Poly Voyager Free 60+ UC In-Depth Review

Pros:	Cons:
The sound quality is incredible	Bulky case but not heavy
The fit in the ear is amazing	The Poly Software should realize which device(s) it is connected to so when you click on User Guides, you don’t have to select the device
The OLED case screen adds tremendous flexibility and usability
Muting from the device and the case are fantastic options missing in the Apple world
Genius idea of putting a BT connector slot in the case itself so you can travel with it and lot lose it
The 3.5mm cord which allows listening on an airplane, etc. is a great addition
Great battery life

Poly recently announced its Voyager Free 60 Series earbuds and if this review needs to be summed up in a single word, it is WOW.

In our opinion, these are the first-ever earbuds that effectively straddle work and personal use. When we received them, we immediately started to play some EDM classics – Calling, Karate (NSFW) and C’Mon. We then listened to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture conducted by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra – because – no audio review would be complete without it. The cannons didn’t sound very powerful so we then listened to a version from the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. These cannons sounded much better.

The volume levels and bass response were extremely impressive. It is not easy to get a cannon to sound good in an earbud!

Unlike the Apple equivalent earbuds, the AirPods Pro series, these earbuds do not have a “barrel” shape. They are more slender which means, they do not force your ear open and as a result, are far more comfortable.

At this point, it is worth mentioning, Poly says you should try the various size eartips which come in the package. These are small and large – medium tips come installed. We did not do this but they say you really should because you might be surprised that a different size tip provides optimal fit. Also, you may need different sizes for each ear.

The reason most organizations will buy these earbuds however is not because of the music performance but the sound quality of calls and other features related to work. After all, they can be centrally cloud-managed by IT and are certified to work with Microsoft Teams and Zoom. All the voice calls we tested sounded superb.

Another major differentiator from the Apple ecosystem and many other competitors is the option of a touchscreen enabled, OLED case. This allows you to select audio sources, change the noise cancellation mode, mute and much more. You can also see the battery level of each earbud, as well as the case.

The case is also the biggest drawback as it is about twice as thick as the Apple equivalent. After 4 days of use however, we were surprised that the extra size of the case was not noticeable in pants or shorts. While the case is larger, it is not noticeably heavier than the original Apple AirPods Pro we used for comparison.

Included is a PC dongle, the BT7000 which provides a high-quality LC3 codec link to the earbuds. The dongle fits in the case so if you use a PC at work and a laptop for travel, you can take it with you and not worry about losing it.

Battery life is impressive at 5.5 hours of talk time if you use both earbuds. The case holds 11 hours and if you use a single earbud, you should be able to get 32 hours of total use.

A game-changing innovation for many of us is the inclusion of a 3.5mm cable which plugs into the USB-C port of the case. You can plug it into an airplane seat and the case acts as a bluetooth transmitter to the buds. For those of us who used to have to travel with a Bose or equivalent headset for the airplane, those days are officially over.

In our testing, the noise cancellation worked well and the wind resistance in brisk walking conditions was good.

If you work out really hard, then then you do not want to wear these buds as they are IP54 rated which is good for only light water and dust resistance.

There is a PC and phone app called Poly Lens which allows you to monitor battery levels and change functions. For example, there is a swipe control that varies in function depending on whether you are on a call or listening to music. The default action on a call is to mute. You could change this to hold or another option, if you desire. Se above for details.

We noticed that in the Equalizer setting, it defaults to bass. The other options are flat and bright. This likely explains why the bass sounded so good but still, having such great bass from such small earbuds, with no distortion, is super impressive.

The touchscreen case model is the Voyager Free 60+ UC and retails for $330. We do not know how we lived without a touchscreen earbud case in the past but we’re never going back. For $280, you can give up the touchscreen and 3.5mm jack and can get the Voyager Free 60 UC. For $230, you also give up the enterprise-grade audio and music, the PC dongle, the enterprise certification and can get the Voyager Free 60.

While the Poly Lens app is good – it is still a bit clunky in the user interface area. For example, when you click on the User Guide option in the app, it should default to the connected headphones or at least prioritize them. Instead, you have to enter your product name and find it. This is a minor, minor issue but HP/Poly has leapfrogged Cupertino in so many ways here, a bit more fine-tuning will leave no room for improvement.

In our hybrid workplaces, sound quality, both speaking and listening, is crucial. The Voyager Free 60+ UC are very comfortable earbuds and the battery life is impressive. Having the added benefits of an incredible music experience makes these earbuds a delight to look forward to. The case size is a drawback as it is larger than most others out there but you have to keep in mind, it has space for a dongle, a touchscreen and a bluetooth transmitter. It also allows for fast wireless charging. The positives of using these earbuds, far outweigh any negatives. Most importantly, with this purchase, you get a solution that helps you in business while also doubling as a top consumer electronics device. Tax deductible and awesome sound? That’s a win/win. Where do I sign? We reiterate our one-word summary, WOW.

Aside from his role as CEO of TMC and chairman of ITEXPO, Rich Tehrani is CEO of RT Advisors and a Registered Representative with and offering securities through Four Points Capital Partners LLC (Four Points) (Member FINRA/SIPC). RT Advisors is not owned by Four Points.

RT-Advisors continues its mission of assisting tech companies in M&A and capital raising using our unique tech media background and relationships to aid companies to optimally position themselves. In addition, as of late we have been increasingly assisting fast-growing tech companies in obtaining non-dilutive capital. Please let us know if we can be of assistance. The above is not a recommendation to buy/sell any security or sector mentioned.

RT-Advisors continues its mission of assisting tech companies in M&A and capital raising using our unique tech media background and relationships to aid companies to optimally position themselves. In addition, as of late we have been increasingly assisting fast-growing tech companies in obtaining non-dilutive capital. Please let us know if we can be of assistance. The above is not an endorsement or recommendation to buy/sell any security or sector mentioned. No companies mentioned above are current or past clients of RT Advisors.