Comparing audio quality of 3 different mic setup for Microsoft Teams meeting
Microsoft Teams heavily compresses its audio. So I wanted to test if using different mic inputs makes any difference to the audio quality. In this video, I test a standard onboard laptop mic, a wireless bluetooth headset by Plantronic, and a dynamic XLR mic (Pod Mic) from Rode.
Let me know if you hear any difference in the audio quality.
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Пікірлер: 38
Good video. I purchased a popular dynamic mic, Samson Q2U, to improve how I sound in Teams. I asked my co-workers how I sound with it. All I got was “you sound fine.” With earbuds on, the Rode mic sounds much better. But listening through built-in computer speakers, all 3 sounded the same.
Great video. Certainly saved me some money on buying a dynamic mic. At least until your next test with high fidelity! Thanks again
@AndyPark365
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching Andrew. Yep, definitely wouldn't recommend a fancy dynamic mic if it's only for an online video conferencing.
Useful video thanks for making. Really enjoy the corporate/office catered videos on your channel.
@AndyPark365
Жыл бұрын
Glad you like them! Thanks for watching.
Thank you very much for this video. I was about to invest 300$ in new mic . But I change my mind about it . Thank you again .
Very interesting video and comparison, than you for making it and publish it. The on-board mic sound has echos, the bluetooth mic sounded robotized and your dynamic mic from Rode sounded a lot better without noise suppression. Definitely the Rode mic would be the way to go in a meeting. I am a part time professor in a university and when pandemic started and we had to move to online classes I focused in having the best setup possible in terms of audio quality. I knew that my voice needed to sound as clean and vibrant as possible to keep my students focused and without distractions. For weeks I tested the on board mic, the mic from webcams, from a Logitech headset, from samsung buds and from what I consider good USB mics. I tested the sound from the different mics with my students and family members. They only really appreciated the sound quality of each device when they heard the differences from the mics I used and where amazed of the changes. The USB mics where always the winners, followed by samsung buds. I didn’t use Teams cancellation noise feature because a year ago Teams didn’t have that option. So, don’t expect any comment at all from a listener unless she/he has a trained ear. But you rest assure that using the right mic guarantees that your voice is being heard as close as your natural voice making you stand out of the crowd. For noise canceling I tried the new setting in Teams but I was not convinced. I have being using for quite some time a paid software called Krisp. They have a free version as well, for anyone to try. Nowadays I believe that I can tell who is using an on board mic or headsets and who isn’t. And when in doubt I ask the person. It is very interesting to learn the different setups they use. I am convinced that the person using on-board mics or setups with lot of echos is losing assertivity in the message she/he is trying to transmit to the audience.
@AndyPark365
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the comment. Yes, with so many of us taking our meetings virtually, it's important to have a good mic setup to ensure we can be clearly heard and understood. And this is especially important for professors such as yourself, as your students would depend on clear communication, free from distractions. Thanks again for your comments.
I have recently gone through this journey over the last few weeks, out of 3 usb condenser Mics I tested, Samson g track pro, audio technica at2020usb and the blue yeti all mounted on a rode psa1+ mount, the only one I get good comments from colleagues about the audio is the blue yeti, I hate the way the blue yeti looks but it does have decent sound quality for plug and play situations, also as 99% of colleagues use the laptop mic it does differentiate you from the rest. As someone mentioned earlier high fidelity audio will soon be coming to teams, at the moment teams has the worst audio compared to zoom, Skype, Google meet. Thanks for making this video 👍
@AndyPark365
2 жыл бұрын
Hi Ray. You're right. With the excessive audio compression in Teams and the fact that most of our colleagues will be listening on their laptop speakers or their ear buds, I wonder why we bother trying to improve the sound at the source. It's futile. 😁 But yes, in these kind of situations, a USB mic like Blue Yeti close to the mouth sometimes performs the best.
Hello from Singapore, Mr Park, thanks for sharing ! Great comparison.
@AndyPark365
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Jeffery!
Great comparison, thanks for making this!
@AndyPark365
2 жыл бұрын
You're welcome. Thanks for watching!
The dynamic microphone was clearly the best quality. So much more low end and the rest of the frequency response was much more even. The earphone mic to me was the worst sounding. The highs and lows were significantly rolled off and you're left with a ton of mud in the mid-range. All that to say, the compression that Teams applies to their platform removes most of the richness that a quality microphone can produce.
