Aside from the greatly improved audio quality, utilizing a digital
USB connection instead of a conventional analog one provides direct
user benefits right out of the box. Analog audio devices, whether
they are speakers, microphones, or headsets, all utilize a standard
mini-plug. A typical sound card has three or four of these jacks in
a row. Although they may look exactly the same, they are not interchangeable.
In most cases, these jacks are labeled with extremely small icons
that are barely discernable, and very often they are not labeled at
all.
USB connectors, on the other hand, are unique and easy to identify.
Although many PCs have more than one USB connector, they all behave
exactly the same way, and any device can be plugged into any port.
The headsets plug into a single USB port, with no more searching
or guessing whether the microphone is actually in the microphone
jack or in the speaker jack.
In addition, a conventional analog headset requires two one-way
connections into the PC - one for the stereo speakers, and one for
the microphone.
In a USB implementation, on the other hand, both input and output
sound is converted into digital packets that travel back and forth
across the USB bus. Therefore, only the one connection is necessary,
further simplifying installation.
Another benefit of USB is that it is truly plug and play. The headset
is automatically recognized and configured when you install it,
and no additional steps are required. Finally, Plantronics digitally
enhanced headsets are compatible with Windows 98, Windows 2000,
and the Macintosh (OS 9+).
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