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Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
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This is the best headset I have used to date for Skyping from my Mac. Easy USB plugin, mute button, volume. Mic clarity excellent. For music listening it's OK, but not great. Best feature: On a mac, if you plug it in during a call, it automatically switches to headset (no manual messing around) - and reverts to computer speakers when unplugged. Perfect for skyping when a guest enters the room and needs to hear the conversation.
from Michigan on 11/17/2008
This headset was the first headset I bought, and currently the only one I own. I bought it in June of 2006, and haven't had a whole lot of problems with it until recently.For a few months now the cord going from the computer to the volume control is loose, and I often only get sound out of one speaker. Bending it from side to side will fix the problem, but only for a brief time.For [$] I expected something a bit better than the ordinary headset you'd find in any RadioShack [...] This is also my first Gigaware product, so I really don't know if their products have a reputation for this kind of thing or not.With that said, overall I've had a decent experience with them. The quality is good, but the bass is lacking. The option to mute the microphone and control the headset volume from the palm of your hand is certainly nice, but nothing revolutionary.With the majority of today's computers having USB ports in the front means long cords are unnecessary, so the Gigawire's 6 foot cord can get annoying and end up getting tangled up.
from San Francisco, CA on 11/15/2008
I use this headset to talk to friends on Vent, Skype, and an MMORPG using an XP system, and it's been working great for over a year and a half now.
No problems with the mic or the earphones so far. The sound quality is very good, better then a set of straight up headphones I got for a similar price. Only (rare) issue is if I've already got Skype open and plug them in, I occasionally have toggle Skype's settings to get the audio to go though the headphones.
As is usual with a mic, you'll need to sneak into your settings and do some configuring when you first start using it. After that, though, it should work like a charm. GREAT for the price.
I wouldn't recommend doing this, but this headset has even survived a few trips in my way-too-overstuffed backpack. It might seem flimsy, but if you're responsible, it'll survive.
from Freeport,Fl on 11/13/2008
I bought this about 4 mo. ago and it worked soso. the sound is ok, but the mic. sucks.
after the 90 day warranty this headset malfunctioned
and now windows does not recognize it any more. so i looked on internet to find new drivers,or support and there are none, and it did not come with any kind of drivers at all when i bought it.Gigaware sucks,when they don't stand behind there product.or drivers on the net.I will not buy any thing that has the name Gigaware on it any more
from silver spring, md on 11/4/2008
The mic does not work with my XP system. A little research on the web shows that this is a very common problem. There is no driver provided by RS or Gigaware. Do not buy this product. It is not supported.
from Alexandria, VA on 10/6/2008
I tried plantronics headsets at 5 times the price, for VOIP softphone, and the quality was very poor. The gigaware for [$], beats the plantronics hands down in all aspects.
Not for Imac as far as I know.
makes my call of duty 4 game sound amazing and now i can talk to people
from Eastland, Texas on 8/25/2008
If you follow directions and install the drivers first this it a 5 star headset! Comfortable great sound quality and easy to use! Highly recommended!
These didn't work and I paid full price. I strongly dislike radio shack products including my camera on sale and then these didn't work and everything on the package says it was defined as compatabe.
from Crown Point, IN on 8/9/2008
I bought this product, and the next day the microphone didn't work. That's a bad thing because that's the only thing I bought it for.
Works great including the mute. Wish I had found it on sale. I paid [$] but it was still worth it. Love the usb connection.
Was working fine...then woke up to some kind of message that a driver was updated. Now my computer wont even recognize the headset.
I went to gigawares website and their support & download pages dont even exist anymore!
I would be very wary of this product. Even for the short money. It was still a waste in my opinion.
from Ewing, NJ on 7/21/2008
Sometimes WinXP does not recognize them when they are plugged in to switch to the headset for use with Skype. Usually, need to go into Control Panel and change settings. Then, need to reverse to go back to system speakers for use of desktop speakers.
