The microphones and speakers on our laptops and mobile devices are not terrible (by which I mean they are usable). But now that to work from home is the new normal for many of us - which means tons of virtual meetings and video conferencing - you're probably looking for a better audio experience. One way is to get a number of headphone That's good for making a call, but the other is getting a speakerphone that is specifically designed for making and receiving calls.
Since the speakers tend to lack a bit of bass and instead focus on mid-range performance (in other words, they're designed for voices), they're not like a typical portable speaker. That said, you don't necessarily want to grab one when you're watching a movie or play music. That means they are louder and sound fuller than your phone's speakers. So if you need a wireless speaker and are in need, you are better than nothing.
I've reviewed, or at least tested, all of the best hands-free models listed here. Note that those with USB connections will work with Windows PCs and Macs, while a Bluetooth hands-free model will work with your mobile phone and tablet too. And most of them are compatible with the universal communication format, which is essentially the industry standard.
So read on when you're ready to buy the best home office speakerphone either for yourself or as a Christmas present.
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Anker released a new wireless speakerphone earlier this year that offers solid performance for the money. Six microphones are arranged in a 360-degree array to pick up the voices of up to eight people in a room. This Bluetooth hands-free kit is charged via USB-C and connected to your computer (if you want to go the wired route). You can easily connect to your mobile phone and tablet using Bluetooth technology. With an integrated 6,700 mAh battery, you can also charge your devices via the hands-free system. The battery life is 24 hours for the call time.
The speaker performed well, had good clarity, and sound quality similar to the Jabra Speak 510. Jabra's Speak 710 has a slightly richer sound with a little more bass, but this speaker costs $ 100 more. While this can also be used as a speaker for listening to music or watching movies - and is a significant advancement over your smartphone or laptop's built-in speakers, especially in terms of volume - Anker says it's primarily a speaker is conference speakerphone. Whether you are in a large conference room or in smaller conference rooms, voices for up to eight people can be recorded anywhere. A carrying case is included.
Note that you cannot connect more than one Bluetooth device to this unit at the same time.
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The Luna is the newest speakerphone from eMeet and is great value for money of around $ 90 with an instant coupon on Amazon. It is designed to compete with Anker's PowerConf (see above). It's not quite as elegant as the PowerConf, nor does it come with a protective cover like this model. Microphone performance is also good, but not on par with the Jabra Speak 510 in terms of clarity (see below). That said, it offers good noise reduction.
The speaker sounds clear and loud and is versatile: you can work wirelessly via Bluetooth, connect the speaker to the USB port on your PC (with a cable supplied) or connect the wireless dongle for a more reliable Bluetooth connection.
It can be daisy-chained to other eMeet speakerphones to add more people - up to 12, says eMeet - in case you run a multi-home business or just have a really large family.
The Jabra Speak 510 wireless Bluetooth speaker, which has been discontinued in a few years, can be connected to a computer directly via a USB cable or wirelessly via Bluetooth. It doesn't offer as much volume as the Speak 710 Bluetooth speakerphone, which costs around twice as much. According to Jabra, the speaker is suitable for smaller rooms with a cover for four people in a meeting. This portable speakerphone has an omnidirectional 360 degree microphone and the battery lasts up to 15 hours in wireless mode. A carrying case is included.
You can purchase this model with a Universal Communications (UC) USB dongle that allows you to connect directly to a PC wirelessly. The wired USB option is fine, however, and offers the same softphone functionality for Windows PCs or Macs.
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With the Jabra Speak 710 wireless Bluetooth speakerphone (approx. $ 300), you can significantly improve the sound and microphone quality of the Speak 510 Bluetooth speakerphone (it's bigger, but still compact). While it costs more if you're looking for top-notch performance with great noise cancellation in a consumer speakerphone, the 710 delivers it. According to Jabra, this is designed for up to six people in a conference room, but you can daisy-chain some of these in a larger room to double the number of people involved. It also has a built-in USB cable for direct connection to a computer and a UC USB (Universal Communications) dongle for reliable wireless connections to a Windows PC or Mac without installing any software (both come with a companion App).
Don't expect it to sound great for watching music or movies, but it has more bass than the Speak 510 and Anker.
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The eMeet M0 is a compact USB hands-free system that connects to your computer using the supplied USB-A to USB-C cable. No drivers are required - it's plug and play - but there is no wireless option. It has four intelligent microphone arrangements, acoustic echo cancellation and noise reduction technology and is suitable as a conference phone for meetings with up to four people. This conference speakerphone is louder and clearer than typical laptop speakers and picks up your voice well from a distance.
If you can't afford the Jabra Speak 710 and are looking for a compact, "more professional" Bluetooth speakerphone, the eMeet M2 is less than $ 200, has strong features, and performed well on my tests (it plays louder as they). d think for its size). It is equipped with an array of four microphones, acoustic echo, and noise cancellation technology and can operate with clear sound in larger rooms with five to eight people participating in a conference call. You can connect the hands-free system directly to a computer (Mac or Windows) with a USB cable or work wirelessly with the supplied Bluetooth USB dongle. You can also use the Bluetooth connection for your smartphone or tablet. A carrying case is included.
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The iPhone-friendly Pioneer Rayz Rally has been around for a while - I checked it out back in 2017 - but it's still on sale and now only costs $ 70.
The small personal speakerphone fits in your pocket and has a built-in Lightning cable so it plugs directly into your iOS device and draws power from it, albeit not a lot (this has little impact on battery life). Because of its size and portability, you can even use it as a car speakerphone. It's not in the same class as the other handsfree kits in this roundup in terms of sound quality or microphone performance, but the sound quality from your smartphone's speakers will be slightly affected. The latest generation iPhones have improved internal speakers, so the difference is not as big as it was a few years ago with the iPhone 7 or 8, but still more volume (everything in the middle range, of course).
The single button on the speaker acts as a mute button on phone calls (so callers can't hear you) or as a pause / play button when listening to music or videos. And like the Rayz Plus headphones, the speaker has a built-in pass-through Lightning connector that lets you charge your phone with a separate Lightning cable. Read our Pioneer Rayz Rally Review.
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Originally published earlier this year. Updated with current offers.