Headsets & Handsets

Voice and video over IP are great, but what do you do when you don't want every word broadcast around the office? There are basically three choices:

1. Headsets which plug directly into the PC.
2. Headsets which are intended for cell phones but can be connected to a PC via an adaptor.
3. Handsets.

Connecting to a PC

Headsets usually connect to the analog audio connectors on the PC. It is also possible to use the USB port - we'll hear more about that later when we talk about handsets.

Headsets designed for PCs have two 3.5 mm (1/8") "stereo" plugs that connect to the corresponding jacks on the PC. In most cases the plugs and jacks are marked in conformance with the PC 99 System Design Guide which specifies that the microphone connector is pink and the headphone connector is green. There are also little icons of a microphone and headphone that are cute but almost impossible to see when you are poking around in the dark under your desk.

If you look closely at the plugs, you will see that they have three metal conductors separated by iinsulators. For the headphones, this arrangement provides for separate signals to each ear, hence "stereo." But why are there three conductors for the microphone plug? That's to provide power to the preamp for the electret microphone in most headsets. Why am I telling you all this? Because if you want to connect a mobile phone headset (one 2.5 mm 3-conductor plug) to a PC (two 3.5 mm 3-conductor plugs) you will need an adaptor that does more than just change the diameter of the connectors.

Next: PC Headsets