Recommend me a… conference call speaker/microphone

Suitable for using on Skype calls in the office – preferably cool-looking, Bluetooth/USB and dead easy to use with Macs.

Do I need to get two separate things or is there an all-in-one device that will do it?

Cheers

I always use a cabled headset as the bluetooth ones are typically only one ear and get uncomfortable over time. I’ve just had a Microsoft Livechat LX-3000 one from currys for reasonably cheap and it’s excellent, stays comfortable for hours of use on end and quality is good.

Sorry, I mean one that is suitable for several of us sat around a desk, not a headset one.

Like this sort of thing…..
http://store.apple.com/uk/product/HB814ZM/A/philips-wecall-bluetooth-conference-speaker-phone

Have you tested just using the Mac on board speaker and mic?

I don’t use a headset anymore and haven’t for a long time – both with Skype and Lync. Not sure how well it would work for a group round a table. Surely you want something from Polycom for that?

Logitech make a really good one. I think they do one that’s just a speaker, and one with a camera that looks a bit like a Dalek.

Have you tested just using the Mac on board speaker and mic?

Yes and that’s what we are having issues with – the mic is too quiet (so we have to pass the laptop around and lean into it) and our meeting room is quite echo-y too so people struggle to hear us. The speaker isn’t as much of an issue (we currently use a pair of PC speakers that are okay, but we just feel there should be a more elegant all-in-one solution that’s easy to use – like a Bluetooth unit that just sits on the desk ready to be used when we need it.

We use the Jabra ones.
Not the cheapest but work a treat even with 8+ people round a table.

http://www.jabra.co.uk/products/pc_headsets/jabra_speak__410_series/jabra_speak_410

Can’t go wrong with any of the Lync qualified devices. I have an older Jabra Speak 410, they do a 510 which does Bluetooth as well as USB. We use it for Skype/Facetime at home as well as for Lync calls.

We have thousands of those and similar out at customers and they always get good feedback, even from people used to proper conference phones. They work fine in any room where you’d only use a single mic.

There’s a Skype certification too but it’s a bit hit and miss – given that MS bought Skype I think any cert process will merge anyway. Anything on this list will be fine:

http://catalog.lync.com/en-us/hardware/usb-audio-and-video-devices/index.aspx#/locale=en-us&categoryid=2&sortby=3&subcategoryid=4&filter=&manufacture=&version=&isQualified=&region=&language=&page=1&apptype=&tags=

I’ve got a spare Jabra Speak 410 if you want one to try?