With everyone’s busy schedules, it can be difficult to hold in-person, face-to-face meetings. This is especially true if attendees are located in different buildings, states or even countries. That’s why you should consider investing in a high-end conference phone system. High-end conference phones can be an important tool for your busy organization, even saving you time and money.
If you need a high-end conference phone, the AT&T SB3014 DECT 6.0 Conference Phone with premium sound and full-room coverage is the top choice.
Conference phone systems typically come with either wireless, built-in or wired extension microphones.
Wireless microphones give you the biggest flexibility and work well in bigger rooms, where the call participants are moving around or delivering a presentation.
Built-in microphones are located in the base of the phone, while wired extension microphones enable you to extend the range so you can hold your conference call in a bigger room.
Consider whether a portable high-end conference phone is the right choice for your office. If you need a system that’s portable, you’ll want to consider the overall size of the phone system. You may also want to find one that can be powered by battery instead of needing an outlet. The conference phone will also require USB or wireless connectivity to a network.
It’s important to buy a high-end conference phone with an active speaker feature. This identifies which person is currently talking on the conference phone screen, helping eliminate issues with speaker identification and confusion which often occurs with audio-only conference calls.
Some high-end conference phone systems work with Bluetooth, allowing you to use smartphones, wireless headsets and other tools with your high-end conference phone. This Bluetooth connectivity can also help extend the abilities of the high-end conference phone.
One of the biggest benefits of Bluetooth connectivity is you can boost the number of participants on the conference call when they can use their own smartphone.
Many high-end systems have a call recording feature, which allows you to record meetings. This may be beneficial when reviewing decisions that resulted from the call.
Most high-end conference phone systems have some kind of display, including touch screens and simple two-line LCD displays. With a display, you are able to easily interact with the high-end conference phone and get information about the call.
High-end conference phones tend to range from about $200-$400, depending on the features and the quality of the phone.
A. Some high-end conference phone models may allow you to add extra microphones, but this scalability is not a common feature. That being said, you can simply buy two conference phone systems or purchase a high-end conference phone system that incorporates Bluetooth as a feature, which enables anyone with a Bluetooth-capable device or smartphone to participate in the conference call.
A. Some high-end conference phones are analog and need both a cord and standard phone service to send and receive calls. Other high-end conference phones can be used with Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, on Wi-Fi networks to receive and place calls through apps and programs like FaceTime and Skype.
A. As long as you have phone service, a high-end conference phone that works with an analog phone line will work like a regular phone, with many of the same features.
AT&T SB3014 DECT 6.0 Conference Phone
What you need to know: This comprehensive conference phone from AT&T comes with two different wireless microphones for maximum coverage.
What you’ll love: This AT&T conference phone provides two onboard microphones for full capture of realistic conversation with digital mixing, as well as four wireless DECT 6.0 microphones. It also connects through a landline RJ11 telephone jack.
What you should consider: Some users had trouble connecting the conference phone to VoIP systems.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Yamaha YVC-330 Portable USB & Bluetooth Conference Phone
What you need to know: This high-end conference phone from Yamaha is perfect for loud environments, and has a feature for handling open-air meetings.
What you’ll love: This Yamaha high-end conference phone features three unidirectional microphones with human voice detection, as well as technology that mutes any sound outside a three-foot radius from the device.
What you should consider: This conference phone uses Bluetooth 2.1.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
JABRA Speak 750 UC Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
What you need to know: This conference phone from Jabra is a great speakerphone with a microphone that pairs with your conferencing software or smartphone.
What you’ll love: This Jabra conference phone comes with excellent sound quality and a full duplex speaker with a microphone unit for real-time conversation. It’s also optimized for Microsoft Skype for Business and other Unified Communications protocols.
What you should consider: This conference phone requires a connection to an audio/video conferencing service or a smartphone.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Alex Kilpatrick writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
