise-canceling headset that offers some of the best quality audio for calls while working on either ear..

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

The best larger Bluetooth headset money can buy offering great features, ease of use, and audio clarity.

The four-microphone system is excellent

Great call volume

Reversible design

Quite heavy and gets uncomfortable with long usage

No charger provided beyond microUSB

Why you can trust Top Ten Reviews Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

• Performance
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Plantronics is a specialist in headsets and the Plantronics Voyager 5200 is one of the best Bluetooth headsets made by the company. Featuring four microphones, this headset is able to actively cancel out background noise so that your voice is isolated for the best call quality. Walking along a noisy road or on a loud train? The person at the other end won't even know you're not in a quiet office thanks to these noise-canceling smarts. This also applies to wind cancellation for a really impressive outdoor performance.

The over-ear design is attractive but may be a bit bulky for some, weighing in at 20 grams. That's also a positive though, as the headset is reversible to work on either ear and packs in a mighty battery, NFC, voice button, call button and volume controls. The sweatproof outer makes this a viable workout buddy and with multiple earbud sizes, it's certainly comfortable and well-fitting.

Plantronics Voyager 5200: Design

The Plantronics Voyager 5200's design is chic - a symphony on black, with chrome accents, it does look very smart. Its over-the-ear design is generally great and helps to anchor the headset into position. The volume buttons - plural as the plus and minus buttons are separate - are located at the top of the headset, helpfully isolated. The power button is situated at the back of the headset also for convenience and the boom-esque mic of the headset extends proportionately to the headset but not obnoxiously over your face. 

The 5200 weighs 20 grams and as a result, is one of the heaviest we've seen, but that's most likely going to be a personal preference thing. Some users will prefer a weightless headset, while some will prefer something weighty that fits well and feels immovable. Stability isn’t much of an issue, as the body of the device wraps around your ear, but getting the speaker to sit just right is a little tricky - if not in the right position this can affect sound isolation and audio performance, but with a bit of perseverance it's a hurdle easily overcome. As a final bonus, the 5200 does have a sweatproof outer coating, handy for use in hot weather or on a mild workout, though it's not what we'd consider rugged or tough. If you need something more durable, the Jabra Steel is very much the way to go.

The 5200's design is reversible, so you can wear it on either ear, but very little about the rest of the fit is adjustable. It comes with three earbud size options, which were somewhat difficult to switch out and change, and even with those size options, we found it difficult to find a fit comfortable enough to wear for a really extended period.

Plantronics Voyager 5200: Features

Being on the large and bulky side (still, mainly in a good way) is an advantage for elements of the design and it has the aforementioned volume control buttons and power switch, as well as a  voice button, a call button, an NFC pairing zone, power and battery indicator lights and a micro USB charging port. Impressive. It might sound crammed but as touched upon above, the design allows each button and feature enough room. The 5200 comes with a USB to micro USB charging cord but, frustratingly, no mains adapter, car charger or portable charging case. These can be purchased separately, but that is a slight annoyance in the year 2020, and even more so as this is not a cheap bit of kit. Something like the Jabra headsets or the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless offers more elegant charging solutions.

Plantronics Voyager 5200: Performance

The headline of the Plantronics Voyager 5200 is the microphone setup it uses to execute noise canceling. In most Bluetooth headsets there are only two microphones to soak up exterior noise and stop it interfering with the headset's call and audio functioning. However, the 5200 uses four. This may sound like overkill, but the tech does an incredibly good job at isolating your voice and canceling out environmental sounds, even down to the weather. More specifically, Plantronics uses something called WindSmart technology to intuitively respond to wind interference for exceptional outdoor performance. A niche approach but one that is certainly welcome and, importantly, effective.

The Voyager 5200’s audio quality is, generally terrific but it is directly related to the fit of the headset - once that's right then the audio quality should be excellently beamed into your ears. The Voyager’s speaker is also one of the loudest Bluetooth headsets, which compensates very well for any slight gaps in the seals on the earbuds themselves. Otherwise, the audio and general performance of the Voyager 5200 does everything as expected and does it well. Having a phone call using the headset is easy, clear and without interruption or crackle, and any adjustments that might need to be made are easily and efficiently done with the onboard controls.

Should you buy the Plantronics Voyager 5200?

