
Cordless bluetooth headsets are available and often used with mobile telephones. Headsets are also available with 2.5mm jack sockets for many DECT phones and other applications. Headsets for standard corded telephones are fitted with a standard 4P4C commonly called an RJ-9 connector. A telephone headset functions by replacing the handset of a telephone. Telephone headsets connect to a fixed-line telephone system.

They generally come with one of 3 styles: Headsets earpieces may be for either one of both ears. Convertible headsets are designed so that users can change the wearing method by re-assembling various parts. Headsets worn over the ear with a soft ear-hook are known as over-the-ear headsets or earloop headsets. Headsets with headbands going over the back of the user's neck are known as backwear-headsets or behind-the-neck headsets. Standard headsets with a headband worn over the head are known as over-the-head headsets. Omni-directional microphones pick up the complete 360-degree field, which may include much extraneous noise. This creates an "8" shape field, and this design is the best method for picking up sound only from a close proximity of the user, while not picking up most surrounding noises. Its receptive field is limited to only the front and the direct opposite back of the microphone. A bi-directional microphone's receptive field has two angles only. Noise-canceling microphone headsets use a bi-directional microphone as elements. Most external microphone designs are of either omnidirectional or noise-canceling type. Voicetube designs are also called internal microphone design, and have the microphone housed near the earpiece, with a tube carrying sound to the microphone. External microphone designs have the microphone housed in the front end of the microphone arm. The microphone arm of headsets may carry an external microphone or be of the voice tube type. Telephone headsets are monaural, even for double-earpiece designs, because telephone offers only single-channel input and output.

Single-earpiece headsets free up one ear, allowing better awareness of surroundings. Double-earpiece headsets may support stereo sound or use the same monaural audio channel for both ears. Headsets are available in single-earpiece and double-earpiece designs. Stereo computer headsets, on the other hand, use 32-ohm speakers with a broader frequency range. Telephone headsets generally use 150-ohm loudspeakers with a narrower frequency range than those also used for entertainment. 4.1 Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications.
