Best Headphones for Conference Calls What You Need to get you through your next Zoom Meeting

Whether you telecommute, travel for work frequently, work for a company with multiple locations or in 2020 you are working from home, you just need to connect with your colleagues regularly when you’re not in the office. There is a good chance that you’re spending more time on conference calls such as Zoom or Skype these days than ever before.

If you’re doing so with your phone glued to the side of your head, though, you’re doing it wrong. A good set of headphones can make all the difference between suffering through laborious conference calls and—well, still suffering through them, but at least with a little more comfort and a lot less frustration.

There are a few things you need to keep in mind when shopping for a good pair of headphones for conference calls, because the criteria aren’t the same as when shopping for a good pair of headphones for music. True, you’ll still want to focus on sound quality, comfort, build quality, and reliability when it comes to conference calling, but a few other considerations become equally important.

• It should go without saying that vocal clarity is paramount, so you’ll need to make sure that your new headphones have a good microphone. Most do these days, but if the microphone is on the in-line controls of a cable, make sure it doesn’t get buried in your clothing and becomes muffled.
• Look for headphones that feature at least two or more built in microphones. Having more microphones will help enhance the quality of your voice during phone calls. Many lower quality headphones feature mono microphones and they are poorly positioned to pick up the speaker’s voice.
• The headphone or earphone’s microphone location is another important factor to consider. The closer the mic is to your mouth, the better you’ll sound while speaking. Speaking toward the mic also helps emit a clearer sound and better listening experience.
• Which brings us to another point: No matter where you fall on the wired-vs-wireless headphone debate, when it comes to entertainment, a good pair of wireless headphones is essential for teleconferencing. You never know when you might need to charge your phone, after all, and many modern mobile phones use the same port for charging and physical headphone connectivity. Of course, wireless headphones must be charged, too, so you’ll want to make sure whatever pair you pick has exceptional battery life.

Put that all together, and it makes 900 Legacy over-the-ears, active noise cancelling headphones pretty much the perfect pair to take a little sting out of being tethered to your office telephonically. It features Bluetooth 5.1 wireless technology for enhanced range and improved battery life, which, combined with its Li-ion battery and optimized power management, means you’ll get up to 43 hours of talk time in between charges with an outstanding 320 hours of standby time. Intuitive touch panels on the side give you a bevy of controls and smart pause and play will automatically pause and resume your music when you remove or put your headphones back on.

Perhaps the most convenient thing about the 900 Legacy, though - especially for frequent fliers - is its elegant fold-and-go design, with a handy hinged headband that allows you to easily squirrel it away in your backpack or carry-on. Its padded ear and head pads offer a comfortable fit all day – or flight - long and Everplay-X allows you to continue using the headphones even if the battery runs out or the audio device is not Bluetooth compatible.

If you prefer a more compact and lighter pair of headphones or are in need of some budget conscious pair of cans for your kids zoom call, check out the rugged BT 390 with up to 30 hours of battery life as well as Everplay-X for those times when your kid will join you on vacation. It also features deeper bass set for many of today’s pop music.

In addition, iIf frequent travel isn’t in your future and you find yourself hopping from conference call to conference call unexpectedly throughout the day, you might find that a good neckband headphone is more up your alley. This innovative design is especially convenient because it keeps your headphones right there where you need them, when you need them, connected via cables to a comfy collar that can be worn all day with no discomfort.

For days when the home office also becomes your workout gym, the wireless BT 120 NC also offers active noise cancellation together with IPX4 rating, offering sweat and moisture resistance for those intense CrossFit or HIIT workouts. It also comes equipped with Fast Charge. That means that a 5 minute charge will provide up to 1 hour of playtime when the BT 120 NC’s battery is completely drained. It’s perfect for those moments when you are itching to go running outside but there is no charge left on your headphones. Just let it charge for a few minutes and you will be on your way to a great workout.

BT 120 NC also has another great feature in this ever evolving world of wireless gadgets: Multipoint Pairing. This is a technology that allows simultaneous connection to two different Bluetooth devices. So you can be watching Netflix on your tablet but also be connected to your phone at the same time. Should the phone ring, the BT 120 NC will automatically connect to your phone without the need to disconnect from your tablet and reconnect to your phone. Talk about saving precious seconds!

Aug 17, 2020

Wireless vs. Wired Headphones: How to Pick the Right Pair for You

Earphones or Headphones: Which Is Safer?

Earphones vs Headphones: A Sound Debate