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 is a powerful headset that packs in rich features like noise canceling and a wide array of button controls. Audio quality is fantastic, battery performance is decent and the ability to switch ears can help with longer-term comfortable use. 

If this product isn't for you

The Jabra Stealth headset is a real all-rounder with a beautiful minimal design, powerful and very clear audio performance, decent battery life and useful accompanying app. It lacks button controls for things like volume, but it is super light and comfortable and offers a good six hours of talk and ten hours of standby time.

If you want the full headphone experience as well as that Bluetooth headset functionality, then a dual earbud setup could be ideal. The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless headset is designed for gaming meaning it's built with a focus on clear and high-quality microphones for calls. It’s also made to be comfy for long periods of time, and it features a good-looking minimal design.

Synonymous with audio quality, Sennheiser has done it again with the Sennheiser Presence headset which offers superb in-ear audio as well as excellent microphones for clear voice transmission. The look is great, fit is comfy, and battery life is one of the best out there. The catch? It's not cheap. 

Rob is a games, hardware, and garden and landscape writer who has worked as a Hardware Editor for GamesRadar+ for nearly three years. His freelance writing over the past five years or so has appeared on websites like Eurogamer, RockPaperShotgun, PCGamesN, and also in magazines like the Royal Horticultural Society's The Garden magazine. He's also a qualified landscape and garden designer, and has used that to write about games' landscapes and environments too; lookout for his  upcoming book on the topic !

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Plantronics 5200 vs 5200 UC (2021): Which Voyager Headset Should You Buy?

Plantronics, now known as Poly, is one of the well-known brands when it comes to audio communications devices. This California-based company continues to improve its products to meet the diverse requirements of its customers. The Plantronics Voyager line is a result of this realization, as it is designed for professionals who are more mobile and constantly on the road. Users are raving about the Plantronics Voyager’s noise-cancellation technology and both the Plantronics 5200 and 5200 UC headsets have it. So what’s the difference between the two? Read on to find out.

Plantronics 5200 vs 5200 UC Comparison Chart

Noise cancellation technology, connectivity, battery life.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 UC comes with a Bluetooth USB dongle and a self-charging case .

The Voyager 5200 and 5200 UC Bluetooth headsets were designed for people on the go. However, the guys over at Plantronics labeled the former as the consumer product and the latter, the commercial product.

Simply put, the commercial Voyager 5200 UC has the same 5200 earpiece but comes bundled with the BT600 USB Bluetooth dongle and the charging case. The said accessories are sold separately so Voyager 5200 users can choose whether they add only the self-charging case or go all in with both accessories at a later time.

You may be wondering why there’s a separate Bluetooth dongle when the earpiece is already Bluetooth-enabled. The company explains that the BT600 guarantees compatibility and excellent performance especially for customers using other Bluetooth-enabled computer accessories that may cause interference.

Without the add-on accessories, the two earpieces are basically one and the same.

From a glance, the Plantronics Voyager 5200 and 5200 UC headsets look very much like its best-selling predecessor, the Plantronics Legend . But reviews from Legend users have contributed a lot to the improvements that Plantronics applied to its Voyager series.

One notable change is the repositioning of the microphone buttons from the top to the boom so as to make the activation of the single touch mute system possible. To address “mute anxiety,” the volume control buttons were positioned on top to avoid unintentional pressing of the mute button while talking. It’s also important to note that the Plantronics 5200 and 5200 UC headsets will alert you through a voice prompt if you try to speak while on mute.

Another improvement that Plantronics applied to the Voyager 5200 series is P2i-coated material for complete protection from sweat, humidity, and light rain.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 and 5200 UC’s noise cancellation technology makes it perfect for professionals on the go.

Six layers of WindSmart technology and four microphones give Plantronics Voyager 5200 and 5200 UC users the luxury of making and taking calls whenever and wherever. In fact, this is what makes the Voyager series better than the Legend.

Meanwhile, the headset’s aerodynamic boom is designed to let wind slide smoothly without turbulence, therefore avoiding the mic sitting on it to pick up wind noise. Moreover, each of the mic in the device is protected by a “wind box” to cancel unnecessary wind and background noise.

Plantronics included a Bluetooth USB adapter with the Voyager 5200 UC.

