Hello everyone. Today we are reviewing another pioneering piece of hardware from a great company that has been a leader in headset technology for decades. Today we are looking at the Plantronics Savi Office Model: WO100, Part Number: 79956-01.



I have explained in the past that I love gadgets and to be honest, anything that makes life “more convenient”, well sign me up. This latest addition to the Plantronics family promises to make life a little easier and is supposed to be feature-packed. So let’s get right into it!

Packaging
Plantronics takes painstaking precautions to make sure these contents do not get damaged during shipping. As you can see the packing filler is generously used to make movement near impossible. The dual packaging compartments keep components separate and safe. A great way to ensure that you are getting your hardware just as it left the factory: In perfect condition.












Contents include the following:
• Wireless Headset
• Wireless Base
• Headset Ear Clip
• Standard Headset Adapter
• AC adaptor
• Quick start guide
• PerSono Suite Software: CD includes: Animated Setup Guide & Complete User Guide
• USB cable
• Handset Connection Cable
• Comfort Rings for earpiece






Features

Quote from Plantronics website:
Cross device. Cross platforms. Cross applications. That's Savi Office, the next-generation headset system that lets users connect to multiple communication applications and devices--desk phones, PC softphones, and PC audio--with a single headset. With a touch of a button, professionals can connect a softphone call on a PC with a desk phone call and then attend a Webinar. And thanks to its noise-canceling microphone, wideband PC audio, and integrated DECT 6.0 technologies, Savi Office offers lifelike fidelity with every call and application and lets users roam up to 350 feet from their desk without compromising on clarity. With Savi Office, real-time collaboration has been redefined.

I believe that says it better that I could. Features are everywhere on this unit! You can totally customize the headset to your particular application preferences. IMPORTANT NOTE: This system will connect to a standard telephone. A BUSINESS PHONE SYSTEM IS NOT REQUIRED! I didn’t check the compatability at first and thought that I was going to need to connect it to a business system. As you can see from my pictures below, I connected this system to a 25 year old office style phone, and it worked perfectly. Regardless of the age of your phone, this unit will perform for you! I was not able to test it with an office phone system at the time of this review.



• Noise-canceling microphone, digital sound processing, and wide band PC audio support for business-class clarity
• Offered in three state-of-the-art wearing styles
• DECT 6.0 for an interference-free wireless range of up to 350 feet
• Base unit accepts up to 4 headsets for on-the-fly conferencing
• Integrated PerSono Suite software for one-touch call switching and wide range of customization features
• One-year limited warranty

Construction

The Headset is, for the most part, the same design and size as the Calisto Pro headset, which I reviewed back in February. I would like to say that it is still a sleek and stylish-looking headset. It has a very futuristic look and feel to it. However there are some design changes that I noticed. My background in the automotive plastics industry has left me with a sometimes annoying attention to fine detail. I tend to look more carefully than the average consumer, but maybe that isn’t a flaw. The changes are actually huge improvements in the function of the hardware in my personal opinion.

The first is the redesign of the toggle control. It is actually a multifunction button that lets you switch between functions, and allows operation of features of those particular functions. On the Calisto Pro, the toggle button was a little too small. I didn’t mention it in my initial review because I had no comparison subject like I do now. The button was made bigger on the Savi Office headset, and the area below the switch was changed and lowered to perhaps give those with bigger hands and fingers, like myself a better feel of control and improved function. Bravo. Also the Calisto came with an attached ear hook. As I mentioned in that review, my ear became sore after some extended use. The Savi Office headset comes with the ear hook, but it also has the headset, and they are removable to suit your personal preference. This was another big improvement which was needed. The earpiece which sits on the inside of your ear is now made of a softer, more pliable material, which I suggested that needed to be changed in my Calisto review. Coincidence? Who knows, but I am glad they implemented it. Great job guys!

The base has a fairly small footprint for your desktop. If you are like me, I have a lot of gadgets and controllers I use on a regular basis. This unit will not take up much real estate from your workspace. It measures 4 inches (app. 10cm) wide by 3.75 Inches (app. 8.5cm) deep. I know some of you may not agree with this idea, but it would be nice to see an all-in-one cable that plugs into the base unit and then has split plugs at the opposite end. It would make routing of cables simpler and the look would be cleaner, especially if you are working in a business office setting. Fewer cables look less cluttered. I did find that putting the unit in the charger with the headset adapter somewhat cumbersome. It takes up a lot of space, but you can easily remove it from the earpiece if you need the space. This unit overall is top quality, and Plantronics did a great job on the construction of this product.





Installation

Installation was pretty easy and straightforward. I used the animated help that came on the CD. This makes installation near impossible to mess up. I wish more companies would have this kind of resource. The PersonoSuite software interface installed properly and it was simple to set up the headset options. There are many settings that you can customize to match your own liking that are too numerous to go into here. Here are some screen shots of the software and you should be able to a good idea of the features from these pictures.

