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).

Headset FAQs