I have a usb boom mic w/headphone jack and I keep it to where I always hear what's going through the mic even if I'm not using it so I can hear everything outside the headphones, too. Just in case my dog is barking that it wants to go outside or the door bell rings or something. Plus I hear exactly how I sound through the mic so I don't have to do the "do you hear me now?" crap when I'm playing games.