Is it possible to determine the microphone type?

Question

I have an application that needs different hotkeys depending on the microphone type (handheld vs headset). Right now I am checking display name, but sometimes a handheld is registered under a generic name. So, I need something more definitive, but I have searched and cannot find any way to determine this difference from Windows. Is there any API that will let me know this difference or not?

Answer 1

No, it's not. Consider the case that you have a mic plugged in via the 3.5mm mic port on the front of the computer, instead of a USB mic. The only thing that goes over that wire is the audio data; no metadata. It could be a headset, a handheld mic, or a line in from a record player.

You can make your best guess first (e.g. might be your current method, or just assume "headset" if that's the most common), but then you should let your user configure it to work how they want it to work. This is the only definitive way to do this "correctly".