XJ TALK SHOW! guest, or just looking for a good headset/mic?

[Mudderoy]

In any podcast audio quality is only surpassed in importance by the content. If the one is much better than the other it can often carry the show. We like to have both.

To that end, if you are going to be a guest on the XJ TALK SHOW! we urge you to install the free software SKYPE and add "xjtalk.com" to your contacts.

You can really improve your performance on the show by investing in a Plantronics DSP400 Foldable Multimedia Headset. Not only can you use it once, perhaps more, on the show, but you can use it for person to person Skype calls, listen to music, or even voice control for your computer.

For $41 (Amazon) and a great name in communications, well I think it's a great addition to your computer. Desktop, or PC.

Now if you're looking for a good gaming headset/mic you might want to get one that covers your ears completely.

[bluedragon436]

That is not too bad of a deal for a good headset... I love the ones that plug into the USB port, usually give much better quality than ones that plug into the mic/headphone jacks.. Will be keeping my eye out for a similar unit that is an over the ear type...

[Mudderoy]

That is not too bad of a deal for a good headset... I love the ones that plug into the USB port, usually give much better quality than ones that plug into the mic/headphone jacks.. Will be keeping my eye out for a similar unit that is an over the ear type...

Don't be fooled by the USB type. The USB type just mean that the audio hardware is built into the headset. So if you have a good audio chip/card in your computer the old fashioned 3.5mm connector type may work just fine.

[jdougn]

So does Skype & this headset work on a computer that was outdated and slow when it was new nearly 10 years ago???

[Mudderoy]

VoIP isn't very demanding on processor for many years now, so it is possible that your 10 year old computer would handle the "voice" just fine.

Here are the Windows software requirements I found on the Skype site. The simplest thing to do would be to download and try to install the FREE Skype software on your computer. You should be able to test it prior to investing any money into a headset with PC speakers and an inexpensive $3 mic. Laptops usually have a mic built in.


•PC running Windows® XP, Vista or 7, both 32- and 64-bit operating systems.
•Internet connection – broadband is best (GPRS is not supported for voice calls).
•Speakers and microphone – built-in or separate.
•For voice calls recommend broadband connection with 100 kbps down / 100 kbps up.
•For group video calling everyone on the call needs Skype 5.0 for Windows or Mac or higher plus webcams, and at least one person needs a group video calling subscription. For best quality we recommend you use a high-speed broadband connection of 4Mbps down / 512kbps up and a computer with a Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz processor. As a minimum you’ll need a high-speed broad connection of 512kbps down / 128kbps up and a computer with a 1 GHz processor.

[Mudderoy]

The headset/mic came in. It's really nice, but I found it's a USB headset. I thought I had seen 3.5mm connectors on it.

Still waiting for someone to be on Skype while I'm at work so I can test them. Sounds good on the Skype play back test line.