New equipment full of tips to simplify your video and audio meetings

The health crisis has accelerated the use of teleworking. Now, 26% of French workers telework and 53% of executives practice it (source: DARES). Implicitly, the need for many to renew or complete their IT equipment… and to seek help from their company which can itself request state support.

Since 2020, sales of computers, webcams or headsets with microphones have skyrocketed and the proposals of electronic device manufacturers are in tune with our new needs. 20 Minutes has tracked down the most practical (and sometimes original) accessories for professional video meetings and telephone conversations.

For complete freedom of movement: Sony SRS-NB10 neck speaker

Perfect for working at home, the Sony SRS-NB10 neckband speaker simply sits on your shoulders. During our tests, we appreciated its lightness (133 grams) which makes it quickly forgotten, but also its good autonomy, up to 20 hours.

Operating in Bluetooth, this equipment obviously acts as a kit hands-free and can be used with a computer, smartphone or tablet.

On either side, its speakers emit a clear sound that lacks warmth and trunk. On the right branch, a microphone picks up the voice and reproduces it perfectly as indicated by the interlocutors with whom we tested the speaker. On the left branch are easily accessible Volume keys, as well as a button to call your personal assistant.

With a range of around 30 meters, this neck speaker offers a great feeling of freedom. Ideal for occasional conversations, its sound quality can still be improved, but sufficient for discussion. We will also appreciate being able to use it in a kitchen, for example, for more personal calls when preparing a meal (the enclosure is splash resistant).

Not recommended, however, for entertaining (games, video, music) except for parsimonious use, especially as the SRS-NB10 (which is available in white or black) lacks discretion: your neighbors will be able to hear your sounds. 149 euros.

To stay mobile inside and out: Fauna Audio glasses

Another solution guaranteeing increased freedom in the context of a professional activity! Available in four models, some of which are unisex, Fauna Audio Bluetooth glasses can be paired with a smartphone, but also with a computer (PC or Mac) to broadcast sound and capture voice. Their battery is recharged consecutively up to five times in a storage case.

Integrating four speakers and two microphones, the Fauna Audio are well suited for conversations, both vocal and video, but their sound quality does not equal, far from it, that of a classic audio headset or True Wireless headphones for music. However, we have noticed that outside, they give our movements a real sense of security, leaving our ears on the lookout to naturally pick up the surrounding noises.

During our Fauna Audio test, we also appreciated the lightness (50 grams) of the glasses, as well as the less massive design than that of the Bose Bluetooth Frames glasses.

Also available with tinted lenses to protect the eyes on the outside, Fauna Audio glasses are compatible with corrective lenses, a good point for teleworking… even if their autonomy is only 4 hours. 249 euros.

To look better in video: Poly P5 webcam

Pool of poor quality video? The voice and video solutions specialist Poly offers with its webcam
P5 its solution to make them look better.

To add to a headset or a speaker, this camera is easy to use once the Poly Lens software has been downloaded. To put on the screen of his computer or on his desk (the support of the P5 is adjustable from bottom to top and the camera can rotate up to 360 °), the device which is natively compatible with Teams and Zoom delivers a image in Full HD and has a 4x zoom.

Its integrated directional microphone focuses on the voice of its user and manages to quite well erase ambient noise that could disturb in a shared workspace. The webcam is compatible with Windows and Mac OS.

Discreet (60 x 43 x 62 mm), offering an excellent image, this camera also has the merit of being mobile and can follow us on the move with our laptop. On this point, Poly would have been well advised to offer him a carrying case! It is possible to associate it with different accessories of the brand, such as the interesting speakerphone
Sync 20 which conquered us during the confinement. 133 euros.

To relieve his ears: Opencomm micro headset from Omnicom

Known for its bone conduction headphones for sports, the firm Aftershokz had the good idea to adapt its technology for professionals. With OpenComm, make way for a micro headset that you can wear for hours at work, without discomfort around or in the ears. We are far from the unpleasant effects of a classic headphones or earphones after hours of use, as we have seen.

The principle of bone conduction? No more pad around the ear, no more painful tips in the ear canal and nothing at all on the ear for that matter: connected via Bluetooth 5.0, Opencomm transmits the sound of conversations to the inner ear via vibrations.

These “headphones” are placed just in front of the tragus of the ear (the small soft part at the entrance to the ear canal), leaving the latter completely free. The sound is conveyed to the inner ear thanks to the bone which surrounds it.

Result: lightness (33 grams), a range of up to 10 meters, an autonomy of 16 hours in conversation … and even resistance to sweat (standard IP55).

If the quality of sound offered is still different from that of a traditional headset, Opencomm provides indisputable working comfort, coupled with obvious freedom of movement. The fact of not being cut off from the outside world, being able to participate in the surrounding conversations is also an undeniable plus. 169 euros.