Plantronics Voyager Legend UC Review
Introduction:
Several things make it clear that the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC is a premium Bluetooth headset aimed at business professionals and the most demanding of users. First of all, the device is designed like a high-grade precision instrument, thus giving its wearer a prominent “I am so important” look. Then there's the rich feature set, which includes convenient voice commands and multiple microphones for enhanced audio experience. It goes without saying that we have high hopes for this top-of-the-line product, so let's give it the review treatment and see what it has to impress us with!
Upon opening the headset's retail box we're delighted to see that it comes with a broad variety of accessories, which are added to further justify the $200 price tag of the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC. There's also a non-UC variant of the headset, priced at a much more reasonable $100 yet missing some of the extras listed below, such as the Bluetooth USB adapter, the carrying case and the charging dock.
In the box:
Design and comfort:
We've tested quite a few Bluetooth headsets over the years, and the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC ranks above the average on the comfort scale. The unit itself may be bigger than your garden variety headset, but it is well balanced and it attaches firmly to your ear so it is very unlikely to fall off during every-day use. Besides, its design allows it to be worn on either ear. However, although we're fine with wearing the device even for prolonged periods of time, at 18 grams, it isn't light enough for one to completely ignore its presence.
It is nice to see that Plantronics has applied P2i liquid-repelling nanocoating to its accessory in order to prevent liquids (read: sweat) from damaging it. What isn't so great, however, is how dirty the soft-touch rubber body of the device gets over time, but that's a minor issue since that part remains hidden behind the wearer's ear during use.
A total of four physical buttons are present on the Voyager Legend UC, two of which are located on the boom of the microphone. One is used for picking up/ending voice calls while the other activates voice commands. Both buttons are well positioned and easy to reach. Two switches reside on the back of the unit – one for turning it on and off while the other is used for volume control. Once again, they are well exposed and provide great tactile feedback.
Accessories:
As we mentioned in the introduction, the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC comes with a number of accessories out of the box, one of them being a dock for charging. We sure like the idea, but we aren't happy with its implementation. For starters, the dock gets its voltage from a nearby USB port, but its cable just doesn't seem long enough. Besides, the headset is attached to the dock with a magnet. Fancy? Yes. Practical? Not as much as we wish it was because although the device snaps in place when docked, picking up the Voyager Legend is not the smoothest experience always, as doing so often lifts the dock with it.
Something we're quite happy with is the carrying case, which also comes included. It has a built-in battery that can be used to recharge the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC on the go. Inside the case there's also space for carrying around the USB Bluetooth module for use with a computer, which also comes included in the set.
Features:
Similar to other currently available Plantronics Bluetooth headsets, the Voyager Legend is compatible to work with Plantronics' mobile apps. If you’re using an Android 3.0+ device, it's nice to find that we can easily view its remaining battery life and talk time from within the notifications panel. Meanwhile, when we use the Plantronics “Find MyHeadset” app, we're given a couple of useful features to help track down the headset in the situation it’s been misplaced. Specifically, we can track down the headset audibly by sending commands so that it starts to emit these screeching tones – while another feature monitors the headset’s usage and localized GPS information.
Extending beyond the downloadable apps, the Plantronics Voyager Legend features its own built-in voice service that provides us with relevant information such as the remaining battery life, connection status, voice dialing, and access to Vocalyst – a subscription based voice and text service. Very useful for those instances you're preoccupied doing something, it's nice that you can accept phone calls by speaking the word “accept.” And finally, even though it’s not something that most people will take notice, the Plantronics Voyager Legend packs different sensors – so it knows when you're wearing it or not. So much so that if you're listening to a song on the headset and decide to remove it from your ear, it'll automatically pause the track.
Calls and audio quality:
We were expecting nothing short of excellent in-call performance with the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC performs, yet our expectations weren't met completely. During a regular phone call, the earpiece sounds somewhat tinny and distorted, which makes it difficult to understand what the other party is saying from time to time. Testing the headset's performance with a Samsung Galaxy S III, an iPhone 4S, and a Google Nexus 4 gave pretty much identical results. Testing a second Legend UC headset didn't make any difference either. On the other hand, the microphones are passable, as our voice is understandable and free of background noise on the other side of the line, although we sound noticeably artificial.
