New job = new headset. I’m fussy about headsets and comfort, and I find many headsets I’ve tried give me earaches. Actual pain from those irregular ovals that stick out your head (a.k.a ears). I also wanted a quality headset with good noise cancellation, so I can focus without hearing those annoying sounds of the world around me, like birds chirping or the man next door who uses his blower vac for a few hours every single day.
Anyway, looking at how much a headset would cost that are Microsoft Teams certified, are wireless, have a proper mic boom (I’ve had less than great experiences with several headsets that don’t have the boom, they always pick up way too much background noise) and have decent noise cancelling (ANC) abilities. Pretty much every option I could find was somewhere between $300-$500AU. There was a standout exception to this, Lenovo’s Go Wireless ANC Headset.
The price of the headset on Lenovo’s AU website at the time of writing is $229AU, so I ordered one. A few days later it turned up. The box itself is pretty well presented, with that modern expectation of the unboxing being a good experience (thanks Steve Jobs). Inside the box is the headset itself, a dongle, and a 1.3 m USB-C to USB-C cable. I thought that was it, until I decided to check under the plastic mould…
and behind the plastic mould was a sleeve for the headset! Always check behind the plastic mould :)
Let’s check out the specs of the Lenovo Go Wireless ANC Headset:
Tech Specs (from Lenovo AU)
| Capacity | 610 mAh |
|---|---|
| Color | Storm Grey |
| Cable Length/Type | 1.3 m |
| Weight | 230 g |
| Warranty Type | CRU |
| Controls | Power/Bluetooth, Volume + / -, ANC on/off, Teams button, Mute / Unmute, Call control |
| Distortion | < 3% |
| Driver | 40 mm |
| Frequency Range | 20 Hz – 20 kHz |
| Impedance | 32 Ohm |
| Power Requirement | 5V, 1A |
| Sensitivity | 107 +- 3 dB |
| Audio Input | Bluetooth 5.0, USB digital audio |
| Brand | Lenovo Go |
| OS Requirements | Windows 10 |
| Packed Weight | 762 g |
| Agency Approvals | CB, CE, BQB, FCC, RSS, MIC, VCCI, AITI, SRRC, cTUVus, ICASA, IFETEL, WPC, SDPPI, SIRIM, NTC, IMDA, KC, NCC, MIC, DWLF&M, NTRA, ANRT, NCC, KVALITET, TRA, RAMATEL, ANATEL, SUBTEL, KC, UKCA |
| Package Type | Retail |
| Packed Dimensions (L x D x H) | 227 mm x 87 mm x 255 mm / 8.94″ x 3.42″ x 10.04″ |
| Warranty Period | One Year |
| Maximum Operating Temperature | 40° C |
| Minimum Operating Temperature | 0℃ |
| Maximum Relative Humidity (%) | 90% |
| Battery Charging Time | 1.5 hours |
| Included Accessory | Lenovo USB-A Bluetooth Audio Receiver, USB-C to USB-C cable, Pouch |
| Microphone | 2 microphones for ENC, 4 microphones for ANC |
| Play Time | 35 hours |
| Wireless Operating Distance | 10 m |
| Connection Type | Bluetooth 5.0, Wired USB-C Cable, USB Receiver |
Calling out some of the more important specs – up to 35 hours play time is pretty good. The box calls out a 22 hour talk time, but you’re way over a full working day on the phone which is the important part – plus the USB-C connector means it should be the same plug as everything else you’ve bought in the last few years.
The USB receiver is USB-A which is probably best for most laptops, you’ve got 1 or 2 USB-C ports that will either be used for power or a full dock, and usually at least one spare USB-A if not more. Or, go Bluetooth if you’d rather not use the receiver, but I find an office full of Bluetooth devices can cause interference on any Bluetooth headset and the connection over the dongle more reliable.
Something I need to get in the habit of, is putting the mic boom up to mute. The headset will announce when you do this, and to me this is a better way of doing it rather than a keyboard shortcut or trying to accurately click on the ‘mute’ option in Microsoft Teams if you’re about to cough or sneeze on a call.
Let’s check out the buttons:
All pretty standard buttons here – I can honestly say I’ve never used the Microsoft Teams button but I probably should. If you were wondering what this button does like I was have a read of this guide: https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/office/use-the-microsoft-teams-button-on-your-certified-teams-device-ed5ec8f0-6f09-46aa-b80c-3372de084a98
TL;DR version – button is contextual. It’ll bring Teams to the front window if it’s not, it’ll join a meeting if you just had an alert come up saying one started, and if you hold it down during a meeting, it’ll raise your hand.
The ANC mode works quite well for a headset that’s on the ear rather than over the ear, and the ability to toggle this to talk-through mode with the ANC button means you can switch from focusing on work, to clearly having a chat with someone who walks up to you. It also makes you feel like a spy when noises are amplified and you can hear someone across the room talking. There’s a third option of plain ‘noise cancellation off’ which I’d probably rather as a separate button, as you have to pass this option each time you want to go back to ‘noise cancellation on’. You also can’t rapidly press the button twice to skip, and instead have to wait until it starts announcing what the new mode is before you can press it again.
The headset itself is very comfortable to wear – when I first put it on I thought it was slightly too tight for my head but after a few days use it doesn’t feel like it’s squeezing me anymore, and more just sitting snugly.
The headset itself feels like it’s made of high-quality components – the ear pads are a very soft leather-like substance, and has a general sturdiness to the entire device. The metal extenders go a fair way out so this should accommodate the largest of heads too.
Sound quality wise it’s crystal clear to me – but I’m also not an audiophile so couldn’t judge how good the music playing abilities of the headset are, beyond also sounding good to me.
All in all, it’s a good headset that will live in my work bag and get used when I’m not WFH – it connects up quickly when I need it to, and should last a long time.