ClearOneMAXAttach Plus one

Outstanding price to performance ratio on this phone set.I have used both these and the Polycom VTX 1000 units in high-level corporate meetings. The Clear One sets were slightly preferred in sound quality for both the near end and far end participants. I was so happy with the customer response I started using the MAX EX as a problem solver in acoustically difficult rooms and the previous sound-quality complaints disappeared.The Clear One was vastly superior to the lower end Polycom units that are closer to it in price.There is a reason for the superior technology- some years back the Clear One company purchased the Gentner company and their patents on teleconferencing. a "Gentner" is still the generic name that many broadcast engineers call the telephone to audio interfaces they use. Clear One used this "broadcast quality" technology in the MAX EX and MAXAttach phone-sets.The one drawback to using these over the VTX 1000 is flexibility; in a pinch, the Polycom has inputs and outputs that can be hooked into a PA system for a whole room teleconference in large auditoriums, while the MAX EX has only a record out port. If you really need to do this on a regular basis though, you really should get a rack mount Gentner-type device for the higher quality and flexibility.On the other hand, the MAX series work perfectly in small to medium large rooms- just add or subtract satellite units (one for ever six to twelve feet of conference table, up to four units) to fit the room size, and run them all on the same power and phone lines. (Keep them at least six feet apart, or the noise cancelation gets confused, and far end sound quality will suffer for it.)Bottom line: A great conferencing phone at a much lower price than its Polycom equivalent. The three unit set reviewed here can also cover more area with clear sound than the VTX 1000, even with the Polycom's subwoofer (!?) and extension microphones. Go for it.