Talk:Audio headset

Rewrite
This doesn't read like an encyclopedia article, it doesn't provide any links to veify any of its claims, its references are more like spam than references, and it's totally unwikified. It might be best just to start over. Corvus cornix talk  18:07, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
 * The article does mention Accutone an awful lot. I just removed a couple links that seemed spammy. It probably would be best to nominate this article for deletion or something. It mentions Accutone and Accutone products way too much to be a healthy, neutral article. Tuvok[T@lk/Improve] 04:34, 1 February 2008 (UTC)


 * I second the suggestion to delete this article. Please get rid of it. So much of the article is just plain wrong. At the very least, the multitude of incorrect statements need to be dealt with (erased), or this article is going to only spread misinformation. 67.82.74.194 (talk) 23:10, 28 May 2008 (UTC)


 * Terrible article. I came here looking for info on headsets used in aviation, and despite the fact that the article mention that this was their initial use, it seems to focus entirely on computer/telephony applications. I think we need to strip this article down to the basics and then we can add stuff back in as needed; most of the article is a lost cause. Also, if we're going to include aviation headset in the article than I think it would necessitate a name change. Perhaps it should be a separate article? Ce1984 (talk) 23:11, 25 August 2008 (UTC)


 * True. And actually, many experts say a good analog speaker system (even if connected to 3.5mm jacks) is better than some poorly-designed digital digital systems, even if the digital is S/PDIF (theoretically better than USB), but unlike a certain someone, I'm not brazen and biased enough to put these subjective opinions in the article w/out sourcing them (and would never be able to re-find these articles). They directly contradict the article's (unsourced) suggestions that analog won't be as good as USB, specifically the assertions using the "Logitech" example --which is debatably a poor example, compared to what some other mass-production companies like Sennheiser can do even with an analog product ;-) 'crippling' the sound-quality-- and the blanket-statement that "marginal" sound will come from analog speakers (an obvious weasel words violation & exaggeration: what is "marginal"? It's subjective nonsense). I've left those examples in the article & tagged them as [fact] just to hilight how laughably ignorant this is, luckily laughable enough that anyone unfamiliar with unsourced statements in WP, like my elderly parents, even most likely wouldn't take these statements as authoritative. 216.188.254.2 (talk) 12:34, 30 December 2009 (UTC)


 * Many articles start out in rough shape and slowly become worthy. If you believe a complete rewrite is in order go ahead and be bold and rewrite it. I do agree that Wikipedia needs coverage of aviation headsets. I have created redlinks in this article and on the disambiguation page. --Kvng (talk) 14:53, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

Naming the Parts
Please ADD schematic drawings of common headsets with key components clearly named. If possible, include schematics that represent the technological evolution of this  now-ubiquitous tool of modern civilization. Thank you for considering this suggestion. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.171.137.87 (talk) 20:30, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

First Sentence
Hi all,

The first sentence in this article seems kind of weird... A headset is headphones combined with a microphone, or one headphone with a microphone. I suggest changing it to A headset is a device consisting of a set of headphones combined with a microphone or mouthpiece. What do you think? Thanks, Zalunardo8 (talk) 14:17, 2 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Sure! Your suggested text is good. I removed a comma. Binksternet (talk) 14:27, 2 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I updated the article based on your idea, using text from headphones. Thanks!  ★NealMcB★ (talk) 16:04, 22 February 2014 (UTC)

About that "history" section
I deleted it because it was a collection of errors.


 * "The headset was invented in 1910, by a Stanford University student named Nathaniel Baldwin. "

Baldwin did not invent "headsets" with microphones, as we describe the term here. Our own article on Mr. Baldwin notes that he produced the first headphones. Although the referenced newspaper article calls his "Baldy Phones" "headsets", googling for pictures of "Baldy Phones" will show that they had no mics.


 * "Baldwin was not able to interest anyone in mass-producing this communication tool. Not until World War I did the US Army purchase 100 headsets for their pilots. Hence the early uses and markets for headsets were mainly for aviation."

The Navy's need for headphones prior to WW I would have been for reception of Morse code over radio - perhaps to pilots, but much more likely to shipboard radios. Note that the article doesn't say "for their pilots". Voice comms over radio wasn't practical yet, particularly not with airplanes.

The Navy would have had no use for headsets-with-mics for pilots prior to WW I because radios aboard airplanes at that time, if they existed at all, were receive-only, Morse-code-only affairs. It was not practical to build a headset for sending voice over radio from airplanes until vacuum tubes achieved a suitable level of capability, reliability, and miniaturization, and this did not even begin to happen until the period between the World Wars. Before the invention and practical realization of the triode RF modulator stage, voice-over-radio worked by sending the entire transmitter power through a carbon microphone, which in turn had to dissipate much of that power as heat except during modulation peaks. This could be done on a lab bench, maybe in a studio, but no way could a headset-mounted mic have handled it. Even at the start of WW II, pilots or other crew on most small aircraft could receive, but not send voice; for sending brief acknowledgements of orders, etc., they would wear a code key strapped to their thigh. (Yes, all air crew had to learn Morse Code.)


 * "Plantronics, still a large manufacturer of headsets, was started by two pilots, whose initial goal was to develop headsets which were lightweight and comfortable for pilots."

Fine (and this was in 1961) but a whole lot of other companies made with-mic headsets before that. There is no reason given here to believe that these two pilots invented the product category, only an improved version. If a much more complete history section were to be written (with, of course ,good sources) this note about the start of Plantronics would be worthy of inclusion, but as it is it's completely out of context. Useful info would be: what was the first Plantronics headset like (did they actually invent "air tube" headsets? certainly many air tube headsets were Plantronics, but...), what were headsets like before that, etc. Jeh (talk) 08:15, 23 June 2016 (UTC)

History does exist
A history section would be good. Perhaps some of the previous section can be saved.

See also https://apex.aero/2019/02/21/sound-tube-history-airline-headsets for some headsets this article completely omits. And as it observes, they are even making a comeback. Andrewa (talk) 19:42, 18 June 2020 (UTC)

Two-way radios
This article fails to include headsets for two-way radios, such as Kenwood, Motorola, Icom, et many al.2601:280:4200:613B:59EA:7C7C:65EF:592A (talk) 15:43, 27 September 2016 (UTC)PhilN

The Wikipedia community encourages you to be bold in updating pages. Don't worry too much about making honest mistakes—they're likely to be found and corrected quickly. If you're not sure how editing works, check out how to edit a page, or use the sandbox to try out your editing skills. New contributors are always welcome. You don't even need to log in (although there are many reasons you might want to). Jeh (talk) 15:44, 27 September 2016 (UTC)
 * Information.svg Thank you for your suggestion. When you believe an article needs improvement, please feel free to make those changes. Wikipedia is a wiki, so anyone can edit almost any article by simply following the edit this page link at the top.

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Mono mobile headset
Quote: Most mobile phones come with their own handsfree in the form of a single earphone with a microphone module connected in the cable.

Wow, haven't seen those in ages. Maikel (talk) 12:27, 24 April 2022 (UTC)


 * I have updated this statement. ~Kvng (talk) 15:48, 29 April 2022 (UTC)
 * I agree. Single-ear Jabra-style device is too old for the 2020s. Modern typical BT headseats are combined with BT earbuds or BT "sports headphones".
 * Also, nobody adds such accessories to smartphones anymore. 81.89.66.133 (talk) 07:01, 2 May 2023 (UTC)