Do you want the best headset? 
With the pandemic of 2020, many office workers have found themselves working from home instead of from their familiar office.
This shift away from gathering together in an office, and towards working from home, has created an explosive need to stay connected by using tools such as Zoom.
Zoom, as you know, is a video conferencing application that turns an ordinary computer or mobile device into a collaborative video conferencing tech tool.
When using Zoom, there are a number of things to be aware of. Among them include making sure you have a good quality camera and microphone.
Another thing to be mindful of is dealing with distracting noises in your new work from home environment. Video conferencing etiquette is something we’ve all had to learn more about as well.
Things like muting your microphone when not speaking, raising your hand to name a couple.
Zoom has truly become a household name for those who work in the office space, as well as to many others who just want to stay connected when a pandemic would dictate something entirely different.
Given we’re familiar with Zoom, this blog will give you three uniquely different wired headset products to consider if you want comfort, great sound quality, and a better sounding conferencing experience.
First things first.
As with any headset, you must first decide if you want to wear it over the head, or over the ear. Many people are unable to wear an over the head style headset because it gives them headaches. Other people find it challenging to find an over the ear headset that’s stable on the ear and doesn’t fall off.
So to begin, decide which is your preferred headset wearing style.
If you selected an over the head style headset, there are two recommendations below. But, for those who prefer an over the ear style headset, don’t worry because we have something for you as well.
Also, please note that the models presented in this blog all have an in-line control block that allows for adjusting hearing volume, muting the microphone and answer/end. This won’t be covered in this blog, but each model has this capability.
Two solid choices for over the head wearing.
Discover D722U
The Discover D722U is a great choice for anyone who wants a comfortable, great sounding, reliable and affordable headset for Zoom meetings.
Here are the features that make this a great choice if you’re doing Zoom calls from home and want an excellent headset for that purpose.
Oversized ear speakers
Distracting noise is all around us, and it can surface when we least expect it. This noise draws us away from our normal concentration and leads us into places we’d rather not go.
Research suggests that it can take as much as 20 minutes to regain focus once it’s been disrupted. The Discover D722U features oversized ear speakers that fully enclose the ear.
This helps to prevent outside sound from entering your ear canal. The result is you aren’t distracted from the noise going on around you, and you remain focused and locked in on your call.
Noise canceling microphone
Another way to enhance the sound quality of your Zoom call is to have a headset that has a noise cancelling microphone. This feature filters out unwanted sounds from your work environment, and helps to prevent those sounds from entering your call.
The last thing you want is for your coworkers to hear a bunch of sound going on around you. A noise cancelling microphone helps to keep your calls loud and clear without the interruptions and distractions of noise.
The Discover D722U has a fantastic noise cancelling microphone that accomplishes its designed task. Using this headset will allow you to expect that you’ll sound loud and clear while on your Zoom calls.
Flexible Stay Put Boom Arm
The Discover D722U has a microphone boom arm that has the ability to be easily positioned or repositioned and once set, it stays in that spot. The importance of this is to make sure that your microphone remains fixed and doesn’t “drift”. Microphone drifting causes it to become repositioned, and out of the correct
location. This can result in poor sound. The Discover D722U boom arm, once set, stays set. You can speak with confidence knowing that your microphone will stay put.
Longer cord
Though this is a minor detail, sometimes little details can make big differences. Having a longer cord gives you a wider area to move around your
workspace. The Discover D722U comes with a cord that spans 8 feet. Other models fall short at 6 or 7. Longer is better.
Warranty
Warranties can be overlooked as to their value. Longer is always better, right? It even goes beyond the length of warranty.
For example, who pays for the shipping if an exchange is needed? D
o you get an advance replacement, or does your defective headset need to be received before a replacement is sent?
These details matter because it underscores the true value you’ll receive under the warranty your headset comes with.
The Discover D722U, like other Discover headsets, comes with a full 3-year warranty with advance replacements. Oh, and did I mention that we cover the shipping charges both ways?
Price
When you consider that the Discover D722U is priced under $200.00, it’s easy to see the value it offers.
Next on our list of top rated wired headsets for Zoom meetings is the Poly Blackwire 8225 Binaural, double ear USB headset.
Everyone knows that Poly (formerly Plantronics) makes excellent products. The 8225 isn’t any exception. Though priced on the upper end of the price scale for a wired headset, coming in at around $200.00, it’s a model worthy of your consideration.
Here’s what makes the Blackwire 8225 a value worth considering.
As mentioned previously, dealing with unwanted noise while on a Zoom call is important. The Poly Blackwired 8225 kills noise in two ways:
ANC
Active Noise Cancellation. This is a feature that electronically filters out unwanted background noise. That is, the sound you hear. So, if you want to put a damper on that sound around you so you hear less of it while on your call, the ANC feature can be activated by a simple press of a button.
Once pressed, you’ll hear the sound in the background drop. It’s a useful feature when noise is a problem.
The ear speakers that work in tandem with the ANC feature are covered with a very soft material with a decent amount of padding. This helps to make the headset comfortable
on the ear when worn for long periods of time. Anyone who’s worn a headset all day can appreciate its importance.
