Logitech QuickCall USB Speakerphone
Sunday, February 28th, 2010
I work from home and spend most of my day "in the cloud" which usually means a lot of web conferences and being hooked up to a headset for more hours that I like.
While researching headsets to replace my previous one, I stumbled across this Logitech USB speaker phone and thought I would give it a try, I mean it was only bucks.
Once it arrived, I was pleasantly surprised by its size and quality of the product. It's about the size of an average paperback novel and the low profile means that I can pretty much place it anywhere on my desk without it overpowering my work space.
Since I read the reviews prior to purchasing this product, I knew not to utilize the CDs that came with it, so I downloaded them directly from Logitech, did a restart and then plugged the device in and Voila - working speaker phone.
I've used it for a few days now, with other Skype clients as well as cell phone and landline users and not one person has told me that they "couldn't hear me," which was a common complaint with my previous headset. The call quality is exceptional.
Love the fact that I am "free" and not tied down to a headset and I don't feel like a total dork with something strapped around my head when using my webcam. Plus if I have more than one person in my office, everyone can hear the conversation and contribute to the call.
I also like the fact that I have the option to plug a headset into this unit so as not to disturb anyone in the house when I am working late or when I wish to have a private conversation.
The only drawback is my call and end buttons do not work with Skype, which I expected after reading some of the other reviews , (the mute button works perfectly) which is not a big deal for me since I usually have my Skype UI open in order to view the webcam feeds on my calls.
Other than that, this is the BEST bucks (I bought two) that I've spent for something in my office in a very long time.
(SideNote: I would have given given this product 5 stars if my call and end buttons worked with Skype, but that's more of a software issue rather than a product issue.)
Model: 980440-1403
Item #: 73631B. Enjoy natural conversations - hands free and headset free with the QuickCall speakerphone. A dual microphone array and RightSound technology provides echo free Internet calls with Yahoo Messenger with Voice and AOL Instant Messenger. QuickCall features one-touch call management and volume control so you can easily answer, mute and hang up your calls. To make your call private, simply plug a headset into the built-in audio jack.
Product Description
Logitech QuickCall USB Speakerphone - USB VoIP desktop hands-free
Product Type: USB VoIP desktop hands-free - wired
Color: Black, silver
Headphones Type: Speaker
Connectivity Technology: Wired
Microphone: Built-in
Microphone Operation Mode: Mono
Manufacturer Warranty: 1 year warranty
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Amazon.com Product Description:
Crystal clear, digital audio for group and private Internet calling.
Enjoy natural conversations—handsfree and headset-free with the QuickCall™ speakerphone. A dual microphone array and RightSound™ technology provide echo free Internet calls with Yahoo® Messenger with Voice and AOL® Instant Messenger™. QuickCall™ features one-touch call management and volume control so you can easily answer, mute and hang up your calls. To make your call private, simply plug a headset into the built-in audio jack.
Works exclusively with: 
Features
 |  |  | ||
| Advanced dual microphone array Provides clear, high-quality audio; cancels out background noise yet picks up soft conversations. | One-touch call buttons For easy call management and volume control. | RightSound™ technology Eliminates "conference call" echoes for clear conversations. |
System Requirements
- Pentium® 4.2.0 GHz
- Microsoft ® Windows® XP (Home or Professional) or Windows® 2000 (SP4 or above)
- 256 Mb RAM
- 40X CD-ROM drive
- Available USB port (1.1 or above)
- 200 MB free hard drive space
- Speakerphone requires one of the following free PC calling appliations: Yahoo® Messenger with Voice, AOL ® Instant Messenger ™
Product Specifications
- Built-in 6 ft. USB 1.1 connector cable
- Speaker output: Up to 10 meters away in a quiet room
- Up to 5 meters away in an office
Package Contents
- Logitech® QuickCall™ USB Speakerphone with built-in 6 ft. USB cable
- Software CD
- Set-up guide
- Built-in microphone, speaker
- 1-year limited warranty
- The advanced dual microphone array provides clear, high-quality audio; cancels out background noise yet picks up soft conversations.
- One-touch call buttons
- RightSound technology eliminates "conference call" echoes for clear conversations.
- Microphone works up to 10 meters away in a quiet room (5 meters in an office environment)
- Built-in headset jack for private calls
List Price: USD 90.99
Lowest Used Price: USD 11.00
Lowest New Price: USD 9.99
Lowest Refurbished Price: USD 8.49
Hard to beat on feature for price
I've had this unit a couple of days and so far it seems fine. I'm running it over Windows 7 x64 and had to install the Vista x64 drivers as other reviewers described. I did once see what seemed to be tremendous load on the CPU (another observation reported by other reviewers) but I can't confirm it was actually this unit. I'll update my review if I can repeat it. I assume this was why the unit was withdrawn and so heavily discounted - there's nothing on the logitech site suggesting it has been replaced by a similar desktop speakerphone. I've used it with Skype and X-lite.
Great Product for Internet calling
I have been using Skype based video calling for a while and have always had problems with the Audio. I ordered this product and since then it has been great. I also installed one at my parents house on the other end, and they found it fantastic too. The volume control in front is nifty. I would highly recommend this product for internet calling....and you can't beat the price!
Incredible bargain
I bought this a week ago because I spend all day on the phone on teleconferences and got tired even of the USB headset I was wearing. This is much better.
The picture doesn't give you a good feel for the size of the device -- it's much bigger than you would think, about the size of a large paperback book. The construction quality is excellent. The audio quality, both speaking and listening, is nearly perfect. Nobody on the other end of the calls even knows I'm on a speakerphone. The features I like best are the volume knob on the front of the unit, and the mute button on top. It's really nice not having to futz around with Skype's UI for these.
The only complaints I have are minor. First complaint is that you *must* install drivers for this thing to work (Win XP, haven't tried Win7 yet); if you plug it in without installing drivers, you get a bunch of audio devices installed by XP that are labeled "disabled" and there's no way to enable them. Annoyance: apparently Logitech does not offer the driver software for download on their web site. You have to install from the CD, which at least gives you the option of searching for a newer version. It did find a newer version, downloaded it, and installed from the new version.
Second complaint is that the "hang up" button does not seem to do anything in Skype. Not sure whose issue this is, but it would be great to be able to use the buttons on the speakerphone for this. Oh well. Skype's "hang up" button works just fine.
Overall, this is a stellar product. It looks like Logitech may have discontinued them, so get one now, while you can (and while they're cheap!).