Best earbuds for reducing background noise on computer calls?

November 4, 2024 4:46 PM

I really need a good earbud solution for computer calls. However, I don't really understand the technology, and it seems like a lot of the fancy ones that promise to really reduce background noise (something I very much want) seem to only do it with phones. I do my calls on my computer (macbook), so I mostly need them to work with that.

I would definitely consider a corded option if it was better, but probably not large headphones or microphone attachments for visual reasons. I'd love specific product suggestions you have used, or ideas about what kind of features I should be looking for. Cheaper would be nice, but I would definitely consider expensive options if they're great.

posted by lgyre to Technology (8 answers total)

Best answer: Airpods Pro 2 are my go to. Very good noise-cancelling, not as good as the Bose over-the ear ones I used to have, but more comfortable for use several hours at a time.
posted by furtive at 5:07 PM on November 4 [7 favorites]

I recently read that the PineBuds outperform Airpods and are open source and private to boot.
posted by criticalyeast at 6:20 PM on November 4

I would recommend a pair of musician's in-ear monitors (IEMs), like the Shure SE215's.

Professional IEMs have excellent sound isolation. For a musician, this is vitally important -- it helps you focus on the balanced track in your ears instead of bleeding noise on stage, and (for drummers like myself) they also provide 30dB attenuation of protection against ear-shatteringly loud noises. Though not the intended use-case, this also makes them great for loud working environments when you need to focus.

They are corded, and they don't have a built-in microphone -- but that just means they are durable, and they never run out of charge. You could run them over with a bus and they'd probably be fine. As for microphone, there is a perfectly good one built right into your laptop already.
posted by gunwalefunnel at 9:13 PM on November 4

Best answer: I'm not sure if you're looking for good isolation from the noise around you when you're listening (what the headphones tell you), or when you're speaking (what other people hear when you speak) – if it's speaking then you can try your Mac's built-in isolation feature. It's hard to find, though they've made it easier in recent versions of the OS.

I've found it to work pretty well but I don't have the most rigorous of needs. It's worth trying out if you can!

Here's Apple's support article about it. You can use the dropdown at the top to select older OS's to help you find it on your computer – it looks like there's support for it going back to MacOs 12
posted by wemayfreeze at 9:36 PM on November 4 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I have a pair of Soundcore space a40, and they’ve been great. Good mics that don’t pick up background noise, great noise canceling, great sound quality, and they’ve been going strong for over a year. It looks like they’re $60 on Amazon right now. Pretty sure they were a Wirecutter pick when I got them.
posted by momus_window at 9:38 PM on November 4 [1 favorite]

Jabra makes earbuds and earphones for calls & music, and they work great!
posted by wenestvedt at 2:58 AM on November 5 [2 favorites]

My Airpods Pro do a great job with both phone and laptop. Noise reduction is more than enough to hear things in a busy cafe or on a plane, and the mic is good too. Works with any bluetooth device.
posted by zippy at 2:14 PM on November 5

Adding a vote for Airpods Pro 2--they've been seamless for my WFH video-conferencing needs, connected to a Macbook.
posted by flod at 6:43 PM on November 5