When it comes to sound and audio, Yamaha is undoubtedly an industry veteran. The parent organisation has been around since 1887, and more recently it has branched into emerging areas such as Unified Communications.
Yamaha Unified Communications perfectly intersects the company’s rich history of sound innovation, with its new focus on simplifying business processes. It offers a wide range of products for audio and video conferencing, including mics, video soundbars, and business telephones, both wired and wireless. Today, we are reviewing its YVC-300/YVC-330 enterprise-grade speakerphone, recently showcased at InfoComm 2019.
Inside Yamaha YVC-300 / YVC-330
At first glance, the Yamaha YVC-300 / YVC-330 may look like another run-of-the-mill speakerphone which connects via Bluetooth. But what sets it apart is Yamaha’s proprietary SoundCap technology designed for usage in open spaces. We could imagine taking a call right on a convention floor without any dip in sound quality. SoundCap technology introduces a unique feature called Far Field Noise Reduction (FFNR), capturing only the voice of speakers sitting in close proximity. People moving around the area and ambient noise is all intelligently eliminated – apart from open spaces, this could be extremely beneficial for those regularly working and collaborating from home. Let’s review the features of the Yamaha YVC-300 / YVC-330 in greater detail:
- Interface: You can connect the device over a variety of channels including USB 2.0, Bluetooth, and NFC. There are also two mini jacks for audio input and output. The Yamaha YVC-300 / YVC-330 both come with a 3m USB cable bundled in the box, making it ready-to-use
- Dimensions: At 23.5 cm by 22.6 cm and just 4.6 cm high, the Yamaha YVC-300 / YVC-330 is clearly designed to be placed on the standard tabletop. It is triangular in shape with rounded edges, indicating a perfect positioning at the centre of the table – at less than one kg, the device is also surprisingly light
- Signal processing: Here’s where the Yamaha YVC-300 / YVC-330 really shines. It has built-in noise reduction, automatic speaker tracking, gain control, de-reverberation, an echo canceller, and Human Voice Activity Detection (HVAD) to power a truly seamless calling experience. Interestingly, these features are available on both the 300 and 330 – with a few bonus features in the YVC-330
- Bonus features: The biggest difference between the Yamaha YVC-300 and the YVC-330 is the SoundCap technology. 330’s SoundCap capabilities let you:
- Reduce the impact of distracting noise with a unique three-microphone array
- Self-silent (or automatically mute) the mic when you’re not talking through HVAD
- Balance the sound of your voice as per the degree of surrounding noise, so that all participants are able to hear you clearly
Both devices are powered via USB, and you can connect it to either a work station or to any commercially available USB power adapter. What this means is that Bluetooth and NFC are purely for connecting your phones and not for maintaining power supply.
Why Yamaha YVC-300 / YVC-330 Makes a Difference
This series of Yamaha speakerphones – especially the Yamaha YVC-330 – is a massive improvement on most devices available in the market today. It converts any smartphone into an enterprise-grade telephonic system with special capabilities for performing in difficult audio scenarios.
With many speakers participating in a call, you can automatically mute yourself when you’re not talking, delivering the best possible experience to call participants at the other end. If ambient noise is too loud, there is a self-volume balancer which alters your voice so that its heard. And SoundCap’s unique background elimination feature means that you could take calls during conventions, from home, or even in a public place, if so necessary.
The flexibility enabled by Yamaha YVC-300 / YVC-330 is simply outstanding. And on top of that, it is competitively priced (between USD 380 and USD 450 at the time of writing this review).
What We Think
Even if you’re not looking to replace your current speakerphone setup, the Yamaha YVC-300 / YVC-330 is a great addition to your Unified Communication toolkit. If you regularly find yourself taking calls outside the office meeting room, the YVC-330 is easy to set up, consumes minimal power, and performs exceptionally well even under challenging conditions.
For professionals eager to embrace any time, anywhere collaboration, Yamaha YVC-300 / YVC-330 is definitely the way to go.
