Poly - Sync 20 Personal USB/Bluetooth Smart Speakerphone with Noise and Echo Reduction - Gray

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• Rated 4 out of 5 stars

  Yo! Business Pro! Keep It Around - You'll Use This

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  • Top 100 Contributor

  The Poly Sync 20 is a versatile full duplex speakerphone for meetings that doubles as a battery bank and personal speaker. Simple and streamlined, with capacitive touch buttons and intuitive design, you won't really need instructions on what each thing does (but please still read). Larger than your favorite phablet and as thick as your favorite mechanical keyboard, it easily fits into my laptop bag and goes with me everywhere. The included case is nice and keeps everything together and protected between meetings. It is IP64 dust and water-resistant, so you don't have to be so fragile with it. Take it where you need to go instead of your phone or device. The kit includes a lanyard and USB-A to USB-C adapter, which fits in the neoprene-like canvas hybrid sleeve. The sound clarity is exceptional, but the soundstage feels tiny, in my opinion. It would be nice to hear a room-filling sound, but that is me being a sound snob. The microphone picks up voices up to 7-8ft, so the speaker is designed for small rooms under 13'x13', so keep that in mind. It utilizes Bluetooth 5.1 for excellent stability and sound quality; it will be an instant upgrade in audio quality compared to your cell phone, laptop, or tablet. The app I could find that works on android is the Plantronics Hub app. There is a firmware update needed, so get that done ASAP. The overall speaker volume is too low, under 50%, with the steps in sound increments not noticeable until you reach maybe 75%. The microphones are smart and switch to the closest speaker for the best sound quality. The battery is rated up to 20hrs, which is more than enough to get through a meeting-packed workday. You have extra juice to recharge a phone or Bluetooth earbuds using the USB-A port with the charging cord of your choice. The added functionality of being a battery bank is helpful when your phone is dying, and you need a little extra juice to make it through a call. As a portable personal speaker, it is easier to keep around in my laptop bag since it can serve more than one purpose. I plug it into my laptop, and it works as a teleconference device should. Connect it to Bluetooth on the laptop, and it works - just wireless. The Rocket button is programmed in the Plantronics Hub, but the Microsoft Teams button I could not get to work, whether USB or Bluetooth. That is fine since I already have my meeting on my PC, so I don't have to worry about one touch of Microsoft Teams. It is all about options; the business professional will see the value here. We use Zoom and GoTo Meeting at work, so it isn't a big deal for me. This works for any platform without software. You can add software for a different experience. This speaker is exceptional at voice reproduction and keeping things business-focused. Still, I would say this isn't getting any awards for music playback as it sounds too small and lacks meaningful bass and low-end frequency reproduction. There must be a way to block or disable touch buttons while in a call to avoid accidental touches when moving the speaker. I don't remember how often a button would be accidentally touched while grabbing it. Aside from those recommendations, this is an excellent speakerphone with great voice reproduction. This is a winner in my book if you are in the business of calling or doing lots of speakerphone calls. You'll get value because it is also a battery bank to save you in a pinch with a dead phone. You also get an instant upgrade over any tech built-in to your laptop, phone, or tablet. Add a kickstand, wireless charging capabilities, and a USB-C port for the all-time perfect device.

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  Posted 3 years ago by nkpstudios

