Looking for a VOIP Headset

June 25, 2006 9:42 AM

Where can I find a single-earpiece VOIP headset?

I'm looking for a decent VOIP headset to use with Skype. All USB headsets seem be stereo models that cover both ears. I don't want or need a stereo headset as I find them bulky and uncomfortable. Does anyone make a quality single-ear USB headset? Alternatively, can I set up a Bluetooth headset on my computer? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

posted by wintermute2_0 to computers & internet (5 comments total)

Well, I've been using a Bluetooth headset with Skype. It works well (one less thing I have to carry around), or at least as well as the particular headset works with my mobile, but: as far as I've been able to figure out, the headset won't work like a mobile headset while hooked up to the PC: it works more like a wired headset, meaning that the mike and earpiece are on constantly, not just when you are calling someone. So, for BT headsets, that means their batterly life falls to about 1/10th of what you'd expect when you use them with a cell.
posted by costas at 10:22 AM on June 25, 2006

I've been using a headset designed for use on the Sony Playstation 2 like this one.

It seems to work okay, but I haven't tried anything else to really compare. Probably the only drawback is the cord is really, really, long, since it's designed for console use.
posted by curse at 10:40 AM on June 25, 2006

I use a Bluetooth headset by Plantronics, the "Explorer 320". It cost about 40 euros, and I use it with both my mobile phone and Skype on pc (IBM Thinkpad) and mac (Powerbook). The headset can be "paired" with 8 devices (ie. it remembers a trust relation ship with 8 other phones/pc's), and can connect to two at a time. This way I can use it to take a mobile call one minute, and then make a Skype call another.

It only opens a connection when the application requests access, when in a call. Otherwise it's just on standby, so it doesn't really drain the battery that much. Talk time of this geektoy is about 15 hours, standby up to a week.
Depending on the machine I'm connected with, the range is about 10 meters.
posted by lodev at 11:25 AM on June 25, 2006

As an ultra low-cost solution, might I recommend the very, very el-cheapo Skype starter kit? Wired, works on anything, cheap enough to lose. Or, buy five for even less money.

I've used this: it works just fine.

Alternatively, a USB solution is a regular phone headset - meaning that you can use this as you would a regular mobile phone, and your computer speakers are unaffected. Highly recommended.

I've linked to Skype, but both these products work with many things: the USB headset's buttons will work fine with Skype, X-Ten, and GoogleTalk.
posted by jamescridland at 11:33 AM on June 25, 2006

I've been using this Logitech mono headset which works great. £3 incl. VAT.
posted by blag at 2:36 PM on June 25, 2006