High Tech Talking With Voip Microphones

The advent of communication technology brought great attention for a pc peripheral that was once not thought to be a crucial part of computers the microphone. With the emergence of Voice over IP telephones, microphones have become a commodity that is now a necessary component of information technology. Several microphones became available to the general market in the recent years for the main purpose of using them in IP telephony. There are several kinds of microphones that can be used with VoIP telephones, here are the popular ones:

Desktop Microphones Also called omni directional microphones (which pick up sounds from every direction), these ones are situated on a positional boom and are usually installed on top of the desk or the monitor. One extremely useful feature found on this particular kind of microphone is that they can be used hands free because of their great sensitivity. Being omni directional such microphones allow several people to speak at the same time, which can be very helpful for conferences among groups of people in different places. The downside is that it may pick up other unwanted voices, or get feedbacks with the computer speakers.

Built-in Microphones Most of the time these are omni directional microphones that came together with the computer and are integrated into the monitor or the keyboard. This is a popular feature with laptop computers. Compact and conveniently placed, these microphones can be used hands-free too, and can pick up several people's voices, useful for conferences. Like other omni directional microphones, built-in microphones can pick up unwanted background noises. Moreover, such microphones are inflexible and cannot be positioned without moving the entire system.

Handset Microphones these are quite popular for Voice over internet protocol. These are unidirectional and look very much like a regular phone handset with an earpiece and a mouthpiece. Such microphones give the familiar and comfortable feel of traditional telephones. Audio quality is usually good for speech, allowing the most consistent feel with Voice over IP calls. However, like the phone handset, this can be very inconvenient for long conversations. Being unidirectional, only one person can speak at a time, though it is easy to pass it to another person should the need arise.

Wireless Microphones these are cable-free microphones, operating usually through Infra-red ports. Such microphones can be incorporated with headsets and can either be unidirectional or omni directional. They are hands free because no wires are used and they can be attached to the head or the ear of the person using them. The sound quality is excellent for speech especially when coupled with noise canceling features. However, compatibility is not always a guarantee as not all computers are equipped with specialized ports.

Handheld Microphones these are comparable to those used by public speakers. These may be either unidirectional or omni directional. You could use a stand to make it hands free. But without the stand, it could be quite inconvenient to use.


Lapel mics. usually omni directional, these microphones can be attached onto the clothes or clipped somewhere else. These microphones work just like desktop microphones with the added option of being near the speaker.

There are many brands that offer these types of microphones and now most of such microphones used for VoIP telephony purposes are sold at very affordable prices.