The Voyager 5200 series comes equipped with Bluetooth 4.1 + EDR or Enhanced Data Rate that ensures a faster data rate speed and better battery life. However, Plantronics once again upped its game with the BT600 USB dongle that comes bundled with the 5200 UC.

The BT600 adapter guarantees the headset’s connectivity with any PC or laptop. Some users have reported getting problems connecting their Voyager 5200 headset with their computers so this is the Plantronics’ solution. The adapter also helps improve the call audio quality by avoiding interference that may come from other Bluetooth

There are also smart sensors that let you answer or reject a call by just simply putting the earpiece on or taking it off. And as with the Legend series, you will still be able to answer or reject a call by saying “Answer” or “Ignore.”

Lastly, it is easy to set up Alexa on the Plantronics Voyager 5200 and 5200 UC headsets through the Amazon Alexa and Plantronics Hub apps. With Alexa built in the device, you can do more things while at work such as playing music, hearing the news, or checking the weather.

With the self-charging case, you’ll never have to worry about your headset losing juice all day.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 is chargeable with a micro USB charger and not a Plantronics proprietary charger. Thus, you can use any micro USB cable to charge the earpiece should you forget your charger at home. One full charge is equal to 7 hours of talk time.

On the other hand, the Plantronics Voyager 5200 UC already includes a self-charging case that not only acts as a charging dock but also a protective carrier when not in use. Having the charging case means getting an extra 14 hours of power which is very important when you’re always on the road.

If you’re mostly mobile, go all in and get the Plantronics 5200 UC .

As mentioned, the Plantronics 5200 and 5200 UC models of the Voyager series have the same earpieces sporting the same sleek design and cool features. This being said, you will have to consider your needs and budget in choosing what to buy.

If you frequently catch meetings other than the office where there’s little access to an electric outlet, the Voyager 5200 UC would be the best choice. Just add a few more bucks and you’ll get the complete Voyager headset system (with the USB dongle and self-charging case).

Now if you are budget conscious or if you feel that you only need the USB dongle or just the self-charging case, then go for the Voyager 5200 and purchase the accessory that you need separately.

The Plantronics 5200 and 5200 UC have the same earpiece but Plantronics 5200 UC comes with a Bluetooth USB adapter and self-charging case.

There are computers that do not support audio transmission to Bluetooth headset so having the BT600 ensures compatibility and consistent audio quality.

It takes approximately 1.5 hours to charget the earpiece fully and it is already good for a total of 7 hours usage.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 earpiece is made of P2i-coated high-quality plastic that can withstand humidity, sweat, or light rain. It cannot be used while showering or swimming.

Mauie Flores

Senior Editor at Compare Before Buying, blogger and content creator passionate about writing, music, and good food.

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Poly Voyager 5200 Vs. Jabra Talk 65 Bluetooth Headset Comparison

If you’re someone who likes using a headset when working remotely, or on-the-go, then you’ve probably familiar with different makes and models of Bluetooth wireless headsets . Being hands free, and cord free when on calls is very convenient, and also helps to make you more efficient, comfortable and if on the road, safe. 

Two names that are synonymous with headsets include Poly (formerly Plantronics), and Jabra. And when it comes to wireless headsets used with mobile phones, Jabra and Poly both make a model very similar to each other. Specifically, I’m referring to the Jabra Talk 65, and the Poly Voyager 5200. 

To begin, as I mentioned, these headsets look pretty much the same. They’re worn over the ear with attached ear gels that insert into the ear. You get different sizes to choose from, so you can find the size that’s most comfortable. We all have different sizes of ears, so having the choice of different sizes is helpful from the standpoint of comfort, and sound. 

In terms of weight, that’s another one of those things that make these headsets nearly identical because they both weigh 0.7 ounces. I’m no mathematical genius but I do recognize that’s less than an ounce, and because of that, it’s fair to say that these headsets are light.

I do find it  interesting that the Talk 65 design pretty much mirrors the Poly 5200, and weighs the same. In any case, both of these headsets are lightweight, and by most accounts, comfortable. 

Poly Voyager 5200 vs Jabra Talk 65 Video

Microphone 

Both of these headsets come with two microphones that are noise canceling. This is important to know because the microphone quality directly relates to audio quality, which is important to anyone who places value on having a professional sounding call. 

