How a Mic Headset Works on a PC

Headphones can be wired or wireless.

Every serious gamer or musician knows a good pair of headphones can make or break any game or album. Over the years headphones have become easier to connect to a computer. We now have headphones that connect by USB and wireless technology.

Old School Headphones

Plugging in your headphones to your computer's sound card was the original way to connect them. These headphones usually had three wires. A green and black wire to connect the headphones and a pink or orange wire to connect the microphone.

Plug 'N Play Technology

USB headphones use plug n' play technology

Connecting headphones to your computer using the USB port made them easier to use. USB introduced us to Plug N' Play technology. These headphones came with only one cord for both the headphones and attached microphone, and could plug into USB ports in either the front or the back of your computer. Plug N' Play allows the computer to identify the headphones and microphone automatically. The computer then uses your Internet connection to update drivers and calibrate the headphones automatically.

Wireless Technology

Wireless headphones are a newer technology.

Using wireless keyboards and a wireless mouse is popular. Headphones are newer to this technology but it does look promising. Currently, few companies make wireless headphones. They usually can last about 2.5 hours on battery and come with an AC adapter. The headphones and microphone usually come with a transmitter that you plug into your computer's USB port. The receiver is usually located in the headphones themselves, and they transmit voice and sound by using Infrared waves.

References

• CNet: Logitech ClearChat PC Wireless Headset Review