• Rated 4 out of 5 stars

  Good Little Speakerphone, But Don't Expect More

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  • Top 1000 Contributor

  I sometimes work from home and wanted to try a device that would allow me to attend conference calls without wearing my headphones or headset. The Plantronics/Poly Sync 20 seemed like the perfect little device that would let me do that and be portable enough to stuff in my backpack for when I’m on the road and need a speakerphone. I’ll give you my overall thoughts first and then a more broken-down review in case you don’t want to read it all. Overall Impressions: The Sync 20 is a fantastically portable little speakerphone that will allow you to hold your conference calls without having something on your head or in your ear. The microphone is very clear and manages to capture voices distinctly and well while using noise canceling effectively to minimize sounds other than human voices. It has Teams integration which I was not able to test but worked great with my WebEx conference calls. Being able to use the Sync 20 wirelessly and without needing a power source is convenient as is being able to charge your phone with the unit while doing so. The only complaint I have is that the volume output is rather low and a large group of people would be hard-pressed to hear it in a larger room. Playing music on the device was not a horrible experience, but isn’t going to replace a dedicated Bluetooth speaker. If your expectations for this unit are for it to be a portable and well-performing speakerphone, then you won’t be disappointed. Why not just use a regular Bluetooth speaker you ask? Well, the Sync 20 advertised itself as having multiple microphones that would allow for either a single person or group of people to be able to use the speakerphone at the same time, whereas where most other Bluetooth speakers are really more designed for music than much of anything else. I went ahead and connected it via Bluetooth to my iPhone 12 and succeeded in installing the Plantronics Hub from the app store. Shortly after the installation, I was prompted for a firmware update that took about 10 minutes to complete. I had no issues connecting the device to my wife’s Android phone as well. Connecting the device to my MacBook was also seamless, allowing me to just choose it as both the speaker and microphone in the MacOS settings. Whether you’re using this wirelessly paired with your phone or wired up to your laptop as a speakerphone, the Sync 20 does the job quite well. The only downside to the little unit is its volume output. The unit is also advertised as a high-performance audio speaker, but I can assure you that you won’t be DJing any parties with the Sync 20. It just doesn’t get very loud and I can’t see it being used in a large room with multiple people very well, but in a smaller setting or a home office, this unit is more than adequate. Battery life also seems to be very decent as I was able to use the device for the entire day with still a half charge left. Buttons are easily located and allow you to mute yourself very easily in case you’re needing to sneeze or make fun of someone on a call.

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  Posted 3 years ago by KMed

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  Really Great Device

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  • Top 250 Contributor

  This Plantronics Sync 20 BT/USB personal speakerphone a fantastic device. First of all, the quality is excellent, and the features and sound quality are just what I needed. This is a portable speaker, portable charger, and portable speaker all in one device. (Up to 20 hrs. of battery life) It has a self-contained USB cord (Nice length I might add), or Bluetooth connection options. It comes with a lanyard a storage case and USB A to USB C adaptor for those with no USB A option. (Like my laptop), unfortunately, there is no onboard storage for this adaptor. Super easy set up. My set up was plug and play for my work computer using the USB, then I also connect my cell phone using the Bluetooth connection to listen to music. It seamlessly switches between the two. The music quality is quite good for the size of the speaker. I am impressed. During a call the sound is great for both me and the caller. Could not ask for better. Top buttons (and comments): -Rocket Button - Touch the Rocket Button is a Play /Pause button by default. This button is programmable if you download Poly App. Options; Redial (Mobile only), VPA (Voice Assistant), Clear Trusted Device List, Status, Hold/Resume call. I left it as default (Play/Resume) and with no music connection it provides status of device with 1 touch. -TEAMS Button - I love the dedicated Teams Purple button. Simply touch this anytime and it pulls open your Microsoft Teams software. So convenient for me as a daily Microsoft Team user. Note, this button only worked with USB connection to my computer. Did not work for USB to my Android, or any Bluetooth connection. -Volume + and – -Mute -Phone – Answer / End calls --Side of unit - you have a Bluetooth pairing button and USB connection. This USB is to Charge your connected devices. The Poly App you can download to your computer offers the following: In-app customization for personal device settings Built-in notices for software availability Stay healthy at your desk with gentle wellness reminders I have used the software to update the device software and change the volume alert from a tone to voice. So when I reach Max or Min volume you get an audible voice indicating this. They state on the website that the mobile app is coming soon, but I noticed my Plantronics Hub App does recognize the device and sees all the device settings. This is truly an All-in-One device for people on the go and a great addition to your home office. This is hands down the best speakerphone style device I have used to date. Highly recommend.

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  Posted 3 years ago by Mukman