This is the latest list of the best headphones with a microphone. Find quality headphones with a mic that are perfect for crystal clear calls, even in noisy places. And learn simple tips on how to get the best voice quality. HeadphonesAddict is user supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Previous Next Rating Price Type Microphone Noise cancellation More info Sony WH-1000XM5 Best mic performance 4.5 Under $380 Over-ear, wireless Built-in checkmark Review Edifier WH950NB Best mic under $200 4.6 Under $180 Over-ear, wireless Built-in checkmark Review Apple AirPods Max Best Apple 4.6 Under $430 Over-ear, wireless Built-in checkmark Review BlueParrot B550-XT Best mono headset 4.3 Under $200 Over-ear, wireless headset Boom mic checkmark Review Audio-Technica BPHS2 Best professional 4.2 Under $350 Over-ear, wired (XLR) headset Boom mic cross Review Jabra Evolve2 65 UC Best on-ears 4.3 Under $220 On-ear, wireless Boom mic cross Review OneOdio A30 Best under $100 4.2 Under $70 Over-ear, wireless Built-in checkmark Review In a world of video calls, Zoom meetings, and working from home, headphones with a quality mic are essential. To live in the modern world, you need at least one pair of headphones with a good microphone. Especially, if you’re using headphones for work. But not all wireless headphones have a quality mic. In fact, their call quality varies significantly, even with high-end headphones. Here, you’ll find the best headphones with a mic that we’ve tested (and recorded microphone tests). These top headsets will make your own voice sound clear and understandable for hassle-free calls. Before you make a buying decision, you have to know that the price of headphones isn’t correlated to mic quality. As a matter of fact, some premium models have a rather disappointing call quality. CONTENTS (show more) Related guides: Best Bluetooth headphones Most comfortable headphones Best headphones under $100 Best Headphones With Microphone 1. Sony WH-1000XM5 BEST HEADPHONES FOR CALLS By far the best Bluetooth headphones with mic for making phone calls in all kinds of environments. Sony WH-1000XM5/B Wireless Industry Leading Noise Canceling Bluetooth Headphones Sony WH-1000XM5/B Wireless Industry Leading Noise Canceling Bluetooth Headphones $229.99 $399.99 in stock Buy now eBay Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Industry Leading Noise Canceling Headphones, Black Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Industry Leading Noise Canceling Headphones, Black $348.00 $399.99 in stock Buy now Walmart.com Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Industry Leading Noise Canceling Headphones with Auto Noise Canceling… Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Industry Leading Noise Canceling Headphones with Auto Noise Canceling… $398.00 in stock 21 new from $398.00 32 used from $240.00 as of September 25, 2023 2:55 pm Buy now Amazon.com Sony WH-1000XM5 are consumer over-ear Bluetooth headphones that perform better than even enterprise-focused headsets. A perfect fit for video chats and even office work. Sony WH-1000XM5 review Connection: Bluetooth 5.2 Driver size: 30mm dynamic Frequency range: 4-40.000Hz Type: Over-ear | Battery life: 40h (with ANC) | Wireless range: 65 feet (19.8 meters)(Connection priority) | Noise cancelling: Yes, adaptive | Charging: 3.5h – Quick charge – USB-C (PD) | Mic & Controls: Yes | Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC | Water resistance: None | Features: App, Adaptive ANC, 360 Audio, Speak-to-chat Fun sound that can become natural after EQ Modern, comfortable & stable design Class-leading active noise cancellation performance Excellent battery life of more than 40 hours (with ANC) The best call quality in consumer BT headphones Not the most detailed sound Too much plastic for the price Listen to the Sony WH-1000XM5 microphone test: Headphones initially sound muddy and dark but produce much clearer audio once you apply a custom EQ. The bass remains sloppy, but the rest of the frequency response sounds airy and natural. What doesn’t sound sloppy is the voice quality. Sony WH-1000XM5 have a surprisingly excellent call performance, beating all other wireless headsets we’ve tested so far. Your voice is nicely full and without distortion, even in the presence of louder background noise. On top of that, you get to enjoy fantastic active noise cancelling and ambient sound