The AnkerWork PowerConf H700 UC Boom Headset/Mic is perfect for working from home or an office where you need a lightweight, Bluetooth, noise-canceling, reasonably priced pair of unified communications headsets.
You may not have heard the term unified communications (UC). This basically means that it works and supports the features of Zoom, Teams/Skype, Google, Webex, GoToMeeting and more. It’s also multi-point: seamless PC/Mac and smartphone connections.
A few things make UC headphones stand out: comfort, noise cancellation, sound quality (clarity) and voice quality. Let’s see how it turns out.
What is AnkerWork?
It is a specialist division of Anker focused on webcams, speakers and work headsets. It joins other Anker divisions, including Eufy (Eufy X8 Twin-Turbine Hybrid robovac/mop – a powerful little suction cup ( review ), Eufy Security, Eufy Pet, Nebula (Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K – finally, a mini-projector that sees the light of day.) (review), SoundCore, and Anker’s QI and wall chargers, cables, power banks, and USB-C adapters.
Australian Review: AnkerWork PowerConf H700 UC, BT, ANC, Headphone/Boom Microphone
Website Product Range and Product Page and Support Price $299.95 from AnkerWork Online and Specialty Retailers One Year ACL Warranty Country of Origin China Company Anker (Shenzhen Oceanwing Smart Innovations Technology Co., Ltd) is a Chinese electronics company that produces PC and mobile peripherals including phone chargers, power banks, headphones, speakers, data hubs, charging cables, flashlights, screen protectors, security cameras and more from various brands. More CyberShack webcam news and reviews
We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (exceeds expectations or is class leader) against many of the items below. Occasionally we give a grade of Pass(apt) which is not as good as it should be and a grade of Pass “+” to show that it is good but falls short of Pass.
You can click on most images to enlarge them.
First impression, like many other UC headsets but offering a little more: Pass+
This is an in-ear headphone. This is important for comfort and cooling for extended use. At 184.2g, they’re light enough for all-day use.
Comes with a charger stand (no charger included, and you can also charge with USB-C), a USB-C cable, and a USB-A Bluetooth dongle for use with a PC or Mac (works with a USB-C) . adapter as well).
The boom mic is a fixed length but longer than most to ensure reasonable proximity to the mouth.
It has an adjustable metal neoprene padded headband and replaceable synthetic leather ear pads, important for constant use in the office. Button controls are Power/Bluetooth and ANC On/Off. Touch controls cover the LEFT: Play, Pause, Skip forward, Skip back, Volume up and down, Receive, Cancel and End calls. ANC, Normal and Transparency. RIGHT: Do Not Disturb and Voice Shield.
It has auto-pause and auto-resume when you remove/replace the headphones. It also supports auto-mute on a computer where you raise the boom mic.
They are commercial grade and come in a nice hard case.
Software – Pass
Uses the same AnkerWork software as the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar: A Web Camera That Shines Strong (Review) You need to connect to the PC/Mac using the BT Dongle to access it (reasonably standard procedure on UC devices). The PC/Mac version will not update the H700’s firmware (as it is connected to the USB BT dongle), so you do this via the Android or iOS app.
ANC – Pass
The ear doesn’t have that passive isolation that the ear has. It uses standard feed=forward and feed-back microphones to provide noise cancellation, transparency and normal modes and low or high settings for each. It won’t block a jet plane, but it will block conversations, loud keyboards, and general office buzz.
EQ – Past
The EQ has Signature, Acoustic, Bass Boost, Speech, R&B, Rock, Electronic and Classical modes, a bit overkill for office headphones. We found the Speech to be the best for UC work, although the Signature EQ was also pretty good for most music genres. It lacks a customizable EQ, not a problem.
Transcript: 1000 minute trial (not tested)
AnkerWork offers a cloud-based transcription service. The trial is for up to 1000 minutes, but expires after two months. There are (undisclosed) fees for its subsequent use.
Battery – Pass+
It has a 500mAh battery and can use any 5V/.75A/3.75W USB-A or USB-C port or charger (not supplied). Offers up to 21/24 hours ANC on/off. In 8 hours of testing, about 30% was used, so the number is accurate.
Charging time is about 2 hours with a fast charge – three hours in five minutes.
Sound – Pass+
It’s not hi-fi standard, but it has the right bass, mids and treble to provide enjoyable music listening. Its focus is clear voice.
BT 5.0 – Pass+
The range is 30m (tested up to 20m), allowing multi-point pairing with a PC/Mac and smartphone. One tip: make sure the app is closed on the device you’re not using at the time. Supports SBC and AAC on smartphones/Macs and SBC on PC.
CyberShack’s View: AnkerWork PowerConf H700 UC, BT, ANC, Boom Headphone/Mic is up there with the best
AnkerWork has done a great job challenging the dominance of Jabra, Poly and more with a full-featured, affordable UB headset.
Its AI-powered VoiceShield ANC is great for the office, and home use and battery life are excellent. As a bonus, its musical sound signature is pretty good too.
Explanation of the qualification
- Features: 95: It has everything that the top players have
- Value: 95 – Offers great value and has things like replaceable ear pads
- Performance: 90 Excellent battery life, decent ANC and a nice sound signature
- Ease of use: 90 – Multipoint and a decent app
- Design – 90 – Comfortable, light and durable
AnkerWork PowerConf H700 UC, BT, ANC, Headphone/Boom Microphone
Pros
- Good clear voice and nice musical signature
- USB-C BT dongle or BT connection only
- 21/24 hour ANC on/off battery life
- Comes with a cargo cradle
- comfortable