Universal Apple Compatible Headset Digital USB.or. 4-Pole 3.5mm Connectivity Headsets can be utilized to conduct and manage Skype, Zoom and FaceTime calls from your Mac, as well as enjoy streaming computer audio, iTunes music playback and for Apple speech recognition. A headset can be either wired or wireless and can vary greatly in size. Make sure that the headphones you want to use together are paired with your Mac over Bluetooth. According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple's over-ear headphones will feature Active Noise Cancellation, a high-end feature baked into the Beats Studio 3 headphones, Solo Pro headphones,.
Buying Tips For Webcam Headsets
There are many different kinds of Mac compatible mic headsets in the marketplace with various functions and widely differing levels of quality. Picking which headset to buy for your Apple voice and webcam video conferencing setup depends upon how long, where and when you'll make use of the headset during any given voice or video chat session.Digital USB *or* 4-Pole 3.5mm Connectivity
Headsets can be utilized to conduct and manage Skype, Zoom and FaceTime calls from your Mac, as well as enjoy streaming computer audio, iTunes music playback and for Apple speech recognition. A headset can be either wired or wireless and can vary greatly in size and shape. They may be lightweight (such as ear buds or single on-ear Bluetooth headsets) to larger over or behind the head headset designs. Most gamers and music lovers will prefer a stereo headset, but single-sided mono headsets for business use may be more practical and preferred in an office call-center setting.
Mac Pro Desktop
Recommended Mac USB Headsets
For simple plug-n-play convenience and full-fidelity sound reproduction, these Apple compatible USB headsets with microphone are ideal for use at your Macintosh desktop setup. Some feature long cords, often around 8-10 feet long to let you kick-back in your office chair or roam a bit even though you're still tethered to your computer.
| Creative Quality Headset | Dictation Headset w/Mic |
|---|---|
| Creative Labs Headset Adjustable Mic 30mm Drivers | Plantronics USB Stereo On-Ear Controls 40mm Drivers |
| Best-Selling Headset | Great-Sounding Headset |
|---|---|
| Logitech Quality On-Ear Mute + Vol | USB Koss Headset Excellent Bass Response |
USB-C Headsets For Mac
A new generation of USB-C mic headset connectivity is needed for new iMac, Mac mini or MacBook models with Type-C Thunderbolt 3 ports (which are USB 3.1 compatible.) There are a few native USB-C headsets with mic reaching the market worth review. You can optionally use a rectangular USB-A to USB-C adapter to use conventional USB headsets with if needed.Native Type-C Interface
How Will You Use The Headset?
When considering which Apple compatible headset to purchase, first ascertain exactly what you primarily intend to utilize it for. Think about whether you'll be using your headset for pleasure or business, for gaming, for music playback, for Mac webcam conferencing, or for OSX speech recognition and Apple dictation. Headsets can be USB, USB-C, wired, wireless with a 2.4GHz RF transmitter, or via a Bluetooth connection to your Mac.Wireless Headsets For Webcam Chat On A Mac
| RF Wireless | Combo Wireless |
|---|---|
| Plantronics Headset USB RF Transciever | Logitech Premium Headset RF AND Bluetooth |
Wireless headsets obviously provide the advantages of more mobility which Apple users increasingly prefer. RF models have higher-fidelity audio and a more reliable operating range up to 50 feet, while Bluetooth typically craps-out within 30 feet or less. Bluetooth headsets also compress the audio signal and make some tradeoffs in speech and music quality. That makes them 'okay' for casual video and voice chat, but less than optimal for speech recognition and Apple dictation where precise interpretation of the audio signal is required. Both types of wireless headsets incorporate rechargeable batteries that may recharged via USB or a dedicated AC power supply. One advantage of Bluetooth headsets is that they don't require a USB port and can be switched between multiple gadgets when needed, for example an iPhone, Mac laptop or desktop, a home stereo, or a video gaming console after being paired with each gadget.
If you intend to use your headset primarily for webcam video chat or Skype on a Mac, a hard-wired USB headset is typically the most reliable and highest fidelity headset to buy. After all, you're not likely to be wandering far from the external webcam or built-in Apple iSight's view. If you have the urge to roam, wireless is a better choice.
