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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-21 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• PLT PLNHW720 biggest strength: A telescoping boom mic with active noise cancellation and wideband audio, tuned for voice clarity on calls.
• PLT PLNHW720 biggest trade-off: It's a single-ear, desk-and-USB headset — wired for work, not something you'd take on a run.
• RunPhones Classic biggest strength: Flat speakers inside a moisture-wicking, washable headband that stays put and keeps ambient sound audible.
• RunPhones Classic biggest trade-off: Wired 3.5 mm only, no noise cancellation, and the band is the product — comfort depends on fit.
• Pick PLT PLNHW720 if your day is calls, queues and conversations.
• Pick RunPhones Classic if your day is miles, reps and sweat.
The PLT PLNHW720 is a single-ear headset from the EncorePro 700 series, and everything about its design points at one job: talking to people for a living. The extendable boom is the centerpiece. You pull it down and position the mic close to your mouth, which is what actually makes noise cancellation work — the closer the mic, the less background noise reaches the person on the other end. The boom also pivots, so you can swing it out of the way between calls. That's a small thing until you're on back-to-back calls for six hours.
Audio-wise, the wideband driver is aimed at speech rather than music. Wideband audio carries more of the frequency range that voices live in, which makes conversations sound less compressed and, in my reading of the specs, less tiring over a long shift. The over-ear design uses leatherette ear pads, and the whole thing weighs in at 0.18 kg — light enough that you're not fighting it. It's a single-earpiece model, which is deliberate: one ear stays open to the room, so you can hear a colleague or a doorbell without pulling the headset off.
Who should buy it: customer service reps, support agents, receptionists, anyone on a softphone or desk phone all day who needs their voice to arrive clean. Who should skip it: runners, gym-goers, and anyone who wants to listen to music on the move. The 720 is a work tool, and it's honest about that. If you're price-sensitive, check the current price on Amazon before committing — the specs justify the category, but only you know your budget.
RunPhones Classic Exercise Headphones: Who It's For
RunPhones Classic take the opposite approach to almost every fitness headphone on the market: instead of jamming something into your ear canal, they put flat, adjustable speakers inside an elastic headband and let the band hold them over your ears. Nothing goes inside. That single design decision solves the two complaints that kill most workout earbuds — they fall out, and they hurt.
The headband is fabric and moisture-wicking, and it's machine washable (pull the electronics out first, obviously). That matters more than it sounds. A headband you can't wash becomes a hygiene problem within a week of real training. This one also absorbs sweat before it runs into your eyes and keeps medium and long hair out of your face — a genuine quality-of-life feature if you've ever spent a run pushing hair back with a sweaty hand.
The safety angle is the part I'd emphasize to outdoor runners. These are explicitly not noise-canceling. Ambient sound passes through the band, so you hear cars, cyclists, and other people while your music plays. For road running and city cycling, that's a real advantage, and it's a deliberate trade-off: you give up isolation to gain awareness.
Connection is a standard 3.5 mm wired jack — plug into a phone, an older MP3 player, a tablet, whatever has the port. No Bluetooth, no charging, no pairing. On the spec sheet that looks like a limitation; in practice, it means the headphones are never dead when you are. The wire runs from the back of the band, which keeps it out of your way during movement.
Who should buy it: runners, cross-trainers, boxers, yoga practitioners, travelers, and side-sleepers who want audio without something pressing into their ear. Who should skip it: anyone who wants active noise cancellation, wireless freedom, or maximum musical isolation. The Classic is a comfort-and-awareness product, not a fidelity product. The model here is a large in Orange Exuberance — check the listing if you're unsure about sizing, and check the current price on Amazon since it's the one spec I can't give you.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for fitness and sweat → RunPhones Classic. Washable moisture-wicking band, flat speakers, nothing in your ear canal.
• Best for long work shifts → PLT PLNHW720. Lightweight over-ear build with leatherette pads and wideband audio designed to reduce listening fatigue.
• Best for outdoor safety → RunPhones Classic. No noise cancellation means ambient sound gets through, which matters on roads and trails.
• Best for staying connected to your desk setup → PLT PLNHW720. Quick Disconnect works with Plantronics USB and desk-phone processors and direct-connect cables.
• Best for zero-battery convenience → RunPhones Classic. Wired 3.5 mm, no charging, no pairing, no dead-headphone mornings.
• Best for side-sleeping and travel → RunPhones Classic. The band design lets you lie on your side without earbuds digging in.
• Best for a single-purpose work tool → PLT PLNHW720. It's a headset, not a lifestyle product, and it's optimized accordingly.
The two products barely overlap in use case, which actually makes the decision easy. If you're choosing between them, you're really choosing between "I talk on the phone for a living" and "I move for a living." Very few people genuinely need both, and if you do, buy both — they don't compete.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to what your ears are doing all day. If you take calls, manage queues, or work a support desk, I'd buy the PLT PLNHW720 — the telescoping noise-canceling boom, wideband audio, and Quick Disconnect are exactly the features that make eight hours of talking bearable, and nothing about the RunPhones design substitutes for them. If you run, lift, box, or travel, I'd buy the RunPhones Classic — the washable band, flat speakers, and open ambient sound are a better answer to sweat and traffic than any earbud. I wouldn't cross-shop these two; I'd pick the one that matches your actual day.
FAQ
No — and that's intentional. They're designed so ambient sound filters through the headband, which keeps you aware of traffic and surroundings while running or training outside. There's no active noise cancellation listed.
Yes. The headband is designed to be machine washable — just remove the flat speakers and electronics first. That's one of the main practical advantages over standard earbuds.
They're tuned for different jobs. The PLT PLNHW720 uses wideband audio to make voices clearer and reduce listening fatigue on calls. RunPhones focus on comfort, security and ambient awareness rather than isolation or fidelity. Neither is a music-first product, so match the sound to your use case rather than expecting one to beat the other.
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