Audio Visual Insights for Web-Conferencing and Live Streaming

Recently, CRS caught up with Phoenix Audio Technologies to talk about some of their audio technologies that are helping colleges and universities meet their distance learning objectives.

Ballin' on a Budget is a Guest Post written by Claire Barrett

Very often when it comes to web based video conferencing systems we find ourselves searching for a high quality DSP audio mixer that includes USB 2.0. Well, this week Zach Flanagan from Phoenix Audio dropped by and shared with us a great solution called the Phoenix Audio Stingray.

Hello AV & IT Managers,

If you have spoken to one of dedicated account managers here at ConferenceRoomSystems.com you may have found out that we really like to recommend Phoenix Audio conferencing products. There are quite a few reasons why Phoenix Audio's USB, SIP and traditional analog PSTN conference phones fit the bill for many of our technology projects. Let's start with some basic reasons why we recommend Phoenix Audio and then we will review each major product in our video series below.

1. Quality: Phoenix Audio makes a high quality product. Every product is made from aluminum alloy, NOT plastic. It makes a BIG difference and  the build quality shows.

2. Support: Support is essentially non-existant. It's not that we don't want to help support our customers... It's the fact that the products just work and support/troubleshooting just doesn't come up with Phoenix Audio Products

3. Easy Installation: When it comes to installation everyone likes to hear Daisy-Chaining and Power Over Ethernet. These two features put Phoenix Audio above and beyond. Later in this blog post we will review there PoE USB 2.0 extension system, ceiling mounting solutions and daisy chaining in more detail. 

4. Versatility: Phoenix Audio has managed to pack a ton of value into their small conference phones. When competitors are offering just USB or just analog phone support, Phoenix support both in a single model. As many of our customers make the trasisition from traditional audio conferencing to web-based communications it's nice to have product that can bridge the gap. 

5. Asthetics and Design: Have you ever seen the size of a Cisco 8831? Check out the size difference. Enough said. Collaboration space design is more important than most manufacturers give it credit for. A good design can make all the difference for room functionality and ease of use. 

Normally you would think that the more you pay for a microphone the better the audio quality will be? Not so, judging from our USB & Bluetooth microphone audio recordings which show surprising results across the board. One thing for sure is a direct USB connection will always sound better than a bluetooth connection.  For example listen to the Jabra Speak 510 with a direct USB connection vs a Bluetooth connection.

Jabra Speak 510 USB

Jabra Speak 510 Bluetooth

Now try listending the HuddlePod Air which uses a technology we consider superior to Bluetooth (2.4 GHz). This microphone is recorded wirelessly but it still maintains a high quality audio recording.

HuddlePod Air