NicolasB
Distinguished Member
Possibly this would be better posted in one of the "Tech" forums, I don't know...?
Anyway, I'd like some suggestions for a headset - that is, something with a microphone, that you can use for Skype calls. I suspect the device that I really want doesn't exist
but I welcome suggestions on what might be the best compromises!
Ideally, I want:
I'm deeply suspicious about the sound quality Bluetooth allows for phone calls. My info may be a few years out of date, but last time I checked, with Bluetooth devices you had the choice of either high(ish) quality stereo sound, but with high latency, and no microphone; or very low quality mono sound, low latency, and an active microphone. In other words, if you use Bluetooth with a headset (with active mic) the sound quality plummets compared to high-latency stereo mode.
From my perspective one of the main benefits of Skype is precisely that the sound quality is so much better and clearer than talking on a regular phone; and I suspect a Bluetooth headset may somewhat nullify that.
Budget: flexible, but I don't want to be spending several hundred pounds.
Anyway, I'd like some suggestions for a headset - that is, something with a microphone, that you can use for Skype calls. I suspect the device that I really want doesn't exist
but I welcome suggestions on what might be the best compromises!Ideally, I want:
- Something comfortable and light-weight - not the equivalent of heavy, circumaural, hi-fi headphones.
- Suitable for someone with a smallish head. (It's actually going to be for my partner, not for me).
- Something with good sound quality - good enough that you could pleasurably listen to classical music on it when not Skyping.
- A good quality microphone, so the person on the other end can hear you very clearly.
- If possible, some noise reduction on the microphone so the person on the other end of the line doesn't hear too much background noise. (But we don't need noise cancellation at this end).
- Must send sound to both ears, and be able to operate in stereo for non-phone-use.
I'm deeply suspicious about the sound quality Bluetooth allows for phone calls. My info may be a few years out of date, but last time I checked, with Bluetooth devices you had the choice of either high(ish) quality stereo sound, but with high latency, and no microphone; or very low quality mono sound, low latency, and an active microphone. In other words, if you use Bluetooth with a headset (with active mic) the sound quality plummets compared to high-latency stereo mode.
From my perspective one of the main benefits of Skype is precisely that the sound quality is so much better and clearer than talking on a regular phone; and I suspect a Bluetooth headset may somewhat nullify that.
Budget: flexible, but I don't want to be spending several hundred pounds.
