From: Phillip Gross

Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 8:18 AM

To: main@jfw.groups.io

Subject: Re: slightly off topic: over ear headphones recommendations?

It helps to know what you are looking to spend. The options at $50 are a lot different than the $300 options.

I personally use the Bose QC 35 II headphones. I have had them for about 3 years now and use them daily. I would estimate I wear them an average of 8 hours a day including weekends. I use them for work and personal use. They have a Bluetooth option, and I do use it, but most of the time I plug them into my computer or iPad. The battery is supposed to last 20 hours if you’re using Bluetooth and 40 hours if they are plugged into a 3.5 jack and you’re just using noise canceling. The foam began coming out of the ear pieces about a year ago, but I replaced them for about $30.

Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2021 6:27 PM

To: main@jfw.groups.io

Subject: Re: slightly off topic: over ear loud good pair of wired headphones recommendations for a call centre?

Good afternoon David Griffith,

So you find that these OneOdio Over Ear Headphones Studio Wired Bass Headsets with 50mm Driver wired earphones that you did a review on below are quite loud earphones?

I ask this about the loudness of them as I will need a very loud, good pair of wired earphones to use at an incoming calls call centre to hear Jaws clearly in my right-hand side ear so I can use the computer properly, (because I have some hearing loss in my right-hand side ear), while I take care of customer’s inquiries in my left-hand side ear.

Any help you can maybe give me on this loudness concern I have about these particular earphones would be so very, very much appreciated! Much, much thanks in advance for any possible help I can maybe get with this!

Kindest regards,

Hank

I hesitated to post this here initially as it is a Jaws list.  However given the persistence of interest I did a recent review on a pair of cheap headphones which would meet all these access requirements.

Review

OneOdio Over Ear Headphones Studio Wired Bass Headsets with 50mm Driver

Occasionally a mainstream product emerges which inadvertently meets all sorts of accessibility needs. The OneOdio Over Ear Headphone certainly do that, despite being described as D. J> Head pones, and their capacity for dual input may make them an important affordable access solution in the workplace.

Ironically access was not really considered when these headphones were ordered. They were a Christmas present from my daughter who was most interested in their noise cancelling aspect. The hope was that this would protect both herself and my wife from the sound of NVDA and Jaws leaking out whilst they were listening to the Television.

My deaf ears makes my listening volume loud and can disturb others with leakage.

Certainly these headphones reduce leakage and I now receive requests to switch back to them if I am using a different pair.

For general usage they are very pleasant wired headphones , with a good powerful bass sound. they are light if slightly bulky for portable usage. They are rated as the number 1 Amazon best seller for D. J Headphones.

They are also very reasonably priced at £34.99.

There are however 3 more important access features of these headphones.

The first access plus is the headphone loudness.

Prolonged loud headphone volume is undeniably dangerous for people with normal hearing. People with normal or mildly impaired hearing should heed all the warnings. However for people like me with congenital severe deafness it is essential to find headphones which can pump out volume. Pretty much every year I end up giving away headphones or earphones which are useless as they are just too quiet. Without suitable head pones producing sufficient volume I would be incapable of typing this review, making a pone call or listening to my Audio books Radio and Music.

Luckily these headphones are well capable of providing the necessary pump.

The second access capability is that they have sufficient headband tension to enable precise placement adjacent to or over my hearing aids. Lots of head pones are unusable with hearing aids as it is impossible to prevent high pitched feedback whistling without this precise placement.

Thirdly and probably most importantly is that these headphones can be used in dual input mode.

There are 2 input ports for the headphones.

The right ear receives an old style 6.5 mm headphone plug which has a normal 3.5mm plug at the other end of the cable. This cable is partly coiled to connect easily over distance too computers and other audio devices.

The left ear receives a small 2.5mm plug which via a shorter cable, connects to a normal 3.5mm plug. This cable includes an inline remote control and mic for playing and pausing, answering phone calls etc. This shorted cable is clearly suitable for connecting to any phone capable of receiving wired headphones.

I have tested this cable with my Google Pixel 4A and my old iPhone SE first generation via a lightning audio cable adapter. It worked as expected with both devices. It also worked with my Victor reader Trek and even paused and played via the remote inline control like the phones.

It received audio from my blind Shell Classic phone and Evo 10 Daisy Player but not surprisingly these devices did not respond to the inline remote control.

What I did not immediately appreciate is that it is possible to have both these input sources simultaneously connected.

So whilst I am typing this review I am also connected to my Blind Shell Classic phone. I am able to operate the phone, make and receive calls, all at the same time being able to consult my computer via my screenreader. If I need to make notes whilst listening to a call this is straightforward .

In the past this would be a struggle for me. For example I used to do Internet grocery shopping for my Mother in law, in her 90s. This involved me ringing her but also having to navigate the Sainsburys Web site on my PC. On several occasions I resorted to wearing 2 paris of headphones, one on top the other to try and complete this tricky process.

I would also have found these headphones an invaluable aid in work. In those days I relied on memory, clattering down notes immediately after the call.

More expensive phone and mixing devices were available , I remember using such a device at the RNIB but these headpones are a far easier, cheaper option.

I am, in summary, not sure what there is not to like. These are not a blue tooth option which is a plus for me because of issues i can describe another day.

Details from the Amazon Website below, and finally a link  to the UK Amazon below that.

David Griffith

OneOdio Over Ear Headphones Studio Wired Bass Headsets with 50mm Driver

Large, 50 millimeter speaker unit drivers combined with neodymium magnets provides stereo Hi-Fi level sound; powerful bass, clear vocal, and crisp high tones form perfect balanced sound.

• A standard-sized 3.5mm plug aux cable with mic are included (make it a headphone with mic. A long, DJ-style 9.8ft cord with 6.35 plug easily reaches from the TV or stereo to your sofa. They both are completely detachable, so that you don't need to spend all hours of the day plugged into your mixer.

• 90° swiveling earcups for single-ear monitoring anytime; self-adjustable and flexible headband delivers a fatigue-free listening experience that can last for hours, perfect for mastering and mixing.

• Luxuriously padded ear cushions are specifically designed for monitor headphones maximum comfort and noise isolation. The headband is adjustable and stretchable for you to find the desired angle you like to fit in.

• With the sleek design and high-end sound quality, OneOdio headphones are made for smart phones, all Androids, tablets, mp3 players, and related devices. OneOdio offers 30 days money back, 24-month guarantee and 24 hours friendly after service

Link to Amazon page.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/OneOdio-Headphones-Monitoring-Neodymium-Headsets-Standard-Version/dp/B01MZHAX5S

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I post the below from my blog.

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

And if you work for a call centre you should talk to your boss regarding a custom solution where you have Jaws on one ear and your phone call on the other. This is definitely possible with wired headsets, probably more difficult with Bluetooth.

Hank,It sounds like ideally, you want something that would allow you to only use one ear; and what I remember about the Bose is that it would be very difficult to remove the left, or position it so your work headset could be worn.

Loudness somewhat depends on your system and the Jaws setting, but if you could use a Bluetooth single ear piece, there are lots of choices from Plantronics.