Review on Avantree Alto Clair: Bluetooth 5.0 Headset with Mic, Mute, Hi-Fi Music - Best for PC, Laptop, Skype, TV by Bradley Wacks

Brief description: When you use multiple video and audio conferencing applications on the computer and have clear audio and be heard well by others for less than $100, this is a great choice for a Bluetooth headset! Not bad for music and movies either. Background: I have worked in large corporations for over 25 years, including over 10 years in the home office. I attend many video calls and technical presentations each week using different apps and web browsers (Microsoft Teams, WebEx, Zoom, Skype, GoToMeeting, etc., Chrome, Safari, etc.). Until recently I couldn't find an inexpensive wireless/bluetooth headset that would work with video conferencing applications without interruptions and with poor audio quality. I need something that sounds professional on the phone. I used to use high quality wired headsets with a mute button on the wire. Eventually, I got tired of tripping over my headset's USB cable as I flipped my office chair and reached for things in the office. I needed to connect to a wireless network. Test: Avantree Alto Clair aptX HD Bluetooth 5.0 headset with microphone. works very well for me.1. The price is reasonable for the performance. I was aiming for a headset that costs between $50 and $100. The ones under $50 just didn't have the performance and features I was looking for. You get what you pay for. Usually (but almost always you don't get what you don't pay for). However, you can get great sound and quality with this headset without paying more than $100.2. Microphone - features a detachable boom microphone with a mute button on the boom. Other people on the call can hear me very clearly, the sound doesn't break (I only use it with the boom microphone. I haven't tried the sound without the microphone on the boom). I use a lot of different apps every week, I don't like digging around for mute software. So I leave the software on and mute the mic on the headset (I just need to remember one way to mute the sound). It would be really nice if the headset mute could be changed in the app, but none of the programs or other headsets I've checked work like that.3. Sound - Headphones with high-quality stereo sound during a conference call. I was just looking for over-ear headsets for both ears to block out other noises around the house and be able to hear calls clearly without distortion. I also thought I could test the range of the sound, so I settled on Lorde's Royals. on YouTube, and the headset is very good at reproducing high and low frequencies in music. It works well enough for voice calls, but I was pleasantly surprised that this headset sounds so good with music and movies. Bluetooth Connection - Easy setup on your MacBook Pro. I connected directly to my computer via Bluetooth and am not using a Bluetooth USB adapter. When watching movies, there is no lag between picture and sound. It was easily recognized by the computer and automatically changed my default tone and microphone to a headset in almost all applications after pairing it with the computer in the Bluetooth settings. I think there might have been one less frequently used app that I had to change manually, but the rest just worked once I connected them. Comfort - The ear cushions remain comfortable for long periods of time (I sometimes end up on back-to-back calls, which can mean several hours of wearing the headset in one sitting). This headset is comfortable to wear.6. Range - Headsets are rated at 10 meters (approximately 30 feet). I've found that the sound quality doesn't distort when I'm up to 25 feet away from the computer. However, I don't think that reflects the performance of the headset. My office is arranged so that my computer is at one end of the house, with metal furnace ducts in the inner wall right next to the computer. So to walk 25 feet from the computer, I have to walk past the stove and into other parts of the house. I wouldn't expect Bluetooth to work very well in the direction where all that metal and electronics are interfering with the signal. 7. Charging station - I really like the charging station. This gives me room for my headset, which doesn't take up much space on my desk. Also, I don't have to plug in the cable to charge the headset, I just put the headset in the charging cradle and I'm done.8. I buy a lot of electronics and rarely write reviews. I am not being paid for the review and I have not contacted the manufacturer. However, when I'm frustrated finding a product for a specific purpose for a long time and then finally finding a solution, I think it's worth taking the time to write a few words to try and find a part to save this trouble for others who might be in a similar situation.