With more meetings going on virtually I’ve been using my noise cancelling headphones and just the computer mic for conferences. Some issues wit the computer microphone part so I’m considering getting a set with a boom mic. It can be USB wired or wireless, either is ok.
While important and a tool I don’t want to spend the $ for the top of the line $200+ ones so looking for an acceptable but inexpensive option.
Suggestions?
Do you by chance have AirPods or AirPods Pro? That’s what I’ve been using and the audio comes through great, and I get a solid thumbs up from people on the other end of the conference.
I brought a Logitech headset many years ago which is still working well. Just plug-in via USB and set the audio input and output in your software to the headset. The link below is to what I think is the updated version of the headset I have.
I did a lot of video conferencing even before the pandemic, and now it seems like I live in video conferences. If possible, don’t be the person who’s not using a headset. Even the 16" MBP mics sound much worse (and pick up much more ambient sound) than an even moderately good headset with boom mic.
In my experience AirPods, AirPods Pro, and PowerBeats Pro are not great, but passable in a pinch. Wired EarPods are surprisingly good, but uncomfortable for any length of time (and the wire is much too short for my desk use).
I much prefer (non-Bluetooth) wireless headsets and have found that the Logitech H650 and H800 work very well, with the H800 being more comfortable but the H650 having slightly better gain on the mic. The H800 also supports Bluetooth if you need to use an iPad or iPhone, but again, Bluetooth seems to have much worse sound quality than the USB dongle alternative.
If you want to hear what you sound like to other people, Skype’s call testing service makes that really easy.
Nope, AirPod type of things hurt my ears no matter how many different sizing thingies I’ve tried. So I need over the ear ones to be even remotely comfortable.
Thanks @darranwest and @ACautionaryTale I’ll check those out.
I was in the same situation a few months ago. After spending hours in the electronics store wearing headphones for extended periods of time, I settled on the Plantronics RIG 500 gaming headset. The sound from the speakers is great and it has a noise-canceling boom microphone. Note that the microphone is noise cancelling, not the speakers of the headphones. This headset uses a 3.5 mm mic/headphone jack that comes with a splitter extension.
Months later, I am really happy with my choice. Now that I am working from home, I end up wearing this headset almost all day long. It is still comfortable at the end of day, and the sound in both directions is really great.
Does it have to be all-in-one? I use a Yeti snowball, which is relatively inexpensive compared to pro microphones and sounds more than good enough for video conferences. I just pipe the sound through my usual speakers, but headphones would work too of course.
I use a Plantronics USB stereo headset. However I find myself using one side the left ear and place the right side off my right ear. It’s causing me a weird feeling to heave phone calls centered in my head. Hard to explain. It might be very helpful in noisy workspace. Thankfully I am on my own. If I had to buy it again I would go with a Plantronics mono headset.