Headsets fall into three categories – Wired (corded), Wireless, and Bluetooth.
See explanation of headsets features at the end of this article.
Wired Headsets
| C100 | T100 | UC600 | |
 |  |  | |
| Design | Over-the-head | Over-the-head | Over-the-head |
| Noise cancellation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Audio processor | No | No | No |
| Direct connect | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Volume/mute controls | No | No | Yes |
| Call answer/end | No | No | No |
| Connection type | 2.5/3.5mm | RJ9 | USB |
Telephone model compatibility | |||
| Yealink SIP-T43U |  |  | |
| Yealink SIP-T46S | | | |
| Yealink SIP-T48S | | | |
| Yealink SIP-T53/T53W | |  | |
| Yealink SIP-T54W | | | |
| Yealink SIP-T57W | | | |
| Yealink SIP-T58A | | | |
| Yealink W56P | – 3.5mm |  | |
| Yealink W59R |  | | |
| Poly VVX 301/311 | | | |
| Poly VVX 401/411 | | | – only 411! |
| Poly VVX 601 | | | |
| Poly VVX 250/350/450 | | | |
Connectivity
There are three kinds of wired (corded) headsets depending on the type of connection you have on your telephone.
- Older and some cordless telephones comes with a port that accepts a headset with either 2.5mm or 3.5mm plug.
Telebroad sells a 2.5mm set for $25, branded C100.You may need to get an additional adapter to plug a 2.5mmm headset to your your existing phone if it only has an RJ9 headset port.
- Newer phones come with a port that accepts headsets with RJ9 plug (also known as RJ22.)
Telebroad sells a compatible set for $40, branded T100.
The advantage of an RJ9 headsets is that you can plug it into any telephone. Even if a telephone doesn't have a dedicated RJ9 headset port, you can simply plug it into the handset port instead.
- More and more telephones nowadays come with a versatile USB connection where a compatible USB headsets can be plugged in. USB headsets tend to offer better sound quality.
For some telephones the USB connection is needed for a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth dongle or for an expansion module. Before buying a USB headset please check the number of USB ports available on your telephone and consider if you anticipate needing to plug additional accessories in these ports.
Telebroad sells a the Wantek UC600 USB headsets for $30.
Wireless headsets
| Yealink WH62 Dual | Yealink WH62 Mono | Yealink WH63 | |
 |  |  | |
| Design | Over-the-head | Over-the-head | Convertible |
| Noise cancellation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Audio processor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Direct connect | Yes – USB | Yes – USB | Yes – USB |
| Volume/mute controls | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Call answer/end | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Talk time per charge | Up to 14 hours | Up to 13 hours | Up to 8 hours |
| Talk range | 525 ft | 525 ft | 394 ft |
| Telephone model compatibility | |||
| Yealink SIP-T43U | |  |  |
| Yealink SIP-T46S | |  |  |
| Yealink SIP-T48S | |  |  |
| Yealink SIP-T53/T53W | | | |
| Yealink SIP-T54W | | | |
| Yealink SIP-T57W | | | |
| Yealink SIP-T58A | | | |
| Yealink W56P |  | | |
| Yealink W59R | | | |
| Poly VVX 301/311 | | | |
| Poly VVX 401/411 | – only 411! | – only 411! | – only 411! |
| Poly VVX 601 | |  |  |
| Poly VVX 250/350/450 | |  |  |
All of the above wireless Yealink headsets support Microsoft Teams.
Poly headsets were formerly sold under the Plantronics brand.
| Poly Savi 710 | Poly CS540 | . | |
 |  | . | |
| Design | Convertible | Convertible | . |
| Noise cancellation | Yes | Yes | . |
| Audio processor | Yes | Yes | . |
| Direct connect | *No - extra cable needed (included) | **Yes | . |
| Volume/mute controls | Yes | Yes | . |
| Call answer/end | Yes | Yes | . |
| Talk time per charge | Up to 13 hours | Up to 7 hours | . |
| Talk range | 350 ft | 350 ft | . |
| Telephone model compatibility | |||
| Yealink SIP-T43U | | | . |
| Yealink SIP-T46S | | | . |
| Yealink SIP-T48S | | | . |
| Yealink SIP-T53/T53W | | | . |
| Yealink SIP-T54W | | | . |
| Yealink SIP-T57W | | | . |
| Yealink SIP-T58A | | | . |
| Yealink W56P | | | . |
| Yealink W59R | | | . |
| Poly VVX 301/311 | |
| . |
| Poly VVX 401/411 | | | . |
| Poly VVX 601 | | | . |
| Poly VVX 250/350/450 | | | . |
* an additional cable is included in the box to facilitate the connection from the base station to the phone, however either a phone lifter or an EHS cable will be needed to be bought separately as explained below. Many vendors will bundle either with the headsets.
