Over-ear headphones with a mic: the best for calls on a phone and on a computer
Updated 2026-11-08 · Pick: Sony WH-1000XM6 · Dealectric link: soundcore Space 2 Pro: $199.99 on us.soundcore.com, $160 through this link with code AFSC20 at checkout (tested in Soundcore's cart 2026-11-02 on the soundcore AeroFit 2 Open-Ear Earbuds): https://dealectric.com/go/soundcore-space-2-pro
Short answer. The Sony WH-1000XM6 is the best over-ear headphones with a microphone for phone calls. On a computer, using the mic over standard Bluetooth drops a headset to mono hands-free audio; for Zoom or Teams, the Jabra Evolve3 85 on its dongle is rated 100 Hz–14.5 kHz super-wideband.
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How this table was made: each figure comes from the maker's own US product page or manual, or from the reviewer named next to it, checked 2026-11-08. Dealectric does not test units itself. Rows with a Buy link are products Dealectric lists: the links are affiliate links, and their codes are re-tested in the brand's own cart every day (last check 2026-11-13).
| Model | How it takes calls on a computer | Bluetooth and call audio | Mic, as tested | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sony WH-1000XM6 | Bluetooth Hands-Free (HFP/HSP), per Sony's video-call guide. On the cable, Bluetooth is off and you talk into the phone's mic (Sony) | Bluetooth 5.3; SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3; 6-mic beamforming for voice (Sony) | RTINGS: “a very good microphone system” | $379.99 (Target, 2026-11-08) | |
| Jabra Evolve3 85 | Included Jabra Link 390 Bluetooth dongle, USB-A or USB-C; Teams certification depends on the variant (Jabra) | Bluetooth 5.3, LE Audio; speak mode 100 Hz–14.5 kHz super-wideband; 6 MEMS mics (Jabra) | SoundGuys: clearest mic in its work-headphone tests | $649 list (SoundGuys, 2026-11-08) | |
| Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) | Two-way USB-C call audio on a PC since firmware 8.2.20 (Feb 2026), with certain VoIP apps; or Bluetooth (Bose) | Bluetooth 5.4; LE Audio (beta) with Android and Windows since firmware 10.12.12 (Bose) | HeadphoneCheck: calls “worked flawlessly” | $369.00 (Bose, 2026-11-08) | |
| soundcore Space 2 Pro | Bluetooth only; USB audio not supported (SoundGuys) | Bluetooth 6.1; SBC, AAC, LDAC; 2-device multipoint (SoundGuys); 6-mic call array (soundcore) | SoundGuys: mics “very good”, background noise barely audible in office and street recordings | $199.99 on us.soundcore.com, 2026-11-06 | $160 through this link code AFSC20 at checkout; tested in Soundcore's cart 2026-11-02 on the soundcore AeroFit 2 Open-Ear Earbuds |
What the differences mean
- Call audio band. Microsoft says the original Bluetooth hands-free codec sampled at 8 kHz and that wideband doubles it: 8 × 2 = 16 kHz. Sound can reach at most half the sampling rate, so the ceiling is 16 ÷ 2 = 8 kHz. Jabra rates the Evolve3 85's speak mode up to 14.5 kHz, which is 14.5 ÷ 8 = 1.8 times that ceiling.
- Days of calls per charge. Sony rates 24 h of talk with noise cancelling on, so 24 ÷ 8 = 3.0 eight-hour call days. Jabra rates 21 h with ANC and busylight on, so 21 ÷ 8 = 2.6. soundcore rates the Space 2 Pro at 20 h of talk, so 20 ÷ 8 = 2.5.
- Music hours are not call hours. Jabra's 55 h headline is music with ANC on. Its talk rating is 21 ÷ 55 = 38% of that. Sony's talk rating is 24 ÷ 30 = 80% of its music figure.
- Price. The Space 2 Pro at $199.99 costs 199.99 ÷ 379.99 = 53% of the Sony at Target. Per rated talk hour that is $199.99 ÷ 20 = $10.00, against $379.99 ÷ 24 = $15.83 for the Sony. Bose's $369.00 at bose.com is a sale that runs through 8 November 2026; the list price is $449.00.
| Your calls | Fits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Phone calls, music, travel | Sony WH-1000XM6 | 24 h of rated talk with NC on; RTINGS rates its mic system very good |
| Zoom, Teams or Meet all day on a work PC | Jabra Evolve3 85 | Comes with its own USB dongle, is rated for 100 Hz–14.5 kHz calls and is certified for Zoom and Google Meet, and for Teams on some variants |
| A cable into the laptop | Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) | Two-way USB-C call audio once updated to firmware 8.2.20 or later |
| Calls under $200 | soundcore Space 2 Pro | 6-mic array; SoundGuys rates the mics very good |
Why the mic changes what you hear on a computer
Standard (Classic) Bluetooth headphones switch between two modes. In Microsoft's words, A2DP “provides high quality audio but doesn't allow the microphone to be used”, while HFP “allows the microphone to be used but plays back audio in mono with lower fidelity than A2DP”. So when a meeting app opens the headset mic over a regular Bluetooth link, the stereo music stream gives way to the hands-free one.