mode performance. Also, there are many features in the Headphones Connect app to try. Furthermore, with a battery life of 40.5 hours per charge, you don’t have to worry about them shutting off during longer phone calls. Sony WH-1000XM5 review Check price 2. Edifier WH950NB RUNNER-UP FOR THE BEST HEADSETS Bluetooth headphones with the best mic performance under $200. Edifier WH950NB Wireless Headphones – Active Noise Cancelling Headsets – Bluetooth 5.3 – Hi-Res… Edifier WH950NB Wireless Headphones – Active Noise Cancelling Headsets – Bluetooth 5.3 – Hi-Res… $143.99 $179.99 in stock as of September 25, 2023 4:16 pm Buy now Amazon.com EDIFIER WH950NB Wireless Headphones, ANC, Ultra Noise Canceling 2.0, LDA EDIFIER WH950NB Wireless Headphones, ANC, Ultra Noise Canceling 2.0, LDA out of stock Buy now eBay You can expect surprisingly great noise-cancelling performance and audio quality. Edifier WH950NB review Connection: Bluetooth 5.3 Driver size: 40mm dynamic Frequency range: 20-40.000Hz Type: Over-ear | Battery life: 34h (with ANC) | Wireless range: 45 feet (13.7 meters) | Noise cancelling: Yes | Charging: 1.5h – quick charge – USB-C | Mic & Controls: Yes | Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC | Water resistance: None | Features: Multipoint, ANC, app, custom EQ, Google Pair Clear sound quality with natural bass response Comfortable design with memory foam earpads Great active noise cancellation that rivals the best Fairly durable build quality with hard-shell carrying case Overwhelming number of features Limiting custom EQ settings Ineffective Game Mode Listen to the Edifier WH950NB microphone test: Headphones output a clear sound with a balanced bass response and a touch of boosted rumble. You can improve the audio slightly with the custom EQ. However, the star of these headphones are their features. Four noise-reducing microphones do a fantastic job for making phone calls, beating even some headphones with separate boom mics. Furthermore, active noise cancellation is good enough to ensure no external sound will bother you. You can also use LDAC Bluetooth codec for high-res audio playback, multipoint connectivity, Bluetooth 5.3, and even Theatre Mode to hear movie dialog more clearly. Add to that a reasonably durable build and plush memory foam earpads, and you get a fantastic deal for under $200. Edifier WH950NB review Check price 3. Apple AirPods Max BEST APPLE HEADPHONES WITH MIC High-quality pair of ANC headphones with a great mic, excellent noise cancellation, and superb sound. Apple AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear Headset – Space Gray Apple AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear Headset – Space Gray $300.00 in stock Buy now eBay Apple AirPods Max – Space Gray Apple AirPods Max – Space Gray $479.00 $549.00 in stock 2 new from $479.00 20 used from $430.70 as of September 25, 2023 8:04 pm Buy now Amazon.com Apple AirPods Max – Silver Apple AirPods Max – Silver $479.00 $549.00 in stock Buy now Walmart.com A brand new version of popular headphones with active noise cancellation technology now comes with 5 microphones responsible for better ANC and call quality when taking a phone call. Apple AirPods Max review Connection: Bluetooth 5.0 Driver size: 40mm dynamic Frequency range: n/a Type: Over-ear | Battery life: 24h (ANC & Transparency mode ON) | Wireless range: 33ft (10m) | Noise cancelling: Yes | Charging: Quick charge – Lightning | Mic & Controls: Yes | Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC | Water resistance: None | Features: ANC, Transparency mode, Adaptive EQ, Spatial Audio Excellent, smooth sound Excellent ANC and realistic Transparency mode performance Tons of features (for Apple users) Premium build with replacable earpads Exceptional Bluetooth range Good battery life (23h with ANC) Degraded user experience on Android devices Uneven clamping force (could cause discomfort) Included Smart case is useless Listen to the Apple AirPods Max microphone test: For wireless headphones, they have a very high-quality sound. It’s slightly U-shaped and smooth, producing good rumble and sparkly treble that’s enjoyable whatever genre you throw at it. AirPods Max use 1+8 additional microphones to pick up your voice as best as possible. And for the most part, call quality is excellent when speaking in a quiet room. Moving to a noisier place and the quality drops noticeably. It’s still usable for casual making voice calls but not for professional use. The build quality is exquisite and comfort superb, and you get one of the best noise cancellation and Transparency mode performances on the market. The built-in H1 chip ensures excellent integration with the Apple devices ecosystem, offering Spatial Audio support and even connecting two devices simultaneously. Apple AirPods Max review Check price Find other best noise cancelling headphones. 