About.com Rating

The Altec Lansing AHS322 stereo headset is a product borne out of increasing interest in podcasting and YouTube video production, and appeals to those curious casual and beginning users.

Generally selling for less than $20, the headset comes with a built-in microphone, giving you all the technical equipment you need to start video chatting, or to turn your laptop or desktop PC into a recording studio, in one simple package.

And while the headset won't impress anyone with how professional-looking it is, the set does get the job done without any noticeably substandard recording capabilities or audio playback issues.

At A Glance

Pros:

• Very clear recording and playback capabilities
• Relatively inexpensive
• Soft, comfortable ear-pads and microphone windscreen
• Independent audio controls for volume and muting

Cons:

• Microphone prone to noise during movement
• Awkward fitting headset

Features of the Altec Lansing AHS322

• 32 mm Stereo Earphones

The earphones in this model are not a small, inner-ear “ear bud” system, but rather a full 32 mm earphone pair, covered by extremely soft ear pads, which rest on the surface of the entire ear. They do not encase the ear, however, as most high-priced studio headsets do. And like most inexpensive headsets, these earphones are a bit uncomfortable, not ever really finding a stable position on your ear, and you’ll often find yourself adjusting them for comfort.

However, the simplistic design of the headset has nothing to do with the quality of the audio they produce, which is surprisingly good.

The earphones produce rich, full sounds across the spectrum, whether you’re listening to music or voices, and you can crank the volume up far beyond bearable levels without causing any distortion in the sound.

• Built-in Wraparound Microphone

Stemming from the left earphone is a wraparound microphone with a soft, protective windscreen. The windscreen does its job admirably, cutting out any minor “Shh” and “Woosh” noises that might otherwise come through as you talk.

The adjustment ability of the microphone is definitely one of the bigger drawbacks of this headphone set. When positioning the microphone higher or lower from its base, it makes an insufferable clicking noise that echoes heavily into your recording or conversation. This problem is happily alleviated, to some extent, by the fact that the microphone’s stem is made of flexible plastic, not solid, allowing you to snake it up or down with some degree of audio discretion.

Independent Audio Controls

One of the nicest features in the headset is the independent volume and microphone input levels, housed in a small case in the cord about halfway between the headset itself and the connector plugs. There is a volume knob to control the level of the sounds you’re hearing via the earphones, and on the other side there is a switch with which you can control the input level of your microphone, allowing you to choose between “High,” “Low,” and “Mute.”

Performance

As stated earlier, the earphones produce a rich, satisfying range of sounds, and you can turn up the volume very loud without experiencing any distortion. This performance is only mildly diminished by the fact that the earphones can easily become uncomfortable on your ears.

The microphone records smoothly, without any unexpected pops, hisses, or interference otherwise. It provides authentic voice reproduction without any tinny, “small voice” effects so often seen with lower-end microphones. One can yell or scream into the microphone without experiencing any clipping or distortion in their recordings, save for the most extreme screaming tests.
The microphone is clearly intended to record speech, not singing or music, so if you're a musician, you're much better off with a more versatile, standalone mic.
I did come across one other small issue while using the microphone volume adjuster discussed earlier. While switching from “High” to “Low,” or more so to “Mute,” a small clicking noise will be heard on any recording or phone conversation as the microphone cuts in and out.

Appearance

The AHS322 isn’t going to win any beauty pageants, but it’s a decent looking headset with smooth, well-sculpted plastic, colored black with grey trim. It’s modern and sleek, but also very basic and simplistic.

Altec Lansing was worried less about style points with this model than they were with performance on a budget, and so, undoubtedly, will most people who buy it. It is definitely a great beginning tool for the aspiring podcaster or amateur YouTube voiceover artist.