Do you want the best headset? 
Wireless headsets have been popular for quite some time, and that popularity has only increased since the Covid pandemic which saw countless people working remotely.
Wireless headsets overall, come in a wide assortment of styles and types. These headsets are offered by several manufacturers with some being well known such as Poly and Jabra, with other providers being less known like Yealink, Discover, Logitech and others.
Whether a wireless headset is being provided by a known manufacturer or not, doesn’t really matter these days. There are a lot of great wireless headsets to choose from.
In this blog, I’m going to showcase two popular models, and in the process, see how they compare against each other. Specifically, I’ll be doing a side-by-side review of the Poly Voyager 5200 UC and the Yealink WH63 wireless headsets.
Up front, it’s important to know that though these two headsets are wireless, they do differ in their wireless technology, and what they can, and cannot connect to. I’ll elaborate further on this as we go through this product comparison.
Before I get started with my review, I did want to let you know that I shot a Youtube video of this product comparison. A lot of people prefer to watch video content over reading it. To a large extent, I’m exactly the same way.
So, if you’re of a similar mindset, then make sure to check out my review video. I’ll post it immediately below so you can access it easily.
To kick things off allow me to say that both of these wireless headsets are very good products. Based on what they were designed to do, they perform very well. With that said, there are differences between these two models, so let’s see how they stack up.
What wireless technology do these headsets use?
The Poly Voyager 5200 UC utilizes Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology. This is quite common to many wireless Bluetooth devices, and it represents the latest in the Bluetooth evolution.
The Voyager 5200 UC can pair up wirelessly with your Bluetooth enabled mobile devices, and to a computer via the BT600 Dongle/Adapter.
Some computers are Bluetooth enabled, and may allow for the 5200 UC to connect wirelessly, but you’ll likely not get consistent performance from that connection which is why the BT600 Dongle/Adapter is recommended, and in many cases, needed.
By contrast, the Yealink WH63 utilizes DECT 6.0 wireless technology. When comparing DECT technology to Bluetooth, you’ll find some differences. Some of these differences may serve your needs better, or they may not, depending on what your specific needs are. I’ll expand on this further as we move through this review, but in short:
- DECT will give you longer wireless range when compared to Bluetooth
- DECT is designed to work primarily with phones, and not mobile devices.
- Bluetooth is designed to work with mobile devices, and computers
- DECT is known to provide better, more consistent voice quality
- DECT headsets typically offer more hours of talk time over Bluetooth.
If you are interested to know more about the key differences between DECT 6.0 and Bluetooth technologies, you can learn more by checking out this post which includes a short video on the subject.
What do each of these two headsets connect to?
The Poly Voyager 5200 UC is designed to connect to your mobile devices such as to your mobile phone, tablet or other Bluetooth enabled devices. It can also connect to a computer via Bluetooth, or via the included USB Dongle.
The Yealink WH63 is designed to connect to Desk Phones such as Yealink models, or select Polycom VVX models that have a USB port. It can also connect to a computer via
the included USB cable. The WH63 is not designed to work with mobile devices, so no connection to your mobile phone or tablet for example.
Because of these vast differences in connectivity, your needs should be carefully evaluated so that you can make an informed headset buying decision. The last thing you need is to buy a new wireless headset only to find that it doesn’t connect to your device.
How do the batteries compare?
The Poly Voyager 5200 UC has a battery that’s rated to provide up to 7 hours of talk time. For most people, 7 hours is sufficient to get them through a day, even a busy one.
If that 7 hours proves to be challenging to those who are power users, then the solution would be to place the headset into the charging cradle when taking breaks, and during the lunch period. By doing this, you should be able to extend the amount of talk time to go well past the 7 hour mark.
As for the battery replacement, unfortunately, it’s not able to be replaced by the customer. This means that when the battery no longer holds a charge, the headset will need to be replaced.
This is a less than ideal design, but no doubt there were reasons, maybe even good ones, for designing it this way. To be fair, many wireless headsets have batteries that cannot be swapped out by the customer. So this isn’t an unusual thing.
As for the Yealink WH63, it provides up to 8 hours of talk time, and like the Voyager 5200 UC, the battery isn’t customer replaceable either.
One factor that plays a role in how long you might expect a battery to last is how much you use it. Those who might be referred to as a power user, that is, heavy users, may find that the battery will need to be replaced sooner when compared to those who use the headset less. Most people should expect to get about 2 years of use before the headset needs to be replaced.
What are the available wearing styles for each headset?
The Poly Voyager 5200 UC provides only one wearing style, which is over/in the ear. It has an earpiece that wraps around the ear with ear gels that come in various sizes that are inserted into the ear. You don’t have the option to wear this headset in any other way. It does allow you to wear it on the right or left ear.
The Yealink WH63 is a convertible type headset. By this I mean, it can be worn in a variety of configurations, or converted from one style to another.
Included with the WH63 are:
- Over the ear with the included ear loop
- In the ear with the included, various sizes of ear gels
- Over the ear & in the ear when using the ear loop and ear gels together 4. Over the head with the included headband
- Behind the neck, with the optional neckband
As you can see, there’s a lot of differences between the Poly Voyager 5200 UC, and the Yealink WH63 wearing styles. The Voyager 5200 is limited to one style only, whereas the Yealink WH63 gives you several different wearing options.
