Skip to main content

The New Plantronics Voyager 8200 UC

When kids feel slighted or jealous, they’re likely to accuse their parents of favoritism.  I’ve let my children know, from the get-go, that I probably do have a favorite, but don’t panic.  My bias is fluid and easily won.  This is a carefully thought-out and tested philosophy intended to keep the young’uns on their toes and kissing up, which is right where I like them. 

Now that I have access to the latest and greatest Plantronics’ offerings, it turns out that my choice of headsets can also be swayed.  But I’ve never denied being fickle.

Not long ago, I waxed rhapsodic about the Voyager Focus, its superior noise cancelling, comfort, and the way it helped me concentrate and get work done.  Recently, though, I started using the new Voyager 8200 UC, and, well, be still my beating heart.

The 8200 is Plantronics’ latest offering in the Bluetooth enterprise headset market.  It’s modeled on the amazing BackBeat Pro 2, and looks more like a consumer than an enterprise headset, with large oval, over-the-ear cups, on-ear controls, smart sensors, and dynamic voice alerts.   Also like the BackBeat Pro 2, but unlike any other enterprise headset, the 8200 has no boom.  Instead, it uses four omni-directional built-in microphones with boom array technology.  These microphones are designed to focus on the user’s voice, effectively blocking wind and background noises, ensuring my caller can hear me clearly.  The enormously informal and unscientific survey I conducted was overwhelmingly positive. 

Plantronics has also raised the bar on active noise cancelling (ANC) technology.  I thought the Focus couldn’t be beat at shutting out the sounds all around me, but Plantronics has taken it to the next level.  Literally, with a second ANC option that’s powerful enough to muffle the sound of an airplane engine. 

The 8200 is lightweight, with soft leatherette-covered ear cushions, and is comfortable enough to wear all day.  It’s intended for the always-connected worker who needs to hear and be heard no matter where she takes a call. 

I listen to music while I’m working, but I just don’t have the audiophile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-n4cWNK2MQ.  Fair warning – when the bass kicked in, I could feel it in my lungs.
vocabulary to describe the quality of sound this headset provides.  If you’d like to have a little headset fun with the bass, try this: 


So yes, I have a new favorite headset.  Stay tuned, though.  Plantronics continues to innovate and impress, so there’s always an opportunity for a new favorite.  I’ll keep you informed of any usurpers to the crown.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I have a confession to make:  I was never particularly into the quality of sound.  My oldest brother would get into my car and he would almost immediately make a scrunchy face and fiddle with the radio.  Then he would look at me triumphantly.  “There!  Isn’t that better?” He would ask, although it wasn’t a question; it was a declaration of success.  I would agree enthusiastically, although, truth be told, even if I noticed, I didn’t really care. That’s what I mean – it never mattered to me.  It didn’t matter to me to the point that I didn’t even notice.  The melody of music?  Sure.  The poetry?  Heck yeah.  Does it have a good beat and I can dance to it?  Awesome.  But the highs, the bass, the reverb?  Whatever.  A little static?  Who cares?  Quality wasn’t on my mind. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good gadget – laptop, tablet, fitness watch, smart phone – woohoo!  These modern toys are as exciting to play with as a new Barbie doll used to be.  But I was perfectly content t
2 comments
Read more

How I Focus

I recently read about a self-help guru trying to quiet his mind enough to find sleep and it got me thinking about my own train of thought, which goes something like this:  I need to pull yesterday’s numbers so I can update that spreadsheet.  What happened yesterday?  The kids had a snow day.  Did John remember his lunch this morning?  What do I need at the grocery store? What’s going on this weekend?  How many days left until my birthday?  Ugh, so old!  I’m going to check LinkedIn and Twitter to do some research, find inspiration, write an article.  Why am I so tired? Focusing is hard! The open office environment that so encourages collaboration and team-building also creates intrusive ambient noise.  If you’re anything like me, this is disruptively distracting.  The technology we’re surrounded by and actively embrace forces multi-tasking in everything we do, not just at work.  We check email while watching TV, make phone calls while driving, consult Google in the middle of di
1 comment
Read more

18,250 Days Old

 For years, I thought I would lose it on this day.  That I would crawl under a rock, curl up in a ball, and sob pathetically while contemplating my imminent mortality and current irrelevance.  It’s an option.  But I chose a different one. Today I turn 50, and I’ve spent the last year thinking about how I can be a better person, what it would take to achieve those goals, and working hard to get there. One year after I made that decision, I am so proud of myself and can honestly say I’m a happier person than I was a year ago. I joined a gym, got strong (relatively), changed my diet, and lost weight. I visited my family on the other side of the country (an expensive trip that I didn’t think I could afford). I found a new job that is rewarding, challenging, makes me feel like I make a valuable contribution, and gives me back an important piece of my life that I haven’t had in a long time.  Most importantly, I opened myself up to new experiences.  I stopped telling myself
Post a Comment
Read more