It’s straightforward to seek out nice true wi-fi earbuds, however most of them really feel very comparable, missing something fascinating to face out from the gang. Nevertheless, Poly’s new Voyager Free 60 collection is taking a stab at enlightening the expertise with a case that includes touchscreen controls and a mind-blowing set of options. Whereas these buds are marketed towards company consumers, and even characteristic certifications for the highest video chat companies, they’re fairly nice for nearly everyone, so long as you possibly can abdomen the worth — or get your employer to cowl it.
Supply: HP
HP Poly Voyager Free 60+
HP’s Poly Voyager Free 60+ characteristic superb audio and are filled with helpful options for enterprise customers and common customers alike. They’re expensive, nonetheless, and lack some normal options like handbook EQ customization. The touchscreen charging case can also be fairly cumbersome.
- Battery Life
- Listening time: 8 hours, 16 further hours with case. Discuss Time: 5.5 hours, 11 further hours with case
- Noise Cancellation
- Sure
- Mono Listening
- Sure, both bud
- Microphones
- 3 per bud
- Connectivity
- Bluetooth v5.3 (A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP, SPP), Multipoint
- IP score
- IP54
- Supported codecs
- SBC, AAC, AptX, mSBC. LC3 supported with BT700 Bluetooth dongle.
- Charging
- USB-C, wi-fi
- Driver dimension
- 10mm
- Dimensions
- 54.5 x 72 x 33.1 mm / 2.15 x 2.83 x 1.30 in (touchscreen case), 53.5 x 72 x 28 mm / 2.11 x 2.83 x 1.10 in (fundamental case)
- Weight
- 5.8g (buds), 80g (touchscreen case), 52.6g (fundamental case)
- Worth
- $330 (w/ Touchscreen case), $280 (w/ fundamental case and Bluetooth dongle), $230 (w/ fundamental case)
- Particular options
- SoundGuard DIGITAL listening to safety, in-ear detection, licensed for Zoom and Microsoft Groups (Google Voice and Meet certification in-progress), 3.5mm cross by means of airplane mode, Appropriate with Siri and Google Assistant
- Packed to the brim with options
- Touchscreen case could be very helpful
- Very comfy
- Nice ANC
- Good multipoint connectivity
- Very excessive price ticket
- Touchscreen case is comically giant
- No EQ and only a few presets
- Lacking just a few customizations
Worth and availability
There are a number of SKUs for the HP Poly Voyager Free 60 lineup, however the earbuds are bodily the identical throughout all fashions. The one variables are shade, included equipment, and whether or not they’re custom-made for Microsoft Groups.
For a beginning value of $230, the bottom mannequin Voyager Free 60 doesn’t include any notable extras, simply a normal charging case, USB cable, and eartips. Stepping as much as the Voyager Free 60 UC will value $280 and it provides a BT700 Bluetooth adapter and journey bag. Lastly, the top-tier Voyager Free 60+ UC is available in at $330. That is the one mannequin with the touchscreen case (however no journey case), and contains the BT700 Bluetooth adapter and a 3.5mm headphone jack cable.
All fashions could be configured and ordered straight from the Poly web site, and you may contact the gross sales division straight for bigger orders. Alternatively, the Voyager Free 60+ (with touchscreen case) can also be obtainable from Amazon.
Design and {hardware}
Poly Voyager Free 60+ case subsequent to OnePlus Nord Buds and OnePlus Buds Professional circumstances.
For this overview, we’re testing the flagship Voyager Free 60+ UC mannequin with touchscreen case. There’s no level ignoring the elephant within the room, the case is large. The clamshell design is noticeably bigger than another earbud case I’ve ever held. It’s not so huge you could’t slip it into unfastened pockets, however it would journey higher in a messenger bag or purse.
The truth is, I’d advocate in opposition to carrying the case unfastened. I found accidentally that the lid pops open simply from a brief fall and should ship the buds tumbling.
The touchscreen show is small, in regards to the dimension of early smartwatch screens, nevertheless it’s sufficient to suit just a few buttons for playback controls, altering settings, and displaying battery ranges. The show has a plastic cowl, and it tends to indicate fingerprint smudges. I’m additionally just a little involved it might be straightforward to scratch, although mine hasn’t proven any but.
The buds aren’t significantly fashionable or modern, only a bit utilitarian. A pair of ANC microphones are hidden below a silver grille alongside the highest of the stem, which additionally serves as a touch-sensitive strip you possibly can swipe for actions like advancing music tracks, altering quantity, or toggling ANC. There’s additionally a button on the backside of the stem to pause music or reply calls.
I might put on the buds for a number of hours with comparatively little ear fatigue or discomfort. This can clearly differ from one individual to the following, however they didn’t fall out simply, even throughout runs or attempting to shake them out. Nevertheless, the stem pokes out sufficient that it may very well be straightforward to bump accidentally.
