Over time I found that I really preferred to use the wonderful dedicated SIP phone that occupied the other corner of my desk. None of my existing headsets worked with my Polycom Soundpoint IP650 or VVX-1500, the two phones that have dominated my desktop the past few years.
To gain some insight I decided to poll a few knowledgeable people about their preferred headsets. Some of their responses referenced companies and products that were known to me, but one reply was completely unexpected…Sennheiser!
I’ve known of Sennheiser since I was in school. Back then I knew them as a leading manufacturer of studio microphones and headphones. While I knew that they had professional and consumer product lines, I was not aware that they also made a considerable line of headsets for telephony applications.
A mutual friend was able to introduce me to someone in marketing at Sennheiser, who were willing to provide a sample from their DW line of DECT cordless headsets.
Initially I asked about their DW Office model (pictured left), which seemed like a suitable candidate. After discussing my use-case they suggested that I try the newer DW Pro2 model (pictured right.)
One of the reasons that they suggested the DW Pro series over the slightly older DW Office are improvements made to the microphone sub-system. The DW Pro1 & DW Pro2 have a longer mic boom providing more direct pickup of the voice. They also use an improved, noise suppressing microphone design that’s better suited to use in a busy office or call center.
The DW Pro2 and DW Pro1 are siblings, the only difference being the fact that one has the DW Pro2 model has two earpieces. The headset is very comfortable to wear. This has proven very important as there have been days when it seems like I am continuously on the phone.
I’ve been using the DW Pro2 for the past few months. I use it most with my VVX-1500, but it’s also connected by USB to my computer, where it works with Counterpath’s Bria and Skype.
There are a number of adjustments on the Desktop DECT base. The one rotary adjustment is the microphone volume, which I found ideal at about 5.5 in a range from 0 to 9. There’s a three position switch that determines the nature of its integration with the desk phone. In addition a DIP switch sets various properties of the devices operation.
Some may appreciate the ability to reduce the power output of the DECT radio. Indicated as “radio range” the setting toggles between full range and short range, which is around ten yards. The low power setting minimizes the possibility of radio interference when multiple DECT systems are used in an office area.
There are also settings to disable wideband operation and limit the maximum headset volume in compliance with EU and Australian workplace safety directives.
On the headset itself there are two buttons; what the manual calls the “Link” button and the “Audio” button. The link button is used to power the headset on/off, pair it with a DECT base, and for changing hook state. The Audio button is a combination pushbutton and rocker switch. It’s used to adjust volume up/down and toggle the microphone mute state.
While the mic is muted the user hears a periodic beep in the headset, reminding you that the microphone remains muted. I understand that this is a good idea. However, in my working week there are times…for example webinars…when I keep the mic muted for extended periods. In such cases I would have appreciated the ability to disable the audible reminder.
The entire DW line is based upon DECT 6.0 wireless technology. As such it offers considerable cordless range. Sennheiser claims the cordless range to be up to 55m in an office environment, and up to 180m in free space with clear line of sight.
While I cannot confirm their claimed range I can say that it has been more than satisfactory for my needs. Satisfactory in this case means that I can leave my desk in the office/garage apartment and go all the way to the coffee machine in the house without anyone complaining about call quality. This represents a distance of about 30m including two exterior walls.
As an experiment I wandered to the very front of the property to fetch the mail even as I was on a call to a coworker. The calls quality was until I neared the front gate. The limit to its range seems to be when our house blocks the path back to the DECT base on my desk.
This brings me to the matter of battery life. Thus far the DW Pro2 has lasted at least as long as my working day. The headset clips onto the base to recharge when not in use, making it a simple matter to ensure that it’s fully charged every morning. The charge status of the headset is clearly indicated by a set of LEDs on the base. The headset fully recharges in about two hours, but a 50% charge is achieved in only 20 minutes.
Quite interestingly, the user guide very clearly states that the battery is end-user replaceable. This is a first in my experience, and perhaps indicates that the headset could have a longer service lifetime than other devices that I’ve used.
In truth, the only time that I ran the battery completely down is when I used the DW Pro2 USB connected to my desktop. The management software that Sennheiser provides, a program called “HeadSetup,” includes a function called “Continuous Audio.” When enabled this holds the DECT radio active so that all audio events on the computer are played through the headset. This is most appropriate when participating in a Webex or GotoMeeting session where the audio is not being conveyed by a typical soft phone.
