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WIRELESS HEADSET
MICROPHONE FACE-OFF
Samson AirLine 88, Samson Airline Micro, VXi VoxStar
UC, Sennheiser Presence UC, Sennheiser MB Pro,
Revolabs xTag, Plantronics Savi 440, Andrea Electronics
WNC-2100/2500, Shure PG14PG30, Sennheiser
ew152G3 Evolution & Plantronics Calisto Pro
Last Update: February 15, 2016
Introduction:
Attempting to select the best wireless headset microphone for speech
recognition is nothing short of a daunting task because there are so many
excellent choices. For obvious reasons, this review does not cover every
wireless headset microphone that can be used for speech recognition but we
have spent several years compiling this information from the most popular
speech recognition forums like the KnowBrainer Speech Recognition Forums
and working directly with numerous microphone manufacturers. The
following review consists of 3 parts:
(1)
My personal take on the evolution of speech recognition
microphones
(2)
The Pros and Cons of what a general consensus of many top speech
recognition experts believe to be the top seven wireless headset
speech recognition microphones
(3)
My personal assessment of what the numbers mean
If you wish to skip past the brief microphone history, click Pros and Cons. If
you wish to skip further ahead to my conclusions, click recommendations.
Note that while only one of these microphones could achieve the 1st place
overall rating, each is still an excellent choice for speech recognition.
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Evolution of Speech Recognition Microphones
When we first began using DragonDictate speech recognition software in the
1980’s it seemed to be incredibly impressive technology. Never minding the
very deliberate pause after each and every word, we waited with baited
breath to see another (hopefully correct) word miraculously appear on our
somewhat blurry little screens. It was fun! It was frustrating! It was not very
practical. Back then, the couple of wired headset microphone choices
available to us were more than adequate.
In 1996, NaturallySpeaking continuous speech recognition was released.
With the emergence of this new technology, we had a viable tool for
professional as well as personal use. That being the case, we needed
microphones designed to better utilize this increasingly more sophisticated
software. Microphone manufacturers responded. They designed wireless
systems. They designed combination headset microphones that could
additionally be used with cell phones, landlines and even hydraulic lifters
which picked up our handsets for us. While noise canceling and accuracy
continued to improve, ultimately many of us still were not happy with our
headset microphones, finding them to be rather inconvenient and/or
uncomfortable. Physicians and other professionals were often forced to don
and then remove their headsets every few minutes, between patients or
clients. Other end users, needing to take verbal notes while talking on the
phone, put their callers on hold, which was both inefficient and impolite.
While microphones such as the Philips SpeechMike Premium (LFH-3500) USB
Handheld/TableMike now allow concurrent use of both a microphone and a
telephone, they don’t solve all problems for all end users. Some of us simply
need to cut the cord. Fortunately, microphone manufacturers have also been
busily designing high quality wireless microphones.
A wireless headset microphone just might be your best option if:
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You
You
You
You
don’t like to be tethered to your computer
are tired of the wheels of your chair severing your headset cable
need to keep both hands free
are tired of pushing the microphone cable out of your way
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Pros & Cons
Sennheiser ew152G3
MSRP: $650
Accuracy: 100%
Range 300 ft
Noise Cancellation: 9 out of 10
Overall Rating: 9 out of 10
Sennheiser ew152G3 Pros:
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8 Hrs with 2 AA batteries
UHF frequency
Dual diversity antennas
Multi-channels to prevent interference from other units
Mute button
1 year manufacturer warranty
Sennheiser ew152G3 Cons:
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Expensive
Requires wearing a separate wired belt pack
Not ideally portable because of requiring an AC outlet
Shure PG14/PG30
MSRP: $349
Accuracy: 100%
Range 250 ft
Noise Cancellation: 9 out of 10
Overall Rating: 9 out of 10
Shure PG14/PG30 Pros:
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8 Hrs with 2 AA batteries
UHF frequency
Mute Button
1 year manufacturer warranty
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Shure PG14/PG30 Cons:
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250 foot range as opposed to 300 foot range of other units
Not ideally portable because of requiring an AC outlet
Requires wearing a separate wired belt pack
Samson Airline 88
MSRP: $399.99
Accuracy: 100%
Range 300 ft
Noise Cancellation: 10 out of 10
Overall Rating: 9 out of 10
Samson Airline 88 Pros:
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Includes balance XLR speech recognition sound cable
(KNOWBRAINER EXCLUSIVE)
8 Hrs with built-in ion rechargeable battery
Include 16 channels, to avoid conflict
Rugged
Built-In Compressor
UHF frequency
Dual diversity antennas
Beltpackless (as in no headset cord)
Rated #1 in Noise Canceling
Rated #1 in Accuracy
Samson Airline 88 Cons:
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Slightly heavier headset then other units (to accommodate the micro
transmitter)
Not fully portable because the base station requires an AC outlet
Samson Airline Micro
MSRP: $250
Accuracy: 97%
Noise Cancellation: 8 out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 out of 10