4. BlueParrot B550-XT BEST MONO HEADSETS FOR CALLS Best specifically designed mono headset with mic that’s excellent for calls but terrible for music. BlueParrott B550-XT Voice-Controlled Bluetooth Headset – Industry Leading Sound with Long… BlueParrott B550-XT Voice-Controlled Bluetooth Headset – Industry Leading Sound with Long… $199.99 in stock 3 new from $199.99 8 used from $104.53 as of September 25, 2023 7:53 pm Buy now Amazon.com Blue Parrot B550-XT Bluetooth Wireless Trucker Headset Phone Parrott Handsfree Blue Parrot B550-XT Bluetooth Wireless Trucker Headset Phone Parrott Handsfree $199.99 $219.99 in stock Buy now eBay BlueParrott B550-XT Headset BlueParrott B550-XT Headset out of stock Buy now Walmart.com With a noise cancelling system that’s up to 96% efficient at blocking outside noise, they’re among the best in class. However, a mono speaker doesn’t offer a full frequency range for music. Connection: Bluetooth 5.0 Driver size: 36mm Frequency range: 150-6800Hz Type: Over-ear (mono) | Battery life: 24h | Wireless range: 300ft (100m) | Noise cancelling: Only mic | Charging: 3.5h – USB-B | Mic & Controls: Yes | Bluetooth codecs: n/a | Water resistance: IP54 | Features: NFC, app Excellent microphone quality Long Bluetooth range Sweat & dust resistance Good comfort Poor audio quality Mono headset The B550-XT are perfect headphones designed to tick all the boxes for excellent call quality, abandoning audio performance altogether. The single issue is that their 36mm drivers can only produce frequencies between 150 to 6800Hz, which isn’t enough for an enjoyable music experience. However, that’s more than enough for human speech. Taking calls with these headsets are excellent, providing clarity in all kinds of situations. Their 96% noise cancellation for calls means you can use them in noisier environments, like offices and warehouses. Since they’re over-ear mono headsets, their weight can be a bit unevenly distributed. Thankfully, comfort isn’t a problem. You even get a foam replacement earpad in the box. The headset comes with an IP54 sweatproof rating, a mobile app, and a good battery life of 24 hours per single charge. Check price Get Free Headphones by Joining Our Giveaway Click on the button below to find out this month’s giveaway prize. Go to Giveaway to Join 5. Audio-Technica BPHS2 BEST PROFESSIONAL HEADPHONES WITH MIC Best headphones with a mic for conference calls, for professionals. Audio-Technica BPHS2S-UT Single-Ear Headset w/Hypercardioid Boom Mic, Black Audio-Technica BPHS2S-UT Single-Ear Headset w/Hypercardioid Boom Mic, Black $185.32 $366.87 in stock Buy now eBay Audio-Technica BPHS2 Broadcast Stereo Headset with Hypercardioid Dynamic Boom Microphone Black Audio-Technica BPHS2 Broadcast Stereo Headset with Hypercardioid Dynamic Boom Microphone Black $349.00 in stock 7 new from $349.00 1 used from $279.81 as of September 25, 2023 9:14 pm Buy now Amazon.com Much like the previous model, the new BPHS2 wired headset delivers an all-around experience primarily created for on-air broadcasting, streaming, or interviews. Connection: Wired – 3.5mm Driver size: 45mm dynamic Frequency range: 15-28.000Hz Type: Over-ear | Back design: Closed-back | Noise cancelling: No | Mic & Controls: Mic only | Impedance: 38 Ohm | Weight: 8.8 oz (250g) | Cable lenght: 9.8 inch (3m) | Features: Detachable mic High-quality professional microphone Slim frame & lightweight construction Dtachable mic and main cable XLRM connector means buying a dedicated gear You get good sound quality for a headset that was primarily built for vocal actions. The 45mm headphone driver (from the ATH-M60x model) translates to an improved sound with a wide frequency range. The BPHS2 are quality over-ear stereo headphones that offer natural and focused vocals, which makes them ideal for any kind of professional broadcasting or live streaming. The closed-back stereo headset has a dynamic hyper-cardioid boom microphone