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RECOMMENDED MICROPHONES

Without knowing the specifics of your situation, it's a pretty good bet you are here because you are wondering how you can make speech recognition work for you, or work better. You want to make a smart decision and get the best value for your dollar. And you'd like to know that there wasn't another product you SHOULD have considered. Let us take the liberty of simplifying things for you. As full-time users of speech recognition software for more than a decade and with more than a decade of experience catering to the needs of speech recognition users, we have a pretty good idea of what works and what doesn't. Shown below are some of the most common scenarios presented to us and, in our opinion, the best solutions. Please read further before making a decision and browse our Microphone Selection Guide, but consider the following a good place to start.

Inexpensive Replacement: Are you using Dragon non-mission-critical dictation but lost the microphone that came with your product and looking for an inexpensive replacement? Check out the Andrea NC181or the Cyber Acoustics AC104. They're comfortable, durable, inexpensive, and work fine. 

Cost effective upgrade: Looking to upgrade from the microphone that came with Dragon but have a limited budget? Consider any of our mid-level headset microphones, such as the Andrea NC 181 (one speaker) or Andrea NC185 (two speakers).  Both of these microphones are sold in three configurations: the mic with simple analog plugs (NC181 and NC185), a similar mic but with an included speaker volume control and mute switch (NC 181VM USB and NC 185VM USB) and a version which includes an integrated USB sound adapter. These products offers a significant improvement in the accuracy and external noise rejection without emptying your wallet.

Best Wired Microphone: Looking for the highest quality wired microphone? Money not a major limitation?  Our most highly recommended headset microphone is the Sennheiser ME3-II. It is an amazing performer, is durable, and comes with a 2-year Sennheiser warranty. We sell both the microphone alone, and the microphone bundled with an Andrea Pure Audio MA USB adapter (our "ME3 Combo"). A close second is the SpeechWare FlexyMike Dual Ear Cardioid. The newest, third-generation version provides stunning results with Dragon and other audio applications. Combine this microphone with the SpeechWare USB MultiAdapter and you will have only your dictation style to blame for any errors!  By way of warning the FlexyMike is a bit "hot" for some users, and is a bit fragile, but probably a bit more comfortable than the ME3.

Best Wireless Headset Microphone for computer use only: If you absolutely want the best, look into the Philips SpeechOne. This is an expensive but exquisitely performing headset using lossless wireless technology and connects to your PC with a wireless connection to either the supplied USB connected charging station or with an optional Philips AirBridge (a small USB dongle.) If you can still find it, the VXI VoxStar UC or the Sennheiser MB Pro-1 or Sennheiser Pro-2 are also worth exploring but do not sport the advantages of the more expensive Philips product.  

Best Wireless Microphone with simultaneous wired telephone use: Looking for the best wireless microphone that can also be used with your wired telephone? Pick the Sennheiser SD Pro-1 (one speaker) or Sennheiser SD Pro-2 (two speakers). Sennheiser knows how to do it right and these are the mics that sit on OUR desks. We love them!

Best hand-held mic for use with Dragon:

Visit our "Wireless Microphones Collection" to see all of our hand-held microphones.  Here is our down and dirty on these products:

Best Desktop Microphone: Want a high quality desktop microphone without a lot of complications? Choose the SpeechWare 3-in-1, or SpeechWare 6-in-1 (see "Desktop Microphone Collection"). A less expensive alternative with considerably less external noise rejection but which works well in a quiet environment is the SoundTech GN-USB-2.  If you need something more mobile, check out the SpeechWare TravelMike.  It has the same acoustic properties of the larger TableMike series, but is considerably smaller.

Best Microphone for use with a mobile device: The recently released SpeechWare TabletMike is the perfect solution for the mobile user wanting to add a high-quality microphone element.


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