These screen grabs of Logitech’s software download support area say it all…

For Mac OS X

… and for Windows,

The ClearChat will be shipping soon, so go check it out if you are looking a wireless headset with Logitech’s usual quality.

Apple.  Please help fix this problem.  It is causing issues on many USB headset devices.  Unfortunately it has been raised as an issue on some of our wireless headset products, basically users complaining about robotic voice, or scratchy voice, or even muffled voice quality.  In doing some research, it is clear that this is a problem with other USB-Audio devices as well.  All signs are that it points to some emergent issue with 10.5.2 Leopard and so far, Macbook Pros.  We’ll see if the fix is identified and resolved.  Right now it is a nuisance for Skypers, podcaster, etc.

• ZDnet: The Apple Core
• Logitech support forums
• Shinywhitebox

As chopstickhero so eloquently posited,

this is a product that makes you think “why didn’t i think of that?”

Well the folks at Avnera did (way back in 2004!), and we made a single chip that will bring devices like this (and more) to market for years to come, at prices consistent with any other common PC accessory.

Logitech, the number one PC accessory maker in the world, also saw the possibilities right away. At Cebit, Logitech launched the ClearChat Wireless PC Headset.  We’ve been waiting for this meticulously designed headset to hit the streets. Looks like we are a few weeks away from it being in stores. This is really exciting, because Logitech is the first customer of ours to take our core chip-set and then, on their own, set out to design a world-class product around it. It has been a long time coming, but we’ve now seen why. Logitech pays attention to every detail, and does take their time to widdle away design risks and functional quirks to arrive at a product that is well-though-out and with some clever details that differentiate it from what else is out there, wired or wireless — Logitech brings crisp, classic industrial design, materials with great feel, and ergonomic expertise to yield probably the most comfortable headset I’ve worn, including those from Logitech’s wired product-line. Among other cool tricks is the microphone boom that illuminates when muted, so people around you can learn when they can talk to you without being heard, and to remind you when it’s prudent to curse the folks on the other end of the call.

People will ask, can’t Bluetooth do this? The short answer is no.

They will say, “if it isn’t Bluetooth, I don’t want it.” The consequence is they won’t be able to use one of the most practical accessories for the PC to come along in years.

You see, BT does not deliver:

• The audio quality of uncompressed PCM 48 KHz audio. This headset delivers 1500 Kbps audio, BT only 320 Kbps.
• The fixed latency of an isochronous audio signal path - with an end-to-end delay that is less than one frame of video. This means you will hear the bullet shells hit the floor when you see them hit the floor.
• Full duplex stereo and voice for gaming. With BT you only get mono voice quality audio in both directions when you give up the stereo. And there is no software out there today that robustly manages the profile switching necessary to put the BT device in the right mode for the application at hand.
• Zero installation steps. ClearChat is Plug & Play with Mac OS, Windows XP and Vista, UPDATE: and very soon Ubuntu

While the majority of computer gamers will probably (rightly) say this thing is great for World of Warcraft or whatever, the applications that I use my wireless headset for (in order of frequency) are:

1. Making calls and attending conference calls via Skype
2. Listening to music on Pandora or Slacker while I work on my PC
3. Watching my Slingbox on Slingplayer

Rock on.

Our friends over at Logitech are showing what’s come of their acquisition of Slim Devices. The Squeezebox Duet is a slick piece of industrial design. A remote and a receiver. You can add receivers for $150, and you can add remotes for $300. Everything talks 802.11g in order to move music around.

Immediate Pros:

• Uses 802.11g. If you have WLAN already, it should work for you.
• Slimnetwork will offer some internet radio and other online content out of the box. Plugs right into the network, and accesses the internet directly.
• Support for Pandora, Rhapsody and my favorite Slacker.
• Slick design, leverages Logitech’s know-how on remotes they’ve built with their Harmony product line.

Immediate Cons:

• Price. $400 to start??? Holy crap. Additional receivers are rumored to be $150. So for $550 I get two zones. That’s pretty pricey. And it requires speakers to boot. Yikes. Still better than Sonos though, so you can argue it’s progress.
• Only as reliable as your home wireless network.
• Only supports media accessible via the home network and internet. No legacy gear.

Overall. Pretty hot, I must say.

Logitech ClearChat comfort USB headset is a nice piece.  I really believe in usb headphones and headsets.  They sound amazing, free of hard drive noise, and other audio imperfections you get from the standard headphone jacks on a PC.  Using the USB socket ensures a purely digital stream that is crystal clear and enables cool things like playback controls and volume control from the headset itself via the USB-HID mechanism.  HID stands for human interface device and is a way to add control to the mix.  Keyboards and things like that use HID.  But audio devices that make use of HID opens up many new application possibilities.

I can think of ways to make this experience much better.  How about you?

I bet the World of Warcraft and Skype faithful know exactly what I am talking about.  How can we make the PC audio experience better?