Sennheiser PC 3 Chat Wired On Ear Headphones with Mic (Black)

This review comes after approximately 9 months of extensive usage.MY REQUIREMENTWhen I purchased this product, I was looking for a headset primarily for attending teleconferences, both on a laptop (using Webex, Skype, etc.) and cellphone. While I was budget conscious, I also didn't want to buy a cheap headset as a) voice quality was important to me, and b) I wanted a headset that would not cause fatigue (I can spend hours on telecons). Also my laptop has a single (integrated mic) 3.5 mm jack.THE COMBINATIONI purchased this headset along with Ugreen 3.5mm Stereo TRRS 4 Pole Plug To 3.5mm Mic & Headset Jack Audio Adapter which allows me to hook up this headset to my cell phone or laptop. The product page for this headset recommends Storite 3.5mm Stereo Jack Splitter Cable iPod MP3 Player Headphone Speaker Adapter - 3.5mm Male to 2 x Female - Gold Plated Connectors-Black but I recommend against that: the Storite adaptor doesn't do what it claims (please go through its reviews).REVIEW* Comfort: I've spent upwards of 2 hrs continuously on calls using this headset, and have loved the comfort level: the fit is good, there's no excessive pressure on the ears, and the weight is barely noticeable. The retractable boom mic is a nice feature - I can lift up the boom mic when I don't need to speak.* Audio quality: Great for voice, average for music. If you're the sort of person who frequently jumps around between podcasts/audiobooks and telephone calls, then this headphone could be a great option (the retractable boom mic also helps).* Ambient noise / noise cancellation: I believe this is a very misinterpreted attribute of headphones. I came across another reviewer's comment (I apologise I don't have the URL to that review) which explained why noise cancellation is a bad idea in VoIP headsets. Essentially, when one can't hear oneself, one ends up speaking loudly, as is often observed with the hearing impaired. This was the primary reason why I didn't consider noise cancelling headphones: so that I should be able to hear myself speak.* Microphone: The mic is fantastic, and people who I speak to have often mentioned that they are able to hear me with great clarity. However, what would help in this headphone is if the mic had noise cancelling to eliminate external noises. If you are seeking that feature, then you could consider Sennheiser Pc 310 Gaming Headset (Black) (Disclaimer: I haven't tried those headphones and I can't speak for how good or bad they are)* Build quality: I haven't had any complaints on the build quality. Even though the retractable boom mic is a moving part, it seems to be of good quality and not likely to break anytime soon. BTW, the headset is delicate - you can't throw this into a bag and expect it to come out intact, making it a non-portable solution.* Cable length: Great if you are using at a desk, although one might need to create a few loops to reduce the length. I don't think the cable will be adequate for gamers using a console, although I haven't tried it myself.* No controls: There are no controls to mute the mic, or to adjust the volume. Although I haven't missed this feature - I mainly use this headset at my desk, and I use those controls directly on my laptop or phone.ALTERNATIVEIf I hadn't bought this product, I would have gone for the Philips SHM7410/97 PC Headset with Mic (Black) which seemed to offer similar features at a similar price point.OVERALL VERDICTIf your need is primarily to attend VoIP calls, this product does a great job. Recommend highly.

** First Impressions **● The headphone came is a tamper proof sealed plastic mould. Its all back in colour and is very light weight● The headband is stretchable and the microphone arm swings up and down● There is Sennheiser branding on the speakers, microphone arm and the headband● The ear pieces are padded with soft spongy cloth● There are two 3.5mm jacks- one for the sound and the other for the microphone. The jacks are colour coded● The cable is around 2 meters in length and there are cable splitters at both ends- to the two speakers as well as to the two input jacksOverall build quality is excellent which can be felt from the looks as well as in your hand** Usage & Performance **● The headphone feel very soft to ears with the right amount of padding. Unlike other headphones, the pads are built into the speaker which are not replaceable or removable● The headphone rest on your head without compressing your ears. But there are other headphones in simiar price range (eg. Logitech) that are even more light to ears● The microphone arm swings only in one direction. This forces the headphone to be worn in only the right way, i.e, the left speaker to your left ear and right speaker to right ear. The speakers are also marked in bailey● The microphone arm swings 180 degrees and there are steps all the way where they get locked to keep it in any position● The microphone has not got any padding and this give it good looks which I personally like than the bulkier padded ball-like microphone● There are no weak points near the cable joints where there are high chances to develop cracks. All the joints are well protected by soft guides● The microphone has noise cancelling feature and this has worked well for me everytime. Background noise is filtered to my satisfaction● Sound is crisp and clear; the speakers are optimised for chatting and hearing music is not that much welcomed. Its not bad either, but you wont get that thump or fine details which anyway is not expected out of this unit● Sound does not leak out from the speakers; so there is no chance of someone overhearing what you are hearing● The cables are long enough incase you are connecting this to a PC CPU placed under your table● The overall unit is very thin and keeps a low profile when worn● I am very happy that it has got one year manufacturing warranty and two years warranty for parts** I don't like these **● I use this on a laptop; hence the length of the cable is too long for me and this creates a mess on my desk● The end of cable that connects to the headset gets tangled and I cant find a way to untangle it. I am sure there should be a way around; but I am too lazy● You have to cut open the plastic mould case the headphone came in and I tore it apart into three or four pieces while opening it. To claim the warranty, you have to keep the moulded case that it came in which is very unlikey for most of us● Since the headband is not collapsible, it has low marks on portability● I would have preferred it having a feature to mute the mic when its flipped up out of the way** Summary **● I use this at my office to make & receive phone calls. At times, I have to wear this continuously for more than two hours. The ear cushions pressing against the ear causes some sort of discomfor on such long usage. However, I have not experienced any issues for short calls less than 30 minutes● I am happy with the sound quality, both the speakers as well as microphone. Build quality is also upto my expectation● I paid Rs.1099 in Aug-17 and I rate FOUR stars. Eventhough there are a alot of things that I don't like about this, I knew all these before making the purchase.One star off is on the comfortness to ears and its looks when compared with similar priced Logitech.

Great headset, there is no noise. Excellent working noise cancellation.There are many types of microphones.1. Dynamic2. Condensor3. These headset types.If you looking for recording something like for youtube videos, lectures online etc. only go for it if you have a very noisy room/surrounding and you can't avoid it. Otherwise look for some professional microphones either dynamic or condenser. Due to noise cancellation feature it really makes your voice lack in quality.Remember quality is not same a clarity. Your voice can be very clear but you will not sound as yourself. Bass, treble would be missing and pitch would be slightly different.Great to use only as a chatting with somebody.But other professional microphones are very costly, Starting around 5K.Say if you only have a budget of 1K go for it, it's great even for recording for budget constraint.There is one more counterpart which is 1k higher cost it's U.S.B powered.Remember U.S.B powered (this is digital) ones are better in quality than analog ( i.e. they have a 3.5mm jack) ones. Though I haven't used them If I would have known earlier would have buyed that one. I always thought why they are costly.