Such applications don’t provide hook state information making it necessary to manually force the radio link to be sustained. If I accidentally left the “Always Audio” function engaged the battery would be completely drained by the end of my office day.[pullquote]Supported Soft Phones & UC Clients
- AOL Instant Messenger
- Avaya IP Soft Phone v4, v5, v6
- Avaya One-X Communicator
- Cisco IP Communicator v2.0+
- IBM Lotus Sametime Connect
- Skype[/pullquote]
The HeadSetup application is aware of various soft phones and corporate UC clients. When used with these applications it’s able to manage the hook state of the headset in a manner similar to using an EHS cable with a traditional desk phone.
In my installation this meant clear, simple integration with Skype. When a Skype call arrived merely touching the button on the side of the headset caused the call to be answered. Touch the button again to hang it up.
The HeadSetup application also allows the USB connection to be used to update the firmware in the headset & DECT base.
Sennheiser also provided an “Electronic Hook Switch” (aka EHS) cable suitable for use with the Polycom Soundpoint range of desk phones. I am a little embarrassed to admit that this was my first time using an EHS connection. The EHS cable allows control of phone hook state with a simple touch of the button on one earpiece, making it easy to answer an incoming call even when away from my desk.
I tried the DW Pro2 along side various Polycom models from my VVX-1500 all the way down to the SoundPoint IP335, and even the new VVX-500. In all cases the same EHS cable worked perfectly as long as I also set the phone to expect DHSG type signaling for hook state control. The DW Pro2 manual was also very clear on this matter.
Desk phones that don’t support EHS connection can still be used with the DW series through the use of the optional HSL 10 handset lifter. I’ve long felt that such mechanical solutions seem like Flintstone engineering, but some will doubtless appreciate the option.
The manual and literature on the DW Series makes many references to the term “Comfort Calling.” When I dug into this a little I found that the term is used to describe a set of features intended to make it easier to use the headset for extended periods.
For example, the DW Pro2 will monitor the audio to the earpiece for transients. When an unusually transient occurs it will quickly act to drop the audio level in the earpiece. This it does so that you don’t get a painful blast in your ear simply because the party at the far-end drops a coffee cup very near the conference phone.
There are other facets to Comfort Calling, including on-the-fly switching between narrowband and wideband modes. If the headset senses that the call audio doesn’t contain appreciable energy above 3.5 KHz the headset will drop into narrowband mode. This action will ensure an optimal noise floor for the call as well as extend the battery life.
This mode switching came as something of a surprise to me. Puzzled by this behavior I inquired with Sennheiser support who told me that this was deliberate, and in fact a feature. They did suggest that it may be occasionally misbehaved in the current firmware.
They further advised that a minor adjustment to the microphone gain would minimize the occurrence of this transition. I made the adjustment suggested and found the behavior largely eliminated.
The manual for the DW Pro2 includes instructions for pairing multiple headsets with the DECT base. It then describes the ability to conference multiple headsets into one call.
Going even further it describes how to pair the headset alone with another manufacturers GAP compliant DECT base. Just for fun I may some day try to pair it with a Gigaset DECT base. Both of these capabilities underscore the flexibility of the DW Pro2, although they are clearly beyond a typical SOHO use case.
A large part of the measure of any headset comes down to two simple factors; Is it comfortable to wear and how does it sound? The Sennheiser DW Pro2 is very comfortable, even when used for extended periods. In addition, it sounds great. It’s easily the best cordless headset that I’ve ever used.
That said, it’s also one of the more expensive cordless office headsets that you can buy. They are available online but not from very many US vendors. The DW Pro2 can be found online in the $380 range, while the single-ear DW Pro1 I found offered for around $360. An earlier model known as the Office Runner appears to be derived from the DW Office but is available for $299.
Does it make sense to spend that much on a cordless headset? That’s a question you must answer for yourself. However, if you’ve invested in a high-quality desk phone should you compromise on a cordless headset? That’s a bit like putting cheap tires on a fine automobile. You may save a bit of money at the outset, but it ultimately limits the quality of your experience driving.
The DW Pro Series is great hardware. I’m certain that if you should try one you won’t want to give it up.