Time is, long distance is a luxury. Today, they are indispensable. Thankfully, the number of voice and video calling applications such as Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, FaceTime and WhatsApp has dwindled around the world, allowing us to meet virtually with friends, family and colleagues, wherever they may be Where are you.
Whether you’re working from home and holding a conference call in Singapore, or you just need to video call mom, you’ll need one of our best headsets with a mic. They improve audio quality and help you hear every word clearly.
1. Bose 700
Nothing beats the call quality of the Bose 700. Eight microphones are hidden under the hood: six for noise cancellation and two for amplifying vocals on calls. This helps produce the clearest calls ever experienced with a headset. ANC keeps ambient noise and wind noise to a minimum during listening sessions and calls. Unique features like Self Voice ensure you can fully hear your conversations even in noisy areas. We also like the 700’s neutral sound and user-friendly control scheme, which includes a responsive touch panel and voice support.
There’s nothing special about battery life, but any Bose headphone will do the trick. The good news is that you get at least up to 20 hours of ANC use and talk time.
2. Bose QuietComfort Headphones 2
After weeks of leaks, the QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are now official, and they’ve shot straight to the top of our buying guides thanks to their excellent noise-canceling abilities. They work even better than the original earbuds (below) that are still available. It’s an excellent successor that delivers better sound, great call quality, and unrivaled ANC. Proprietary technologies such as ActiveSense and CustomTune provide a fine balance of sound and noise cancellation.
Bose’s redesign has also made these buds less obtrusive than the original, with their hefty price tag and so-so battery life being their only downsides. CustomTune automatically calibrates ANC and audio frequency profiles based on the unique characteristics of your ears and the best performance for you. Unfortunately, there is no wireless audio codec support for aptX or LDAC.
3. Apple AirPods Pro 2
The new AirPods Pro (2nd generation) are powered by Apple’s new H2 chip, which Apple says offers more processing power while also being more power efficient. The new chips combine with new low-distortion drivers to improve the sound, delivering better clarity and depth. Noise cancellation has also been improved — Apple says the new AirPods offer “twice as much” noise cancellation as the original AirPods Pro.
The voice call performance of the original AirPods Pro was very good, and now Apple has upgraded the microphones and changed their positioning on the earbuds, even better. In addition, AirPods Pro 2 extended battery life from 5 hours to 6 hours with noise cancellation turned on. Also, there is now a speaker in the case that will make a sound if they decide to hide it from you to help locate your headphones via Find My
4. Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus
The Melomania 1 is already one of the best wireless earbuds with a microphone, so the 1 Plus has a lot of room to fill. But we’re happy to say they’ve done an admirable job.
What’s New The 1 Plus features additional app support, customizable EQ settings and British Audio’s innovative High Performance Audio Mode. There’s also a new colorway – no longer the lime-gray hue we affectionately call ‘NHS Grey’.
Again, the real selling point here is battery life. Like their predecessors, the 1 Plus’ earphones have nine hours of battery life, plus four additional charges in the carrying case. This adds up to a staggering 45 hours of total runtime. Although it’s worth noting that it’s not a noise-canceling model, which explains the marathon battery life (noise-canceling is the real battery drain).
They’re great for voice calls, and music performances are punchy and immersive. Whether you use them for music or calls, you won’t be disappointed.
5. Shure-Aonic 3
With a sound-isolating design (no noise-canceling technology), wired connectivity, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, you might think these Shures are a bit different than most modern headphones. And this price! They’re going to have to do something pretty spectacular to convince us they’re worth considering.
Fortunately, in 2021 and 2022, they did, and won What Hi-Fi? back-to-back. awards. They are almost perfectly timed, able to part the threads and weave them into a glorious musical tapestry. Rhythm and timing must be heard to be believed.
The same goes for their dynamic abilities. In the most beautiful way, they’re headphones you can put on and forget. No single element stands out—the bass doesn’t stand out, the treble doesn’t cut too low. They are honest, transparent and true to the source material. There is detail and analysis, but never at the expense of musical liveliness and emotion.
They’re comfortable and lightweight, and come with nine different pairs of eartips for a comfortable fit. An inline microphone seals the deal and helps make calls clearer than many competitors.
6. Panasonic RZ-S500W
Panasonic isn’t a brand that immediately comes to mind when you think of headphones with a microphone. But maybe that’s the way it should be. The RZ-S500W are the company’s first noise-canceling wireless earphones, and they’re great value for money.
In fact, what Hi-Fi do they have in 2021? forgive.
The specs are solid, with noise-canceling technology, ambient mode, dual microphones for voice calls, and a total battery life of 19.5 hours (6.5 hours with the earphones and 13 hours with the charging case). 15 minutes of USB-C fast charging can provide 70 minutes of playback. The touch controls on each earbud are responsive and intuitive, letting you control your music and switch between noise-canceling modes with ease.
