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Today's laptops are pretty likely to include an on-board microphone, but how far this component gets you is really going to depend on your needs. For those who use a microphone just for a quick video call or meeting, the mic included with your machine is probably fine in a pinch. However, if you find that you need to rely on your microphone more and more, then using the one included with your device can really have its disadvantages.

A laptop microphone's downsides can help explain why some may want to consider a high-end microphone for their work setup . Laptop mics can typically function well enough on their own, but one of the major problems is ensuring the microphone is actually close enough to your mouth that it isn't picking up background sounds (or just picking up the sound of your keyboard).…