Sennheiser VMXOFFICE Mobile Bluetooth Office headset (+base station)

Overview of the Sennheiser VMXOFFICE Mobile Bluetooth Office headset (+base station)

The Sennheiser VMX Office gives you total freedom to use your headset with any type of call – be it your office desk phone, a Skype call on your PC or a mobile call. This is fantastic news if you tend to swap between the three formats and is especially useful for execs who are in and out of the office a lot. However, flexibility always comes at a price and a few concessions have been made when creating this otherwise versatile headset.

The Good

The Sennheiser VMX Office is something of a headset wunderkind – one of only a few models out there that lets you use it with your office phone, your mobile and your computer (the other being the GN GO6470). This means you can take a phone call at your desk, jump onto a webinar, Skype someone overseas and then go outside and take a mobile call, all using the one headset!

As far as brands go, Sennheiser is a world-leader in audio so you know the quality is there. The design is incredibly stylish and the GN 9350 is the only headset (in our opinion) that will give the VMX a run for its money. The base station is compact and takes up less room on your desk than the competition, while the earpiece is very lightweight and comfortable enough for all-day wearing.

If you are using this product on the go, you can simply close the headset in a simple hand motion to turn it off, rather than having to fumble looking for the power button – a nice touch. Plus once the volume is set it stays at that level no matter what device you are using it with.

Need to recharge your earpiece out on the road? No problem. As well as using the base station to recharge, the earpiece can get its power from a USB cable, so just plug it into your laptop or car lighter (with optional adapter) and get charging while on the move.

The Not-So-Good

The Sennheiser VMX Office only comes with a single wearing style, which some users find limiting. If you are looking for a similar headset in a different wearing configuration you can try the over-the-head GN9350, GN9330e or Plantronics CS351N, or the in-ear Plantronics SAVI WO100 (though you still won’t get the choice of mobile, office phone and PC functionality the VMX offers).

Because the VMX Office uses Bluetooth wireless technology, you sacrifice this flexibility for range. Whereas other headsets use DECT technology to offer crystal clear call reception from 100m away, the VMX offers just 35m from the base station – which, although fine for most users, won’t be enough for larger offices or warehouse environments. If range is important, you’re better off going with a DECT wireless headset like the GN Pro 9470 or GN GO6470. These 2 headsets are also a lot easier to set up with your devices, unlike the VMX which can be a bit tricky if you aren’t technically minded.

Battery life is also an issue with the VMX and you should expect no more than 5 hours of talk time. The simple reason for this is size. The need for a convenient, lightweight design means the product must be compact – and that simply doesn’t allow for larger batteries with extended talk times.

A final gripe is the noise cancelling quality of this headset, which isn’t as good as other models out there. However, if you don’t work in particularly noisy environments this shouldn’t cause too much of an issue.

The Verdict

If you want the freedom of being able to switch between mobile, PC and office phone, the Sennheiser VMX Office isn’t bad, especially given its attractive price point. However, it is older technology and nowadays the GN Pro 9470 and GN GO6470 pip it at the post.

If mobile phone compatibility isn’t important to you though, we recommend spending a few extra dollars and picking a computer/office headset from the outstanding Sennheiser DW Office range.