Do you want the best headset? 
Well, it looks like Jabra is at it again. They’ve been rolling out a number of new headsets recently, and today, I’m going to talk about another new model to join the ranks of the Jabra headset family.
Specifically, I’ll introduce the new Jabra Engage 50 Wired USB headset. (DREW - insert an image of the Engage 50 here please)
But, before I share the details on this new headset, I’d like to let you know that we recorded a Youtube review video of the Engage 50. So, if you’d like to watch the video rather than reading my ramblings, feel free to check it out below.
Jabra Engage 50 video review
The Jabra Engage 50 is a wired, USB headset that’s built for business. In fact, this new headset consumed 54,280 engineering hours to develop it.
Not only did Jabra invest all these man hours into its development, they consumed even more through the rigorous testing it went through.
When it was finally finished, the Engage 50 came away with three patents, and a finished headset that met the high standards and expectations of the Jabra team.
Connectivity
The Jabra Engage 50 gives you the ability to connect via USB A, or USB C, which is nice as that versatility gives you more connection options. So whether you’re wanting to connect the Jabra Engage 50 to your computer, or to your mobile device, the Engage 50 gets the job done.
Comfort
What good is a headset if it’s not comfortable? It might sound awesome, but if your head is screaming out in pain, there’s no real value. With the Jabra Engage 50 you won’t need to have that bottle of Advil nearby because this is a lightweight, comfortable headset. In fact, it was designed to be comfortable even for extended periods of use, like in a busy call center for example.
The ear cushions are well padded, and easy to replace. Replacing them easily is nice because if the headset is shared, or redeployed, then not having to struggle to change out an ear cushion is a bonus.
The weight of this headset is on the lighter side of headband style headsets. We’ve tested some headsets that weigh as much as 10 ounces, but this one weighs a mere 3. But don’t let that light weight lead you to believe this is a cheaply built headset. Quite the contrary.
Jabra has used high quality, durable and lightweight materials throughout this new headset. In years past, lightweight meant cheap, but that’s not the case today with technologically superior composite materials that are strong as steel, yet light as a feather.
Weight matters when it comes to devices that are worn on the head for hours on end, and the Engage 50 is one headset that won’t have you wishing for something different.
Controls
The Jabra Engage 50, like many wired USB headsets, has an inline controller. Yet this controller has some individuality that you won’t find on other headsets. For example, the cable from the headset has a USB-C connector that plugs into the inline controller.
No big deal, right? Well it actually is a big deal and here’s why. If you repeatedly plug, and unplug a USB device into a USB port on a computer, you run the risk of damaging the port.
With the Engage 50 you have the option to unplug the headset from the inline controller rather than only from the computer USB port. This saves your port, and provides the wearer of the headset an easy, convenient way to unplug, and step away from the call, or desk.
Also contained on the controller are these features:
- Mute - this shuts off the microphone, but allows you to continue listening to the call.
- Volume adjustment. This is a round dial that allows you to dial up, or dial down the hearing volume. This is a unique design as other headsets have you click an up or down volume button repeatedly. This is a small, but cool feature that helps to differentiate it from other headsets.
- Status light indicator - this shows if you’re busy, or available
- Call Control button to answer and end calls from the headset, rather than other headsets that require this to be done via a mouse and through the application. So, if you’re using Teams, Zoom, RingCentral, Dialpad or other popular apps, then this feature will help to make accessing calls much easier and convenient.
Microphone Sound Quality
The Engage 50 has a 3 microphone array, and is noise canceling. We put the microphone to the test in our review video, and it not only
sounded great, but it squashed all the noise we threw its way. So, it received high marks, and high praise for how well it performed. This means that if you want to sound great to your callers, and you don’t want them to hear all that noise going on around you, then the Engage 50 is a headset well worth considering.
I feel pretty safe in saying that most people, given a choice, prefer to sound professional when on business calls. That’s exactly what you get when you put a Jabra Engage 50 to work. It’s purpose built for business, and Jabra knows that sound quality is extremely important which is why they make headsets sound as good as they do.
While on the subject of sound, the Engage 50 has stereo sound, and super wideband so the conversations you have will sound rich, and lifelike. Additionally, hearing protection comes standard.
The Engage 50 incorporates some of the latest technology to help protect you from sudden, unexpected sound spikes with the use of IntelliTone, PeakStop, and acoustic shock protection. Nobody wants the risk of damaging their hearing, and the Engage 50 helps keep you safe.
Analytics
The Jabra Engage 50 is much more than a pretty face that sounds good. It has some nice tech features too.
For the headset wearer, via the Jabra Direct App, they can:
- Perform firmware updates to help keep their headset up-to-date.
- Adjust sidetone level
- Ringtone
- Adjust sound characteristics for music
- Receive guidance on optimum microphone placement for optimizing sound quality.
For the Manager:
- Data on headset usage
- Options for the storage of data - premise or cloud
- Firmware updates across all users
- Settings adjustments
- Visibility into room noise levels and more
This is another example of how the Engage 50 is a technologically advanced headset. It not only sounds great, and removes an impressive amount of unwanted noise, but it protects your hearing and gives you the ability to access applications for further adjustments, monitoring and updates. A small headset in form, but one that’s packed with impressive technology.
No review would be complete without mentioning the elephant in the room. In this case, it’s the price. So let’s kick that around a bit.
Warranty & price
The Jabra Engage 50 comes with an impressive 3-year warranty. This means that you’ll have a longer warranty period compared to just about any other headset out there. Longer warranty, means longer peace of mind, and cost savings.
As for price, here’s the MSRP for the mono (single ear), and duo (double ear) models:
Mono - $220.00
Duo - $244.00
As wired, USB headsets go, these models are priced higher than most other headsets because these are premium models, and as such, are premium priced. But, with headsets, like just about everything else, you truly get what you pay for. Do you pay more for these headsets? Yes you do, but you get a lot in exchange.
- What’s the value in having your hearing protected?
- What’s the value in giving your callers a premium audio experience where they don’t hear annoying, distracting background noise, but instead, hear you loud and clear, and nothing else?
- What’s it worth to have your team comfortable all day, and not leaving work with their head or ears hurting?
- What’s it worth to have a fully optimized headset for your communications platform?
The point is, these headsets are premium priced, but they do offer premium value. And, if the Engage 50 is a headset that has you interested, but you find yourself hesitating at the price, then I have a suggestion for you on how you can acquire these headsets, without the upfront expense.
Rent vs Buy
Headset Advisor, a headset focused company that’s been providing headsets to businesses for almost 30 years, has a new pay-as-you-go program, called “Headsets as a Service”
This is a program that allows you to acquire new headsets for a low monthly rate, and best of all, everything is included.
- Shipping
- Replacement ear cushions
- Replacement headbands
- Replacement microphone wind screens
- Replacement wireless headset batteries
Better still, the warranty never expires, so your peace of mind never expires too. Need help with setup, need troubleshooting assistance, need an exchange, or maybe you just have a quick question? Everything is done from one source, and we’re headset experts so we’ll get your situation taken care of.
Learn more here
