EPOS | Sennheiser SDW 5036 Headset Review

The Sennheiser (EPOS) SDW 5036 is a stylish single ear, cordless DECT headset with triple connectivity, for PC, Deskphone and Bluetooth (Mobile) Connection. This wireless headset is designed to meet the needs of professional office and remote workers looking for maximum flexibility as they work.

Available for £239.99 + VAT from The Headset Store (stand included), this 3-in-1 headset comes in on the higher side price wise, but is it worth your money, or would you be better off with a different headset for a similar price?

Design

The Sennheiser SDW 5036 is a single ear cordless headset and comes complete with a dedicated charging stand that the headset docks with magnetically. Looks wise the headset and stand are sleek, professional, and modern and it certainly appears like it warrants the cost.

The headset itself is of a medium-light weight and is very comfortable to wear with leatherette ear cushions. The headband for the SDW 5036 is easily adjustable and you can position the boom from the noise-cancelling microphone to your liking. The base station is also of a medium weight, but it’s easy to lift & small enough to carry around easily if you need to relocate your setup. All-in-all the size and weight of the headset seems about right, and with the docking station included the SDW 5036 certainly has a premium feel about it.

On the base station Sennheiser have clearly detailed which connection cables should go where with colour coded sticky labels. This is a really nice touch and makes it easy for those of us who are less tech-savvy to get up and running without too much fuss.

Features

The biggest feature of the SDW 5036 is the 3-in-1 connection to PC, Deskphone & Smartphones/Tablets. The headset offers multiple connection methods with a USB connection into PC/Laptops, Bluetooth for mobiles and RJ connection for desk phones. The DECT connection has a range of up to 180m with line of sight and the headset provides 14 hours of talk time in narrowband mode.

The SDW 5036 has several additional features that enhance user experience, including built-in busy lights that synchronise with Skype and intelligent controls for call management. The base station display is clear and uncomplicated and makes it easy to see what devices are currently connected. For those who regularly make use of conference calls you can even hook up a compatible Sennheiser USB conference phone via the USB port on the base station.

As expected the SDW 5036 works with the Sennheiser HeadSetup Pro Manager software simplifying asset management, update management and configuration management for IT Teams.

Sound Quality

The SDW 5036 is a Monaural (Single Ear) headset and part of the SDW 5000 range which offers a variety of choices, including stereo versions and convertible versions with 3 wearing styles.

After testing the 5036 (monaural version) we were very impressed with the sound quality. The headset has fantastic noise-cancelling thanks to a two-microphone noise-cancelling system and own-voice detection technology. The microphone filters out background noise really well and would work equally well in a busy office or noisy home environment. For a monaural headset the audio output from calls and media is excellent. Whilst it would be unfair to compare the single ear version with the stereo version for music and immersion, the 5036 clearly performs well and really stands out in the monaural headset market.

What You Get

As standard the EPOS | Sennheiser SDW 5036 is provided with all the extras you need to make use of it’s triple connectivity offering. In the box you will get:

- EPOS | Sennheiser IMPACT SDW 5036 Monaural Headset
- EPOS | Sennheiser IMPACT SDW 5 BS Base Station
- EPOS | Sennheiser IMPACT BTD 800 Bluetooth Dongle
- USB Cable
- Telephone Cable
- Power Supply
- Quick Start Guide
- Safety Guide and Compliance Sheet

The setup instructions are clear and connecting the device is overall a painless process. The additional labelling certainly helps here.