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When conducting business over the phone, clarity, and functionality are critical. The quality of your audio can affect your ability to hear important details, to interpret subtle differences in the tone and quality of someone’s voice, and to communicate effectively in return. The Jabra Speak 510 is a portable speaker that is explicitly designed to help provide the optimum quality audio and ensure that users are able to perform their business efficiently and confidently.
Comparison Table
[amazon box=”B00AQUO5RI,B002SB3CRC,B00K2RQ94C,B00G2Y44ZK” template=”table”]
This review looks at how successful the Jabra Speak 510 is at achieving their somewhat lofty goals. It will examine the specific product details for the speaker, its price, and how it compares to other leading brands, as well as offering other helpful tips and details about the product. Hopefully, interested consumers will be able to read this and decide if the Jabra Speak 510 is the right device for their specific needs.
[amazon link=”B00AQUO5RI” title=”Jabra Speak 510″ /]
[amazon box=”B00AQUO5RI”]
The Jabra Speak 510 is a portable speaker that has both USB and Bluetooth connectivity. It is marketed directly toward business professionals for use in conference calls and speakerphone conversations. The unit is lightweight and compact, which makes for easy transportation, and they claim that it can provide up to 15 hours of battery life.
Their ads say that the Speak 510 has clear, defined audio for both the speaker user and for the individuals that they are communicating with. It has an omnidirectional microphone that allows multiple people to join the conversation on your end and high definition speakers that ensure clear, effective communication.
It is possible to use the Speak 510 to play music or other media. However interested consumers should note that it is calibrated specifically for vocal calls. This means that it will do an excellent job of capturing a wide range of voices, ensuring clarity and allowing the user to hear potentially important distinctions that speakers calibrated for music may miss. On the other hand, many users are looking for speakers that have dual functionality, and the sound quality of music may come out more muddied or indistinct when compared to other brands.
Product Specs
The Jabra Speak 510 is a UC-compatible device that sets up easily and works with most current smartphones and softphones. It has wideband audio and HD voice speakers that provide clear, distinct audio that includes even high-end frequencies that some portable speakers can miss, particularly those that aren’t explicitly calibrated for voice calls. It also uses noise-canceling technology that can help to filter out background sounds, white noise, and other potential distractions.
The speaker unit itself is quite small, especially for the potential volume of the sound that it can produce. The whole unit is 12 cm in diameter and weighs only six ounces, ensuring that it will fit easily in any briefcase or bag without weighing the user down too much. This makes it helpful for people who perform business on the go or that lack a traditional office, but that still need to be able to have in-office quality connectivity.
The Jabra Speak 510 can be connected to any mobile phone or personal device through either a Link 370 USB adaptor cable (which wraps conveniently around the bottom of the unit) or through a wireless Bluetooth connection. The product specs say that the Bluetooth range is up to 100 feet, assuming that users have powerful enough devices. Jabra recommends Class 1 wireless devices for optimal functionality.
The battery has a listed 15-hour life before requiring a fresh charge, which it can get through any standard USB-compatible charger. There is also an AC charger that is available for purchase separately. One handy feature included on that Speak 510 is a battery check button that allows users to see how much talk time they have left, reducing the chance that the device will quit at inopportune times. Device failure can be potentially embarrassing or worse, disrupting or ending meetings early and projecting a lack of professionalism.
The Speak 510 can be configured with smart button functionality that allows users to contact smart assistants like Siri or Alexa. This does require the use of the Jabba Direct app, which is available for free from the Jabra website. This app can also allow for more voice functions, including remote calling and device personalization.
The other features on the unit are fairly basic, including volume control, mute, and call and end call. The buttons themselves are soft LED style and are all clearly visible and well-marked. It also comes with its own neoprene carrying case to ensure that the device stays safe, clean, and professional looking.
How it Compares
We picked a couple of similar products available on the market to see how they compare.
- Logitech P710e
- Sennheiser TW9094
- Plantronics P420 Calisto
[amazon link=”B00AQUO5RI” title=”Jabra Speak 510″ /]
[amazon box=”B00AQUO5RI”]
Pros
- Reasonable price point
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Additional features available through Jabra Direct
- check-circleComes with smart sensing technology that automated signals for power off and no
Cons
- Only works in smaller rooms and up to 4 people
- Not effective for music or other media
[amazon link=”B00G2Y44ZK” title=”Logitech P710e” /]
[amazon box=”B00G2Y44ZK”]
The Logitech P710e is another mobile speaker that is used primarily for business and conference calls. It features similar available functions and design although the Logitech p710e is even smaller than the Jabra Speak 510. Both products feature a 15-hour total talk time.
