A headset is often more desirable than speakers, and certainly, using a microphone near to your jaw means you can speak in a normal voice. Headsets that connect via audio ports are not always that easy to configure, often one sound level can be fine but another is not what you want. Using USB as both input and output can be the answer.
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Here is an offering from Creative Labs that is truly ‘plug and play’ something often claimed but not always delivered. I tried this headset on a PC, a Notebook, a Tablet and a Chromebook, all worked first time without any problems.
It is 20cm from the base of the ear cups to the inside of the padded headband; this includes 3.5cm of expansion on each side. Twelve clicks from fully closed to fully opened means you can get an exact fit for your head. The ear cups sit on your ears rather than over the ears. This has an advantage in that air can circulate and the possible disadvantage in that not all external noise is removed. The cups are round at 6cm and have a good 2cm of squash ability.
The lead emerges from the base of the left ear cup and is 50cm to the 5.5x2x1cm control. There is then another 150cm to the USB ‘C’ plug. For those needing USB there is a USB ‘C’ to USB adapter in the box.
The control has two buttons on the top wide surface, mute which lights up with a built in LED when pressed and multi-function control that has power on/off, play/pause and answer/end phone call. On the side there are volume up and down buttons.
Also in the box is a fold out sheet that has instructions in eighteen languages. There is also another sheet that allows you to download a Creative Smartcomms App and this time that is only in English.
In use I was more than happy, and by keeping myself out of camera shot initially on a video call I ascertained that I was easier to hear on a Zoom call than with my normal method of using separate controls, I certainly heard others more clearly than I would through speakers.
Of course the one disadvantage of a headset is that you are tethered and if you do take it off you cannot hear the others talking on a group chat.
This was a lightweight headset at 195grams and it was very comfortable to wear even if like me you are bald.
The Creative Chat USB is available from the link below for £44.99.
https://uk.creative.com/p/headphones-headsets/creative-chat-usb
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