Headsets For Apple Dictation & Speech Recognition
Because accurate capture from a headset's built-in microphone is critical for speech recognition accuracy, a wired headset (either Analog or USB) or RF wireless headset is generally preferred over Bluetooth. There are some exceptions as some of the latest generation of Ultra-Wideband Bluetooth 4.0/5.0 headsets don't rely on heavy audio compression as in the past and perform better for Mac dictation and speech recognition.Best Headphones For Mac Pro
Headset Comfort And Convenience During Use
Comfort and wearability is also a consideration to take into account when buying a headset for Mac and iGadget use. Comfortable, pivoting ear pads and padding on the headband can make long chat sessions alot more enjoyable. Many quasi-portable headsets have folding headbands and ear-cups that pivot so they can lay flat when not in use: They're more convenient and less space-hogging for travel or storage. Wired or Bluetooth earbud headsets with Apple compatible microphone integrated into the cord are most portable of all.Headsets For Mac Music And Gaming Too
If you're leaning in your purchase a headset to primarily improve Apple iTunes music experience or for gaming needs, think about headsets that explicitly brag about deep bass and full-range 20Hz-20KHz response. These types of headsets have the tendency to feature big 40mm, 50mm or larger internal sound drivers for rich bass and hi-fi audio, and well-padded ear cups for enduring comfort and fully-immersive sound. Because gamers typically put on these headsets for long gaming sessions, these are typically wired to connect to a computer or console. RF-Wireless gaming headsets are also a popular choice. With the former, players don't need to futz batteries or deal with periodic recharging issues, with the latter they get some freedom to roam at a distance from their TV or Mac computer screen.Consider Your Surrounding Environment
When deciding on your purchase of a headset, take into account the surrounding environment where you'll be using it. If it's a noisy environment, as in an office or a residence with roomies, in-ear or full-size earcups help block out ambient noise. Many lightweight headsets have open-air foam ear-coverings to also allow hearing what's going on around you - which can be important in a business environment. Some headsets feature noise-canceling mics, or ambient noise-cancellation to block unwanted enviromental and background sounds.Apple Headset Compatibility
Think about headset compatibility with Apple hardware when you're deciding to buy a headset. If the headset has a USB or USB-C plug, you're all set since OSX has standard USB audio drivers built into the OS. Some vendors like Logitech or Creative Labs MAY provide specific Apple support for sound control with SELECT models of higher end headsets. Sadly many of the more elaborate 5.1 surround-sound gaming headsets only work in 2.0 stereo mode when plugged into a Macintosh.Apple's use of non-standard signal voltages in analog microphones was problematic in the past. Another problem is most PC headsets have TWO separate 2 and 3-conductor 1/8' 3.5mm plugs: One for the microphone, the other for the stereo headset. Macs have a combined audio port. More recently Apple introduced a 4-conductor (4-Pole) TRRS audio jack that combines speaker and mic into one. Macs since 2010 and iPads, iPhones and iPod touch support the TRRS 4-pole plug CTIA standard, as do most cell-phone manufacturers as well.
As such, the latest generation of 4-conductor analog microphone headsets are now both Mac and PC, iPhone and Andriod / Samsung / etc compatible. Some come with both separate dual plugs (for older computers) and a interchangeable 4-pole plug for more modern devices. In short, many more analog headsets are now appropriate for Mac OSX / iOS use.
Simplify Bluetooth connection
From the dawn of time to just about a few years ago, all of us sported a pair of wired headphones and were convinced that this is simply how it will be done forever. After all, they are the easiest technology around: just plug them in, put them on, and go. But with proliferation of Bluetooth headphone options and disappearance of headphone jacks from nearly all the latest smartphones, wired headphones seem to progress on the path of disappearance more and more each day.
Thankfully, wireless devices are great. They are lightweight. They are versatile. They can be easily connected to your iPhone, your Mac, or your car. Charge them overnight just the same way as your phone and they last all day too.
