Plantronics HW520 Headset | Professional Binaural Wired Headset
The Plantronics HW520 is our binaural over-the-head wired headset engineered for desk professionals who spend hours on calls every day. Dual-ear cushions deliver immersive sound while blocking ambient noise, and the noise-canceling microphone ensures your voice reaches callers clearly even in open offices.
We designed the HW520 with a lightweight steel headband and premium leatherette ear cushions that distribute pressure evenly across both ears. Quick Disconnect lets you walk away from your desk mid-call without removing the headset, and the pivoting boom positions the mic exactly where you need it for optimal voice pickup.
- Binaural over-the-head design for full stereo sound and ambient noise isolation
- Noise-canceling microphone reduces background chatter by up to 75%
- Lightweight steel headband and soft leatherette cushions for all-day comfort
- Quick Disconnect feature lets you step away mid-call without doffing the headset
- Wideband audio support for HD voice clarity on compatible systems
Binaural design and audio performance
We built the HW520 with dual speakers that cover both ears, creating an immersive stereo field that helps you focus on the caller’s voice while naturally blocking distractions from coworkers and office equipment. Wideband audio extends frequency response to 6800 Hz, reproducing the full timbral range of the human voice so you catch every inflection and nuance even on complex conference calls.
The noise-canceling boom mic uses a directional element positioned 1–2 cm from your lips, capturing your voice while rejecting sound from behind and to the sides. In open-plan offices where ambient chatter routinely reaches 60–65 dBA, the HW520’s mic can reduce background noise by up to 75 percent, ensuring remote participants hear you clearly without the distraction of neighboring conversations or keyboard clatter.
Comfort engineering for extended wear
The HW520’s headband uses lightweight stainless steel that flexes to fit head sizes from petite to extra-large without creating pressure points. We wrapped the band in soft leatherette padding at every contact zone, and the ear cushions use the same premium material over memory-foam cores that conform to the unique shape of each user’s ears.
Total headset weight is just 78 grams, light enough that most users forget they’re wearing it after the first few minutes of a call. The over-the-head design distributes that weight across the crown and both ears rather than a single pressure point, and the pivoting ear cups let the cushions settle naturally against your head without needing manual adjustment every time you put the headset on.
Quick Disconnect and connectivity options
Quick Disconnect feature
Every HW520 ships with our Quick Disconnect interface built into the cable just below the left ear cup. When you need to step away from your desk mid-call—whether to grab a file from the printer or consult with a colleague—simply unplug the lower cable segment and the headset stays on your head while you walk. Reconnect when you return and you’re back in the conversation without fumbling to reposition the headset or adjust the mic.
Amplifier and adapter compatibility
The HW520 terminates in a Quick Disconnect plug that connects to Plantronics amplifiers, direct-connect cables for desk phones, and USB adapters for softphone applications. The modular cable system means one headset works across multiple devices: pair it with an M22 amplifier for analog desk phones, an MDA200 for multi-line switching, or a DA series USB adapter for Zoom and Microsoft Teams calls on your laptop. The same binaural audio quality and noise-canceling performance carries over to every connection type.
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Common questions about the HW520
The HW520 uses our Quick Disconnect interface, which connects to Plantronics amplifiers and direct-connect cables designed for specific phone models. For analog desk phones, pair the HW520 with an M22 or M12 amplifier. For digital and IP phones, we offer direct-connect cables and electronic hook switch adapters tailored to Cisco, Avaya, Polycom, and other major brands.
If you’re unsure which amplifier or cable your phone requires, contact our support team with your phone’s make and model number and we’ll identify the correct compatibility accessory.
Yes. Connect the HW520 to a Plantronics DA series USB adapter—such as the DA70 or DA80—and plug the adapter into your computer’s USB port. Windows and macOS recognize the adapter as a standard USB audio device, so applications like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Skype automatically route call audio through the headset.
The DA adapters also provide inline volume and mute controls, letting you adjust levels and mute your mic without navigating software menus during calls.
The HW520’s mic uses a unidirectional pickup pattern that favors sound arriving from directly in front of the microphone element while rejecting sound from the sides and rear. When you position the boom 1–2 cm from your mouth, your voice arrives at the mic significantly louder than ambient office noise, and the directional pattern further attenuates background sources.
In standardized office noise environments measuring 60–65 dBA, the HW520 typically reduces background noise by 70–75 percent compared to an omnidirectional mic, ensuring remote participants hear your voice clearly without competing sounds.
Quick Disconnect is a magnetic breakaway connector built into the headset cable just below the left ear cup. It lets you unplug the lower cable segment and walk away from your desk while leaving the headset on your head, keeping your hands free and eliminating the need to reposition the headset when you return.
This feature is especially useful during long hold times, when consulting physical files, or when you need to step into a colleague’s office mid-call. Reconnecting is instantaneous—just bring the two cable segments together and the magnets snap them into alignment.
Cushion lifespan depends on usage intensity and environmental factors like humidity and skin oils, but most users get 12–18 months of daily 6–8 hour wear before the leatherette begins to show thinning or cracking. When cushions do wear out, replacement cushions are available as a separate accessory, extending the headset’s service life without requiring full replacement.
To maximize cushion longevity, wipe them weekly with a lightly dampened cloth to remove skin oils and avoid storing the headset in direct sunlight or high-temperature environments.
Yes. The HW520’s speakers reproduce frequencies from 100 Hz to 6800 Hz, meeting the wideband audio standard that extends beyond traditional narrowband telephony’s 300–3400 Hz range. Wideband audio captures more of the natural timbre and inflection in human speech, making conversations sound clearer and reducing listener fatigue on long calls.
To experience wideband audio, both your phone system or softphone application and the network connection must support wideband codecs such as G.722. Most modern VoIP systems and UC platforms include wideband support by default.
Every HW520 is backed by our two-year limited warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship under normal use conditions. If the headset fails due to a manufacturing defect within the warranty period, we’ll repair or replace it at no charge.
The warranty does not cover damage from misuse, accidents, or normal wear items like ear cushions and cables. For warranty service, contact our support team with your purchase date and a description of the issue, and we’ll guide you through the return or replacement process.