Yes, you understand how many wireless earbud options exist, but we tend to lean towards brands we know. Here comes Poly, a brand you probably have never heard of before, a branch of HP’s high-end business and office technology. Little did you know, but across Poly’s vast array of office tech, such as webcams, keyboards, and desk peripherals, you can also find audio, and in this case, you will find the Poly Voyager Free 20 Earbuds are fresh to the market. I’d be skeptical too, but they are better than what I would imagine for today’s price of $149.99 USD.
Style / Feel / Build / Hardware
To open this review, let’s examine the build quality and feel of the Voyager Free 20 Earbuds. The charging case has a very sleek design, primarily gloss black, with gold accents and a matted texture on the bottom, matching the earbuds inside. The case is easy to hold, but the hinges feel loose, and the case is too plasticy for my taste. Regardless, the product’s look and feel is very adult and mature, a fair contrast to the famous white earbud design typically seen.
I’m worried a bad drop on the floor will end the charging case and its plastic hinges. This is one of the weaker areas of the Poly Voyager Free 20. The charging case also features USB-C on the rear, and a Bluetooth connect button you can hold for 4 seconds while the buds are seated to find a new connection source. As usual, the earbuds are sitting in the case with two mag-safe pin-like seats, which need to be perfectly seated to charge, as I have placed them down without indication that charging has commenced.
The Poly Voyager Free 20 case has three indicator lights: one in the center for the case battery and one on each matching side for each earbud seated. I found this layout choice for the battery fun and intuitive. It is also easy to see instead of looking for a pin-light LED.
Each earbud features an identical control button, which does everything needed in one button. The control button on each earbud does feel well-made, but in the grand scheme of things regarding build quality and the Voyager Free 20, the materials used are primarily plastics shrouded in a gloss-black look.
It’s strange that the button is set to require forcing pressure on the earbud further into your ear. At least you won’t have to worry about them falling out afterward. It is not typical for earbuds to both have control buttons, but it was a pleasant surprise bonus to discover.
The Poly Voyager Free 20 brings 10mm drivers to the table, which are actually on the smaller side, but they do pack a punch. We will discuss sound later. Another vital spec worth mentioning now is IP56 water and dust resistance, but you won’t catch me testing that; luckily, I’d imagine these can survive a wash-and-dry cycle.
The 10mm drivers fit very snugly in my ears, and if they don’t fit right for you, they offer 4 sizes of rubber plugs for all ear sizes. Occasionally, during long-duration use sessions of the earbuds, I had to push them in a bit on the default size, but my ears are probably a bit larger than the average user’s. I found the large earplugs fit way better and provided a better sound enclosure and comfortable experience.
Performance / Hands-on-use / User Experience / Analysis / Etc.
Let’s begin the performance section of this review by discussing the most important topic of any speaker product: sound.
The sound of the Voyager Free 20 is prioritized for bright and loud mids, but at full volume, there is a minor amount of peaking and “s” sounds apparent in the high end. There is also favorable snappy bass for most general music listeners, but not excessive, so if you like electronic and bass-heavy music, you might want another set of earbuds. However, I still found enjoyment in these genres on the earbuds. The sound stage is naturally spacious and full rather than overly direct into my ear. It is a delightful discovery for my ears, and I can get used to the grand sound saturation of the Voyager Free 20.
Overall, the volume is very loud but not too loud where it hurts. It is the perfect amount of gain for my taste, and winning me over in the volume category is hard. The Poly Voyager Free 20 had me head-bopping and singing along to my favorite music all day long, which is usually a testament to how immersive the sound stage design comes across, but I digress for now.
Regarding connectivity strength, The Voyager Free 20 could stay connected to my Bluetooth source through one wall at about 20-30 feet. It almost covered the entire distance of my small house, but I couldn’t quite make it to the kitchen, so no cooking and discord chat via PC for me. Anyway, I found the connection distance sufficient, but not as far as some other headphones previously reviewed on this channel that could breach multiple walls and even make it outside my house. Id like to mention that the box claims up to 100ft of distance, which is a huge and disingenuous stretch. Im sure there has to be no walls or interference in a perfect scenario to reach those numbers.
