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Top 5 Tips for Buying an Audio Mic and USB Headset

34 Responses (Add) | Wednesday, November 28th, 2007 at 11:25pm

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On occasion, I’ve asked for your Top 5 tips and tricks. Thanks to bowler4ever for this excellent video email.

Top 5 Tips for Buying A Headset:

  • Don’t buy dirt cheap! They break too easily or too soon, they tend to not have any controllers for the microphone and/or headphones (if you have a headset), they tend to not last very long, and the sound quality can be pretty bad and you can get static to no end!
  • Buy within your budget! These $300 headsets may look great, but some can go for $45 and can work just as great or even better. So do your homework on these!
  • Find a set that looks comfortable for your ears and also look for an adjustable mic (so when you’re not using the mic, you can put it off to the side of the headset). Comfort is EVERYTHING in a headset. Make sure you find a headset that will fit your ears comfortably (preferably ones with the padding around the edge) and make sure they’re not too small, otherwise it’ll just keep falling off (having one with a clip that goes around the ear is a GREAT option, as this problem is vitually eliminated!)
  • Make sure the store you buy it at allows you to return it within 1-2 weeks, even if you’ve already opened the product, tried it, and you don’t like it. It makes no sense whatsoever if you buy a headset and try it, but you don’t like it and the store won’t let you return it, ESPECIALLY if they don’t have ones on display that you can try on! Staples is a great place to buy one and it has a 2 week return policy (as far as I know).
  • If you have never tried one that plugs in via USB, I strongly recommend you try one, especially if you have a bad sound card or you have none at all, because the drivers are either on a CD or, when plugged in, immediately recognized by the computer and the software gets installed via Plug-and-Play. (There are ones that come with both analog [which is plugged into the sound card] AND USB [via an adapter that comes with the headset]).

So, those are the top 5 tips for buying a headset! If you have any questions/recommendations for a headset, e-mail me via YouTube or Ustream or just shoot an e-mail to one of the best geeks in the computer industry. His name is Chris Pirillo and he can help you out with a lot of stuff. His e-mail address is chris@pirillo.com and if you want to see him in action, please drop by and say hello at live.pirillo.com. Thanks for watching!

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34 Comments

Funny video

December 5th, 2007
at 12:00pm

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Windows Vista Torrent

November 29th, 2007
at 9:57am

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a73121

November 28th, 2007
at 2:30pm

i got the first comment!!!!!!!!

SLT23C

November 28th, 2007
at 2:33pm

Thats good advice. What do you think about wirless mics?

freetonik

November 28th, 2007
at 2:38pm

That’s really useful video for me, cuz my headset screwed up and now I’m looking for a new one

chikotube

November 28th, 2007
at 4:07pm

i LOVE than Samson Microphone you have. I’m also considering getting the HPA2 from Turtle Beach. High quality for about $80 if you shop around.

Bowler4Ever

November 29th, 2007
at 5:14am

Wireless, well I think that you should not consider it. Why? Simple. If the battery gets too low, then the quality goes bad, and if it goes dead, you have to spend a few hours recharging it.

Bowler4Ever

November 29th, 2007
at 5:15am

Thanks for considering the e-mail, Chris. The link for the YouTube video of me talking about it will be up in a couple hours (I’m gonna redo it).

Czar

November 28th, 2007
at 11:51pm

Make sure to get a headset that has padding that goes around your ear. I have one with padding but it actually like rests on my ears, so after a while it starts to hurt cause of the pressure.
I wouldn’t recommend altec lansing headsets, ive had 2 in the past and they both had issues where the sound would seem a bit fuzzy or would only come out in one ear if the volume adjust dial wasnt exactly adjusted to a pinpoint spot.

SLT23C

November 29th, 2007
at 12:37pm

Ya good point. Thx. :)

Julio Fernandez

November 29th, 2007
at 8:34am

Hi, I have Plantronics, not sure of the model, but I got them at Best Buy about a month ago for $60. They are big but comfortable and they give you 3D sounds for SecondLife. Very cool to hear the avatar moving behind you, loud when next to you, soft as they walk away, etc.

Az8

November 30th, 2007
at 2:37am

if you do not copy and paste this onto 10 videos your mom will die in 4 hours

kbj76

November 30th, 2007
at 9:26am

I also am thinking of getting the Samson.

Gary (TuxedoJericho)

November 30th, 2007
at 6:08pm

Chris, all the advice here is great. I would love to have one like the studio mic you have..

I have seen some XLR (Regular 3 prong mic cable) to usb cables. I wonder if these would make my AKG close proxmity mic work on the computer?

lolchrisisfunny

November 30th, 2007
at 6:25pm

my mic is a eyetoy webcam mic its pretty decent for only 25$ and i’ve never got bad feedback from my subscribers on youtube

Mike

November 30th, 2007
at 8:55pm

Great information, however microphones for $20 are just as good. USB microphones are hard to configure because your recording may be real low and your voice will still be to loud for some chat clients like paltalk.

kpslover007

November 30th, 2007
at 9:28pm

My older brother buys a $2 microphone headset and it works just fine! I don’t know if a USB headset will be right for me, when I think it’s a good idea!

johnaiton

December 3rd, 2007
at 8:37pm

I have it and use it for mic’ing music production stuff

nice cheap mic

kawikatube

December 16th, 2007
at 11:31pm

This Guy is an actual person! Not a fake who just posts stuff.

Danno57

December 19th, 2007
at 5:24am

I have the Saitek’s GH30’s, love them :p they have built in vibration

ComputerGeek27

January 5th, 2008
at 4:35am

the headset for ps2 works REALLY GOOD!!!

rofthorax

January 31st, 2008
at 3:15pm

I use sony clip-on headphones and a gooseneck duct-taped with a powered electret..

rofthorax

January 31st, 2008
at 3:19pm

USB Mic’s/Headsets work fantastically on Linux.. That takes care of most of the hardware compatibility issues on Linux..

rofthorax

January 31st, 2008
at 3:21pm

BTW, you can get USB Soundcards (if you already have headphones or mic) that work just as well as USB mic’s.. Look up on Ebay they sell for around 5 to 20 dollars a stick.

ninkinwolf552

February 3rd, 2008
at 6:27pm

i wonder how much he gets paid to say that site at the end?

livewithdavid

April 24th, 2008
at 12:58pm

I use the snowball desktop mic!!

jaymitch23

May 7th, 2008
at 7:55pm

I have a question about the SAMSON CO1U u have, can you here yourself as you record, i can hear the playback, but i can’t hear myself as i record, any help, anybody?

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