So many headsets… What’s the best headset to use for dictation? And is wireless just as good as corded for dictation?

Dictation Headsets that are corded and wireless:

There are so many headsets to choose from that will connect to a computer that can be used with dictation software, however not all of them will give you the best quality.  And a lot of computer software can be a little finicky on the quality that it wants to hear, customers that are using Dragon Naturally Speaking can even do a test which will tell them the quality ranking of the headset microphone… It lets you know if you are up to par.  Some customers prefer corded and some like the wireless headsets such as the Plantronics CS50-USB, which is a great wireless computer headset.  Typically when using headsets on regular office telephones, the wireless headsets will sound just as good as the corded, and actually the wireless headsets are so good now that your callers usually can’t even tell that you are on a headset at all.  But when it comes to making recordings or using dictation software on computers, this isn’t always the case.

If you do a side by side comparison with a wireless headset and a good commercial grade corded solution such as the Plantronics DA60 USB adapter and HW251 headset, you will notice that the corded solution does sound better.  If you use one of the inexpensive computer headsets, you may not notice as much of a difference between the wireless and corded.  You can also use the Plantronics DA45 USB adapter with any Plantronics H-series headset, but the DA60 has DSP (Digital Signal Processing) technology.  DSP technology usually makes the microphone quality a little better and clearer, for instance in a side by side comparison, you may notice the “white noise” (shhhh… sound) in the background whereas you don’t typically hear that with the DSP because it really just focuses in on your voice.  And also since dictation headsets are normally done in a predominantly quiet setting such as a private office, the Plantronics headsets with the voice tubes will pick up your voice better than the headsets that have a noise canceling microphone.  So if you are not working in a noisy environment, there is no need to have a headset with a noise canceling microphone.  And remember that a noise canceling headset is looking to block out background noise going on around you, but if your voice is the only thing that it hears, it may muffle your voice and wouldn’t be as clear as a voice tube model.

So if you want the absolute best sound quality for your Dragon Naturally Speaking or other dictation software using headsets, the Plantronics DA60 USB adapter along with an H-series headset such as the Plantronics HW251 is a great combination.