Best microphone for a contractor to use on-site?
Submitted by jsachs177 on Wed, 10/17/2007 - 03:32.
I'm currently using DNS 9 with an Andrea NC-61 headset plugged into my home computer's on-board soundcard. Accuracy is adequate, although it could be better.
I need another headset to use at clients' sites, also with DNS 9. Sometimes I will be using it with my tablet computer, a Toshiba M200; more often I will use it with a desktop machine provided by the client. I'm seeking advice on the best choice for my needs among the currently available products.
For the present I want to to keep my expenditure down to $60 or so. If a more expensive model promises significantly better performance I can consider it later, when there is more money.
My preference is for a reversible over-the-head headset with one speaker. I need a headset that folds flat and does not require a USB pod to work well. (Some shops disable their workstations' USB ports as security risks.) A separate USB pod is an option if and when I can use one. I currently have an old Andrea pod which I can use. I can buy a new pod if it promises to perform better, but I can't do so immediately without busting my budget.
It's important that the microphone perform well when I'm speaking very quietly, since I will usually be working in an open office environment. (This is never been a problem with the NC-61.)
So far I'm leaning toward the Andrea ANC-700 -- not because I'm convinced that it's the best I can get, but because I know and like Andrea, and everyone seems to agree that it's good.
The ANC 700 microphone is
The ANC 700 microphone is a good choice but it's yesterday's technology and it hasn't been improved in a decade. The KnowBrainer Hands-free microphone is in the $50 price range, is more accurate, more noise canceling, more comfortable and perhaps most importantly, more durable. The ANC 700 microphones also have a major defect that cause the speaker to break off from the headset. They include a one-year warranty but you're still out the microphone while you wait for a replacement. The NC-61 microphone you are currently using is Andrea Electronics worst microphone and we don't carry it because it doesn't meet our standards. If you know anything about our company you'll know that we don't recommend using integrated soundcards because they are prone to all kinds of problems due to the fact that they are integrated onto the motherboard and are subject to interference. If you're serious about speech recognition, spend an extra $40 on a USB Pod external soundcard.
Before spending a dime upgrading your sound system we highly recommend that you check out our Microphone Comparison Matrix so that you can compare pricing, comfort, accuracy and noise cancellation.
Lunis Orcutt - Developer of KnowBrainer (DNS Command Software)
Now Providing FREE (1st 5 min.) Tech Support 615-884-4558
A Nuance Gold Certified Endorsed Vendor
KnowBrainer wrote: The
The ANC-700 microphone is a good choice but it's yesterday's technology and it hasn't been improved in a decade.
This is not true. The Andrea ANC microphones have a new wiring pattern for the male connector. They now work without a battery box or adapter with every sound card or USB pod. Many microphones have not been "improved" in a while but are still perfectly up there in accuracy, noise cancellation and quality. These include the Sennheiser MD431II, VXI TalkPro and Sennheiser e835.
The KnowBrainer headset you offer is an excellent microphone. However, Jonathan asked for a microphone that can be used off either side of the head and yours works only off the right side of the face and has no earphone for playback.
more comfortable
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The ANC 700 microphones also have a major defect that cause the speaker to break off from the headset.
This is an absurd statement. We sell more Andrea ANC microphones than any other product (over 200 a month). We hear of occasional problems with shorts in the cable (considering how many are sold this is not unusual) but cannot recall any speaker breaking off in the last 5 years.
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Martin Markoe, eMicrophones, Inc.
The best microphones for Speech Recognition
Martin Markoe wrote: This
This is an absurd statement.
Maybe we should have can an "absurd and nonsensical" folder into which such messages could be filtered
Quentin
You seem to be having
You seem to be having amazingly good luck. About 25% of our ANC 700 microphone customers report the speaker snapping off right in their hands no matter how gently they try to put on the headset. We should've been more specific about no improvements in the last decade by specifically mentioning the microphone element. As far as the wiring is concerned, all Andrea Electronics did was get it right recently and we don't consider that a real improvement. That would be more of a bug fix and we only sell about one of these microphones per month because they are positioned in the midrange section of our Microphone Comparison Matrix.
Considering how much more accurate the KnowBrainer Hands-free (Sennheiser ME3 knockoff) microphone is, we figure jsachs177 won't mind being forced to wear the microphone on the right side of his head and he won't have to deal with what the speaker which very few end-users have any use for. This will allow him to take cell phone calls in either ear, without removing the headset while working more protected in a potentially hazardous environment. We also sell a lot of these microphones for digital recorder use among contractors. The ANC 700 microphone doesn't work well with the digital recorder. Our basic thought on recommending this specific microphone was an inexpensive solution that would be versatile enough to be used for other purposes down the road.
Lunis Orcutt - Developer of KnowBrainer (DNS Command Software)
Now Providing FREE (1st 5 min.) Tech Support 615-884-4558
A Nuance Gold Certified Endorsed Vendor
I don't want to comment too
I don't want to comment too much until a consensus emerges, but it's incorrect to assume that I "won't mind being forced to wear the microphone on the right side." When a client sets up a workspace for me, the computer will be where the computer will be, and I will have to adjust the headset accordingly. Wearing it with the cord attached on the right when the computer is on the left is inconvenient at best, and impossible at worst. I misspoke when I said that reversibility is my preference; it is an absolute requirement.
jsachs177 wrote: it's
it's incorrect to assume that I "won't mind being forced to wear the microphone on the right side."
That's absurd to think that you know what you really want and are asking for it from a vendor without the vendor telling you what you really need.
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Martin Markoe, eMicrophones, Inc.
The best microphones for Speech Recognition