USB headset

[RizzoTheRat]

Any recommendation for cheapish USB headsets for skype calls? Don't really need an expensive gaming one, but options seem to vary from cheap Trust ones for a tenner to better known brands for 10 times that.

I've previously had a Logitech H390 which did the job but wondering what else people recommend

[mcflurry]

I use a Jabra headset. It's comfortable to wear, has a mute button and the volume controls work with the pc.
It wasn't silly priced at about £40 from Amazon

[sjg]

Plantronics / Poly Blackwire are the usual go-to for wired for us. Various permutations of single or double ear, USB A or C, have a nice control on the wire for volume and muting. Decent sound quality and they last.

Lowest end ones are around the £30-35 mark.

[deckster]

Hard to go wrong with the big names. Stick to Jabra, Plantronics, Logitech, Microsoft and you'll be fine.

I will however stick in my usual spiel about a conference mic being far, far better for calls than a headset. Sound quality is typically better and it's just more practical - you can get up and walk around without tripping over wires and even the most comfortable headset is wearing after a few hours. Plus you don't look like a call centre operative in your video feed (no insult intended to call centre operatives. It's just not a great look )

[sgrimshaw]

Speaking from personal experience, I have a Microsoft Lifechat headset, this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-LifeChat-LX-300...

The sound quality of the MS headset is very good, so as a headset I can happily recommend it but ....

I also have a Jabra speaker phone, this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AARRS9Y/ref=twister...

I find the speaker phone much nicer to use.

The Jabra 410 is a bit cheaper than the 510, but the 510 has Bluetooth so it works great as a handsfree for my phone too.

[sjg]

deckster said:

I will however stick in my usual spiel about a conference mic being far, far better for calls than a headset. Sound quality is typically better and it's just more practical - you can get up and walk around without tripping over wires and even the most comfortable headset is wearing after a few hours.

They can work well in a quiet, private office - but something designed to pick up voices around a conference table is also great at picking up the noise of kids, partners, pets, doorbells, typing/clicking, sirens outside... they're better than the mic built into your laptop but have a lot of the same issues around background noise.

[geeks]

Go wireless if you can, I have a Sennheiser SC60 and it's superb but it is wired, the reason I say wireless is because I keep getting the wire caught in my chair and now it is starting to stretch and split, it still works just fine but it's days are numbered as a result.

[louiebaby]

I've been suggesting to my work that units which plug into the headphone jack are better, as they can be used on (most) mobile phones as well.

I find it very helpful to be able to take traditional phone calls on a mobile with the same headset. I have a Plantronics one.

[RizzoTheRat]

I've got a Plantronics one (C3220 I think) at work that does the job fine, but I'd rather have a different model for personal use to prevent confusion. Their next model up (C5220) is twice the price though.

Looks like a toss up between the Jabra Evolve 20 and a Logitech H390.