Otherwise, they work fairly well.
from Maui, Hawaii on 7/17/2008
Use it for Skype and works fine. Works fine with my Vista OS. When I want to return to my speakers and unplug it it crashes my system. Blue screen horrors!!!!
from Charleston, SC on 7/15/2008
Great Headset. I do not know what people keep complaining about. I bought FOUR (4) of these and not a single problem with XP or Vista. My GF, Friends and I all talk on Skype with those and they sound perfect. I have the feeling that people just don't know how to use it. Before complainig, learn about the product. Duhhh
its plug and play which makes it very easy to use / but the settings for it really blow - the design is very adult based so it will break very easily if your not careful
I hate this c rap. I plug it in the mic keeps echoing, The sound keeps disconnecting, The hardware is not reconized.I mean COMMON RADIO SHACK. If your not gonna make a product that works DON'T PUT IT ON THE SHELF. Your basically wasting the envoirment over something that dosent work and [*]customers.I can't even get my money back and i swear if i don't get at least SOME of my money back i will NOT shop NOTHING at all over here anymore.[$] Shop at [...] instead.
from O.P., Ks. on 6/18/2008
I use this with Avaya IP Softphone and have set up several users with thhis product also. I have never had any problems with it. It is easy to set up and has good sound quality.
from Albuquerque, New Mexico on 6/16/2008
It frustrated me, unfortunately I could not return it, I still have it with me...useless!! I wont recommend it to anyone.
I use it primarely for calling people on the computer using Skype. Microphone works fine but headphones do not work at all. Even adjusting settings in control panel does not help. Headphones work for listening to music but again you have to select this headset from a list in control panel.
I want to change it to something simpler in use.
It did not work, I spent 4 days trying to get it to work...no luck
The noise to sound ratio on the microphone is very poor. Do not use for any recording.
from VA on 4/30/2008
for those who complain about problems with vista , i have had no problems using this device with vista simply because vista searches for drivers using the internet for automaticly, people with dial up currently not connected while connecting this device to the usb port will have problems .. keep in mind that this device is in fact not a top notch quality so you get what you pay for ..
from brooklyn on 4/25/2008
i bought the first one and it didn't work and i took it to exchange it and got another and it still didn't work on my end. I can hear the person on the other end but they cannot hear me.The same problem with both of them. Poor microphone.I'm going to send it back to the manufacture.
I use it with Skype on my mac to make international calls every now & then, and it runs smoothly. The sound is crystal clear on both ends. Can't beat the price.
from Honolulu, HI on 4/21/2008
I tried using this for voice dictation. It picks up my voice well, and does a good job filtering noise. However, it would periodically quit on me mid sentence, and I couldn't get it working again, unless I unplugged it, and plugged it in again.
The solid microphone boom is another drawback. It is not flexible enough to be properly positioned for my use.
Overall, I'd say that with some refining, this could turn out to be a great product.
I used it for voice chat and voice recording and you cant get a better voice quality anywhere in this range. i loved it!! only problem is when u unplug it, it takes a few seconds to return sound to the speakers
Clarity
Plugged it into my MacBook, didn't show up in Sound system preference. Other Gigaware headsets have worked fine. This one - 100% waste of money.
I couldn't get it to work on ventrilo, but I did get it to work by just recording myself on StepVoice.
I wanted to use it for chatting though, Not as a voice recorder. :/
This microphone is the best doesnt give any problems that all but I think it only work for window xp.I use it to play counter-strike source also.
bought these to use for gaming. Bought 4 of them since they were so cheap. Everyone one has had the same problem, the sound after a few weeks goes out in left side(mic side). never buying these again
from Buffalo, NY on 3/10/2008
The volume buttons control the Mac system volume. When plugged in, the Mac automatically switches input and output over to this headset. It works great with Skype video.
from Glen Cove, NY on 3/5/2008
I am a WORK-AT-HOME user, have been using this headset for over 6 months. Had minor issues with it, but 9 out of 10 times was the application I use on a daily basis. This headset works better than a $90 USB headset that the company used to purchase and replace ever 2-3 months for its employees.
