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The Quick Start guide is a 10x6cm folded card with Setup an option to download the Plantronics.com software, ANC to tell you how to activate noise cancelling and Fit to show you how to mute the microphone. While there are several other leaflets in the box these are mainly to satisfy various countries rules and of no real use to the user.
The Poly brand is a high end quality range marketed by HP and so you get what you pay for, quality in sound and speech via the microphone arm.
While most would probably prefer Wi-FI connection to allow you to move around while talking this does provide a longer than normal lead at 60cm to the unit control switch and another 1.5metre to the USB 'C' plug.
Even without downloading the plantronics.com software to your notebook the sound quality is excellent and once the software is downloaded you have more adjustments available.
The headset comes in a soft fabric zip up case to allow easy transportation.
While this is a headset it can still be used as headphones as the microphone can be put out of general view alongside an ear.
I always do a full range of tests for headphones and indeed for headsets there are additional tests for sound quality and when a unit has a noise reduction option like this I tend to send messages to my landline voice recorder with part of the message without noise reduction and then flip the switch to include noise reduction, then on return I can tell how much the noise reduction assists, railway stations and markets are both good tests and this passed both well.
As far as a set of headphones or course its a chance to play my style of music but I also play others including classical, pop and even the style I do not enjoy opera where for me its often like the sound of strangling cats. As with the microphone tests this headset was just as good as an on ear set of headphones with good separation and the chance to hear little asides often missed when listening through speakers.
At the time of publication the HP Poly Blackwire 8225 headset is available from Amazon priced at £92.89.
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