Thanks to Plantronics I can share my experiences and impressions about Voyager 8200 UC (Unified Communication) which is a Stereo Bluetooth Business Headset including boomless Microphones. It was launched at Microsoft Inspire Conference July 2017 and is Skype for Business certified – compared to its little brother BackBeat Pro. I am also explaining more differences between this Business Device and the more consumer focused BackBeat Pro 2.

Main Features:

• One Headset for multiple use cases: Listening to music, doing Phone Calls or getting rid of noisy air planes or  focus better in larger offices.
• Headset can connect via Bluetooth to PC, Mac and Mobile Phones / Tablets. There is an USB Dongle included if your PC doesn`t support Bluetooth.  3,5 mm headphone jack Adaptor is included for free as well if you don`t want or can`t to use Bluetooth.
• Noise-cancellation which I use when traveling in trains or planes: DSP tuned audio system with four microphones for superior noise and wind cancellation. If you are afraid of using Noise Canceling while being surrounded in traffic, you can push OpenMic Button
• Battery Power: 24 hours talk time, 20 hours listen time. Charge Time: 3 hours for full charge
• Wireless Range: Up to 98 ft (30 meters) with Class 1 Bluetooth devices
• Multi-Point: Stay connected to two phones and answer from either one (2H2S). Great feature for me which is miss at other headsets.
• Voice Alerts: you get the question if you want to accept an incoming call. It also tells you if you talk while being on mute.
• Controls: Volume Up/Down, Songs Forward/Back and Call Answer/End
• Smart sensor technology uses contextual intelligence to keep up with you. A colleague comes to your desk, you just put the headset on your shoulder and your call is set to mute. If you listen to music, song is paused.
• In the box: Headset, USB charge cable, 3.5mm cable, BT600 USB adapter,  Carrying pouch, Product card , Safety Booklet,  Warranty card

Comparison with Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2

As you can easily see, both Headsets look very similar. I got the black version, white is also available. BackBeat Pro is offered “Black Tan”, two shades of grey.

Major differences between both devices, ranked by my priorities:

1. Voice Quality: You might want to listen to my own voice samples which I have recorded:
2. Skype for Business Certification. Very important for me, I use this Office 365 Intelligent Communication systems daily, between 4-8 hours
3. Bluetooth range increased from 30 to 100m. So helpful if you enjoy walking around in your (home) office and left the phone on the desk.
4. Dynamic Mute Alerts: Yes, this is the official end of talking to your customers and recognizing 5 minutes later that you were muted.
5. NFC Pairing. Haven`t used it much, Bluetooth was always very stable and reliable
6. Compatible with Plantronics Manager Pro Analytics Suite.  I haven`t done Analytics here but this Suite is really helpful to troubleshoot Performane Issues in your company`s LAN.

Summary

I actually really like the lower priced BackBeat Pro 2 but due to the large amount of new features in Voyager 8200 UC which offer lots of extra value this is going to replace BackBeat as my daily driver. Since I am using this High Quality Headsets, I don`t use ordinary Headphones anymore to enjoy music – yes, the Audio Quality is that impressive! Need to jump on a long distance flight before I can share my thoughts about new Dual Noise Cancelation but Voyager 8200 already helped me to survive the Autumn Leaf Blower Season.