OT: Desktop Headphones

[tim...]

I'm looking for plug in headphones to my desktop for things like Skype calling

Chunky over-ear type are required, floppy in-ear are not sufficient, also not keen on the disadvantages of wireless (whatever their other advantages)

As I'm sure you know, a desktop has separate connections for audio-in and audio-out

but all I can find are headphones for gamming devices/smartphones that have a single socket for audio-in/out

I know that I can get some sort of adaptor from one to the other, but I'd rather not

I asked in Pissy world, and they said no and told me to look in Argos, but I can't see anything suitable in their online catalogue either (and the shop's not open to walk-ins)

Can anyone point me in the direction of where I might be able to get what I actually want?

I also want the same thing for plugging into my TV, but that, of course, only has audio out so no need for the mic there.

TIA

tim

[Pancho]

Wireless are much better than they used to be. Bluetooth in particular has improved massively over the approximately 10 years I have been using them.

I would also recommend different headsets for talking, skype etc, and for listening, tv etc.

For talking people always complain unless I use a device that has a boom mic right in front of my mouth.

Neither have to be expensive.

[Dave Liquorice]

Do you really mean "chunky over-ear", they tend not to be very comfortable for extended use. Ears sweat, skull crushed and stiff neck from the weight. B-)

Between the "shove it in your ear" and "chunky over-ear" there are light weight "on ear" types. Much more comfortable IMHO. One slight problem is that if they have foam ear pads they do leak the sound which might be annoying to others. Cushioned ones much less so but then you're moving back into sweaty ears land...

Selction:

For PC use it might be worth looking at the USB Headset option. I went this route with Sennheiser PC8 USB (from CPC but OOS until October now!) for Zoom/Teams meetings. Inline volume and mic cut, the volume is useful but the mic cut puts a fing big splat on the microphone audio when operated.

Headphones with a socket? That's odd. Normally a plug, or plugs for headset.

For that I'd be looking at "HiFi" headphones rather than made down to a price PC type things. With an extension cable from TV to your normal watching position so that it can be run out of the way from the TV to you.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Big selection on Ebay.

USB seems to be the norm - just plug them in and Windows seems to find the drivers for them OK.

I also have a second set which have jack plugs - and those came with a USB adaptor (an active device) which gives you the choice. Other gotcha is some use a four pole jack to do stereo to the headphones and the mic all in one. Others two TRS jacks for headphones and mic.

The chunky type are generally for gaming. Where you want them loud. For Skype and Zoom, lightweight ones are far more comfortable.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You can immediately tell someone who has to use cans for a living. ;-)

[tim...]

I'm open to suggestions

I just don't want ear-buds, as I cannot keep them in place

[tim...]

See my other post in reply to Pamela (which might actually be a different group)

I've stopped buying electronic items from random no-name online sellers

Received too many poor quality counterfeit products that died after a few months

even if you can persuade eBay to refund, it's too much hassle, and I'd be worried about getting poor rep

Didn't see any of those either

Doesn't work for the TV

Yup, that exactly the problem with the majority

[Dave Liquorice]

So be more selective about who you do buy from. Find a *real* UK seller, ie one with a UK address *and* delivery times within a week. When you do find a real UK seller you may have to pay a few quid more than from a no-name shipping from China (even if they say "UK Seller", "UK Stock", "Shipped from the UK" etc. That can mean that stuff is sent from China to an intermediate UK address where it is fed into the UK postage system).

A real UK seller may well be on eBay and Amazon and have their own website. Total price (goods + P&P) nearly always vary across those platforms for the same item from the same seller.

headphones

Must be something up with your google foo not to find these variants. B-)

[Theo]

One thing to beware is your machine might have a line-in connection and not a microphone-in. That might mean your input audio is very quiet - it might also mean it doesn't provide power for the microphone.

A headset with USB would seem to avoid this problem.

You might also find that your desktop's 'audio out' socket also supports a TRRS 3.5mm jack where one of the rings is microphone-in, in which case a pair of 'phones for a (mobile) phone might do. Worth checking the manual.

Theo

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Not quite sure what would be a brand for a headset worth counterfeiting?

I've never had a problem getting a refund on the odd occasion I've needed one. And most Ebay sellers are more worried about *their* FB rating, so will accept returns happily.

Likely not if looking for gaming ones.

Do you really want cabled headphones to the TV?

Well, the cheap pair I bought with jacks and USB adaptor is just fine for Zoom etc and could be used cabled with the TV - provided you sit close enough. ;-)

[Dave Liquorice]

Don't think I've ever seen a PC without Line In, Mic In and Line Out ever since PCs started having sound (more than a beeper) without needing a sound card.

Look for pink (Mic In) and green (Line out) 3.5 mm sockets amongst the half a dozen that PCs now seem to have to support 7.1 sound...

Unlikely on a desktop, laptop maybe.

[Chris Bartram]

They do exist, we have some at work, but they seem hard to find.

The adaptors are really cheap:

Alternatively if it's only for PC and you want a seperate TV one, buy a USB wired headset.

[tim...]

well I wouldn't either

but they just tell you that it's "genuine" and supply junk

I'm not

I'm just searching "headphones" and then scanning the list

none of them state in the headline description that they are USB connection and the ones that show pictures of the connectors are always 3.5 jack plugs

clicking on a few (of the others) shows the same

It takes ages to click on them all

At a sensible price, do I have an alternative?

I have an extension lead 3.5-3.5

[Theo]

I had just this problem on a Mac Mini the other week. That's not a 'PC', but I wouldn't be surprised if other SFF/AIO PCs do the same.

Theo

[Andy Burns]

An SFF Dell here has a green (spk) plus a combined blue(line-in)/green(mic) socket, not sure whether/how it would differentiate?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Try headset. Headphones with a mic. When I looked some time ago, pages of them. At that time - the start of the lockdown - all the high street etc suppliers had zero stock. Same with webcams.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

My HP has only the one jack. It does headphones and mic, so four pole. T-R-R-S. But that also seems to work OK with headphones only - TRS.

[polygonum_on_google]

"usb headphones"

finds over 30,000 results for Electronics & Photo : Headphones, Earphones & Accessories : Headphones & Earphones : "usb headphones"

And that is only Amazon.

[Dave Liquorice]

T R R S = L R M G (Left, Right, Mic & +V, Gnd)

T R S = L R G-G (for headphones)

T R S = M V G-G (for mics if the plugin power (+V) is seperate from the mic circuit.

Shorting the plugin power +V to ground isn't a problem as it's a only a volt or two fed via a 1k or greater resistor.

[Bob Eager]

Yes, I was lucky I was able to find a very old webcam and headset to use.

I now have some better ones (which I need anyway, lockdown etc. notwithstanding).

A reasonable Logitech webcam and a Plantronics wireless headset. I even have a background and frame!