Headsets: anyone using them?

[FrankF]

I mean, to record vocals. I like the idea of a cheap, imperfect, deeply compromised mike (ooh er, missus) and a variable proximity effect, and all the possibilities of moving the mike-arm up, down, and oops! upside your head.
I'm also doing a lot of language work at the mo, and my 20-year old cheapo headset is disintegrating as we speak, so any recommendations for COMFORTABLE headsets would be appreciated.
All the gamer headsets i see on Taxdodgeazon just look flashy (not per se a bad thing), but not really comfortable.

Obviously, I'm not interested in "perfect sound", whatever that is. I'm interested in weird, quirky, and er, did I mention comfortable?

I tried this Behringer, but it annoyed me, for some obscure reason that now escapes my Caberneted brain. It's a BH47OU:

https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B093WPSSYP?psc ... ct_details

Is this an unholy grail that is not worth pursuing, or should I, like brave brave Sir Robin, just run away...and er, get a Leffe?

[Drew Stephenson]

I have used one as part of our band's busking rig. Not this model but something very similar: https://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and-Li ... NC4wLjAuMA..
It did the job of making my voice louder and freeing up an input to the PA. Light enough to be comfortable but actually you kind of have to relearn your mic technique, because there's no backing off or leaning in and you can't say anything 'off mic' in between tracks.
I've not tried recording with it, I have other mics for lo-fi recording already.

[resistorman]

The Rode headphones can mount a mic. Not cheap, but they've turned into my favorite headphones.

[ef37a]

B*****r! I thought I had copied a link. Anyway, I have used a Sennheiser headset for over a year to Skype son in France, around £20.

The set terminates in two 3.5mm TRS plugs and since this laptop does not have a mic input I used a really useful bit of kit called a "TECKNET" (the ad uses upper case) about a tenner it A/Ds the mic into the lappy and D/As the laptop digitals to the cans.

The results are really rather good IMHO. Maybe a bit TOO good for your application Frank?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-PC- ... 0246&psc=1

Dave.

[FrankF]

Thanks for the links, chaps.
The Sennheisers look cheap and cheerful, I must say. I usually prefer a bit of padding on the top of the head bit, for comfort and grip.

Do they slip off your head easily, Dave? I have an old pair of Beyers that have a similar, bare plastic crown, and they slide all over the place.
Which is why I rarely wear them: they're too dynamic. (Boom boom!)

[FrankF]

I've just seen this wireless headset from Behringer, and it looks great: padded, foldable, etc. And no cables!
https://www.bax-shop.fr/casques-audio/ ... nformation

Would I need to buy a bluetooth adapter to connect it to my 12-year old PC?
Something like this?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bluetooth-Rec ... 107&sr=1-5

I already use a wireless keyboard, but I don't think it's bluetooth, just "wireless" (no, I don't understand the difference either).

[ef37a]

Thanks for the links, chaps.
The Sennheisers look cheap and cheerful, I must say. I usually prefer a bit of padding on the top of the head bit, for comfort and grip.

Do they slip off your head easily, Dave? I have an old pair of Beyers that have a similar, bare plastic crown, and they slide all over the place.
Which is why I rarely wear them: they're too dynamic. (Boom boom!)

No mine stay in place but then even at 77 I have a thick growth of 'grippy' hair (YMMV!) The headset is so light that I forget I have it on and son and I often chat for 2hrs +

Just a thought...bit of sponge, bit of Copydex?
Dave.

[FrankF]

Any bluetooth gurus out there?

[Sam Spoons]

Not a Bluetooth guru as such but I do know a little about it. What do you need to know?

[Wonks]

Unless the transmitter and receiver use the latest low-latency aptX Bluetooth technology, standard Bluetooth is very laggy.

There seems to quite a few aptX headphones available, but full headsets are scarce (at least on an initial search).

[FrankF]

Sam, please see my post above re Behringer wireless cans and a BT transceiver.

Wonks, you make BT sound rather mediocre - could you expand a little, please? Would there be a delay with the sound, for example, if I were using skype or zoom with the above BT cans?
What if I bought the latest USB transceiver, one with the APTXLGBT tech. that you mentioned?

For info, I have BT on my laptop, which I've never used, and I don't think I have it on my PC, so I guess I'd have to buy a transceiver.
I know nowt about it, whence my questions.

[Wonks]

Standard Bluetooth has a latency between 30ms and 110ms IIRC, generally towards the upper end, so OK for simple listening, but useless for recording.

Video conferencing used to be very laggy, but these days it’s a lot better, so using slow Bluetooth is a step backwards. Not impossible, but there’s that removal of the greater sense of reality that low latency brings.