Review of Yealink UH38 Dual UC headset with USB and Bluetooth connectivity

Professional online communication headsets are devices with unique characteristics designed for use in office environments and call centers, but are now becoming popular in home environments due to the increasing amount of remote work.

The Yealink UH38 Dual headset is a typical device in this class, with the main characteristics: light weight, comfortable fit, small over-ear cups, two microphones and a noise reduction system. However, it has several interesting features that set it apart from similar devices. For example, it supports two types of connections — wired via USB and wireless via Bluetooth simultaneously. Also a unique feature is the “busy indicator”, which informs others that the user is busy. In addition, the headset is able to warn the user if he tries to use a previously muted microphone.

Yealink UH38 supports integration with popular video conferencing applications, but there are some nuances that will be discussed later. It also integrates with Yealink IP phones. There are two versions of this model: Universal UC and Teams — for the Microsoft Teams platform, although the latter may not be as relevant. This review will look at the versatile Yealink UH38 to evaluate its suitability for professionals, as well as its convenience for home office and everyday use.

Yealink UH38 Dual UC is supplied in a box with a hinged lid, on which an image of the device is applied.

The kit includes the headset itself, a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging and connecting to a PC, a neoprene carrying case, and a user manual in English and Chinese.

The appearance of Yealink UH38 Dual is strict but elegant — no unnecessary decorative elements, smooth lines, matte plastic, metal and faux leather.

The cable with the control panel is non-removable, its length is 80 cm. Another 1.2 m is added by the included USB cable, which allows you to easily “reach” the connector of a laptop or a PC system unit standing somewhere nearby on the table.

The upper part of the headband is made of matte black plastic, which is extremely resistant to dirt. Apparently, its elasticity is given by a metal element placed inside, which is also responsible for the reliability of the structure.

On the outer side of the cups there are artificial leather pads with the manufacturer's name embossed on them.

For more comfortable contact with the head, a soft pad is provided, the outer part of which is made of artificial leather.

The earcups can rotate 180°, the plastic element holding the ear pads swings in a vertical plane by about 5° in each direction. All this allows you to find the most comfortable position of the cups relative to the auricle.

The cups can be pulled out from the headband to adjust its length, the power reserve on each side is 3 cm. The microphone is placed on a 6 cm long leg, which can be rotated approximately 150°. The leg is not flexible, but in this case this is not particularly important — there is no urgent need to place the microphone directly near the user’s mouth.

The headset has two microphones, their holes can be seen at the end of the leg. They are responsible not only for voice transmission, but also for the operation of Yealink Acoustic Shield noise reduction technology.

The ear pads are relatively easy to remove and put back in place. A foam insert is placed around their perimeter from the inside. The backlight around the speaker is clearly visible from the outside and serves as the “busy indicator” mentioned in the introduction to the article.

Yealink UH38 provides dual connectivity via USB and Bluetooth. To connect to a computer or compatible Yealink IP phones, use the supplied cable, which connects to the USB Type C connector on the control panel. This connector is also designed to charge the built-in battery.

The device works with a Windows computer immediately after connection — no additional actions are required. Modes up to 16 bit/48 kHz are supported.

The Yealink UH38 headset notifies the user of its actions using voice messages in English. To activate the wireless connection, use a special button on the remote control: a long press starts the pairing process. After this, you need to find the Yealink UH38 device in the corresponding audio source menu. To obtain a complete list of supported codecs and their modes, we used the Bluetooth Tweaker utility.

The selected codec, SBC, sets the Bitpool parameter to 53, which is higher than the recommended value of 51 for the High Quality profile. This allows the codec to use its capabilities to the maximum, which in this case is considered sufficient.

Parallel connection functions correctly: sound is transmitted with priority to one of the devices, while the other remains silent. It may not be the most advanced method, but it is simple and straightforward to use.

The buttons on the control panel have an average pressing force and a slightly “loose” but noticeable click. Four keys are combined into a ring: the top and bottom change the volume, the right and left are responsible for selecting the sound source device, and the indicators below them show the connection status.

