Logitech 720p Webcams: What to Know About the Built-In Microphone

The short answer

Logitech's 720p webcams, such as the C270, C310 and C505, are marketed with a built-in microphone, so for most people they can handle both picture and voice for video calls without extra hardware. This answer is about the webcam's own microphone. A separate microphone is optional and only worth adding if the built-in one doesn't meet your needs.

Logitech changes and regionalizes its lineup, so check the current product listing for the exact model you plan to buy and confirm that it lists a microphone. The details below are based on how Logitech describes these products. They are not results from independent audio testing, and no such test data was available for this article.

What the built-in microphone is designed for

Logitech describes the microphones on its entry-level 720p webcams as suited to video calls. On some models it says they include noise reduction. The C505 is also described as having a longer pickup range than the more basic models. These are manufacturer claims. How clear your voice actually sounds depends heavily on your room, your distance from the camera and background noise.

In general, webcam microphones are small and sit at monitor height, often a metre or more from your mouth. That makes them convenient, but they pick up more room echo and ambient noise than a microphone placed closer to you. This applies to webcam microphones as a category. It is not a measured finding about any specific Logitech model.

Microphone, speakers and app processing are separate

Problems with call audio are often blamed on the webcam when the cause is somewhere else. It helps to keep three things apart:

• Microphone capture: how your voice is picked up and sent to others. This is the only audio job the webcam does.
• Speaker playback: how you hear other people. These webcams don't have speakers, so playback comes from your computer, monitor, headphones or external speakers.
• Application processing: calling and recording apps can apply their own noise suppression, echo cancellation and volume levelling. These settings can noticeably change how the same microphone sounds.

If people say you sound distant or echoey, the webcam microphone and your room are the likely causes. If you can't hear others clearly, look at your speakers or headphones instead. If your voice cuts in and out or sounds over-processed, check the noise suppression settings in your calling app.

Connection and compatibility

These webcams connect over USB, and Logitech markets them as plug-and-play. When connected, the microphone normally shows up on your computer as its own audio input device, separate from the camera. If your voice isn't coming through, check that the webcam microphone is selected as the input. Look in both your operating system's sound settings and the audio settings of your calling or recording app, because the app setting can override the system default.

Operating system and app support differs between models and changes over time. Check Logitech's current compatibility information for your exact model and system rather than assuming that all 720p models behave the same way.

When to add a separate microphone

The built-in microphone is usually enough for everyday meetings, online classes and casual calls in a reasonably quiet room. A separate microphone, or a headset with a boom microphone, is worth considering in these situations:

• You record content, stream or present regularly and want clearer, closer-sounding voice.
• Your room is noisy, echoey or shared with others.
• You sit far from the webcam, or the camera is mounted away from where you speak.
• Other people often ask you to repeat yourself even after you've adjusted app settings.

If you add an external microphone, select it as the input in your app. You can leave the webcam connected for video only. Using both as inputs at once isn't needed and can cause confusion about which one is active.

Gaps to be aware of

This article doesn't include independent measurements of Logitech 720p webcam microphones, side-by-side recordings or current prices. Prices and availability vary by market and change often. Check current listings from retailers in your region. Where possible, also listen to recorded samples from reviewers before deciding whether the built-in microphone will be enough for you.