Review: Four VoIP Headsets

Given the soaring popularity of VoIP services like Skype, Gizmo Project, and Google Talk, it’s not difficult to imagine that, by the end of next year, mic/headphone headsets will be a standard component of any home or home/office PC. (To read more about the ever-increasing competition amongst VoIP services, check out our comparison of Gizmo Project and PeerMe.)

Given the impressive audio quality of these VoIP services, it makes no sense to use bargain-brand headsets that feel uncomfortable or don't sound good. With this in mind, I looked at four different devices specifically oriented towards the VoIP market. Two are traditional USB headsets and two offer appealing alternative solutions to large headpieces and dorky microphones.

I evaluated these devices through a series of real-world tests. First, I engaged in seven different voice chat conversations over Skype and Gizmo Project with each headset. During each conversation, I noted the quality of sound coming through the headphones and asked the participant on the other end of the line to rate the sound quality they experienced. I also used Gizmo Project’s "record a call" feature to record two calls to gauge the relative sound quality myself. After VoIP tests, I listened to .WMA lossless tracks from a couple of albums: the recently remastered and released Thelonious Monk-John Coltrane Carnegie Hall collaboration as well as The Gorillaz’ Demon Days.

Plantronics DSP-500 PC Headset

The DSP-500 is at the high end of Plantronics PC headset line, and it shows.

The really comfortable earpieces are made of thick cloth, resulting in an immediate soft, snug fit. One advantage this headset has over Logitech’s Premium 350 Headset is that the adjustable mic extends out far enough that it can be placed directly in front of the mouth. In tests, this resulted in the highest quality voice transmissions.I was also pleased with the overall audio quality. While the bass response in music and games lacked oomph, higher treble tones were reproduced with high clarity and crispness. An additional positive was the presence of a DSP (Digital Signal Processing) unit that offloads voice and audio processing from the CPU to the headset, resulting in no hit to system performance during usage. (This is less of a concern with faster PCs.)

Of the four solutions evaluated here, the DSP-500 was the most impressive. At $90, it's at the high-end of pricing for these devices, but the comfort level and great audio quality are well worth the added cost.

Logitech Premium USB Headset 350
Priced $40 less than Plantronics’ higher-end USB headset, Logitech’s Premium USB Headset 350 offers excellent voice and audio quality at an affordable price — with one major caveat.

As with most USB headsets, installation is easily accomplished simply by plugging in the headset. Despite the price difference, the sound quality neared the excellence of the Plantronics set. Although I was more satisfied with the low-end bass response — making this headset suitable for games and music in addition to VoIP — I also found that the high-end treble tones found in most human voices didn’t sound as crisp as with the DSP-500.Unfortunately, this high quality is offset by the constant discomfort I suffered while wearing the headset. The chief problem is that the simulated leather of the earpieces feels much too rigid. Typically, simulated leather feels softer, particularly on headphones, and it’s possible that, after many weeks of usage, the Premium Headset 350 might mold to users’ ears. But those weeks will hurt. Because of this, I strongly recommend that you try this headset on before you buy it.

One other problem with this headset: The reach of the mic is located closer to the cheek than the mouth. This resulted in slightly reduced voice clarity on the other end of the line, although not a significant enough reduction to be a major concern.

Motorola Bluetooth Wireless Internet Calling Kit:
H500 Headset and PC850 USB PC Adapter
Motorola’s Bluetooth Calling Kit allows you to make VoIP calls without being tethered by USB cables to your PC.

The kit is comprised of two elements: the H500 Bluetooth Headset and the PC850 USB Bluetooth adapter, which adds a Bluetooth stack to your computer. The kit also comes bundled with 30 minutes of free PC-to-phone calling via Skype.Installation was slightly more complicated than with the USB headsets — I had to manually toggle the device settings in Gizmo Project. However, the convenience of being able to walk away from my desk during a conversation was well worth the added inconvenience. During calls, I wandered up to 30 feet away from my desk with minimal impact on incoming or outgoing audio quality.

The trade-off is that overall voice quality didn’t come close to the deep, rich sound of the USB headsets. That’s to be expected, given the H500’s wireless nature. A much greater concern was the high levels of ambient noise the mic picked up during conversations, which caused a noticeable and annoying level of static on the other end of my calls. No amount of configuring could reduce this to tolerable levels.

If you’re in a high-noise environment, this may not be the right headset for you. However, if you want to walk-and-talk in your office and can tolerate mobile-phone quality levels, this is an effective solution well worth the $100 price tag.

Andrea USB Superbeam Array Microphone
As with Motorola’s Bluetooth device, I had high hopes that Andrea Electronics’ USB Superbeam mic would allow me to break away from bulky, wired headsets.

The Superbeam Array Mic has a flashy, intimidating name and is shaped like a Star Wars pod racer, but it's essentially a high-powered PC microphone with a long, focused "reach." In theory, this means that the mic should pick up your voice clearly without having to be positioned directly in front of your mouth like most PC mics.

The Superbeam has a standard PC audio connector, but also comes bundled with a USB adapter. You can plug the mic directly into your sound card or microphone jack if you wish, but the USB adapter makes for easier installation thanks to Windows plug-and-play functionality. (If you plug it into your sound card, you have to manually install software and toggle the settings.)

In addition to the audio-in jack, the USB adapter also has an audio-out jack, so you can plug your own headphones in if you wish. This makes the Superbeam array work similarly to the other headsets reviewed here, with the key exception that you can position the mic anywhere on your desk. Again, theoretically.

My fantasy was that I would position the mic on top of my PC monitor, where it would clearly and easily detect my voice. Then I would use my speakers for audio. This worked fairly well, although I was disappointed with the sensitivity of the mic. Even when my mouth was 16 inches away from the mic, I had to boost the input volume to 100 percent in the VoIP software to compensate. And even then, the recipients of my calls complained about low volume levels and a sound quality that resembled a mediocre mobile phone connection. On the positive side, the Superbeam mic picked up no echo effects whatsoever from the speakers, and actually picked up less ambient sound than Motorola’s H500 Bluetooth headset.Because you can use the separate mic with your own favorite headphones, this product is ideal for VoIPers who find most headset/mic combos to be uncomfortable or aesthetically undesirable. Keep in mind, however, that you have to remain in fairly close proximity to the mic, so your freedom around your workspace will be limited. Users who usually plug their own headphones into the USB adapter for private listening will probably be better served with one of the more traditional headphone-and-mic headsets reviewed above.