Poly Voyager Free 20 has multiple device connectivity, allowing me to connect to my phone and PC; it’s very user-friendly. The earbuds, once removed from the case, will connect seamlessly to their last connected devices, such as linking to both the phone and PC desktop, which is very convenient for people looking to get right to it without hassle.
The Bluetooth process has an audible voice that says “PC connected,” and “Phone 1 connected,” immediately giving peace of mind. It seems as though Poly put a lot of thought into the user experience of their products, as most of the features discussed worked rather well and without quirks. I find earbuds and Bluetooth devices can often be obnoxious to control with on-hand, tiny connect buttons. Still, if you can get over pushing the earbud further in your ear to control the Poly Voyager Free 20, then you will enjoy how easy these are to use.
You can connect the Poly Voyager Free 20s to your intended devices by holding the case button down for 4 seconds with the buds inside, or you can hold the control button on either earbud for 4 seconds, which I greatly prefer. Using the case button is a bit more particular or finicky than the earbuds button, sometimes not responding. This is probably the only glitchy user experience hiccup encountered.
When it comes to controlling the Poly Voyager Free 20, all controls can be changed via the button on either earbud. Tapping or holding the button has different functions if you are on a phone call, or listening to music, but in general, it was straightforward to pick up on and remember. Sometimes, universal products have labyrinths of control function inputs to recall, but the Voyagers remained simple enough and in a good way.
Speaking of hybrid functionality, the volume output source is strictly limited to the first device to send an audio signal. You will not be able to hear audio from the other device until you manually terminate the original audio source, such as the song playing or video playing on the desktop. It’s challenging to get this feature right. Still, I don’t mind the limitations on audio output here, as it makes it less abrupt when accidentally scrolling past videos on your phone while listening to your PC.
I had a connection issue on one desktop PC with internal Bluetooth, in which the Poly Voyager Free 20 cut in and out continuously; my main PC works fine, as does every other device I have tried them with, including a variety of Apple devices such as the iPhone 15promax. I’m unsure if this is a compatibility coincidence or an actual issue to look out for, but it worked on everything except for the one desktop discussed.
Side but important note: The input audio clarity is basically comparable to an inexpensive gaming headset, leaving slight disappointment as this product presents itself as a more professional product. The charge case also supports Qi wireless charging.
The Poly Voyager Free 20 earbuds’ user experience is greatly enhanced by the Poly Lens application, which is available for Mac, Windows, and mobile devices. Some apps out there are bothersome to use or navigate, and not only is the Poly app very sharply designed, but it works without fail. You can also update over Bluetooth, which is very convenient, instead of plugging the device into a computer. Bonus point here. Other app features include toggles for voice prompts, changing custom button settings, ANC, transparency, language, battery indication, a fit test, and more.
Other talking points around the Poly Lens app include the lack of control of the desktop app for earbuds, as only the mobile app seems to connect and control the Voyager Free 20s. That’s not to say you can’t use the hardware with PCs, but you will have to control the speaker’s settings with your phone. I tried plugging the charging case with USB into my PC, and no dice.
Speaking more on ease of use, the phone app actively sends notifications, doubling down on reassurance for connection success, earbuds disconnected, and other essential prompts.
A significant negative and detracting factor to expanding the demographic of the Poly Voyager Free 20 is the lack of an equalizer or custom sound mix. Granted, this can keep costs down, but these earbuds aren’t necessarily for gamers due to the lack of an equalizer or customization of sound profiles to hear footsteps more easily. The Voyager Free 20s are very versatile with loud volume and punchy mid-oriented sound and can easily integrate into a “techy” person’s lifestyle, but I am worried about the particular customer who likes to tailor their experience similar to the typical gamer.
You are also supposed to be able to toggle ANC by holding the earbud button for 2 seconds, but I could not get it to work. This is the second buggy moment I have encountered. The ANC does work with no issues via the Poly Lens mobile app.
