As a hands-free device the communications headset has been in production for around 80 years but it is only around a decade ago that the first wireless headsets were developed and produced to provide people with a wire free way of talking on the phone without having to use a handset. Since the first devices were created there have been rapid developments in headset technology that makes a wireless headset an attractive option for a wide range of uses.
While there are still headsets around that are over-head and have two distinct ear pieces, there have also been some significant developments in terms of the miniaturisation of wireless headsets. These new headsets are designed to be used with a mobile phone and allow someone to have a conversation through their mobile phone without actually touching the phone or holding it to their ear. The ear pieces are so tiny that they are easily hidden by hair and can lead to the wearer appearing to be walking along speaking to themselves. The small size also equates to a very low weight so that the headset can be worn comfortably when the user is out and about. The lightest devices weigh in at a tiny 7g, with many of the ‘heavier’ devices weighing around 10g.
Although these devices are extremely light weight their functionality is not compromised by this especially in terms of battery life. On the best headsets up to 11 hours of talk time can be achieved from a single battery charge, which is more than enough for a full day out and about, or perhaps for a taxi shift. The standby time is also impressive with up to 11 days being achieved from a single battery charge.
These mobile headsets utilise Bluetooth communications technology, which is a digital protocol. The main advantage of this is that the signal that travels from the phone to the headset can easily be encrypted by using Digital Encryption. This encryption combined with the pairing of devices that is required in order to establish a Bluetooth connection leads to the signal between the phone and the headset being secure. This security ensures that no other headset or phone will be able to accidentally pick up the conversation in progress or be able to listen in. Bluetooth technology allows a range of up to 10m between the transmitter and receiver, assuming that there is line of sight between them, which makes this an ideal technology for mobile phone to wireless headset communications.
No matter how large or small the wireless headsets are, the vast majority will contain some sort of noise reduction or cancellation technology. The complexity and effectiveness of this technology is usually clearly reflected in the price as this is the most expensive element of the headset. Cheaper systems will have single microphone sampling that is then analysed by a chip and then translated into active alteration of the sound that is heard through the headphones. For more accurate noise cancellation a three microphone sampling method is used, which can provide noise reduction in more challenging environments, such as strong winds and noisy traffic.