Mic for desktop using ms teams?...
Discussion
spending several hours a day on calls, and using in-ear headphones I finally bought a dedicated headset designed for Teams (Plantronics Blackwire 3320) and it's like night and day - much better quality and people can actually hear me wihtout any background noise
only regret... not buying them a year ago!!
(only £42.55 on Amazon)
only regret... not buying them a year ago!!
(only £42.55 on Amazon)
Mars said:
Headset. Too many people use external speakers and a separate mic which just leads to feedback.
+1. I tried using fancy usb condenser microphone. The sound quality is great but I cannot avoid the feedback, unless I turn the speakers (Bose) down.Now using built in mic on the Logitech C920 and it's great paired with the Bose speakers. I don't like using headset at home, prefer this setup.
Edited by anxious_ant on Friday 18th February 08:30
Scrump said:
Same for me.
Same. Whole team is webcam and speakers and we've not had anyone with feedback issues unless they position the webcam pretty much on the speaker.Maybe the level of feedback issue depends on the call software you're using - this is with Zoom and Teams.
If you're using any kind of microphone though, it really helps to have some soft fabirc in the room to dull any echo.
ikarl said:
spending several hours a day on calls, and using in-ear headphones I finally bought a dedicated headset designed for Teams (Plantronics Blackwire 3320) and it's like night and day - much better quality and people can actually hear me wihtout any background noise
only regret... not buying them a year ago!!
(only £42.55 on Amazon)
We have Plantronics Blackwire C3220 headsets at work and they're great, so I bought the next model up (C3225) for home. The mic is way better at just picking up the speaker with way less background noise than my old Logitech headset. My wife and I can be on the same call in the same room without the echo that we used to get with the logitech.only regret... not buying them a year ago!!
(only £42.55 on Amazon)
I completely get why some people prefer a mic and speakers if you're in meetings all day, but I find a headset is comfortable for several hours.
I have a Logitech H800 headset which is good and being cordless, ideal for nipping to the kitchen to make a brew during a long call if I'm not presenting.
I also have a Jabra Speak 510 which I use the majority of the time as no headset is more comfortable than any headset. The mute button on the unit sync'ing with mute status on Teams / Zoom is also good.
https://www.jabra.co.uk/business/speakerphones/jab...
I also have a Jabra Speak 510 which I use the majority of the time as no headset is more comfortable than any headset. The mute button on the unit sync'ing with mute status on Teams / Zoom is also good.
https://www.jabra.co.uk/business/speakerphones/jab...
Feedback should not be an issue. I'm on calls with the team every day, and we've all got various speaker/mic combos, and nobody gets feedback on Zoom, Teams or Jitsi or anything else.
I had a Blue Yeti X (USB version) which was spectacular, but picked up a lot of desk noise. Directional mics picks up less keyboard noise, so if you type or click while on calls, try something directional such as https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rode-VideoMicro-Compact-C...
I'd only wear a headset in a shared space.
I'd only rely on the webcam mic if £40 for a Rode VideoMicro was way out of budget.
There's a special place in hell for people who still use their laptop mic/camera.
I had a Blue Yeti X (USB version) which was spectacular, but picked up a lot of desk noise. Directional mics picks up less keyboard noise, so if you type or click while on calls, try something directional such as https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rode-VideoMicro-Compact-C...
I'd only wear a headset in a shared space.
I'd only rely on the webcam mic if £40 for a Rode VideoMicro was way out of budget.
There's a special place in hell for people who still use their laptop mic/camera.
RizzoTheRat said:
ikarl said:
spending several hours a day on calls, and using in-ear headphones I finally bought a dedicated headset designed for Teams (Plantronics Blackwire 3320) and it's like night and day - much better quality and people can actually hear me wihtout any background noise
only regret... not buying them a year ago!!
(only £42.55 on Amazon)
We have Plantronics Blackwire C3220 headsets at work and they're great, so I bought the next model up (C3225) for home. The mic is way better at just picking up the speaker with way less background noise than my old Logitech headset. My wife and I can be on the same call in the same room without the echo that we used to get with the logitech.only regret... not buying them a year ago!!
(only £42.55 on Amazon)
I completely get why some people prefer a mic and speakers if you're in meetings all day, but I find a headset is comfortable for several hours.
We've just moved house and will likely be sharing office space soon, so it's good to hear the C3225's work in that environment for you. I'll have to invest!