Surprisingly, the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC performs much better when it is used for enjoying music or video played on a smartphone. The audio quality is great and the volume is sufficiently loud for comfortable listening, although we wouldn't mind if it could go a tad louder. We can also confirm that Skype calls sound much better than a regular phone conversation. Why audio quality in different scenarios varies so noticeably is beyond us.
Battery Life:
On a single charge, the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC can deliver about 7 hours of continuous talk time. In stand-by mode, it will last for up to 11 days. These figures are definitely acceptable, although we were expecting more considering the device's size and price point. After all, alternative top-of-the-line products are well capable of reaching the 10-hour mark for phone calls.
Still, in case you happen to run out of juice on the go, the carrying case can be used to charge the headset, as we mentioned above. That's convenient, as long as you don't mind carrying the case around all the time. Assuming that it is fully topped, the case's internal battery is capable of completely recharging the Voyager Legend UC two times, according to the manufacturer. The cell inside the case can be charged using the microUSB cable, which comes included. In fact, if the headset is placed in the case, both can be recharged via USB at the same time.
We must note that the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC uses a proprietary charging connector instead of a standard microUSB one. For some users this might be an issue as one is limited to using only the charging accessories provided by Plantronics. And spares don't come cheap. But on the other hand, there's several of them included in the set. For example, you can simply use the aforementioned charging dock at home, the included microUSB cable with the necessary adapter at the office or in the car, and the battery-powered carrying case while in the car or on the go. Still, we can't help to think that sticking with the traditional microUSB port would have been a better solution.
Conclusion:
When a Bluetooth headset is priced at $200, one would expect it to excel in every way possible. Yet the sad truth is that the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC does not live up to that expectation. Sure, it has a nice set of features and plenty of handy accessories thrown in the set, but we can't ignore the fact that it just doesn't sound as good as it should during regular phone calls. Besides, we still find it hard to recommend getting one since it just doesn't offer enough bang to justify its price tag. Even the cheaper $100 variant seems like a poor choice considering the device's underwhelming call quality – a flaw that clearly shouldn't be present on a premium product.
Plantronics Voyager Legend UC Video Review:
Several things make it clear that the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC is a premium Bluetooth headset aimed at business professionals and the most demanding of users. First of all, the device is designed like a high-grade precision instrument, thus giving its wearer a prominent “I am so important” look. Then there's the rich feature set, which includes convenient voice commands and multiple microphones for enhanced audio experience. It goes without saying that we have high hopes for this top-of-the-line product, so let's give it the review treatment and see what it has to impress us with!
Upon opening the headset's retail box we're delighted to see that it comes with a broad variety of accessories, which are added to further justify the $200 price tag of the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC. There's also a non-UC variant of the headset, priced at a much more reasonable $100 yet missing some of the extras listed below, such as the Bluetooth USB adapter, the carrying case and the charging dock.
In the box:
- Bluetooth USB adapter (Plantronics BT300)
- Carrying case with built-in rechargeable battery
- Charging dock
- microUSB cable
- Plantronics proprietary cable adapter
- Wall charger
- Additional earpiece silicon tips of different sizes
- Foam sleeves for the silicon tip
Design and comfort:
We've tested quite a few Bluetooth headsets over the years, and the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC ranks above the average on the comfort scale. The unit itself may be bigger than your garden variety headset, but it is well balanced and it attaches firmly to your ear so it is very unlikely to fall off during every-day use. Besides, its design allows it to be worn on either ear. However, although we're fine with wearing the device even for prolonged periods of time, at 18 grams, it isn't light enough for one to completely ignore its presence.
It is nice to see that Plantronics has applied P2i liquid-repelling nanocoating to its accessory in order to prevent liquids (read: sweat) from damaging it. What isn't so great, however, is how dirty the soft-touch rubber body of the device gets over time, but that's a minor issue since that part remains hidden behind the wearer's ear during use.
A total of four physical buttons are present on the Voyager Legend UC, two of which are located on the boom of the microphone. One is used for picking up/ending voice calls while the other activates voice commands. Both buttons are well positioned and easy to reach. Two switches reside on the back of the unit – one for turning it on and off while the other is used for volume control. Once again, they are well exposed and provide great tactile feedback.
