Headphone Recommendation for Working From Home?

[ImTehCookie]

Before I get bombarded by "muh just use whatever you prefer" I can't sadly because I have some limitations due to the PC that the company sent out to me to work on. For starters, I need a pair of headphones, ideally earbuds, that are wireless. I cannot use Bluetooth to connect them to the PC as they do not allow me to do so in the group policy, so I am stuck with USB(USB A or USB C both work, I have ports available for both) wireless earbuds. Additionally, it is not necessary for them to have a microphone, I have a desk mounted microphone that handles that for me (Elgato Wave 3). Another reason I would prefer earbuds, is because I wear glasses the entire time while working, and anything that wraps around my ear or covers it directly causes a weird pressure that presses my glasses up against my head which I would have to solve by wearing my glasses all crooked. Battery life isn't the biggest concern because I would only be wearing one ear bud at a time while the other would be able to charge, this is mainly a preference I have because I like being able what goes on around me.

 

Currently, I am using these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHVWJP7N (EKVANBEL Bluetooth Headset)

and while it is not terrible, it is very hard to make it sit comfortably in my ear for longer than an hour and it gets even worse when I go from one ear to the other because the earbud tip itself is just not all that comfortable. Another small squabble I had was that it does take a little longer than I think it should to put on because getting that little loop around your ear just isn't as intuitive as I would like it to be.

 

I have also tried this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C13ZK3LS (LEVN Wireless Headset)

which also was not terrible, I actually like these a good amount, but I am not a fan of anything that is going to sit on my head for as long as 8 hours a day on really busy days. Plus that earcup was rather deceitful and did not include anywhere nearly enough cushion to not hurt the outer part of my ears after 2-3 hours of usage, I would often take it off for a small break and be surprised by sore ears. This was also what was causing that weird pressure against my head that would cause me to wear my glasses crooked, the problem I mentioned in the first paragraph of this post.

 

I have started looking at some alternatives and was wondering if anyone has used any of these? And of course I am also open to recommendations. 

 

1. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BM23XX5L (Jabra Evolve2 True Wireless Earbuds)
   1. These seem very much perfect, but the price is a bit yeesh and I was curious as to if anyone here has tried them and could testify to their quality? And by that I mainly mean if there is any hassle when it comes to them connecting to a computer or if they are not as consistent as one would hope. The fit is semi important but as long as its comfortable for at least 2-3 hours at a time, no big deal and even then, I can overlook it to a degree as long as they don't cause me pain in my ears lmao. 
2. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B87MQG2N (Soundcore VR P10 Gaming Earbuds)
   1. These seem like a good option as well and significantly better when it comes to price. Although if opinions lead to "just save up for the Jabra's" then I would be able to do so, but if I could away without having to spend that much out right then I would like to.
3. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B72HWWXH  (LG TONE Free True Earbuds T90)
   1. These seem like a good middle ground between the Jabra's and the Soundcore's, and while they don't feature a USB dongle, they have the ability to connect the headphone case to a computer via a wire which would then turn the earbud case into a big dongle that charges the headphones as well. My main questions with these earbuds is how the connectivity is between the case, earbuds, and pc. I know LG has other models that have the same feature that turns the case into a dongle but these were the ones I had saved. So yeah, these seem like a good middle ground, my main concerns as always is just comfort and more importantly connectivity.
4. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C32WZJ3N (ZDMYY Bone Conduction Headset)
   1. This is a bone conductive headset which is kind of a best of both worlds kind of deal where I wouldn't wear anything in my ears for hours at a day, but I also wouldn't have a big headband sitting atop of my head. The brand name leads me to think that these are just dropped shipped from Ali Express or something. Not inherently a bad thing, just makes me a little weary in terms of build quality. My main worry with these kinds of headsets is that they might get heavy feeling or uneasy on my ears, and I don't think they'll affect my placement for my glasses too badly and I don't see them bothering me too badly in that regard. And then another thing I am worried about that is mainly just with these, is how they might sound. I've never tried anything bone conductive before so it would be my first and a very new experience for me.
5. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQ1DJMV8 (Poly Voyager Free 60+)
   1. These seem like an alternative to the Jabra Evolve2's and while I have not previously heard of the brand, they do seem to be a little more prominent in the work from home/conference headphone space. And my worries are again in the same ballpark as with the Jabra's and the other headphones, so mainly worried about connectivity and comfort, sound quality isn't 100% necessary but would definitely be a positive.

 

Honestly, right now this feels like I'm kind of searching for a needle in a haystack trying to find something that fits all my wants and needs so any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. 

[Psittac]

I know nothing about wireless earbud's, but if you have access to USB A and C you could get yourself a small dac/amp and some wired IEM's.  I know that wireless has benefit's but it's not something I can comment on nor give advice, so I'd just let you know of other potential options.  @191x7 knows a lot about IEM's incase that's the route you want to go down.  Not sure if he dabbles in wireless solutions.

 

I'm sure someone else will know about the items you listed and could set you on the correct course.

[ImTehCookie]

13 minutes ago, Psittac said:

I know nothing about wireless earbud's, but if you have access to USB A and C you could get yourself a small dac/amp and some wired IEM's.  I know that wireless has benefit's but it's not something I can comment on nor give advice, so I'd just let you know of other potential options.  @191x7 knows a lot about IEM's incase that's the route you want to go down.  Not sure if he dabbles in wireless solutions.

 

I'm sure someone else will know about the items you listed and could set you on the correct course.