A little bit later, I’ll comment on sound quality, but suffice it to say that Poly and Jabra are the two leading professional headset manufacturers in the world, and it isn’t common for them to provide sub-standard sound quality, so it’s unlikely we’ll be disappointed in how these two headsets sound.

Still,  we tested both of them for how well they sound in a quiet room, and how well they sounded, and reduced noise, in a room with varying sounds such as: 

• Office noise 
• Dogs barking 
• And of course, our tests are never complete unless we include our noisy Vitamix blender test 

The results of those tests are upcoming. 

These are wireless headsets, and because of that, once the battery dies, you’re pretty much dead in the water. That underscores the importance of having a decent battery, especially when you consider that this headset is normally used out of an office, and in many (or most) cases, no access to electrical outlets for a recharge. 

So what do you get in terms of battery performance from the Poly 5200, and Jabra Talk 65?

The Poly 5200 gives you 7 hours of talk time on a single charge, but that can be extended to 14 hours through the portable recharge case. 

The Jabra Talk 65 gives you a full 14 hours of battery life on a single charge with no charge case required. 

At the end of the day, you get 14 hours of talk time from both of these headsets, but in my opinion, the Jabra Talk 65 is more convenient because there’s no need to pack around a headset charge case. As a result I feel that the advantage goes to the Jabra Talk 65. 

In terms of the type of cable used to recharge the batteries, Poly uses micro USB, where Jabra uses USB C. A cable expert I’m not, but I do know that there are advantages in using USB C over micro USB cables with power and data transfer being two of those advantages. And USB C cables are becoming the new standard. 

And while we’re still on the subject of batteries, when the batteries on either of these headsets will no longer take a charge, they can’t be replaced.

This means that when you reach that point, as all batteries will, you’re required to replace the headset instead of just the battery. And, a headset replacement is more costly than replacing the battery. This is something to be aware of if you have your eye on either of these headsets. 

Wireless range - is there a difference? 

Even though both of these headsets operate off of Bluetooth technology, there is a difference in the wireless range that they provide. 

The Poly 5200 is rated up to 98 feet, and the Jabra Talk 65 is rated up to 300 feet. In both cases, you should expect to get less because you typically get about half the stated range. Even with that in mind, you can see that there’s a very big difference between these two headsets when it comes to wireless range.

So if you want the ability to walk away from the device that you’re connected to, to talk, or just listen, then hands down, the Talk 65 is the way to go. Simply because you get a lot more wireless range. 

What about connecting to a computer? 

Most computers these days are Bluetooth enabled. And, being that both of these headsets are Bluetooth, it means they’re able to be used with any computer that’s Bluetooth capable. With that said, the Poly Voyager 5200 comes with a USB Adapter, and because of that, it has some inherent advantages. 

First, you may get longer wireless range over connecting via Bluetooth, and you should have a more stable wireless connection and better sound quality as well. You’ll also have compatibility with all the leading UC platforms such as Microsoft Teams, RingCentral, Zoom and others. 

The Jabra Talk 65 doesn’t work with a USB Adapter which means it can only be used with a computer if it’s Bluetooth enabled. 

So deciding on one over the other when it comes to connectivity, really comes down to how you intend to use a headset. If compatibility to the leading UC platforms is important to you, then there’s a clear advantage with the Poly 5200 UC. If, on the other hand, computer connectivity isn’t a big part of your daily routine, then either model should meet your needs just fine. 

Voice answering 

If you’re someone who wants to take calls using your voice, then the Poly 5200 UC has the edge over the Talk 65 because the Jabra doesn’t have that feature. With that said, the Talk 65 does allow you to access Google Assistant, Siri as well as get GPS directions.

The controls on these headsets are pretty similar. 

The Poly Voyager 5200 UC has: 

• Answer/ignore/end 
• Mute on/off 
• Volume up, volume down 
• Track forward, track back, pause and play 

The Jabra Talk 65 has these functions: 

• Answer/End/Reject 
• Volume up / down 
• Mute on / off 
• Power on / off 
• Voice assistant 

Sound Quality & Noise Reduction 

As mentioned earlier, both of these Bluetooth headsets come with two noise canceling microphones. So on the surface, you could make the assumption that both of these headsets should sound pretty much the same. And, to a degree, they do, but not entirely. 

