Hardware for your team
With The Headset App, everything you need is in your pocket. Whatever you use with your phone now will work with The Headset App…
And, we get it! You also need hardware for the right job, and we can help!
Because we are not a hardware company and don’t sell directly, we give you the option to choose the hardware that makes sense for you and your team. Hardware technology is advancing at lightspeed and we want to embrace that, not compete with it. There are dozens of good hardware options at your fingertips that can deliver a great experience for your team and many of them have great support, warranty and replacement policies, so keep an eye out. Below are some of the best hardware options we’ve utilized with our users.
Over-Ear Headsets
For the loud crowds
BlueParrott S650-XT - Best
What we love: We love that this headset can be single-muff or double-muff. It’s your choice and you can change your mind based on your environment. Best part? It's the best water-resistant option on the market. Also, Active Noise Cancelling and a windscreen mic offers both physical and technical advances in keeping your staff in, and your environment out. The adaptable button works as a mute button. This version also comes with single-only or double-only muff options.
Our Ratings:
ANC Capability: YES
Noise Cancelling Mic Rating: 96% mic
Weatherability Rating: IP54-rated durability against dust and water
Comfort Rating: 10/10
Battery Life: Up to 36 hours of talk time
Mute Button: YES
Price: $$$
Manufacturer Webpage / Amazon
TECHNET Headset - Better
What we love: The Tecknet bluetooth headset is another (and more affordable) option with a noise-cancelling mic boom with a windscreen. While this does not have a weather resistant rating for outdoor users, it is a more affordable option for our users while still providing great surround noise suppression.
Our Ratings:
ANC capability: ENC technology
Noise Cancelling Mic Rating: Up to 99.6%
Weatherability Rating: NO
Comfort Rating: 7/10
Battery life: Up to 32 hours
Mute Button: YES
Price: $$
Manufacturer Webpage / Amazon
Behringer BB 560M - Budget
What we love: We've found this to be a great budget headset to round out our list. While it doesn't come with any bells and whistles (ANC, windscreen mic, mute button, weatherproof rating etc), it's a great affordable and comfortable Bluetooth headset option for team members not facing the elements. Build quality is lower than our other recommendations, but at this price? It does its job.
Our Ratings:
ANC capability: No
Noise Cancelling Mic Rating: Up to 80%
Weatherability Rating: NO
Comfort Rating: 7/10
Battery life: Up to 10 hours
Mute Button: NO
Price: $
Manufacturer Webpage / Amazon
What to Consider:
When over-ear headsets with a "mic boom" make sense
If you are working in loud environments with a lot of noise around you, such as a sports stadium, concert venue or public arena, investing in a headset with a good mic boom is as important as the headset itself. An over-ear headset with a boom, is designed to to provide you the highest quality audio while minimizing others hearing the noise & bustle around you. You may also consider in-ear with mic boom options depending on your preference.
Noise cancellation? Tell me more...
Without a doubt in our testing, the ability to minimize the noise around you is The number one thing to consider when using a headset as a coach on the sidelines of a loud environment.
There are two (2) ways to cancel nose, 1: reducing unwanted noise around you that you hear, which is called ANC (or active noise cancelling) feature, which suppresses noise around you to allow you to hear the person on the other side of the channel. If you want to nerd out on this, check out this website. and 2: reducing the unwanted noise around you that others hear on the call, what we'll call a "noise cancellation microphone."
ANC technology has been showing up on the scene in the last year in almost every new earbud or headset. Your Apple Airpods or your Samsung Earbuds most likely have ANC at this point. There are a multitude of ANC options online and with a quick google search, you can find plenty to choose from.
Noise cancelling microphones are a little bit of a different story. This technology continues to get better over the years and there are many different variations and qualities of noise cancelling microphone options. It's important you find a noise cancelling microphone that fits your needs. If you're in a loud stadium, this feature is easily the most important thing to consider for the sake of all the other coaches in your channel. Through our research & testing, the below list is a cumulative ranking taking into account our top 3 things to consider.
Weatherability ratings
The second most important thing to consider is weatherability. If you're playing in the elements, you want a headset that can withstand poor weather, rain, etc.
