One thing that’s really annoying with inexpensive contact center headsets is when the coating on the foam ear pads begins to disintegrate. Have you ever seen these coatings crack, crumble, and start flaking off, leaving little pieces of black synthetic material scattered everywhere – including on your agents’ clothing?

 

Although this has no impact on headset performance or sound quality – and arguably little impact on comfort – there’s something “gross” about putting on a headset where the ear pad coverings are peeling away.

 

One of the nice things about Sennheiser’s high quality contact center headsets is that the foam ear pads come with a durable “leatherette” coating that lasts many times longer than most consumer headphones. Durability is an important consideration when it comes to contact center headsets: They are used all day long and can sometimes see severe abuse.

The other nice thing about the company’s line of contact center headsets is that the ear pads can be easily removed and replaced. Sennheiser gives you a choice of either plain foam or leatherette-coated ear pads. There are advantages to both types – but the main point is, you won’t have to toss a pair of headsets in the trash every time the ear pads are damaged or worn out.

By the way, the ear pads that come on each Sennheiser contact center headset are also designed to distribute pressure evenly around the ear, thus resulting in improved comfort and performance. For example, the ear pads that come with the CC 550 contact center headset -- the company’s premium model -- measure 2 inches in diameter, which improves comfort considerably. So, not only do you get ear pads that will last, they’re incredibly comfortable as well.

Last week Sennheiser announced that it has teamed up with sporting goods maker Adidas to release a new line of sports headphones. Dubbed the “Sports” line, the new headphones are water and sweat-resistant and are designed to be secure yet comfortable during sports activity. They reportedly feature high-output audio drivers for excellent sound quality in noisy environments -- plus they have Dupont Kevlar-reinforced cables to withstand extreme wear and tear.

The four new models include the CX 680 Sports ear-canal headphones; the MX 680 Sports earbud-style headphones, the OMX 680 Sports clip-on over-ear style headphones; and the PMX 680 Sports neckband-type headphones. All are designed to fit snuggly, so they can’t fall off during activity, but at the same time they are comfortable and can be worn of long periods.

The new headset models were introduced during the Consumer Electronics Show held this past week in Las Vegas. In fact one of the models, the CX 680, won the prestigious CES (News - Alert) Innovations Award.