Poly may sound like a new brand, but they are actually Plantronics after their rebrand, also make business focused products for conferencing needs. The Poly Studio P5 webcam and the Poly Voyager Focus 2 wireless headset are a great combo to pickup if you’re looking to level up your work-from-home experience. The Poly Studio P5 webcam retails for around S$190, while the Poly Voyager Focus 2 retails for S$479.
Unboxing
The package in the Poly Studio P5 webcam includes:
- Studio P5 webcam
- Monitor clip
- Quick start guide
The Poly Voyager Focus 2 box includes:
- Voyager Focus 2 wireless headset
- Charging stand
- Micro-USB cable
- Wireless adapter
- Carrying case
- Quick start guide
Build quality and design
The Poly Studio P5 features a simple barrel shape design and comes in white with some texture to it. The webcam has a lens cover which is toggled via the ring around the lens so you can physically cover the lens if you’re not using it.
The Studio P5 has a 1/4″ female screw-in which you can screw in to a tripod or magnetically attach it to the monitor clip provided. The monitor clip has a pretty sturdy hinge which you can adjust it so that the two contact points can pivot itself on your monitor nicely. The contact points have anti-slip rubber surfaces to keep the webcam stable.
The Poly Voyager Focus 2 headset is an on-ear headset which you can use wirelessly. The headset is largely made from plastic but does feel rather sturdy and well built. The ear cushions feel soft and plush.
The buttons are located on the earcup itself and they feel tactile and not mushy. There are also a few switches to control power, ANC, and mic mute.
Comfort
This would only apply to the Voyager Focus 2 headset – long story short it is pretty comfortable for extended periods of use. This largely due to the way the headband was designed. The space between the frame and the headrest allows for reduced pressure when wearing. The soft headband also ensures minimal pressure on your head when wearing it.
The headset is also quite lightweight and the earcups are soft and plush so they rest comfortably on my ears. Do note that the Voyager Focus 2 is a pair of on-ear headset.
Performance – Studio P5
Studio P5 features a f/2.0 aperture with an 80-degree field of view and supports up to 1080p resolution. You can connect the Studio P5 via its USB-A cable that comes attached on the webcam. It is a simple plug-and-play setup.
Video quality
The video quality from the Studio P5 is good, though it can look a little soft, but it still offers quality better than any laptop webcams. The 80-degree field of view is able to capture plenty of view. If you find that it is showing too much of your room, well you can adjust the framing via its 4x zoom.
In a dimly-lit room, the image the the Studio P5 produces is not too shabby, my face still remains in focus particularly due to light from monitor. The overall image in a dark situation is noisy, which is expected, but still very much usable. Then again, why would you be using a webcam in the dark?
Microphone quality
The Studio P5 is not just a webcam. It also has a built-in directional microphone which surprisingly captures rather clear audio albeit with some room echo and distance due to its placement. If your PC doesn’t come with a microphone, the one on the Studio P5 is reliable.
Performance – Voyager Focus 2
To start off, the Voyager Focus 2 has Bluetooth and supports wireless connection to your PC/Mac via the USB adapter. This makes the Voyager Focus 2 very versatile and could be your one-stop shop for all communication needs as you can connect it to your smartphone and computer.
Poly also provided a soft carrying case to store the Voyager Focus 2, which can be folded flat.
Microphone quality
Microphone pickup is very accurate and it is able to cancel out a good amount of background noise. My voice sounded forward and clear in the different scenarios of introducing noise coming in front, behind or at my sides. There is also some depth to the audio as well so the your voice won’t sound too thin.
ANC
Voyager Focus 2 has an ANC function that helps to reduce the background noise in your surroundings. There are two levels of ANC strength that you can choose to set. Personally I found that unless the surroundings is really noisy, setting the ANC on isn’t really comfortable to use on calls due to the cabin-pressure effect.
Having said that, it is good to see ANC implemented on the Voyager Focus 2 as it offers greater versatility of use, and would be especially helpful for people in noisy work environments.
Battery life
The Voyager Focus 2 is rated to last 19 hours of use and during my time of testing it seemed pretty accurate as it lasted around a week for me based on the amount of calls I attend on a daily basis. You can charge the Voyager Focus 2 with a micro-USB cable or use the provided charging stand.
It is easy to dock the Voyager Focus 2 back on the stand after use. I wished that the stand allowed you to adjust the angle but that’s a rather small matter anyway.
Conclusion
Both the Studio P5 webcam and Voyager Focus 2 headset offer very good performance and reliability, and will surely take your communications in meetings to a higher level. Both devices also have extra software support for tailoring to each individual uses. The Studio P5 webcam and Voyager Focus 2 headset is a great one-two punch, but the prices are pretty steep. Especially for the Voyager Focus 2 which costs almost S$500 can be a little too much to ask for. Ultimately, the X-factor of both the Studio P5 webcam and Voyager Focus 2 lies in its support for a huge array of voice and video platforms in the professional space.