Home > Consumer Reviews > Logitech Desktop Microphone (980240-0403)

This product is the analog version of Logitech's USB microphone, except that it has a standard jack rather than a USB connector. I've owned one for a couple of years and am quite satisfied with it. I use Skype/SkypeOut, and callers tell me that the sound quality is excellent. I've also used it for language courses (Rosetta Stone), and it works very well for pronounciation training. The mic does a good job of suppressing background noise.

It does take some experimentation to get good sound quality: you must position the mic so that it is about 12 inches from your mouth. Too close, and it picks up the sound of your breathing. Too far, and you will sound muddled and faint (probably because of noise suppression). You need to place it at least a couple of feet from your speakers and pointed away, or else your callers will hear an echo of themselves.

So summarize: This is a good analog microphone that requires some practice to get good results. To see what it really looks like, look up "Logitech USB Desktop Microphone" on Amazon.

I purchased this mic to use with my laptop computer (which has a built-in sound card) in order to record interviews with my children and stories for them to listen to later. We have already had a lot of fun with it for the $10 investment. It works fine for my low-end applications. I plugged it in and it worked right away. My voice sounded nice and clear, and was easy to understand, although a bit thin. I use the mic with sound-recording freeware I downloaded from the internet. The mic is not sensitive. I have to be fairly close when recording and set the software volume control as high as it will go. However, I was able to record in the same room that my son was watching television, and none of it came through on the recording. I have noticed that when saying certain consonants (especially h's, p's and c's), the mic picks up my breath and causes the recording to "clip." I am still learning the subtleties of positioning the mic and adjusting the software controls. I also recorded a bit of violin playing. It sounds clear, but definitely loses much of the richness, so I wouldn't recommend it for that kind of use.

The only decent thing about this mic is that it looks alright and is easy to use. However, I usually had to keep the mic directly next to my mouth in order to be heard and the quality wasn't that great. The base of it is also very light so it moves around easily and often tips over. I'd highly suggest the Logitech USB Desktop Mic, which I've also used, and is much better for less than $10 more.

Logitech's Desktop Microphone is an efficient and inexpensive microphone that is easy to use. It simply plugs into the back of your desktop with a pink male plug. Go into your "control panel" and set the volume sensitivity through SOUND, then RECORDING and then MICROPHONE. It picks up your voice from as far away as six feet, but the cleanest sound is about one foot from the mic. Too close and you can get distortion. This is a great way to record sound clips for home videos, practicing speech recognition programs or just practicing learning a new language. There is also an attachment for the side of your monitor if you choose to leave your computer tabletop clear. The mic also rotates and can be adjusted up and down about 10 inches.

First off, the microphone works great. My only complaint with the mic is that the freaking neck on the beast makes it almost impossible to find a place to attach it to my monitor without it sticking out a foot, and the arch that it has limits it even more. I ended up with it attached to the base of my monitor sticking out about an inch on the bottom. If you plan on having as a stand up mic go for it, but if you want it attached to something to keep it out of the way make sure you have a place in mind before you buy it or you might regret it.