Headsets, Microphones, Wireless & More
I went ahead and started a new thread as I (and others) thought it be more appropriate. (don't mind the double post, I am new to posting here).
Perhaps we ought to start a separate thread, however could you be a little more specific about this "bunch of complaints" regarding the VXI BlueParrot headset. I purchased one just over a month ago and the thing that is driving me crazy is that every morning I have to spend between 2 and 15 minutes before it will start working.
What I meant by a bunch of complaints are the following (you actually mentioned many).
Comfort: Some want an earworn bluetooth vs. over the head. For some reason, many are really caught up on this. Doesn't bother me but I wear headsets all day so I'm used to it.
Accuracy: I have actually surveyed users as well as dealers regarding the accuracy. As I mentioned, the accuracy is really good for me once it is trained but I know when I did training, I had trouble getting through it. I know of at least 4 other dealers with the same experience. I have had many users state they would get better accuracy through the wired headset, including the VXI TalkproUSBs. I think if one has a soft spoken voice, they get worst accuracy. That's my current observation.
Pairing: I guess that's just a bluetooth matter.
Battery life: This is also a problem. I tried to install this in a hospital and the shortened battery life and having multiple headsets and having to pair was simply unacceptable.
Since a good majority of my customers are in Medical setting, I've tried all kinds of solutions and the Shure mics have always delivered as promised.
Time to upgrade!
I switched them all to the Frequency Agile Shure Wireless PGX and it's working like a charm. Everyone is extremely happy. Even with a belt pack, it's far better than having a wire across the desk and across paperwork or getting stuck on the wheels of your chair and worrying about battery life. The batteries on a Shure will work for 18 hours continuous. Rechargeable battery time is reduced but is more than enough (at least 10+ hours). This with a few spares being recharged and battery life is a worry of the past. Further, on this last install to a Pathology Department, each individual would use their system while doing microscopic in their offices and going into the gross room, they change the frequency on the receiver, and they are instantly heard on that computer using their same headset. Then they can all switch machines with a turn of a dial. It really is a nice implementation. This is the method of choice for Physician environments. Never a complaint!
Now I'm getting off subject ..... However .....
Those are the general complaints I've received on the VXI Bluetooth.
SPEAKING OF WHICH, WHAT ABOUT THAT NEW 6 DRAGON GN NETCOM HEADSET 503USB. Anybody try them? The GN405UNC seems with to work well as did the GN MPA Satellite. Can this be another heavy hitter?
Enrique Padilla
http://www.Microphones.com
http://www.Speechtechnology.com
As Enrique has started a new
As Enrique has started a new thread I'll repeat some of my earlier comments in reply to his request for "headset ratings" but specifically now with reference to the VXi BlueParrott TalkPro.
The BlueParrott TalkPro GTX headset was designed initially for use with the base station (B-1000) which contains its own Bluetooth stack. It is not strictly fair to blame the headset for problems when it is used with the built-in stacks in notebooks or tablets or with Bluetooth USB adapters.
As the VXi Distributor for the TalkPro range in the UK we are naturally in frequent contact with them and I gather that most, if not all, reported problems relate to use of the headset (B-150) with notebooks or tablets. Updating to the latest available Bluetooth stack has generally cured the problem. (That is not to say that there may be issues that I haven’t heard of.)
During extensive pre-release testing by ourselves and eMicrophones it soon became obvious that all Bluetooth devices were not created equal as far as speech recognition is concerned. In the UK the only available USB device to work well has been the one from XoVox (technology comes later to these shores than the US) and the latest update to the built-in Toshiba stack.
When using a "poor" Bluetooth Adapter or poor built-in Bluetooth it is difficult to get through the initial DNS training (unacceptable to me). A puzzle is that dictation accuracy is then quite reasonable.
With the base station, XoVox USB, Toshiba built-in, the initial training flows as smoothly as with a wired TalkPro. Indeed if it is at all difficult to get through the "Welcome ..." and "Training is about..." screens I suspect a problem.
This is supported by other UK VARs who have tested the BlueParrott.
Accuracy: UK testing indicates that the BlueParrott TalkPro GTX is as accurate and noise reducing as the wired TalkPro and that there is no difference between the performance with the B-1000 base station, the XoVox USB Adapter and the Toshiba built-in stack.