The audio quality for the Logitech P710e is not quite as good as that of the Jabra Speak 510. Past users have complained about both the sound quality of the speakers and with difficulty being heard by people on the other end of the conversation. This may be one of the consequences of the compact size of the Logitech device, despite the claims in their promotional materials regarding their “lifelike calling experience.”
The Logitech p710e is more expensive than the Jabra Speak 510. Despite the higher retail price, the Logitech p710e has received a lower than average customer score on Amazon than the Jabra Speak 510, scoring 3.7/5 compared to the Speak 510’s 4.5/5.
Pros
- Small size
- Cell phone stand
Cons
- Higher price
- Lower audio quality
[amazon link=”B00K2RQ94C” title=”Sennheiser TW9094″ /]
[amazon box=”B00K2RQ94C”]
The Sennheiser TW9094 is a mobile conference calling speaker that is closer to the size of the Jabra Speak 510 than the Logitech p710e. It also features USB and Bluetooth connectivity as well as a TRS cable. This can help it connect to the headphone jack of some devices that the Jabra Speak 510 may not be able to, particularly older models.
The Sennheiser TW9094 is a far more expensive product than the Jabra Speak 510. Their Amazon rating is higher than the Logitech p710e’s. However, it is still lower than that of the less expensive Jabra Speak 510.
One issue with the Sennheiser TW 9094 is that it does not feature a battery testing option. This is a risk for users as it creates the potential for using an undercharged device that may drop calls or lose quality.
Pros
- Sound enhancement for music
- Cable management system
- check-circleTRS cable
Cons
- No battery tester
- Much higher price
[amazon link=”B002SB3CRC” title=”Plantronics P420 Calisto” /]
[amazon box=”B002SB3CRC”]
The Plantronics P420 Calisto is a portable speaker option that features USB and TRS connectivity. However, it is not Bluetooth compatible. Bluetooth is a make or break feature for a number of users who may not have USB or TRS ports, such as anyone with an iPhone 7 or beyond. It also limits the Plantronics P420 Calisto’s functionality going forward as more and more devices are turning away from hard wires and toward wireless technology.
Their audio system features SoundGuard technology and can support sound quality up to 6800hz. Their microphone features a 360-degree reception and has noise-canceling technology that can help to eliminate distracting background sounds.
The Plantronics P420 Calisto also features plug-and-play adaptability and does not require any drivers to be downloaded before use. It comes with a protective carrying case made out of nylon for easy transport.
Pros
- Noise-canceling microphone
- TRS connectivity
Cons
- Lack of Bluetooth connection
- Higher cost
- banDiscontinued
Conclusion
There are quite a few reasons to like the Jabra Speak 510. It is less expensive than most of the devices it is in direct competition with. However, it has better ratings from its past users. There are still ultra-premium products that it does not compare as favorably with in terms of overall power. However, they tend to be considerably more expensive than that Jabra Speak 510.
The Jabra Speak 510 allows for easy transport, fast set up, and is adaptable to a wide variety of modern devices. This includes mobile phones, tablets, desktop, and laptop computers, and it is Skype-compatible as well. It connects easily and quickly, with little chance for user error.
It is best suited for smaller rooms with up to four participants, however, beyond this, it can lose effectiveness. Its microphones are omnidirectional and fairly strong, plus the Jabra Speak 510 is specifically calibrated for voice calls as opposed to music and other forms of media. Those individuals looking for a device that is designed to handle both voice communication and multimedia sound projection may consider the Jabra Speak 710 or another device whose speakers are more directly suited to those kinds of sound profiles.
For more advanced functionality, the Jabra Speak 510 can be connected to the Jabra Direct app. This allows for increased customization, voice control, and other upgraded features such as their Intelligent Call Transfer function.
The Jabra Speak 510 provides a good blend of portability, business functionality, and reasonable pricing. It is explicitly recommended for those business professionals that do a large amount of their work on the road, over the phone, and in multi-person meetings.
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