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For me, getting a USB speakerphone made a huge difference. It's so much more comfortable than wearing a headset all day, even a wireless one. After a lot of re

For me, getting a USB speakerphone made a huge difference. It's so much more comfortable than wearing a headset all day, even a wireless one. After a lot of research (I would recommend this blind test as a start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBRkKAelaKQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBRkKAelaKQ) I decided for the Calisto P7200. Its microphone quality seems to be comparable to a headset, and it will automatically turn off when there are no human voices, so nobody will hear you typing.

Wistar 6y ago
Thank you! I just ordered the P7200. Had I not seen your post, I'd have not been aware of the device.
tootie 6y ago
I have a Jabra and I love it, but in a crowded house with meetings and remote learning going on, it's not usually an option. A USB headset with directional microphone works well for me.
- tjansen 6y ago
  Yes, I would only recommend it when you are in a quiet room.
chrisseaton 6y ago
What's the difference between a USB speakerphone and just using the microphone and speakers in your computer?
- cj 6y ago
  Not the OP, but in my case my laptop is docked (laptop shut) when working with 2 external monitors attached.
- FooHentai 6y ago
  The mic and speakers on the laptop are designed for a single listener/speaker sitting directly in front of the machine. A USB speakerphone is designed for multiple speakers and a wider area in which they could be positioned. You also get some advantages from isolating the mic/speaker from the laptop chassis, noise control and such. Same reasoning as using an external DAC/Amp for headphones rather than the onboard interfaces.
- tjansen 6y ago
  It just works. I haven't experimented a lot with the built-in microphone because I have been in enough meetings that have been ruined by people using the built-in microphone. But I never heard any complaints about echos, and when I record myself using the speakerphone the audio quality is fine. I have also experiemented with background noise such as typing, and as I long I don't speak, I can't hear myself typing.
gomox 6y ago
It's comfortable but it's not full duplex as opposed to a proper headset. Keep in mind everyone else's ability to speak to you on a call is impaired by using a speakerphone.
- pimlottc 6y ago
  Hmm, the datasheet [0] for the Calisto 7200 claims to deliver full duplex audio: > Four microphone directional array technology provides superior echo cancellation and full duplex audio One of the reviewers on Amazon says this as well [1]. 0: https://www.poly.com/content/dam/plantronics/documents-and-guides/product-sheets/calisto-7200-ps-en.pdf https://www.poly.com/content/dam/plantronics/documents-and-g... 1: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1NFJRGUUYWF4F/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B07DCDKB2C https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1NFJRGUUYWF4F/re...
  - gomox 6y ago
    I have tried enough conference call speakerphones that claimed to be full duplex to know that it's a safe assumption that the claim is 100% false. I haven't tried this specific one but from my point of view the odds of a microphone picking up your voice clearly from 2ft away, while happily filtering out a very loud sound being emitted 1cm away at the same time, are quite low. Much lower than the odds of a marketing drone getting away with lying on a product brochure. I'm not an audio expert, but I doubt the SNR is there for the noise cancelling to be effective when you have to substract a 10db echo to recover a 1db voice. On the other hand, Katie from the Amazon review seems knowledgeable and she has past reviews of other speakerphones so it might be worth a shot :) Still, I'll believe it when I hear it!
    - zamfi 6y ago
      > you have to substract a 10db echo to recover a 1db voice You would think so, but subtracting the (speaker-generated, i.e., known-signal!) sound from 1cm away is trivial. The hard part is subtracting the echoes off your walls, laptop, desk decorations, etc. etc. etc. That's not 10db, but it's still on par with your voice! You are not wrong at a high level -- speakerphones are terrible -- but it's not because the speaker is right next to the mic!
ohazi 6y ago
Ugh. Doing this makes the call worse for everybody else. Get a more comfortable headset instead.
- Shared404 6y ago
  Seconding this. I like the Arctis line by SteelSeries. The only exception I can think of is if your environment is exceptionally quiet -- It's probably not -- or if your mic/computer have better audio filtering then most.

Wistar 6y ago

Thank you! I just ordered the P7200. Had I not seen your post, I'd have not been aware of the device.

tootie 6y ago

I have a Jabra and I love it, but in a crowded house with meetings and remote learning going on, it's not usually an option. A USB headset with directional microphone works well for me.

tjansen 6y ago
Yes, I would only recommend it when you are in a quiet room.

chrisseaton 6y ago

What's the difference between a USB speakerphone and just using the microphone and speakers in your computer?

cj 6y ago
Not the OP, but in my case my laptop is docked (laptop shut) when working with 2 external monitors attached.
FooHentai 6y ago
The mic and speakers on the laptop are designed for a single listener/speaker sitting directly in front of the machine. A USB speakerphone is designed for multiple speakers and a wider area in which they could be positioned. You also get some advantages from isolating the mic/speaker from the laptop chassis, noise control and such. Same reasoning as using an external DAC/Amp for headphones rather than the onboard interfaces.
tjansen 6y ago
It just works. I haven't experimented a lot with the built-in microphone because I have been in enough meetings that have been ruined by people using the built-in microphone. But I never heard any complaints about echos, and when I record myself using the speakerphone the audio quality is fine. I have also experiemented with background noise such as typing, and as I long I don't speak, I can't hear myself typing.

gomox 6y ago

It's comfortable but it's not full duplex as opposed to a proper headset. Keep in mind everyone else's ability to speak to you on a call is impaired by using a speakerphone.

pimlottc 6y ago
Hmm, the datasheet [0] for the Calisto 7200 claims to deliver full duplex audio: > Four microphone directional array technology provides superior echo cancellation and full duplex audio One of the reviewers on Amazon says this as well [1]. 0: https://www.poly.com/content/dam/plantronics/documents-and-guides/product-sheets/calisto-7200-ps-en.pdf https://www.poly.com/content/dam/plantronics/documents-and-g... 1: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1NFJRGUUYWF4F/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B07DCDKB2C https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1NFJRGUUYWF4F/re...
- gomox 6y ago
  I have tried enough conference call speakerphones that claimed to be full duplex to know that it's a safe assumption that the claim is 100% false. I haven't tried this specific one but from my point of view the odds of a microphone picking up your voice clearly from 2ft away, while happily filtering out a very loud sound being emitted 1cm away at the same time, are quite low. Much lower than the odds of a marketing drone getting away with lying on a product brochure. I'm not an audio expert, but I doubt the SNR is there for the noise cancelling to be effective when you have to substract a 10db echo to recover a 1db voice. On the other hand, Katie from the Amazon review seems knowledgeable and she has past reviews of other speakerphones so it might be worth a shot :) Still, I'll believe it when I hear it!
  - zamfi 6y ago
    > you have to substract a 10db echo to recover a 1db voice You would think so, but subtracting the (speaker-generated, i.e., known-signal!) sound from 1cm away is trivial. The hard part is subtracting the echoes off your walls, laptop, desk decorations, etc. etc. etc. That's not 10db, but it's still on par with your voice! You are not wrong at a high level -- speakerphones are terrible -- but it's not because the speaker is right next to the mic!

ohazi 6y ago

Ugh. Doing this makes the call worse for everybody else. Get a more comfortable headset instead.

Shared404 6y ago
Seconding this. I like the Arctis line by SteelSeries. The only exception I can think of is if your environment is exceptionally quiet -- It's probably not -- or if your mic/computer have better audio filtering then most.