ANC doesn’t improve the sound the far end hears, but that leads me into the feature that does.
Noise Canceling Microphone
Professional grade headsets should all come standard with a noise canceling microphone. Most do. The Poly Blackwire 8225 is no exception. This high end, comfortable headset has a solid performing noise canceling microphone
that Poly calls Acoustic Fence Technology. This is a term given to their approach to reducing unwanted background noise that the headset microphone would otherwise pick up. This feature improves the listening experience your far end hears. You might be able to hear Spot the wonder dog barking in the background, but your callers won’t.
Premium headband
The headband on this wired headset is generously padded. Like the comfort of the ear pads, having a padded headband can add to the overall comfort. Not all headsets come with a padded headband, but those that do, tend to deliver a more comfortable user experience.
Bendable microphone boom arm
As with any professional grade wired phone headset with mic, it should have a boom arm that’s bendable. Believe it or not, the material that boom arms are made of, differ.
Some do a better job to hold their place, while others allow for the microphone (that’s connected to this arm), to sag, which we call drift. Drifting isn’t a good thing. Once you set the microphone via the boom arm, to the right position, it needs to stay put.
The Blackwire 8225 has a good boom arm that accomplishes this. Having the microphone in the right position is critical in maintaining consistently good sound quality.
2-year warranty
Though this is a shorter warranty than the Discover headsets, it’s right in line with the industry standards. Having a 2-year warranty is a decent amount of time to put your wired headset through its paces. Over that length of time, you’ll know if it can withstand the demands placed on it.
If, after 2-years, and your Blackwire 8225 is out of warranty and in need of replacement, no need to worry. Headset Advisor has a unique headset trade-in program so you can capture a portion of its original value towards a new model.
If your preference is more geared towards an over the ear wired headset with microphone, then the following product may be your new cup of tea.
The Discover D713U, over the ear, wired headset for Zoom meetings.
The following features make the Discover D713U a great choice for anyone who prefers a lightweight wired headset that fits snugly on to your ear, and won’t fall off. Consider these features as you ponder whether this is your next wired headset.
On Ear Style
The Discover D713U isn’t worn over the head, it’s worn over the ear. For many, this is the preferred wearing style. It sits comfortably on the ear and doesn’t bring on unwanted migraine headaches.
Lobe Hinge
The Discover D713U has a unique feature that allows the earpiece to fasten or adjust to the ear lobe. This means that you can swing the lobe hinge up against the back of your ear lobe to secure the headset in place. This goes a very long way towards reducing, if not fully eliminating the unstable nature of other on-ear style headsets.
One of the leading complaints about on-ear headsets is being unstable. The unique lobe hinge design helps to eliminate that problem while giving you a comfortable, yet safe and secure wired headset fit.
In ear tips
The Discover D713U comes with three sizes of ear tips; small, medium and large. It’s well known that all ears aren’t created equal. And, to help adjust to those variations in ear sizes, the D713U comes with these various sizes so you can find the size and fit that’s right for you.
We don’t subscribe to the philosophy that one size fits all. Having choices, especially when it comes to an ear tip that will be placed into your ear, can go a long way towards having a comfortable, all day wearing experience.
And, having the right size tip can enhance your ability to hear others better, while preventing unwanted room noise to distract you.
Noise Canceling Microphone
The Discover D713U comes with a robust noise cancelling microphone. As with any quality wired headset, a noise cancelling microphone is a must have, and not a nice to have feature.
You want a clear, noise free experience, and you want to be heard clearly. Rest assured that the Discover D713U will have you sounding your best at all times.
3-year warranty
The Discover D713U, like other Discover models, comes with an unconditional 3-year advance replacement warranty. You get longer peace of mind compared to other brands, and the D713U warranty includes advance replacement which means you’ll spend less time waiting for a replacement and more time getting
things done.We cover the shipping both ways too. A better warranty, a better user experience, and for sure a better value.
Price
The Discover D713U is value priced at $70.00. Today, it’s more and more challenging to find a headset that’s worn over the ear.
The D713U checks many boxes for those who prefer an on ear wired headset. It’s lightweight, comfortable, adjustable, great sounding, great warranty and priced right.
So, if an on-ear style wired headset is your preference, you’ll be singing with joy when you put a D713U to work for you.
These three wired headsets for Zoom meetings are all solid choices. You truly cannot go wrong with any of them. If high-end, premium is your thing, then the Poly Blackwire 8225 should be on your short list.
If great value, long warranties, comfort and superb sound is more important than the Discover models would be a great choice too.
Lastly, any wired headset can be rented. So, if you’re in need of a headset or headsets for your entire team, take the time to get familiar with our unique, one of a kind headset rental program.
Prices start as low as $5.00 per month up to our most premium wireless models that run near $20.00. No contract, add, subtract or cancel at any time.
Everything, even replacement accessories are included. This program gives you the ultimate in flexibility to keep pace with changes to staffing or technological changes. To learn more go here:
Have questions or need free technical support? Contact us and we’ll be happy to help.
