Sandberg USB Speakerphone Pro
Introduction
Whether you are working remotely from home or working in an office, a time will probably come where video chat will need to happen. This is particularly true during the pandemic, but even before COVID-19, businesses were increasingly having employees work remotely or from satellite locations. While many businesses and employees have functional webcams built into their smartphones and laptops, the integrated microphones are usually subpar. Quite frankly, when it comes to meetings, clear audio is far more important than webcam video quality. What we've got on the review bench today is another quality audio product from a company known to make such great devices, this time in the form of a Conference Call aimed speakerphone: the Sandberg USB Speakerphone Pro. This device is able to act as a speakerphone by connecting to your PC via USB, sound coming from its own speaker, with sound-in covered by one 2X omni-directional microphone allowing what Sandberg notes (and we agree) is a 3 meter range. This speaker works with Windows machines and Apple computers of all kinds with both plug-and-play capabilities.
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From the specifications and features, it is easy to guess what aspects of audio the speakers would focus on.
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Packaging & Contents
Sandberg has an easily recognizable package design in which the half side of each box is entirely blue, while all others are mainly black. On the front there is a large photo of the unit. The overall design is eye-catching and definitely something that would be a nice looking gift.
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At the rear of the box we see a description of the product printed in many languages right above the contents and specifications lists.
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The speaker is protected from all sides. Inside the box you get a Micro USB Cable.
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The package contains the manual and a pouch.
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A Closer Look
With a disc-like design, the Sandberg USB Speakerphone Pro looks like it would be perfectly at home on a conference table. Attention is drawn directly to the metal grill of the speakers when you first look at the device.
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It has a circular look shape with touch sensitive buttons atop and of course those cool lights that come up when turned on. It features a large 40mm 3W speaker and 2 x omni-directional stereo microphone.
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There are three touch points on the panel, two for volume control and one to mute the sound.
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There is no built-in battery as it requires a constant power supply through the provided USB connector.
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Performance
There is no installation necessary to make it work, just plug the USB cable in your laptop and you are set. By default it sets itself up as the default communication device, you can make it your primary speaker from the audio settings to make all sounds play through it.
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The 2x omni-directional microphone offers 360-degree coverage and was super-sensitive. I was able to whisper and surprisingly it picked it up from 5 feet away. Further, I was able to talk in normal voice 12 feet away and it too picked it up. The sensitivity to both near and far distance is critical for use in a conference room with multiple people at varying distances. I made a few more test calls and the remote parties said the call quality was excellent. I really was very impressed that this little device had such a hyper-sensitive microphone and the speaker quality was pretty good as well. This is not only beneficial when using the speaker for voice calls, but also when viewing movies. Dialog for our movie test track, took center stage, which contributed to the enjoyment of the movie. In short, there's some clever digital signal processing here. Also impressive was the volume of the sound generated which quite belies the small stature and build of the device. Obviously there are certain limitations imposed on the product due to its design which cannot be overcome. Scenes with heavy sounds effects and distortion laden guitars were points in our testing where the speakers faltered. Significant audio detail was lost for both. All that said, we were really pushing the USB Speakerphone Pro's audio department.
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Final Thoughts
When evaluating the Sandberg USB Speakerphone Pro it is important to remember what the manufacturer intends the device to be used for. If you want it for playing music and movies, it will perform but not delight. But if you need a hassle-free and high quality speakerphone for a UC conference, the gadget excels. Ease of installation and use, great portability and compatibility with a variety of Unified Communications platforms make the Sandberg USB Speakerphone Pro a logical solution for your audio conference needs. Thanks to the plug-and-play capabilities of the Sandberg USB Speakerphone Pro, businesses can achieve connectivity instantly with a simple and easy set-up to a laptop, pc, or tablet via USB. The 2X omni-directional microphone is great when you need to share the device with multiple participants in a conference call. Because of its 360-degree coverage, participants are not restricted by where they sit.
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The Sandberg USB Speakerphone Pro is available online for around $122. On a whole this is an ideal product though some might find this expensive but if you want the latest tech there is that delivers this is an investment especially if you are working from home and of course can be used in offices to hold small gathering meetings. Now with things the way they are that may be limited but going forward it is an ideal kit. Also to note this is very portable so it is not restricted to just one home or office and lightweight. Sandberg does have a strong reputation and also includes a 5 years warranty which covers your device if something happens during regular intended use of the speaker.
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