In the Jabra Talk 65 datasheet, it states that the microphone is able to remove 80% of the background noise. There isn’t a readily available statement like this for the Poly Voyager 5200 UC, but I’d have to figure it’s in that same ballpark. With that said: 

• How much background noise did they both remove in our tests? 2. How good was the voice audio quality? 
• How well did they both do to maintain voice quality when the microphones were dealing with filtering out the background noise?

If I had to choose one over the other for sound quality, and noise reduction, I’d pick the Jabra Talk 65. I say this because when we tested the voice audio quality, noise reduction capability and voice quality with background noise present, the Talk 65, to me, sounded better, and removed more noise. 

Sound quality is subjective for sure, but when I listened, and then relistened to both of these headsets in a quiet room, a room with different noises (office noise, dogs barking, and a loud blender nearby), the Talk 65, to me, just did a better job.

In saying this, I’m not trying to paint the picture that it was day-and-night difference better, but what I am saying is it just sounded better. After hearing them both, you may have a different opinion because as I said, sound quality is very subjective, but that’s my take. 

The Poly Voyager 5200 UC comes with the downloadable Poly Hub software . This software allows you to customize your headset for audio preferences, turn on or off certain features such as voice answer or HD voice for example. You can even update your headset firmware. 

The Jabra Talk 65 isn’t currently compatible with the Jabra+ software for this same customization, and firmware updating. It’s rumored that the Talk 65 may be compatible with this software in the very near future. Hopefully so, but we’ll see. 

So what’s the verdict? Which one of these headsets is best?

This is one of those situations where I can’t recommend one over the other. Why? Because both of these headsets have certain advantages over the other, and considering those advantages as they relate to your specific needs is the only way you could pick one over the other. 

For example, if you’re someone who wants the longest wireless range possible, then the decision would be easy because the Talk 65 gives you a lot more than the 5200 UC.

If you want as much talk time as possible, then the decision could get a little more difficult. Both give you up to 14 hours of talk time, but they give it to you differently. Jabra gives you a full 14 hours on a single charge, whereas the Poly Voyager 5200 UC gives you 7 hours on the initial charge, and an additional 7 hours when recharged through the portable charging case.

For me, I’d pick the Jabra simply because you don’t need to recharge to get 14 hours, and you don’t have to tote around a charge case. On the other hand, some might find the portable charge case handy in some instances. So as I said, making a decision based on talk time isn’t cut and dried as say the wireless range. 

If you want to use the headset with a computer, and you’d like compatibility with one of the popular UC services like Microsoft Teams, RingCentral or others, then the Poly Voyager 5200 UC would be your best choice because it comes with a USB Adapter for better computer integration. 

Both of these headsets are very good. Both are professional grade. And, as you’ve learned, they may look pretty much the same, but there are differences; some sizable, and others more subtle. One of those differences includes the price. 

The Poly Voyager 5200 UC is $199.99, and the Jabra Talk 65 is $99.00. So, deciding which is best for you really comes down to which model has the feature, or features that best meets your needs, and which model best fits into your budget. 

The truth is you can’t go wrong with either of these headsets. The Poly Voyager 5200 UC has been around for awhile, and it has been very popular. 

The Jabra Talk 65, on the other hand, is a newer version of the 5200 that brings with it some enhancements such as longer range. 

So once you have a good sense of what’s most important to you, you’ll find that choosing between these two headsets will become much easier.

Need some help or a product recommendation? 

If the Poly 5200 and Jabra Talk 65 just aren’t the products you’re looking for, then make sure to contact us here at Headset Advisor so we can help. 

So whether you just have a question, need a product recommendation, or would like some help getting your headsets up and running, we can help.

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Plantronics Voyager 5200 vs 5220: Which Bluetooth Headset is Better?

• by Micheal Jamson
• October 29, 2020 February 15, 2022

Table of Contents

Busy people need two free hands and still be able to answer calls or use other features on their smartphones. In order to do this, a Bluetooth headset is an essential piece of equipment, especially when you consider how much they have improved over the years.

We are going to look at the Plantronics Voyager 5200 vs  5220. We will consider all of their specifications including things like the technology, controls, and value for money. We will add a comparison chart and some pros and cons before a final verdict.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 and the Plantronics Voyager 5220 are practically identical, so let’s begin with the features they have in common.