One very important thing to know about good audio, is good audio often goes unnoticed, but bad audio is not only noticeable, but almost torturous to those who have to hear it. You may not hear a direct difference or massive improvement, but the ability to mute out background noises with the Dynamic, is going to substantially help your audio go unnoticed, which is a good thing. Just think about random youtube videos you come across. The ones who have extremely good audio, you never stop and say, WOW look at this audio. But ones who have bad audio, i bet you can't even sit through the video.
Thank you Sir!
Great comparison specifically on Microsoft Teams usage. I used to have a Logitech headset a cheap one, although nobody complained about it, I don't feel that I reached the level of quality that I expected (due to watching KZread). I was considering buying a better external mic setup such as Rode and Elgato which is geared towards Streaming & Podcasting. However, before I put investment on one, I experimented by buying even a cheaper Logitech headset, it's dirt cheap. The general response was," It sounds the same", although one colleague point out that it's a bit unfair comparing a sub $10 headset with an $80-$100 mic, I agreed. All and all, considering I'm not having meetings with sound engineers or Celine Dion, I think I'm going to stick with my current setup.
@AndyPark365
2 жыл бұрын
Agreed. Although I'm a gear-head and try to justify my purchases, if I was using a mic just for online meetings, I probably wouldn't invest in a >$100 mic - especially if my colleagues on the other end doesn't even notice the difference.
I have recently been running high end Teams presentations using a series of XLR Microphones going into a digital mixer with USB port (Behringer XR18). The result has far exceeded my expectations. I have also had similar results with a Focusrite Scarlett. I suspect that Microsoft have also changed things in recent times so it may be worth revisiting this with your setup too.
@jacobvids
10 ай бұрын
I have been thinking of doing this, using an XLR mic with an audio interface. Thanks for the comment.
@graemebrookfield
10 ай бұрын
@@jacobvids If it's just for one person, the Jabras are probably the way to go. If it's a larger corporate or education event with multiple speakers, I'm running a Shure 18" Gooseneck (SHR-CVG18S-BC) at the Lectern/podium and mix it in with a few Sennheiser Wireless Handheld Microphones for the audience (XSW 1-825-A). I've been really impressed with how that combination sounds when listening to the recordings. Pretty close to the quality of the Jabra.
I think that in reality you have gone from bad to a bit better. There are definitely some Microphones out there that sound outstanding in Teams. Some of the Teams Certified top of the line Jabra and Poly Headsets sound amazing.
@AndyPark365
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks. You're right. I haven't tried the Teams/Skype certified microphones. If I ever get my hands on one of those mics, I will do a follow up review. Thanks for watching.
@jacobvids
10 ай бұрын
A co-worker sounds amazing in Teams meetings (broadcast like sound). I learned that he's using a Jabra headset.
@graemebrookfield
10 ай бұрын
@@jacobvids Every time I hear someone in a Teams meeting that sounds amazing, I ask them which mic and every time so far it's been a Jabra. They seem to have exceptional optimization on the Teams Platform.
I find it pitty ful that Teams does such a hi compresion in these days with corona and everyone homeworking. When you compare teams with discord or teamspeak its miles apart
Hi Andy, I have a coworker who needs to record a voiceover for a training video via Teams, as he does not have any recording software. They will be using a USB Microphone, MAONO 192KHZ/24Bit Plug & Play PC Computer Podcast Condenser Cardioid Metal Mic Kit. How can be get the best audio from his recording? Is there a way to turn off the audio compression in Teams?
@AndyPark365
Жыл бұрын
Hi Diane - yes there is a way to turn off compression in Teams. Please refer to this video: kzread.info/dash/bejne/pGh_x7NqipjJc9o.html
Are you using different EQ settings for the first mic vs the last two.
@AndyPark365
2 жыл бұрын
Hi Aaron - I haven't applied any processing to any of the audio
Give Krisp AI a try. It's much better than these built in noise suppression.
Hi I think i know you…
@katrynn
3 жыл бұрын
I am a big fan, heh The quality of your videos is amazing!
@AndyPark365
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Katryn! 😀 Your videos/drawings are impressive as well!
You mean buying a shure sm7b for calls was a bad idea? Nooooooo
@AndyPark365
2 жыл бұрын
I would have gone with the EV RE20 😁
Audio out of sync