Remote Working to be Permanent
The pandemic has caused a huge shift in work models and turned remote work into a permanent part of business operations.
As a result, face-to-face meetings are replaced by virtual meetings, of which the quality depends on not only the status of meeting participants but also the performance of the hardware.
The webcam determines how you look, and the speakerphone decides how you sound to the remote meeting participants and what you hear.
For a smooth meeting experience, take some time to select the best speakerphone for your home office.
Before picking a speakerphone, let's think about these questions.
- What is a speakerphone?
- Why do I need a speakerphone?
- What do I expect from it?
Let's start with the first one.
What is a speakerphone?
It's a device that combines a microphone and a loudspeaker, which can free your hands and ears during a call.
It can not only record your voice and send it to the other side but also loudly broadcast audio from the other side.
Why do you need a speakerphone for your home office?
People working from home frequently participate in virtual meetings for team collaboration. The sound coming out of the built-in speaker of the laptop or mobile phone is usually audible within a very limited space. Either you have to sit at the desk until the meeting closes, or you have to carry your phone/laptop wherever you go.
Wearing a wireless headset seems to perfectly solve the problem but it causes discomfort due to long-time use and may impair your hearing.
Instead, if you equip yourself with a speakerphone, things will be different:
- It avoids squeezing your ears.
- It can produce so loud a sound that fills the whole room, so you can move around the room without missing any important information.
- Most speakerphones come with the functionality of noise reduction, so background noise such as kids' laughter, keyboard clatter, and buzz of the air conditioner will not be heard.
What do you expect from a speakerphone?
To choose the best speakerphone for your home office, it's necessary to ask yourself what you care about regarding this product. Take a look at the listed factors to learn which ones you care about for a speakerphone:
Design
Speakerphones come in different shapes, sizes, colors, and button arrangements.
Setup
It will save you a lot of time and effort if the speakerphone is made to plug and play. You won't be bothered by installing a driver or software.
Connectivity
Up to 3 connection methods can be supported by a speakerphone. A USB cable, Bluetooth, or a USB dongle. The latter two methods are wireless connection options, allowing you to put the speakerphone at any place you like.
Compatibility
Check what operating systems and meeting platforms a speakerphone is compatible with when you are looking through its product information.
Functionality
The basic function of a speakerphone is picking up your voice and amplifying the sound from the remote meeting participants. For a better experience, more user-friendly functions are integrated into the speakerphone.
- Buttons to increase/decrease the volume.
- Button to mute the microphone so as not to be heard by the other side when you need private talk.
- Noise reduction algorithm adopted to eliminate background noise to ensure you are clearly heard.
- Full duplex communication that enables you to talk and hear simultaneously.
Sound quality
The sound you hear depends on the speaker. The louder sound the speaker can produce, the wider the space where you can move around. The closer the produced audio is to the original voice of your teammates, the more connected you feel with them.
Your voice to be heard depends on the microphone. Working from home means you are not only living but also working with your family under the same roof. Cooking, kids' shouting or laughter, dogs' barking, doors' snapping or knocking, and so on. There are many sources of noise, hard to avoid, which can interrupt and embarrass you. It would be of great help if the microphone could eliminate the noise while picking up your voice.
Pick the best speakerphone for home office
With a clearer understanding of your needs, check which one best suits you among the EMEET speakerphone lineup.
USB Speakerphones for Home Office
EMEET OfficeCore M0 is a palm-sized square speakerphone featuring 360° voice pickup and 4 AI Microphones.
Key features:
- Noise reduction
- Full-duplex communication supported
- LED ring light indicating the direction of the speaker
- Plug and play
- AUX-out port included
- Universal compatibility with operating systems and meeting platforms
Size: 3.1 x 3.1 x 1.6 inches
Wireless Speakerphones for Home Office
Unlike USB speakerphones, Bluetooth speakerphones come with a chargeable battery to work without an external power supply.
EMEET OfficeCore M2 is a portable and professional speakerphone supporting 5-10 people meetings, with 4 microphones, AI-powered noise cancellation.
Key features:
- 4 microphones pick up sound at 360°
- Smart Led indication provides interactive talk
- Full-duplex communication
- Patented VoiceIA® noise reduction algorithm
- Double up for 16 attendees
- Plug and play; 3 connection methods; A carrying case included
- Widely compatible with various operating systems and meeting software
Size: 4.9 inches in diameter, 1.4 inches thick.
EMEET Conference Speaker M2 Max, as a professional speakerphone featuring 48KHz sampling rates, supports meetings of up to 15 people.
Key Features:
- 4 directional mics with 48KHz sampling rates
- 360° voice pickup
- Full-duplex communication
- Noise reduction algorithm VoiceIA®
- Daisy chaining two devices supports meetings of up to 25 participants.
- Professional-grade sound - built-in 89dB speaker
- Plug and play; 3 connection methods
- Compatible with a wide range of platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, Skype, etc.
Size: 7.4 inches in diameter, 1.8 inches thick.
Note: M2 Max is larger than M2 in size and has a wider voice pickup range, Two Bluetooth devices, such as your laptop and mobile phone, can be connected to the bluetooth conference speaker M2 Max devices at the same time by Bluetooth and by the USB dongle.
Product Comparison
| EMEET OfficeCore M0 | EMEET OfficeCore M2 | EMEET OfficeCore M2 Max | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meeting with | Up to 5 people | Up to 10 people | Up to 15 people |
| Full-duplex Talk | Supported | Supported | Supported |
| Noise Reduction | Supported | Exclusive VoiceIA algorithm | Exclusive VoiceIA algorithm |
| Connectivity | USB, Aux | USB, Bluetooth, Dongle, Aux | USB, Bluetooth, Dongle, Aux |
| BT Connection | ❌ | 1 device connected at once |
2 devices connected at once |
| Battery Life | No Battery | 10 hours | 12hours |
| DOA LED light | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Daisy-Chained | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Carrying Case | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Conclusion
If you prefer a USB speakerphone, EMEET OfficeCore M0 would be the right choice; if you are inclined to buy a Bluetooth speakerphone, EMEET OfficeCore M2 and EMEET Bluetooth Conference Speaker M2 Max are recommended for you. Think about what you care about concerning a speakerphone, like the design, setup, connectivity, etc, and narrow down the scope. You can soon find the best speakerphone for home-office use.