which creates a full frequency response and clear natural vocals. Plus, these impressive headphones are firmly built and should last multiple years. Since these are closed-back headphones, they seal out external noise pretty nicely. Additionally, the boom mic can be positioned either left or right. That’s one of the new features that are really nice to have. Check price 6. Jabra Evolve2 65 UC BEST ON-EAR HEADPHONES FOR CALLS Stylish looking on-ear wireless headphones. Jabra Evolve2 65 UC Wireless Headphones with Link380a, Stereo, Black – Wireless Bluetooth Headset… Jabra Evolve2 65 UC Wireless Headphones with Link380a, Stereo, Black – Wireless Bluetooth Headset… $163.15 $301.00 in stock 23 new from $161.99 24 used from $120.00 as of September 25, 2023 9:14 pm Buy now Amazon.com Jabra Evolve2 65 UC Mono (USB-A) Black Headset with 40mm Speakers (2659-988-9999) Jabra Evolve2 65 UC Mono (USB-A) Black Headset with 40mm Speakers (2659-988-9999) $212.00 $239.00 in stock Buy now Walmart.com New Jabra Evolve2 65 – UC Stereo Black – Link380a New Jabra Evolve2 65 – UC Stereo Black – Link380a out of stock Buy now eBay Jabra Evolve2 65 UC are among the best headphones with a mic for professionals. Connection: Bluetooth 5.0 & USB-C Driver size: 40mm Frequency range: 20-20.000Hz Type: On-ear | Battery life: 37h (35h talk time) | Wireless range: 100ft (30m) | Noise cancelling: No (mic only) | Charging: 1.5h + Quick charge – USB-C & Charging dock | Mic & Controls: Yes | Bluetooth codecs: SBC | Water resistance: No | Features: UC-certified, busylight, Jabra SafeTone Excellent microphone clarity Microsoft Teams compatible Good on-ear comfort Fun, V-shaped sound Superb battery life Long Bluetooth range Only SBC Bluetooth codec Solid audio is somewhat V-shaped but with a good balance between lows and highs. Headphones can give a meaty bass punch while sounding sparkly at the same time. The Evolve2 65 UC are specially made with microphone performance in mind. The quality of video calls is superb, offering reliable voice clarity even inside a very noisy office. Despite having an on-ear design, they have a secure fit and stay on pretty comfortably. You can probably wear them for a couple of hours before needing to take a break. Headsets are UC-certified, meaning their impressive features work with many communications platforms like Microsoft Teams. There’s a mute button for when you want to speak to someone else. Besides having increased battery life over their predecessor (37 hours of playtime), they can fast-charge to an additional 8 hours in just 15 minutes. Check price 7. OneOdio A30 BEST HEADPHONES WITH MIC UNDER $100 Best headphones with a mic for video chats under $100 and a great all-around choice. OneOdio Wired Computer Headphones over-Ear Headsets with Mic HIFI Sound Deep Bass for Laptop Cell… OneOdio Wired Computer Headphones over-Ear Headsets with Mic HIFI Sound Deep Bass for Laptop Cell… $41.39 $45.99 in stock Buy now Walmart.com OneOdio A30 Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, Over Ear Bluetooth v5.0 OneOdio A30 Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, Over Ear Bluetooth v5.0 $42.99 in stock Buy now eBay OneOdio A30 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones OneOdio A30 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones $59.99 in stock Buy now Oneodio.com Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, OneOdio A30 Wireless Wired Headset Bluetooth 5.0 Over Ear… Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, OneOdio A30 Wireless Wired Headset Bluetooth 5.0 Over Ear… out of stock as of September 26, 2023 12:34 am Buy now Amazon.com Wireless headset at a reasonable price with excellent mic quality for home office work. OneOdio A30 review Connection: Bluetooth 5.0 Driver size: 40mm dynamic Frequency range: 20-20.000Hz Type: Over-ear | Battery life: 25h (ANC off), 15h (ANC on) | Wireless range: 33ft (10m) | Noise cancelling: Yes | Charging: 2.5h – USB-C | Mic & Controls: Yes | Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC | Water resistance: None | Features: Foldable & rotatable cups, AUX port Great, clean sound Excellent call quality Good comfort & fit Decent ANC performance Foldable & rotatable earcups Sibilance can get annoying Not fully over-ear earpads Hissing noise when you enable ANC Listen to the OneOdio A30 microphone test: The sound profile is surprisingly clean for the price, with