When using Windows I make it a point to use the Device Manager to disable anything other than the intended audio and video input devices. This way you either g

When using Windows I make it a point to use the Device Manager to disable anything other than the intended audio and video input devices. This way you either get the right sound and video or none at all. No more whoops, fall-back to the crappy built-in mic or webcam on the laptop or even the crappy mic inside the add-on USB webcam. The latter being a little trickier to manage if you've got a lot of USB ports and you're not using them consistently, but still do-able. My spouse does a LOT of video conferencing and has, time and again, gotten compliments on how well her audio comes through. This using a SoundBlaster USB dongle with an old-school wired analog headset. Though the favored headset has long-since been discontinued and finding a good replacement (comfort and audio quality) has been a bit of a challenge. No luck with NOS searches via ebay anymore either.