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Best Transcription Headphones 2024

Your hearing is your most valuable asset as a professional audio transcriptionist. A good set of transcription headphones can help you hear difficult audio more clearly, increasing your productivity and lowering the number of mishears or “unclears” in your transcripts. This translates to satisfied customers and increased hourly profits.

Active noise reduction, for example, allows for near-complete silence even in busy environments, and frequency response with a focus on the low range ensures that low mumbles formerly deemed “inaudible” by transcribers can now be heard. As a result, these headphones are ideal for audio transcription. Because of the technologies behind them, you can listen to interviews, recorded discussions, or music without being bothered by background noise. So, what are the finest headphones to use for transcription?

Audio-Technica ATH-M40X Professional Headphones

Audio-Technica ATH-M40x Professional Studio...
  • Cutting edge engineering and robust construction
  • 40 millimeter drivers with rare earth magnets and copper clad aluminum wire...
  • Circumaural design contours around the ears for excellent sound isolation...

Over the years, Audio Technica’s acclaimed M-series has catered to the needs of audio professionals for audio transcription work, and this mid-tier entry in their range continues that tradition. The Audio-Technica ATH-M40X is made of high-quality materials and is built to last. The headphones are ideal for transcriptionists because of their flat tuning, which keeps the bass in check and prevents speech from becoming muddy and difficult to understand.

With its spacious and comfy ear cups that rest around your ears, the headphones follow a circumaural design, allowing you to operate in noisy surroundings without difficulty. The ear cups include an ergonomic design that allows for 90 degrees of swiveling, allowing for one-ear transcribing when you still want to be present in your surroundings and engage with others while working.

Large, 40mm drivers in the Audio-Technica ATH-M40X give powerful sound quality with rich sound. They use a 3.5mm wired connection to connect to your various devices, eliminating any latency or signal loss.

A detachable cable is a wonderful addition, as it allows you to adjust the length of your wire depending on where you’re working. When working at your workstation, a longer cable will give you with some movement, while a shorter cable length will be ideal when working outside to prevent coiling and clutter. Audio-Technica ATH-M40X are the best headphones for transcription.

Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone

Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm...
  • Neodymium magnets and 40 millimeter drivers for powerful, detailed...
  • Closed ear design provides comfort and outstanding reduction of external...
  • 9.8 foot cord ends in gold plated plug and it is not detachable; 1/4 inch...

New technology is introduced to replace our outdated devices. Because this is how the IT business has historically operated, it’s rare to come across a product that can withstand the test of time and remain relevant years after its initial release. Sony’s MDR7506 professional headphones were able to accomplish this feat.

The Sony MDR 7506 noise cancelling headphones features 40mm big drivers that offer high-fidelity, rich sounds. The headphones have crisp mids and highs without over-emphasizing the bass in terms of tone. This explains how they can give crisp dialogues, which makes them ideal for transcribing.

When it comes to build quality, the headphones have a sturdy, foldable design that allows you to take your work outside with you. They also have a closed-back design that isolates your ears from the outside world. The ear seal is ideal for working in noisy environments where it’s easy to become distracted and lose focus on the audio file you’re transcribing.

The padding on the ear cups seemed to shred more quickly than the usual pair of headphones on the market. This can be a pain, especially for transcriptionists who prefer to work with their best headphones on for long periods of time.The ear cups, thankfully, are replaceable. As a result, once they’ve gone through their wear and tear cycle, you may replace them with more durable ear cups, extending the life of your headphones.

The volume control headphones include a 9.8-foot non-detachable coiled wire that is less congested than straight cables. They also include a 14-inch adaptor for usage with a variety of home audio equipment and amplifiers. It’s worth noting that while listening to music, we detected considerable distortion and roughness in the sound quality. However, the main draw here is good vocal reproduction, and the best headphones excel at highlighting speech, which is exactly what a transcriptionist wants. This is the best headphones for transcription in 2023.

Bose QuietComfort 35 II Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones

Bose QuietComfort 35 II Wireless Bluetooth...
  • Three levels of world-class noise cancellation for better listening...
  • Alexa-enabled for voice access to music, information, and more
  • Noise-rejecting dual-microphone system for clear sound and voice pick-up

Bose is well-known for perfecting active noise cancellation technology and revolutionizing what over-ear headphones can do.

