Almost ten years ago, I bought a headset. It was the Microsoft LifeChat LX – 3000. I used it for years. As a matter of fact, I purchased two of them. I made the mistake of lending one of them, so now I’m down to one.
What I like about the Microsoft LifeChat is the comfort, the noise canceling feature, and reliability. Since I’ve been using it for over ten years, it has stood the test of time.
I have a graveyard of headsets. Whether they crapped out on me or just didn’t fit the bill, they remain unused. They come in handy sometimes when the grandkids come around, but other than that, they’re decorations (I hang them around the office).
My Dictation and Voice Over Buddy
I use the Microsoft headset for dictation and sometimes for video voice-over work. Although still functional, the headset shows signs of wear and tear. The pleather material covering the cushioned earpieces has all but disintegrated. In its current state, it leaves little black material droppings everywhere. It finally got to the point where I knew it was time to replace my LX-3000. I got tired of picking black specs of pleather from my hair, around my ears, and on my desk.
Out with the Old…
At first, I tried to buy a new headset, but that was a no-go. Every place I looked, they were either out of stock or I got a “The page you’re looking for is no longer available” error message. The only other options were sites like eBay, Etsy, and other places that refurbished old tech. I decided to go another route.
Keep the Old and Patch It
Rather than buy another headset, why not patch what I’ve got? At one time, I was the queen of refurbishing. Why buy a new headset when all I need are earpiece covers? So, I found replacement covers (Amazon affiliate link) for a third of the price of new headsets.
The replacement covers also come with a small foam microphone cover. Fortunately, the microphone was intact, and so was the foam. It was just the earpieces that rotted out on me.
The new covers fit like gloves. The Microsoft LX 3000 is as good as new with the replaced cushioned covers. In this disposable society, I saved the headset from the trash heap and I can continue using my favorite dictation/voice-over tool. Score one for Grandma!