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You know me – I’ve been rolling through all of the various noise-cancelling headphones that Anker have been producing, and I’ve found them to be a very positive improvement to my work-from-home setup. Now, I’m fine with over-ear headphones, even when I’m back in the office. On the other hand, if you prefer on-ear headphones, or just want something that doesn’t look like you’re listening to music (even when you are), then perhaps the Anker PowerConf H700 is what you’re looking.
Now, that is selling the Anker PowerConf H700 little short. It’s more than just a repackaging of their over-ear headphones. This is very much a headset that’s meant for the workplace (or your home office) and keep you looking professional as you use it. It cuts a slimmer profile, and with the included charging stand (which not only charges, but also keeps your desk organized) it just look like you’re ready for work. Looks are one thing, but the proof is in usage of a headset, isn’t it?
Right off the bat, the Anker PowerConf H700 has some solid active noise cancellation. Now, the ANC isn’t as effective as the over-ear headsets (as those earcups help eliminate noise) but it’s actually surprisingly effective. In order to connect the headset to your computer, you’re going to be using bluetooth – either directly to the machine or with the included USB-A dongle. And, as with other Anker headsets, you can connect to two devices as once.
Making the Anker PowerConf H700 more work-oriented is the boom mic on the headset. Interestingly, the boom can rotate in either direction. Which means you can have the mic coming in from either the left or the right, whichever you prefer. The other earcup, that’s where you’ve got a volume knob (easy to adjust!) and the button to adjust the noise cancelling.
There’s also some rather clever usability features hiding in the Anker PowerConf H700. First is with the boom mic. It’s built to work cleanly with a variety of work-focused meeting apps (Zoom, Skype, Teams, etc) and I found it worked well there. Where the headset really shone was in the physical mute/unmute you can do. All you need to do is lift the boom up until the light at the end turns red – now you’re muted (the voice in your ear tells you you’re muted as well). To unmute, just pull the boom down until you’re told you’re unmuted (and the red light goes off).
In other words, with the Anker PowerConf H700, it’s no more fumbling for the mute button in the app, and figuring out what screen it’s on. Or even telling whether or not you’re muted. This was super effective, and I found it to be super intuitive to use. Another great feature that it has is it can automatically mute by pulling the earcup (the one with the boom mic) away from your ear. The headset figures you’re talking to someone standing by you, and mutes the mic again as well. So, you know, they actually thought about how people use headsets in the office (or even at home when the kids come by to ask something), and built that right into the functionality of the headset.
Of course, when you’re unmuted, that mic is delivering your voice over to the callers on the other end. In my experiment, I left myself a voicemail, and tested out how background noise came through (noises in the house, typing, and so on). Long and short, it was just my voice coming through, loud and clear. Sure, if someone drops something on the floor right above me, that spike might make it through. But by and large, it was a very clear, very strong mic performance.
The other piece of functionality that the Anker PowerConf H700 offers (which we did not specifically test out) was automated transcription. For some folks, taking notes down is just a pain, or even interrupts the flow of the discussion. With this headset, and the paired Anker Work software, you can get this auto-transcribed and have all your notes for you after the meeting wraps. Now, you’ll still have to review those and get the pieces out that you need, but sometimes a transcript could be handy.
If you’re just looking for an ANC headset to work from home, something like the Anker Q35 is going to be the more affordable option. On the other hand, if you need the more professional look (perhaps being back in the office) or you find yourself in a more highly-trafficked part of your home, then the H700 is going to get the job done much better, keeping your voice coming through clearly. And should you need to move between locations, the included case keeps things organized and protected (and the charging stand pulls apart easily to transport). The Anker PowerConf H700 is available now for $179.99 (for just the headset) or $199.99 (which also includes the charging stand) directly from Amazon or ankerwork.com
Tech Specs from Anker
| Model | PowerConf H700 | PowerConf H700 with Charging Stand | PowerConf H500 | PowerConf H500 with Charging Stand |
| Product Type | Bluetooth Headset | Bluetooth Headset | Bluetooth Headset | Bluetooth Headset |
| Wearing Style | On-Ear | On-Ear | On-Ear | On-Ear |
| Bluetooth Range | 10m | 10m | 10m | 10m |
| Driver | 40mm | 40mm | 40mm | 40mm |
| Weight | 184.2g | 184.2g | 182.2g | 182.2g |
| Color | Blue | Blue | Black | Black |
| Meeting Record & Transcription | Yes (including 1,000min of free transcription time) | Yes (including 1,000min of free transcription time) | Yes (including 600min of free transcription time | Yes (including 600min of free transcription time) |
| ANC | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Microphone technology | VoiceShield—detect and eliminate background noise | VoiceShield—detect and eliminate background noise | VoiceShield—detect and eliminate background noise | VoiceShield—detect and eliminate background noise |
| Connection | Bluetooth 5.0/USB-A Bluetooth Dongle | Bluetooth 5.0/USB-A Bluetooth Dongle | Bluetooth 5.0/USB-A Bluetooth Dongle | Bluetooth 5.0/USB-A Bluetooth Dongle |
| Connected Devices | 2 Devices Simultaneously | 2 Devices Simultaneously | 2 Devices Simultaneously | 2 Devices Simultaneously |
| Computer Software/App | AnkerWork Computer Software/App | AnkerWork Computer Software/App | AnkerWork Computer Software/App | AnkerWork Computer Software/App |
| Battery Life(Talk) | 24h (ANC Off) / 21h (ANC On) | 24h (ANC Off) / 21h (ANC On) | 24h (Transparency Off) | 24h (Transparency Off) |
| Battery Life(Music) | 35h (ANC Off) /28h (ANC On) | 35h (ANC Off) /28h (ANC On) | 35h (Transparency Off) | 35h (Transparency Off) |
| Charging time | 1h 40min | 1h 40min | 1h 40min | 1h 40min |
| Charging Stand | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Busy Light | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Call Control | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Prompt Voice | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sidetone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fast Charge | 5min Charge for 3h of Talktime | 5min Charge for 3h of Talktime | 5min Charge for 3h of Talktime | 5min Charge for 3h of Talktime |
