8 Best USB Headsets You Can Buy Right Now

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When you think about supplies necessary for the office, you might think about pens, sticky notes, monitors, and keyboards, just to name a few. Do you think you'd ever list a USB headset as a necessary office supply? When your external environment is seemingly getting louder every second while you're trying to focus on a big project, music can be incredibly helpful. Then, when you have a virtual meeting with your boss, you can switch off the music and utilize the incorporated microphone and speaker setup for crystal clear quality. Even if you're talking with someone who tends to mumble, a headset can help you pick up exactly what they're setting. 

A USB headset can be awesome for more than just work. If you frequently play games with friends or stream the games you're playing to a live platform, like Twitch, a headset can help your voice come through clearly. Plus, being able to go wireless and quickly mute yourself by lifting the mic or tapping a mute button makes snack and bathroom breaks a breeze. There are some great headsets for PS5 users or Xbox users specifically, but many of these headsets can work for both platforms. 

The Cloud Alpha headset from HyperX is a fantastic mid-range option for gamers that's conveniently wireless. Long gaming sessions are comfortable with ear cushions made of memory foam and premium leatherette. Then, the outer frame is durable, made of aluminum, so it can stand the test of time.

HyperX's dual-chamber, dynamic 50-millimeter drivers contain neodymium magnets and produce well-balanced and clear audio. You can connect the headset using a speedy 2.4 GHz connection via USB, and the frequency response picks up between 15 Hz and 21,000 Hz. The dual chamber system is able to separate the mids and highs from the bassy lows, and you can tune the equalizer to your preferences within the HyperX NGENUITY software.

With this software, you can also access more customization options and check the headset's battery life. Though, the headset boasts a massive 300-hour battery life, so it won't need recharging for quite a while.

The dual chamber system combines with DTS Headphone:X Spatial Audio to offer precise sound localization, making it easier to hear crucial in-game signals, like another player's footsteps. These two features also work together to create immersive surround sound, helping you escape fully into the virtual world of whatever game you're playing.

On the headset, there's a detachable electret condenser microphone with bi-directional and noise-canceling technologies. The mic is Discord- and TeamSpeak-certified, and there's an LED indicator to make it easy to tell when you're muted.

If you're looking for a super budget-friendly headset, look no further than Razer's Kraken V3 X. Despite the headset being less than $100, it still has comfort in mind, making long, intense gaming sessions a breeze. The ear cushions are hybrid fabric and memory foam, the soft padding on the headband relieves pressure on your head, and the headset applies a measured fit that's firm but comfy.

With Razer's proprietary 40-millimeter TriForce Driver, your sound experience will be wildly realistic. Rich treble sounds, powerful bass notes, and an overall bright soundscape — it's all there with the Kraken V3 X headset. Plus, when using the headset with Windows, you can experience 7.1 surround sound with accurate positional audio so you can hear exactly where every sound is coming from. The frequency response ranges between 12 Hz and 28,000 Hz.

Of course, crystal-clear audio isn't everything. It's important for your voice to sound great too, whether you're chatting with friends, streaming live on Twitch, or conducting a video call for work. The Kraken V3 X headset comes with Razer's own bendable HyperClear Cardioid microphone with a unidirectional pickup pattern and a mute button right under the left earcup.

While aesthetics aren't the most important aspect of a quality gaming headset, it's always a nice add-on feature. As with many Razer products, the Kraken V3 X headset works with Razer Chroma Studio, where you can experiment with 16.8 million different colors, dynamic in-game lighting effects, and various lighting patterns. You can fully customize the look and sound of your headset.

Jabra's Evolve2 40 headset is a great affordable option that comes with a busylight that's visible from every direction, letting people know when you're in the zone and don't want to be bothered. The memory foam ear cushions paired with a new angled earcup design help mold to the natural contours of your ears and cancel out even more noise. There's no active noise cancellation, but with this updated design, the passive noise cancellation via just the earcups can eliminate up to 48% more noise than non-angled designs.

The Evolve2 40's frequency range is between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz. The leak-tolerant 40-millimeter speakers help your audio come across crisp and powerful, whether you're jamming out to your favorite song or listening to a coworker's project pitch. Then, when you voice your opinions via the three digital MEMS mic setup, your voice comes through clearly and without distortion. The headset has an intelligent mute switch that's activated when the mic boom arm is moved away from the mouth.

Then, there are USB-A and USB-C connection options for flexibility. The Evolve2 40 headset also works with all leading Unified Communications (UC) platforms, like Microsoft Teams or Zoom. Jabra's Direct program also ensures that your headset will always be updated with the latest firmware, bringing with it up-to-date features, bug fixes, and compatibility updates.

If you like the idea of a headset for working or playing games, but you don't want to mess with a physical microphone on the side of your head, try out the 700 UC Noise Canceling Headphones from Bose. They're a bit more expensive, but if listening to music while you work or play games is important, it's worth it. Bose is known for making premium headphones that excel at active noise cancellation and stellar audio quality — and these are no different.

The headband is made of sturdy stainless steel and paired with an ultra-soft foam covered in silicone of the same color as the headband. Then, the ear cushions are also soft foam covered in protein leather and the earcup covers come with a special anti-stick coating for touch gestures. These features combined make for long-lasting comfort throughout the day, helping you barely even notice them on your head throughout your work day or long gaming session.

Bose uses its patented active noise canceling technology in its 700 UC headphones, which uses microphones on both the inside and outside of the earcups. These microphones monitor the sounds around you and instantly produce an opposite signal to cancel them out. You can customize how much noise cancelation you want, with a total of 11 unique settings that range from full noise canceling to full transparency.

Then, to keep your voice crystal clear, Bose's 700 UC headphones use four microphones to improve the clarity of your voice. These four microphones achieve this by isolating your speech and then suppressing the most disruptive remaining sound around you, like a loud keyboard or a humming coworker.

On a full charge, you can get up to 20 hours of use out of these premium headphones. If the headphones are dead right before an important meeting, you can get up to 3.5 hours of use time out of a quick 15-minute charge via a USB-C port. You can connect the headphones to a device via Bluetooth 5.0, USB-A, USB-C, or an aux jack.