Category: Logitech

Lync 2010/2013 – Dect Headset Review (Sennheiser DW Office, Logitech h820e, Jabra 9470pro)

~ northernuc ~ 9 Comments

Hello

The below is a unbiased view on three dect headsets that are all certified and compatible with lync 2013 and Lync 2010.

Using the same metrics/categories as i did with the bluetooth device review, i will score each headset on the following metrics, plus also giving a Pros and Cons synopsis including RRP pricing guide.

The three categories are (Sound, Functionality, Usability)

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(Left to right, Sennheiser DW office, Logitech h820e, Jabra 9470pro)

Dect Headset No1

Sennheiser DW Office

  • Sound – There is one thing to say with all the Sennhieser devices I’ve used and reviewed ALL have the best sound quality across the UC field. Again like the Sennsheiser bluetooth Presence device the sound quality is crystal clear. I’ve been using a DW office now for many months, and as the other two dect headsets have been released i’ve used these other devices for weeks at a time but it must be said its never ever been in my mind to replace the DW office. Simply put, its head and shoulders above the Logitech dect headset for sound. I’ve used this dect device in my daily job accepting calls from SIP connections/PSTN and Mobile and the device has never missed a beat.
  • Functionality – As with all three headsets they all almost mirror each other with basic  functionality with some having nice little extras over the other. For me the Sennheiser has a couple of neat features. One – being that it does not need a power supply to feed it an electric current. Its happy to utilise the USB connection to the headset to power it. (its worth noting this is the only dect headset in the review which can do this). Two – the device can also twin and connect to a desk-phone for better together capabilities. Three – you can twin unto 4 headsets to one base station. (this works well for training purposes etc), Four – it can be connected to your mobile/cell phone as well as a Lync headset.
  • Personally a trick the Sennheiser doesn’t have which would in my opinion would have been the icing on the cake is the lack of ringer in the base unit. More and more companies are not buying new desktop machines with sound cards and speakers these days as they are doing this to cut down on the revenue costs on hardware.If the DW office had the ringer function this would be perfect. I would hate to think one of my clients dismissed this excellent device due to a lack of ringing from the base unit. (note: only the Jabra dect device has a ringer in the base unit, but sadly that lacks in other areas)
  • Usability – I can sit with the headset on for hours and even sometimes i forget im wearing it until I’m reminded :). there is comfort and quality all around this headset. On first opening of the box, you might find the boom arm is very close to your cheek, this is by design and within the box is what Sennheiser calls a cheek deflector which is a little piece of plastic which snaps onto the start of the boom arm and makes the arm move away from your face area. The ear peice is leather and very comfortable to wear.
    For the distance on how far the dect range is (Line of sight 134mtrs, within a office <none line of site> 46mtrs)
  • Unbiased Verdict – the quality is what you would expect from Sennheiser devices. excellent sound and build. I wish it had a ringer in the base until as this would be in my opinion be the perfect all round product. Price point of this dect headset is the most expensive and could be seen as to expensive by some.
  • RRP – £299
  • Link http://en-uk.sennheiser.com/wireless-headset-office-hands-free-dect-dw

The release date is available now

Dect Headset No2

Logitech h820e

  • Sound – When i first saw this headset at the UC Expo in London in March, i couldn’t wait to get one of these devices to test and ultimately use in my day to day job. Oh how disappointed i was with this device when i received it. The sound is just awful, the boom arm and mic is super sensitive to the point where you can’t stop the sensitivity. (this is the same with the USB wired version). You literally have to move the flexible boom arm to a right angle to stop the sound distortion. Even with turning the sound down to the minimum setting within Lync makes no difference.
  • Functionality – Barring the sound issue, functionally the headset has a unique feature of showing the incall presence at the backend of the boom arm, this in itself is a nice feature when the headset is in use, people can see your on a call. As with the Sennheiser device, this dect device also doesn’t have a ringer option within the base unit. When the headset isnt being used you dock the headset vertically back onto the base unit, and there has been a few times where i thought it was docked but due to it being placed into the dock misaligned, it never charged and wasnt good enough to use on my next call.
  • Usability – The headset is really comfy with nice leather big ear pads and leather headband. Logitech have really thought about the comfort of this headset and it is as good if not better than the Sennheiser and Jabra devices . For the distance on how far the dect range is (Line of sight 64mtrs, within a office <none line of site> 31mtrs)
  • Unbiased Verdict – I can imagine the Logitech guys sitting round a meeting room table and saying ‘we have X amount of budget how do we use it…’, i think they spent 85% on comfort, and the remaining on the actual base unit, headset and packaging. If there was one saving grace for the logitech device its the price, its unbelievably cheap for a dect headset. You wont find a cheaper dect headset on the market. Downside is the sound, its a massive issue with this headsets.. Sort the mic sensitivity Logitech!! fix this and you will have a great UC device at a very good price.
  • RRP – £139.
  • Link – http://www.logitech.com/en-gb/product/wireless-headset-mono-h820e-business

Jabra 9470 Pro

  • Sound – The sound from this headset is really good, nothing really to complain about. On using it i hear no white noise and distortion, and the difference between the Pro 9470 and the Sennheiser DW office is the DW’s sound is more digital and clear. That said if id bought the Pro 9470 i would be happy to use it day to day.
  • Functionality – In terms of design of both the base unit and headset are both nice. i like the base unit lcd touch display which enables you to flip connections from desktop to bluetooth/mobile phone. ALSO it has the ringer which i really like and one i see customers asking more and more for. As for the headset it fits nice with large leather ear pads, and it also feels light on your head.
  • Usability – I used the Pro 9470 device of choice before i received the DW office. If the sound was just a little bit clearer i would be hard pressed to choose between these devices. I cant emphasise enough about the ringer feature and how useful it is.
  • Unbiased Verdict – This is a really good bit of kit, and one i would recommend to a client. There is nothing i can fault.
  • Overall Verdict

This is a relativity simple verdict, and if you see this as gold, silver and bronze awards. In third place is the logitech h820e this is because of its poor sound offering. In a joint first place is the Jabra Pro 9470 and the Sennheiser DW office. Reason why i cant make a distinction between these devices is due to the following. For the Jabra Pro, i cant fault the device in anyway, i like the base ringer option, and the base lcd touch display. Plus the device is £100 cheaper than the sennheiser DW office. For the Sennheiser DW Office I can’t get away from the quality sound and hardware. Also with the ability to add additional headsets to the base units, its perfect for training purposes. Downside for me is the price, you have to have deep pockets to afford a few of these if you are a customer.

– If you are a person who wants the best sound quality then in my opinion the Sennheiser DW Office is the best

– If you are a person on a limited budget and aren’t bothered by having the boom arm at a right angle. The Logitech is a good match

– If you are a person who wants a comfort fit with good sound quality and a long range of connectivity then the Jabra Pro 9470 is the one

Thanks for reading.

Regards

Iain Smith