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Accessories:
As we mentioned in the introduction, the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC comes with a number of accessories out of the box, one of them being a dock for charging. We sure like the idea, but we aren't happy with its implementation. For starters, the dock gets its voltage from a nearby USB port, but its cable just doesn't seem long enough. Besides, the headset is attached to the dock with a magnet. Fancy? Yes. Practical? Not as much as we wish it was because although the device snaps in place when docked, picking up the Voyager Legend is not the smoothest experience always, as doing so often lifts the dock with it.
Something we're quite happy with is the carrying case, which also comes included. It has a built-in battery that can be used to recharge the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC on the go. Inside the case there's also space for carrying around the USB Bluetooth module for use with a computer, which also comes included in the set.
Features:
Similar to other currently available Plantronics Bluetooth headsets, the Voyager Legend is compatible to work with Plantronics' mobile apps. If you’re using an Android 3.0+ device, it's nice to find that we can easily view its remaining battery life and talk time from within the notifications panel. Meanwhile, when we use the Plantronics “Find MyHeadset” app, we're given a couple of useful features to help track down the headset in the situation it’s been misplaced. Specifically, we can track down the headset audibly by sending commands so that it starts to emit these screeching tones – while another feature monitors the headset’s usage and localized GPS information.
Extending beyond the downloadable apps, the Plantronics Voyager Legend features its own built-in voice service that provides us with relevant information such as the remaining battery life, connection status, voice dialing, and access to Vocalyst – a subscription based voice and text service. Very useful for those instances you're preoccupied doing something, it's nice that you can accept phone calls by speaking the word “accept.” And finally, even though it’s not something that most people will take notice, the Plantronics Voyager Legend packs different sensors – so it knows when you're wearing it or not. So much so that if you're listening to a song on the headset and decide to remove it from your ear, it'll automatically pause the track.
Calls and audio quality:
We were expecting nothing short of excellent in-call performance with the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC performs, yet our expectations weren't met completely. During a regular phone call, the earpiece sounds somewhat tinny and distorted, which makes it difficult to understand what the other party is saying from time to time. Testing the headset's performance with a Samsung Galaxy S III, an iPhone 4S, and a Google Nexus 4 gave pretty much identical results. Testing a second Legend UC headset didn't make any difference either. On the other hand, the microphones are passable, as our voice is understandable and free of background noise on the other side of the line, although we sound noticeably artificial.
Surprisingly, the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC performs much better when it is used for enjoying music or video played on a smartphone. The audio quality is great and the volume is sufficiently loud for comfortable listening, although we wouldn't mind if it could go a tad louder. We can also confirm that Skype calls sound much better than a regular phone conversation. Why audio quality in different scenarios varies so noticeably is beyond us.
Battery Life:
On a single charge, the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC can deliver about 7 hours of continuous talk time. In stand-by mode, it will last for up to 11 days. These figures are definitely acceptable, although we were expecting more considering the device's size and price point. After all, alternative top-of-the-line products are well capable of reaching the 10-hour mark for phone calls.
Still, in case you happen to run out of juice on the go, the carrying case can be used to charge the headset, as we mentioned above. That's convenient, as long as you don't mind carrying the case around all the time. Assuming that it is fully topped, the case's internal battery is capable of completely recharging the Voyager Legend UC two times, according to the manufacturer. The cell inside the case can be charged using the microUSB cable, which comes included. In fact, if the headset is placed in the case, both can be recharged via USB at the same time.
We must note that the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC uses a proprietary charging connector instead of a standard microUSB one. For some users this might be an issue as one is limited to using only the charging accessories provided by Plantronics. And spares don't come cheap. But on the other hand, there's several of them included in the set. For example, you can simply use the aforementioned charging dock at home, the included microUSB cable with the necessary adapter at the office or in the car, and the battery-powered carrying case while in the car or on the go. Still, we can't help to think that sticking with the traditional microUSB port would have been a better solution.
Conclusion:
When a Bluetooth headset is priced at $200, one would expect it to excel in every way possible. Yet the sad truth is that the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC does not live up to that expectation. Sure, it has a nice set of features and plenty of handy accessories thrown in the set, but we can't ignore the fact that it just doesn't sound as good as it should during regular phone calls. Besides, we still find it hard to recommend getting one since it just doesn't offer enough bang to justify its price tag. Even the cheaper $100 variant seems like a poor choice considering the device's underwhelming call quality – a flaw that clearly shouldn't be present on a premium product.
Plantronics Voyager Legend UC Video Review:
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