Dear Mike,
Our top priority for language classrooms has lately been on the quality of the headset and its audio reproduction, saving as much money where we can on the computing platforms. Top-of the line headsets can cost $140 or more. We find that it's worth it,
so we try to find ways to offset that premium price from a computer. But we can't always do this in all situations (circulating headsets, etc.), so here is what we use:
-- Top of the line: Sennheiser PC333D (Gaming headset)
These are Mac & PC compatible, they work great with our Mac language lab software. Excellent sound reproduction, fantastic microphone. We just picked these up from Swift Education whose pricing was very aggressive, since they sell them as a preferred
headset for use with DiLL.
-- For newer Macs and iOS devices: Califone DS-8VT (with iPhone-style TRS connector)
As Peter Smith has said, the supplied apple earbuds work with newer iMacs. This headset has the same microphone technology and connection, all while in a durable headset. The cable is only 3' long, so a compatible extension cable usually necessary for
computers.
-- For PCs with built-in dynamic microphone amplification: Califone DS-4V
If you're planning to plug the headset connectors (mini jacks) directly into your PC sound card, it's very important to note which kind of microphone it is expecting to amplify (either "dynamic" or "electret"). This headset uses a dynamic microphone.
No product is perfect (a former Sennheiser product, the PC350, was close). For example, the sound isolation on the Califone headsets could be better, the ear cups on the PC333D should ideally sit outside the ear, not on it. For the more expensive headsets
we do have to worry about security. So we loop the USB and audio cables through flat washers before passing our cable locks through loops, as per this method:
http://dltj.org/article/flat-washer-protects-cables/
So far, so good.
-=- matt
Matthew W. Taylor
IT Director, Multimedia Learning Center
Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
Northwestern University