WordSleuth in-Ear Transcription 3.5mm Earbud Headset, Noise Reduction, Antimicrobial, Angled Silicone Ear Tips, Ultra Comfort & Clarity, 10-Foot Cord, Lightweight, Superb for Transcribing Long Hours

I honestly never expected these to be as good as these reviews made them out to be, since it has been proven that reviewers receiving free products skews ratings, a practice which must be stopped unless I can figure out how to be one of these reviewers. I was just looking for a backup for my usual pair, Spectra USB earbuds, which are ridiculously fragile and last about one and-a-half years, but provide more clarity and have better noise-canceling properties than anything else out there. However, the Spectras are now twice the price of these, so I decided to give them a shot.Well, after trying the ECS Wordsleuth earbuds out a few times, they have replaced my Spectras, not because I can hear better out of them (I definitely can't), but because they are by far the most comfortable transcription headset I have ever used. I almost forget I have them in my ears! Many transcription headsets are worse than medieval torture devices, but not these. They really thought of everything here, like the angled earbuds and the clip to attach the cord to your clothing. There is no annoying heavy volume control to contend with. (Doesn't everyone just adjust their volume with their keyboards?) The earbuds themselves are velvety soft. It's amazing.The Spectra earbuds are much more natural-sounding, while these are more tinny and mechanical-sounding. These would not be good for listening to music. At first I didn't like these due to the audio quality, but they are in fact just fine for doing transcription. The other day I had to transcribe an interview of someone from rural Virginia. I tried listening to him first with the ECS Wordsleuth earbuds and then with the Spectras, and I can say that he was almost equally (un)intelligible with either.The main difference between USB and headphone jack earbuds is how loud they get. The Spectra earbuds were often too loud even with my desktop volume set at 2 (of course, I always have Windows loudness equalization enabled). My transcription software and audio enhancer volumes were set at 0. Conversely, with the ECS Wordsleuth, I have my transcription software and audio enhancer volumes up all the way and my desktop volume usually at least 50. So everything is much, much quieter through the ECS Wordsleuth than with the Spectra, and I can see where this might pose a problem, although it hasn't for me yet. If one were on a laptop, I wonder if they would be able to hear much of anything. On the plus side, I no longer worry as much about blowing out my eardrums accidentally.As to durability, I've only been using these a month and can't say how long they will last, but they were definitely a worthwhile purchase, especially considering all I got, the little pouch to hold them and the three(!) extra sets of earbuds. That means two total sets of medium-sized earbuds, which is great if you have medium-sized ear canals like I have. I like to wash my earbuds once every couple weeks, so this way I always have a pair to use while the other is being left to dry.I mean, what's not to love about something called Wordsleuth? It's a name so nerdy it's cool. I fully expect to purchase these again in the (hopefully not near) future.

Good quality and comfortable

The cord is long and you can hear very well.

Just what I have been needing. Definitely recommend these if you have to transcribe.

For the price, I wasn't expecting much. Needed a backup for the high dollar headset that's giving me trouble sporadically. The clarity is really good! With the audio enhancer, almost excellent. They're comfortable for long sessions, also. I'm going to get another set. I do feel like I got more than I paid for with these.

I purchased these because they are a fairly prominent brand. However, after only a few short weeks of daily use (I am a transcriptionist), the left earpiece became faint, to about one-quarter of its original volume. I ordered a different brand and type for my purposes (at the same approximate price) and am much happier. The replacements reproduce a much more rounded, full, and bassy quality to recorded speech. Although worth initially trying for experimentation and price point, I will not buy these again.

I don't absolutely hate these earbuds, but I'm not a fan either. The cord is too long and extremely annoying. I get wanting some room, but 10 feet is excessive. If you have to go 10 feet from your computer screen while you're working, just take the buds out or use wireless. I wrapped it up, giving myself about 3 feet of slack so that it's not tangled up constantly and getting stuck under my feet and chair. Hate the long cord. They're comfortable enough, but the sound quality is no better than the Skull Candy for JBL ear buds I've been using to transcribe with for 10+ years. I won't purchase these again.

Sound was great initially, then sound became so soft could it hear in headphone’s. Tried everything to try to fix, and had to go back to some cheap earbuds I had. Disappointed, wanted to return, but the window to do so was closed.