Let the hive mind of Engadget get that for you.
"I've found myself using my PC for a lot of conversations lately, and I'm also considering recording a podcast to share with anyone who will listen. There are tons of USB headset / microphones out there, and I'm hoping someone has some solid recommendations based on experience. I'll consider both headsets and standalone mics, by the way, but I'd like to keep the bill under $100 if possible. Help!"
The original Q software stack was written by a bunch of rookies. I'm amazed it even shipped with the quality problems it had.
But the Q9 software was written by experienced devs and it has actually set records for reliability within Microsoft. It's unfortunate that it's inheriting the Q name since it certainly isn't inheriting anything else from it.