For people who spend time a lot time on the phone at work or in traditional audio calls delivered through Voice over IP (VoIP), Facetime, or on any of the dozens of audio and video conferencing services, Plantronics has recently shipped the ultimate accessory: the Voyager Focus UC ($299.95).
Voyager Focus UC is a business device, although music and the audio from video also sounds great. This headset was designed to complement unified communications system, thus the UC in its name.
Talk up to 12 hours. Active Noise Canceling keeps noise at bay. Mute lets you talk to others (or type) during a call without disrupting the flow. Sensors also know when you are wearing the headset or not, and mute is immediately invoked when you remove the headset.
The Voyager Focus UC can be charged via a micro-USB connector, or via its desktop stand. For versatility it can be connected to devices, desktop, notebooks and mobile devices, via Bluetooth, but desktop and laptop systems will get improved performance from the proprietary USB adapter that quickly connects to the headset.
On PCs, Mac, and iOS, the Plantronics Hub software provides battery life indicators, control over features, updates presence information on Microsoft Skype and Skype for Business, and allows for access to multiple phone systems. Dynamic muting, an optional feature that can be turned on via the Hub software to remind you that you’re on mute.
Plantronics products are heavily influenced by the company's aviation background, so this headset is designed to be worn for long periods of time. Its unique headband, recently adopted in Plantronics' gaming headsets as well, really keeps the perception of weight down.
This probably isn’t going to be your primary mobile headset, but in an office situation, I have found the need to switch from my PC to my mobile device for calls. The Focus handles both, so you don’t need to keep track of separate headsets for various devices. It even comes with a travel case should you decide take it with you on a trip and make it the headset of choice for your hotel room calls and entertainment needs.
The only issue I’ve had is battery charging, in that the headset doesn’t always fit into the cradle precisely enough to connect properly with the charging contacts. It’s never good to put on a dead headset and spend time on a call trying to figure out if it is you or them.
As a former Microsoft employee with experience with Lync (now Skype for Business) since its inception, and the clumsiness of wired conferencing headsets, as well as the poor performance of mobile headsets employed in the service of the office, the Plantronics Voyager Focus UC offers the ultimate experience in wirelessly supported telephony, with enough well-designed features to also travel scenarios and entertainment.
