Abstract: The present invention provides a voice coder for voice communication that employs a multi-microphone system as part of an improved approach to enhancing signal quality and improving the signal to noise ratio for such voice communications, where there is a special relationship between the position of a first microphone and a second microphone to provide the communication device with certain advantageous physical and acoustic properties. In addition, the communication device can have certain physical characteristics and design features. In a two microphone arrangement, the first microphone is located in a location directed toward the speech source, while the second microphone is located in a location that provides a voice signal with significantly lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).