REVIEW: Poly Voyager Surround 80 UC headphones

Headphones over the ear (which cover the entire ear) are best suited for those who want to make a lot of video calls or simply isolate themselves from the outside world to carry out their activities without being distracted by conversations that can take away their concentration.

A Poly may seem like a new company, but it was actually founded in 2018 through a merger between Plantronics and Polycom. The company became part of the HP conglomerate in 2022, with the growth of remote work, but continues to operate autonomously.

For a week we tested the Poly Voyager Surround 80 UC, which in addition to doing this with total mastery, also has a battery that would make many models envious. See the full analysis!

Design

To start talking about Poly Voyager Surround 80 UC, this wireless headset has a simple but quite usual design.

With a black aluminum structure, it is very resistant and should last for a long time before starting to show signs of use. The ear pads are very comfortable and fit well in my ear, allowing me to wear them for hours without causing discomfort. The weight is 137 grams.

I prefer these models that cover the entire ear instead of the famous “rubber headphones”, so I had a very pleasant use with the headphones over the ear da Poly. His box includes:

• Poly Voyager Surround 80 UC;
• Transport case;
• USB-C adapter for use on PC;
• USB-C charger;
• Wire with P2 connection (with USB-C connection);
• Instruction manuals.

Overall, this headphone was a great partner for my daily life and I didn't feel any discomfort even when using it for more than eight hours. A huge positive point for those who spend all day on video calls or prefer to listen to music to maintain concentration and make deliveries as the day goes on.

However, it is worth remembering that it is not resistant to dust and water: as it is aimed at those who work from home, it would be interesting to have this protection so that in cases of accidents where a drink falls on the table, the handset is not compromised if not is being used. Its ear pads don't get hot enough to make your ears sweaty, but having protection would be a very welcome additional feature.

Sensors and buttons

Its sensors are located just on the left side of the speakers so that use is simplified. Through taps, you can do:

• Increase or decrease the volume (by swiping up or down);
• Activate or deactivate noise cancellation mode (by tapping V with two fingers);
• Pause the music (one tap on the right side);
• Skip or go back to the next song (by swiping right or left);
• Activate your smartphone or tablet's personal assistant (by placing your finger for more than 3 seconds).

The controls on the headset prevent you from having to pick up your cell phone or use your computer to control the audio, but at the same time, they could be better. For example: to activate or deactivate noise cancellation, the Poly indicates that we make a “V” movement with our fingers on the sensor. Most of the time, I didn't know whether noise cancellation was activated or not, so I had to go to the app to check.

I believe that activating/deactivating noise cancellation could be more assertive, using a physical button or a few touches on the sensor. The app is most useful in this and it would be cool to bring this feature in a future software update.

There is also a sensor that pauses the music as soon as the earphone is removed from the ear. It's very interesting, but using the headset while lying down, the sensor understood that I had removed the headset. Disabling the sensor is the way to resolve this error — the price of listening to music lying down.

Talking about the buttons, this headset has two: one to turn the headset on and off and another to change the microphones with just one touch. Both worked well, but I believe the microphone mute button could have a setting to activate or deactivate noise cancellation. Who knows, who knows, this will be made available in a future update. See them here:

Use for music playback

Say that the speakers of the Voyager Surround 80 UC they are not of quality would be a huge lie. I already expected high quality due to the premium design and careful packaging, but I was surprised by the quality of this headphone that covers the entire ear.

I really liked the shape of the 40 mm pads, combined with the good quality of the speakers (not to mention the good power). My musical taste spans practically every possible genre, so I didn't have a bad sound experience. Many times, I needed to use the model at a slightly lower volume to avoid having a headache later.

This headphone can isolate external sound due to its sound and the shape of the ear pads, delivering a great sensation for those who need concentration to deliver a demand and at the same time want to listen to their favorite songs in total quality.

Special Features

There are three noise cancellation modes: Total Environment e Transparent. O Environment It is best suited for when you are on the street and need to pay attention to what is around you. As a good home office professional, the Total was my favorite, but the way Environment It also served a lot when I went out.

already the mode Transparent It's a union of the first two ANC modes: it unifies what's around you with the sound emitted by the ear pads so you stay alert and focused at the same time. In practice, you end up losing some acoustic insulation due to the speakers being more “open” so you can hear external sound. A Poly recommends that it be used when we are outdoors, in “busy places”.

It has a user assistant (we're not talking about an integrated personal assistant) that informs you when a device is connected, tells you the amount of battery remaining and also notifies you when a call is being received.

When connected to a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth, you can press the sensor for two seconds to activate Google Assistant, Cortana or Siri. Using this functionality is reminiscent of what we know: you can ask your personal assistant to activate some functionality on your smartphone or connected device, in addition to being able to pause or even send a text message (depending on the limitations of each application).

I have one Infinix Note 30 5G which has a personal assistant called Folax and it could also be activated when the touch sensor was pressed for more than two seconds. It's an interesting complement to use if your smartphone or tablet is far away, as you can hear everything directly through the wireless headset. Poly.

