11SepPros and cons of USB headsets

In the last few years, USB headsets have begun to flood the market as an alternative to traditional analog units. With a built-in sound card, these headsets provide a complete, two way audio solution in a portable package. In this article we’ll take quick look at their pros and cons.

One of the main reasons we use analog headsets is because they completely bypass the PC’s built-in audio system. Since the sound card is built right into the headset itself, we don’t have to worry about installing drivers. We can plug the unit into any PC and have it working in seconds. Also, some laptops such as those by HP, come with faulty microphones, so a USB head is the perfect (and only) solution for recording on these systems. And since the headset is completely independent of any other audio hardware, we can use it without affecting the settings for the system’s built-in sound card.

One of the biggest downsides we’ve found is that every time the headset is plugged in, we must go into the audio settings and select it as the active listening and or recording device. This step must also be repeated in whatever audio program we are currently using. And should the unit accidently become unplugged, then these steps become even more of an annoyance.

We’ve also found that these units can have connectively issues when working with virtual machines. Finally, some claim that the built-in sound card in these headsets are made from cheap parts which cannot match the sound quality of a sound card installed in a PC. While this may be true, only a small percentage of users will be able to detect a difference in quality. And in practice, you would generally use such a headset for things like video tutorials, dictating or perhaps Skype where hi-fidelity audio is not a priority.

For those that need the best of both analog and USB, some units feature a separate USB adaptor with analog inputs, while the headset itself has analog connectors. This setup allows the unit to be used as both a USB and traditional analog unit.

In conclusion, USB headsets are a great way to add decent quality audio, with a quick installation process.