Having the best headphones for transcription is the best way to ensure you produce professional and trustworthy transcription. As a transcriptionist, you get to wear headphones for the most part of the day. Sometimes your speakers may have a soft sound of the audios, the audios might have background noise or sounds that make it hard to hear words clearly.
To make it worse, these sounds might end up distracting you from work. You need to find a way to make your transcription time enjoyable and easy to get the words. That is why it pays to get durable, affordable, and comfortable headphones. Headphones with good sound quality can do you a lot of good.
NOTE: If you are not yet a transcriber, you can join this Free General Transcription Mini-Course here and learn how to become an expert transcriber.
If you just started transcribing and are wondering what are the best transcription headphones, I have a solution for you. In this article, you will find out about the best headphones for transcription and some of the features that you should consider when buying one. If you can’t wait to read the review, see some of them here before you go shopping;
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How to Choose the Best Headphones for Transcription
Selecting transcription headphones it is not the same as when picking headphones for listening to music. It is different. This is because you are looking for working gear that will make your work easier while protecting your ears. Someone may ask, what are the advantages of headphones for transcription? Well, there are so many benefits you get from picking the right headphones for transcribing. Here are some of the top benefits that you can get from buying the best headphones for transcription.
Benefits of transcription headphones
They enhance your productivity
When you have the wrong headphones and you are transcribing, it is possible to be distracted. But it is different when you have the best headphones. You will hear the words better and you will not be distracted by anything. This means, you will playback or rewind the audio less often. You will be more productive and thus good transcripts.
Provide a better sound
Good headphones will give you good sound quality. This makes it easy to hear the phrases or words that the speakers utter. In return, you transcribe correctly. This is especially good when you have an audio where the speakers talk softly. If you do proofreading of transcripts, you need good sound. It helps you to easily recheck the work and ensure there are no spelling, punctuation, or any other mistakes.
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They block noises
It is no doubt that as a transcriptionist, you need to have noise canceling headphones. Such headphones help to block out the sounds that might distract or prevent you from hearing the words correctly. If you live in a noisy neighborhood, you will find this kind of earphones useful.
As a result, you get to concentrate on what you are transcribing. Even with audios that have background noise, noise canceling headsets make it easy to transcribe.
You should use transcription headphones and not your speakers. The fact is that speakers are likely to cause distortion when you increase the volume. Headphones are available in different styles and have different features. The prices are not the same as well. Some of the headphones you might want to buy include the following;
- Neckband headphones
- Earbuds
- Lightweight headphones
- Studio-grade headphones
The best thing is that the best headphones for transcription can be connected to your computer.
Choosing your headphones
We are not the same. Whatever are I love, might be the one thing you hate the most. The headphones that you use to transcribe will solely depend on your liking. Check out these factors that you should consider when purchasing headphones for transcription.
Budget
This is the first thing that you should take into consideration. Before you go to the nearest store for shopping, ask yourself this, how much am I willing to spend to get a good headset? As I always tell my friends, expensive doesn’t mean good or quality. Sometimes you can buy something expensive but of poor quality.
Also, you can find goods earbuds at a cheaper price. The best thing is to know what you want in a headphone. This is especially if you need them for your online work interviews or transcription.
Sound controls
Most transcriptionists love the in-line volume control. This is the reason many headphones have this option on them. Again, know the kind of sound control you want your headsets to have.
You will find headphones for transcription that allow you to switch between mono sound and stereo. You might need this feature on some occasions. So, keep sound controls in mind when going shopping.
Comfort
You need earbuds or headsets that you will be comfortable putting on the entire day. Remember if you are uncomfortable, your work performance will be affected. Consider earbuds with cushions like these ones. This is because they make them comfortable on the ears and avoid fatigue.
Cord length
This is another key factor when buying the best headphones for transcription. If you have never tried wireless earphones as these ones here, this is your time. We are not the same and that is why you find some transcriptionists hate having headphones with long cords. It could be because it is easy to run over such cords especially with caster chairs. However, the long cord is at times an advantage. You don’t have to take off the headphones when you stand or turn around.
This is because the cord will not be pulled off as it is long. You can enjoy your work, turn or lean back on your chair without feeling restricted.
