I like the eMeet range of conference speakers. In 2020, I tried the eMeet OfficeCore M2 and the eMeet Luna and was impressed with both of them.
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Now, the OfficeCore range has been updated with the arrival of the eMeet OfficeCore M2 Max conference speaker. The first thing to notice is that the M2 Max is significantly larger at 7.5 inches in diameter than its smaller 4.5 inch M2. At 1.77 inches it is just a little taller than the M2 and it weighs more too at 1.36 pounds.
Like the Luna, the M2 Max has a Bluetooth dongle that stores in its recess at the bottom of the unit, so it is unlikely to go missing or become lost. Inside the box, there is the speaker, dongle, user guide, and a braided USB charge cable with a USB-type C connector. The speaker can be connected to your PC using Bluetooth, the Bluetooth dongle, the supplied USB cable, or to your headset using the 3.5mm audio jack.
Different types of connections will display in different colors on the LED ring around the controls. The ports are hidden behind a silicone strip. There is also a port so that the speaker can be locked to the desk using a steel locking cable. This conference speakerphone is designed for small to medium office conference rooms and usefully will connect to another M2 Max via the eMeet daisy chain cable (not supplied).
Squarely aimed at business, there is also an eMeet Link desktop app to deliver software updates to the device. Once installed, the emeet link software will check for updates for the hardware and software versions. It will also allow you to change the Bluetooth name — useful if you have two M2 Max devices to connect to. You can also configure the auto-shutdown time from 30 to 120 minutes.
Other settings let you switch Bluetooth on and off, enable or disable device tones and turn the VoiceIA on or off. You can also configure the microphone pickup angle from omnidirectional to unidirectional. The app is simplistic but might be useful if you have specific configurations in mind.
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The M2 Max speaker is loud and will deliver up to 83dB from its 5W speaker. It has four 10mm microphones placed around the body of the speaker, which picks up voices even from several feet away. The microphones are quite sensitive, so will also pick up noisy keyboard typing. The output is surprisingly loud with hardly any distortion. If you are using the speaker to play music, the ranges are good with excellent bass.
The speaker also has what eMeet call Voice AI technology, which provides noise cancellation in the room. To turn on the noise cancellation touch the eMeet logo, and the voice prompt will tell you whether the Voice AI is on or off.
This will reduce extraneous sounds like mouse-clicking, tapping, air conditioning fans, etc., and gives a really clear sound experience. It does certainly reduce office noise and the sound reported by people on the other end of calls is that the voice is far clearer than any background noise.
I really like this speaker. Its battery means that, if you forget to turn it off manually, it will turn itself off, and have enough battery remaining to cope with another call.
I was a little dismayed at its size, but the larger battery and louder speakers make the size increase worth it.
All in all, at $330 the eMeet OfficeCore M2 Max is certainly pitched at the office user and is an expensive option for a home Bluetooth speaker. However, if you want an excellent Bluetooth speaker for your home office or home, the M2 Max will certainly not disappoint.