Any solutions for two Bluetooth headsets with one laptop?
Discussion
I have hosted a monthly family video call since lockdown, and I'm looking to improve the audio for my daughter and me.
For work, as I'm alone on the calls, I use a pair of Bose QC Bluetooth headphones. I bought my daughter a set too, and we'd both like to use them when sat together on the family call.
I bought a really useful little gadget that accepts a TOSlink feed from the TV and presents two separate Bluetooth signals, so two people with headphones can listen to the TV with their own comfortable volume setting. Unfortunately, this is a one-way gadget - no use for teleconferencing.
I suppose I could buy two separate Bluetooth transmitters and try to arrange a mixing desk to handle the analogue feeds but it'd become overly complicated to mix the two signals from the headphones --> laptop, and to split them in the other direction.
Anyone have any solutions I could look at please?
For work, as I'm alone on the calls, I use a pair of Bose QC Bluetooth headphones. I bought my daughter a set too, and we'd both like to use them when sat together on the family call.
I bought a really useful little gadget that accepts a TOSlink feed from the TV and presents two separate Bluetooth signals, so two people with headphones can listen to the TV with their own comfortable volume setting. Unfortunately, this is a one-way gadget - no use for teleconferencing.
I suppose I could buy two separate Bluetooth transmitters and try to arrange a mixing desk to handle the analogue feeds but it'd become overly complicated to mix the two signals from the headphones --> laptop, and to split them in the other direction.
Anyone have any solutions I could look at please?
You connect a bluetooth transmitter with capabilities to support 2 bluetooth headphones to the audio out from the laptop.
You use the built in microphone from the laptop or connect a proper microphone to the microphone input on the laptop for the call.
That way, your daughter and yourself get the audio feed at preferred volumes on your headsets and the microphone only picks up your speech, not a feedback loop of the call audio broadcast around the room.
Obviously the only slight downside is you both need to keep close to the microphone on the laptop or you need to get a decent microphone setup to compensate.
I do this with my video calls, microphone on the webcam and headphones via bluetooth for the audio.
You use the built in microphone from the laptop or connect a proper microphone to the microphone input on the laptop for the call.
That way, your daughter and yourself get the audio feed at preferred volumes on your headsets and the microphone only picks up your speech, not a feedback loop of the call audio broadcast around the room.
Obviously the only slight downside is you both need to keep close to the microphone on the laptop or you need to get a decent microphone setup to compensate.
I do this with my video calls, microphone on the webcam and headphones via bluetooth for the audio.
eltawater said:
You connect a bluetooth transmitter with capabilities to support 2 bluetooth headphones to the audio out from the laptop.
You use the built in microphone from the laptop or connect a proper microphone to the microphone input on the laptop for the call.
That way, your daughter and yourself get the audio feed at preferred volumes on your headsets and the microphone only picks up your speech, not a feedback loop of the call audio broadcast around the room.
Obviously the only slight downside is you both need to keep close to the microphone on the laptop or you need to get a decent microphone setup to compensate.
I do this with my video calls, microphone on the webcam and headphones via bluetooth for the audio.
That's brilliant. I've been racking my brains on this one - I never thought to utilise a common mic. And I can use the dual Bluetooth transmitter I already have.You use the built in microphone from the laptop or connect a proper microphone to the microphone input on the laptop for the call.
That way, your daughter and yourself get the audio feed at preferred volumes on your headsets and the microphone only picks up your speech, not a feedback loop of the call audio broadcast around the room.
Obviously the only slight downside is you both need to keep close to the microphone on the laptop or you need to get a decent microphone setup to compensate.
I do this with my video calls, microphone on the webcam and headphones via bluetooth for the audio.
Thanks.
How about a speakerphone?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=speakerphone&ref=...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DCDKB2C
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=speakerphone&ref=...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DCDKB2C
Do you both need headsets?
How about a conference microphone, if the background noise isn't too bad? I bought this one earlier this year for home schooling as I wanted to monitor what was happening: good at picking up near voices, and muffling further noise: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07H3KLHNJ/ref... There are better/more expensive options available, but this one worked very well.
I also looked at software which will mix audio on your laptop, which is available, but a bit fiddly so went with the conference microphone option. You may need two bluetooth dongles depending upon your laptop.
I found it easier to get multiple outputs (i.e. using your headsets as simple headphones) than mixing microphone inputs.
Alternatively, use a second device e.g. phone to dial in, voice-only.
How about a conference microphone, if the background noise isn't too bad? I bought this one earlier this year for home schooling as I wanted to monitor what was happening: good at picking up near voices, and muffling further noise: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07H3KLHNJ/ref... There are better/more expensive options available, but this one worked very well.
I also looked at software which will mix audio on your laptop, which is available, but a bit fiddly so went with the conference microphone option. You may need two bluetooth dongles depending upon your laptop.
I found it easier to get multiple outputs (i.e. using your headsets as simple headphones) than mixing microphone inputs.
Alternatively, use a second device e.g. phone to dial in, voice-only.