I run TEAMS meetings for several hours a week and I've tried all sorts of combinations over the last two years. I've settled with desktop speakers and a USB Lavelier microphone, which works brilliantly.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B076M4HXFH/r...
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B076M4HXFH/r...
To offer a counter view to the headset crowd - I hate a headset - while its ok for a really focussed call one on one, I find wearing a headset extremely tiring and if you are attending multiple calls, I couldn't think of anything worse than to spend all day separated from the world.
My setup is pretty simple but effective for me.
And that is a Logitech C930 webcam perched on a monitor and a Jabra speak 510 speaker phone on the desk for hands free calling.
Benefits are things like the mute and volume buttons on it right in front of me, nice and clear audio in both directions, and no feedback or any audio issues ever reported.....
If you have a room where you can use a speaker phone then this would be my choice over a headset every day.
My setup is pretty simple but effective for me.
And that is a Logitech C930 webcam perched on a monitor and a Jabra speak 510 speaker phone on the desk for hands free calling.
Benefits are things like the mute and volume buttons on it right in front of me, nice and clear audio in both directions, and no feedback or any audio issues ever reported.....
If you have a room where you can use a speaker phone then this would be my choice over a headset every day.
Teams is pretty good at detecting and suppressing audio feedback loops now if you use a standalone mic. Still can be a bit of a faff to set up and some mics are better than others at picking up your voice but not your keyboard, computer fan, dogs barking, etc.
As said, many webcams have a mic built in, they can work OK. Better is to use a proper headset, getting the mic close to your mouth avoids almost all of the background noise issues. If you really don't want to wear one then a conference speaker like a Jabra Speak or Poly Calisto can work well too.
Anything on here is worth considering: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-teams/ac... As well as the audio quality, certified devices mean that things like mute and call pickup buttons work as they should, and Teams knows how to set them up automatically when you plug it in, no faff.
As said, many webcams have a mic built in, they can work OK. Better is to use a proper headset, getting the mic close to your mouth avoids almost all of the background noise issues. If you really don't want to wear one then a conference speaker like a Jabra Speak or Poly Calisto can work well too.
Anything on here is worth considering: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-teams/ac... As well as the audio quality, certified devices mean that things like mute and call pickup buttons work as they should, and Teams knows how to set them up automatically when you plug it in, no faff.
I use a Jabra Speak when at home....I don't need to sit with headphones on all day (lots of my time is spent in meetings).
Never had an issue with it. However, I do sit in a converted bedroom as an office so background noise is never a problem.
I have a set of Jabra Voice 550 headphones for when in the office which are also excellent.
However, none of these options are cheap for a one off Teams call.....I'd just go with whatever you can find relatively cheap on amazon with half reasonable reviews (headphone/with speaker) if its a one off......or invest in something like above if not
Never had an issue with it. However, I do sit in a converted bedroom as an office so background noise is never a problem.
I have a set of Jabra Voice 550 headphones for when in the office which are also excellent.
However, none of these options are cheap for a one off Teams call.....I'd just go with whatever you can find relatively cheap on amazon with half reasonable reviews (headphone/with speaker) if its a one off......or invest in something like above if not
fat80b said:
If you have a room where you can use a speaker phone then this would be my choice over a headset every day.
All mic's are not created equal though. The directional mic mentioned above looks like a decent option. Not familiar with the Jabra mics but they get a lot of recommendations so presumably are pretty decent. But always bear in mind what you hear isn't what others hear, I know a few people who use apple earbuds or Bose noise cancelling headphones with built in mics and they sound great to the user, but everyone else gets loads of background noise from typing, kids in the next room, etc.
I used to use the built-in mic on my Logitech C920 along with a bluetooth speaker however I got a free pair of Bose NC700 headphones with a phone purchase and the quality is fantastic. I can also go wandering around on a call which isn't an option when using the webcam and speaker.
The other bonus is that I can have music playing through the headphones when I'm not on a call and it'll pause/resume the song playback when take or end the call. On top of that the noise-cancelling is something else - putting them on makes me realise just how incessant the background noise is, whether it's traffic outside or as is the case today, epic wind blowing through.
Works really well for me.
The other bonus is that I can have music playing through the headphones when I'm not on a call and it'll pause/resume the song playback when take or end the call. On top of that the noise-cancelling is something else - putting them on makes me realise just how incessant the background noise is, whether it's traffic outside or as is the case today, epic wind blowing through.
Works really well for me.
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