Some questions seem to leap beyond the confines of the comment trail on the post that inspired them. This was the case when BillH left a comment after my post on the case for using a headset in the home office.
Bill’s situation provided an array of questions. Some of his concerns may be unique, but most seemed like they might impact anyone. There were so many possible solutions to be considered.
Having described some solutions for his consideration Bill ultimately decided to purchase the DW Pro 2. He also offered to provide some notes based upon his initial experience using of the headset. This is also too useful to remain in the shadows of a comment stream. So here’s what he has to say:
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Well, it’s been about a month since my original post & Michael’s detailed response, so I figured I’d post an update in case my experience with this may help someone else in a similar situation. I’ve been distracted by an unanticipated change in employment, and a new focus on seeking new technical project management opportunities.
Overall I am quite pleased with this unit. My first reaction upon handling it was that “it just feels good”. The base is very stylish and modern. The headset feels good in the hand & is light and comfortable when worn. By comparison, others I’ve used feel ‘cheap’. I guess this is to be expected since each of them cost a fraction of the price of the DW Pro 2.
I do very much enjoy the fact that this unit is wireless. It’s great to be able to stand up and move about while on a call. I’ve actually tested this by walking downstairs & into the yard at the other end of the house (down 2 stories, through multiple walls, & probably 100+ feet away) while on a call – and with a couple exceptions the call quality remained fairly constant. In a more typical scenario (standing up to move around, or going to the kitchen to refill my tea) it’s just fine.
As indicated by the configuration I described, I haven’t been able to test this unit on any wideband calls. That having been said, the call quality has been quite good – depending, of course, on the quality of the handset & connection at the other end. I did have one call recently, with someone on (apparently) a high quality handset in a corporate environment, where the audio quality was amazing – the caller’s voice sounded very natural, and indicated mine did too. On the down side, just as with a good hi-fi system, where a high-end system makes it easy to hear the defects in the audio content, the DW-Pro 2 helps me hear the flaws in the call connection, and I can tell not everyone is using a DW Pro 2 for their calls.
The one issue I find quite disappointing is that I notice a significant amount of feedback in the earphones while I’m talking. In fairness, I do have the microphone volume turned most of the way up. I can somewhat alleviate the feedback by moving the microphone away from my mouth (though this somewhat defeats the purpose of raising the volume). I wouldn’t have expected this kind of issue on such a high-end device. Fortunately the person at the other end doesn’t hear it, and (since raising the microphone volume) have gotten favorable feedback on my voice quality.
The only other concern I’ve had is that the microphone boom is plastic, and although it adjusts vertically, it doesn’t adjust laterally. Maybe that’s Sennheiser’s way of ensuring the microphone is positioned optimally. But, still, the fact that the boom is plastic doesn’t seem right on such a pricey device.
But, again, my overall impression of the DW Pro 2 is very favorable. Aside from a couple issues, one significant, and the other minor, I am pleased with the purchase. I haven’t gone further yet with finding a better telephone to use with the headset, as I’m waiting to see what lies ahead (I may no longer be in a Home Office environment). But either way, if I were to give up this headset, I’d miss it
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