** The headsets can be connected directly using an included standard telephone cable. An electronic hookswitch adapter is also provided in the box.
Wireless Headsets Advantages and Accessories
Wireless headsets are much pricier than wired headsets but provide an obvious advantage with freedom of movement and less cable clutter. They are also pricier than Bluetooth headsets but offers a much wider reception range thanks to a base station that connects directly to a telephone and broadcasts calls to the headsets.
Depending on your Telephone however, you may also need to purchase additional accessories to facilitate the connection between the base station and the telephone.
With older telephones you will need a handset lifter, such as Poly HL10 a mechanical device that attach to the telephone and physically lifts the handset at a push of a button on the wireless headsets. The purpose of the lifter is simply to allow you to answer a call as if you were sitting by your desk and picking it up the handset or pressing a key to answer a call.
On newer telephones you would be able to purchase an EHS cable - electronic hookswitch cable, which perform the same task as the lifter without physically lifting the handset.
Shown here is the Poly EHS App-51 cable. It is compatible with all five models listed in the table above.
Telebroad does not sell wireless headsets. But you can refer to this online resource for advise on wireless headsets (as well as wired ones) and required accessories that are compatible with your existing telephones or those you intent to purchase.
Bluetooth Headsets
Poly Voyager 5200 | ||
 | ||
| Design | Over-the-ear | |
| Noise cancellation | Yes | |
| Audio Processor | No | |
| Direct connect | Yes (wireless) | |
| Volume/mute controls | Yes | |
| Call answer/end | Yes** | |
| Talk range | Up to 98 ft | |
| Talk time per charge | Up to 7 hours | |
Telephone model compatibility | ||
| Yealink SIP-T43U | * | |
| Yealink SIP-T46S | * | |
| Yealink SIP-T48S | * | |
| Yealink SIP-T53 | * | |
| Yealink SIP-T53W |  | |
| Yealink SIP-T54W |  | |
| Yealink SIP-T57W |  | |
| Yealink SIP-T58A |  | |
| Yealink W56P | | |
| Yealink W59R | | |
| Poly VVX 301/311 | | |
| Poly VVX 401/411 | | |
| Poly VVX 601 | | |
| Poly VVX 250/350/450 | | |
*Bluetooth connectivity with additional Yealink BT-41 adapter.
**The call button is also used for interacting with a virtual assistant (Apple Siri, Google Assistant, Microsoft Cortana, or Amazon Alexa.) Microsoft Teams is also supported.
Bluetooth headsets provides a favorable alternative to wireless headsets, requiring no additional accessories to connect to telephones with built-in Bluetooth connectivity. Two more advantages are tha Bluetooth headsets can be used with any smartphone, mobile device, or computer you may be using and they are as much as 80% cheaper than wireless headsets. Wireless headsets, however, have a much wider reception range.
While more telephone models have a built-in Bluetooth connectivity, some require an additional adaptor that plugs in the phone's USB port. When buying a Bluetooth headset for the later you should make sure that at least one USB is available. For example the Yealink T48S has only one USB port. If you are already using this port with a Wi-Fi dongle you cannot use it for your Bluetooth adaptor. See our SIP Phones buying guides for more information about USB ports.
Headsets Features
Design – Over-the-Ear/Over-the-head/Convertible: This is a matter of personal preference and convenience. Some people prefer traditional headsets that have a support arch sitting over one's head and some prefer headsets that have arch supported just by the ear. Can't decide? Consider convertible headsets. They are pricier but can transform from one mode to the other.
Audio processor: Simple analog headsets merely relay the sound wave to the sound reproduction mechanism. But with digital sound the quality of the audio require additional processing on the headsets for optimal performance. If you have telephones that deliver HD sound, an audio processor is something worth considering. Even without it, an audio processor can enhance a sound and offers better noise cancellation technology.
Noise cancellation: This is a feature that reduced unwanted ambient noise by employing an audio wave that has a negative form to the one produced by a source of noise. It has been available for decades using analog audio signals, but has been greatly improved by digital processing. It benefits users with improved clarity in a noisy environment and saves them from having to raise volume excessively. They seem like an obvious choice for for noisy call centers, however it need to be understood that the type of noise they are mostly capable of cancelling is of a steady repetitive low frequency (like that of a passenger jet engine or an air conditioner.) Ironically noise cancellation can also reduce audio quality. It is therefore a feature that may be overrated for office use. Alternatively it may be more important to invest in headsets that offer better sound proofing.
Direct connect: This has to do with the headset connecting directly to the phone or requiring additional accessories like extra cabling or amplifier.
Talk time per charge: Self explanatory. Some models offer a hot-swappable battery for a potential unlimited talk time.
Talk range: For wireless/Bluetooth models, this is the maximum range of reception between the headset and its base station.