I could not find a video segment, which would describe HOW can I integrate Outlook inside Teams to email my specific team's members? I'd appreciate the tip. As a program coordinator, I need to email my 130 students. Thank you!
Guys the compression of teams absolutely kills any quality improvements. Don’t waste your money on a amazing mic. This guy doesn’t even talk about teams compression.
This is by far hands down THE BEST review on scenarios using External Mics for conference. When looking for reviews, all the reviews sampled the original audio, which of course sounds good, but none of these reviews included how would they sound when MS teams compress it and plays it back. One minor ask if I might, in your opinion which one of the bunch would cancel background noise the best?
Sorry to say - I just participated in 3 days of learning with 20 other people in Zoom. Today I participated in a board meeting with 20 people for an hour. I had the best experience in Zoom. Soundquality and ease of use was way better in Zoom. When accidently 2 people speak at the same time in Zoom it was understandable - but in Teams it becomes "blurry". Don't get me wrong - I don't hate Teams - I just wonder why a top dollar firm like microsoft can't make a state of the art program with all that money they got. The only sound adjustment in Teams is turning a filter on a little or a lot or off!!! And it only picks up channel one of my Focusrite. How on earth am I expected to work with that? I just wonder! BUT Kevin keep up the good work - I learn so much from your videos.
Wow. This video is amazing. In my opinion I think the RODE NT-USB was the best when coming to audio quality. I need to get one right away. 5:10 to 5:22 made me laugh a little bit. Great video. Side note - Congrats on 550K.
In my home office, the laptop mike is not an option, as I keep my laptop closed, using an external monitor, etc. I used to use the mic in my Logitech webcam, but it sounded too boxy and there was too much room ambience. I've since switched to a $60 USB mic (Fifine), and the improvement was immense. The mic pattern rejects most sounds coming from anywhere other than right in front (like most condenser mics will), and the overall eq is balanced pretty well. As you pointed out, for not too much money, you can make really big improvements. And you don't have to go with big well known brands. Rode makes great stuff, but I suspect that my Fifine is 90% as good for almost half the price.
Microsoft needs to fix the sound processing -- that's clear from that video! IMO there was not a meaningful difference of the three "good" mics after the sound went through Teams.
It doesn't matter if I was first or second but I just click when I see a video from Kevin! I never care about the title or description! The thing is you make my day happy whenever I see your video as Ik I am going to learn something
It would be nice to not have teams autoadjusting the mic input levels as well. I often talk quite low and teams just put the input to 100 and directly cuts back to about 60-70 which makes my voice fade away like a whisper. Solved it by routing the audio through a virtual soundcard but please MS, let us turn this “feature” off.
Thanks for the video. Very interesting to see the difference in audio quality as well as the degredation that Teams has. I'm curious if you are aware of the degredation being the same or better/different when using other videoconference software like Zoom?
There's also a comment to be made about background nose. A pair of apple wired earpods are actually amongst one of the best input sources, and that's against professional studio mics at $5000. I'm not saying the two compare in other environments, but in teams, there's little justification to spend more. Close micing will remove background echo and AC noise etc so it's worth looking at as an option.
I appreciate your videos, but it's misleading to just ignore the fact that you "tested" those Rode microphones by holding them up in your hand(s) while you talked, so they'd be closer to your mouth. As you well know, they sound way worse if you use them the way they are designed, sitting on your desktop. They're still better that the built-in mic of your laptop and webcam, but I think that needs to be said.
Dear Kevin. Thank you for the detail and useful explanation. I need your help on how to configure Rode Connect (with Rode NT USB Mini) to TEAMS. How the way we setup and 'connect' between those 2 things (Rode Connect and TEAMS). So we can get better and clearer sound. Thank you so much for the attention and help.
So one important point to make about the Bose headphones is that, although the mic is not fantastic, where you are losing the most here is in Windows 10’s handling of Bluetooth headsets, where you can currently choose to get decent input audio quality but not acceptable outport audio quality because of the way that Windows currently handles Bluetooth profiles...which is sub-optimally, which you can prove to yourself and others by running the same headphones (or, say, Airpods) through an Android or iOS of MacOS device that handle the inevitable trade-off differently and, at least for conference calls like these, much more effectively. So at the moment, you are kind of stuck if you are in wireless land unless you can get a headset that has a specialized USB dongle (e.g., some of the Jabra headsets), in which case you can definitely get better quality. A workaround here (especially if you have AirPods) is to run your audio (or your audio and video) through Teams on an iOS device and then log onto the same meeting on Windows to get a bigger screen and more features on the platform. Another solution is to accept that you’ll be “wired” to your PC during a Teams call at your desk because of your mic, but use an iOS or Android device for teams when you can’t stay at your desk. In a year or three, we’ll probably have much better solutions here, but so it goes.