Plantronics Voyager 5200 vs  5220 – Similarities

Quick glance.

Here are the specifications in a side by side chart to quickly compare the two headsets.

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 and the Plantronics Voyager 5220 come with Bluetooth Version 4.1. This provides an impressive range of up to 98 feet.

Multipoint Technology

With the Multipoint technology, you can connect two devices to the Plantronics Voyager 5200 and the Plantronics Voyager 5220 at the same time. You can choose to answer calls from either one or stream music from both.

Microphones

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 and the Plantronics Voyager 5220 have four-mic active digital signal processing (DSP). The active band equalizer, acoustic echo cancellation and sidetone detection make these headsets excellent for noise canceling.

Wind Smart Technology

For even more sound clarity, the Plantronics Voyager 5200 and the Plantronics Voyager 5220 have Wind Smart technology. This provides six layers of protection from wind noise thanks to aerodynamic design elements and a proprietary algorithm.

Read next – Jabra Talk 55 vs Plantronics Voyager 5200: Which Bluetooth Headsets are Better?

These Bluetooth headsets come with a lithium polymer battery. The Plantronics Voyager 5200 and the Plantronics Voyager 5220 have up to 7 hours of talk time and will last up to 9 days on standby. They take 90 minutes to fully charge with a Micro USB.

Hub Software

The Hub Software is available for mobiles and desktops. You can customize the features of the Plantronics Voyager 5200 and the Plantronics Voyager 5220 as well as check your battery and enable softphone call controls.

On the Plantronics Voyager 5200 and the Plantronics Voyager 5220, you will find a power light and a battery indicator light. There is a power button and two volume buttons. The mute button also activates Alexa and the Call button activates Google Now and Siri. You can also say “answer” or “ignore” as voice controls.

Let’s turn our attention to how the Plantronics Voyager 5200 and the Plantronics Voyager 5220 are different.

Differences Between Plantronics Voyager 5200 and Voyager 5220

They are very similar in size and design and the difference is probably down to an error in the product information.

Plantronics Voyager 5200

This Bluetooth headset weighs 0.71 ounces, making it so lightweight that you can comfortably wear it all down.

Plantronics Voyager 5220

The product information says it weighs 5.6 ounces, but this is more likely to be the whole packet rather than just the headset. We would assume it is a similar weight to the Plantronics Voyager 5200.

The Winner Is- The Plantronics Voyager 5200

Read next – Plantronics M55 vs M70: Which Bluetooth Headset is Better?

What’s Included

You don’t need a lot of extras to go with your Plantronics Bluetooth headsets.

This comes with a Micro USB cable. You also receive three different ear tips; small, medium, and large.

The problem here is a lack of product information. Some people have received a car charger while others haven’t received a Micro USB cable.

Read next – Plantronics Voyager Legend vs Voyager 5200: Which Headset is Better?

Value for Money

As the two products are so similar, this might be the deciding feature.

Though pricey compared to some Bluetooth headsets, it is good value for the features and technology it comes with. There is also a limited 1-year warranty.

The original price is more than double that of the Plantronics Voyager 5200. There is no information about a warranty but again, we would assume it’s the same.

Read next – Jabra Talk 25 vs 35: Which Hands-Free Bluetooth Headset is Better?

Pros and Cons

Finally, we will look at some pros and cons of the two Bluetooth headsets from Plantronics.

• Good noise cancellation for the street and in crowds with great sound quality
• Super comfortable and stays on well
• It’s well built and durable
• The battery could hold the charge better

• Definitely a difference between the wind and sound quality
• Nice fit, even with glasses
• The battery life seems to be better
• You would expect more for the price

The Final Verdict

We liked both the Plantronics Voyager 5200 and the Plantronics Voyager 5220 for the quality of the materials, and we agreed that they were both durable headsets. The technology used was the same and the sound quality was excellent. We noticed quite a big difference with the noise cancellation, and both calls and music were clear and crisp. IN terms of size and comfort, they were also the same.

On the downside, it would be nice if the battery life was a little longer, but this was the same for the Plantronics Voyager 5200 and the Plantronics Voyager 5220. The decision came down to value for money. We couldn’t see any reason to pay the extra for the Plantronics Voyage 5220 and so today’s winner is the Plantronics Voyage 5200.