At work, with everyone (finally) using headsets, the background noise is very low. Feedback has gone. Microphones next to people's faces have led to less echo, and better fidelity (although we do have to remind the heavy breathers to move their mics).
I have been using the laptop speaker/mic for this family call but it does lead to echos/feedback. I know a dedicated speakphone would eliminate this but it would be fairly expensive when we already have good Bluetooth headphones, if only we could make that work.
I started off thinking I could use two Bluetooth TX/RX devices. I have two identical ones - nice little Aukey boxes. One for me and one for my daughter. I'd have to work out which of the four 3.5mm jack rings are for the mic though, and send those signals to a mixer to mix and balance our voices before sending it into the laptop. Apart from the fact that I don't currently have a mixer, this might be the ultimate solution to retain our portability.
I'll draw up a diagram and see if I can make it work with some out-of-the-box cheap splitter cables off Amazon.
Thanks for the brainstorming.
I have been using the laptop speaker/mic for this family call but it does lead to echos/feedback. I know a dedicated speakphone would eliminate this but it would be fairly expensive when we already have good Bluetooth headphones, if only we could make that work.
I started off thinking I could use two Bluetooth TX/RX devices. I have two identical ones - nice little Aukey boxes. One for me and one for my daughter. I'd have to work out which of the four 3.5mm jack rings are for the mic though, and send those signals to a mixer to mix and balance our voices before sending it into the laptop. Apart from the fact that I don't currently have a mixer, this might be the ultimate solution to retain our portability.
I'll draw up a diagram and see if I can make it work with some out-of-the-box cheap splitter cables off Amazon.
Thanks for the brainstorming.
On the basis it's a combined jack: I spotted some dual lavalier microphones on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=dual+microphone&r...
They are meant for 2-way recording for Youtube etc. Use one of these mics into a mic/headphone splitter cable with your dual BT transmitter plugged into the headphone connector of the splitter:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/picK-me-splitter-2-port-s...
It might take a bit of research to decide on the mic & hope the connectors play nicely together but it could work.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=dual+microphone&r...
They are meant for 2-way recording for Youtube etc. Use one of these mics into a mic/headphone splitter cable with your dual BT transmitter plugged into the headphone connector of the splitter:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/picK-me-splitter-2-port-s...
It might take a bit of research to decide on the mic & hope the connectors play nicely together but it could work.
doesnt music share already let you achieve what you want?
https://www.bose.co.uk/en_gb/support/article/using...
https://www.bose.co.uk/en_gb/support/article/using...
manracer said:
doesnt music share already let you achieve what you want?
https://www.bose.co.uk/en_gb/support/article/using...
That's interesting. I think it's one-way only but I will experiment with it tonight. Thanks.https://www.bose.co.uk/en_gb/support/article/using...
Mr Pointy said:
On the basis it's a combined jack: I spotted some dual lavalier microphones on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=dual+microphone&r...
They are meant for 2-way recording for Youtube etc. Use one of these mics into a mic/headphone splitter cable with your dual BT transmitter plugged into the headphone connector of the splitter:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/picK-me-splitter-2-port-s...
It might take a bit of research to decide on the mic & hope the connectors play nicely together but it could work.
It is a combined input/output jack.https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=dual+microphone&r...
They are meant for 2-way recording for Youtube etc. Use one of these mics into a mic/headphone splitter cable with your dual BT transmitter plugged into the headphone connector of the splitter:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/picK-me-splitter-2-port-s...
It might take a bit of research to decide on the mic & hope the connectors play nicely together but it could work.
I think I've found a series of inexpensive cables and a mixer which will cost no more then £30 to make this all work. I'll just run it through my head once more then I think I'll buy that.
Thanks.
Out of the box thinking...
My daughter can connect to our VC using her own Chromebook with a Bluetooth connection to her headphones. She will still sit next to me and view with my cameras but we then have the choice to turn off her camera or to leave it on for a different view of us.
I'm almost upset I have come to this conclusion - I was looking forward to buying something fun on Amazon.
My daughter can connect to our VC using her own Chromebook with a Bluetooth connection to her headphones. She will still sit next to me and view with my cameras but we then have the choice to turn off her camera or to leave it on for a different view of us.
I'm almost upset I have come to this conclusion - I was looking forward to buying something fun on Amazon.
Watchman said:
Out of the box thinking...
My daughter can connect to our VC using her own Chromebook with a Bluetooth connection to her headphones. She will still sit next to me and view with my cameras but we then have the choice to turn off her camera or to leave it on for a different view of us.
I'm almost upset I have come to this conclusion - I was looking forward to buying something fun on Amazon.
Might want to watch out for any delays in audio being captured simultaneously between her mic and your mic and being fed into the VC by two different computers. You may end up with a slight echo as the VC server receives two audio streams from two clients and believes there are two people talking over each other.....My daughter can connect to our VC using her own Chromebook with a Bluetooth connection to her headphones. She will still sit next to me and view with my cameras but we then have the choice to turn off her camera or to leave it on for a different view of us.
I'm almost upset I have come to this conclusion - I was looking forward to buying something fun on Amazon.
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