A headphone is strictly for listening—no mic attached. You use them for music, gaming, or studio monitoring where your voice doesn’t need to go anywhere. They come in open-back (airier soundstage) or closed-back (better isolation). Think audiophile cans like Sennheiser HD 600 or Beats Studio Pro.

A headset is a headphone with a built-in microphone, usually on a boom arm. Gamers, call center workers, and remote teams live on these. The mic lets you talk back—Discord chats, Zoom meetings, Xbox party chat. Examples: SteelSeries Arctis, Logitech G Pro, or a basic Jabra office headset. Bottom line: all headsets are headphones, but not all headphones are headsets.