Poly continues to up the ante for professional office headsets. This week, they released Poly Voyager Focus 2 Stereo Bluetooth Headset.
The new Voyager Focus 2 Series is designed to solve one problem in particular. Obviously, Poly can’t build a noise proof wall around you, so they have developed active noise cancellation technologies to create a “focus zone” so you only hear what you’re supposed to, whether that’s a phone call, music or other media.
Voyager Focus 2 comes in UC and Office models. The difference between the two is the base station. The Office base station features dual connectivity from the base to a VoIP phone and a computer. You can switch between answering calls from the phone and the computer by tapping a capacitive button on the base. The headset still acts as a typical Bluetooth headset. The UC models don’t come with this dual connection base. They come with either a desktop charging stand or simply a charging cable.
Currently, there are two Voyager Focus 2 Office models: Standard and Microsoft Teams. (We explain the difference between Standard and Microsoft Teams headsets below.)
There are eight Voyager Focus 2 UC models:
|
Part Number |
Standard or Microsoft Teams Edition |
BT700 USB Type |
Comes with a Charging Stand |
|---|---|---|---|
| 213726-01 | Standard | USB-A | No |
| 213726-02 | Microsoft Teams | USB-A | No |
| 213727-01 | Standard | USB-A | Yes |
| 213727-02 | Microsoft Teams | USB-A | Yes |
| 214432-01 | Standard | USB-C | No |
| 214432-02 | Microsoft Teams | USB-C | No |
| 214433-01 | Standard | USB-C | Yes |
| 214433-02 | Microsoft Teams | USB-C | Yes |
Poly Voyager Focus 2 Bluetooth Headset
Voyager Focus 2 is a stereo Bluetooth headset with the exceptional audio quality you expect from Poly, making it suitable for calls and media. In fact, Dynamic EQ automatically optimizes sound quality for calls or media, so the audio will always sound great.
Bluetooth supports means you can use it with pretty much any smartphone or tablet. Multipoint Bluetooth connectivity lets the headset connect to 2 devices at the same time, so you can easily switch between the two. It remembers up to 8 devices.
To use it with a computer, a Voyager Focus 2 UC headset comes with a Poly BT700 USB Bluetooth Adapter. (The Office models connect to a computer through its base.) All you need to do to use the headset is plug the dongle into your PC or laptop. This compact dongle improves on the previous model, BT600, by supporting Bluetooth v5.1 and offering extended wireless range: up to 164 ft for the UC model or up to 300 ft for the Office model. BT700 is also 50% smaller than BT600. It comes in USB-A (Standard USB) and USB-C models.
What sets Poly Voyager Focus 2 apart from the competition?
First Class Active Noise Cancellation
Voyager Focus 2 features Advanced Digital Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). This system uses 4 microphones, 2 internal and 2 external, to determine where sound is coming from. It then eliminates external audio, providing exceptional noise cancellation. You can choose your level of ANC using a control on one of the headphones: high, mid or off.
Voyager Focus 2 also has a discreet microphone boom that supports Acoustic Fence. This technology uses 3 microphones to sense how far sound is coming from. It then eliminates sound from beyond a certain distance. The effect is a virtual wall around you, greatly reducing background noise.
The two ANC technologies together mean a 50% noise reduction compared with Voyager Focus.
And on top of ANC, it also is an on-ear headset with plush leatherette earcups, giving you excellent passive noise isolation.
Professional Office Headset Convenience
On top of being an active noise cancelling headset, Voyager Focus 2 includes other professional headset features that make your life easier.
For example, smart sensors in the headset let you answer a call or resume media simply by putting the headset on. The same sensors let you mute the microphone or pause media by taking the headset off. You can rotate the microphone boom for use on either side of your head. Regardless of the rotation, smart sensors let the headset maintain proper left/right stereo audio. You can mute the microphone by putting the boom up.
Call controls are built into one of the headphones: answer/end call, volume up/down, power and ANC level. The Microsoft Teams model has a dedicated button for answering Teams calls. In addition, the headphones have on-call indicator LEDs to let neighbors know when you’re on a call.
To help with your calls, Dynamic Mute Alert lets you know when you talk when the microphone is muted. SoundGuard DIGITAL limits the decibel level to prevent ear damage from sudden sounds. It also uses a time-weighted average of sound levels to prevent damage from long-term exposure to loud sound.
You can manage the headset via the Poly Lens desktop app or via the Poly Lens cloud service.
We say that it’s a Bluetooth headset and that’s true. But there might be times you need to connect via a cable. For these situations, you can use it as a USB headset via the Micro USB port. This gives you Audio over USB.
Standard vs Microsoft Teams
Voyager Focus 2 comes in Standard and Microsoft Teams variants. The Standard models are intended for use with UC platforms, softphones and more. Because it’s a Bluetooth headset, you can use it with basically any system out there. It’s been tested to be compatible with Zoom.
The Microsoft Teams Certified headsets are automatically recognized by the service for instant integration. They feature a dedicated Microsoft Teams button on the headset, which launches the service to answer calls. The Voyager Focus 2 Office models have a Teams button on the base, as well.
The MS Teams headsets meet the Microsoft Teams Premium Microphone for Open Office requirements. This means that they achieve a high standard of transmitting only your voice and not sound from neighbors. In fact, the microphone provides 200% noise reduction compared with the previous model!
Designed for All Day Use
Poly designed the headset to be used all day in the office.
One big issue with wireless headsets is how long the battery lasts. You don’t want to be on a call and have the battery kick out. The headset’s 560 mAh Li-ion battery is rated for up to 19 hours of talk time on a single charge when ANC is off, or up to 16 hours when ANC is on. You could listen to music for almost two days straight with ANC off: up to 40 hours on a single charge. With ANC on, you still get a full day’s worth of power: up to 24 hours. And it fully charges in just 2 hours.
It’s designed for increased comfort compared with the previous model. The foam earcups with leatherette cushions have been updated for improved acoustic seal. The headband with sling is comfortably padded with a larger external metal headband for better fit and greater strength over the long term.
Voyager Focus 2 vs Voyager Focus UC
Voyager Focus 2 is an upgrade on the popular Voyager Focus UC headset. Compared with the previous model, Voyager Focus 2 has much improved active noise cancellation, one of the most popular features for workers today. It meets the Microsoft Teams Open Office standard.
The design has been made more comfortable. It has much greater wireless range and 7 hours more talk time. Voyager Focus 2 Office lets you use it with your desk phone, which was previously not available. It also features Audio over USB mode.