I've been trying to find some USB mic/headphones like this for about a year. I currently own the Logitech ClearChat Comfort USB and it has been a great USB mic/headset for two years and has worked perfectly with Mac OS X (Leopard and Snow Leopard), WoW and Skype for two years. No compatibility problems whatsoever with the Logitech. My only issue with the Logitech has been the mic and ear covers. The mic on the Logitech, while also noise-canceling, the arm isn't flexible like the one with the Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000. And I would say that the over-all quality of the LifeChat LX-3000's microphone is better. The foam screen on the Logitech is tiny (embedded within the small slit opening on the tip of the mic). It does prevent hissing and pops that may emanate from ones voice but I thought I'd look for a mic that had better sound coverage. Also, I looked around for new mic/headsets that had a flexible arm. Sure, there are many USB headphones available here on Amazon that have flexible mics. But none of them suited my preferences: Either the headset was too big (full sized) or too small and didn't have a closed-ear design. What I was looking for was a medium sized mic/headset with a flexible foam mic that also was closed-eared. The Logitech wasn't closed-eared. It sat on your ears and after about an hour they started to hurt. Most of the more comfortable mic/headsets are the larger ones but since I wanted to get a medium size headset the choices were limited.
Seems like there's a large market for USB headphones for either Small and Portable OR Large and Comfortable. But very few Medium USB headphones that are portable and comfortable + with a flexible arm mic! Yes, I'm picky! This is coming from someone that loves Sennheiser high-end studio headphones for my audio system. So, I know my headphones.
The Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 Headset seemed to give me the best of both worlds in terms of functionality and size.
So, how would i rate these USB headphones/mic? Well within its class, I would give it the following ratings...
For Midsize headphones the audio gets 4 stars, the comfort gets 5 stars, mic reception and sound gets 5 stars! As far as dependability, I'll have to update you later since I've only had these headsets for a while. The Ease of Use is very good. I was kind of worried that the Microsoft LifeChat LX 3000's cable (6 ft) was going to be too short when I first took it out of the box (The Logitech ClearChat comes with a 8 foot usb cable). But it's fine since I had a local USB hub -- in the past I hooked the the cable to the back of my computer which was under the desk and the extra 2 feet came in handy. But this wont be a problem if you just get a USB hub. In fact, I now prefer the shorter 6 ft cables since it creates less cable clutter.
As far as the 4 audio rating (why not higher?). I would say that the sound characterizes between the Logitech ClearChat and this one is that the LX-3000 has higher-highs and a bit less bass. But nothing to fret over. The sound is clean and pleasing to the ears even though I do prefer more bass that the Logitech provided. The other reason for the 4 stars, is that these headphones, nor the Logitech, can compare to the high-end Sennheiser that I own -- yes, I'm an audio snob! :P But for audio quality I would say that they are just as good -- just different -- as the Logitech ClearChat model.
Regarding the controls: The cable are are very good and easy to use without looking; two button volume control, a mute button and a Windows Live Messenger button. For you Mac OS X users, although Windows Live Messenger client is available for OS X, the Windows Live Messenger client doesn't recognize the "Call" button located on the cable control. So, the as far as the cable controls, the "Windows Live Messenger" button is not used for Mac users. This only affects those people that just want a single button on headset cable to answer calls (or make calls) who Windows Live Messenger. For my use, the volume and mute is all I needed. And it works fine with Mac OS X.
As a avid Mac user I'd never thought I'd endorse a Microsoft product. The last time that happened was 6-7 years ago with Microsoft released their Intellimouse Optical Mouse which is still a very popular seller today on Amazon -- even though I prefer Logitech mice this is one time that the Microsoft product has won me over.
Get more detail about Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 Headset.
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