Wired headset iPhone 6?
January 28, 2015 9:36 AM Subscribe
Please recommend a stellar-sounding wired headset for use with an iPhone 6. Bonus points for killer mic.
Mrs. Thistledown is a journalist who spends a great deal of time on her cell phone interviewing people, and has to type at the same time. Can't hold the phone.
Several people (myself included) have said that when using the stock headset/mic that Apple supplies, her voice is somewhat muddy.
We need a high-quality headset for her to do this. Form factor isn't an issue - earbuds with inline mic are fine, but if a headset with boom sounds better, we're willing to give it a shot. Not real fans of bluetooth given the charging needs, but could be an option for the right one.
What do you recommend? CNET's reviews are mainly about headphones, but not really addressing the mic quality issue.
Mrs. Thistledown is a journalist who spends a great deal of time on her cell phone interviewing people, and has to type at the same time. Can't hold the phone.
Several people (myself included) have said that when using the stock headset/mic that Apple supplies, her voice is somewhat muddy.
We need a high-quality headset for her to do this. Form factor isn't an issue - earbuds with inline mic are fine, but if a headset with boom sounds better, we're willing to give it a shot. Not real fans of bluetooth given the charging needs, but could be an option for the right one.
What do you recommend? CNET's reviews are mainly about headphones, but not really addressing the mic quality issue.
I bought the Bose MIE2 headset a while back because it was on clearance at Target. (I'm a big time endcap creeper, and I got it for $30 or something stupid.) This is easily the best and most comfortable headset I have ever owned. The mic is great, the earpieces don't even feel like they're there, and they stay on even when walking briskly. They say all this nonsense on the package about "iPhone adapters" and whatnot, but they work fine on my iPhone 5 and anything else with a headphone jack and even basic support for inline controls.
posted by littlerobothead at 11:56 AM on January 28, 2015
posted by littlerobothead at 11:56 AM on January 28, 2015
You can easily do better than the included Apple earpods.
Marco Arment has some comprehensive reviews (or here's the portable set) but I don't think he considers microphones at all.
This Wirecutter collection includes USB office sets and that may be the best place to start.
posted by RedOrGreen at 12:00 PM on January 28, 2015
Marco Arment has some comprehensive reviews (or here's the portable set) but I don't think he considers microphones at all.
This Wirecutter collection includes USB office sets and that may be the best place to start.
posted by RedOrGreen at 12:00 PM on January 28, 2015
I have those bose, they kick ass.
like huge gigantic godzilla amounts of ass. most comfortable (earbud or otherwise) headphones i've ever owned, excellent mic. use them for work calls walking down loud busy streets and stuff.
i was going to suggest something like these with an adapter, but if you just want something that's an upgrade in comfort and sound quality from the earpods and is also small and portable, then the bose are great.
i can't believe i regularly find myself recommending a bose product, but they're seriously pretty good. and i haven't tried anything under the price of them that was quite as good as a headset.
Logitech/ultimate ears makes good headphones and there's headset versions available in the $30-60 range, but i have no idea how good the mic actually is and how good they are as headsets. they're good headphones though.
Shure makes great stuff in this space too. They're a mic company anyways, and they also make awesome earbuds. I've borrowed and used some of the nicer earbud+mic ones, and they were great... they cost more than the bose to get in the door though. these likely rule, all the ones i own or have used are no longer for sale and are deprecated models.
The shures were better than the bose, but the bose are more comfortable and have lasted longer so far. in absolute audio quality the shures won, but as an overall package i liked the bose more... and i can't believe i'm saying that. they're also cheaper.
posted by emptythought at 6:53 PM on January 28, 2015
like huge gigantic godzilla amounts of ass. most comfortable (earbud or otherwise) headphones i've ever owned, excellent mic. use them for work calls walking down loud busy streets and stuff.
i was going to suggest something like these with an adapter, but if you just want something that's an upgrade in comfort and sound quality from the earpods and is also small and portable, then the bose are great.
i can't believe i regularly find myself recommending a bose product, but they're seriously pretty good. and i haven't tried anything under the price of them that was quite as good as a headset.
Logitech/ultimate ears makes good headphones and there's headset versions available in the $30-60 range, but i have no idea how good the mic actually is and how good they are as headsets. they're good headphones though.
Shure makes great stuff in this space too. They're a mic company anyways, and they also make awesome earbuds. I've borrowed and used some of the nicer earbud+mic ones, and they were great... they cost more than the bose to get in the door though. these likely rule, all the ones i own or have used are no longer for sale and are deprecated models.
The shures were better than the bose, but the bose are more comfortable and have lasted longer so far. in absolute audio quality the shures won, but as an overall package i liked the bose more... and i can't believe i'm saying that. they're also cheaper.
posted by emptythought at 6:53 PM on January 28, 2015
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http://www.cnet.com/products/sol-republic-jax/
posted by The1andonly at 10:24 AM on January 28, 2015