How To Choose a Office Headphones
Lightweight and smaller headphones with a microphone are ideal for working in an office. The small headphones look elegant, and thanks to the microphone, you can take calls while keeping your hands free to simultaneously type. For call center operators, we recommend monaural headphones. These leave one ear free, allowing you to communicate with people around you without having to take them off your head.
What is important when choosing office headphones?
Connection
Wired headphones
Compared to similar wireless models, they usually play better (there is no loss of quality in transmission as with wireless headphones). The disadvantage is the cable, which can be tangled. Wired headphones are connected to the desktop computer and laptop via a 3.5 mm Jack or USB.
Wireless headphones
They provide freedom of movement (they do not connect to a computer or laptop with a cable, but wirelessly). The disadvantage of wireless headphones may be the fact that they need to be recharged. However with today's battery, which for some models exceeds ten hours, this is not such a problem.
Gone are the days when wireless headphones didn’t play as well as their wired counterparts. In particular, Bluetooth headphones of the True Wireless type, i.e completely without wires, use such a wide bandwidth connection that they can satisfy even the most demanding listener.
Wireless headphones are divided into Bluetooth (this category includes the mentioned True Wireless) and radio frequency (Wi-Fi).
How do I connect radio frequency (WiFi) headphones to my computer and what are their range?
Radio frequency (WiFi) headphones with a broadcasting station
The transmitting station is connected to a PC via a 3.5 mm Jack, optical audio cable or RCA. It then transmits music / sounds to the headphones. The range of headphones from the computer is usually up to 100 meters.
Radio frequency (WiFi) headphones with USB transmitter
Just plug the USB transmitter into a USB port on your computer. It then sends the sound to the headphones. Models with a USB transmitter have a range of about 10 meters.
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| WiFi headphones with transmitting station | WiFi headphones with USB transmitter |
What to look out for with Bluetooth headphones and what range do they have?
If you plan to buy an office headset with Bluetooth, make sure your computer is equipped with this technology. If it is not, you will not be able to connect your Bluetooth headset to it.
Construction
Open
It allows the sound to spread freely (the sound does not hit the side of the shell, so it does not deform in any way). Compared to cost-effective headphones with other designs, open models therefore play better. The disadvantage may be that it almost does not attenuate the noise from the surroundings and at the same time lets the music out of the headphones. It is especially suitable for quiet environments, where you can't interfere with the sound coming out of the headphones.
Closed
A closed structure can be found on most headphones. Its biggest advantage is that it almost does not transmit sound from the headphones to the surroundings and at the same time dampens ambient noise. The disadvantage is that the sound cannot spread freely - it hits the wall of the shell (from inside the headphones), which slightly distorts it. Closed headphones thus usually play a bit worse than comparable models with an open construction (their sound is slightly booming).
Semi-closed
The semi-closed design represents a compromise between open and closed headphones. At normal volume, it partially attenuates ambient noise and partially lets the sound out of the headphones.
Sensitivity and impedance
Sensitivity is the acoustic power of headphones, which is given in dB / Wm. The more sensitive the headphones are, the more sensitive they are to the signal from the player. Higher sensitivity headphones play louder and use less power. You will appreciate this if you also connect headphones to a mobile phone, tablet, MP3 player or laptop running on battery power.
The impedance or electrical resistance of the converters is given in Ohm. It affects the volume, reproduction quality and power consumption. The lower the impedance of the headphones, the louder but less accurately they will play. In terms of consumption, higher impedance is associated with higher consumption.
Does it make sense to focus on impedance and sensitivity when choosing office headphones?
If you know that you will use the headphones with a desktop computer, then there is no point in taking impedance and sensitivity into account. However, if you frequently use the headphones on a laptop that runs on battery power (not connected to the mains), then we recommend selecting headphones with an impedance of up to 50–60 Ohms and a sensitivity of over 100 dB / Wm. The laptop then lasts longer on the battery.
Will you also connect headphones to portable players (mobile phones, tablets, MP3 and more)?
If you plan to use the headphones with portable players, the same goes for a laptop that you often use without a mains connection. Choose models with sensitivities above 100 dB / Wm and impedances up to 50-60 Ohms for lower power consumption.
Frequency range
It indicates In Herz (Hz), at what audio frequencies the headphones can play (the average adult hears frequencies from 16 Hz to 16,000 Hz (16kHz). Because each manufacturer tests their models at a different attenuation value (some manufacturers do not state this value at all), The frequency range cannot be considered as a telling parameter, and can usually only be used for guidance only if you are comparing headphones from a single brand.
Microphone
Office headphones usually have a tilt microphone. If you do not use it, it can be tilted up so that it does not get in your way.
Glossary - headphones
Headphone cushion
The part of the headphones that comes in contact with the ear. Headphone cushions are soft to be comfortable even when listening for several hours. They are usually made of suede, fabric or artificial leather.
Head band
The head band connects the shells of the headphones. It can be made of iron or steel, or plastic for cheaper headphones. The head band is usually designed so that it can be adjusted to fit different head sizes.
Shells
The shell is a designation for the part of the headphones in which the components through which it produces sound are located. Headphones are fitted with earbuds on the inside, which makes the use of the headphones comfortable. The designation "shell" is associated primarily with over the head headphones (those with a head band). This designation is not used earpods.
Other concepts
Performance
Stereo headphones – these are classic headphones over the head that cover both ears. Compared to monaural models, they better dampen ambient noise and allow you to concentrate better on work. In addition to the office, they can also be used at home as headphones for Internet calls.
Mono headphones – unlike stereo models, they leave one ear free. This allows you to communicate with people around you without having to take them off your head. However, it does not block out noise from the surroundings. It is especially suitable for call center operators.