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Samson Airline Micro Pros:
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Small footprint
UHF frequency
Doesn’t require AC power
Built-in rechargeable batteries for the base station and headset
Batteries can optionally be charged from a USB port
Comfortable
Samson Airline Micro Cons:
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Only $50 lower-priced than it’s big brother, the Airline 77 which is
substantially more accurate and noise filtering
Sennheiser MB Pro1&2 UC (Bluetooth)
MSRP: $209/$219
Accuracy: 100%
Noise Cancellation: 8 out of 10
Overall Rating: 9 out of 10
Sennheiser MB Pro1&2 UC Pros:
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The Best bluetooth microphone we have tested
15 Hour battery
Wideband bluetooth
Doesn’t require AC power
Includes Pre-paired Bluetooth USB dongle
75 foot range
Bluetooth also works exceptionally well on cell phones
Pictorial Dragon step-by-step setup guide (KnowBrainer exclusive)
Optional AC charger (KnowBrainer exclusive)
Comfortable traditional headset style
1 year manufacturer warranty
Sennheiser MB Pro1&2 UC Cons:
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Noise filtering could be a little better
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Sennheiser Presence UC (Bluetooth)
MSRP: $199
Accuracy: 99%
Noise Cancellation: 7 out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 out of 10
Sennheiser Presence UC Pros:
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The 2nd best bluetooth microphone we have tested
Wideband bluetooth
The only KnowBrainer approved low-profile Bluetooth headset
Doesn’t require AC power
Includes Pre-paired Bluetooth USB dongle
Very Light weight (low-profile)
Inexpensive
75 foot range
Bluetooth also works exceptionally well on cell phones
Pictorial Dragon step-by-step setup guide (KnowBrainer exclusive)
AC charger (KnowBrainer exclusive)
1 year manufacturer warranty
Sennheiser Presence UC Cons:
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Noise filtering could be a little better
VXi VoxStar UC (Bluetooth)
MSRP: $159
Accuracy: 97%
Noise Cancellation: 8 out of 10
Overall Rating: 7 out of 10
VXi VoxStar UC Pros:
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Wideband bluetooth
Doesn’t require AC power
Includes 3 wearing styles
Includes Pre-paired Bluetooth USB dongle
Inexpensive
60 foot range
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Bluetooth also works well on cell phones
1 year manufacturer warranty
VXi VoxStar UC Cons:
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So-so accuracy
Plantronics Calisto-Pro
MSRP: $120
Accuracy: 95%
Noise Cancellation: 6 out of 10
Overall Rating: 6 out of 10
Plantronics Calisto-Pro Pros:
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Wideband bluetooth
Light weight
Doesn’t require AC power
Easy to sync with included USB Bluetooth adapter
Inexpensive
1 year manufacturer warranty
Plantronics Calisto-Pro Cons:
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Didn’t meet our minimum speech recognition accuracy
requirements
Minimal noise filtering
Revolabs xTag
MSRP: $249
Accuracy: 95%
Noise Cancellation: 5 out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 out of 10
Revolabs xTag Pros:
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Very light and comfortable
Easy to put on and take off
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Doesn’t require AC power
1 year manufacturer warranty
Revolabs xTag Cons:
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Virtually no noise cancellation
Suffers from minor dropouts
Barely met our minimum speech recognition accuracy
requirements
Plantronics Savi 440
MSRP: $249
Accuracy: 97%
Noise Cancellation: 6 out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 out of 10
Plantronics Savi 440 Pros:
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Includes 3 wearing styles
Light weight
Includes wireless USB Detect 6 soundcard
300 ft Range
Easy to sync with included USB Bluetooth adapter
Inexpensive
Doesn’t require AC power
1 year manufacturer warranty
Plantronics Savi 440 Cons:
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Detect 6 USB wireless soundcard is 3 times larger than competition
Minimal noise filtering
Andrea Electronics WNC-2100/2500
MSRP: $99.95 - $109.95
Accuracy: 98%
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Noise Cancellation: 7 out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 out of 10
Andrea Electronics 2100/2500 Pros:
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Least Expensive
Includes low profile wireless Bluetooth USB
60 ft Range
Doesn’t require AC power
1 year manufacturer warranty
Andrea Electronics WNC-2100/2500 Cons:
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Consumer grade construction
Bluetooth USB dongle requires manual pairing (unlike Sennheiser
Bluetooth microphones)
Conclusions
Wireless Nady, Sennheiser, Shure and Samson UHF and VHF vocalist
microphones have been around since the late 90s. While these microphones
were designed exclusively for entertainers, many of them worked better for
speech recognition then there wired speech recognition specific
counterparts; especially in the 90s. Beginning in the late 90s, telephone
headset microphone companies such as GN Netcom and Plantronics started
turning out decent wireless microphones that also rivaled dedicated wired
speech recognition headsets but these microphones were primarily designed
for 1.9 GHz, 2.4 GHz and DECT 6 telephone use. Eventually, speech
recognition specific wireless microphones are created like the Blueparrott
Xpressway II and the WNC-1500 but even today’s speech recognition
specific wireless microphones fall short of being as accurate or as noise
filtering as Sennheiser, Shure and Samson vocalist microphones.