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Weight
You don’t want to get headphones that are heavy in that you get exhausted from wearing them. This can cause you to hate transcription because every time you think of the headphones, you feel tired. Hold the headsets while at the shop, try with a single hand so you can feel their weight. Are they heavy? It is unhealthy to overload the hands and your neck. Therefore, ensure the ones you buy are lightweight.
Connection
How do you want to connect your headphones? Through USB connection or jack pin? Here is what you should know about every connection. A USB kind of connection means the headphone will use their sound cards and bypass the sound card of your computer. This can be a good option if your machine’s sound card is not good.
A jack pin connection means that your headphones will make use of the sound card of your computer. This means that the quality of sound will depend on the sound card of your machine. So, if the sound card is not good, this is not a good option for you.
Quick question: Do you want to learn something else? Learn to proofread.
Best Headphones for Transcription
Even if you are shopping on a budget, you will always find good headphones for your transcription tasks. Having said all the above, let’s have a look at the best transcription headphones every transcriber should have.
COWIN E7 Active Noise Cancelling Headphones
If it is the comfort that you need, these are the headphones you should get for yourself. They feel comfortable around the ear and they are a good fit. They have ear pads that are ergonomic and protein-based and have a 90° rotation. You can wear them for a long time without feeling tired or exhausted.
The headphones feature lose wires. You can do away with the wire bonds minus interfering with the quality of sound. They give you the freedom you need while working.
Apart from that, these headphones feature an inbuilt sound-optimized microphone that allows you to take telephone calls hands-free. With the microphone, you can take a break from the wires. It is among the best headphones for your transcription needs. It comes with different settings that allow you to take full charge. With these headphones, you are in control. You can play, pause, skip and adjust the volume on your headset.
Also, the headphones have 45mm drivers that have a high powerful bass response. This allows you to put some bass in that Bluetooth and listen to the audio. The best thing is that the headphones allow you to hear whatever you want and not the background noise.
Cowin E7 HiFi Heavy Bass Bluetooth V4.0 Stereo Headset – $59.56
from: FastTech
Pros
- Allows you to hear what is in the audio while canceling background noise
- You can take phone calls with these headphones thanks to the inbuilt sound optimized microphone
- They are comfortable on your ears thanks to the ear cushions
- The ear cushions rotate 90 degrees and therefore they won’t strain some part of the ear
- They have good sound quality
- The headphones have a powerful base
- These headphones give you complete control while using them as you can pause, play or skip
- There are no interruptions thanks to the Bluetooth that allows for an extended range
- They have 30 hours play time
- Take minutes to charge
- You can choose from different colors like blue, black, purple, red, white.
Cons
The design is not that appealing but everything about these headphones is top notch
Bose QuietComfort 35 II Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
If the headphones from Cowin did not have the features that meet your needs, you need to try these ones from Bose. These headphones feature a 20 hours battery life. This means that even if you work the entire day in a workspace where there is no power supply, you will not be disappointed.
With Bose QuietComfort 35 II you can transcribe or listen to music all day long. Also, the manufacturer of these headphones cares about their lifespan. That is why they come with a carry case. This ensures that whenever you are not using them.
You can easily store them away. The carry case is also useful especially when traveling since you have a convenient area to keep them.
Apart from that, you can enjoy the freedom of working from anywhere thanks to the charging cable and the audio cable. Therefore, you can charge your headphones from anywhere and enjoy your transcription minus the battery power. The good thing about Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones is that they are Alexa enabled. This ensures that you can do your transcription or enjoy music, survive your day and get messages minus having to check your phone.
You will also benefit from the noise-rejecting double microphone system that offers clearer call regardless of the environment. Whether the environment is noisy or quiet, you can still hear what the speaker is saying.
The Bluetooth of these headphones is easy to pair as well. These are exceptional headphones that you will not find anywhere but here. The multi-directional motion detector in Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones helps to give you circumstantial audio depending on your location.