Two users only have reported problems but these seem to be Bluetooth related.
Comfort: This is highly subjective and there appear to be regional differences.
Users in the UK are generally more reluctant to have their ears covered than those in the US - hence the popularity of the wired Emkay 3185 here. Some users (myself included) find the Sennheiser modified ME-3 very comfortable - others hate it. Some users find the wired TalkPro headsets comfortable but dislike the BlueParrott (with exactly the same frame). Some want leatherette ear covers and others prefer foam. I personally loathe "ear hook" microphones. I have several users who desperately wanted an "ear worn Bluetooth" only to return it after getting a sore ear from the weight.
To me this all goes to show that there is no universal headset that will suit all users but with a choice of excellent microphones available there should be one that will suit each individual user.
).
(Well perhaps there will always be a few users who never find exactly the right unit
Graham Hendry
www.itspeaking.co.uk
Thanks for all your
Thanks for all your comments, firstly can I stress that I am not suggesting accuracy is worse than with the previous TalkPro Xpress microphone, however it is so far not proving any better. The reason for my changing over to a Bluetooth system was mainly based on the appeal of a wireless setup. Anyone who has had a decent user profile for a long period of time is going to have to be patient, starting from scratch (as is necessary) obviously means that your accuracy is going to be lower to start with.
As regards my particular problems, I confirm that I am using a laptop. I specifically asked for advice from the other Graham before taking the plunge and I therefore believe that the equipment and software supplied should not be a cause for concern. I see Marty mentions a different Bluetooth dongle, even if this is supposedly better than the XoVox, I don't know whether this would solve my problem.
I remain convinced that there is some sort of conflict between my wireless router and the Bluetooth adapter, indeed, the wireless broadband connection is being interrupted on a fairly regular basis (I would say in the region of three to four times a day) and this never used to happen. The problem seems to be software related, I usually fail to get the Bluetooth icon in the tray bar, however on the rare occasions that this does appear (yesterday was one of these, today is not) I still cannot always connect straight away. I am using the drivers supplied with the equipment. I had a quick look on the Web, but could see no mention of any updates. When I get time, I am going to try eliminating the wireless router altogether in order to see whether it makes any difference.
Once a Bluetooth connection has been established with the headset (usually after having to redo the pairing), it works OK. However, if I remember at lunchtime to put the headset on charge in order to get that extra bit of battery life that will see me through the day, when I go to use it again, I am usually back to square one. I read the advice that Marty gave and AFAIK I am doing exactly as he suggests.
As regards the comfort issue, you do need to adjust the headband a little bit, however, I find that the headband fits a little too tightly and after prolonged use begins to hurt a bit. I would like to be able to bend the metal outwards a little, however it is not very pliable and I am afraid of breaking it. It is probably all a question of head size and shape, slight differences probably affect the comfort factor.
Graham
emiliaserv wrote:I remain
I remain convinced that there is some sort of conflict between my wireless router and the Bluetooth adapter, indeed, the wireless broadband connection is being interrupted on a fairly regular basis (I would say in the region of three to four times a day) and this never used to happen. The problem seems to be software related, I usually fail to get the Bluetooth icon in the tray bar, however on the rare occasions that this does appear (yesterday was one of these, today is not) I still cannot always connect straight away. I am using the drivers supplied with the equipment. I had a quick look on the Web, but could see no mention of any updates. When I get time, I am going to try eliminating the wireless router altogether in order to see whether it makes any difference.
Once a Bluetooth connection has been established with the headset (usually after having to redo the pairing), it works OK. However, if I remember at lunchtime to put the headset on charge in order to get that extra bit of battery life that will see me through the day, when I go to use it again, I am usually back to square one. I read the advice that Marty gave and AFAIK I am doing exactly as he suggests.
You may be correct in your assumption about the wireless broadband. From what I read about Bluetooth at MIT, it uses the 2.4Ghz region as do wireless routers and many cordless phones here in the United States. I know that some 2.4Ghz telephones interfere with wireless so why not wireless with Bluetooth?
From that spec, I can see the Bluetooth devices may have trouble connecting due to multiple signals being received, but once connected there should be minimal interference from the wireless device as the Bluetooth devices use frequency hopping.
A PDF file/whitepaper is available at TechOnline (free registration req'd) talking about the interference between Wifi and Bluetooth.