Communications NC-181VM USB On-Ear Monaural Computer Headset with Noise-canceling Microphone, in-line Volume/Mute Controls, and Built-in External Sound Card and USB Plug, Black, Grey, Silver

This prodcut delivers high-qulaity performance, allowing for easy and enhanced operation of vocal recognition applicatioins. Has USB plug-in (so one might need to go to Radio Shack for a USB "multi-port cluster," if your computer has limited USB sockets). Works very well with my Drangon 12 (Nuance product).voice recognition with my writing on Microsoft Word Overall, price is quite reasonable for the expectatoins of the device with voice recogntion software. Highly recommended as a peripheral device which enhances the software package one is using.

Performs flawlessly. It's comfortable on my head, the audio is clear and I haven't had one issue with the mic or the speakers. (Word to the wise - if you use this, or any other headset, with Skype or a similar app, you may want to set the microphone volume to a static setting instead of letting the application control the volume automatically. If you cough, or even sniffle for example, the app may compensate by dropping the mic volume low for several seconds and your callers can't hear your immediate subsequent speech.)

This headset is comfortable over the ear and around the head. The size of the ear phone and the shaping and the head position of the band on the side without the ear phone are comfortable. The microphone can be adjusted to a desirable distance from your face. Sometimes connectivity is tricky and people have said they clouldnt hear me but. thats every so often and it could be their system. I place 10 to 20 phone calls a day

This headphone with integrated microphone, earpiece, and mute button works beautifully with the Dragon Dictate/Naturally Speaking program. I am using it with Dragon Dictate 4 for the Mac platform, and with very little training I was experiencing a very high level of precision in the transcription. This particular model is a bit more expensive than one of the other headsets that also works well with Dragon, but this one offers a bit sturdier construction and a VERY long cord which allows you to dictate while you move about in the room. It is a USB interface, and the mute button is directly on the cable itself. A blue light comes on when the mute is enabled, and there is also a mechanical volume control on the wire, as well. Comfort is reasonably good. In truth, none of these headsets are going to be truly "comfortable," but as you break this one in and take time to adjust it, it's not bad. The mic swivels so that you can use the headset on either your right or left ear, and the mic is placed on a gooseneck part that allows precision positioning of the mic so that you can set it up to work without having to speak loudly. Build quality seems good. I was a bit disappointed to receive mine in a sealed, plastic bag (no box), but I suppose it is not that big a deal, since the item was obviously new and received in good condition (but this will also depend on how the unit is boxed before being sent to you. Most reviewers rate this headset highly for Dictate, and I have to concur, based on my own experience. I would rate it five stars for it's intended purpose and its price/quality ratio.

I purchased the Andrea NC-181 VM USB headset for use with Dragon Naturally Speaking Premium 12. So far, it has worked flawlessly. There are only a few relatively minor quibbles I have with it that prevent it from being a full 5 stars for me. They are: 1) It has not one, but TWO very bright blue LED lights on it. As a general rule, I am not normally bothered but such things, but in this case the LED that is near the USB port flashes as you speak, which is quite annoying. The LED near the volume control doesn't bother me much since it's usually below my line of sight and dangling down under my chin. 2) As you can see from the picture, one side is the earphone and the other the temple piece or pad. I find that the temple piece is quite uncomfortable for me for any kind of extended session. I haven't been able to find a better way to place it that doesn't cause this discomfort. Perhaps after I fuss with it a little more I can resolve this complaint, but for now it's another annoying probem; not insurmountable or anything and certainly not enough to not want to use the headset, but something that makes it less than ideal to use. 3) This is really not such a "bad" thing and has also been mentioned by another reviewer, but that is that the manual talks about installing the software when, in fact, no software is included with the package. But this is a VERY tiny quibble because all you have to do is go the website that is listed in the manual and download the software. I've found that the majority of items that I have purchased over the years require me to go to their website in order to upgrade the included software to the latest and greatest. The only difference here being that you simply have to go directly to download. Just not a big deal at all. So, that's the "bad" stuff. The good stuff is that this headset is, when all is said and done, quite a bargain; at least for what I am using it for and that is, as I have said, for use with Dragon. Although I have done only the preliminary training sessions with my new DNS software, the results have been almost flawless so far. I'm also using it for some 3D graphics tutorials that I listen to. Again, the headset is very clear and allows me to work on my tutorials or listen to whatever any time of day or night without worrying about disturbing anyone else. A further plus for the Andrea NC-181 is the long cord; there's nothing more frustrating to me than buying a product that needs to be plugged into my computer that comes with a too short cord. There have been several negative reviews about this headset looking and/or being "cheap" or flimsy. I guess I have to respond to that by saying that we're talking here about a headset with mic that works very well for under $50. To me, that's a bargain. Of course, time will tell if this holds up over time or not. I will find out and let you know if it breaks down on me in the long haul, but so far so good. I can easily recommend it as an a very good tool to use in a variety of situations.

I bought this headset to work from home and use VOIP on my computer. When I first tried it, my voice sounded crackly to other people and was very distracting. I did some research and discovered that it's not caused by the headset, but rather because my computer isn't grounded. (My computer plug has 2 prongs rather than 3.) I found some wire, connected one end to a screw on the bottom of my laptop and the other to a metal vent that went down to the basement. That did the trick! Now this headset works great! I previously tried a headset that covered both ears, but it was strange to talk and not hear myself. I definitely recommend the one-ear design.

This is a very good headset and has a good microphone too. UPDATE: The mic just failed after about 2 years. Spoke to Andrea Communications, they don't provide anything more than a 1 year warranty. Super disappointed in the quality.

Outstanding headset. Excellent recognition even in noisy environments.