Sidetone is a technology that allows you to hear a small amount of your voice in your ear when speaking into a microphone and wearing headphones or a headset. It is a controlled feedback that sounds like an echo of yourself in the headset. Sidetone is important because it helps you confirm your call is connected at an audible but not overly loud volume level and not producing an echo. It also allows you to adjust your volume and check the sound quality to ensure others can hear you properly. Sidetone is typically enabled on traditional phones and headsets, but it was removed from smaller cell phones to prevent feedback. However, most people prefer to have sidetone enabled, as it mirrors the experience of talking on a mobile phone or landline.

To enable or disable sidetone, you can follow these steps:

• Open the Sound window by clicking Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound (instructions vary depending on your Control Panel view).
• Click the Recording tab.
• Click the headset you would like to test, and then click the Properties button. The Transmit Properties window appears.
• Check the Listen to this device box to enable sidetone, or uncheck it to disable sidetone.
• Click Apply.

Some headsets and devices allow you to enable or disable sidetone with just a few clicks. Sidetone can also be controlled by adjusting the amount of mic input that is routed back into your headset.