How much do these headsets weigh?
There’s no appreciable difference in weight between these two wireless headsets.
The Poly Voyager 5200 UC weighs .67 ounces
The Yealink WH63 weighs .7 ounces
As you can see, the weight is essentially the same, and by headset standards, considered lightweight and as a result, comfortable for all day use.
How about the wireless range, how do they compare?
Anyone who’s looking to get connected up with a wireless headset surely has interest in the available wireless range they might expect to receive. After all, that’s one of the reasons to go wireless in the first place; cutting the cord and being able to move freely cord free.
So, how much wireless range might you expect if the Poly Voyager 5200 UC is on your short list? Up to 50 feet.
If up to 50 feet is adequate for your wants and needs, then this wireless headset, assuming it connects to your devices, might be the perfect fit for you. And, in our wireless range test, that can be seen in my video, the Voyager 5200 UC delivered on that 50 feet of wireless range.
As for the Yealink WH63, it’s rated to provide you with up to 300 feet of wireless range. As you can see, this model is designed to provide far more wireless talk range over the Voyager 5200 UC. This is because it operates off of DECT 6.0 and not Bluetooth like the 5200 does.
A DECT signal is stronger, and capable of delivering more talk range over Bluetooth. In our test of the WH63, it provided a good 175 feet of range before the audio quality began to fail.
The Yealink WH63 as noted earlier, connects to Yealink and Polycom VVX phones that have a USB port, as well as to a computer. So, if that’s what you’re looking to connect to, then you should expect to receive about 150+ feet of wireless talk range.
Our normal view on wireless range is take the manufacturer's stated range, and cut it in half, and that should give you a closer estimate of wireless range you should expect.
In our Yealink WH63 wireless range test, it tracked exactly that way. Something to keep in mind when evaluating any wireless headset.
Sound quality - How do they sound?
No matter how much you’re looking to spend on a new wireless headset, you want it to sound good. Poly, formerly Plantronics, has a long reputation for making great sounding headsets.
Yealink, on the other hand, is new to the headset game, so they’re experience and reputation in the industry is lesser known. That doesn’t make the Yealink WH63 a bad sounding headset. Quite the contrary.
In our tests, the Poly Voyager 5200 UC sounded good, and did a good job to eliminate unwanted background noise. It did allow wind noise to enter the conversation when we took it outside.
Inserting a small windscreen over the end of the microphone would likely solve that problem, but many might not like the way it would look. But, in a typical office environment, or in the confines of an automobile, the 5200 UC should provide you with excellent sound quality.
The Yealink WH63 performed quite well in terms of reducing unwanted background noise. I personally felt that the richness of sound was better on the Voyager 5200 UC, though both performed well in noise reduction tests.
If I had to pick one for having the better sound quality, I’d have to opt for the Voyager 5200 UC, though both were very acceptable.
The elephant in the room - how much do they both cost?
Many things are important when shopping for a new wireless headset. Some people may place more value on sound quality, and less on comfort. Others may start with the price and whether or not it fits into the budget. In any case, here’s what the suggested selling prices are for each of these wireless headsets.
Poly Voyager 5200 UC - $219.00
Yealink WH63 - $199.00
Based on the manufacturer’s selling prices, there’s not much difference between them. The $20.00 difference could be meaningful if you’re looking to purchase a large quantity. But, for those who are needing a single unit, either model should be within reach of anyone’s budget.
Final Thoughts
Though these two headsets are priced about the same, they truly are very different wireless headsets.
The Poly Voyager 5200 UC is geared towards the mobile professional who wants connection not only to a computer, but to mobile devices. This could be someone who wants to connect to a laptop, as well as to a mobile phone.
The Yealink WH63 is more geared towards the working professional that is an in-office worker with connection needs to a desk phone and/or computer. This headset does not connect to mobile devices.
Deciding on one of these wireless headsets should be made easier by knowing what you want to connect to; laptops and mobile devices would favor the Voyager 5200 UC. Connecting to a desk phone or computer would give the advantage to the Yealink WH63.
If you want options as to wearing styles, the Yealink WH63 is the way to go given the many available wearing options. It too will give you longer wireless range, longer talk time and when connecting a desk phone, remote call answering is achieved without the need of an optional Electronic Hookswitch Cable (EHS Cable). It’s all integrated, so it makes it easier, and less expensive.
If connecting to mobile devices and comfort are high on your list, then the Voyager 5200 UC might be your next new wireless headset. It’s very comfortable, and easy to put on. It works seamlessly when connecting to a computer and mobile phones for example. It sounds great, and is a lightweight headset that’s not bulky which makes it a natural to wear for long periods of time.
Though comparing these headsets is a bit of an apples and oranges kind of thing, they are two very popular, though different wireless headsets you can consider. Both will give you professional sound.
-Both will be comfortable.
-Both will come with a solid warranty, and both will cost you about the same.
It truly comes down to what your specific needs are, and once you have that nailed down, either of these two models should perform well for you.