Sadly, without proper configuration, connecting Bluetooth headphones to Mac might get a bit tricky, with frequent disconnections and music interruptions. Here, we’ll help you find out how to pair AirPods and other sound devices with Mac properly and control them masterfully at the same time.
Why Bluetooth Headphones Won't Connect To Mac
There are a few common problems we need to explore:
- Bluetooth headphones won't connect to Mac right out of the box — some configuring is needed
- Pairing Bluetooth headphones with Mac is different from pairing them with iPhone or your car’s audio system
- Special settings that answer questions like how to connect two Bluetooth headphones to one Mac and how to use multiple audio outputs
Throughout the article, AirPods would be used as an example, but any other model of Bluetooth headphones can be connected in a similar fashion.
Get a tool to pair with a Mac
Connect Bluetooth devices to your Mac in one click. Setapp has an easy tool for that.
How to pair wireless headphones to Mac
Connecting Bluetooth headphones to Mac for the first time is done by following a few easy steps:
- On your Mac, click on the Apple menu and launch System Preferences
- Navigate to the Bluetooth menu and Turn Bluetooth On. You should now see all available Bluetooth devices around you.
- Make sure your headphones are charged and currently in discoverable mode. Click Connect to establish a new connection
- Your Bluetooth headphones should now appear in the list. Click Connect to establish a new connection.
- If you’re trying to reconnect your existing device, right-click on it and choose Connect
After you’ve managed to successfully connect Bluetooth headphones to Mac for the first time, they should stay connected or reconnect automatically when you leave the Bluetooth range (around 33 feet or 10 meters) and come back.
You can also calibrate headphones to your liking through the Sound menu in System Preferences. For example, in the Output tab you can choose to “Show volume in menu bar” and set a stereo balance between right and left.
Described above is the ideal scenario for connecting AirPods to Mac. But oftentimes things don’t go as planned, so let’s work through some widespread issues regarding Bluetooth headphones as well.
How to connect AirPods to Mac
There’s good news for those interested specifically in how to pair AirPods with MacBook. It’s really handy to set up connections if you use multiple Apple devices with your AirPods. Plus, you can get third-party software to automate the flow.
Here’s how you connect new AirPods to Mac:
- Open System Preferences on your Mac and select Bluetooth.
- Ensure Bluetooth is turned on.
- On AirPods, press and hold the round button (it’s at the bottom center of the case) until the white light starts blinking.
- Your Bluetooth headphones should now appear in the list.
In case you’ve already paired AirPods with your iPhone that’s tied to the same iCloud account and Apple ID, your earbuds will be automatically recognized by Mac.
To simplify it even more, install ToothFairy, an app that pairs Bluetooth devices with Mac in one click. It works particularly well with connecting AirPods to Mac – instead of taking AirPods out of their case and putting them back in, you click on one single icon in ToothFairy. You can read more about how to use the app below.
How to fix Bluetooth headphone issues
Sometimes going through the setup steps doesn’t result in your headphones connecting successfully, or connecting and then abruptly disconnecting. This is profoundly annoying but can be solved by either resetting the headphones or purging preference settings on your Mac. Here's how to fix all known issues:
Restart your Bluetooth headphones
In case you can’t connect your Bluetooth headphones not only to your Mac but also any other device you own (iPhone or car audio), it might be a glitch in its settings, so a simple reset should remedy the situation.
For reset instructions, check your device’s manual. Here’s how to reset AirPods:
- Put the earpieces into the case and keep the lid open
- Press and hold the setup button until the light switches from amber to white (around 10 seconds)
Now all settings on your earphones should be reset and you should be able to connect them again using the standard workflow above. If the problem persists, it could be something to do with the preferences on your Mac.
Reset sounds preferences on Mac
First, make sure that your Mac is running macOS Sierra or newer (macOS High Sierra or Mojave). If not, upgrade to the latest version by going to System Preferences > Software Update or using the App Store if you’re upgrading from a few versions back.
