ECS WordSlinger USB Transcription Over-Head Headset, Superior Audio Clarity | 7 ft Cord, External Sound Card, Comfortable Padded Headband & Ear Cups, Perfect for Medical & Legal Dictation

I purchased my first set of the ECS WordSlinger headphones (TVPS.COM) back in May of 2018 specifically for verbatim transcription purposes. I had tried everything before that, headsets, earbuds, noise cancelling headphones, etc., but it wasn't until I received that first set ECS headphones that I was happy with what I purchased. My #1 priority for what I stuck in/on/around my ears while listening to digital audio was to be able to hear clearly what was being said so that I could transcribe it verbatim and the ECS WordSlinger headphones fit that bill. Fast forward five years, I accidentally dropped my headphones on a concrete floor and one of the earpieces broke off and was dangling by a piece of wire. So I had to get a second pair. I will add that the second pair was cheaper than what I paid the first time, if you can believe that. I am very happy with the sound quality. And I have learned that I like "noise reduction" better than "noise cancelling". I also love ECS' customer service. I had an issue with my last order (an issue that was NOT caused by ECS) and when I contacted them about it, the owner of the company contacted me directly almost immediately after receiving my email. THAT IMPRESSES ME!! So they get FIVE STARS from me. I'm glad to have a fully functioning set of ECS WordSlinger headphones in my possession again!

This is my second set. My first set lasted two years. The problem I had on the first set was not quality, the set simply did not come with the clip as advertised, leaving the wire to hang and eventually come loose and cause static and sound skipping in and out, rendering the set unusable. The second set came with the clip, but it was not attached to the wire, and I'm not able to attach it because I can't get the wire into the opening in the clip

I ordered these for transcription of difficult insurance audio files, recorded statements, interviews, and telephone calls. They were plug-and-play into the USB port. They are comfortable on my head. I read some reviews that stated they were too tight. That is not the case with mine. If anything, I could have them a smidge tighter. Both the top of the headband and the part that is placed on the ears are padded and quite comfortable. I wore mine for about 9 hours yesterday while working with minimal breaks. My head remained comfortable, my ears did not get sweaty. The volume control is wonderful and easily accessible as there are quite a few files where the adjuster or the interpreter is quite loud and the interviewee or witness is quiet, and I have to adjust the volume constantly while transcribing these recordings. The cord is no problem. It is a comfortable length. I drape mine over my lap so that the volume control is at a reachable distance and have not had any problems with it tangling or being in my way. Construction is sturdy. Sound quality is VERY good!

I wish I had known there were headsets specifically for voice 3 years ago when I began medical transcription. I could have saved $150. Instead I have been using Bose over the ear headset, which now I will use for listening to music. This headset is quality at a very reasonable and affordable price and all you do is simply to plug in to the USB. This headset enables me to hear much better especially on poorer audio files. The only drawback was it took several days for them to loosen up. They were very uncomfortable - I have to wear glasses and they were so tight on my ears that it pressed my frames into that tender spot behind the ear giving me a sore head and a headache. I loosened them as far as I could and it's much better now.

Thirty-plus years ago, I became a freelance court reporter and, all these years later, I still contract independently to transcribe court hearings. These headphones do help eliminate buzz, static, etc., from the recordings and, basically, they add a lot of bass to the voice. They're easy to use, just plug in the USB and go. You can really crank the volume up, A LOT, so be careful when you first plug them in - ha! For example, the first time I tried them, I had such a lousy recording, I had my volume cranked all the way up to 100 percent on all fronts. I plugged these in, and at 18% volume, it was MUCH louder than with my other headphones. The problem I have with these, though,and maybe it's just unique to me, is I can't stand to wear them for more than a few minutes at a time (and a very few, at that), as my ears start hurting. Maybe it's the interaction of the headphone with my glasses,but I don't really think so. They just hurt the cartilage in my ears. So I use them solely to decipher my indiscernibles when I begin proofing, and I am able to eliminate a lot of them using these headphones. I can't use them all day every day, though, not by a long shot. FYI, I use these with the FTR Gold software, but I don't know why they wouldn't work with anything. It's just a USB, although I do think it installs some drivers the first time you plug it in.

Five stars for the headphones and for the service from the seller. I use these headphones for transcription. I like the fact that I can adjust the volume on the cord, so I don't have to click anything with my mouse. These headphones are comfortable, do not put pressure on the top of my head, and contain no latex. The headphones started cutting out and went dead after four months, BUT the seller replaced them super-quickly and courteously. For noise-cancelling, I prefer Audio-Technica QuietPoint, but for regular transcription, the Wordslinger headphones are excellent.

These are absolutely fantastic headphones. When I compared these to my Bluetooth headphones, the difference was unbelievable. I couldn't believe the difference in sound volume and clarity. I had these first many years ago, and then switched to Bluetooth. Lately, I think since Windows 11, (could be my imagination) I just wasn't getting the same sound volume, so I thought I'd check these out again. From now on, I will be sticking to these, plus the price is so much cheaper than the Bluetooth headphones I tried out, yet these are so much better. Oh, I use these for transcribing. So for you transcriptionists out there, these are the way to go. The customer service with ECS is immediate also. I wanted to ask them a few questions before purchasing, and they got back to me in like an hour. I would definitely recommend these.

Is there a way that I can use 3.5 mm jack audio headset along with this headset. Like, can I hear on both the headsets at the same time?

I am a legal transcriber and used to use the standard audio headphones. I would highly recommend these headphones as they are comfortable to wear, light and give a good quality sound whilst blocking out any background noise. Just plug in and play.

I use this product for transcribing court proceedings. I find it's good for this purpose, good clarity of audio. Just plugged it into the computer and away it went. It's comfortable for me to wear for a few hours with short breaks.

For the price, it's not bad. However, given that it's marketed as being specially engineered for professional transcribers, I think the engineers have made up their own criteria about what's needed and not consulted a typical user? And this is the only reason I'm writing this review, because for me, the headset is way off the mark. The sound produced by the headset is decidedly amplified. So it's basically just VERY LOUD! Everything booms and is distorted - yes, of course I've turned down the volume! The frequencies that it plays back best are the low, bassy noises, which may be good for music headsets (or gaming?) but the complete opposite of what a transcription headset should be. I need, as a professional transcriber (courtroom stuff) something that picks up the human voice frequencies (especially men) really well, and preferably (magically! :-) ) eliminates frequencies that cover most background distractions such as AC fans, keyboard operations, shuffling papers, coughs, sneezes and people moving about or moving things. Anything which bangs, basically. I don't know if these register on the same frequencies as human voices, but a deep, bassy headset just seems to amplify them, which is why I don't use a music headset for this job - they're pretty awful for playing back conversations in large echo-filled chambers. It does seem like a comfortable bit of kit to wear, and I may find some other use for it but as a specialist transcription headset, as advertised, it doesn't work for me. A shame. I suppose you get what you pay for in the end, so back to Plantronics for me.