Choosing a Headset for LiveVox Use
What type of headset should I use in the LiveVox platform?
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When choosing a headset or pair of headphones, you typically get what you pay for. You may have a lightning-fast network and top-of-the-line PC, but if you have a poor headset, your audio quality will suffer.
Where the headset will be used also matters. Most well-known brands separate their headsets into two different categories: call center or office use. Call center-style headsets will usually feature better microphones and noise cancellation (due to the louder environment).
While LiveVox does not recommend specific headsets or brands, we do provide some general guidelines for you to make the best headset decision for your business so that you can get the most out of your LiveVox service.
Headset Essentials
Here's a list of recommended features in an agent headset:
- Wired USB Connection - Regular 3.5mm headsets are prone to audio driver issues.
- Avoid Wireless Connectivity - Wireless headsets add latency and complexity to the connection and might reduce voice quality. Due to wireless channel saturation, call centers with high agent density will have problems.
- Use Stereo/Binaural Headsets - Stereo speakers help with agent concentration in noisy environments. Also, audio recordings of any agent conversations will have split audio channels (left channel = customer, right channel = agent) for better auditing. Mono headsets do not reproduce both channels.
- Avoid In-Ear/Earbud-Style Headsets - Both ears should be covered (over-ear, on-ear).
- Headsets Should Have a Mic Boom - Headsets without a mic boom can pick up more ambient noise.
- Headsets Should Have Mute, Volume Functionality - Agents should be able to easily mute themselves or adjust their headset volume directly from the device itself.
- Ideally, Speakers Should Have 50 Hz or Lower to 16 kHz or Higher Frequency Range (Wideband Audio) - However, some vendors might specify between 150 Hz or lower to 6.8 kHz or higher range in speech/speak/communications mode* which is acceptable.
- The Higher the Speaker Sensitivity, the More Volume the Agent Will Get** - 93 dB SPL or higher speaker sensitivity for medium to noisy environments. 82 dB SPL or higher for work-from-home or quiet environments.
- Ideally, Microphone Frequency Range Should Be Between 100 Hz or Lower to 8 kHz or Higher - It's also acceptable to have a range between 150 Hz or lower to 6.8 kHz or higher.
- Microphone Sensitivity Will Need to Vary Based on Environment - For a noisy environment, between -17 to -39 dB V/Pa is acceptable. For quiet environments, a range between -39 dB to -48 dB V/Pa is acceptable.***
- Headsets Should Have Noise-Cancelling Microphone - This is essential in a noisy call center environment to make sure that your customers can properly hear your agents.
- Avoid Headsets that Use a Non-Conventional Speaker or Microphone Transducer - This includes bone-conduction headphones/microphones or throat/neck microphones.
- Avoid High-Impedance Headsets - This includes headsets meant to be connect to a physical phone or amplifier (unless the headset vendor provides you with the appropriate USB adapter).
*Note on Speaker Frequency Range
Use the standard frequency range guidelines if your headset vendor doesn't explicitly state a specific speech/speak/communication mode.
**Note on Speaker Sensitivity
Generally, agents will never use their headsets at maximum sensitivity (volume), but having the option to increase the volume when needed is helpful.
***Note on Microphone Sensitivity
Headset manufacturers may use different tests to measure microphone sensitivity. Correct microphone placement, orientation, isolation (pop filter, etc.), and configuration with an operating system play a crucial role in ambient noise rejection for loud environments.
Headset FAQs
What does it mean if my headset doesn't meet the specs? Will it not work with Agent Desktop Native (ADN) or WebRTC?
Agent Desktop Native (ADN) and WebRTC do not have strict requirements for headset compatibility. You are welcome to use any headset that you prefer, but the end user experience may be impacted by low quality or out-of-spec headsets.
If I have an out-of-spec headset, will that impact the support level provided by LiveVox?
No! LiveVox support will be the same even if you use out-of-spec headsets. However, low quality headsets have a higher-than-normal support ticket count relating to bad audio quality and other issues. If the root cause of your problem is found to be the headset, you may be redirected to your headset vendor for support.