Unfortunately, with the exception of the Samson Airline 88, all other UHF
and VHF wireless vocalist headsets include a wire that runs from the headset
to a belt pack transmitter which is not popular with speech recognition endusers. Because Samson owns a patent on UHF belt packless transmitters,
they have a competitive edge.
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1st Place ~ Sennheiser MB Pro1&2 UC Bluetooth (Click to See)
While the Airline 77 is unquestionably the most noise filtering microphone,
the Sennheiser MB Pro1/2 matched the Airline 77 in accuracy, is more
comfortable (traditional headset style) includes a choice of 1 or 2 speakers
(for playback) and is extremely portable (doesn’t require an AC outlet or
base station. The Airline 77 also requires a USB soundcard which puts the
street price at $340 while the Sennheiser MB Pro1 (complete with Bluetooth
dongle sound card) sells for less than $200.
The MB Pro1/2 features ease-of-use, Bluetooth connectivity, 15 hour battery
(that’s no typo) 100% accuracy, completely wireless, and doubles as a high
quality cell phone microphone, at the flick of the headset toggle. If wireless
connectivity, cost, extreme portability and comfort (notebook and tablet
computer use) are important to your workflow, we believe the MB Pro1/2
would be the best microphone choice.
Additional manufacturer information available at http://enus.sennheiser.com/
2nd Place ~ Samson Airline 88 (Click to See)
Note: This microphone works best with a USB external soundcard.
The Airline 77 is the only UHF system that requires 1 AAA battery that runs
longer than similar wireless systems requiring 2 AA batteries, the Airline 77
includes a micro headset transmitter making it the only completely wireless
system in the UHF group. All other UHF systems include a corded headset
which runs to a belt pack transmitter. The Samson Airline 88 came in 1st for
noise filtering and tied for 1st place in accuracy. The Airline 77 additionally
includes a built-in compressor which acts as a professional noise gate (auto
gain control).
Note that although Samson Airline 88 is MAP priced, the units that are sold
in music stores are not fully adapted for speech recognition. For this reason,
like most speech recognition microphones, it is best to purchase the Airline
77 from a qualified speech recognition solutions provider. It should be
additionally noted that because the Airline 77 requires a base station that
needs to be plugged into an AC outlet, it should be considered better suited
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to a workstation environment as opposed to a mobile situation. Additional
manufacturer information available at www.Samsontech.com/
3rd Place ~ Sennheiser Presence UC Bluetooth (Click to See)
While the Airline 77 is unquestionably the most accurate and most noise
filtering microphone, it also has a couple of drawbacks which are comfort
and the fact that it’s not completely wireless; meaning that you need to plug
it into an AC outlet. While the Airline 77 is perfect for an office environment,
if you need complete wireless portability and low-profile, the Presence UC is
a better choice.
The Presence UC features low-profile, ease-of-use, built-in Bluetooth
soundcard, 99% accuracy, comfort, true wireless connectivity, half the price
of the Airline 77, the ability to power up everything in under 2 seconds
(including inserting the miniature headset into your ear) and doubles as an
awesome cell phone microphone. If wireless connectivity, cost, low-profile
and extreme portability (notebook and tablet computer use) are important to
your workflow, we believe the Presence UC would be the best microphone
choice.
Additional manufacturer information available at http://enus.sennheiser.com/
4th Place ~ Samson Airline Micro (Click to See)
Note: This microphone works best USB external soundcard.