Would have been interesting trying a dynamic XLR mic…i guess there is so much compression that it could barely differs but would never find out so stick with what you have is the conclusion.
The bulk of the problems with audio in Teams are to do with the stream rate, not the device quality, Teams as far as I can tell does not give me anyway to adjust the bitrate of the stream allowing it to recover from being downgraded since it is that action which introduces all the noise. Almost every other player allows you to adjust the bitrate, why not Teams?
Thank for all this great content, Kevin. Your videos are well done and easy to follow, even for those of us who are technically challenged. Is Microsoft Teams suitable for a virtual conference and would you consider doing a tutorial on the subject?
What is the purpose of the compression? Is it to conserve bandwidth? If so, is it necessary for most people anymore? RU-vid and other video platforms can now stream 4K video. The video portion of this 4K video uses considerably more bandwidth than probably the best quality audio stream. Even video in a 720p video probably uses more bandwidth than the best quality audio stream. It seems that it would be optimal for Microsoft Teams and other platforms that use audio to automatically perform a quick test of each user's Internet connection. If the best quality audio stream can be handled, then that is what the user should get.
I'm not sure of all the nuances of how they landed on this level of compression although I'm sure there was some good rationale. I think especially when you have larger meetings with 10 - 50 people, bandwidth becomes an issue, especially when you have video on and someone is sharing a screen. All-in-all though, this feels like an area of improvement that would have a big impact on the quality of remote work.
I use a Shure SM7B through a Fethead into a Scarlett 2i2 for my livestreams. Sounds mint when streaming or Zoom calls; zerro sound though Teams. I just don't get it.
That was really useful to hear the difference. Thanks. Can you do the same but for cameras too? Be good to know if it’s worth buying an expensive web cam
Thanks Kevin. I have understand that as the money increases the quality also increases. So Thanks again Kevin the quality in Sennheiser MKH 50 microphone has the best quality. :)
This is the best review I’ve found for WFH setups. There are a lot of mic comparisons, but few that run the audio through teams. Would love to hear the Rode NTG Go II, a newer $100 option run through this test.
Teams absolutely destroys AV. It's really too bad. I have been thinking about upgrading my Logitech C922 to using my Sony a5100 and a shotgun mic over a capture card, but after the compression happening, I just don't know that the gains are worth the effort...
Honestly, all of them sound awful when they go through teams. Teams should increase the bitrate for audio calls. It sound way to robotic... Of course there are microphones that can pick up lower frequencies. It does sound nicer. Yes... But to really enjoy a conversation I would prefer the audio quality that can be achieved on Discord or Team Speak.
I currently teach middle school math with many of the students learning virtually. I use the Jabra Talk 15 Wireless Bluetooth Mono Headset, which I purchased from Walmart.com - www.walmart.com/ip/Jabra-Talk-15-Wireless-Bluetooth-Mono-Headset/673565144 . When I purchased it in January, the price was $20.99, but as of the date of this writing, it has now increased to $31.49, which is still considerably less than any of the microphones that Kevin was using. In addition, it is wireless, so I have the option of moving around the classroom. Compared to the microphone integrated into the Webcam, the Jabra Talk microphone is of much better quality and the students do not complain of audio quality when using it; they do complain about the Webcam mic's quality, though. I do not use it as a headset, as I do not put it in my ear. I tape the headset to my lanyard and use the desktop computer speakers to hear the other participants. If you are producing a podcast, then the more expensive microphones that Kevin reviewed will probably be better. However, for a live meeting, you may want to consider some of the lower-priced options.
I just purchaed a Jounivo "Voice Microphone" JV808 to enhance sound to my Zoom audience. Having problems with settings. Do you offer a tutoial on this?
It's funny that you think your laptop mic in this video is the worst audio you've ever heard. That sounds better than every professional headset I have ever used at work. I've tried several that are between $150-400 and they all sound worse in Teams than your built-in mic demo. I've ordered yet-another $200 headset to try to improve it.
Don't want a big table mic or a chunky gamer headset+mic. As a matter of fact I just want better mic audio in conference calls - without having to look like mickey mouse or the hassle of setting up a separate mic. I have no space for that anyhow. I think a lavalier mic is for me. Guess the search continuous. Perhaps you could do a similar test for lav mics? Your production is stellar. Thanks.
