Anker PowerConf S500 Speakerphone with Zoom Rooms and Google Meet Certifications, USB-C Speaker, Bluetooth Speakerphone for Conference Room, Conference Microphone with Premium Voice Pickup

The S500 speaker delivers great sound, and together with the mics in the S500 there has been a very noticeable improvement in the sound on both sides of Teams and Zoom meetings in comparison to the laptop mic and speakers. Setup is as easy as connecting the S500 to the laptop and ensuring the audio and mic Settings on the laptop are set to use the S500 device. The S500 is well made and looks great. Having the volume/mute controls in a row in the front of the device with the light indicator across the device above the touchpad controls make it a perfect setup for easy everyday home office / remote work use.

The Anker PowerConf S500 stands out as one of the best microphones I have utilized for professional purposes. In our practice, a significant number of patient consultations are conducted via telehealth. Thus, securing a microphone capable of capturing voices from two doctors in the room during patient meetings has been a persistent challenge. Previously, our solution involved a complex, hardwired microphone system connected to an amplifier and then to a computer. Although effective, this setup was cumbersome due to the wires involved.The PowerConf S500 has impressively replaced the need for two microphones while enhancing sound quality. Its portability is a major advantage, allowing for flexible placement anywhere in the room to accommodate single or multiple doctors during consultations. Despite its slightly higher price point of approximately $210, the investment is justified by its performance and convenience.

I purchased the Anker S500 to use at work, and it paired up almost automatically and the sound quality and build quality is very solid. A little disclaimer about me: I typically like name brands (Jabra, Bose, etc.), and I have always thought of Anker as an "Amazon"-type brand, but - I decided to go with this one because a team member has the same one and he swears buy it. Other people within my team have various portable conference room speaker/mic devices (Jabra, etc.) and hands-down, the S500 is a superior product. 80% of the time, my laptop is glued to my desk with dual 24" monitors and I use a bluetooth headset, but 20% of the time - I need to work remote and have TEAMS meetings with other people where we need conference room mic/speaker capabilities and up to this point, I have been using the built-in technology of my Dell Latitude (standard corporate issued) setup .. but, the new Anker S500 is loud and the microphone picks up voices while cutting out unwanted background noises (like dogs barking, overhead announcements, etc.). There are many other cheaper choices (and they may be equally as good), but if your budget can afford it, I would recommend the Anker S500. You will not be disappointed at the overall quality (you get what you pay for with this device.)

This review address some pros and cons. I previously had a Jabra 510 speaker and upgraded to the S500. Reason for the purchase was the Jabra, after years of service, started to have some battery issues.Pros: ease to connect (wired or BT), great audio quality, multi-mic array, long battery life. Whether using the S500 at home or in the office conference room, I have had no issues with sound quality from the speaker or people saying that they can't hear people in the room. I don't have 2 of the S500 so I can't report on the linking feature. The Anker app is ok.Cons: the S500 has a couple of quirks. Some of these may be out of Anker's control but it is what it is.First issue I don't like is that if you are wired to your laptop and then connect your phone via BT, if the laptop plays any sound it cuts off the phone audio. I enjoy listening to the news while checking email. With the Jabra, BT always overrode wired. I could listen to the news without interruption. With the S500, the news plays and then shuts down / pauses the phone. I got tired of having to restart my phone app for the news multiple times. I finally had to unplug the S500 from the laptop to listen to the news without breaks.Second issue I have is that the LED display doesn't have an option to shut off or sleep until the buttons are pushed. The lights are on when it is operational. It has a blue and red bar light that illuminates when a sound plays or if you mute. Anker app has an option to turn the status bar off but it doesn't always work. App shows status bar is off but it is still lighting up.The third issue I had was using the dongle to connect to the laptop. It worked but there was some interference issues with my Logitech K+M dongle. On my laptop, the only 2 USB-A ports are right next to each other. When both dongles are active, there is a minor issue of feedback. Not sure if it is the Anker or the Logitech dongle but the laptop is getting a signal much like the mouse is moving slightly. The laptop won't automatically lock itself due to no activity because it is always getting an intermittent signal. Great if you always want to Teams to show you as available but it also messes with the accuracy of the mouse. Needless to say, I now only use the S500 as wired.Despite these quirks, I have worked around them and do overall enjoy the S500. I also considered the Plantronics Sync 40. Similar cost and features but I liked the overall size and format of the S500.

Higher quality product for sure. Someone else had the lower model ($80's) and the mic did not pick up more than about 4ft away. This upgraded Anker can provide complete clarity, more volume then you could ever need, and range range (10ft or so in any direction) worked phenomenally for our group of 12! Super easy to connect and worth every penny. Highly recommend!

Made hybrid in-person/zoom so much easier. I used this in a large room with 20+ people and it worked great. It amplified the voices clearly.