Poly BlackWire 5220 USB Headset Review: Great solution for your meetings
Poly, formerly Plantronics & Polycom, has launched the BlackWire 5220 headset in India. Here's our thoughts on the same.
With the ongoing work from home scenario, we all are attending way too many online meetings. As a part of having a great meeting with clients or seniors, one has to ensure that they have good quality headphones and a microphone. Poly Blackwire 5220 headset aims to solve just that.
The Poly Blackwire 5220 USB wired headset comes in at a price of Rs. 7,000. At that price, it might feel on the expensive side for a headphone. However, when you see most premium headsets go in for over Rs. 15,000, this starts making more sense as a mid-range headset. But should you really spend that much? Let’s find out in this review.
Poly Blackwire 5220 Review: Sound Quality
The Poly Blackwire 5220 offers a great sound quality. I tried these headphones for a couple of Zoom calls and Microsoft Teams meetings and I was able to hear the other party loud and clear. I even used it to chat with my friends on Discord and I was amused to get the excellent sound quality that the Blackwire 5220 has to offer.
Besides using it for calls, I also used to listen to some songs and watch a few shows on Netflix. While the headphones are not particularly made for that, I got a pretty decent result there as well. I did not get much bass in the songs but I am not surprised as these are not being marketed as headphones for music listeners.
As for the comfort of wearing these headphones, for quick calls and up to 20 mins of meetings, these headphones are quite comfortable. However, if you are going to wear them for any longer than 45mins, you will start feeling a bit uncomfortable. You can simply remove the headphones for 2-3 mins and wear them again to gain the comfort back.
Poly Blackwire 5220 Review: Microphone
As the Blackwire 5220 headphones are made for calls, the microphone has to be great and Plantronics did manage to nail it. The microphone does a great job at picking up the user’s voice in a crisp, clean and rich sound. This is great for meetings with clients as having a great microphone does project a professional image of you.
Another great thing about the microphone is the noise reduction. The microphone managed to cut through the usual background noise going around. It even managed to cut through the sound of my phone’s ringtone that was rining in a distance of about 5 meters.
Poly Blackwire 5220 Review: Connectivity and Controls
Poly Blackwire 5220 can be connected to your PC or laptop in two ways. Either you can connect it using the USB connector or just connect it directly using the 3.5mm connector. When connected via USB, you can control the volume as well as the microphone using the attached controller. Additionally, you can also install the Plantronics Hub app on your Windows PC for some extra control.
Poly Blackwire 5220 Review: Verdict
In a nutshell, the Poly Blackwire 5220 is a great computer headset. It offers great build quality, good sound and an incredible microphone. Overall, it gives you a great calling experience on your computer. In case you make a lot of calls or attend many meetings, you should consider this one.