While Poly offers some fantastic headphones that are fine-tuned for office meetings, they also offer premium models with a comfortable design and noise-canceling. We take a look at the Poly Voyager 8200 UC Bluetooth noise-canceling stereo headset.
Design
When it comes to premium headphones, audio brands usually focus on the design and wearing comfort of the headset. And the Poly Voyager 8200 UC is no exception here. The headphone comes with a sleek, boom-free design and most of the headphone features a soft material that feels premium.
We like the part where the outer parts of the earcup feature a wooden finish and it’s a good mix of modern aesthetics and classic designs. The ear cushions are made of a soft material that should help to wear the headphone for longer sessions and reduce any stress that can occur around your ears. We like the part where the device has the “L” and “R” written in a sporty format, along with orange accents on the inner part of the cushion.
Both the earcups feature different control buttons. The volume and playback controls (answer calls/ignore call/end call/redial call) are seen on the outer portion of the left earcup, along with the ANC (Active Noise Canceling) button with two different levels to choose from. The right-sided earcup features the call button, which also doubles as the button to interact with Microsoft Teams, and the sides include the power/Bluetooth pairing button and the orange-colored OpenMic switch.
The right-sided earcup also includes a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB-C port. The headbands also feature a soft fabric that feels comfortable while wearing and can be easily adjusted to fit your size. We also like the part where the stainless steel extension of the band comes engraved with equalizer bars.
The Poly Voyager 8200 UC weighs about 289g. The packing includes the Voyager 8200 UC, a BT600 Bluetooth dongle, USB Type-A to Type-C cable, a 3.5mm audio cable, and a carry bag that features a soft material on the inside.
Features
The Voyager 8200 UC doesn’t only excel in its comfort and design features but is also capable of producing high-quality audio. The noise-canceling performance of the headphone is capable of cutting out most of the outside noise, while you hear your music tracks or hear an online conversation. The combination of Hi-Fi stereo sound and the dual ANC enhances the audio performance and users will experience clean and crystal clear audio.
We were very impressed with the bass and clarity of the audio while hearing our favorite music tracks, including the high and low details that we rarely hear. The headphones also feature a total of four microphones in a boom-free fashion. This eliminates the need to have a boom attached to the headphone and keeps the weight lower.
The headphone also has the OpenMic button, where users will be able to hear their surroundings, and upon using the feature, the music playback or audio will be paused. The concept is quite similar to Ambient Sound from Sony headphones so you won’t need to take off the device. For wireless connectivity, the Voyager 8200 UC comes with Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC technology for seamless connections. Support for Bluetooth profiles includes A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, and HSP. Poly also has included a Bluetooth dongle if you wish to connect the headphone to a PC or a laptop.
The Voyager 8200 UC has a wireless roaming range that reaches up to 30 meters. The headphone also includes a feature where users will be able to answer calls by simply putting on the headphone. And to stop a call or music playback, simply remove the headset without the need to press any buttons.
Poly has also included safety features to protect the hearing of users. The SoundGuard DIGITAL protects against sound levels that go above the 118dBA range. The Time-Weighted Average ensures that the daily exposure to audio doesn’t go above the 85dBA range. And the Anti-startle technology detects any sudden increase of sound level and eliminates them during calls.
The headphone also is certified for Skype for Business and optimized for the Microsoft Lync application, along with support for Avaya, Cisco, and more. In terms of battery life, Poly mentions that the Voyager 8200 UC offers up to 24 hours of listening time, 20 hours of talk time, and has a month of standby time. We were able to get almost a day of battery while using the headphone.
Verdict
The Poly Voyager 8200 UC is for those looking for a premium headphone that is fine-tuned to work with office applications and online meetings and also offers high-quality audio with noise-canceling features. The headphone’s boom-free design and its soft ear cushions help for a stress-free wearing comfort for a longer duration. The dual ANC helps to eliminate outside noise and the device produces natural sound with great bass.
The OpenMic allows users to pause and hear the surrounding area at ease and users will be able to answer any calls by simply putting on the headphone, or cancel the call by taking it off without the need to interact with the buttons or the device. The headphone can also be connected to two devices at a time and features Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC. The Poly Voyager 8200 UC also comes with certain safety features that protect the user’s ears from loud sound.
