The speakers and microphones on our laptops and mobile devices aren't terrible (by that I mean they're usable), but now that many of us are working from home because of COVID-19-related stay-at-home orders -- and doing a lot more virtual meetings -- we're looking for a better audio experience. One option is to get a set of headphones that are good for makings calls, but the other is to get a speakerphone that's designed expressly for the purpose of making and taking calls. Because these tend to lack a little bass and focus instead on midrange performance (voices), these aren't ideal for playing music or supplying the audio for movie watching, but they do work for that as well, playing louder and sounding fuller than your mobile device's speakers.
I've reviewed or anecdotally tested all of the models listed here. Note that the ones with USB connections work with Macs and Windows PCs, whereas Bluetooth models will also work with mobile phones and tablets. And most of these are compatible with the universal communication format that's essentially the industry standard.
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Anker released a new wireless speakerphone earlier this year and it offers solid performance for the money, with six microphones arranged in a 360-degree array to pick up the voice of up to eight people in a room. It charges and connects via USB-C to your computer (if you want to go the wired route) and easily connects to phones and tablets via Bluetooth. With an integrated 6,700mAh battery, you can also charge your devices with the speakerphone. Battery life is rated at 24 hours for call time.
The speaker performed well, with good clarity and similar sound quality to the Jabra Speak 510. Jabra's Speak 710 delivers a little fuller sound with a little more bass, but that speaker costs $100 more. While this can also be used as a speaker for listening to music or watching movies -- and is a significant step up from the built-in speakers on your phone or laptop, particularly in terms of loudness -- Anker says it's first and foremost for conference calls. A carrying case is included.
Note that you can't connect multiple Bluetooth devices to this at the same time.
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The Jabra Speak 510, which has been out for a few years, can be connected directly to a computer with a USB cable or wirelessly via Bluetooth. It doesn't offer as much volume as the step up Speak 710, which costs about twice as much. Jabra says the speaker is suitable for smaller rooms with coverage for 4 people in a meeting. It has 360-degree omnidirectional microphone and up to 15 hours of battery life in wireless mode. A carrying case is included.
You can get this model with a UC (universal communications) USB dongle that allows you to have a direct wireless connection with a PC, also for about $150. But the wired USB option is fine, and it offers the same softphone features for Windows PCs or Macs.
With Jabra's Speak 710 (around $230), you're getting a noticeable bump up in sound and microphone quality from the Speak 510 (it is bigger but still compact). While it costs more, if you're looking for top-notch performance with excellent noise-reduction in a consumer-grade speakerphone, the 710 delivers it. Jabra says this rated for up to six people in a conference room, but you can daisy-chain a couple of these in a larger room to get twice the number of people involved. It also has an integrated USB cable for connecting directly to a computer and includes a UC (universal communications) USB dongle for reliable wireless connections with a Windows PC or Mac without installing any software (there is a companion app for both).
Don't expect it to sound great for music or movie watching but it does have more bass than the Speak 510 and the Anker.
The eMeet M0 is a compact USB speakerphone that connects to your computer with an included USB-A to USB-C cable. No drivers are required -- it's plug and play -- but there is no wireless option. It has a four smart microphone array, acoustic echo cancellation, noise-reduction technology and is suitable for meetings with up to four people. It is louder and more clear than your typical laptop speakers and picks up your voice well from several feet away.
If you can't afford the Jabra Speak 710 and are looking for a compact, more "professional" speakerphone, the eMeet M2 costs less than $200, has a strong feature set and performed well in my tests (it plays louder than you'd think for its size). It's equipped with a four microphone array, acoustic echo along with noise reduction technology and can operate in larger rooms with five to eight people participating on a conference call. You can opt to plug it directly into a computer (Mac or Windows) with a USB cable or go wireless with the included Bluetooth USB dongle. You can also connect via Bluetooth to your phone or tablet. A carrying case is included.
The iPhone-friendly Pioneer Rayz Rally has been around for a while -- I reviewed it back in 2017 -- but it's still being sold and is down to $50 (from an initial list price of $100).
The little speakerphone fits in your pocket and has an integrated Lightning cable so it plugs directly into your iOS device and draws power from it, though not much (it has little impact on battery life). It's not in the same class as the other speakerphones in this round up in terms sound quality or microphone performance, but it does give a little bump in sound from your phone's speakers. The latest-generation iPhones have improved internal speakers, so the difference isn't as great as it was a few years ago with the iPhone 7 or 8, but it still has more volume (it's all mid-range, of course).
The single button on the speaker serves as a mute button during phone calls (so callers can't hear you) or a pause/play button while listening to music or videos. And like the Rayz Plus headphone, there's a pass-through Lightning port integrated into the speaker that allows you to charge your phone with a separate Lightning cable. Read our Pioneer Rayz Rally review.
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