Do you want the best headset? 
There's a popular debate about headphones, and noise cancellation. Typically, the conversations center around whether headphones without boom microphones are good enough to use on business calls in terms of sound quality, and noise reduction.
In this blog, I’ll provide you with the results of our noise tests for these leading popular brands of headphones, all of which do not have boom microphones. Jabra Evolve2 85 being the exception, though testing was done with the boom mic in the raised position.
- Bose 700
- Sony XM5
- Dell WL7024
- Poly Surround 80
- Jabra Evolve2 85
The noise that we’re using is the sound of a baby crying. So naturally this would speak to those who have a young family, and work from home. Although the same results would be likely if the noise was coworker chatter or other distracting sound.
Dispelling The Myth
Before I provide you with the results of our noise tests, I did want to cover something that pertains to noise cancellation. Specifically, the key difference between noise canceling and Active Noise Canceling.
Central to this topic is the perception by many that if their headset has Active Noise Cancellation, then callers won't hear background noise.
This is untrue simply because ANC refers to removing distracting noise for the person wearing the headset. ANC is designed to help you maintain your concentration, and has nothing to do with eliminating noise for the far end. That requires a noise canceling microphone, which isn’t the function of ANC.
So, if you want your callers to avoid being distracted by the noise going on around you, make sure the headset you’re using has a noise canceling microphone. And if you want to stay focused, then having a headset with Active Noise Cancellation will help you to keep your concentration.
If you’d like to watch a video that helps to explain the differences between ANC and a noise canceling microphone, then make sure to check it out below.
So, How Did They Do?
In our tests, we paid attention to these things:
- How the microphone sounds
- How much background noise could be heard when the presenter was talking
- How much background noise could be heard when not talking
- How much background noise could be heard when neep noise canceling software was used
Sound quality is subjective because what sounds good to one person, might sound bad to another. Also, how much noise someone hears can vary as well because the ability to hear things can differ from person to person. With that in mind, here’s our viewpoint, but I’d encourage you to watch our sound quality test video so you can decide for yourself.
Here are the results of our babies crying test by brand:
Bose 700
Bose is a very recognizable name, and a popular choice for many who are looking for headphones. In spite of their quality appeal, are they good enough in terms of sound quality, and noise reduction to use on important business calls, even during times when background noise is distracting?
To me, when the person was speaking, I could easily hear the crying baby in the background. Although, when speaking was stopped, the baby sounds subsided.
Good enough for business calls? This wouldn’t be my first choice, though it could be a good solution if you work in a quiet space, or private office.
Sony XM5
Sony, like Bose, carries a certain prestige when it comes to desired headphones. Both are excellent products.
Interestingly, the Sony XM5 performed in the same way that the Bose 700 performed. When the headset wearer was speaking, the crying baby was easy to hear, even to the point of annoyance. However, when the speaking ceased, so did the sounds of the crying baby. This suggests that both headphones have a microphone that prioritizes voice over noise reduction when speech occurs. But when the microphone isn't busy enhancing and shaping a voice profile, it can redirect resources towards noise elimination. This is fairly common among many brands and models of headsets.
Good enough for business calls? Only if you work in a quiet space.
Dell WL7024
When it comes to headphones, Dell isn’t a name that typically rises to the top in terms of familiarity. Computers are a different matter of course. Still, Dell, like Microsoft, HP and others, have all jumped into the headset/headphone space.
As with Dell’s fellow headphone competitors, the sounds of the crying baby could be heard clearly when the headphone wearer was speaking. And when not speaking, the baby sounds disappeared making voice over noise reduction the priority.
Good enough for business calls? Because background noise was easily heard during speech, that leaves me wanting to find a better solution where that doesn’t occur. Boom mic headset comes to mind.
Poly Surround 80
Poly, formerly Plantronics, is perhaps the most recognizable name when it comes to headsets. But history has shown that being the most recognizable name, or perceived to be the leader in your space is no guarantee of truly being the best.
The Poly Surround 80 performed more poorly than the aforementioned models on this list. In other words, when the headset wearer was speaking, like the other models, you could hear the sounds of the crying baby. Unlike the other models though, you could still hear the baby crying even when not speaking. That signals to me that the microphone, and or, firmware is inferior to the other models being compared. The Jabra Evolve2 85 also failed our test as I’ll comment on here in a moment.
Good enough for business calls? Not in my humble opinion, unless noise isn’t present in your workspace which means not working around others, not being a hybrid worker, and not working from home if you have pets and children. There are better options available.
Jabra Evolve2 85 (with mic boom raised)
The Jabra Evolve2 85 is slightly different from the others on this list as it contains a short, retractable microphone boom. That means the headset can be used with the boom arm down, or tucked out of sight. For our test, we tucked it away so that it was comparable to the others on this list (boomless models)
Like the Poly Surround 80, the sounds of the baby crying could be heard whether speaking was taking place, or not, which puts this headset in the lower ranks compared to the others.
Good enough for business calls? For this headset, not in the mic up position. However, you do have the option to drop the hidden mic boom down, which helps to improve the sound quality, and noise cancellation overall, making it a unique choice among the contenders.
Final Take
When you’re on important business calls, you need professional sounding audio so your callers hear you loud and clear. It's important that your message is heard, and not lost due to lacking or inconsistent audio quallity. You also don’t want your callers to hear distracting sounds coming from your background. Both can be a challenge for a headset without a microphone boom, in particular, if you have noise going on around you.
So for me, I personally wouldn't use any of the headphones on this list if I were making important business calls, or a participant on a business video meeting. The only exception being the Jabra Evolve2 85 with the mic boom lowered which will provide better audio, and better noise cancellation.
That said, I'd be more inclined to use any of these headphones for business calls if they were paired with neep noise canceling software. neep will pick up where the current headphone leaves off, giving you a better, more noise free call. neep will not only remove your noise, but your callers noise as well, so everyone enjoys better sound quality, and a more pleasant call overall.
Hear For Yourself
As I mentioned earlier, sound quality is subjective. So, in order for you to decide if any of these headsets sound good enough to use on your business calls, make sure to watch this short, 3 minute sound quality test video below. Have a listen, and decide for yourself.
Want To Eliminate The Noise?
If you have a preferred headset, but it doesn’t do the best job at removing noise, then why not consider incorporating neep noise canceling software? neep is extremely affordable, it works with any audio device, it eliminates background noise from your environment, as well as the noise from your callers environments, so everyone gets better sounding calls.
Best of all, you can try neep for free by going to neep.com. Try it, test it, and you be the judge if neep doesn’t make all your calls sound world class.
Have Questions Or Need Some Help?
Headset Advisor has been in business for 30 years helping our customers find the right, compatible communication solutions. So if you’re looking for compatible headsets, speakerphones or video conferencing equipment, contact us today and let one of our friendly, knowledgeable Advisors provide you with the answers you’re looking for.