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• Electronics & Computers
• Smartphones & Accessories
• Smartphone Accessories
• Bluetooth Headsets
• Plantronics Voyager 5200 vs Plantronics Voyager Legend

Product Comparison: Plantronics Voyager 5200 vs Plantronics Voyager Legend

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• True Wireless
• Stand-By Time
• Maximum Talk Time

• The noise cancellation and windsmart tech are awesome. It's slightly better than the previous model because they added another mic.
• I was amazed to find out that while mowing the caller could not hear the lawnmower. I also could hear the caller. This headset blocks out all background noise. I tried it with the disposal on No noise.
• This has the best noise cancellation by far compared to the dozens I've tried.
• I use the headset actively so I cannot tolerate those that has less than 6 hours battery life for talking/audio.
• Decently-long talk time, about 5 hours on a full charge. Fairly easy-to-use controls with buttons that are large enough to find. Charges with any micro-USB cable. Easy to pair. Can connect two devices at the same time.
• The headset itself is great and the noise cancelling is amazing. I work in a data center with so much noise I can barely hear myself, but people on the other end can't even hear the noise. Its amazing to be honest.
• Unlike the Plantronics E50 and Plantronics M70, it actually DOES have some background wind/noise cancelling ability (and costs twice as much).
• Boom and over-the-ear connector rotate easily to adapt to Left or Right ear placement or to flatten to fit in the pocket
• Amazing noise canceling! This is a great headset for taking calls while driving. I've used it extensively while doing rideshare. People hear me nice and clear. The battery life is great as well.
• Battery seems to last a long while (Advertised to be 7 hours, but I have not used until it was dead yet)
• Maximum Frequency Response
• Minimum Frequency Response
• Sound Isolating
• Volume controls on the top of the earpiece are now raised buttons which are easier to find
• Fairly easy-to-use controls with buttons that are large enough to find. Charges with any micro-USB cable. Easy to pair. Can connect two devices at the same time.
• Great product, and like other newer BT devices, has a control app for phones that allows you to select which 2 devices you want to connect to simultaneously.
• The noise cancelling and wind blocking on this headset is amazing. The controls are easy and the Windows/Android software is great. Get the charge case for it as well. You won't be disappointed.
• I had zero issues with the older version, but for some reason the new version when used in my truck will activate the voice control on my radio and will at times keep the voice control on indefinitely, I let it go several times and it didn't complete the search action until I turned the headset off.
• The extra buttons make accessing various features relatively simple.
• One feature that I REALLY like is the charging wire. It has a magnetic coupling so there is no inserting a mini usb into the device.
• While using gps navigation like apple maps or google maps it does not properly communicate with Iphone6 so voice instructions do not transmit (this is never a problem with the E50 or M70) which defeats the feature of hands-free driving.
• The voice command features I didn't expected would mean not much to me, but they prove to be very convenient if you are already wearing the headset.
• The Voyager Legend doesn't skimp on other features, either. You have access to a completely hands free device at all times. When a call comes in, you will be told who is calling and then asked if you want to answer the call.
• Fast Charging
• Battery Capacity
• Charging Time
• Yet OTOH this has micro USB charging (unlike the previous model that needed a special charger, which nobody wants to have).
• About the only good thing is that it can be charged by my previous microUSB charging cables and fits around the ear like the Voyager Legend.
• Charges with any micro-USB cable. Easy to pair. Can connect two devices at the same time.
• Battery life is much worse. With the exact same type of usage, I would say that you get a little more than half of the previous model, which is very disappointing.
• The battery never charges up past 6 hours, last one would charge to seven - and this one will only last about 3 -4 hours before it needs a recharge.
• Charging - the proprietary new charging connector by Plantronics may send a lot of loyal customers in the opposite direction. But I genuinely believe they did this out of consumrs best interest cos of the really tiny usb ports.
• I would strongly recommend buying the charging case with it. I charge the case up once a week (for couple hours) and then it will charge the headset every night when I put up for the night, with out being plug in.
• Percentage charged is shown on your notification screen on phone.
• Need a special adapter/cable OR charging case to charge. Does not use Micro USB by default.
• I've owned this for about 8 months and already am unable to get more than 2 hours of talk time between full charges.

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