What is a Headset?

A Headset is a pair of headphones with a microphone attached. While headphones can only be used as a listening device, a headset can be used as a listening device and a recording device through recording through its microphone.

As far as listening is concerned, headsets can have all the same features and functionalities as headphones, since they are headphones, only with the addition of a microphone. Just like headphones, headsets can come with one speaker or two speakers. The speakers can play out sound with either mono or stereo speaker output. They can come in the package as circumaural or supra-aural.

As far as recording is concerned, headsets normally have a microphone boom attached to one of the speaker earcups. This boom is designed to be extended to the front of a user's mouth for the user to speak into it, usually at about an inch's distance. This is usually how recording is done with standard headsets. However, now new technology is arising in which headsets no longer need microphone booms to record sound. These headsets are called boomless headsets. However, the vast majority of headsets use microphone booms.

Below is graphic illustration of a headset with all the typical parts that a headset contains: