We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-22 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a headset built around call control and a wide, natural-sounding voice band for long desk shifts, choose Plantronics EncorePro HW545; if you need a detachable cable, a swivel boom and full-range audio for music and media between calls, choose TruVoice HD-550.
• Plantronics EncorePro HW545 — biggest strength: a complete USB audio setup with built-in call control and active noise cancellation on a 40 mm dynamic driver, tuned specifically for speech.
• Plantronics EncorePro HW545 — biggest trade-off: its 20 Hz – 6,800 Hz frequency range is narrow by general-listening standards, so it is not the headset you buy for music.
• TruVoice HD-550 — biggest strength: a 270-degree rotating noise-canceling boom plus a Quick Disconnect cable, so you can walk away from the desk mid-call and swap the bottom cable for another device.
• TruVoice HD-550 — biggest trade-off: it leans on a plastic enclosure and a 3.5 mm jack design with a detachable USB adapter, so the cable setup is more to manage than a single fixed USB lead.
• Who each pick is for: the Plantronics for the person who lives on calls all day and wants the controls on the headset; the TruVoice for the person who juggles a softphone, a desk phone and a cell phone, and wants one headset to cover all three.
The EncorePro HW545 is an office headset that reads like a call-handling tool first and a pair of headphones second. The spec sheet tells you where the engineering went: a 40 mm dynamic driver, active noise cancellation, and physical call control on a push-button remote. That combination points at one job — keeping a conversation clear and keeping your hands off the screen while you do it.
Notice the frequency range: 20 Hz to 6,800 Hz. That is not a hi-fi curve. It is a voice curve. By concentrating the driver's output on the band where human speech lives, Plantronics is trading musical sparkle for intelligibility. In my opinion that is the right trade for anyone whose day is a chain of calls, because you want consonants to land cleanly, not bass to thump. The over-ear fit and aluminum enclosure also suggest something meant to survive being worn for hours and knocked around a desk drawer.
Buy it if you sit at one computer, on one softphone or UC platform, and you want the call controls and the noise cancellation handled on the headset itself rather than in software. Skip it if you split your day between a laptop, a desk phone and a mobile — the HW545's single USB connection is a fixed relationship, not a flexible one. And skip it if you want to listen to music between calls; the narrow range will feel closed-in compared with a general-purpose headset.
The TruVoice HD-550 is aimed at the same room but answers a different question. Its headline feature is the Quick Disconnect: the headset detaches from the adapter cable so you can stand up and walk away from the desk without dropping the call, then plug back in to resume. That one design choice reframes the whole product. It is not a headset for one workstation; it is a headset for a person who moves.
The rest of the sheet backs that up. A 270-degree rotational microphone boom lets you park the mic out of the way when you are not talking, and the detachable USB adapter carries volume control and mute. TruVoice lists compatibility across Skype, Microsoft Teams, Vonage, Cisco Jabber, Avaya One X and most UC voice solutions, which is the kind of breadth that matters when you are the person who has to make it work on whatever the company installed.
The audio side is broader than the Plantronics: 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz on a dynamic driver, which covers the full audible range rather than just the speech band. Throw in acoustic shock protection, a die-cast aluminum frame, super-soft leatherette cushions with foam as an alternative, and you have a headset that can carry a call and then carry a podcast. The trade-offs are real, though. The enclosure is plastic, the connection is a 3.5 mm jack feeding a detachable USB adapter, and the impedance is 300 ohm — a number that tells you this wants a proper source, not a weak one. It is also a double-ear design, so it blocks out more of the room than a single-ear option would.
Buy it if you want one headset that travels between devices, if you take calls standing up, or if you want decent media playback in the same pair. Skip it if you want the simplest possible single-cable setup or if you strongly prefer the headset to do its own noise cancellation processing rather than your platform.
• Best for call control on the headset itself → Plantronics EncorePro HW545. Push-button call control is built in, so you are not hunting for mute in an app.
• Best for moving around mid-call → TruVoice HD-550. The Quick Disconnect lets you leave the desk without ending the conversation.
• Best for speech clarity over a narrow band → Plantronics EncorePro HW545. A 20 Hz – 6,800 Hz range is deliberately voice-focused.
• Best for music and media between calls → TruVoice HD-550. A 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz range covers the full spectrum.
• Best for multi-device flexibility → TruVoice HD-550. Swap the bottom cable and the same headset works with a desk phone, computer, softphone or cell phone.
• Best for a single fixed workstation → Plantronics EncorePro HW545. One USB connection, one platform, no cable juggling.
• Best for blocking out a noisy room → TruVoice HD-550. It is a double-ear design, and the rotating boom tucks the mic away when it is not in use.
• Best for a lightweight, durable frame → TruVoice HD-550. A die-cast aluminum frame is specified, along with a choice of leatherette or foam cushions.
If I were buying for myself, I would take the Plantronics EncorePro HW545. My reasoning is simple: I want the headset to own the call. Built-in call control, active noise cancellation and a driver tuned to the speech band mean less fiddling and fewer "sorry, say that again" moments — and that is the whole point of a work headset.
That said, I would steer you to the TruVoice HD-550 without hesitation if your day does not look like mine. If you move between devices, take calls on your feet, or want to listen to something after hours, the Quick Disconnect and the wider frequency range are worth more than a fixed USB cable and a voice-tuned curve. Neither is the "wrong" answer — they are just built for two different working days.
Both are positioned for call center and office work. The Plantronics leans on built-in call control and voice-band tuning; the TruVoice leans on a rotating noise-canceling boom and a detachable cable. In my opinion the Plantronics suits a fixed station, the TruVoice suits a shared or roaming one.
TruVoice lists compatibility with Skype, Microsoft Teams, Vonage, Cisco Jabber, Avaya One X and most UC voice solutions, using the included detachable USB adapter. Compatibility claims come from the manufacturer, so confirm against your own platform before you buy.
You can, but it is not what it is built for. Its frequency range is 20 Hz – 6,800 Hz, which is a narrow, speech-focused band. For music and media, the TruVoice HD-550's 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz range is the better fit.
I do not quote prices here, and pricing moves constantly. Check the current price on Amazon for both before deciding — the page has a button for each — and weigh that against the features you actually need, like Quick Disconnect versus built-in call control.
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