Logitech H650e and H820e Enterprise Headsets Review
Introduction & Specifications
Over the past few years, many companies have altered their approach to the enterprise. Where IT departments once made purchasing recommendations based entirely on their own view of the company’s requirements, many administrators now get (often unsolicited) input from employees who don’t want to get saddled with computers, tablets, or accessories that don’t fully meet their needs. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for companies to let employees choose their work laptops or make suggestions. With so many employees influencing purchases, computer- and accessory makers have been quick to make their business devices stylish and more functional.
The shift in buying preferences has been harder on some manufacturers than others. Logitech has a long history of developing products for consumers, who traditionally have valued style and comfort more than corporate purchasers. Its business components are stylish, too, and are designed to match durability with comfort. To give us a feel for what Logitech can do for business users, the company sent us two of its headsets: I took the USB-powered Logitech H650e ($89.99) and the wireless H820e ($199.99) for a spin.
Logitech H820e Wireless Headset
The Logitech H650e is a slim, no-nonsense, binaural (ear pieces for both ears) headset. The headset is mostly black, save for a metallic accent at the back of the boom. Unlike many headsets, the top of the H650e’s band has a sizeable (and soft) pillow. The headset features Digital Signal Processing (DSP) for better conversation quality (at least, as far as audio goes) and passive noise cancelling. Of course, headphones are used for music, too – even by business users – so the dynamic equalizer is a welcome feature. It’s meant to optimize the headset for music or voice automatically. The headset also supports wideband audio, which is commonly used for calls over Skype and other digital services. Because Microsoft’s messaging/video conferencing service Lync is popular with businesses, Logitech optimized the headset for Lync and other major unified communications (UC) services.
Logitech H650e Wired Headset
The Logitech H820e consists of a base station and a wireless headset. I tested the dual-earphone version; a single-earphone model goes for $179.99. The headset is similar to the H650e and has many of the same features, including a DSP, the noise-canceling microphone, and acoustic echo cancellation. The headset offers up to 10 hours of wideband talk time, according to Logitech. Charging it is as simple as dropping the headset into place on the base station which doubles as a stand for the headset when not in use. One-year warranties are typical for PC accessories, but Logitech goes the extra mile (well, extra year) with a two-year warranty for both the H820e and H650e.
The H820e’s base station is powered by an AC adapter and connects to your computer via a USB cable, making it too clunky for regular mobile use. This headset is best suited to your desktop PC, or a laptop that you rarely move from the desk. The base station communicates with the headset via DECT spectrum technology. That’s the same technology used by many cordless phones, and it won’t interfere with your Wi-Fi network.
The shift in buying preferences has been harder on some manufacturers than others. Logitech has a long history of developing products for consumers, who traditionally have valued style and comfort more than corporate purchasers. Its business components are stylish, too, and are designed to match durability with comfort. To give us a feel for what Logitech can do for business users, the company sent us two of its headsets: I took the USB-powered Logitech H650e ($89.99) and the wireless H820e ($199.99) for a spin.
;)
Logitech H820e Wireless Headset
 |
|
| Headphones |
H650e | H820e |
| Frequency Response |
50 Hz -10 kHz | 150Hz - 7kHz (ITU-T TIA920) |
| Sensitivity | 90dB +/3 dB at 1KHz | 103dB +/3 dB at 1KHz |
| Distortion | <4% @ 1kHz, 0dBm0, 1kHz | <4% @1kHz, 0dBm0, 1kHz |
| Max Output |
<100 dB S PL | <100 dB SPL |
| Microphone | ||
| Frequency Response |
100Hz - 10KHZ | <100 dB SPL |
| Sensitivity | -45 dB +3/ dB | -45 dB +/3 dB |
| Distortion | <10% @1kHz, 15dBPa (MRP) input | <10% @1kHz, 10dBPa (MRP) input |
| Type | Bi-directional ECM | Bi-directional ECM |
| Misc | ||
| Cord | 7.16-foot, flat | No cord; AC adapter for dock |
| Weight | 4.2 ounces | 4.5 ounces |
| Supported OS |
Linux, Mac OS 10.7+, Windows Vista, 7, 8 | Linux, Mac OS 10.7+, Windows Vista, 7, 8 |
| Warranty | Two years | Two years |
| Price | $89.99 | $199.99 |
The Logitech H650e is a slim, no-nonsense, binaural (ear pieces for both ears) headset. The headset is mostly black, save for a metallic accent at the back of the boom. Unlike many headsets, the top of the H650e’s band has a sizeable (and soft) pillow. The headset features Digital Signal Processing (DSP) for better conversation quality (at least, as far as audio goes) and passive noise cancelling. Of course, headphones are used for music, too – even by business users – so the dynamic equalizer is a welcome feature. It’s meant to optimize the headset for music or voice automatically. The headset also supports wideband audio, which is commonly used for calls over Skype and other digital services. Because Microsoft’s messaging/video conferencing service Lync is popular with businesses, Logitech optimized the headset for Lync and other major unified communications (UC) services.
;)
Logitech H650e Wired Headset
The Logitech H820e consists of a base station and a wireless headset. I tested the dual-earphone version; a single-earphone model goes for $179.99. The headset is similar to the H650e and has many of the same features, including a DSP, the noise-canceling microphone, and acoustic echo cancellation. The headset offers up to 10 hours of wideband talk time, according to Logitech. Charging it is as simple as dropping the headset into place on the base station which doubles as a stand for the headset when not in use. One-year warranties are typical for PC accessories, but Logitech goes the extra mile (well, extra year) with a two-year warranty for both the H820e and H650e.
The H820e’s base station is powered by an AC adapter and connects to your computer via a USB cable, making it too clunky for regular mobile use. This headset is best suited to your desktop PC, or a laptop that you rarely move from the desk. The base station communicates with the headset via DECT spectrum technology. That’s the same technology used by many cordless phones, and it won’t interfere with your Wi-Fi network.
