News1 min ago
New Headphones.
33 Answers
I'd like to buy a decent pair of comfortable headphones. Can you get wireless headphones that you can use by plugging something into a USB socket on the laptop.
I don't know what to do with Bluetooth, so that's no good.
Any suggestions please?
I don't know what to do with Bluetooth, so that's no good.
Any suggestions please?
Answers
Wireless headphones, as opposed to Bluetooth ones, normally take their signal from the headphone/
17:11 Tue 07th Jul 2020
All wireless headphones use BlueTooth these days:
https:/
They're not difficult to set up.
https:/
They're not difficult to set up.
A quick Google search will tell you that it is:
https:/
https:/
Wireless headphones, as opposed to Bluetooth ones, normally take their signal from the headphone/speaker output on a computer. (i.e. they plug into the relevant 3.5mm jack socket, not into a USB port). That's then fed to a transmitter unit, which sends a signal to the headphones.
It's worth paying a bit more than the lowest available prices for some decent quality wireless headphones, in order to get some which
(a) are really confortable ;
(b) have a long life for the rechargeable batteries in them. (Some of the cheapest models might only work for a few hours before they need recharging) ;
(c) have really good audio quality. (Some cheaper ones might be very 'tinny' with their sound output) ;
(d) have a decent range. (I can wear mine anywhere in the house, or even quite a way down the street, and get a perfect signal) ; and
(e) have a volume control built into them (so that you don't have to keep going back to your computer to adjust the volume).
I bought a pair of Sony wireless headphones over a decade ago that were amazingly comfortable. (They can be worn for over ten hours continuously without even the slightest discomfort). They also hold a charge for around 14 hours before needing recharging and the sound quality is superb. Eventually though I found that they wouldn't charge as well as they used to, so I simply replaced them with exactly the same model. (I reckon that over 10 years of daily use before anything goes wrong represents decent enough quality!).
These are the heaphones that I use
https:/
(Several other ABers, including Woodelf, use them too and everyone seems to love them).
However, being a skinflint, when it came to replacing my headphones I looked around to see if I could get them any cheaper than mainstream sellers, such as Argos, and noticed that there were several eBay sellers offering them as 'opened but never used'. I decided to take a chance and purchase from one of those sellers. The headphones I got were clearly brand new and work perfectly. (The packaging suggested that they were ex-display models from a store within the Dixon's group, probably Curry's/PC World). So you might also like to consider going down the same route to save a few quid. This eBay seller has 100% positive feedback:
https:/
It's worth paying a bit more than the lowest available prices for some decent quality wireless headphones, in order to get some which
(a) are really confortable ;
(b) have a long life for the rechargeable batteries in them. (Some of the cheapest models might only work for a few hours before they need recharging) ;
(c) have really good audio quality. (Some cheaper ones might be very 'tinny' with their sound output) ;
(d) have a decent range. (I can wear mine anywhere in the house, or even quite a way down the street, and get a perfect signal) ; and
(e) have a volume control built into them (so that you don't have to keep going back to your computer to adjust the volume).
I bought a pair of Sony wireless headphones over a decade ago that were amazingly comfortable. (They can be worn for over ten hours continuously without even the slightest discomfort). They also hold a charge for around 14 hours before needing recharging and the sound quality is superb. Eventually though I found that they wouldn't charge as well as they used to, so I simply replaced them with exactly the same model. (I reckon that over 10 years of daily use before anything goes wrong represents decent enough quality!).
These are the heaphones that I use
https:/
(Several other ABers, including Woodelf, use them too and everyone seems to love them).
However, being a skinflint, when it came to replacing my headphones I looked around to see if I could get them any cheaper than mainstream sellers, such as Argos, and noticed that there were several eBay sellers offering them as 'opened but never used'. I decided to take a chance and purchase from one of those sellers. The headphones I got were clearly brand new and work perfectly. (The packaging suggested that they were ex-display models from a store within the Dixon's group, probably Curry's/PC World). So you might also like to consider going down the same route to save a few quid. This eBay seller has 100% positive feedback:
https:/
Just an additional thought:
If you'll be using your laptop in the same location all the time, then wireless (rather than Bluetooth) headphones might be best for you. The transmitter unit needs to be plugged into the mains (via a supplied charger unit), so that's not much use if you want to use your laptop on, say, a bus or a train. However you then get the advantage of having a much bigger transmission range (so that you can wander all around the house, listening to the music playing on your laptop, without worrying about the signal cutting out).
If, though, you want to use your laptop 'out and about' then Bluetooth is the way to go because there's no external transmitter unit required. (The transmitter is built into a Bluetooth-enabled laptop, taking its power from the laptop's battery).
If you'll be using your laptop in the same location all the time, then wireless (rather than Bluetooth) headphones might be best for you. The transmitter unit needs to be plugged into the mains (via a supplied charger unit), so that's not much use if you want to use your laptop on, say, a bus or a train. However you then get the advantage of having a much bigger transmission range (so that you can wander all around the house, listening to the music playing on your laptop, without worrying about the signal cutting out).
If, though, you want to use your laptop 'out and about' then Bluetooth is the way to go because there's no external transmitter unit required. (The transmitter is built into a Bluetooth-enabled laptop, taking its power from the laptop's battery).
I've been using those headphones for over a decade with my desktop PC. (I've also got a little switch box that let's me easily change the input so that I can use them to listen to the output of a portable CD player or my DAB radio).
Woodelf uses them with his desktop PC. I know other people who use them for a variety of different uses. I can see no reason at all why they can't be used with any device that's got a 3.5mm audio socket (which is the standard sound output socket on laptops, desktops, radios, TVs and just about everything else).
Woodelf uses them with his desktop PC. I know other people who use them for a variety of different uses. I can see no reason at all why they can't be used with any device that's got a 3.5mm audio socket (which is the standard sound output socket on laptops, desktops, radios, TVs and just about everything else).