Speaking on the practicality of ANC, it’s not the best ANC I have used. You mostly delete low bass tones and consistent noises like a PC desktop fan, etc. I tested the ANC with my speakers in my room, which is nothing crazy, and I clearly hear the music without any bass. Turn off ANC, and the bass will come back. I was hoping for more intriguing tech here, but the Poly’s ANC feature might help you fall asleep on a plane or in a noisy room, but I wouldn’t guarantee it. There is a lot of noise leakage, so this ANC is not too practical. Passive noise canceling from clogging your ears is more beneficial.
Transparency is also a widely used feature that misses the mark. In this case, transparency barely enhances speech and environment volumes to the point where you know transparency is on, but it isn’t enough of a difference to enhance your hearing. You can still hear people speak to you when your ears are plugged with or without transparency, which is a strange middle ground to be in for this type of product. The overall performance of ANC, passive noise canceling, and transparency is a misdirected mess, but luckily, this product is carried by every other aspect.
Lastly, let’s discuss an important topic known as battery life, a prominent win for Poly. With ANC off, I was able to squeeze out around 10 hours of listening time on the advertised battery life of 12 hours. Granted, I was listening to music at full volume the entire time. Twelve hours is achievable with less gain. To be specific, I experienced about 10% battery drain every 45 minutes at max volume. Turning ANC on will only reduce life, and lowering volume will only increase, so hopefully, this info helps. The battery life is respectable for the loud volumes the Voyagers produce.
Quick note relating to 10 hours of listening time: the Voyager Free 20 did remain fairly comfortable without complaints or fitment issues, where other brands started to cause me pain after some time—no pain with Poly.
After a speedy 5-minute charge time, the earbuds gain about 1 hour or 13% battery. These chargers are only getting faster, and Poly provides a very convenient experience for its customers, who often forget to charge up.
Conclusion
Overall, the Poly Voyager Free 20 Earbuds are a very thought-provoking product with a lot of ups and downs throughout my review. The product performs greatly in the places it needs to, such as volume, comfort, battery, sound, and more, but seems to drop the ball on some other important selling points nowadays such as ANC and Transparency mode. Someone like myself can get over these negatives just for the benefit of great sound with high-mileage, but I know others might be more stubborn to jump to unfamiliar territory, especially with hit or miss major features. We shall see how the public responds to Poly, but this product has fostered my respect for the company’s take on consumer audio, but they really like to stretch the truth regarding transparency, ANC, and the connection range of 100ft.
It is genuinely a good product, but it has a lot of room for improvement in its stand-out features.
The Voyager Free 20 has a loose release date of June 2024.
Poly Voyager Free 20 Earbuds
The Poly Voyager Free 20 Earbuds offer a solid sound experience with impressive volume and comfort, making them a strong contender in the wireless earbud market. However, the Active Noise Cancellation and transparency modes leave much to be desired, and the build quality could use some improvements. Despite these drawbacks, the overall performance and battery life make them a worthwhile option for everyday use.
The Good
- Impressive Sound Quality: Clear mids and snappy bass provide an immersive audio experience.
- Comfortable Fit: Four sizes of earplugs ensure a snug fit for all ear sizes.
- Long Battery Life: Up to 12 hours of listening time, with quick charging capabilities.
- User-Friendly Connectivity: Seamless connection to multiple devices with clear audio prompts.
- Convenient Poly Lens App: Easy to use with features like firmware updates and custom button settings.
The Bad
- Mediocre Build Quality: Plastic construction and loose hinges on the charging case.
- Weak ANC and Transparency Modes: Ineffective noise cancellation and barely noticeable transparency enhancement.
- Limited Connectivity Range: Does not meet the advertised 100ft range, struggles with multiple walls.
- No Equalizer or Custom Sound Mix: Lacks customization options for sound profiles.
- Potential Compatibility Issues: Inconsistent performance with some desktop PCs.