The Bose Quiet Comfort 35 has three degrees of noise cancellation, allowing you to work in any setting, whether it’s a packed office, a noisy bar, or even while riding on public transportation. Another pillar contributing to the finest headphones’ mobility on the road is wireless connectivity. They can connect to your various devices easily, giving you the ability to move around your office without being restricted and to travel with comfort.

The best noise cancelling headphones for transcription also offer a cable connection, which reduces signal loss and lags to a bare minimum. Bose excels at providing alternatives that allow you to control how you approach different circumstances. When it comes to sound quality, the best headphones deliver a balanced audio performance that remains crisp at any volume. They also do a fantastic job with vocal clarity by boosting the mids and highs.

You can get assistance for future software updates using the Bose Connect app. For a more personalized experience, you can adjust the stereo and equalization settings. The transcription headphones come pre-programmed with Alexa, allowing you to use a wide range of voice queries. You have hands-free control over your media, and you can ask Alexa to hunt up material for you on the internet to help you with your transcription work. Bose places a strong emphasis on comfort. Soft cushions in the ear cups provide a comfortable fit around your ears.

Spectra USB Transcription Headset with Volume Control

Spectra SP-USB USB Transcription Headset with...
  • Direct connect 2.0 USB plug. No adapters or driver required!
  • Twin speakers for excellent clarity!
  • A 10' cord for flexibility at the transcriber's station.

If headphones are too cumbersome for you, you’ll appreciate what VEC Electronics has to offer with their Spectra USB headset, which was designed specifically for transcriptionists. The headset is lightweight and comfy, with an under-chin design.

The Spectra SP-USB USB Transcription Headset uses foam-tipped earbuds that rest exactly perfectly on your ears, unlike earphones that plunge deep into your ears. This design option improves the headset’s comfort for long periods of time, but it has the drawback of poor noise isolation. If you work in a calm setting, this shouldn’t be an issue.

When compared to conventional consumer headphones, the transcription headset contains a built-in sound card with processing technologies that substantially enhances speech and makes voices clearer. The volume control headset, on the other hand, employs a wired USB connection and is compatible with both macOS and Windows. The cord contains inline volume controls that are easily accessible and come in help when transcribing challenging audio options that requires you to slightly increase the volume to maintain control.

You should keep in mind, however, that the headset is not of the highest quality and will not last you for many years. We can’t complain about such a limitation at this price point, especially as the headset is excellent at what it does and provides vocal clarity similar to its much more expensive big relatives on the list.

Overall, the sound produced by the SPECTRA SP-PC PC is clear. It makes your job easier by providing hours of excellent comfort and sound quality. This headset has an extra-long 10 foot 3.5mm connection that will allow you to reach the neighboring printer, bookshelf, or file cabinet. If you don’t like the Spectra transcription accessory, you have 30 days to return it and get your money back or have it replaced. Furthermore, Spectra provides a 90-day guarantee that covers both service and parts. These are among the best headphones for transcription work.

ECS WordSlinger USB Overhead Transcription Headset

ECS WordSlinger Deluxe Over Head USB Transcription...
  • AMAZING AUDIO QUALITY– This overhead transcription headset can turn low...
  • BUILT IN SOUNDCARD – The USB headset comes with a premium in-line...
  • COMFORTABLE – Designed for maximum comfort to provide users usable...

The articulation sounds in foreign and regional accents are one of transcriptionists’ worst fears. This makes the assignment difficult to complete, since you will have to spend many minutes deciphering each syllable, word, phrase, and sentence. Word Slinger is aware of these issues and has developed this overhead headset to address them.

A superb sound card is included into the usb headphones. This method allows you to bypass various computer sound cards by matching the frequency response of the spoken word. This aids in the delivery of high-quality music and ensures a 300 percent boost in sound clarity and volume. It so demonstrates that a good transcription headphone is more than just noise-cancelling.

The audiophile headphones was designed primarily for working with audio files. WordSlinger’s wired over-ear headphones provide excellent sound in a comfortable, classic form. The headphones are intended to provide genuine audio quality at a low cost.

For transcription, the device can be utilized with audio software. It is more comfortable for folks who sit and transcribe for lengthy periods of time. The headband and earpads are both adjustable and contain a 12-inch thick foam padding. The volume can be adjusted to your liking. It comes with a 7-foot cord and a 2.0 USB Direct Connect connection that requires no driver. Finally, the headphones are compatible with all versions of Windows and Mac OS. This is the best transcription headsets in 2023.