Use in video calls

The headset has 10 microphones, as mentioned by its manufacturer. Its artificial intelligence can detect when a call is initiated on your computer or cell phone, activating the functionality so that you only hear the voice of the person on the other end through noise cancellation.

A Poly explains that the Voyager Surround 80 UC is certified to work with the Microsoft Teams, but it also worked very well with the Google Meet e Zoom. As soon as the video call was detected, noise cancellation was activated.

I have just one complaint: audio recorded via WhatsApp Web was somewhat muffled, even when my notebook's microphone was selected as priority. It's an error that only happened in the WhatsApp, so some incompatibility must have happened here.

Battery

Quality sound won't help if the headset doesn't work for at least 8 hours a day and, here, there's nothing negative to say about the headset model. Poly. When using it from Monday to Friday for about 12 hours daily, the Voyager Surround 80 UC It arrived until Saturday afternoon before asking to be plugged in. The 1.100 mAh capacity allows the model to stay powered for a long time. She was promised to deliver:

• Up to 21 hours of talk time;
• Up to 24 hours of music playback;
• Up to 21 days of standby time.

Even using noise cancellation modes, the battery lasted 60 hours, with a slight increase of five hours when the feature was disabled. The manufacturer sends a USB-C cable for recharging, but you will need a power source or a computer to recharge the headset.

With my 45W smartphone charger, the battery was filled to capacity in one hour. Poly also promises that 15 minutes of charging will deliver 10 hours of talk time.

Connectivity

Using the Bluetooth 5.3 antenna, it is possible to use the headset for up to 30 meters, without errors in audio transmission. One intriguing thing is that, despite it having this antenna, you need to use a USB-C adapter to use the Voyager Surround 80 UC on the computer. There were no errors at this point either.

I really liked that this wireless headset can connect with up to two devices at the same time (a smartphone or tablet and a PC), which avoids the hassle of disconnecting the headset to connect it to another device. I noticed a slight “bottleneck” in music playback in the first few days, but this was corrected shortly after with a system update sent by Poly.

Finally, it is worth remembering that this model has a P2 cable (connected via USB-C) to be connected to the PC, smartphone or tablet with these connections, which allows use when the battery is empty. There's nothing to say about connectivity, but I noticed that the sound is a little quieter compared to Bluetooth.

Application

Available to Android e iOS, this app can go somewhat unnoticed and, honestly, I only used it a few times during the days I tested the headset.

The interface is also very simple and allows you to register more than one device in the Poly, which leaves everything centralized in one application. From there, you can also activate or deactivate the usage sensors, configure the equalizer and also check the remaining battery percentage.

The application serves as a useful tool for configuring and updating the headset's operating system. I only used it for these tasks and I believe this was the manufacturer's exact intention, so don't expect too much from it.

You'll also be able to detect the headphones: the app uses the GPS of the device connected via Bluetooth and shows this so you can find the Voyager Surround 80 UC. I just missed a feature to emit a beeping sound, but being able to locate it is a huge positive point.

Price

Without official sale in Brazil, this headset needs to be imported. We found him by $332,82 on eBay (R$ 1.614,64 in direct conversion), not counting shipping and possible taxes. It's an interesting model, but, at least until the end of this review, it was only sold outside Brazil.

Conclusion

O Voyager Surround 80 UC is a headset that focuses more on the sound and immersive experience, rather than mobility. Yes, it is a model that will work for hours before needing to be plugged back in and also has noise cancellation modes that justify its price. But, it is important to remember that its structure is not collapsible and it will not decrease in size. The carrying case sent in the box helps, but it is still a space that can make a difference for some people.

It is also a great item for the office and those who make a lot of video calls will also find it very assertive in use, in addition to being the first headset certified to work in an integrated way with the Microsoft Teams.

The biggest negative point is that it is not yet officially sold in Brazil, which forces us to import it and still run the risk of paying taxes. But, if you don't find models on the national market that meet your needs, it's an investment worth considering.

Technical specifications

Mark	Poly
Model	Voyager Surround 80 UC
driver	Dynamic, 40mm
Type	Circumaural, closed
Frequency response	20Hz-20kHz
Impedance	32
Shot put	250 g
Surround Sound 7.1	Yes
Number of microphones	10
Noise cancellation	Yes
Battery life	Up to 21 hours of direct talk time
Wireless range	Up to 30 meters
Supported Bluetooth profiles	A2DP A HSP HFP AVDTP
Loading	USB-C
wire type	USB Charging Cable
plug type	3,5mm/6,35mm stereo
cable size	1,5 m-2,8 m
Compatibility	PC, PS4 PS5, Chromebook, Android and iOS
Material	Synthetic leather protection
transmission frequency	2.402 MHz-2.480 MHz
Price	$332,82 on Ebay (R$ 1614,64 in direct conversion)

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reviewed by Glaucon Vital em 2 / 1 / 24.