Pros
- They are durable
- The headphones are comfort fit so you can use them for the entire day
- They allow you to hear what the speaker is saying since they can cancel background sounds
- They give you the audio based on where you are owing to the multi-directional motion detector
- You can receive calls and hear well what the person on the other side is saying regardless of where you are
- They have a 20 hours battery life and therefore you can use them the whole day without charging
- They are easy to store and travel with thanks to the carry case
- You can use the headphones minus the battery power
- You can charge them from any place you are transcribing from
- The sound quality of these headphones is excellent
Cons
They may disconnect Bluetooth so ensure you test them before making a purchase
Sony MDR7506 Large Diaphragm
These are the headphones you should have if you need the foldable feature. This makes them easy to carry and store away when not using them. You can easily fold them and put them in your bag when you are going on a trip. On top of that, they come with a soft bag where you can keep them when traveling. Therefore, you don’t need to spend extra cash to buy another carry bag. These headphones from Sony also feature rugged construction that enables them to last long. This means Sony MDR7506 headphones can withstand continuous handling.
The 40mm Driver Unit ensures that you have clear, high-quality audio reproduction. As a result, you will not miss a word that the speaker says. You will produce accurate transcription. Apart from that, you will love the closed ear design of Sony MDR-7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone. It helps to ensure that are comfortable and can use them for an extended period without feeling fatigued. The design also ensures that you don’t have external noise interruption as you listen to music or transcribe your audio. That is why we included them in our list of the best headphones for transcription.
Pros
- They are comfortable on the ears
- They prevent noise interruptions
- The headphones offer you clear audio
- These headphones have strong construction and hence durable
- Easy to store away
- They are easy to travel
- The headband is padded for utmost comfort
- They come with an adapter included
Cons
The only thing we did not like about the headphones is that they are a bit heavy compared to the other headphones we have reviewed already.
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x
Are you looking to use transcription headphones from a trusted brand? If you answered yes, you need to invest in these headphones from Audio-Technica. They feature a durable design that gives you an assurance that you are purchasing something that will last. The robust construction ensures that these headphones can endure the everyday use of a transcriber like you. Whether you are working in a noisy environment or silent, these headphones will allow you to hear the words correctly. They feature a circumaural design that contours around your ears to offer exceptional sound isolation when in loud surroundings.
If you are looking for headphones for studio tracking and mixing, you have found them. The Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Headphones are created to offer exactly that. The single-side cord exit is suitable for professional applications. Therefore, you will not regret having bought these Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Headphones.
Pros
- They offer accurate audio
- They are suitable for studio tracking and mixing
- These headphones offer exceptional sound isolation in noisy surroundings
- The headphones are durable owing to the robust construction
- ‘The materials used to make these headphones ensure they are comfortable on your ears
- They are well padded
- Available in different colors
Cons
- You need to move them around to find a good spot so you are comfortable
LyxPro HAS-15 Studio Headphones
These are the type of headphones you need if you are tired of having a strained. The headphones come with a headband that is adjustable to ensure that you are comfortable are you don’t end up with a headache. The maker of the headphones had your comfort in mind. That is why the headphones have leather earbuds and rotatable cups that make one-ear monitoring easy.
They are among the most comfortable headphones on the list. Apart from that, these headphones come with a travel pouch. You can take your headphones wherever you go. It makes them easy to carry and store away when they are not needed. Also, the circumaural design offers outstanding sound isolation regardless of the environment. Hence you get natural, rich, and distortion-free sound.
Additionally, the headphones come with a straight and coiled detachable cable to ensure you have the freedom you need. The coiled cable can extend up to 13 feet. This feature is awesome, especially where the cable is faulty.
Pros
- Suitable for recording, mixing, monitoring, transcription, and listening to music
- The cables are detachable
- The headphones are easy to store away and travel with thanks to the carrying pouch
- They offer outstanding noise isolation ensuring you get the speaker’s words right
- The headband is adjustable
- The earbuds are comfortable
- Comfortable one-ear monitoring
Cons
- The headphone mix doesn’t last that long
Conclusion
As I said earlier, we are not the same and we have varying preferences. There are people small ears and others with bigs. That is what differentiates us when it comes to choosing the best headphones for transcription. These means, if you have small ears, earbuds and headsets are not a good option for you. Based on the headphones we have reviewed, you don’t need to break a bank to have the best transcription headphones. You can still find quality and affordable headphones for your transcription work.
