Poly - Blackwire 5220 USB-C Headset (Plantronics) - Wired, Dual Ear (Stereo) Computer Headset with Boom Mic - USB-C, 3.5 mm to connect to your PC, Mac, Tablet and/or Cell Phone

First, I find myself wearing this, such as right now, when I am not using the headset. This headset has hard backed headphones, and blocks a significant amount of background noise. It is not noise cancelling, but it is noise blocking due to the solid plastic back of the headphone cups. It is also very comfortable. So, for those features, I find myself wearing this headset very often when I have no intention of using it other than to have a quiet space with lessened background noise and nice warm ears covered with soft padding. Second, as a headset, it also works great for that too.

I have a different version of the same model at work. This is the USB-C version. Works well, and noise cancellation seems to keep out ambient noise well. Relatively comfortable. I preferred the wired model as it doesn't need recharging, always has a strong connection from PC to headphones (vs. bluetooth). Works well with Microsoft Teams, Zoom, RingCental. Controls on the cable are convenient as well for muting, volume, answer/drop.

I initially purchased the Microsoft Basic Headset, as my primary purpose was Microsoft Teams use, and I've always preferred stereo headsets. Unfortunately, the headset did not fit due to the lack of pivot in the earcups, so I went back to Plantronics, who has always delivered decent headsets.The Basics:The Blackwire 5220 is Plantronics midrange wired headset. I have not used the 3200/3300 series, nor the 8200 series. The 3200/3300 series appears to be 100% focused on telephony, while the 8200 appears to be the top end setup for executives. I was shooting for a 60/40 telephony/media focus, and the 5220 seemed to fit my desired budget and needs. The headset installs automatically when plugged into a windows system, however the additional Plantronics Hub software will need to be manually installed if desired. Honestly the Hub software doesn't appear to do much other than handle some light optimization for calling apps, and firmware updates for the headset itself.The headset is slightly on the heavy side for a telephone headset, but light for a pair of stereo headphones. It has a metal headband that is honestly not pleasant to touch, but conveys a sense of durability compared to a plastic headband. That being said, your head actually touches the elastic cushion that balances the headset nicely on the top of your head. I have a large head, and found the squeeze pressure to be "average" compared to a lot of other headphones I use, but slightly more pressure than my previous Plantronics phone headset that is lighter and for phone use only.The earcups are nicely finished with a diamond pattern, a metallic grill inlay, and nicely cushioned leatherette padding. They do provide some minimal sound isolation compared to a normal telephone headset, however don't expect much in the way of distraction isolation. This isolation can lead to a moderate lack of 'breathability', as such this may feel hot/warm if you find that to be an issue with other headphones. The sound quality out of the box is very clear conversations, and a 'voice heavy' presentation with media such as videos and music. You can use software equalizers with the included USB audio interface, as opposed to the Microsoft Modern USB Headset which didn't seem to work with software equalizers at the 'sound device' level. With some mild equalization you can get the audio to a reasonable but basic quality level for media consumption. This is not going to replace your normal headphones, but it will be good enough for you to use all the time on a work system. The cups can pivot and swivel both up/down and left/right, and can rotate 'flat' for storage in the included case for travel, which is nice.You can wear the headset backwards if you want the boom on the right side of your head, but the boom is designed to be on the left side. You cannot reverse the audio channels, so you might get some weird headaches if you listen to a lot of positional audio while wearing the headset backwards. The mic boom is omnidirectional, and can swivel up/down at the earcup, but not in/out at the earcup connection. The actual boom itself is a stiff memory steel/metal that is designed to be bent in towards your mouth, something the Microsoft Modern USB Headset cannot do, as such it is far more adjustable.The cord is a nice red color which adds a touch of character to the headset without being too distracting. It's a thin cord of decent softness/flexibility, and does an above average job of dampening movement noises when moved. You can still hear movement in the cord, but it is dampened more than normal cables.Pros:Inexpensive without being cheapGreat Voice AudioFully adjustable for comfort, except for head pressure, which is decent.Looks goodCan be used without additional applicationsCons:Multimedia/music sound quality is mediocre out of the box, but can be made decent/passable with equalizationIncluded cord is way too long for laptop use, but ideal for desktop use.The included controller with call buttons is mounted a little further from the headset than I'd like. You can tell this is the same headset as the 5220t, which is designed to be used without the USB adapter, which makes the cord a great length for tablet/computer/phone use.There is no tether/clip for pinning the controller to your shirt, which would be convenient.VS Microsoft Modern HeadsetPros:Much better multimedia soundMuch more comfortableMore 'cross-platform', and can be used with polycom deskphones as well if desiredCons:More expensive (but well worth it)Cord lengths/controller is not as convenientNo 'flip to mute' function for the microphone boom, which the Microsoft headset supposedly has, although that didn't seem reliable in my experienceI'm keeping this headset... and the only reason I'd consider the 8200 series headset would be if you worked in a noisy environment, in which case both the microphone filtering and the noise cancelling headphones would likely help quite a bit. But for most users in a normal office setting, this would make a great headset. This 5220 can easily become a go-to 'standard' headset for use with Windows, MacOS, and even mobile Android/iOS assuming you can use USB-C or 3.5mm connections, and this will adjust to both big and small users.

This was not available locally so getting this version (USB-C) was a good buy.Works well and package arrived properly packed.

The sound quality for listening to music is more than I expected.I usually had to switch to my Sennheiser CX300 II Precision to listen to music when I want the topmost fidelity.Now, these earphones are giving me almost as much fidelity as in-ear Sennheiser does.Comfortable: Yes they are!Connectivity options: I bought the USB-C option and a USB-C to USB adapter, and now I have full compatibility. Don't have to worry about losing sound quality on the adapter, the signal is digital format when going through the adapter so any adapter quality will do its job.Five Star. Totally recommend them!

This headset is great. Nice long cord, clear sound, light on my head, and doesn't feel hot. Cancels outside noise pretty well (but not really marketed as noise cancelling). Easy to mute and unmute. USB-C connection works for my computer and my phone. Cord doesn't tangle. Glad I bought these.

This headset checked all of the boxes-- ergonomic wired remote, comfortable to wear on interminable and mind-numbingly boring phone calls about public utility policy, good audio and microphone quality- and yet there is this one feature that it is impossible to turn off. Whenever you mute or unmute, there's audible feedback over the headset that says "mute on" or "mute off." Because the signal takes a couple of seconds each time, you effectively lose two seconds of your call every time you mute or unmute.Navigating Poly/Plantronics' website, after spending several minutes trying to identify which model this is (because the model number listed on the device bears no resemblance to the models on the website that they list) their chat person disconnected with me immediately after taking five minutes to load, and the person I called tried to tell me that the only way to do it was to download an app on my phone and then connect to the headset via Bluetooth, which-- wait for it- the headset does not have. Amazon's tech support was no better so, sadly, I'm returning it, something I only rarely do because I pride myself on being a pretty savvy shopper. What a gross thing though.Other thing that went wrong was that every time I unplug it from the USB-C port, it makes a distinct static crackle. Amazon does not have tech support for this, even though they will tell you that they do.

I love not having to stick something in my ears, but worried about having something pressing on my head... these are very light weight, very cozy, and the sound quality is a game changer. Both on hearing end and listening end of conversation....we noticed huge improvement as soon as we plugged in. Fantastic purchase!