overall fun tuning. Expect a punchy bass and some added sparkle in the high-end. Unfortunately, also some occasional sibilance. For the best results, turn the ANC off. The biggest surprise is the microphone quality. It outperforms most wireless headphones, even those costing 4 times as much. While OneOdio A30 aren’t as clean as those with a dedicated boom mic, they’re doing an admirable job. You can confidently use them for conference calls. The build quality is solid and in line with the price tag. Earpads are decently big and super plush, so you don’t have to worry about comfort. The foldable ear cup design also brings extra points to portability. OneOdio A30 review Check price Are you looking for cheap ANC options? See the best budget noise cancelling headphones. For the same budget, see the best earbuds under $50 or best true wireless earbuds under $50. Honorable Mentions Sony WH-1000XM4 Noise-cancellation headphones from Sony with modern design, Bluetooth technology, and excellent sound quality. Sony WH-1000XM4 are more than suitable for video calls or conference calls. However, they work best in quiet environments, with some distortion in louder ones. Check Sony WH-1000XM4 price Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 Crusher ANC 2 are primarily a great pick for bassheads thanks to their Sensory Bass feature that literally rattles your head. Headphones are packed with features, both great and strange ones, but most importantly, they offer good call quality. Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 review Interested in in-ears? You can find more budget options among the best cheap headphones. Want another affordable pair of headphones? Best cheap earbuds. Want to look further? All of the best Bluetooth headphones under $100 also come with a microphone. How To Choose the Best Headphones with Microphone Where Do You Usually Make Phone Calls? Quiet places: no need for a special microphone Loud places: noise reduction tech for mic is essential Quiet offices don’t require mics with special ANC technologies. Even more basic headphones can perform quite well in a quiet environment. However, if you primarily make calls on the road, on the streets, or in a loud office environment, investing in good headphones with noise cancelling mic is essential. Do I Benefit from Quality ANC Technology for Mic? ANC for mics: helps reducing background noises, only focuses on your voice, but can cause distortion No ANC: clearer overall sound but with lots of background distractions Sometimes you can see the labels “noise-canceling mic” or “cVc 8.0” written on the box. A noise cancellation microphone is good to have, but sometimes it can do more harm than good. For example, the active noise cancellation tech tends to overdo the reduction process, making your voice sound muffled or very thin. Also, some headphones cut off all the frequencies except the ones that are essential for understanding human speech. They do that to minimize the signal’s bandwidth. You probably know how bad aviation microphones sound in movies. On the other hand, mics without noise-cancelling tech can pick up your voice with better fullness but also a ton of ambient noise. Are the Headphones Comfortable? More comfortable headphones will make long voice calls and listening sessions more bearable. If you plan to stay in front of the screen for longer listening sessions, you have to pick comfortable headphones. Over-ear headphones with cushy earpads are the best option. Preferably, pick velour ear pads since they breathe better, preventing your ears from becoming too hot and sweaty. On-ears are out of the question unless they’re the more basic ones with super lightweight construction. Is the Sound Quality Important? Do you want headphones just for making calls, or do you also want to enjoy your favorite music? Many professional headphones with a mic focus primarily on microphone quality and put the audio performance at second place. In many cases, dedicated headsets prioritize call quality for calls over audio quality for music. As mentioned above, even premium models with great sound quality can have bad mic quality. Therefore, you have to be very careful when picking headphones that perfectly balance audio and call quality. Thankfully, you can skim through our guide to find the best offers that can do both. Get Free Headphones by Joining Our Giveaway Click on the