Review on 💼 Enhance Collaboration and Productivity with Plantronics (Poly) Blackwire 8225 Premium Wired UC Headset (USB-A) by Richard Carroll

great headset on its own and I currently have one as well. I consider myself one of those gadget lovers who love to get the latest and greatest stuff, and the pandemic has definitely increased my interest in making my virtual office the best it can be. I watched at least 5 comparison videos between the 8225 and other currently out of stock Poly/Plantronics headsets and another equivalent Jabra set before purchasing. I really had no reason to walk away from the 5220, but thought the extra ANC with the 8225 set would be the equivalent of using the 5220 on steroids - and maybe even the added benefit of better sound/voice. / Technology for calls due to its relative newness. Unfortunately I can say that this is not the case. I also have an older version of the 8225 known as the Plantronics 725 ANC. After testing all three (5220, 8225, 725) the clear winner in terms of speech intelligibility was 725, followed by a very narrow 5220 in and out regardless of whether ANC was on or off, although with ANC off it was a bit was better. Before anyone asks, I've adjusted the mic gain settings to try and get a 'perfect' approximation of the 725's performance, but it just didn't work at any setting. Also, all 3 headsets have been updated to the latest firmware via Plantronics Hub. However, the old 725 (with and without ANC) picks up voices richly, clearly and precisely, and words sound almost perfect. 5220 is surprisingly close to 725, but not as it is. The 5220 are the most comfortable on the ears of the 3 though, feeling like each has cushion pads gently pressed against each ear like comfortable headphones. I'm so disappointed because the Poly 8225 headset looks great - like someone tried to make a Beats-style headset for the office. However, your VOICE and presence during calls are paramount when working from home. A good headset paired with a good webcam is a MUST. While the 725 isn't as "sexy" as the 5220 and newer Poly 8225, it delivers where it counts.