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/Mic controls | No | No | Yes |
| 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 W52P | - 2.5mm read this!! |  | |
| Yealink W56P | - 3.5mm |  | |
| 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 phones 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 phones the USB connection is needed for a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth dongle or for an expansion module. Before buying a USB headset please consider the number of USB ports available on your phone and if you anticipate needing to plug additional accessories in these ports.
Telebroad sells a the Wantek UC600 USB headsets for $30.
Wireless headsets
| Plantronics Savi 710 | Plantronics CS510 | Plantronics CS530 | |
 |  |  | |
| Design | Convertible | Over-the-head | Over-the-ear |
| Noise cancellation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Audio processor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Direct connect | *No - extra cable needed (included) | *No - extra cable needed (included) | *No - extra cable needed (included) |
| Talk time per charge | up to 13 hours | up to 13 hours | up to 6 hours |
| Talk range | 350 ft | 350 ft | 328 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 W52P |  | | |
| Yealink W56P | | | |
| Poly VVX 301/311 | |
|  |
| Poly VVX 401/411 | | | |
| Poly VVX 601 | |  |  |
| Poly VVX 250/350/450 | |  |  |
Jabra Pro 920 | Plantronics CS540 | ||
 |  | ||
| Design | Convertible | Convertible | |
| Noise cancellation | Yes | Yes | |
| Audio processor | Yes | Yes | |
| Direct connect | **Yes | **Yes | |
| Talk time per charge | up to 8 hours | up to 7 hours | |
| Talk range | 325 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 W52P | | | |
| Yealink W56P | | | |
| Poly VVX 301/311 |  |  | |
| Poly VVX 401/411 | | | |
| Polycom VVX 601 |  |  | |
* 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.
Benefits 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 Plantronics 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 Plantronics 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
Voyager 5200 | ||
 | ||
| Design | Over-the-ear | |
| Noise cancellation | Yes | |
| Audio Processor | No | |
| Direct connect | Yes (wireless) | |
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 |  | |
| Poly VVX 301/311 | | |
| Poly VVX 401/411 | | |
| Poly VVX 601 | | |
| Poly VVX 250/350/450 | | |
*Bluetooth connectivity with additional Yealink BT-41 adapter.
Bluetooth technology provides a favorable alternative to wireless headsets, requiring absolutely no additional accessories to connect to a telephone and facilitate calls. Calls will simply be answered and sent directly to the Bluetooth headsets. Another advantage is that Bluetooth headsets are as much as 80% cheaper than Wireless headsets. Wireless headsets, however, have a much wider broadcast range.
The flip-side of this convenience is that a telephone must support the technology. Only Polycom VVX 600/610 and Cisco 525g are Telebroad compatible models that come with a built in support for Bluetooth connectivity. The Yealink T46G and T48G does not offer the technology built in, but can be easily upgraded to include it with an adapter that is sold separately from the telephones.
All of these four telephones will will work with the majority of Bluetooth headsets available on the market without any issues. They can also send calls to any other Bluetooth devices such as your smartphone, enabling you a great flexibility in answering calls.
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 (see next feature).
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 hot-swappable battery for a potential unlimited talk time.
Talk range - for wireless models, this is the maximum range of reception between the headset and its base station.