Step into the future of communication with the Plantronics 5200, a headset that stands at the forefront of cutting-edge technology. Designed for those who demand superior audio quality and versatility, the Voyager 5200 offers an unparalleled hands-free experience. With its advanced noise-canceling technology and sleek, ergonomic design, this headset is a game-changer for professionals on the go.

Design and Fit

Make no mistake: Voyager headsets are gigantic chunks of kit that scream, “I’m wearing a headset!” This may be good because as I was testing headsets last week, my daughter kept worrying about whether I was going insane and talking to myself. No such danger with the 5200, which pairs a 2.25-inch behind-the-ear unit with a 2.75-inch-long red-and-black boom. No one will question whether you are wearing a headset or responding to the voices in your head.

I’ve loved previous Voyagers because their over-the-ear design makes them super secure. The 5200 ($99.95 at Amazon) doesn’t fit me as well as older models. I think the ear hook is a little shorter than it used to be, so I had a little trouble getting it past the temple of my glasses, and the earbud hung a little bit high in my ear until I spent some time settling it. That is disappointing and reduces the perceived volume a bit.

The headset has a physical on/off switch on the back, and two easily findable and pressable volume buttons on top. On the boom, there’s a call button and a voice command button. The boom swings around, making the headset completely reversible between the right and left ears, and there are three different ear tip sizes for the best fit.

Feature-wise, the 5200 has it all, for a Bluetooth headset. It pairs via NFC or Bluetooth, and you can pair it to multiple devices. It announces callers’ names and lets you tell it whether to answer or ignore calls by voice. Built-in voice commands let you dictate text messages and get directions, with more accuracy than I got from Google Now on other headsets. It won’t read your texts to you, though. A smartphone app, Plantronics Hub, lets you make the headset beep if you lose it, and monitor its battery life from your phone.

Performance

Thanks in part to its huge size, the 5200 has the best range of any headset I’ve tested recently, able to hit about 60 feet when in line of sight from the handset, although calls became pretty poppy after about 40 feet. Speaking of that popping: Interference sounds better on the Voyager 5200 than on other headsets we’ve tested. On other headsets, it often comes through as digital garble, which is difficult to understand. But on the 5200, interference sounds like pops and clicks, through which you can still clearly make out a voice.

Noise cancellation is aggressive on the 5200, and the price is a little bit of robotic voice quality. That said, it mutes background cars and buses with no problem. Wind noise offers a bit more of a challenge, and some wind made it through in testing (wind noise has always been an issue for Voyager headsets). But the 5200 is your best choice for transmissions from very noisy areas.

The Voyager 5200 isn’t perfect. I’m a little disappointed in its battery life, given its size. We got 5 hours, and 16 minutes of voice calling, which is less than the seven hours promised. If that makes you nervous, an optional $21.99 charging case holds two more battery charges. The headset can be closed into the battery case or can sit up in it, ready to be plucked out and used.

Specifications

• Talk time up to 7hrs
• Standby time up to 9hrs
• Wireless range up to 30 m/98 ft
• Headset weight 20 gm / .04 lbs
• Multipoint technology – stay connected to two phones and answer calls from either one
• Speaker size 13.6 mm
• Speaker range communication – 100 Hz-6.8 kHz
• Speaker range music/media – 100 Hz-20 kHz
• Speaker sensitivity – optimized for telecommunications, music/media
• Battery capacity – 122 mAh typical / 120 mAh minimum
• CODECS – MSBC, G.722, CVSD, SBC

Bluetooth Technology

• Bluetooth Version – Blutooth 5.0 with BLE
• Bluetooth Profiles: A2DP, HFP, HSP, PBAP, SSP2

Audio Features

• Six layers of WindSmart technology
• PC wideband and mobile wideband – Up to 6,800 Hz
• Echo cancellation
• Proprietary DSP
• A2DP

APPS

• Plantronics Hub Mobile for Android and iOS
• Amazon Alexa (easy access)
• Tile (lost headset location)

Conclusions

Plantronics Voyager headsets have had excellent voice quality for years. If you have a previous Voyager model like the amazing Legend, you don’t need to replace it with the 5200. But if you’re shopping for a heavy-usage, indoor-outdoor Bluetooth headset right now, the Voyager 5200 is still the benchmark by which we judge the rest and our Editors’ Choice.