Have you suffered the embarrassment of having your generic headphones glitch out in the middle of a Zoom call, tried to message a colleague for the info, and got caught out? Does your PC’s built-in microphone suffer from feedback, distortion, and other audio errors that impact everyone else on the call? Are the roofers across the street making your co-workers think you’re practicing for an impromptu Stomp performance?
Whether you work from home full-time or are just looking to upgrade your workplace setup, having a comfortable and functional headset while providing consistent, high-quality audio is crucial. We’ve taken the time and found you a curated selection of the best headsets for Zoom and other video conferencing services to suit a variety of preferences and budgets. Learn more about our picks and how they can serve you well for years to come.
As the Logitech H150 proves, a headset doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to work reliably and provide high-quality audio. Only costing a modest $40, this headset was created with online learning and services Zoom in mind and designed so that users can hear every word of the conversation, stay in the loop and control your side of the conversation.
As such, this headset comes with a variety of built-in features, including an adjustable headband, in-line controls for audio, foam earcups, and a rotating microphone arm. Additionally, the noise-canceling functions of the Buy at Amazon ensure that your fellow Zoom participants can hear you clearly without any interference.
Zoom callers who prefer a premium product but also prefer a bargain will be well served with the Jabra Evolve 80 UC Duo at around $250. With noise-canceling features specifically designed to mute the office environment’s noise, you can rest assured that the noise of boisterous children or chatty coworkers will not intrude on your meeting (always remember to lock your doors, though).
With large leatherette ear cushions, a fully-adjustable headband, in-line call answering, closing, jacks for both 3.5mm and USB-A, and a “busy” light to inform colleagues that you’re on a call, users can enjoy plug-and-play convenience in an attractive package. Avaya, CISCO, and Microsoft also certify the Buy at Dell Home & Home Office and offer seamless integration with many Unified Communications vendors, making it ideal for personal and professional applications.
Sought after by devotees of Apple and regular consumers alike, it’s clear that these genuinely wireless headphones have become prized possessions for both their utility and their position as a status symbol. However, Apple AirPods Pro is also ideal for Zoom calls and other telecommunications by providing decent noise-cancellation, superb call quality, and enhanced bass output to boost overall audio quality.
Users can wear an earbud in one or both ears and quickly answer and close calls with a simple double-pinch while enjoying the freedom of superior wireless connectivity. These earbuds work well with both MacOS and Windows PCs, though it’s worth noting that the Buy at Sam's Club excels at switching back and forth between devices connect via iCloud.
Offering significant improvements on an already impressive series of headsets, the WH-1000XM4 cost a pretty penny. Still, in this case, you certainly get what you pay for — five microphones for calls, the ability to integrate Alexa or Google Assistant, and up to 30 hours of noise-canceling and wireless functionality doesn’t come cheaply. In addition to the previous generation’s sensors that auto-calibrated the headset based on head size and whether you wear glasses, a new sensor in the left earcup detects when the headphones are worn and automatically pauses the audio when removed.
The new and improved Bluetooth upgrades features include multi-point pairing, allowing users to connect to two devices simultaneously and instantly switch between them as needed. It also has a “quick attention” mode that lets you pause your audio and have a conversation by cupping the right earphone, which will resume when you remove your hand. The Buy at Amazon can even detect when you start speaking to someone IRL and pause the audio for between 15 seconds and a minute, or until you manually resume it.
It’s said that silence is golden — the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 only prove just how true that statement can be. If you want to experience 11 noise-cancellation settings from full transparency to complete noise cancelation, follow the Bose Music app’s instructions for iOS and Android for a guided setup and easy pairing with a digital assistant of your choice.
For those who prefer a genuinely customizable level of noise cancelation, you can adjust your ANC manually via the left earphone. You can also set up a cycle of your three favorite settings, determine how much of your voice you can hear on a call, change the language of verbal prompts, or disable them entirely. A remarkably sensitive microphone allows users to perform voice commands with ease and delivers exceptional call quality while offering intuitive tap-and-hold answering, muting, and call declining functions via the right earphone. All in all, the Buy at Amazon is an impressive — if expensive — headset that will be the envy of the office in more ways than one.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Google DeepMind's AI world model Genie 4 can now build interactive worlds that you can explore and reshape as they run. It also generates ambient sounds, music, and dialogue that respond to your actions.
The new world model builds on Genie 3 with improved realism, more natural human movement, and better simulations of real-world physics. It could eventually help with everything from game development to training robots.
Apple has an incredible talent for making me admire its products while simultaneously questioning what on earth it's thinking with the pricing. This isn't even something as bizarre as a monitor stand, but the audacity for starting a new laptop lineup from $2,000 doesn't surprise me.
The newly announced 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 is just the latest to showcase this. The funny thing is, I already know that it's going to be a reliable workstation. You get a powerful new 2nm M6 processor, a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display, and up to 24 hours of battery life. We were impressed by the M5 MacBook Air, so the high-end M6 powered MacBook Pro definitely won't let us down.