As promised, here's my review and initial perspectives on the Midland AVPH3 VOX headset.
I wanted to enhance the household coms that consisted of four Midland LXT385's. While the radios themselves have great range (advertised 24 miles) and voice clarity, depending on the venue, it could be hard to hear the transmission even with the volume at max, without mashing the handheld to your ear. I reckon it's called a crappy speaker... For a trek through the woods, this was not an issue but if there was a crowd or other overbearing background noise, it could be difficult to communicate effectively. For the times that fell in the middle, the radios performed as required but they were lacking that extra little bit.
Enter one pair of AVPH3 Security Headsets. I picked up the pair at a local Gander Mtn for around $30 and while I have not yet had the opportunity to put them to use in practical application, I have had a chance to test them out a bit. For a $15 headset, I am pretty impressed.
Build quality appears ok. Not sure how well they will hold up to repeated sweat soakings and such "real world use" but the rubberized switch is firm and will hopefully withstand repeated depressings. The headsets support VOX, but my radios do not. There is a metal clip on the mic and it does a great job of securing the mic to your lapel or collar. There's a plastic clip on the cord as well but it sucks and falls off. I have been attaching it to the tag on the back of my shirt to keep the cord up & out of the way & intend on replacing it with a metal clip.
The microphone is phenomenal. With the mic attached to a t-shirt collar, voice pickup is perfect. They will pick up a whisper if depressed to the throat. I had debated picking up the inducting type headsets but they were much nigher priced & the reviews were all over the place unless you spent several hundred dollars, which is not in my budget. Anyhow, the mic pickup is awesome. All that said, I do not know how sensitive the VOX capability is in regard to picking up a whisper.
Noise transmission of the earpiece is perfect while minimally inhibiting hearing in the worn ear. The clear plastic tube allows external noise in while piping the radio transmission directly into the ear canal. The earpiece is soft & comfortable after hours of wear. I can hardly tell it is there and that is saying something. I hate most earpieces that you stick into your ear as they typically hurt after an hour or so. Not so with these.
Overall, I feel I have successfully addressed a specific need with minimal expense. We'll see how long they last.
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