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If you want a wired, purpose-built office headset with active noise cancellation and a binaural over-ear fit that stays put through long shifts, choose PLT Plantronics Plnhw520; if you need a wireless, multi-platform headset with a detachable noise-cancelling boom mic and long battery life for gaming and hybrid use, choose Gtheos 2.4GHz.
• PLT Plantronics Plnhw520 — biggest strength: a binaural supraaural design with active noise cancellation, a wired connection, and an aluminum build aimed squarely at desk-based communication work.
• PLT Plantronics Plnhw520 — biggest trade-off: it's wired and mono-purpose. No Bluetooth, no gaming platforms, no detachable mic — it does one job and stays tethered.
• Gtheos 2.4GHz — biggest strength: a 3-in-1 wireless setup (2.4GHz dongle, Bluetooth 5.3, and 3.5mm wired) with a detachable omni-directional noise-reducing mic and a rated 35–40 hour battery.
• Gtheos 2.4GHz — biggest trade-off: its "noise control" is the microphone's noise reduction and the passive seal of memory-protein earcups — the data sheet lists no active noise cancellation.
• Who each is for: the HW520 is for the person parked at a desk on calls all day; the Gtheos is for the person who wants one headset for gaming, PC, PS5, Switch, and phone.
The EncorePro HW520 is a stereo, binaural headset with a supraaural over-ear fit. "Binaural" means both ears get a driver, which matters in a noisy office: two ears covered beats one ear covered for blocking out the person two cubicles over. The enclosure and carrying case are aluminum, so this is a headset built to survive being shoved in a bag between meetings rather than something you baby.
On the audio side, the data sheet lists a 320-ohm impedance, a 20 Hz–16 kHz frequency range, 40 dB sensitivity, and a dynamic driver. High impedance like 320 ohms is a desk-phone and PC-interface number, not a phone number — this headset is designed to sit on a wired audio chain, not to be driven casually off a laptop jack. The controls are volume plus an app-based control method, and the noise control is listed as active noise cancellation. The frequency range tops out at 16 kHz, which is narrower than the Gtheos — fine for voice, less sparkly for music.
I'd point this at call-center agents, receptionists, dispatch staff, and anyone who lives on a softphone all day and wants a wired connection they never have to think about. There's no pairing, no battery, no charging dock to remember. It also ships with Quick Disconnect, which is the Plantronics way of letting you unhook from the cable without taking the headset off — genuinely useful if you stand up mid-call.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants to walk around while talking, anyone who needs a headset that also works on a PS5 or Switch, and anyone who wants Bluetooth on their phone. The HW520 is wired, and the connectivity here is a 3.5 mm jack. If wireless freedom is the whole point for you, this isn't your headset.
The Gtheos Captain 300 is a wireless gaming headset that punches well outside gaming. It gives you three connection paths: a 2.4GHz lossless USB dongle, Bluetooth 5.3, and a 3.5mm wired cable. That's the real story here — one headset that covers PS5, PS4, PC, Mac, Switch, phone, and tablet without juggling three different pairs.
The 2.4GHz link is rated for up to 49 feet in unobstructed space with latency of 20ms or less. For gaming that number is the difference between hearing a footstep in the right instant and hearing it a beat late. The 50mm dynamic drivers claim 30% extra sound effect and cover a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range, which is a full-range spec. The mic is detachable, flexible, and omni-directional with noise reduction built in — pop it off and the headset becomes a plain pair of wireless headphones for the commute.
Battery is the other headline: a rated 35–40 hours of play, dropping to 15–20 with the RGB lighting on, with a full recharge in about 3 hours. The headband is padded and adjustable, and the memory-protein earcups cover the ears fully. Gtheos describes those earcups as isolating noise, and that's passive isolation plus the mic's noise reduction — note that the spec sheet lists noise control as "None," so don't expect active cancellation.
Buy it if you want one headset for gaming nights, work calls, and phone use, and you value not being tethered. Skip it if you're specifically shopping for active noise cancellation to kill office chatter, or if you want a rugged aluminum build — the draw here is the sage green mirror-finish look, not armor.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for active noise cancellation → PLT Plantronics Plnhw520. It's the only one of the two with ANC listed.
• Best for wireless freedom → Gtheos 2.4GHz. 2.4GHz dongle plus Bluetooth 5.3, no cable required.
• Best for all-day desk calls → PLT Plantronics Plnhw520. Wired, binaural, volume control within reach, Quick Disconnect for stepping away.
• Best for gaming and multi-platform use → Gtheos 2.4GHz. PS5, PS4, PC, Mac, Switch, phone, tablet.
• Best for a detachable mic → Gtheos 2.4GHz. Pull it off and it doubles as everyday Bluetooth headphones.
• Best for durability and simplicity → PLT Plantronics Plnhw520. Aluminum build, no pairing, no charging.
• Best for wide frequency range → Gtheos 2.4GHz. 20 Hz–20,000 Hz versus 20 Hz–16 kHz.
If I'm buying for an office desk where the noise problem is other people talking, I'd take the PLT Plantronics Plnhw520. Active noise cancellation, a binaural over-ear fit, and a wired connection that never drops or dies is exactly what a full day of calls needs, and the aluminum build should hold up to daily handling. If I'm buying one headset to cover gaming, PC work, and phone calls with the freedom to walk away from the desk, I'd take the Gtheos 2.4GHz and accept that its noise handling is passive plus mic-side rather than active. Two different jobs, two different answers.
what is noise cancelling headset
A noise cancelling headset reduces what you hear around you so you can focus on calls or audio. It can work actively, by generating sound to cancel ambient noise — which is what the PLT Plantronics Plnhw520 lists as active noise cancellation — or passively, by physically sealing your ears with padded earcups, which is the approach the Gtheos 2.4GHz takes alongside its noise-reducing microphone.
For office noise specifically, the PLT Plantronics Plnhw520 is the stronger pick because it's the one with active noise cancellation listed. The Gtheos 2.4GHz relies on memory-protein earcups for passive isolation and a noise-reducing boom mic for your voice, which helps your callers more than it helps you. If you mainly need to sound clear on calls, either works.
No — its noise control field is listed as none. What it does have is a detachable omni-directional microphone with noise reduction and memory-protein earcups that Gtheos describes as isolating noise. That's passive isolation for you and noise reduction on your voice, not ANC.
No. Its connection technology is wired, with a 3.5 mm jack, and the design centers on Plantronics Quick Disconnect so you can detach from the cable without removing the headset. If you need Bluetooth or a 2.4GHz dongle, the Gtheos 2.4GHz is the one that offers both. Check the current price on Amazon before you decide.
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