• The key for a mobile gadget activates Bluetooth and starts pairing when pressed for a long time. It also controls calls and music playback when using the device.
• The PC key also controls calls, but app compatibility may be limited.
• The center key mutes the microphone and lights up red. The microphone can also be muted by lifting it up.
• The large center key, supposedly for launching the voice assistant, did not work during testing on eight different devices.

You cannot use a headset to configure other settings. The application is translated into Russian, but extremely poorly — it is not always clear what is being said. One “Protection from bl. at high download" is worth it.

In general, the English version is much easier to understand — we’ll switch to it by going to the settings menu using the gear key in the upper right corner. There you can also select dark or light themes, configure updates, autostart, and the behavior of the program window when you press the close key.

The management tab has options to enable or disable integration with various online communication programs. Although the list of programs is extensive, Skype is surprisingly missing. However, there is support for Zoom, on which the main testing was carried out. The system does not work with programs that are not supported: the «busy sensor» is not activated, and the microphone may be visible, but not working.

Although we were able to establish a connection via Skype, some microphone functions did not work. For example, to record audio into one of the DAWs, I had to simultaneously launch Zoom for the microphone to work. This situation does not always arise — however, streaming in OBS Studio also required the use of alternative methods, so the use of Yealink UH38 Dual UC for these purposes may be limited.

The penultimate tab contains settings for corporate use, the last one contains information about the device and firmware updates.

We return to the main screen, where basic information is collected — from connection status to charging level. The latter’s data may differ markedly from those provided by a device connected via Bluetooth — this must be taken into account.

In the basic settings section, you can turn Bluetooth on or off, rename the device, allow the local ringtone to be broadcast to headphones, and set the default volume level.

One of the interesting features of Yealink UH38 Dual UC is the loud sound protection option. Roughly speaking, if one of your interlocutors decides to make a loud “Boo!”, the headphones will automatically lower the volume, keeping your hearing and nervous system in order.

This feature cannot be disabled, but you can also add a volume limit to reduce hearing strain — for those who are on call for several hours a day, this can be very important. The threshold for triggering protection against loud sounds can also be adjusted. And the last switch allows you to give priority in sound to the second connected device.

There is a built-in equalizer, but it works very carefully and for some reason is only available during a call. Perhaps, under normal circumstances, increasing the low-frequency range in a conversation is not so necessary, although sometimes such cases also occur. However, the ability to slightly boost the mids and treble for clearer voices can be helpful.

One very useful feature is to notify the user that their voice is being recorded while the microphone is muted. This can be very useful during large online conferences. It is also possible to configure the microphone check frequency through the additional settings menu.

Also from the main menu you can get to pages with updates, service data and links to a page where you can get advice or leave feedback about the product.

When it comes to a headset aimed at professional use, wearing comfort plays an important role, given that the user can spend many hours wearing it. Typically, these headsets come with over-ear headphones, which allow your ears to breathe, reduce heat, and generally create a more comfortable experience. In this regard, the Yealink UH38 Dual meets the requirements: it has over-ear headphones with acceptable quality faux leather ear pads that cling nicely to the ears, and a headband that sits softly on the head.

Some people with large ears may experience some discomfort due to the pressure of the edges of the headphones on the ear, since they are quite compact — the internal size of the ear pads is only 68 x 59 mm. It should be noted that these headphones do not provide a high level of passive noise isolation, which can be useful for monitoring the environment while working.

The size of the headband is adjustable within a wide range — even on a large head, the Yealink UH38 Dual UC will fit comfortably. The weight is distributed well; when wearing the headset, you hardly feel it, if you do not take into account the possible pressure of the small ear pads on the auricle.

During a call, the outer part of the ear cups can glow red, informing others that its owner is busy. The function will obviously be very useful somewhere in an open space, but the “busy indicator” only works when you start a call in supported applications, this must be kept in mind. The remote control can be placed somewhere on clothing using a special clip, which does its job very well.

