Portable and stylish, but at the expense of Bluetooth.
Microsoft is now shipping a handful of “trendy” accessories designed to enhance your work life, whether at home or in the office. We’ve already reviewed Microsoft’s modern headset and modern webcam, and now we’re reviewing Microsoft’s modern USB-C speakerphone designed for Teams conferencing.
The modern USB-C speakerphone is a small, portable conferencing device designed to enhance the Teams calling experience with better audio and dedicated controls for answering calls and controlling volume. It’s so small that it comes with a case included, protecting it from the elements when you’re on the go.
I’ve been using the Modern USB-C Speaker for the past month in many of my daily work meetings, trying out all of its features and capabilities, as well as checking out how good the microphones are. Here is my review!
Modern USB-C speaker
Bottom line: Microsoft’s modern USB-C speakerphone is a simple, stylish, and portable conferencing device built for Teams, but it’s missing a few extra features, like Bluetooth.
The good
- Compact and elegant.
- USB-C connection.
- Dedicated team controls.
The bad
- Not very configurable.
- No Bluetooth support.
- Not battery powered.
$80 at the Microsoft Store
Modern USB-C speaker: Price and availability
Microsoft Modern USB-C Speaker is available direct from Microsoft for $99, but right now it can be found for just $80. Here’s what you get:
| Category | Microsoft Modern USB-C Speaker |
|---|---|
| Color | Negro mate |
| Materials | Fabric + Silicone |
| Dimensions (LxWxD) | 138 mm (5,43″) x 70 mm (2,756″) x 29 mm (1,142″) |
| Weight | 191g (0.426lbs) |
| Frequent response | 200Hz – 20kHz for music 300Hz-10KHz for conference |
| Microphone | two omnidirectional |
| Spokesman | 50mm full range driver |
| Cable length | 680 mm (26,9″) |
| Appetizer | Conector USB-C |
| Compatibility | windows 11 windows 10 Windows 8/8.1 Mac OS X 10.15 MacOS 11+ |
| Microsoft equipment certification | Pass 1.5 m conference room Specifications |
| Buttons/Controls | Microsoft Teams button, mute button, volume up button, volume down button, link toggle button |
Modern USB-C speaker: what you will like
Right out of the box, the first thing you’ll notice when setting it up is the compact nature of this conference speakerphone. It’s small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, and its included carrying case means it’s easy to slip into a bag to take with you on a busy meeting day. In fact, the included carrying case is really nice. It’s sturdy, feels good, and will protect the speaker from sharp objects when you’re on the go.
The speaker itself is well designed, featuring a mesh-covered fabric around the outside, complete with a rubberized bottom and a small button control panel on top. The rubber bottom has a lip that houses a USB-C cable that unwinds when you need to connect the speaker to a computer. When the cable is not in use, it is hidden from view. Very well!
The buttons at the top feature a dedicated Teams quick launch button, an incoming call answer button, a volume up/down button, and a mute/unmute button. The Teams and mute/unmute buttons light up when pressed, and the mute button turns red when muting is enabled. Buttons are easy to press with satisfying click feedback.
Now, about the meat and potatoes. How is the audio quality? Let’s start with the listening experience, which I’d call pretty good for its size and purpose. It features a 50mm speaker which honestly surprised me with its bass output. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not going to rock your world, but for a conference speaker, this thing packs a bit of punch.
This, as a result, offers an excellent listening experience that sounds surprisingly rich, compared to many other conferencing devices that often skimp on audio quality because most conference calls use a low bitrate or microphone setup. quality. Because of how good the speakers are, you can get away with listening to music using this thing, though I wouldn’t buy it for that alone.
On the other hand of the audio experience, how are the microphones? Microsoft says the Modern USB-C Speaker has two omnidirectional speakers that pick up sound from everywhere quite well in the medium to large meeting room setups we tested. Also, the microphones have built-in noise reduction, which should help filter out noises like air conditioners, projectors, and other meeting room devices.
The accompanying accessory app allows you to adjust a couple of settings. You can set the mute button to act as a toggle switch to unmute your microphone, good for people who prefer a push-to-talk setup. You can also turn the alert tone on and off, which is a sound that plays when you mute and unmute the microphone.
Modern USB-C speaker: what you won’t like
I’d say there are very few downsides to this conference speaker if you buy it for its intended use. The audio output is good for conference calls and while you can get away with listening to some music, it’s not a dedicated device for listening to music. You’ll do fine in a pinch, but you can find better dedicated music listening devices for less money in this range.
I’ll also note that the built-in mics sound a bit worse than the built-in mics you can find on modern laptops, at least in my tests. This is likely because loudspeakers are designed to pick up audio from everywhere, in medium to large meeting rooms, necessitating powerful built-in microphones that often sound less crowded. It’s not great for conference calls, but if you were hoping to record high-quality audio with this device, that won’t happen.
Also, unlike other conference speakers on the market, this one does not have a built-in battery and therefore can only be used when powered via the built-in cable. Also, there are no wireless audio options, which means no Bluetooth support.
Lastly, as with other “modern” Microsoft peripherals, you can’t program the dedicated Teams button to launch another app if you’re not using Teams, which significantly limits the audience this product is designed for. While you can use speakerphone in other apps like Slack and Skype, the dedicated buttons for answering calls and launching Teams are unique to Teams.
Modern USB-C speaker: Competition
The market is full of conference speakers, many of which offer more features than the Microsoft Modern USB-C speakerphone. there he is lenovo 700 conference speakerphone, which is battery-powered and has built-in Bluetooth connectivity, a great option for those who can’t always connect the speakerphone via a cable, although this speakerphone is priced much higher than Microsoft’s at $150.
There is also the slightly cheaper Anker Power Conference speaker at $130, which is also battery-powered and features Bluetooth connectivity. Compared to the Microsoft Modern USB-C speaker, which doesn’t have a built-in battery and doesn’t have Bluetooth, but it’s the cheapest at $80. Plus, Microsoft is the only one with dedicated Teams buttons.
Modern USB-C speaker: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if…
- You need a stylish, portable conference speakerphone.
- You’re on Teams calls every day
- You want the convenience of dedicated Teams and mute buttons.
You should not buy this if…
- You want something that’s battery-powered or Bluetooth-enabled.
- No usas Teams.
- You want to record high-quality audio.
I’d say Microsoft’s Modern USB-C Speakerphone is one of the most stylish and portable conference speakers you can buy right now. It’s compact, well-built, and suitable for both conferences and casual music listening if needed.
If you’re in Teams meetings all day and also work hybrid between home and office some days, I think the Microsoft Modern USB-C Speaker is a great buy as it’s designed to be portable and connects easily with a single USB-C Cable. You can use it at home or in the office, and it will work perfectly fine.
Modern USB-C speaker
Bottom line: Microsoft’s modern USB-C speakerphone is a simple, stylish, and portable conferencing device built for Teams, but it’s missing a few extra features, like Bluetooth.
$80 at the Microsoft Store
–
