Anker PowerConf Speakerphone, Zoom Certified Conference Speaker with 6 Mics, 360° Enhanced Voice Pickup, 24H Call Time, Bluetooth 5.3, USB C, Compatible with Leading Platforms for Personal Workspaces

Good Value for the Road Warrior – Anker PowerConf vs. Jabra Speak 510
My job is 90+% travel and has been for the past 8 years. I’ve used every iteration of Jabra portable speakerphones (410, 510, and now 710) and a number of Plantronics portable speakerphones as well. The PowerConf is a great v1.0 entry for Anker. For the purposes of this review, I’m comparing the Anker PowerConf against the Jabra 510 as I think that’s the closest 1:1 comparison.Where the Anker PowerConf wins:- USB Charging: Adding the ability to charge other devices via USB is GENIUS. I previously carried a Jabra speakerphone and an Anker PowerCore in my bag, but now I only need the Anker PowerConf. Anker makes some fantastic batteries/chargers, and this device is one of them.- Cost: The PowerConf comes in about 33% less than the Jabra 510. Anker frequently has sales on their products, so I imagine it will be on sale at even greater savings than 33%.- Bluetooth Multipoint: The Anker allows for multiple concurrent connections (multipoint). Note: It will only play/send audio from one device at a time, but it’s much easier to switch the audio/mic from your PC (if you’re listening to music) to your mobile phone (if you get a call).- Carrying Case: The carrying case for the Anker PowerConf is a hardshell case, whereas the Jabra ones are all neoprene. I feel like this adds additional protection when it’s jostling around inside my bag.Where it’s a tie:- Microphone Noise Isolation: Both speakerphones do a good job of isolating noise. I made recordings with a radio playing in the background. In both recordings my voice was clear and I was not able to hear the radio in the background.Where Jabra Speak 510 wins:- Audio Quality: The audio quality on the Anker PowerConf is good, but the Jabra 510 sounds noticeably better when listening to music or on a call.- Microphone Quality: While both speakers do a good job of noise isolation, my voice seemed to increase and decrease in volume on the Anker PowerConf recording (as if I was walking away from the speakerphone and back to again – except I was sitting still the whole time). The microphone quality difference is much less noticeable than the audio quality difference, but it’s still there.Summary:Choose the Anker PowerConf if…- You’re a minimalist and the thought of consolidating your portable battery charger and speakerphone is appealing. IMO, it’s nice to be able to reduce the space (and weight) in my bag by only having one device.- You’re looking for a good lower cost option (the Anker PowerConf is ~33% less than the Jabra Speak 510).Choose the Jabra Speak 510 if…- You or your clients/colleagues are audiophiles (and if that’s the case, I’d recommend going with the Jabra Speak 710 as the speaker and microphone are significantly better).- You have other Jabra devices and enjoy customizing them using the Jabra Direct app.My choice:I already own a Jabra Speak 710 and it’s going to stay in my bag moving forward (even though it means carrying a separate Anker PowerCore for charging). It’s by no means a 1:1 comparison against the Anker PowerConf (the Jabra 710 costs more than twice as much as the Anker PowerConf), but the audio and microphone are definitely better. Many of my colleagues also own Jabra 710s, so it’s nice to be able to daisy chain them together in large conference rooms. If money isn’t an issue, then I’d recommend the Jabra Speak 710. However, if you’re looking to stay in the sub-$200 price range, then my comments above stand.

Great Speaker for Online Calls.
Great speaker. Why:1. Clear sound out. Touch volume buttons work well.2. Good microphones. Parties on the other end confirmed.3. Nice low profile design.4. Can keep it plugged into power or run off battery.5. Cord length could be 1-2 feet longer.6. Connectivity good.One related issue. I brought the identical model for the office. The speaker went crackly in less than a week. Exchanging it. Dropped to four stars.This version has a had outside case. Excellent. The latest model has fabric cover. That is not a great change go my use. Will collect more dust and be harder to clean. Not clear why Anker made that change: audio quality, cost, looks perhaps?

Currently I am working from home, so I bought this device as I have to attend many conference calls.Using the bluetooth connection, the sound is fine, but the microphone disconnects in the middle of calls in many occasions, a big inconvenient if you are in a meeting (this happens both using Skype for Business and Cisco Webex).Using the USB connections, for whatever reason, my office desktop (windows 10) cannot handle the speaker. It works fine using a Chromebook.I contacted the Anker customer service, and they thought the device is faulty, but I did not feel confident with the process they suggested to exchange it, and the communication was slow: basically you receive a reply after 24 h, so when you have exchange 3 mails… is four days, with not a lot of progress. Finally, I decide to return the device using the Amazon return service.***UPDATE***It seems the problem with the mic is not caused by the PowerConf. I bought two phonespeakers of different brands and have the same problem, so the problem seems to be related with the drivers installed on the Windows 10 office laptop, that I cannot update, I was using.Anker customer service contacted me again and sent me a device, in order to try it again.I have used it with a Chromebook and my Android phone and it works very well, the people on the other side of the line hear me with no problem. It doubles up as speaker and the sound quality is good enough (much better than the speakers of the phone or the laptop).In addition, the size and shape makes it very convenient to take it everywhere.

Great product especially during current ‘WFH’ environment.

I absolutely love the build quality, but that doesn’t take away the fact that it’s not doing what I need it to do: have a normal Teams conversation with 2+ people at my side “of the table”.1) somehow a persisting lag is introduced between video and sound.2) the mics pic up way to much low frequency sounds (according to multiple people at the “receiving end” in multiple calls), making it hard to actually hear what is being said.