button below to find out this month’s giveaway prize. Go to Giveaway to Join What Makes a Quality Microphone? A quality microphone must pick up your voice with clarity and fullness. It must also withstand challenging situations without deteriorating call quality. For the latter, it has to feature noise-filtering technologies. Noise Filtering Noise reduction Basic noise filtering technology involves having at least 2 microphones, one facing your mouth while the other is facing outwards. The first mic picks up your voice while the other picks up ambient noise. The two signals filter themselves out so that only your voice remains. The outside-facing microphone on the left, and the main microphone on the right. Active noise cancelling (cVc) If headphones have ANC microphones, it means they cancel out noise using a dedicated chip (cVc or “Clear Voice Capture”). The latter is a technology that takes the signal from all microphones and cancels out everything but your voice by using a special algorithm. Wind noise reduction While you can reduce some noise caused by wind on a chip level, it’s better to avoid it in the first place. You do that by picking the mic with a specific pick-up pattern. Omni-directional microphones are overall the best when it comes to reducing noise from the wind. The latter involves the noise of the actual outdoor wind or when you blow air through your mouth. Microphone Position The further is the mic to your mouth, the harder it is to ensure good voice quality. The latter is especially a problem with built-in mics that sit somewhere next to your ear. However, call quality can also worsen if the mic is too close to your mouth. Boom mics are often the best for call quality as they reach closer to your mouth. How Does a Headphone Microphone Work? For calls There’re regular and noise-filtering microphones. Regular ones only face towards your mouth and try to catch as much of your voice and as few surrounding sounds as possible. Noise filtering ones consist of at least dual microphones: one is catching your voice, while the other listens to surround sound. That way, the mic can better filter out background noise and only focus on your voice. Of course, there are also noise cancelling ones that use multiple mics and a computer algorithm only to isolate your voice while reducing surrounding sounds. For ANC Microphones pick up background noises, create an opposite signal, and play it into your ears. When the real ambient noise and the inverted one meet, they cancel each other out. Types of Microphones in Headphones Built-in Built-in microphones are most common in wireless Bluetooth headphones. A built-in microphone is hidden beneath the plus-shaped hole. They are positioned around the device, with at least one facing toward your mouth. Since built-in mics are the furthest away from your mouth of the bunch, they also struggle the most with keeping clean call quality. To combat the issue, the built-in mic must use noise reduction technologies, such as cVc. Inline Inline mics are only found in wired headphones Many in-line remotes also come with a mic. They usually come with in-line controls that has an integrated mic for making phone calls. Because they’re positioned more closely to your mouth, they can pick up your voice with greater clarity. Since they’re wired, they also don’t have to compress the audio. However, most integrated microphones lack noise reduction technology to reduce ambient noise. Consequently, the person on the other end of the line can hear a lot of background interference. Boom mic You can find boom mics on professional teleconferencing headphones or most gaming headsets. Most gaming headsets have boom mics since you don’t want to be muffled when giving orders to your teammates. It can be detachable, retractable, or you can flip it up. Since it extends the furthest to reach your mouth, it’s also the best option if you want clean voice quality. Boom mics are usually equipped with noise reduction tech, either by design or by using dedicated software. Since they sit so close to your mouth, they can pick up wind blowing from your mouth or nose. MEMS vs. ECM Built-in mics have to be small. Two designs are tiny enough to fit in such constrained space: MEMS and ECM. MEMS The “Micro-Electro-Mechanical System” is the newest and the smallest mic technology to date. Their size is also the main reason why the majority of wireless