Microsoft LifeChat ZX-6000

Fancy looking like a call-centre worker in the comfort of your own living room? The LifeChat ZX-6000 is designed for VoIP and voice-recognition software, and comes with an Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver to allow it to communicate with your PC. It works over a direct wireless connection rather than Bluetooth, although it's frustrating that you'll lose a USB port. But it's got decent range, and we received crystal-clear quality from the single speaker even from a few rooms away. The microphone is also good and, in our test calls made over Windows Live Messenger, we had no problems being understood. You can get wired headsets for much less than this, but the LifeChat is a handy way of carrying on a voice conversation from the sofa.

Author: Dave Stevenson