Do you want the best headset? 
If you’ve been shopping around for a new headset for work, chances are you might be considering one that you’ve seen online.
It might be a pair of earbuds, or maybe there’s an inexpensive, ok, cheap headset that promises to remove background noise, and it has thousands of glowing reviews. Are headsets like these your best choice?
In this blog, I’ll help you along with your decision by putting a pair of earbuds, and one of those cheap headsets to the test. I’ll test their microphones to see how they sound in a quiet environment, and I’ll also put them up against some annoying background sounds.
Finally, I’ll compare those headsets to the sound quality you can expect to receive on a good quality, professional headset; the Jabra Evolve2 65.
But, before I get into the details, I did want to let you know that we recorded a Youtube video on this. I know a lot of people prefer to consume their content via video rather than reading it, so if you’re one of those people, make sure to check it out.
If you’re still reading this, then join me as I break down the Jabra Evolve2 65, and how it shines when compared to the other headsets noted earlier.
Headsets are all the same, right?
A common misconception is that headsets are all pretty much the same. Buy one, plug it in, charge it up, and the rest is pretty much automatic.
They will all work with your phone or computer, and sound good too. Even that annoying background noise in your background won’t be heard by your callers, right? Uhhh….not exactly.
Ever heard the expression you get what you pay for? Do I hear someone in the background saying that? Because that saying applies here.
What attracts people to some headsets are:
- Wearing style
- Price
Though the wearing style and price are both important things to consider, you don’t want to place all of your focus on them. There are other factors that are every bit as important, and I’d go so far as to say even more so.
Take for example:
-
Sound quality - how you sound to your callers is very important. The last thing you want or need when on an important business call is to sound bad, and have your customer struggle to hear you, or have to put up with poor sound quality.
-
Background noise suppression. If you’re serious about your work, you absolutely want to sound your very best, consistently. This isn’t something that you typically get from cheap headsets. One thing that prevents you from sounding good is using a headset that allows your callers to hear your background noise.
This could be the family pet, the children, the UPS delivery or noisy coworkers. Having a headset that can remove those distractions will go a long way towards allowing you to sound your best.
When we shot our video on this subject, we tested a pair of earbuds because a lot of people are familiar with that style of headset. These are commonly used for recreation, and a lot of people have migrated to using them for business. That’s not always a great idea based on the tests we’ve done, though there are exceptions.
Another headset we tested was an inexpensive headset that was listed on a popular online platform, and claimed to have a noise canceling microphone and over 1000 reviews.
This is the type of headset that appeals to people because of the price point. But, buyer beware, as you may end up being disappointed in the end.
Lastly, we compared the earbuds, and cheap headset to the Jabra Evolve2 65. The Evolve2 65 is regarded as a professional grade headset that’s built for business.
And, because of that, it’s designed to deliver the high quality sound and noise reducing qualities you’d expect from a headset like this. And, the Evolve2 65 doesn’t disappoint.
In our tests, the earbuds sounded acceptable when there wasn’t any distracting background noise present. And, for the most part, so did the cheap headset, although
the cheap headset had a hollow, tinny sound to it. Without a doubt, both of these headsets lacked audio fidelity. If you decide to move ahead with purchasing either, don’t expect to sound your best, because you simply won’t.
Can you be heard? Yes, of course. These headsets do what they’re supposed to do, which is to allow you to communicate hands free.
You have to ask yourself...
What it’s worth to you for you to sound better to your callers, and also, what it’s worth to give your callers a better call quality experience.
- Do you feel that poor sound quality is good enough?
- Do you feel that having your callers hear distracting, annoying sounds in your background is acceptable?
If you take your job seriously, you’ll want every advantage you can get. It’s a competitive world we live in. If you subject your customers to a poor audio quality experience, they might perceive that you skimp on quality.
That perception could easily transfer into their perception of the quality of your product or service too. As I said a moment ago, you need every advantage you can get, and perception does play a role.
So how did these headsets perform when they were subjected to these noises:
- Dogs barking
- Blender Roaring
The short version is the earbuds, and cheap headset didn’t do so well when it came to eliminating those sounds. By contrast, the Jabra Evolve2 65 did a far superior job. And, I feel safe in saying that given a choice, most of us would prefer to sound superior rather than inferior when communicating with our important customers.
You do have a choice when it comes to the headsets you purchase. And, when dealing with customers face to face has become less practiced, that leaves verbal, distance communications.
How you sound on your audio and video calls matter, and selecting a headset that helps you to sound your best should be high on your list.
So what makes the Evolve2 65 a great choice?
- It’s a headset that’s designed and manufactured by Jabra. They’ve been designing and manufacturing headsets for decades, and are a global leader in headset technology. This means you’re getting a product that’s been produced by a high quality, professional organization so you can rest assured that you’re getting a quality product.
- It’s purpose built for business. This means that from conception to manufacturing, the Evolve2 65 is designed to be used in a professional business environment. This is an important distinction because other headsets may claim that their product is, but the low price is justified by the inferior quality.
- 3 microphones come standard. The Evolve2 65 comes with 3 microphones that are designed to allow you to sound great, but also help to remove the unwanted noise going on in your background. We’ve all been on a call with someone who was using a cheap headset where we could hear everything going on in the background. Was that an ideal experience? Typically not. Don’t let that be you.
- Crazy long battery life. The Evolve2 65 comes with a battery that delivers a whopping 37 hours of talk time. This means that you could conceivably use your headset all week and never have to recharge the headset battery. And, when you recharge it, you can still use the headset while it’s charging. That’s something you’ll never find on a budget headset. The Evolve2 65 keeps you talking where others keep you waiting.
- Comfort matters. You can have all the greatest features, and even sound quality, but if the headset isn’t comfortable, it’s not worth much. After all, who wants to sound great all day long only to leave work at the end of the day with a migraine headache or sore ears? Nobody I know.
The Evolve2 65 is one of the lightest headsets in its class weighing 6.2 ounces. Less weight on your head helps to translate into more comfort. The ear cushions are designed to not only keep out distracting sound, but to give you pillows for your ears with the memory foam.
Lightweight and well designed ear cushions team up to give you the comfort you want and need, especially if you wear a headset for several hours at a time. -
Longer warranty means better protection and more peace of mind. When it comes to warranties, a general rule of thumb is the longer the better. This speaks to longer peace of mind, and people do enjoy longer peace of mind. The Jabra Evolve2 65 comes with a 2-year warranty, which is typically a year longer than those headsets that are more economically priced.
- Price. The elephant in the room is often how much something costs. The Evolve2 65 is priced right. You get great value overall because it’s a professional grade headset, that’s comfortable, sounds great, removes background noise, and has a nice warranty. All things considered, it’s a great value.
Final thoughts
When it comes to headsets, there’s no shortage of choices. Honestly, the options are all over the map. If you need a headset for yourself or for your team, my advice would be to avoid going down the path of buying cheap headsets.
The satisfaction of that low price will fade quickly when the realities of poor audio quality, discomfort, short warranty, and unreliability set in.
My advice would be for you to consider making an investment into a good quality headset, just like the Jabra Evolve2 65. You’re investing in your success. You’re investing in your team’s success.
You’re investing in giving your callers a better call quality experience. And, you’re investing in the image you portray to your customers. At the end of the day, an inexpensive headset costs you in the long run, where a good quality headset pays you dividends from day one. Something to think about before making your next headset purchase.