The included BT700 Bluetooth adapter (USB-A or C) comes pre-paired with the buds and is held within the case by a rubber gasket. It gives Bluetooth LE Audio and makes use of the LC3 codec that guarantees higher sound high quality and efficiency in comparison with SBC. Surprisingly, the desktop companion apps require it to alter earbud settings, regardless that smartphone apps are free to do that with an everyday Bluetooth connection.
And at last, alongside the standard array of charging cables, manuals, and three pairs of silicone suggestions, Poly additionally features a USB-C to three.5mm headphone jack cable, and it does precisely what you’ll hope. This cable permits the case to transmit audio from any headphone jack to the earbuds. Satirically, Poly named this characteristic “Airplane Mode” for the notion that it’s meant for in-flight leisure programs, nevertheless it clearly works with something like previous iPods or report gamers.
Audio and ANC
It’s possible you’ll not anticipate a lot from earbuds marketed towards executives and IT personnel, however the Voyager Free 60 buds defy expectations. Sound high quality is nice and simply matches up in opposition to the perfect earbuds I’ve tried. The buds can ship wealthy and nuanced bass, properly balanced mids, and crisp highs.
They’ve a superb soundstage, and I discovered myself desirous to take heed to music extra usually just because they sound so good and stay comfy to put on for some time. The one time sound high quality noticeably declined was with “airplane mode,” which sounded a bit too compressed to essentially take pleasure in music, however nonetheless wonderful for motion pictures and podcasts.
Whereas these are able to nice sound high quality, the app lacks a correct equalizer. As a substitute, there are three easy presets: Bass, Flat, and Vibrant. Bass is chosen by default and offers a naturally heat tone to the lows and mids with out muddying up frequencies, so it sounds good with most music.
The Vibrant profile emphasizes treble and sharpens the highs, nearly prefer it was tuned to convey out the complete drum package for mid-00s rock. Lastly, the Flat profile exists, nevertheless it’s too flavorless to be of a lot use. I hope firmware updates convey a full EQ sometime, as a result of wonderful management would actually make these laborious to beat.
ANC efficiency is by far the perfect I’ve encountered with any earbuds. It gives each Normal and Adaptive modes, although there’s little discernible distinction. Low-frequency noise utterly disappears with both mode, and so they minimize out some larger frequencies as effectively.
There are additionally two transparency modes, one designed to amplify the entire setting, and one other that’s alleged to favor speech. Once more, I didn’t discover a lot distinction, however I’m impressed that the transparency mode produces far much less of that obnoxious ethereal sound than most different buds.
Sign high quality is fairly similar to any earbuds I’ve reviewed, which is to say it’s usually nice however can undergo minor glitches round heavy interference. That’s the place the BT700 adapter is available in, because it’s designed to compete in workplace areas filled with computer systems and different devices.
Whereas I can’t simulate these situations, I definitely seen the adapter added some vary, and it completely eradicated any glitching that occurred in my residence workplace. It felt like audio high quality additionally improved very barely, however I in the end went again to my laptop computer’s built-in Bluetooth as a result of it wasn’t price sacrificing a port only for this.
Lastly, name high quality is likely one of the main advertising factors, significantly in windy and loud settings. Whereas I didn’t get to check in windy situations, the noise discount noticeably helped throughout a name from a loud retailer.
App and options
I wish to consider the Voyager Free 60 earbuds had been impressed by a scene from the film xXx the place Vin Diesel is sitting in a muscle automobile and factors to a pile of weapons whereas saying, “I would like all of that, in right here.”
The characteristic listing is staggering in comparison with most wi-fi earbuds. The distinctive (or at the least uncommon) options embrace the touchscreen case, Bluetooth dongle, 3.5mm headphone passthrough cable (“airplane mode”), and certifications for Zoom and Microsoft Groups (certification pending for Google Voice and Meet).
And among the many extra widespread, however nonetheless not broadly obtainable options, yow will discover multipoint connectivity, ANC and transparency modes, AptX and AAC assist, in-ear detection, audible alerts with Discover My Gadget, and configurable listening to safety.
That’s all earlier than discussing the companion apps, which aren’t simply obtainable for iOS and Android, but in addition Home windows and macOS. Frankly, that is nearly essential provided that the listing of settings appears nearly so long as Fb’s privateness web page.
This isn’t to say there aren’t just a few issues lacking, just like the aforementioned EQ to regulate your sound curve. Moreover, whereas most buds assist double or triple-clicks to carry out further actions, for some cause the button solely helps a single configurable motion on the primary click on. In consequence, I discovered myself reaching for the touchscreen case or my telephone extra usually.
There’s additionally no low-latency mode, which suggests these buds aren’t ultimate for gaming or any apps that lack Bluetooth sync. Out of all of those, the complete EQ is the one one I actually miss, however hopefully some or all of those could also be added with firmware updates.
In fact, the touchscreen case is essentially the most distinctive characteristic on the listing. It usually defaults to displaying battery ranges, nevertheless it makes use of context out of your telephone or pc to change to different features. For instance, participant controls come up whenever you’re enjoying music or movies, and name buttons seem throughout a telephone name or video chat. You’re additionally often just some faucets away from toggling ANC modes and controlling quantity.
