Being a remote worker, a good tech setup is essential. A comfortable chair, nice desk, well-positioned monitor and a keyboard and mouse you love. Then there are the other parts that people don’t think about as much: webcam and microphone.
Before buying the Microsoft Modern Wireless Headset, I was using an AT2020+ microphone on a boom arm, which I use for streaming and other purposes. Then I got the Blue Yeti X, a great microphone, my primary one. It’s a great microphone, but I have to adjust the audio levels with it through my interface routinely.
However, I realised I sit often and am terrible when taking breaks or leaving my computer. They do say sitting is the new smoking.
Sometimes I don’t need to sit at the computer on a call. Unless I am going over some code with someone, if it’s a meeting where we discuss work, I could be standing and walking around (something a wired headset or microphone doesn’t let you do). My monitor is still visible, but the ability to pace around my study would benefit my developer body.
And that realisation is what made me think of a wireless headset.
My initial search yielded some quite expensive headsets. I was shocked when I saw some for $300+, then even more shocked when the prices kept going up past $1k. I am sure the expensive wireless headsets are great, but I just wanted a comfortable one that won’t bankrupt me and have decent sound quality.
And that’s when I came across the Microsoft Modern Wireless Headset.
It ticked all of the boxes:
- Good reviews
- Affordable
- Built for audio calls
- It’s a Microsoft product, so it would be easier to replace it if it’s faulty.
Like everything I buy, even the cheap things, I research extensively. The Modern Wireless Headset seems to be a highly-rated headset for the price. While it is marketed as a Microsoft Teams-compatible headset, it will work with any application. Furthermore, you can even use it with your phone if you like. Some say they use it for music, but I am a bit of an audiophile and don’t think I could bring myself to do that.
For the price, I was expecting the headset to leave my head or ears sore, but Microsoft seems to have surprisingly built an affordable headset that doesn’t comprise comfort. I unknowingly leave the headset on even when not on a call or listening to music. The battery life is also surprisingly good. I am not sure of the claim of 50 hours as I am in the habit of charging my devices at the end of the day.
And just when you thought things couldn’t get any better, I tested this headset on Ubuntu Linux, and it worked out of the box. No drivers were needed, as Ubuntu recognised it and allowed me to use it.
Are there better headsets out there? Undoubtedly. But you can’t go wrong if you’re like me and just wanted a headset specifically for audio calls. The Microsoft Modern Wireless headset gets the job done without breaking the bank.
100%. I’ve got one today and works great with Pop!_OS as well.
Can’t find anything wireless for the same price. Got mine on sale for $99 CAD.
Thanks for this, I’ve been trying to find a decent wireless headset for my sister, but one without bluetooth, as I know from talking with people on calls who use them that they always sound robotic and they have bad lag; I didn’t want her to sound that way to others in her new job. May I ask you a couple of questions about them?
– Am I right in thinking that these use bluetooth if you don’t use the included adaptor, but if you do use the adaptor then the quality improves because the adaptor is actually RF instead of bluetooth? Does this match your experience when using them?
– I’ve seen a couple of reviews that complain they are too quiet, but my hope is those people didn’t know all the places they could increase volume levels – do you feel they are plenty loud enough, even on calls with quiet people?
@CJ,
All good. Happy to help you out with answers to your questions.
– Good question. That’s correct. With the adapter, it is RF and without it’s Bluetooth. I can confirm you can walk away from your computer and go into the kitchen, which still works (the benefit of RF), which has been great for me. I can be on a call and go make a coffee. The problem with Bluetooth is that walls and whatnot it will cause interference. So, using RF is preferable.
– I haven’t had any issues with volume. I can hear everyone quite fine and I use them for my dedicated meeting headset (I work remotely). You can boost the volume in Windows and Linux anyway.
If you have any more questions, ask any time!
Thanks so much for your time and insights, Dwayne – that is super-helpful and confirms my guesses about these. It was down to these or the Logitech Vibe 125 as the only feasible options on my headset-with-RF shortlist, and while I love Logitech kit and use keyboard/mouse/webcam from them daily, it looks like they cut way too many corners on the 125.
So I appreciate your reply immensely and will now get a set of these for my sister plus probably save up for a set for myself too, as even though I enjoy the ease-of-connection, voice clarity and dropout- and lag-free quality of my current cheap wired headset, being tethered to my laptop on WFH calls can be a bit limiting. Hopefully my guess about RF being the best of both worlds – wireless from bluetooth camp, but lagfree and high voice quality from the wired world – will be right!
Thank you again for taking the time to help with my queries!