Headphones

We are living in the golden age of headphones.

Future people will look back on our headphone wearing practices with amusement.  Headphones are destined to go the direction of powdered wigs and top hats.

In a few years, audio devices will be implanted in our skulls.  Already today, people seem to be leaving their AirPods in their ears all day long.  (A trend driven by the appalling rise of the dreadful open office).

I realized that headphones are eating the world when they started to colonize (headphone-spread) across my desk.

The four sets of headphones that I have at work with me each day include:

Bose QuietComfort 35 II Wireless Bluetooth Headphones - Price:  $299

These Bose headphones are a recent purchase. I've coveted these headphones for years.  A couple of months ago, I finally took the plunge.

At work, I use the Bose headphones to listen to music (streaming jazz from Amazon) while in my office.  My office has an old and very loud window AC (which I'm grateful for) and is situated in the busiest area of our main library (which I love).

The Bose headphones cancel all the noise.  They are lightweight, Bluetooth, and comfortable to wear.  The headphones hold their charge for around 15 hours.

These Bose headphones are lovely.  The cost is steep - but I'm wondering why I waited so long.

Logitech USB Headset H390 with Noise Cancelling Mic - Price: $21.89

The Logitech USB headset is what I use for Zoom meetings.  In theory, the Bose headphones should work for online meetings (they have a microphone.  But in practice, for reasons I don't understand, the wired USB Logitech headset works better.

I'm trying to figure out what is the best headphone/microphone strategy for online Zoom meetings.  Wearing the Logitech headset in video meetings looks a little funny.  My voice, I've been told, sounds a little strange.  And a headset is, perhaps, an unnecessary barrier in shifting to a regime of mostly online (as opposed to face-to-face) meetings.

Can you offer advice for the best headset or microphone for online meetings?

Telephone Headset Office Landline Phone Headset Call Center Headphone Wired RJ9 Headsets with Noise Cancelling Microphone for Avaya Nortel - Price: $36.99

If you had told me a few years ago that I'd still have a Cisco 7821 IP telephone on my desk, I would have concluded that you were nuts.  Why in the world do universities retain expensive telephone systems in the age of desktop computers, laptops, e-mail, Slack, and smartphones?

Campus desktop phones will probably disappear.  And I think that we will miss them.   A phone call to a campus colleague is often the fastest, most personal, and most productive method for getting things done.  It is amazing how quickly some things can be achieved by simply giving someone a call.

The telephone headset is a must-have addition for phone calls.  Going hands-free enables notes to be taken during the phone call.

Every now and again, I still find myself in a conference call or a webinar where the audio works best when dialed in.  For those cases, a telephone headset is also indispensable.  Why phones don't have USB ports or Bluetooth is a good question.

Anker SoundBuds Bluetooth Wireless Headphones - Price: $25.99

The Anker Bluetooth SoundBuds are my commuting, exercise, and dishwashing headphones. Mostly I listen to audiobooks with the Anker earbuds.  When exercising, I'll listen to music (Amazon streaming).

I purchased these Anker Bluetooth headphones as a substitute for the Apple AirPods, which I think that I would love to have, but can't justify the $199 price.  Family and friends who have AirPods seem to love them. I" m afraid that I'd lose them.

Are you an AirPod devotee?

All of these headphones get heavy use. As an audiobook addict, living without headphones is not an option.

I do worry about the impact on my hearing of having sound in my ears at almost all times.  And if I'm honest, constantly wearing headphones to listen to audiobooks may appear a bit anti-social.

What headphones do you use, and when do you use them?