headphones use MEMS mics. It draws less energy to operate More resistant to heat and electrical interferences, which cause static noise ECM An electret condenser microphone is slightly older tech but still useful in various applications. It’s cheaper to manufacture and easier to replace if it stops working More resistant to water by design It’s bigger and more power-hungry than MEMS Uni-directional vs. Omnidirectional There are various types of pickup patterns for microphones. Most common ones are uni-directional and omnidirectional. The difference between the two is in their design. Uni-directional mic Picks up sounds from one direction Can better isolate your voice Can pick up wind noise Omni-directional mic Picks up sounds from all sides Works better against wind noise Picks up a lot of ambient noise Antlion Audio boom microphone can toggle between unidirectional to omnidirectional pattern with a switch. Usually, a uni-directional microphone is better for making phone calls with your headphones since it can better isolate you. Omni-directional mics are more sensitive and thus pick up more ambient noise. That can make a huge difference when making a call in crowded public places. On the other hand, the omnidirectional microphone is a better option when you want to capture all the sound around you. When making videos, voice and video calls, streams, interviews, etc. You can read more about the difference between omni and directional mics. How to Get the Best Voice Quality with a Headphone Mic? Pick up the right headphones with a mic using all the info from the above. It’s best to get good call quality right from the start. You can further improve the quality by avoiding noisy and windy places. Don’t speak directly into a built-in or inline mic in order to reduce wind noise and prevent distortion. If you have a boom mic, make sure you have all the settings right. Gaming headphones usually come with software, and you can also enable noise reduction inside Windows (if headphones support it). How to enable noise suppression for microphone in Win10 To enable noise suppression for microphones within Windows 10, right-click on the speaker icon and select Open Sound settings. Under the Input section, click on Device properties. In the new window, click on Additional device properties. See what options show up under the Enhancements tab. Try each of them to see if they help with call quality. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Are headphones with a mic better? Headphones with a mic are much more practical but not necessarily better. If you want the best sound and voice quality, buying headphones and a microphone separately is usually the best idea. Do wireless headphones have a microphone? Yes, most Bluetooth headphones have a built-in mic. Also, gaming-oriented headsets, and headphones for teleconferencing, often have boom mics that extend further to reach your mouth. Do noise cancelling headphones have a microphone? Yes, all active noise cancelling headphones have microphones since they need them to cancel out outside noise (to record ambient sound and cancel it with an opposite signal). These microphones are different from those used for phone calls. Do cheap headphones have a microphone? Some cheap headphones have a microphone, but not all. It doesn’t depend on price but on technology. Some of the most expensive headphones lack a microphone. But in general, headphones with Bluetooth connection have a built-in mic, no matter the price. If looking for wired headsets, check if they have a casing or inline controls on the cable. If not, they probably don’t have a mic. What’s the difference between headphones and a headset? The only difference between headphones and headsets is that the latter have a microphone. It can be built inside or a boom mic. Therefore, all gaming and Bluetooth headphones are basically headsets. What is the price of headphones with a mic? You can get great headphones with a mic in all price ranges. The cost isn’t an indicator of quality when it comes to microphone performance. Matija FerjanEnthusiastically writing about headphones and audio technology since 2015. Tested and tried hundreds of headphones. A true nitpicker, always looking for the “best-value-for-money” headphones. Today, he’s mostly dealing with back-end content production and technical issues.
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