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>I'm looking for a definitive opinion on the comparison between the
>TalkMic and the Knowles VR series.
I'm posting a series of messages below which indicate that this
question cannot be answered definitively. Make sure you read all the
way to the bottom. To different users got opposite results using two
identical headsets.
>Is the TalkMic available in the United States?
Yes. LVASoftnet <LVASoftnet@@aol.com> Although I didn't end up
keeping the product my experience was an extremely pleasant one. I
would gladly do business with Mr. Allen again
>Which one is more comfortable
The Knowles and the Talk Mic are equal since they are basically the
same headset with the exception of the microphone element. See below.
If I could make one change to the Knowles it would be to remove the
ear speaker. I don't use it.
Each message starts with /*and ends with */.
/*
I hope you don't mind my butting in here but I've had very recent
experience with three mics. The VXI CTS-10-3 and the Talk Mic. As
well as a superior cousin to the Talk Mic.
I'm going to quote back some information from recent and previous
posts. All words are mine. Some from private email and some from the
voice-users mailing list.
This passage is from me to Holland St. John, MD concerning a
discussion about the Talk Mic. At the time I was using the VXI.
>>I can parrot the verbiage but I have no real understanding of the true
>>difference between "noise canceling" and "pressure gradient." I'm
>>just looking for an accurate mic which will stay put on my nearly bald
>>head. There's also the issue of the sounds in my environment.
>>Currently the only thing I can hear is the air flowing from the back
>>of my computer's fan. Later this afternoon when the poodle starts
>>going off and the kitchen starts getting busy I'm curious as to which
>>type of mic would fare better in this type of setting.
>>If I remember correctly you are working in a closed office setting.
Please note my comments about the noise in my environment. The layout
of where my wife and I live is like that of a studio apartment.
Basically with the exception of the bedroom it's one large open area.
The computer I use is within 20 feet of the kitchen sink and 15 feet
of the TV set. They are also in direct unimpeded line of sight.
This is from me to Holland after two days of using the Talk Mic.
>As far as staying put goes, this microphone is rock steady. My wife
>was amazed the first day I wore it. She wasn't having to adjust my
>headset every twenty or thirty minutes. It was adjusted once each
>time I wore it unless I turned my head very far to the left. When
>it's extremely quiet in the room the mic gives excellent results.
>Unfortunately the only times that it is really quiet is when my
>wife is reading, napping (I keep her hopping), or if she is watching
>television and using a stereo headset for sound. Otherwise, the
>slightest background noise causes DragonDictate to either type
>extraneous words on the screen while dictating or extraneous
>command and control actions if I'm in command mode.
>I did rerun the Audio Setup Wizard.
I ordered a Knowles VR-3565. http://www.knowlesinc.com/vrseries2.htm
I ordered the mic from Indelible Blue. http://www.indelible-blue.com/
This mic is identical to the Talk Mic with the exception of the
microphone element and with the addition of an earphone. The Talk Mic
is manufactured by Knowles for Talking Technologies, Inc.
>I ordered the Knowles yesterday from Indelible Blue. I paid for
>their cheapest shipping. It arrived today. I'm astonished at this
>mic's ability to cancel noise. Most of the problems I've been
>having are now gone unless the TV is really blaring. The poodle
>doesn't even set it off like it used to. It hasn't passed the dish
>washing test but this mic has the best noise canceling abilities
>of the three I've tried.
>
>For just a hair over $50 delivered this is a very good buy. I've
>done no empirical testing but it is slightly more accurate by
>comparison to the Talk Mic and the VXI Gold. I'm correcting less.
The mic has now passed the dish washing test. The only test left is
the one which involves my wife and her two sisters gabbing at the
kitchen table. ;-)
Dr. St. John informs me that there is a identical mic to this one
which has a lesser quality earphone. The MSRP on that mic is $49.
The next step down has a less sturdy frame. The MSRP on the mic is
$29. All three mics have the same microphone element.
If you've taken a look at the picture at the Knowles site and are
wondering how this type of headset would fare with folks who wear
glasses it works fine. Dr. St. John and I both wear glasses.
Why didn't Dragon Systems at a minimum put that least expensive mic in
the NaturallySpeaking Box instead of those cheap things they're
shipping now?
*/
/*
Here is a followup to my previous post. It indicates to me that mics
are like shoes. There is no best pair or fit. It depends on
individual and their environment. This surely doesn't make it any
easier on the end consumer.
I'm beginning to wonder if I'm in an acoustic sweet spot.
>On Fri, 23 Jan 1998 17:28:44 -0600, "Holland St. John"
> <holland@@axiom.net> wrote:
>George, no problem, quote away.
>
>I did (yesterday) the first preliminary noise test of my TalkMic. I
>turned on a radio to the local talkshow, put the radio about 5 feet from
>where I dictate and turned up the volume so that I found it annoyingly
>loud to listen to (It would be impossible to carry on a conversation
>with another person with the radio set where I had it without shouting).
>I then dictated some of my regular material. The accuracy was amazing.
>Either no or very little worse than my regular dictation in a quiet
>room. I then turned off the radio and used the playback feature of Nat
>to listen to what I just dictated. I could hear NONE of the radio noises
>in the background. I wonder if DD is more sensitive to extraneous noise
>or what. I am puzzled by the different results you had when you used the
>TalkMic in a noisy environment.... Something for me to think about...
>
>Anyway, post away.
*/
