IPEVO VOCAL AI Beamforming Bluetooth Speakerphone

$249

Conference calls can sometimes be the most stressful times at work as you are often desperately trying to coordinate a large group of people with varying levels of Wi-Fi connectivity, image resolution and sound quality – all whilst trying to make vital and potentially expensive company decisions! However, with the IPEVO VOCAL, the sound quality is one thing you will never need to worry about in a meeting again. The IPEVO is the world’s first Bluetooth speakerphone which uses 2-way AI noise reduction on both ends of the call to deliver crystal clean conferencing without the usual hassle of separate microphones and speakers.

I was super excited to get to try out the IPEVO speakerphone in the office as our meeting room often causes an echo on calls which has led to both ends of the call hearing feedback and the dreaded delayed echo of our voices. Straight out of the box, the speakerphone is rather sleek in the black cone shape with a small speaker/microphone cylinder on the top. I found the speakerphone sat neatly in the middle of the desk and looked smart without any excessive wires getting in the way.

Included in the box is a USB-C charging cable to charge up the speakerphone, which usefully holds 40 hours of power perfect for many conference calls during the week. On the sides of the speakerphone are buttons which are intuitively colour-coded to help you quickly turn on and adjust the direction of the speaker/mic with ease. Much like many Bluetooth speakers, the IPEVO was easy to connect to my laptop and only took a few minutes to set up before I was ready for my meeting.

At first, I was worried that using a new speakerphone might prove more complicated and delay the call, but the plug-in-and-play aspect of the IPEVO made it super easy to set up and the sound quality was noticeably better. Our team on the other end of the call even noted that the sound was much better than normal. The IPEVO VOCAL offers 360° sound capture which is perfect for group meetings to ensure that all voices around the table can be heard on calls. To make all voices even clearer, the speakerphone then uses AI technology to remove excessive outside noise for much clearer audio.    

However, as we were having a small meeting, we only needed the directional microphone which captures sound up to 120° and uses the same AI technology to cut down background noise. The received sound from our team on the other end of the call was also much clearer, as the speakerphone again utilises the same AI noise reduction technology to sharpen incoming audio too. Consequently, the IPEVO VOCAL is great for offices and will be a game changer for our team going forward, as not only does the speakerphone look great but its ability to produce great sound on both ends of the call adds an extra layer of professionalism which is great for big meetings with current and potential clients. 

If you are frequently on calls for work or even for gaming, the IPEVO VOCAL speakerphone will make once complicated group/conference calls just that bit easier. Whilst it won't change the dreaded camera quality (but IPEVO has other products to help with this!), it will deliver professional quality sound to at least allow you to communicate well with those on the other end of the call.

Pros:

• Multidirectional mic and speaker for 360° sound capture
• Lightweight design and Bluetooth connectivity for easy portability and wireless connection
• 40hour reliable battery life