Jabra Speak 510 Review

Introduction:

Oh the office life! We all know how demanding it can be at times, as the hustle & bustle atmosphere means that co-workers need to converge together to brainstorm ideas. Typically, conference calls are the way to go when you’re trying to get a group of colleagues together to converse with other people both near and far. At first glance, the peculiar look of the Jabra Speak 510 might irk some people when it’s placed at the middle of the conference table, but it’s gunning to be the Bluetooth speakerphone that’ll get people to collaborate on ideas through audible conversation.



Design and Style:

Partly due to its UFO-like cylindrical shape, the Jabra Speak 510 definitely stands out, but for some people, they probably wouldn’t associate it as a Bluetooth speakerphone at first glance. Regardless, there’s no arguing it has an interesting design that kind of gives it a futuristic touch. Constructed out of sturdy black plastic material, it mainly has a clean finish – with the exception of top surface’s outer rim, which has a glossy finish to it, making it more prone to fingerprints. In terms of size, it’s no doubt on the bigger side, but at least its weight is light enough to be barely felt when carrying it around. When so many dedicated speakerphones rely on the usual square form factor, it’s quite refreshing to see the Jabra Speak 510 taking a risk with its design.


Occupying most of the real estate, the speaker grill is what’s most prominent on this saucer – while the Jabra logo is smacked dabbed right at the center of it. Around the outer glossy rim, there are various capacitive buttons that are spaced far away from one another and easily activated. Specifically, they include the power, pickup, decline, volume up, volume down, battery level, mute, and Bluetooth pairing buttons. Adding a pleasing level of contrast to the otherwise all-black finish of the Jabra Speak 510, various LED lights line the outer edge of the speaker grill – providing us with some useful visual statuses. For example, we can visually see the volume level of the speakerphone as we press the appropriate capacitive buttons. Yet again, the arrangement of the LED lights is a tasteful complement to the UFO presence.

Discretely hidden away, there’s a 3.5mm jack in the body of the speakerphone, which essentially gives users a more private experience with phone calls. And finally, the USB charging cable, which also allows usage with a personal computer, wraps around the base of the Jabra Speak 510. It’s not too long at only 3 feet, meaning, you’ll need to get an extension cable if you plan on using it with a computer that’s placed a good distance away.

Call and Audio Quality:

Staying awake through arduous conference calls is half the battle for some people, but luckily the Jabra Speak 510 clears the airwaves to present us with an engaging experience. On our side, we’re impress by the powerful volume output its internal speaker is able to produce, which reverberates with enough ferocity to encompass a decent sized room. Where it counts the most, though, is the distinguishable and sharp voices that are coming out of its speaker. Concurrently, it’s nice to see that distortion is kept at a minimum – giving plenty of attention to the wonderful voice of our caller at the other end of the line.

However, there’s only one minor issue that our callers mention during our use of the Jabra Speak 510. Targeted for primary use with conference calls, it means that a group of people are going to be sitting around it, right? Obviously, there’s no problem with audio quality if we’re seated in close proximity to the speakerphone – somewhere around the 3 to 5 feet distance. Moving beyond that, our callers mention that they begin to recognize some distortion with our voice. In fact, they say that we sound hollow in tone, as if we’re in a giant hall trying to talk amongst an empty space.

Sure, you can still use the Jabra Speak 510 like any other portable Bluetooth speaker, but quite frankly, this specific function isn’t one of its strong points. Pairing it with a Samsung Galaxy S III, we don’t notice an increase in total volume output with the Speak 510, which is barely stronger when compared to what we hear out of the Galaxy S III at the loudest volume setting. Adding more gas to the flame, there’s no definitive improvement in audio quality – so it’s not something we’d recommend for listening to music.

Connectivity & Battery:

Something that’s not looked at too often, since most people keep their smartphones nearby, we’re astounded by the strong Bluetooth connection of the Jabra Speak 510. Even though it’s rated to stay connected for up to 300 feet, we’re impressed with our own real world experience of it maintaining its connection 50 feet away in another room.

Graced with an immense battery life rating of 15 hours of talk time out of a full charge, it’s something that should undoubtedly keep people chatting for an extended amount of period. Meaning, you’ll want to brew another pot of Joe for those intense and uninterrupted conference calls.

Conclusion:

When it excels in the area where it counts most, the Jabra Speak 510 is something that ensures perfectly clear conversations are going to be experienced on both ends of the line. From its interesting design choice, to the audible voices pumped out by its speaker, the speakerphone has a balanced sheet to please the most organized conversationalist. At $149.99, however, it’s a really tough sell for a dedicated Bluetooth device. Dishing out that much, there are plenty of music-oriented Bluetooth speakers that come to mind that are more versatile, but if voice quality is utmost to you, then it’s a no-brainer siding with the Jabra Speak 510. Just be prepared to part with your hard-earned cash!

Jabra Speak 510 Video Review: