Sennheiser pc 350 SE headset compatibility

Question

Level 1

8 points

Sennheiser pc 350 SE headset compatibility

Hi. Old timer and technophobic dinosaur of the mid-20th century variety here, trying to drag himself into the 21st...

I'm trying to get a Sennheiser PC 350 Special Edition headset to talk to my MacBook Pro, but alas to no avail. The headphones work fine, but the microphone is as dead as the proverbial dodo. Is it me, or is it the technology that I'm using that's out of step with the 21st century? The Sennheiser is a discontinued line, but the sound is superb and the earphones are extremely comfortable, and just what I need for my online tutorials with the Open University.

Any suggestions or, better still, solutions which even a dinosaur could follow would be most welcome. Thanks.

MacBook Pro (15-inch 2.53 GHz), OS X Mavericks (10.9.5), null

Posted on Nov 7, 2017 2:12 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Nov 7, 2017 2:34 PM in response to empiricalem

What model/year Macbook Pro? How does the mic connect to the computer? The headset port is for headset only not mic. Use a USB mic.

Reply

Answer 2

Nov 8, 2017 3:53 AM in response to empiricalem

So-called "microphone" inputs on almost all Macs are line-level inputs. An un-amplified microphone plunged into this provides a signal so low, it is unusable.

Reply

Answer 3

empiricalem Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 7, 2017 3:20 PM in response to BobTheFisherman

Thanks for your prompt response, Bob. It's a 15" mid-2009 model with a 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor. This Sennheiser headset and microphone connects to my MacBook Pro using a split 3.5mm jack (via the audio line-in port and the audio line-out port). A little knowledge is a dangerous thing when it comes to technical jargon, but I guess this is what you're asking me. If a 3.5mm jack won't work, is there a good alternative headset with a USB microphone that you'd recommend? I guess we're still talking about a wired headset and microphone here, right?

Reply