This is the animated installation application. It identifies all components and walks you through connecting all parts of the headset. Also, there is no audio with the installation animation, which simplifies the process. Everything is identified and highlighted for ease of understanding.




These are screenshots of the PersonoSuite software application.










Performance


When operating the unit in phone mode, you simply press the phone button on the base and pick up the handset. Your headset has now become your telephone. You simply dial from your phone and talk as you normally would. PC applications simply ran as a sound device on your computer. Set the Savi Office as the preferred playback device, or if you are like me, set the headset for your particular application and you can still use your sound card with your pc speakers. This works best for my personal settings. Another noticeable difference was the crisp sound from this unit. Whether talking online or on the phone, I noticed a considerable improvement in frequency response and overall clarity of the signal received. I would say a 50% improvement in sound quality from the previous headset I tested.

The following categories for performance were Range, Clarity and Usage length.

Range was set up using 2 configurations: Standard usage and line-of-sight as I did with the Calisto Pro. With the standard test, the unit was in my basement office and I could move freely about the house, upstairs, outside, and in the garage. Line-of-sight however seemed less than the claimed distance. I noticed only about 200-230 feet range before the signal dropped almost completely. This was troubling because I thought that there was some outside interference that was affecting the unit. I moved to a different location altogether and pretty much had the same result. Plantronics claims a 350 foot range. Well, this fell short, and is only about 62% of the proposed range. For my application, this would never be a problem because I could walk around my house, yard, and the neighbor’s yard with no issue. If you have a large multi-level home, this might be a problem depending on home the home’s construction.

Clarity was superb. Even right up to where the signal was ready to drop, the clarity was intact. This is speculation on my part, but I think this is achieved in part with the adaptive power system to monitor the distance from the base, and adjust the signal power accordingly. I got to the distance limit of a quality signal, and it simply dropped it. In all applications, IP Communication, Telephone, and Bluetooth, the sound quality I encountered was that of an electronics manufacturer with 40+ years of experience behind their technology. This headset is top notch and clearly an executive worthy product.

Usage was a little difficult to judge because I did not use the unit to the full battery life. I did however use it for about 6 hours straight with my telephone, pc playing music, and an occasional chat on Ventrilo. I can do more extensive battery life testing in the future and I will post results if requested.

Final Thoughts
Once again I am blown away with features and quality from a company that has truly established itself as one of the best manufacturers of great communication equipment. There is little need to look elsewhere when considering your home office and personal computing communication needs. I am looking forward to some of the additional components that will be available later for this model, which includes an over-the-ear design which is one of my favorites. I have been using the Voyager 510 for my cellular phone, and I love it. It is the over-the-ear design and is as comfortable as can be. I used it one weekend while fishing for about 7 hours and forgot it was in my ear. I look forward to the Savi Office Over-The-Ear addition in the near future. From what I can tell from their website, the headset will come with a charging base that will simply replace the one from the original headset (see pictures). The Savi Office is just another example of what keeps Plantronics at the top of this line of products and proves once again that they are here to stay!

Overview

Performance: 7/10 - The performance of this latest addition is fantastic. Sound quality and clarity seemed to take a huge leap forward. The range of the unit however seemed to lack as I described at only about 62% of the range promised. I do like the interchangeable clip options which should be a new standard for all of the headsets of this type. Multiple options are always a good thing.

Packaging: 10/10 - Packaging was superb and the quality of the pictures really gives you a feel for what is waiting inside. I am glad they do not print the specifications on the box. I have seen Plantronics products in retail office stores and they are accompanied by non-working displays for you to see and touch, and also the specifications for your questions. Also there is this new thing called the internet that makes researching items like this easier than ever.

Features: 9/10 - Features abound for even the most picky users to customize and set up is very simple. Too many features in the software alone to mention all of them, but I will tell you that you can even tell the software what type of media player you are running. You might be listening to your favorite music between calls, and when you pick up the phone, the software will pause your media player until you hang up, and it picks up right where the song left off. Also there is a battery indicator on the software interface so you can see how much power you have left. A great little feature.

Construction: 9/10 - The construction is of such high quality, it is a work of art. The improvements like the redesign of the toggle switch stands out in my mind and the new material on the earpiece make prolonged use much more comfortable. These upgraded options make this headset even more of a “must Have” item!

Price: 7/10 - The price is $379.95 from Plantronics. I will admit this is a rather pricey package considering you can get similar features and a telephone with the Calisto Pro for $100 less, so I would compare what options are going to fulfill your needs and decide from there.

This headset earns a 8.4/10, And Gets the Xtreme Clubhouse Reviews Platinum Award!