There are many factors to consider when shopping for a business headset: mono vs stereo, wireless vs wired, DECT vs Bluetooth.
One of the less obvious factors is where the microphone is situated on the headset.
Some office headsets have microphone booms. Some don’t.
Why? What are the advantages of each type?
In this blog, we explore the differences between headsets with microphone booms and headsets without them.
Let’s get into it!
Boom vs Boomless
The microphone boom is the little arm on a headset positioned in front of your mouth.
A boom has one or more microphones in it. Mostly the microphones point towards your mouth. Directional audio pickup is a simple method to highlight the voice and reduce background noise.
Some booms also have microphones that point outwards. These are used for noise cancellation. They pick up surrounding sounds to let the headset intelligently eliminate these sounds, thus improving desired features like Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).
Many headsets have a convenient feature: when you flip the boom up, the mic is automatically muted, and when you flip it back down, the mic is unmuted.
This flipping can have another purpose: it can put you in the right headspace. Some workers feel that when the boom is down, they’re more focused on a call, and when the boom is up, they’re focused on other work. These simple attitude shifts caused by the positioning of the microphone boom can have a noticeable impact.
Because the technology is simpler, a headset with a boom will be less expensive than an equivalent headset without a boom.
A tip: make sure the microphone boom can be located on the side of your head that you prefer. This means making sure it can be positioned on the left side of your head, because lefties always get a raw deal. Many headsets rotate for either side but not all of them. Manufacturers often list a rotation range or mention it can be used on either side. For example, HP Poly Mission 625 has a listed boom mic rotation range of 285°.
Some headsets like Yealink BH76 Plus have retractable microphone booms. Instead of flipping the boom up, you push it back into the headset. This keeps it out of the way and makes the headset look boomless when you’re not on a call, but it isn’t.
Let’s get into boomless headsets now.
Boomless headsets like Jabra Evolve3 75 are premium devices. They’re stylish and get rid of stuff in front of your mouth. They’re also convenient: you never need to worry about positioning the boom correctly.
One place that many people like using a more discreet boomless headset is during travel, especially in places like airports or train stations. Microphone booms tend to look out of place not in the office; either that, or they make you look like a gamer.
So how do boomless headsets do it?
They require more advanced technology to produce professional audio quality, especially noise cancellation and voice volume adjustment, because the mics aren’t positioned optimally.
How do headset manufacturers solve the challenges posed by a boomless design?
First, the headset needs a highly sensitive microphone array that is directionally oriented towards your mouth.
Then the audio is processed intelligently to isolate your voice and eliminate ambient noise. Jabra, for example, uses advanced algorithms that they’ve honed over the many years they’ve been working on this problem. They also use AI-powered deep learning technology, which they’ve dubbed ClearVoice™. All this audio processing requires a powerful, purpose-driven chip.
Then the audio levels are equalized to highlight your voice better. Since the mics are farther away from your mouth, your voice would be quieter and feel more distant without this important step.
Add on the same noise cancellation technologies that headsets with a boom also use, and there you have it: first-class audio performance with the style and simplicity provided by a boomless headset.
Which should you buy: a headset with a boom or one without?
It’s a question of personal preference and budget. Both types provide professional-grade audio — at least when you get one from the trusted manufacturers we sell!