The Samson Airline Micro is the baby brother to the Airline 77 (1st Place
winner). The Airline Micro doesn’t include a compressor, isn’t quite as
accurate or quite as noise filtering as the Airline 77 but it’s more comfortable
to wear and very mobile because it doesn’t require an AC outlet. The Airline
Micro includes a portable base station and a wireless ear worn headset which
both include a rechargeable battery which can be charged off from the
included AC adapter or USB port. Additional manufacturer information
available at www.Samsontech.com/
5th Place ~ Andrea Electronics WNC-1500 (Click to See)
The WNC-1500 is a consumer grade headset that produces remarkable
accuracy. One of the reasons for its high accuracy is that this is the only
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consumer microphone with built-in auto gain control. The accuracy stays the
same from .5 inches to around 6 inches which means that the microphone
can optionally be worn around your neck. The only other microphone with
auto gain control is the Airline 77. The WNC-1500 is not only less than $100
but even includes a wireless USB soundcard. The WNC-1500 additionally
includes high fidelity stereo speakers but because it is consumer quality, the
speakers can sweat your ears after a few minutes. One of the most
remarkable features about this this headset, is that it doesn’t require an AC
outlet. Because this is a consumer unit, you cannot change out the battery
as you can with the Airline 77 but it can be charged (and even used while
charging) from a USB port. This unit would be recommended for those on a
budget or someone who simply needs a portable wireless solution. Additional
manufacturer information available at http://www.andreaelectonics.com/
6th Place ~ Revolabs xTag (Click to See)
The xTag has the distinction of being the only non-headset microphone in
the group. The 3 advantages of the xTag is that it is a lapel microphone,
completely portable and includes its own USB soundcard (the charging
base). The disadvantage is that it has almost no noise filtering and only
works well in a quiet environment. Additional manufacturer information
available at www.revolabs.com/
7th Place ~ Plantronics Savi 440 (Click to See)
The entire Plantronics Savi line microphones look like Bluetooth microphones
but are not. From a speech recognition perspective, they are considerably
better because there are no syncing issues, they are not limited to a 30 foot
range and they are DECT 6 which means you don’t have to set up a special
Dragon Bluetooth user profile. The included USB wireless receiver is about 3
times larger than a traditional flash drive but this is a good microphone
choice for end-users on the go. The reason why we rated the SAPI 4 in 4th
place., instead of 3rd place is because it’s more consumer grade quality and
features very little noise filtering. While this microphone is exceptionally
mobile and low-profile, it only works well in a relatively quiet environment.
Additional manufacturer information available at www.plantronics.com/
8th Place ~ VXi VoxStar (Click to See)
We found the VXi Blueparrott Xpressway II to be the best wideband
Bluetooth microphone we’ve ever tested. Unfortunately, like other Bluetooth
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microphones, it is plagued with syncing issues, requires making a unique
NaturallySpeaking Bluetooth profile and has lower than optimal accuracy.
The major selling points on a Bluetooth microphone is low-profile, doesn’t
require a USB dongle and doubles as a wireless headset for your cell phone.
Additional manufacturer information available at http://www.vxicorp.com/
Honorable Mention:
We found the Shure PG14PG30 and Sennheiser ew152G3 Evolution
microphones to be of outstanding quality but did not include them in our top
7 because they are essentially too similar to the Samson Airline 88 and they
both include a belt pack which we consider to be unacceptable for speech
recognition. While both units were very accurate and very noise filtering,
they were not quite as accurate, as noise filtering or featured as long a
battery life as the Airline 77.
Unacceptable:
We only included the Plantronics Calisto Pro because it is manufacturer
recommended. Unfortunately, it wasn’t good enough to meet our minimum
speech recognition recommendations and was therefore not included in our
Microphone Comparison Matrix.
Previous Reviews:
If you would like to see some of our previous reviews check out the following:
KnowBrainer
KnowBrainer
KnowBrainer
KnowBrainer
KnowBrainer
KnowBrainer
KnowBrainer
TableMike Face-Off
Handheld Microphone Face-Off
Headset Microphone Face-Off
Telephone Microphone Face-Off
Digital Recorder Face-Off
Wireless Headset Face-Off
USB Soundcard Face-Off
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Current Gold Standards:
The following is a list of microphones, USB soundcards and digital recorders
that we consider to be #1 in their respected categories:
Best Wireless Microphone = Sennheiser MB Pro1 UC & MB Pro2 UC (Bluetooth)
Best Combo Telephone Wireless Microphone = Sennheiser SD Pro1
Best Handheld USB Microphone = Philips SpeechMike Premium (LFH-3500)
Best USB TableMike = SpeechWare 3-in-1, 6-in-1 & 9-in-1
Best Wired Headset Microphone = FlexyMike DEC
Best USB soundcard = SpeechWare MultiAdapter
Best Mobile Bluetooth Microphone = Sennheiser Presence UC
Best Digital Recorder = Philips DPM-8000
Best Speech Recognition Application = Dragon Professional 14
Best Dragon Command Utility = KnowBrainer 2016
Lunis Orcutt - Developer of KnowBrainer 2016 (see What Is KnowBrainer) and
founder of KnowBrainer Speech Recognition Forums (the world's largest speech
recognition forum)
Chat Live w/a Nuance Gold Certified Speech Recognition Solutions
Provider
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