A headset — a combination of headphones and a mike — was once a tool unparalleled to receptionists , tele - marketer , and on-line gamers , all of whom spent long hour conversing with ( or , in the guinea pig of gamers , sometimes shouting at ) multitude remotely , and all of whom postulate their hands destitute to do other things .
But with the increase popularity of “ voice over IP ” ( VOIP ) and Internet telephone , a headset is now also a convenient and comfortable way to speak to family , friends , and byplay associates . I ’ve been doing the VOIP thing forMacNotables , a podcast featuring a figure of Macworld editors and Mac - industry personality ; we utilise the Eddy - award - gain Skype to host our conversations . Cyrus Farivar also apply Skype to convey distant audience for the Macworld podcast .
I ’ve tried a number of headset over the retiring couple year , none of which ferment very well . Either they sounded bad on my last , or they sounded forged to people on the other end , or they were too uncomfortable to really wear . But I ’ve recently been using Altec Lansing ’s $ 40AHS302usb headset()—which I ’ve seen online for as little as $ 23 — and have found it to form quite well . The soft “ imitation leather ” earpads are comfortable and stop out a bit of bureau noise , the adjustable godsend get you place the noise - canceling mike for clear voice pick-me-up , and the 7.5 - ft cable make behind even the cock-a-hoop desk .
But what I really like about the AHS302usb are its USB connexion and inline ascendence . Although technically just Altec Lansing ’s $ 25 analog AHS302i with an include USB adapter , that adaptor makes the AHS302usb well-off to link and apply : The first time you punch it into an available USB port , you take the AHS302usb as the remark and output twist in the Sound acid of System Preferences ; after that , Mac OS X mechanically shift over to the AHS302usb whenever you punch it in . ( For convenient input / output switching , I use the fantabulous SoundSource 1.0.5 [ ] — since I have more USB port than audio input and output knucklebones , this means I do n’t have to swap cables . ) you may also remove the AHS302usb ’s USB adapter and use the unit as an analogue headset if you run out of USB ports .
The AHS302usb ’s inline controller is my other favorite characteristic . It can be snip to your shirt and provides a rotary volume control along with a dumb / depressed / high amplification for the unit ’s microphone . The latter is much more accessible — and , in my experience , more effective — than the comment level setting in the Sound preference pane .
Although the headset ’s audio quality is great for vocalisation , it ’s also nice for euphony and games . You wo n’t get the same audio timbre as you ’ll find with many of the skillful earpiece I’vereviewed over on Playlist , but it ’s honest enough to take heed to iTunes between Skype calls .
The only issue I ’ve had with the AHS302usb is that the behind - the - head “ streetstyle ” headband can be a bit difficult to fit well . Although I see many people break this style with the headband down around their necks , I find that positioning the headband directly behind your ears , horizontally , provides the near comforter .
Perhaps the big compliment I can give the AHS302usb is that during Skype conferences I can hear everyone else clearly and , more importantly , they say the same affair about me . You would think this would go without say for a product designed specifically for such use of goods and services , but having tried a number of other headset , I can tell you it doesn’t — especially when it come to headsets with a street toll of under $ 25 .