To evaluate the performance of electret condenser microphones in Yealink UH38 Dual UC, we measure their frequency response (AFC) in a specially prepared acoustic environment. This involves using a calibrated measurement microphone to obtain a baseline graph of the monitor speaker system's frequency response. After this, we create a correction profile that compensates for the characteristics of the acoustic environment. We then record the signal using a Yealink UH38 Dual UC microphone, placing it in the same position as the measurement microphone. The obtained data is adjusted taking into account a previously created profile, which allows us to obtain the frequency response characteristics of the microphone under test.

Changes in sound transmission are usually concentrated at frequencies that determine speech audibility and clarity. The human voice, characterized by the fundamental frequencies for adult men (85–155 Hz) and women (165–255 Hz), often uses the range from 300 to 3400 Hz in transmission, where the formants important for speech understanding and clarity are concentrated.

In this case, the manufacturers decided to limit the lower frequencies by removing sounds below 100 Hz. Accenting at frequencies around 1.5 kHz helps improve perceived clarity and intelligibility of speech. However, there is a special “dip” at a certain frequency, which creates certain assumptions about its purpose. In general, microphone setup is unique, and its features are reflected in the graphs. However, to fully understand the nature of these changes, it is best to hear the audio playback once.

Yealink UH38 Dual supports Bluetooth mode using the built-in battery. The manufacturer claims up to 9 hours of talk time (without busy indicator) and up to 14 hours of music playback.

The normal sound pressure level when listening to music is considered to be 75 dB, but most users prefer levels in the region of 90-100 dB. We pass white noise into the headphones and record the SPL at about 95 dB. Immediately after the start of playback, we start recording the signal from the measuring stand, using the length of the resulting track to determine the operating time of each of the headphones.

Traditionally, we summarize the results in a table. It can be seen that they are slightly lower than stated, but not critical — the headset’s charge will definitely be enough for a full working day. Especially when you consider the possibility of working with a PC and parallel charging.

Marketing materials for Yealink UH38 Dual UC focus not only on the ability to use it for conversations, but also for listening to music. In general, it copes well with both musical compositions and the speech of interlocutors. However, there are a few points worth paying attention to.

Low frequencies are not usually the strong point of this type of headphone due to their design. The UH38's designers decided to compensate for this by boosting the bass, which can create a boomy feeling when listening to music at medium volumes. However, this hump in the frequency response is less noticeable when music is playing in the background, which is probably suitable for office use where music is played quietly between calls.

Mids are relatively neutral, although detail and flatness may be slightly off. However, in the context of the functions discussed, these nuances will probably not be so significant.

High frequencies are perceived clearly, and, most importantly, do not have typical problems. A frequency response graph can illustrate these features.

The frequency response graph is presented in the context of the target curve provided by the manufacturer of the test bench used. This curve is an analogue of the famous «Harman curve» developed by the Harman International team led by Dr. Sean Olive. Because people perceive sounds of different frequencies differently, the most accurate measurements may not reflect actual user experience. The target frequency response is used to correct for these differences. Sounds close to this target curve have been rated as neutral, balanced, natural, etc. by hundreds of test subjects.

To more accurately reflect the subjective listening experience, the resulting frequency response graph was adjusted to match the target curve. This approach allows us to fully and clearly illustrate the user experience of sound reproduction.

When changing the connection type from wired via USB to Bluetooth, the sound does not change — the graphs are almost completely identical.

It is also stated that Yealink UH38 supports dynamic equalizer to automatically switch voice call mode or music listening mode. It was not possible to compare them head-to-head; a small trick with parallel launch of some messenger did not work this time — the sound profile did not change.

Yealink UH38 Dual UC is an excellent solution for professional use, especially in cases where online communication is an important part of the workflow. Every aspect of this headset, from audio quality and microphones to special features such as a busy indicator and mute-talking alerts, has been tailored to suit these use cases.

However, when trying to use this headset in a wide range of situations, users may encounter disappointments: the microphone may not work with all applications, the sound at high volumes may be too bassy, and so on. It is important to understand that the Yealink UH38 Dual UC is in its own specific niche where it demonstrates high performance and confidence. For other purposes, there are other devices that are more suitable for these tasks.