--- title: High-Quality Skype Calls on the Cheap | TIME description: Techland's Doug Aamoth reviews the Freetalk Everyman Headset for Skype in this week's video canonical: https://time.com/video/t7rwXU8r/ og:title: High-Quality Skype Calls on the Cheap og:description: Techland's Doug Aamoth reviews the Freetalk Everyman Headset for Skype in this week's video og:url: https://time.com/video/t7rwXU8r/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/t7rwXU8r/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: High-Quality Skype Calls on the Cheap twitter:description: Techland's Doug Aamoth reviews the Freetalk Everyman Headset for Skype in this week's video twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/t7rwXU8r/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # High-Quality Skype Calls on the Cheap > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: High-Quality Skype Calls on the Cheap [Watch (HLS stream): High-Quality Skype Calls on the Cheap](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/t7rwXU8r.m3u8) (3:52)  _Published 2010-01-14. Techland's Doug Aamoth reviews the Freetalk Everyman Headset for Skype in this week's video_ --- Jul 27, 2023 1:18 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [Techland's Top Three of the Week: Technotise, Avengers & Palm](/video/reawhNS7/) ### Techland's Top Three of the Week: Technotise, Avengers & Palm [How Cheap is Your Cell? Techland Compares Plans](/video/70opcIG0/) ### How Cheap is Your Cell? Techland Compares Plans [Techland's Hands-On With Apple's iPad](/video/TvBlsebY/) ### Techland's Hands-On With Apple's iPad --- ## Transcript >> Internet. This is Doug. So, you have a headset that's optimized for Skype. What's it cost? $ 100? $ 23? What was it? Developed with Skype for optimal performance or something? It was? Wouldn't Skype come up with their own proprietary audio codec, and they call it super wide band audio, and it uses like half the bandwidth and it sounds really great or something? Is that what you're trying to tell me? >> Now, just 'cause I'm a gadget critic doesn't mean that I'm critical of gadgets. As a matter of fact, I happen to like most gadgets. Well, I got an e- mail from a PR person saying that they've got " the ultimate this" or " the next best that" or something that's " optimized to work with this ." Drives me up the wall because half the time, the product is something that's just the same as all the other products out there, except the price has been jacked up and some little button or seal has been stamped on to it that says 'works with this.' So, when I got an e- mail about the Freetalk Everyman Headset optimized for use with Skype, I just about lost it. But you know what? It actually works really well. And it actually is optimized to work with Skype. It uses the super wide- band audio codec that Skype developed. And the thing, despite being $ 23, actually works and sounds better than this Plantronics Headset. It originally sold for $ 80. As far as the design of the headset goes, you'll notice that it folds down quite nicely. It's very portable. Still pretty sturdy, too. Swivels and bends, swivels and bends. And it's a USB connection. But look at this. Let's say you're in an airplane or something. You don't wanna carry two sets of headphones. So, you carry this headset here, and then plugs right in your iPod. So, I know you're thinking to yourself, Hey, Doug. You probably used to be a model or maybe some guy that said you're on the modeling agency told you, " Hey, kid. Give me a thousand bucks for headshots. You can go to Chicago and do this modeling gig ." But when you show up, there's gonna be an abandoned warehouse and you're gonna have to take the train back home and your parents are gonna be really disappointed because they told you, " This guy is probably not who he says he is. But anyway, Doug, could you model the headphones? Like what do they look like ?" " Oh, sure. I can ." Round control to major [ unk ]. Something, something. Engines odd. Looking good, huh? And like I said, if you're on the train, on your way to Chicago, you just kinda stow the microphone part away and detach the headphone portion of it, plug it right in to your iPhone, just listen to movie blues or maybe Dinosaur Jr ., or you know, if you like Britney Spears, that's cool. She had some hits back in the day. She's having some trouble now, but, you know, musically, she still got it. She's toxic. So, that's the Freetalk Everyman Skype- certified USB headset, $ 23. If you use Skype regularly and you don't wanna spend an-- load on headphones, there's not much to think about. Your $ 23, very good sound quality. Make sure to check out the sample clips I've embedded in the post below, and you can hear the difference between the Everyman Headset and the Plantronics Headset. It's really startling. And I'm not even an audiophile. Even I could tell the difference, and me telling the difference is half the battle. I'm Doug Aamoth, techland. com. Goodbye. 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