Hunt for the ultimate headset
Filed Under Best Bytes, Tools
When the lab was built 2 years ago, we started with a Califone International headset like this. The 3066AV model had 3.5mm in/out plugs, which went through an Edirol USB Audio interface to give us real-time audio feedback in the headset and plug into the USB slots on our iMacs. The 3066USB model might also have worked for us, but there would have been no way of getting that immediate aural feedback in the ears, which some teachers feel is very effective for improving pronunciation (and I agree).
We found that after one year of light use, the Califone microphones and/or headphones would produce a crackling sound and in general, felt clunky, uncomfortable, and unreliable. Besides the popping in and out of sound feedback in the headset, our biggest problem was controlling output volume. Students could change the volume in three places (System Preferences, DiLL software, and using the knob on the side of the headsets themselves) and at the time DiLL didn’t have away of adjusting for volume setting changes between use (now it automatically resets audio output to a default middle-of-the-road setting every time the program is launched). So we “temporarily” replaced all 24 seats in the Instructional Area with a Plantronics DSP-500 model that we had on hand.
Of course, the big disadvantage once again was that students couldn’t hear vocal output in their ears, so we installed a small app called LineIn (see post below) to give them the option of hearing their voice as they spoke by clicking the “PASS THRU” button. Unfortunately, since this is a software program that processes the signal through the computer’s CPU, there is a slight delay between speaking and hearing, which can be really annoying after awhile (I think most students leave it off).
I tried another set of Logitech USB headphones in the Training Area, where teachers come to record in GarageBand, but the latency is just as bad or worse than the Plantronics. They are a lot nicer looking than the Califones, though. I like how the microphones are enclosed with hard plastic, versus the foam-covered mic screens on the Plantronics, which have mostly been pulled off and lost by now. As far as sound quality goes, pick your problem: either you sound like you’re in a box (Califone), the s’s and p’s are too hot (Plantronics), or the treble is too high (Logitech). You can listen to a sample recording of all three headsets for a comparison.
The creators of DiLL up at Northwestern are leaning toward the following combos of headset and hardware, which will solve the aural feedback latency problem. Now we just need to decide which combo will work best for us.
Combo A
USB AUDIO ADAPTERS
SYBA SD-CM-UAUD ($8, lowest noise of all CM108s we’ve tested)
>> buy here
or
StarTech ICUSBAUDIO ($11, noise on par with other CM108 chipsets)
>> buy here
&
HEADSETS
Telex Discovery DS-8v (~$55, bulky, but study and has replaceable cable)
>> buy here
or
Sennheiser PC 350 (~$110 - $180, very high quality, cable not replaceable)
>> buy here
Combo B
Sanako SLH-07 headset ($102, headset-only, mic has no bass)
>> buy here
Replaceable USB cable ($26, cable is integrated with adapter)
>> buy here
All three headsets have stiff mic booms, which avoids the common problem of students rotating the arm upside-down or not pulling it toward their mouth. Any variation of Combo A will have superior sound to the Sanako in Combo B, but Combo B has virtually nothing that can go wrong setup-wise.
I’d be *very* curious what other Mac-only language labs are using for their headsets. I guess right now, I’m leaning toward Combo B. We’ll be making a purchase sometime next spring, so there’s still time to change my mind…
