The Right Headphones for the Job

When you only look at VoIP or gaming headsets your options for comfort, sound quality and durability are pretty flat. The headphones may not sound good, and they almost certainly aren't comfortable enough that you'd want to wear them any longer than you'd have to, and maybe worst of all, you simply don't expect them to last.

Once you consider ModMic, however, the world is your proverbial oyster of amazing products you can use in AND out of the office. 

It will change your life.

Seriously.

Comfort

Long term wear of uncomfortable headphones can cause you to tighten the muscles around your temples and ears, bringing headaches and fatigue. Bad headphones literally make you more tired and less productive.

Unfortunately, most VoIP headsets don't do enough to keep pressure off your ears, especially monaural (one ear) headphones, who's awkward balance and uneven pressure can amplify these problems.

For this reason you should be looking towards over-ear or on-ear reference grade headphones for increased comfort. I'll give some suggestions in the next sections.

Noise Isolation

There's no right or wrong with noise isolation. If you need to block out the sound around you in a noisy office or homes you want good isolation, if you need to be able to hear someone talking to you, or the automated voice telling you the next station stop, you need to keep your hearing open. Here's a quick run down of the options:

Active Noise Canceling (ANC) headphones are closed back and use a power source to eliminate nearly all background noise. As a result they are more expensive. Best in class here is Bose QC35 and Sony WH1000X3 (~$350), but Audio Technica also is a contender with the lower priced ANC9 ($200).

Closed Back headphones passively block out sound through sound dampening materials in the earcups. Look into the Sony MDR 7506 ($80) or Sennheiser HD280 Pro ($99) as starting points on cost, but our favorite is the Beyerdynamic DT770 ($150).

Open Back headphones generally give the best sound quality and allow you to hear what's going on around you. Be warned, however, open back headphones leak sound, which means someone sitting next to you will hear what you're hearing as well. Entry level options include the Audotechnica AD500x (~$70), and Sennheiser HD559 ($100), while more expensive model favorites include the Beyerdynamic DT990 ($150), AKG7xx ($200), and the Sennheiser HD 650 or 6xx ($320 and $200 respectively).

Sound Quality

Real headphones are an investment not only in your health, but can take their place in many facets of your life. If you enjoy listening to music (and who doesn't?) but have never owned a real audiophile grade headphone you're in for a treat. You'll probably hear new melodies and harmonies in songs you've heard for years.

The reality is audiophile grade headphones are not that expensive. The above mentioned MDR 7506 can be purchased for $80 USD on sale and will stand toe to toe with headphones costing 4 times that much. 

Done with work? Just pop the ModMic off with a flick of your wrist and enjoy your renewed love of music anywhere!

So why spend a bundle on something that is only good for talking on the phone when you could have something useful for your every audio need?

The ModMic Difference

Increase your quality of life and comfort, use your headphones everywhere you go, and do it at a cost equal to or less than what you'd pay for yet another VoIP headset.