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JOURNAL FOR SUNDAY 6TH DECEMBER, 2020
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SUBJECT: Linux compatible USB headset for conference calls
DATE: Sun 6 Dec 20:15:00 GMT 2020
TL;DR Logitech Mono USB H650e headset works well on Linux for Teams, Circuit,
Google Hangouts and Google Meet conference calls without messing around.
No call control via remote or busy LED on microphone boom.
First of all, some advance warning about possible disruptions to this website
and the git repositories. In the next week or so I need to find new hosting
and move everything. If the site or repositories are not up, pop back after a
while and check again :)
Some people have been asking me about my new job. It’s been going well, I’m
really busy and enjoying it. There is little more I can say as I’m now bound
by multiple NDA agreements to not say anything :(
Recently I’ve been using Microsoft Teams, a conference system called Circuit,
Google Hangouts and Google Meet a lot. Being on a Linux desktop has presented
me with a few issues, specifically with Linux headsets for conference calls. I
thought some notes here might help out other Linux users, especially with the
increase in working from home.
Initially I was using my Acer R11 (CB5-132T) Chromebook with either my Jabra
Talk or Jabra BT2046 Bluetooth ear piece for conference calls. They are both
excellent and work out of the box. Originally both were bought for use with my
Nokia 5 smartphone, personally I prefer the Jabra Talk. The Jabra Talk has
more functionality and you can also stream music to it, but the Jabra BT2046
has slightly better call quality and needs charging less often.
The only issue using the Chromebook was the small screen size when people
shared their desktops for presentations. I got around that problem by plugging
in my cheap 27" desktop monitor into the Chromebook via HDMI. This worked
amazing well on the Chromebook, especially with the virtual desktops. I also
used the Secure Shell extension in Chrome on the Chromebook to access my PC
desktop. This is a setup I really liked, the Chromebook performed amazingly
well, and I could have made it my permanent setup. The only issue I had was
needing to do certain things on the desktop, like sending an email when I
needed to attach files that were on the desktop. I also prefer typing on my
Happy Hacking keyboard on my desktop. Whenever I needed the desktop it
involved unplugging the monitor from the Chromebook, plugging the monitor back
into the desktop, work, swap cables again — a right faffing around behind the
PC every time. I could have setup some file sharing between the Chromebook on
WiFi and desktop on wired ethernet, more faffing…
So I started looking for a wired USB headset that would work with my Linux
desktop running Debian. Google was absolutely useless, and I swear it’s only
getting worse, giving irrelevant results: “linux compatible USB headset” — “to
list your compatible Linux USB devices use lsusb…”, Argh! No Google! No!
Trying to find out what headsets are compatible with Linux is a nightmare,
unless you want a gaming headset :( After searching and trying to do my usual
due diligence I took a gamble and purchased a Logitech Mono USB H650e. I went
for the mono version so that I could hear what was going on around me still.
Normally my desktop just has basic ALSA installed, after installing PulseAudio
and selecting the headset and microphone via ‘pavucontrol’ the headset just
worked. The call control button[1] does not work, I didn’t expect it to work
so no loss there — I just have to hit the pick-up icon in the application I’m
using to pick up a call. I think this is related to the LED light on the top
end (near your ear) of microphone boom which also doesn’t work — it is
supposed to light up to let other people know when you are on a call.
The Logitech H650e was quite expensive at about £65 including VAT and postage
from Amazon. They are advertised not as a consumer headset, not even as a
business headset, but as an ENTERPRISE headset! Are they any good? Calls are
nice and clear both ends with noise and echo cancellation — now people can’t
hear my computer fans whirring in the background when I talk to them. The
headset is quite lightweight and comfortable enough to wear all day. The
buttons on the cable for volume up/down/mute are a comfortable distance away
from the headset (2 foot/60cm). The volume up and down buttons work, as does
the mute button which lights up red when the microphone is muted. The cable
itself is quite long, about 7 foot/2 meters total length. The cable is also
wide and flat, an anti-tangle feature which seems to work quite well.
I’m quite happy with my, rather expensive, purchase ;)
As for WolfMUD, still slogging away at the zone files.
--
Diddymus
[1] Poking around in Xorg.0.log and with evtest the microphone mute button
and call control button both send the same events :/ Poking around in
/dev/input/eventX there is a difference in the data sent…
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