AnkerWork PowerConf H700 UC, BT, ANC, headphones/boom mic (UC review)

The AnkerWork PowerConf H700 UC headphones/boom mic is perfect for working from home or an office where you need a pair of lightweight, Bluetooth, Noise cancelling, reasonable-cost, Unified Communications headphones.

You may not have heard the term Unified Communications (UC). This essentially means that it works with and supports Zoom, Teams/Skype, Google, Webex, GoToMeeting features and more. It is also multi-point – PC/Mac and seamless smartphone connections.

A few things make UC headphones stand out – Comfort, Noise cancelling, sound quality (clarity) and voice quality. Let’s see how it fares.

What is AnkerWork?

It is a specialised division of Anker focusing on webcams, speakerphones, and work headsets. It joins other Anker divisions, including Eufy (Eufy X8 Twin-Turbine Hybrid robovac/mop – a powerful little sucker (review), Eufy Security, Eufy Pet, Nebula (Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K – finally, a mini-projector that sees the light (review), SoundCore, and the Anker brand wall and QI chargers, cables, power banks and USB-C adapters.

Australian review: AnkerWork PowerConf H700 UC, BT, ANC, headphones/boom mic

Website	Product range and product page and Support
Price	$299.95
From	AnkerWork online and specialist retailers
Warranty	1-year ACL
Country of Origin	China
Company	Anker (Shenzhen Oceanwing Smart Innovations Technology Co., Ltd) is a Chinese electronics company that produces computer and mobile peripherals, including phone chargers, power banks, earbuds, headphones, speakers, data hubs, charging cables, torches, screen protectors, security cameras, and more under multiple brands.
More	CyberShack webcam news and reviews

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed.

You can click on most images for an enlargement.

First impression – like many other UC headsets but offering a little more – Pass+

This is an on-the-ear headset. That is important for comfort and cooling for extended use. At 184.2g, they are light enough for all-day use.

 It comes with a charger stand (no charger supplied, and you can charge with USB-C as well), a USB-C cable, and a Bluetooth USB-A dongle to 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 your mouth.

It has a metal adjustable, neoprene padded headband and faux leather replaceable ear pads – important for constant office use. Push button controls are power/Bluetooth and ANC on/off. Touch controls cover LEFT: Play, Pause, Skip Forward, Skip Back, Volume Up and Down, Receive, Cancel and End Calls. ANC, Normal & Transparency. RIGHT: Do Not Disturb & Voice Shield.

It has auto-pause and auto-resume when you remove/replace the headset. It also supports Auto mute on a PC where you lift the boom mic.

They are commercial quality and come in a nice hard-sided carry case.

Software – Pass

It uses the same AnkerWork Software as the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar – a webcam that shines brightly (review). You must connect to the PC/Mac using the BT Dongle to access it (reasonably standard procedure in UC devices). The PC/Mac version will not update the H700 firmware (as it is connected to the USB BT dongle), so you do that via the Android or iOS App.

ANC – Pass

On-the-ear does not have that passive isolation that over-the-ear does. It uses standard feed=forward and feed-back mics to provide Noise Cancelling, Transparency and Normal modes and low or high settings for each. It won’t block out a jet aircraft but blocks conversations, loud keyboards, and general office hum.

EQ – Pass

The EQ has Signature, Acoustic, Bass Boost, Speech, R&B, Rock, Electronic and Classical modes – a little overkill for an office headset. We found Speech the best for UC work, although the Signature EQ was also pretty good for most music genres. It lacks a customisable EQ – not a deal breaker.

Transcribe – 1000-minute trial (not tested)

AnkerWork provides a cloud-based transcription service. The trial is for up to 1000 minutes but expires after two months. There are fees (not disclosed) for its further use.

Battery – Pass+

It has a 500mAh battery and can use any USB-A or USB-C port or charger from 5V/.75A/3.75W (not supplied). It gives up to 21/24 hours of ANC on/off. In 8-hours of tests, it used about 30%, so the figure is accurate.

The Charge time is about 2 hours with a fast charge – three hours in five minutes.

Sound – Pass+

It is not Hi-Fi standard but has adequate bass, mid and treble to provide pleasant music listening. Its focus is clear voice.

BT 5.0 – Pass+

The range is 30m (tested to 20m), allowing for Multi-point pairing to a PC/Mac and smartphone. One hint: make sure the app is closed on the device you are not using at the time. It supports SBC and AAC on smartphones/Macs and SBC on PC.

CyberShack’s view – AnkerWork PowerConf H700 UC, BT, ANC, headphones/boom mic is up there with the best

AnkerWork has done a great job challenging the domain of Jabra, Poly and more with a fully-featured, well-priced UB headset.

Its AI-driven VoiceShield ANC is very good for office, and home use and its battery life is excellent. As a bonus, its music sound signature is pretty good too.

Rating Explanation

• Features: 95 – it has everything that the major players have
• Value: 95 – It offers great value and has things like replaceable ear cushions
• Performance: 90 Excellent battery life, decent ANC, and a pleasant sound signature
• Ease of Use: 90 – Multi-point and a decent App
• Design – 90 – Comfortable, light, and durable