Best microphone? Options

[Johnny]

Hi. I wonder if anyone can help a newbie. I have just bought Dragon NaturallySpeaking 5 Preferred (at least this is what it is called in England, where I live), having earlier tried IBM ViaVoice and found it too inaccurate. Voice recogniton was so-so accurate using the Dragonpad, but much less so when I tried using it with AOL for email. I phoned Dragon and they me that the problem was that my Dell Inspiron laptop has an ESS Maestro soundcard, which is not 100% SoundBlaster compatible and so not fully compatible with NaturallySpeaking. They advised me to bypass the soundcard by using a USB headset, naming Andrea Electronics and Plantronics, but I am still a little confused as to the best way to go for optimal voice-recognition -- USB headset (and if so, which one?), USB pod and another microphone? Any recommendations would be gratefully received.

Thanks and best wishes -- John

[draca]

For your answers, go here:
http://www.speechcontrol.com

[SPK2]

The microphones on that site are all old!

nothing new there...

[SPK2]

I heard from comp.speech.users that speechcontrol.com is biased on their microphone selections and the testing is flimsy.

Being from Canada I also had ordered from them a while ago and the headset was shipped like it was used.

I have had plenty of luck with other sites and should have added them:
www.microphones.com www.speaktoyourpc.com www.vxicorp.com www.dragonsys.ca

good luck

[draca]

In complete contrast, I have found speechcontrol.com to be very helpful, and none of their product was "used." Furthermore, the site is up-to-date and accurate. Ignore my advice at your own peril.

[SPK2]

That was just my experience. I would not purchase speechcontrol.com (or now emicrophones.com) from them again.

They even state that they "personally pack and check all headsets before shipping"

It showed when the package arrived. The box was not even sealed.

From one consumer to another: buyer beware.

[Judy Evans]

Johnny

You can bypass the problem (FYI I think www.speechcontrol.com is fine) by buying in the UK. Ring Andrea Electronics in London.
(But check their prices against the US prices + package/post + customs duties, and make sure Andrea tell you whether they're moving your order to Andrea Europe and if so whether that will incur any extra costs.)


But first have someone who knows about sound chips check yours; recognition is the proof something is OK (!), and some of the ESS Maestro chips are really very good indeed. (I am really not sure why you're being given the "SoundBlaster compatible" line. I use SoundBlaster cards - not compatibles -- always but I know people who get very good results without using even compatibles.) a poster to VoiceGroup (hosted by yahoo) uses one with great success.

Whether or not to use a pod with a mike or a mike depends on whether you already have a mike you want to go on using, or not. I have more than one so if I had to use a USB solution I'd get an Andrea Pod.

Judy