I think this is a great headset. I bought it so I could use it in Counter-Strike: Source and it works great in that respect. Definitely worth the [$]
from Madison, WI on 3/2/2008
Vista recognized this usb headset in 3 seconds without any driver. How does a simple usb headset screw up your sound card?? Please write in honesty.
Would not work with Vista now I got to bring it back.
from Cleveland, Oh on 2/28/2008
I have been unsuccessful at being able to keep the mic working it goes to mute without being prompted.. I can hear but mic only works during testing.
from Eugene, OR on 2/19/2008
I use this with the Vista Voice Recognition software to dictate for my grad work. It works great and I like it quite a bit. I have a MS LifeChat and the GigaWare is much smaller and more comfortable on the ears.
For everyone who says that there was no information saying that it didn't work on Vista was mistaken. It says right on the box that its not for Vista. My friend has Vista and it works on his computer...Great quality microphone though.
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Parma, ohio on 2/10/2008
This headset was suppose to be very good quality and value... but ended up costing me gas money, to return it because the brand name is to stupid to put out drivers for vista. In my situation the sound was incredibly distorted and the microphone was perminatly muted.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
Excellent headset.
takes some time to get used to
but just get the adjustment right and
you'll love it
i use it for playing COD4 and BF2
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Delray Beach, FL on 1/31/2008
No driver for Vista! Got it home, tried to use it, no go. Very poor documentation for this product, no driver found on this page to make it work. F.
[6 of 6 customers found this review helpful]
Was looking for a cheap decent headset for use with Dragon Naturally Speaking, as well as talking online with friends and in Flight Simulator. This headset does the job very well. And since it was on sale [...] it far exceeds any expectations for the price. However, I would have been very happy with it at the full [$] price tag. It just simply works. Plug it in, and viola!! Works on XP pro and home just fine. I will never own Vista so I don't care if it works on Vista. Does anything work on Vista???? Not from what anyone I know has said. And I build computer systems for a living...
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Charleston, SC on 1/14/2008
Great Headset. It works with no problems at all on 4 different computers: 3 are XP and 1 is Vista. The headset is also Stereo if anybody is wondering. Have had absolutely no issues at all. The headphone part is pretty powerful and the sound quality is great. Microphone puts out wonderful sound. I have never actually heard such a nice mic. for this price. [...]Tested on the following machines:AMD X2 5200+, 2G Ram, 320G HDD, XP PRO SP2.AMD X2 Turion 2.0, 1G Ram, 100G HDD, XP PRO SP2.AMD X2 6000+, 2G Ram, 480G HDD, Vista Ult. 32-bitP4 3.2 Ghz, 512 Ram, 160G HDD, XP PRO SP2 - a Dell Yea, It even works on a Dell :)
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
this headset is a peice of junk...will not work with windows vista...be nice if that kind of info was given...it may work with xp..I don't know...
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
Works for a bit, then the other side can't hear sound. Unreliable. Tried on three different computers.
After plugging these into my usb port, my regular PC speakers ceased to work. Tried them on my husband's PC and the same thing happened. There's a reason they're cheap.
USB setup is great. Shows up as another audio device so you can set the headset to voice client and your game to speakers, or all to headset by setting the default audio device in control panel to the headset. Know others with this and none of us had had problems
Only worked 40% of time. I used it for gaming. Worked only when I would unplug it plug it back restart computer. Usually have to do that about 3 times then it will work.
I had no problems at all, the unit worked first time with no setup at all. Skype used it with minimal configuration and if I had to come up with a problem I would say that the microphone is a bit too sensitive.
The moment I have purchase this product, its just get muted automatically, also after that it doesnt get unmute, I replaced it one time thinking that I might have got a faulty piece but other also works the same way. [...]was not able to help me and I dont know how to fix it, I tried all the settings mentioned in the box but no use.