The touchscreen is a intelligent characteristic, and regardless of being a first-generation design, it is simple to see this changing into pretty commonplace for upmarket earbuds. With that mentioned, this model nonetheless feels unfinished and lacks some apparent capabilities like switching EQ presets or activating the Discover My Gadget characteristic. I additionally suppose there are missed alternatives to show the case into an unbiased audio supply by including a gigabyte of storage for music and podcasts, and even preloaded leisure sounds.
The most important caveat is that it’s hardly ever extra handy than utilizing a telephone or pc. For instance, if I’m listening to music or podcasts, each the telephone and case are most likely in my pockets, and it’s simply as a lot effort to succeed in for both one. And for the reason that participant operating on my telephone can do extra, I often attain for it extra usually anyway. The true benefit to the touchscreen is extra apparent after I occur to be transferring round with out my telephone in hand, or if I simply depart it on my desk and deal with it like a tiny management panel.
Battery and charging
Poly claims 5 and a half hours of speak time or eight hours listening. I discovered these numbers a bit optimistic, and so they actually ship nearer to 5 hours and 7 hours, respectively. That’s nonetheless fairly good, particularly since that is with ANC on always.
Charging both model of the case could be completed by way of USB-C cable or Qi wi-fi charging, and each strategies assist quick charging requirements, so it’s straightforward to replenish a bit wherever you go.
Competitors
For those who’re simply searching for good Bluetooth earbuds, there are loads in the marketplace that can are available at a lot decrease costs just like the just lately launched OnePlus Buds Professional 2 for $179. This nonetheless offers you multipoint connectivity, and may produce barely higher music high quality, however you’ll sacrifice some ANC efficiency. In fact, even these are on the upper finish of client earbud costs, and there are lots of good choices.
However for people who spend all day on calls or video chats, and particularly if Zoom or Microsoft Groups certifications are essential, the choices are extra restricted. There are fairly just a few full-size headphones and name center-style headsets, however for those who slim the search to true wi-fi earbuds, the choice drops to only 4.
The bottom mannequin Poly Voyager Free 60 earbuds at the moment sport the bottom MSRP at $230, however for a barely larger $242, the Jabra Evolve2 Buds have comparable specs and marginally higher IP57 water resistance. The Evolve 2 additionally features a Bluetooth dongle for that value, whereas it would value an additional $50 or $100 to get it with the Voyager Free 60 UC or 60+ UC, respectively.
For an excellent larger $299, the Logitech Zone True Wi-fi earbuds are comparable on paper, however they characteristic an IP68 score and step as much as 12mm drivers for a stronger bass response. And at last, the Bang & Olufsen is promoting its Beocom EX earbuds for a hefty $449, and so they certain are fairly — that’s a characteristic, proper?
Must you purchase them?
If your organization gives a beneficiant gear funds, take benefit and put the Voyager Free 60 on the listing and don’t look again. These are actually nice earbuds with a powerful set of options and sound high quality, and the certifications are marketed particularly to provide companies a cause to purchase them for workers. Whereas there are a handful of issues that may and needs to be improved — and most are doable by means of firmware updates — there’s little or no probability anyone in need of an audiophile may have many complaints.
However, for those who don’t particularly want high-end mics or certifications, it doesn’t make sense to purchase earbuds beginning at $230. It’s not laborious to seek out earbuds with comparable sound high quality for about half the worth whereas nonetheless choosing up the precise options that matter to you.
Supply: HP
HP Poly Voyager Free 60+
HP’s Poly Voyager Free 60+ characteristic superb audio and are filled with helpful options for enterprise customers and common customers alike. They’re expensive, nonetheless, and lack some normal options like handbook EQ customization. The touchscreen charging case can also be fairly cumbersome.
- Battery Life
- Listening time: 8 hours, 16 further hours with case. Discuss Time: 5.5 hours, 11 further hours with case
- Noise Cancellation
- Sure
- Mono Listening
- Sure, both bud
- Microphones
- 3 per bud
- Connectivity
- Bluetooth v5.3 (A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP, SPP), Multipoint
- IP score
- IP54
- Supported codecs
- SBC, AAC, AptX, mSBC. LC3 supported with BT700 Bluetooth dongle.
- Charging
- USB-C, wi-fi
- Driver dimension
- 10mm
- Dimensions
- 54.5 x 72 x 33.1 mm / 2.15 x 2.83 x 1.30 in (touchscreen case), 53.5 x 72 x 28 mm / 2.11 x 2.83 x 1.10 in (fundamental case)
- Weight
- 5.8g (buds), 80g (touchscreen case), 52.6g (fundamental case)
- Worth
- $330 (w/ Touchscreen case), $280 (w/ fundamental case and Bluetooth dongle), $230 (w/ fundamental case)
- Particular options
- SoundGuard DIGITAL listening to safety, in-ear detection, licensed for Zoom and Microsoft Groups (Google Voice and Meet certification in-progress), 3.5mm cross by means of airplane mode, Appropriate with Siri and Google Assistant