I'm not entirely against this idea its just that I don't really have anywhere on my desk that I could run the wire without it getting in the way due to how my desk is layed out. The pc itself is 5-6 feet away from my desk and the only way I could see myself going your route is by attaching the dac/amp to the underside of my desk and running a longer wire to my pc to connect it and then connecting iems to the undermounted dac/amp. Which truth be told, seems totally doable the more I think about it, but if I can avoid having to run more wires across my room I would like to go that route. But in the end of the day, if nothing comes to fruition in terms of wireless, then I think I would go with the solution you said

[Cocococo]

My first thought was a pair of Grado GW100's due to them being an on ear headphone rather than circumaural, better for glasses because they don't clamp on your head, but price and risk of discomfort are very valid concerns.

 

IEM's are a mixed bag and if the wires don't mess with glasses, you'll still need a USB DAC to play sound and no wireless, even a FiiO UTSW3 has a little wire that goes over your ears and needs a bluetooth signal.

 

It's a bit of an inelegant solution but Koss Porta Pro or modded KSC-75 might be your best option, on ear so no glasses interfere (so long as you have a parts express headband on the KSC-75) plugged into a little USB DAC and you have fully open headphones that don't mess with your glasses, KOSS is amazing with replacements so no worries about potential breaks.

 

You don't need to go with anything I've recommended but I know how annoying it can be with one earbud in an ear, especially with how annoying batteries are 

[Psittac]

2 minutes ago, ImTehCookie said:

I'm not entirely against this idea its just that I don't really have anywhere on my desk that I could run the wire without it getting in the way due to how my desk is layed out. The pc itself is 5-6 feet away from my desk and the only way I could see myself going your route is by attaching the dac/amp to the underside of my desk and running a longer wire to my pc to connect it and then connecting iems to the undermounted dac/amp. Which truth be told, seems totally doable the more I think about it, but if I can avoid having to run more wires across my room I would like to go that route. But in the end of the day, if nothing comes to fruition in terms of wireless, then I think I would go with the solution you said

Yeah cable management is a topic all on it's own lol.  I have my Rode AI-1 IE audio interface stuck to the bottom of my desk and it's a rather clean solution.  The dac and amp has lived in several places and is currently in a cubby on one side of my desk.  All you would need is a long USB cable to get from the laptop to the dac/amp plus a power cable that'll reach.  You can fasten the cables with cable management items and make it real clean.  In fact let me get a picture real quick.  Also audio extension cables are a thing.

 

 

[ImTehCookie]

4 hours ago, Psittac said:

Yeah cable management is a topic all on it's own lol.  I have my Rode AI-1 IE audio interface stuck to the bottom of my desk and it's a rather clean solution.  The dac and amp has lived in several places and is currently in a cubby on one side of my desk.  All you would need is a long USB cable to get from the laptop to the dac/amp plus a power cable that'll reach.  You can fasten the cables with cable management items and make it real clean.  In fact let me get a picture real quick.  Also audio extension cables are a thing.

 

 

While I do like the idea of this, I'm mainly leaning towards something simple and out of the way since it's going to be for my work PC and I don't want to go to crazy on something for work if all I need the setup to do is take calls and longer conferences. Although your undermount dac/amp idea does give me some ideas for my personal setup

[ImTehCookie]

4 hours ago, Cocococo said:

My first thought was a pair of Grado GW100's due to them being an on ear headphone rather than circumaural, better for glasses because they don't clamp on your head, but price and risk of discomfort are very valid concerns.

 

IEM's are a mixed bag and if the wires don't mess with glasses, you'll still need a USB DAC to play sound and no wireless, even a FiiO UTSW3 has a little wire that goes over your ears and needs a bluetooth signal.

 

It's a bit of an inelegant solution but Koss Porta Pro or modded KSC-75 might be your best option, on ear so no glasses interfere (so long as you have a parts express headband on the KSC-75) plugged into a little USB DAC and you have fully open headphones that don't mess with your glasses, KOSS is amazing with replacements so no worries about potential breaks.

 

You don't need to go with anything I've recommended but I know how annoying it can be with one earbud in an ear, especially with how annoying batteries are 

I did look at the Grado GW100's and GT220's but had to rule them out because from what I saw they only used bluetooth, I need them to have a USB dongle since I can't use bluetooth on my work pc. I'd also like to try and avoid setting up a DAC for my work pc because it just seems like a waste of resources that I'd rather implement into my person pc setup. Honestly I wish Koss had a wireless usb version of the KSC-75's. Although, I also wish the company didn't lock down bluetooth so I could avoid this problem altogether.

[Psittac]

47 minutes ago, ImTehCookie said:

I did look at the Grado GW100's and GT220's but had to rule them out because from what I saw they only used bluetooth, I need them to have a USB dongle since I can't use bluetooth on my work pc. I'd also like to try and avoid setting up a DAC for my work pc because it just seems like a waste of resources that I'd rather implement into my person pc setup. Honestly I wish Koss had a wireless usb version of the KSC-75's. Although, I also wish the company didn't lock down bluetooth so I could avoid this problem altogether.

I was under the impression that you couldn't use any BT, if it comes with a dongle is what you are looking for correct?  What is keeping you from adding any old BT dongle?  Or are you looking for something proprietary that doesn't register as BT on the machine?

[ImTehCookie]

On 1/9/2024 at 11:41 PM, Psittac said:

I was under the impression that you couldn't use any BT, if it comes with a dongle is what you are looking for correct?  What is keeping you from adding any old BT dongle?  Or are you looking for something proprietary that doesn't register as BT on the machine?

From what I read and saw they ONLY used regular 'ol dongle-less bluetooth and had no dongle I could plug into my computer, which is a no go for me. To clarify, I cannot use dongle-less bluetooth on my work pc no matter how I try and implement it, if a piece of tech is wireless it needs to have a USB dongle for me to plug into my computer.