Wireless Finesse: Snom A170 Headset Overview

We are continuing a series of product reviews of the German company Snom, whose products are widely known in Europe, the States and the countries of the Middle East due to their quality, convenience and breadth of possibilities. We did reviews of two flagship IP phone models , as well as mid-level models . And today we want to introduce you to another device - the Snom A170 wireless headset.

Like any headset, the A170 is needed in order to free your hands and make you as mobile as possible. Thanks to her, you can have a conversation, while being quite far from the phone. You can, for example, warm up or leave the office altogether, or work with documents, take notes during a conversation.

The headset works with Snom phones D3XX and D7XX series. Snom A170 has a built-in EHS function (“electronic tube pick up”), thanks to which you can control the most important functions directly from the headset. These include, first of all: receiving incoming calls, increasing and decreasing the volume. Also, the headset is equipped with passive noise cancellation, which “clears” the voice from the annoying sounds of the environment and helps to concentrate on the conversation, and simply increases the pleasure from the conversation.
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Appearance and usability

A170 is not connected via Bluetooth, but using DECT technology. The range of wireless communication is up to 25 meters. If you move too far from the docking station and the headset loses touch with it, then with a break of a few seconds it starts repeating into the headset in a pleasant female voice that you have gone too far and it would be time to return closer to the base.

Also, the headset can be connected to a computer via the built-in USB-port, not limited to using only with snom phones. By simply pressing a button on the docking station, you can switch from phone to PC and back.





The Snom A170 headset is made in the form of an arc-headband with one earphone, which is combined with the body with the equipment, from which the microphone bar sticks out. The Mute button is located on the bottom of the case, it is convenient to press it with the thumb of the right hand.





On the opposite end of the microphone - the rear - is the volume control wheel of the earphone. She pressed gently, do not have to push.



The headset is compact and very light. The headband is made of flexible plastic and bends easily, and the microphone bar is stiff. Even with many hours of wearing the headset does not begin to crush your head and ear, you very quickly stop noticing. The earpiece cushion is made of soft leatherette, very pleasant to the touch and comfortable for the ear.







The case-to-head hinge has three fixed tilt angles that change with a slight click.



Also, the headset together with the microphone can be rotated within about 90 ° in a plane parallel to the headset.



A170 can be used in three different ways: fasten on the ear, on the back of the head or on the head. Included are special mounts.



The docking station performs the role of a charger and allows you to always keep the headset “in line”.





There are already three switches on the bottom of the docking station:

• Left: includes the ability to automatically answer the call by removing the headset from the docking station.
• Upper right: the choice between wideband and narrowband audio, that is, between HD audio and non HD.
• Lower right: multi-position switch sound quality. You can choose the position in which the sound in the headphone will be most comfortable in your environment.

On the docking station are the microphone volume control buttons:



USB connector:



The A170 has a removable battery, and if force majeure happens in the form of VERY long conversations, when you cannot get the headset to recharge, a backup battery attached to the base of the docking station will come to the rescue. Moreover, the battery can be changed in hot mode, right during a call, and it will not be interrupted. As far as we know, there are no other wireless headsets with such features on the market.







The docking station simultaneously charges both batteries. If the battery in the headset itself is charging, the LED on it glows red, not green.



Well, traditionally for the Snom, an earpiece and a highly sensitive microphone in combination with high-quality noise reduction algorithms provide excellent sound quality for both the A170 user and his interlocutors. However, this is typical for all Snom devices. In one of the reviews, we mentioned that this is one of the few manufacturers that has its own audio laboratory; this company pays great attention to sound quality from both a software and a hardware point of view.

This completes our review of the Snom A170 headset, now iptelefon engineers are completing testing of two devices at once, which we will discuss in the next review.

Stay tuned!