[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
This Headset gets muted automatically and all my purpose of buying it so that I can chat is lost. It doesnt get unmuted. Also I have tried all the settings but to no use. [...] is also not been able to help on this.
difficult to use? it's a freakin' headset! have used for a year with voice recognition software and the unit works fine. OS is XP, no bugs with integration.
mac pro requires powered mic if using line in. As this mic uses USB, it gets around that requirement. I've tested under Mac OS 10.4, 10.5, and Win XP.
Not so plug and play . Please don't try and say i need to adjust settings in control panel . I'm an advanced user with very high technical skills . This mic causes issues with Windows at times it will not even work (voice or sound).
[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
This is TERRIBLE.
I bought this in order to chat with my buddy while we play online games together. From the start, this headset has just been plain cruddy. The microphone doesnt even work?!! In addition, the volume buttons dont work either. So pretty much, if you want to have loud sound blasted in your ear as you get more and more frustrated at trying to get the mic to work, then this mic is for you. If you actually like spending your money on things that WORK....
Trust me, i've spent a LOT of time trying to get it to work, and i know what i'm doing. This headset is just plain bull. DONT BUY THIS.
Bought from [...]retail shop on discount for [$]. Mic and headphones work, but earpads are too small and are uncomfortable, headband needs better design. Earpads pivot but not enough to stop pinching (and no, I don't have a big head >.>) Only owned for 2 days, works fine so far, but after reading previous reviews I'm keeping track of my receipt. No issues with drivers, although it is irritating to have to reload hardware every time I unplug the device.I am glad I only paid [$]for this, it is not worth more.
I plugged this in and my speakers stopped working. I have to restart and adjust control panel setting every time I "plug and play" this headset. This is ridiculous and not worth the [$]spent.
from Dalals, TX on 11/6/2007
The [...] person said that this device would just plug into our XBox 360's USB port and would work as if it was plugged into our controller (sound & mike). But we plugged it in to the front USB port and nothing happens. Doesn't look like the 360 recognizes the device at all? Does anyone know if this will actually work on the 360 or if we need some kind of download patch or something?
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
Very nice headset. Never experienced any problems with it. I've had it for a year, and use it often.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
My office uses VoIP phones, so when I get the opportunity to telecommute now and again, I use this headset on my laptop, and my laptop, with the right software, becomes my work desktop phone.
This headset is a no-brainer to use. Plug it in, configure the audio settings in the Windows Control Panel, and it's absolutely flawless. I've used it for six months without a hiccup or glitch, and most people don't even know I'm not at my desk at work.
I'm strongly assuming that people who are having problems with it muting randomly or cutting out didn't bother to configure their audio settings in Windows and are blaming the headset. The quality is actually good (for the price), and the headset is surprisingly comfortable, even for many hours straight, or at weird times for those late-night conference bridges with Asia, when I'd rather be sleeping.
All in all, good value item, and not a purchase to be regretted.
This headset works perfectly.Its not the headset its your computer configuration thats making bad sound quality, skype not working, and the mic muting. It works fine for me perfect for fps games and ventrilo. It also works fine for voip.
Never had a problem with these. 10/10
Worked in vista For Like 10 days Then Keep Looseing Sound Every 20 Minutes Or so .had to restart what ever program i was useing to get sound back
dont buy
Do not buy this headset. I have returned 1 and cannot return the second since it's over 90 days. It mutes mysteriously when I'm on a skype call. I've seen numerous reviews that stay the same. [$]
from San Jose, CA on 10/1/2007
It worked ok on Windows XP, but when I started using Windows Vista I quickly noticed that the sound was severely distorted when using the mouse. Much Google searching has found many other people with the same problem with this headset on Vista. Just stay away from it, there are no new drivers to be found for this - just check the support tab for this product. Nothing.
Used this microphone for several months and then noticed that the sound would go out or become severely distorted. Applications/programs running with it would need to be restarted to get sound back.
from Edenton N,C on 9/20/2007
i've had this for two years never had a single promblem what so ever the price is a little high but you'll get what you payed for