There is a rating system on electronic headset systems called an "IPX Rating." At the end of the day, these are sort of like SPF ratings for sunscreen, anyone can rate their product however they like, no real rules... Perhaps the easiest way to explain this is: IPX:0 = bad, IPX: 8 Great.
Comfort & preference
It's important to consider the environment you are using The Headset App. For example, if you are a football coach and you are using The Headset App for practices & games, it's important to consider what you might need from a hardware perspective. While a football coach will most likely be able to use earbuds for practice, it's important to consider the game-day environment and prepare accordingly. High-noise situations call for different hardware, and anyone in a high-noise environment will want to consider a headset with a mic boom.
Earbuds
For the everyday user
BlueParrott M300-XT SE
What we love: Without a doubt, the BlueParrott M300-XT SE is our top-rated in-ear, single ear microphone. The mic-boom provides 80% background noise reduction which is why it tops our list. Additionally it has a weather resistant rating as well as boasts a 300ft range.
Our Ratings:
ANC Rating: 8/10
Noise Cancelling Mic: YES
Weatherability Rating: IP54 Weather Rating
Comfort Rating: 10/10
Battery life: Up to 14 hours
Mute Button: YES
Price: $$
Manufacturer Webpage / Amazon
Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless
What we love: Has ANC capabilities that adjust to your environment. Overall an extremely high-fidelity sound. While on the high-end pricing side, it truly one of the best in-ear options on the market.
Our Ratings:
ANC Rating: 8/10
Noise Cancelling Mic: YES
Weatherability Rating: IPX4 Weather Rating
Comfort Rating: 10/10
Battery life: Up to 28 hours
Mute Button: YES
Price: $$$
Manufacturer Webpage / Amazon
Most Earbuds (these days)
What we love: Technology is advancing so fast these days with earbuds. There are waterproof, over-ear for athletes, ANC options galore. If you're looking for different earbuds, we suggest you click through your favorite earbud provider... Amazon, Ebay, Best Buy and look specifically for the features we have rated other headsets & earbuds with. Check them out below.
Our Ratings:
ANC Rating:
Noise Cancelling Mic:
Weatherability Rating:
Comfort Rating:
Battery life:
Mute Button:
Price:
When earbuds make sense
If you are in an environment that has relatively low background noise, in-ear earbuds may be best for you. We have football coaches that use earbuds for practice, then headsets for games. We have baseball teams using earbuds because they're small and fit under catchers gear. You just need to find what works for you.
Still have questions about earbuds vs. headsets with mic booms? Check out our blog that breaks these two down even further.
You may also consider in-ear with mic boom options depending on your preference.
What to consider with earbuds
Think about your surroundings! If you are in an environment that isn't super loud (like a football stadium) and want ease-of use and flexibility, earbuds may be a great and cost-effective option for you.
Again, think about your surroundings! ANC (active noise cancelling) has really improved in in-ear earbuds as of late. ANC earbuds generally do a great job at shutting out noise around you, but! they're still not great at suppressing what your mic picks up and shares to others. So be careful using them as your primary headset in louder environments (we've found they work great for sports practices... but not necessarily games)
Hardware Hacks!
For the maximizers
We’ve found some other great uses with Bluetooth speakers & headsets. As we hear about these stories from our customers, we’ll be sure to update this section!
Bluetooth Portable Speakers
Are you a coach?
We've had football coaches leave portable speakers down by their practice units while they're in the booth.
How else might a portable speaker work for you? Let us know!
Bluetooth Helmet Speakers (baseball catchers)
Don't like an earbud in your ear all the time?
Are you a motorcyclist? or a baseball/softball catcher?
We've had teams utilize these helmet speakers. These easily findable Bluetooth helmet headsets fit easily and comfortably into most helmets. Search on Amazon for a price and option that makes sense for you!
Have you tried this yet? Do you have a favorite? Let us know!
More to come!
As we continue to learn from our customers how you're hacking hardware, we'll be sure to add your hacks here!
Got other hacks?
We'd love to hear how you have used a hardware hack.