Guys the compression of teams absolutely kills any quality improvements. Don’t waste your money on a amazing mic. This guy doesn’t even talk about teams compression.
WOW! I hate to hate on Bose, but you sounded super nasally! Granted this is coming from a RU-vid video playing out of the speakers on my Samsung s20 but it was certainly noticeable compared to the other options!
Hi Kevin, This comparison video very useful. Thanks for making it. I am using JABRA Headset. It sounds Okay but as you mentioned the Senheiser MKH 50 would be better. How about headphones? Did you use your PC's headphone jack for headphones or a Microphone monitor? Which one is suitable for Microsoft Teams and which doesn't cause a sound delay?
Hey, great video/comparison test Kevin. ...Yes, I totally agree - the *Leap* in quality with the Rode Mini makes it the wise choice, unless you have a big budget. 🙏 Tnxalot, Bobby 👏👏
audio q in teams is terrible. vs zoom audio pro features or streamyard audio quality is superior. is a god Damm stupidity spend money in a rode mic to pass this awesome audio over horrible teams audio stream.
Exactly 👍 My recommendation is a mid-tier mic. It'll give you a massive improvement over a built-in mic. Of course, more expensive will likely be better, but the improvement isn't enough to justify the added cost.
I seem to have even more issues with Rode NTS USB when using it in Teams as an audio source ( Mac OS Big Sur - everything is updated to latest version ) - not only compression but bad audio quality - anyone having same issues ? Solutions ? ... remark -> not experiencing anything like that (same mic on same imac) when using Zoom, webex, Google Meet etc. :-( And to the question of the video - Sennheisser is really the best quality of course (listening to it through Bose PC Loudspeakers ... )
This was a great if brief run-through of microphone use for Teams. It would be nice to do something similar for those are looking for a good podcast microphone.
Nice wrap up with a good cross section of chosen examples. Personally I've made excellent experience with the Saramonic Blink 500 b1 ($~180), which offers a bit more freedom as it works over Wi-Fi. At least when using it with OBS I didn't encounter any noticeable delays. Br, and keep on going
My pet hate is when people don't use a microphone on Zoom/Teams calls. I can hear the terrible acoustics of their room in the background and eventually I get a headache. It doesn't exactly help communication. Even a cheap headset is better than nothing.
The microphone is critical if you are online a lot. Personally, I find the Teams noise suppression makes the audio sound “underwater” - it not ideal. The Yeti, Snowball, and Snowflake by Blue are ones I’ve really liked. Of course, a $1200 Sennheiser would be nice :)
Love your videos! I have a question for you. I use an Epos Adapt 560 headset with a Teams dongle. I am having issues with Teams ringing after a Teams call ends.Any tips to fixing the issue? I have friends that work with different companies and headsets and they also have this problem.
Wow! Thanks for the video. I use the Rode NTSB since one year with MS Teams. From the beginning I had the feeling that it's not as good when I record the sound with another tool. I thought I had a wrong setting. But it's just Teams -.-
I know im gonna come over as a troll, but teams does not work like this. My AT-2020 sounds like complete trash with Teams, Teams does something that automatically changes gain for the microphone. So it picks up EVERYTHINg and is completely UN usable. Im searching forever to find a fix for this that works but haven't....
Great video comparison... Basically what everyone else said in these comments. I have been using a $25 pair of USB Headphones from Logitech. I liked the $100 Rode NT USB mini microphone as well... But then I thought... But what about listening or hearing the audio?? ...Just found on Amazon, Rode will include a pair of headphones for $19 more.
So..... in order to improve audio quality in MS Teams you need to buy a new microphone? That's.. that's just.. I've never crossed my mind! Thank you, #captainobvious. :]
Teams Low passes everything beyond 10Khz. There's a law of diminishing returns with microphones as a result. I own a Neumann U87 and there is absolutely no difference in discernible audio quality between it and something 1/10th the cost in comparison.
Would you know if Microsoft fixed the auto mic gain issue on Teams? I have the Rode NT USB and it just picked up everything little background noise and annoyed the heck out of my colleagues in the call.
Hey Kevin, any idea when the video quality will be improved in Teams. Its terrible quality compared to other meeting software... I know your not at Microsoft bow, just wondered if you have any infide info!?
Great review. To me it is clear that external microphones are not worth it for Teams. The microphones were great by themselfes, but when put through Teams they lose 80 procent of the sound. On top of that you have to use headphones when you use an external mic with Teams. Definetely not worth the hassel.
