Recommendation request: high-quality headset for video conferencing that doesn't flatten my hair

Jacob Stamm · December 1, 2022

I like using my gaming headset (Plantronics RIG 600LX LX1) for video conferencing — speakers, mic, and comfort are good enough for my usage, but could be better — but I hate how the headband smushes my hair down. I'm looking for a high quality headset that doesn't rest on the top of my head.

Must-haves:

Good sound quality
Good, adjustable mic, something along these lines
Over-ear or on-ear speakers, both sides
Headband or some other method of staying on that doesn't flatten my hair. (Does anyone make a headset that stays fastened with a sweatband-style band?)
Wired
Decently comfortable (I might wear for a max of 2 hours at a time)

Nice-to-haves:

Noise cancelation
Background noise suppression for mic (I don't know if this is even a thing, but I like to work in cafes sometimes, which can be a bit noisy and make it hard to both hear and be heard)
Spatial audio support
Hardware mute
No ePiC gAmEr aesthetic

Willing to spend about $200, maybe up to $300 if it checks off some of my nice-to-haves. Any recommendations? I appreciate the help.

Bombastinator · December 1, 2022

Almost any earbuds will be near invisible. They frequently have multiple mics. Even before Bluetooth almost all wired ones had a mic. Over ear I doubt there is much. The cups are heavy. They have to be held up somehow and they’re heavy for glasses style. Boom mics are a problem for the same reason. It’s not electronics it’s physics. Gravity is a thing. And so are levers. You can buy boom mics that are their own device and attach to most headsets though. No guarantee you won’t hate it because of the weight. Saw a thing that seemed to be sort of like what you want on Amazon. Used bone conduction. No ear anything. Just needs skull contact. Had a boom mic of a sort. One of those tube things. Also it was a bit pricey.

Edited December 1, 2022 by Bombastinator

Stan2292 · December 1, 2022

you should probably look at IEMs rather than headphones. etymotic is a great brand for human voice applications. they started off making hearing aids then moved on to making equipment for simultaneous interpretation that countries' leaders use when meeting others. you can start with their er2 series ($120ish) then look at er4 ($300ish) if you want more details and accuracy. it doesn't come with a mic so you'll have to get a mic solution separately. audio-technica has a few good clip-on mics.