- Sony WH-1000XM6. For video calls on a computer, Sony's guide says to set both speaker and microphone to “Headset (WH-1000XM6 Hands-Free)”. It warns that with the music playback (A2DP, “Stereo”) connection selected, “a video call may not be available”. The cable doesn't get around this: “When using the headphone cable, the Bluetooth function cannot be used”, and Sony says to answer on the phone and talk using the phone's microphone.
- Jabra Evolve3 85. It ships with the Jabra Link 390 Bluetooth adapter in USB-A or USB-C. Jabra rates its speak mode at 100 Hz–14.5 kHz super-wideband and lists LE Audio support. Teams certification depends on the variant, so buy the version that matches your company's meeting platform.
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen). Firmware 8.2.20 (10 February 2026) added “USB voice call support for your PC”, which is two-way audio over USB-C. Bose says this is “supported only by certain VoIP applications”. Units still on the launch firmware, 5.0.20, need the update first. Firmware 10.12.12 (8 September 2026) improved wired USB compatibility with web-conferencing apps and added LE Audio (beta) with compatible Android and Windows devices.
- soundcore Space 2 Pro. SoundGuys lists Bluetooth 6.1 with SBC, AAC and LDAC, two-device multipoint and no USB audio, so on a computer it takes calls over Bluetooth like the Sony. It is the call pick under $200: $199.99 on us.soundcore.com, $160 through this link with code AFSC20: https://dealectric.com/go/soundcore-space-2-pro
On Windows, Microsoft's way to keep stereo with the mic on over Bluetooth is LE Audio. That needs four things: a headset that supports LE Audio, a Windows 11 PC that supports LE Audio, the latest Windows 11 version 24H2 updates and an updated Bluetooth audio driver from the PC's maker.
Not recommended
The Sony WH-1000XM6 on its cable for laptop meetings. Plugging in the supplied cable turns Bluetooth off, and Sony's own guide says to talk through the phone's microphone instead, so the headset's six voice mics take no part in the call. Use it over Bluetooth Hands-Free, or choose the Jabra or the updated Bose for wired desk calls.
Sources
- Standard Bluetooth: A2DP can't use the mic, HFP plays mono; 8 kHz original and doubled wideband sample rate; LE Audio requirements on Windows 11 — techcommunity.microsoft.com
- Sony WH-1000XM6: select Hands-Free (HFP/HSP) for computer video calls; Stereo may not allow a call — helpguide.sony.net
- Sony WH-1000XM6: Bluetooth off on the cable; talk using the phone's mic — helpguide.sony.net
- Sony WH-1000XM6: Bluetooth 5.3; SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 — helpguide.sony.net
- Sony WH-1000XM6: 24 h talk and 30 h music with NC on; six-mic beamforming — store.sony.com.sg
- Sony WH-1000XM6: $379.99 at Target — www.target.com
- Sony WH-1000XM6: RTINGS mic verdict — www.rtings.com
- Jabra Evolve3 85: Link 390 dongle, 100 Hz–14.5 kHz super-wideband speak mode, Bluetooth 5.3, LE Audio, 6 mics, 21/25 h talk, 55 h music, Zoom/Meet certification, Teams variant-dependent — www.jabra.com
- Jabra Evolve3 85: $649 MSRP and clearest mic in SoundGuys' tests — www.soundguys.com
- Bose QC Ultra (2nd Gen): USB voice calls in firmware 8.2.20, launch firmware 5.0.20, LE Audio beta in 10.12.12 — support.bose.co.uk
- Bose QC Ultra (2nd Gen): $369.00 (list $449.00, through 8 Nov 2026), Bluetooth 5.4 — www.bose.com
- Bose QC Ultra (2nd Gen): HeadphoneCheck call verdict — www.headphonecheck.com
- soundcore Space 2 Pro: $199.99, 20 h talk, 30 h music with ANC on, 6-mic call array — us.soundcore.com
- soundcore Space 2 Pro: Bluetooth 6.1, SBC/AAC/LDAC, multipoint, no USB audio, mics “very good” (SoundGuys) — www.soundguys.com
Published 2026-11-08; updated 2026-11-08. The buy links are affiliate links; see the disclosure. Corrections welcome at [email protected] or /feedback.