Sennheiser HD280PRO Headphone

Sennheiser Professional HD 280 PRO Over-Ear...
  • High ambient noise attenuation
  • Accurate, linear sound reproduction
  • Soft earpads for a comfortable fit

The Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones are closed headphones with circumaural auricles and transducers that work on the traditional electrodynamic concept. The housing’s folding mechanism allows the headphones to be folded up into a travel-friendly compact size.

The HD 280 Pro can be folded and put away without difficulty. The HD 280 Pro features the same 32 dB passive noise attenuation figure as its bigger sibling, the HD 300 Pro, indicating that it is suitable for usage in a noisy setting. Since its introduction in the early 2000s, the HD 280 Pro has practically acquired classic status and is popular in transcribing stations, recording studios, live performances, as well as the DJ community.

Its distinguishing qualities are the extremely excellent noise isolation as well as the surprisingly high level of comfort – even when listening sessions extend longer! Furthermore, the HD 280 is a reasonably priced option that has many of the features of the company’s higher-ranked HD 300 Pro. The headband and ear cups have ergonomic cushions. If necessary, the headband cushioning can be readily replaced.

The Sennheiser HD 280 Pro comes without any notable extras, which we believe is reasonable given the German manufacturer’s low price point.

Flexfone FLX-10 Twin Speaker Transcription Headset with Volume Control

The Flexfone FLX-10 is a transcription-specific twin-speaker headset from Flexfone. It’s exceedingly light and flexible, weighing in at just under one ounce. The Flexfone FLX-10 is a reliable and friendly listening device designed particularly for journalists and freelance transcribers.

The headset’s durability and engineering are praised by many users. According to a few user accounts, the headset has been in use for over a year. In addition, the volume control knob, which is literally positioned on the cord, was a hit with us. This provides ease of usage as well as rapid volume increment and reduction.

It could be built to be more versatile, we believe. The best headphones for transcribing was designed specifically for transcription and has few other uses. It lacks a built-in microphone and merely has a volume control.

Behringer HPS3000 Studio Headphones

Behringer HPS3000 High-Performance Studio...
  • Behringer HPS3000 High-Performance Studio Headphones - 1/8" to 1/4" Adapter...
  • Ultra-wide frequency response
  • High-definition bass and super-transparent highs

Behringer’s HPS3000 headphones are studio-quality headphones. You can get as much noise isolation as you need by choosing between an on-ear and an over-ear design. No problem if your office is overcrowded. The headphones offer a wide frequency response range and deliver a consistent sound quality across the audio spectrum. In fact, the bass will sound far better than most transcription-specific headsets because to the studio-quality engineering.

Although the sound quality is excellent, you must be cautious with files with excessive background noise. While you may be able to identify the speech from the background noise, excessive humming or buzzing will not be resolved without the use of excellent software.

The single-sided cable is of ordinary length, although it is not as sturdy as the overall headphone construction would suggest. On the bright side, it doesn’t appear to tangle as easily as some of the others.

LyxPro HAS-10 Closed Back Over Ear Professional Studio Monitor and Mixing Headphones

Sale
LyxPro HAS-10 Closed Back Over Ear Professional...
  • PRO-GRADE CLOSED BACK OVER-EAR HEADPHONES: Experience exceptional live...
  • TRULY POWERFUL NdFeB MAGNET SYSTEM: Enjoy instant dynamic response and...
  • TELESCOPING STAINLESS STEEL ARMS WITH SIZING SCALE: Achieve a perfect fit...

The LyxPro HAS-10 headphones have a design that encourages good noise isolation, allowing you to use them even in the busiest of office environments.

The HAS-10 is comfortable and attractive thanks to the plush leather padding on the ear cups. On the headband, the same style of padding is employed. They’ll also make you look like a true pro, which is always a plus if you have to bring your own equipment to work.

The neodymium magnets in the 45mm drivers provide excellent clarity and balance. By going with 45mm drivers instead of 50mm, I was able to save a significant amount of money. These studio-quality headphones outperform normal headphones in a variety of ways, including the ability to play loud without sounding harsh and superb dynamic contrast.

You may just twist your ear cups to talk with one of your teammates while working. The durability of these headphones, on the other hand, is possibly the most appealing attribute. For starters, the jack is screw-on. The cable is also non-detachable, so it should withstand pulls much better. Aluminum and strong plastic combine to form the overall structure. For the money, you’ll find these to be very durable.