Third Party Headsets; Audio Quality; Wired Headsets - Cisco 6800 Series User Manual

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Third Party Headsets

Cisco Systems performs internal testing of third-party headsets for use with Cisco IP Phones. But Cisco does
not certify or support products from headset or handset vendors.
Headsets connect to your phone using either the USB or the auxiliary port. Depending upon your headset
model, you have to adjust your phone's audio settings for the best audio experience, including the headset
sidetone setting.
If you have a third-party headset, and you apply a new sidetone setting, then wait one minute and reboot the
phone so the setting is stored in flash.
The phone reduces some background noise that a headset microphone detects. You can use a noise canceling
headset to further reduce the background noise and improve the overall audio quality.
If you are considering a third-party headset, we recommend the use of good quality external devices; for
example, headsets that are screened against unwanted radio frequency (RF) and audio frequency (AF) signals.
Depending on the quality of headsets and their proximity to other devices, such as mobile phones and two-way
radios, some audio noise or echo may still occur. Either the remote party or both the remote party and the
Cisco IP Phone user may hear an audible hum or buzz. A range of outside sources can cause humming or
buzzing sounds; for example, electric lights, electric motors, or large PC monitors.
Note
Environmental and hardware inconsistencies in the locations where Cisco IP Phones are deployed mean that
no single headset solution is optimal for all environments.
We recommend that customers test headsets in the intended environment to determine performance before
making a purchasing decision to deploy on a large scale.
You can use only one headset at a time. The most-recently connected headset is the active headset.

Audio Quality

Beyond physical, mechanical, and technical performance, the audio portion of a headset must sound good to
the user and to the party on the far end. Sound quality is subjective, and we cannot guarantee the performance
of any third-party headset. However, various headsets from leading headset manufacturers are reported to
perform well with Cisco IP Phones.
Cisco doesn't recommend or test any third-party headsets with their products. For information about third-party
headset support for Cisco products, go to the manufacturer's web site.
Cisco does test the Cisco headsets with the Cisco IP Phones. For information about Cisco Headsets and Cisco
IP Phone support, see https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collaboration-endpoints/headsets/index.html.

Wired Headsets

A wired headset works with all Cisco IP Phone features, including the Volume and Mute buttons. These
buttons adjust the earpiece volume and mute the audio from the headset microphone.
Sometimes, use of a local power cube or power injector may reduce or eliminate hum.
Cisco IP Phone 6800 Series Multiplatform Phones User Guide
Third Party Headsets
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