I picked this device up for wired (USB) use with my work laptop as an alternative to a headset. As expected, the headset mic sounds a little bit better according to the folks I’ve spoken with, but the speakerphone is clear and understandable enough to use on a daily basis. I’m pretty happy with that, as the headset becomes uncomfortable after a couple hours’ use.
The speakerphone was very easy to connect and use (no setup required with Windows 11 and latest Teams) and after a few test calls tuning noise reduction and volume settings, I was ready to go. Audio output sounds good to very good with voices centered in the speaker and enough bass to sound natural but not distorted. I found using high noise reduction (vs auto) on the mic settings worked best with Teams – people can understand me but it does not pick up much if any background noise.
Additionally, I found I can use my external speakers and the speakerphone mic with no echo if I wanted to go that route. Nice to have maximum flexibility. I tried using the speakerphone via Bluetooth connection to my Pixel 7 for grins and all 3 of the people I called said the onboard Pixel mic sounded clearer / better than the external speakerphone. Could be Bluetooth, could be audio codec, who knows. That wasn’t my use case or reason for trying this device out, however.
Overall it’s a capable little speakerphone, and for Teams, Zoom, and other PC based USB connected functionality, it works well. I have not tried Bluetooth connected to the laptop mode, no real reason as this device sits on my desk under my monitor, which is maybe a foot away from the laptop. It comes with a braided fabric covered (nice quality!) usb-c to usb-a cable, and it auto powers off and on with the laptop. The touch controls on the device work as expected, though I will mention that the mute on the device is NOT reflected in PC based apps like Teams. When the mic goes red when you touch it on the speakerphone, you’re muted, but Teams does not show that you’re muted. That said, you can continue to use the Teams mute function with no issues, just be mindful in case people can’t hear you on a call – check the speakerphone mic icon!
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