--- Forwarded Message from "David Flores" <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:57:44 -0400
>From: "David Flores" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: "Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum"   
<[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Review: Cheapest Closed-Ear Headset on Earth

So the other day I was browsing Amazon for some inexpensive computer headsets
for our faculty when I came across the following closed ear  "professional"
headsets:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YML1IE 

(Note Amazon does not identify them by Manufacturer or model number, but
elsewhere on the web they are identified as FOA Designs LM-750 Professional
Headsets.)

They looked a whole lot like the Koss SB40's that we have in one of our Language
Labs, but were priced at a mere $5.99. I have to confess that curiosity got the
better of me, so I decided to order a pair to see if they could serve as a
suitable substitute should we need to replace some of the SB40's in the future.

Well, the headset arrived today, and I've had a chance to play with it, and so I
thought I'd give my impressions for the group:

Construction: 
while they look good in the picture, once you take the actual units out of their
box, it becomes immediately apparent that you're dealing with a set of $6.00
headsets. While the band and ear cups are nicely padded, the plastic is cheap
and look somewhat poorly assembled. Adjustability is limited. The ear cups
themselves don't pivot in any direction, and only the head band can be extended.
The microphone does swivel, and the boom itself is an adjustable wire type that
feels sturdy enough. These units weigh a lot less than the SB40's. That is
apparent when you hold them at the same time, a testament to the cheap materials
of the generic headset. Of more concern is the cabling. The cables on the Koss
units are noticeably more robust, and indeed, have survived 6 years at our lab
without developing shorts. I do not feel nearly as confident of the durability
of the cabling on the cheapies. The padding on the ear pieces feels similar to
that on the Koss units. We are seeing some wear and tears, though on the
material, after 6 years.

Performance:
I tested these headsets out both on my desktop using Audacity and on the Lab
computers using the Sanako media assistant. In both cases audio quality was, in
my view, perfectly acceptable for language learning purposes, both in terms of
sound reproduction as well as recording. I wouldn't necessarily want to listen
to music with these things, but for the sort of thing we do in the lab, they
were perfectly fine. Voices did not sound muddy or bass heavy, which tends to
cause the most difficulty for comprehension.

Verdict: 
Even if you are willing to overlook the cheapness of their construction (which
isn't necessarily a deal breaker, IMHO) it is difficult to recommend these
headsets due to the apparent fragility of the cabling. In a typical lab
environment I suspect they might hold out for  a year, maybe two, tops. On the
other hand, these units could potentially be useful as a holdover if you need to
get a lab up and running quickly but won't have the funds for a proper set of
headsets until the next budget cycle. They are closed ear type, so that makes
them more suitable to a lab environment than most other cheap headsets which
tend to be open-ear. Their sound quality is very acceptable, so I doubt you'll
be disappointed in their performance. And finally, you can also pick up five of
these units for the cost of just one set of Koss SB40s (which run about $30.00
each). So you could conceivable populate a 25 station lab with these for just
$150.00. If you can't spare the $750.00 it would cost to buy the Koss units,
these might do in a pinch.

David Flores
Director: Language Learning Center
Loyola College in Maryland
4501 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210
Ph: (410) 617-5230
Fax: (410) 617 2859



***********************************************
LLTI is a service of IALLT, the International Association for
Language Learning (http://iallt.org/), and The Consortium for Language
Teaching
and Learning (http://www.languageconsortium.org/).
Join IALLT at http://iallt.org.
Otmar Foelsche, LLTI-Editor ([log in to unmask])
***********************************************