Next, if nothing was of any benefit so far, try resetting your Mac’s sound preferences. To do that:
- From the menu bar select Go > Go to Folder… and type ~/Library/Preferences
- In the long list of preference files, find and delete the following: com.apple.preferences.plist and com.apple.soundpref.plist
Deleting preferences out of the library forces your Mac to recreate them brand new, thus avoiding any bugs or improper algorithms that could have interfered with your Bluetooth headphones setup. If that didn’t work, you can also try relaunching the audio process:
- Launch Activity Monitor from the Applications folder
- In the CPU tab, find the process called coreaudiod
- Quit the process and close Activity Monitor
The above would force not only the preferences for your audio to reset but also the audio process for your whole Mac to relaunch.
No audio from a paired and connected Bluetooth headset
Occasionally, when you succeeded in connecting Bluetooth headphones to Mac, you might hear no sound going through. There are a few things you can do to solve this.
Ensure that your headphones are the selected audio output for your Mac:
- Go System Preferences > Sound
- In the Output tab, find your headphones in the list and double-click to make them active
If that didn’t change anything:
- Reset your headphones as per the directions above
- Go System Preferences > Bluetooth
- Right-click on your headphones, choose Remove, and confirm
Now you need to connect Bluetooth headphones to Mac all over again, and the problem should disappear.
Can’t connect two Bluetooth headphones Mac recognizes
The beauty of Mac’s Bluetooth menu is that it lets you add any number of Bluetooth-enabled devices, from keyboards to headphones. Sometimes, however, it might malfunction and not allow you to add two wireless headphones at the same time.
To fix this issue, essentially repeat the steps from the previous section:
- Reset each pair of headphones
- Remove them from Mac’s Bluetooth menu
- Reconnect your headphones once more
If, however, you’re looking for how to use multiple audio outputs, such as headphones, at the same time — here some magic tricks are required.
How to use multiple audio outputs simultaneously
Most Mac users believe that they can only play their audio output through one device at a time, be it internal speakers, Bluetooth headphones, or some other amplifier. But in reality it’s possible to play audio on multiple devices at the same time through a handy built-in utility called Audio MIDI Setup. Here’s what you need to do:
- Launch Audio MIDI Setup through Applications
- Click the plus icon at the bottom left and choose Create Multi-Output Device
- In the new option that appears, check all the Bluetooth devices you need to play simultaneously
- Navigate to the Sound menu in System Preferences and choose the Multi-Output Device in the Output tab. Now all sounds will play through both devices at the same time.
Playing audio through multiple devices is a nifty trick for when you need more sound power for your party or when trying to create a true surround sound for a movie screening.
Use master audio software for all needs
Most of the time, audio on Mac is not an issue. What’s frustrating is the way current settings are sprinkled all over macOS. Lots of fixes described here might seem confusing and unintuitive at first sight. You might wish there was an app that would make it easy to control all your audio needs from a single place. And there is.
Meet ToothFairy — the most simple and magical Bluetooth device assistant for Mac. In a true one-click fashion, ToothFairy allows you to set up any number of Bluetooth-enabled devices, configure hotkeys, and switch easily between them.
To set up a new device in ToothFairy, all you need to do is:
- Open the app
- Click the plus icon
- Locate your device in the list and click Connect
Similarly, it’s just as easy to assign custom icons to all your frequently used devices and get them displayed in the menu bar, so you instantly know which devices are connected, what’s their battery life, and can quickly turn them on and off with one click.
Additionally, ToothFairy offers a unique option of improving the sound quality of your Bluetooth headphones by funneling the sound through a higher level audio codec.
In the end, it seems like wireless headphones are here to stay. So finding a master program to control them with ease is going to save your hours of time in the long run. Use the tips above to configure your headphones, easily connect AirPods to MacBook, and take advantage of ToothFairy to just the way you want and take advantage of ToothFairy to tell you what exactly is going on with all your Bluetooth devices.
Best of all, ToothFairy is available for a free trial through Setapp, a platform of over 150 useful utilities and apps for people who love finding the best shortcuts for using their Macs. Now enjoy the sound!
Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.
Headphones For Macbook Pro
Read onMac Pro Laptop
Sign Up