Conference rooms require quite a lot of technology to operate smoothly. There are tons of options to choose from though, which can make the selection process a challenge.
Beyond sifting through the sea of options, there are also other factors to consider. For example, your room’s design: A room with many reflective surfaces, like windows or glass walls, will require different technology than a room that’s built to be soundproof. Other factors are things like room width and length, your budget, and the expertise level of the staff that will be running and maintaining the technology day-to-day. So not only should you be concerned with the best video conference room camera, for instance, but which is the best video conference camera for a large room.
To help simplify the process, we’ve curated a list of the top technology solutions for video conference rooms, broken down by category. In addition, we’ve awarded a winner in each category based on some of those surrounding factors you’ll need to consider.
Best Commercial Cameras
Cameras are used for a variety of different reasons in a conference room, one of the most popular being video conferencing. Your camera should be able to display and transmit a high-quality picture whether you’re connecting with remote colleagues or displaying a presentation.
Best picture quality: Panasonic’s AW-HE38H HD
Panasonic’s AW-HE38H HD has the best picture quality on the market. It includes a high-resolution, high-sensitivity sensor, along with 22x optical zoom capabilities mean the picture always stays crisp—even for the person farthest away from the camera— making this the best video conference camera for a large room.
Best for remote management: Vaddio’s RoboSHOT 12E USB HD PTZ Camera
Vaddio’s RoboSHOT 12E USB HD PTZ Camera is a budget-friendly solution that comes with advanced settings. So while it might be a bit of a challenge for non-technical teams to master, it is a perfect option for a conference room being remotely managed by an IT team.
This camera can be connected to your video conferencing system in many different ways, including USB or HDMI, making it the best conference room camera to retrofit an existing space.
Most cost effective: Lumens VC-B30U Full HD USB PTZ Camera
The Lumens VC-B30U Full HD USB PTZ Camera is the best option for those looking to build a conference room on a budget. This camera has a high-quality resolution and is equipped with a five-year warranty and Zoom certification, making it the best webcam for conference rooms.
Best All-in-one Sound Bar
An all-in-one sound bar is a speaker system that provides high-quality TV or microphone sound without requiring a receiver and surround sound speaker. The bar's long, slender body consists of multiple speakers, and is capable of providing stereo or surround sound.
Best for ease of use: Crestron’s UC-SB1-CAM
We selected Crestron’s UC-SB1-CAM as the easiest-to-use sound bar because it’s beamforming mic auto-adjusts for the speakers in the room, so you don’t have to change audio settings for each user.
This sound bar fits in a large conference room, and comes with a high-quality camera. It’s easily plugged into a user’s computer through a USB port, and won’t require much training for users.
Best for remote management: Vaddio HuddleShot Sound Bar
Vaddio’s HuddleShot sound bar has some more advanced features, which is ideal if you’re working with an IT team that’s managing your conference room setup remotely.
The Vaddio system allows an IT team to troubleshoot issues or take control of the sound bar’s settings either from an office down the hall or an off-site location.
Best all-in-one sound bar camera: Logitech’s Rally Bar
An all-in-one sound bar includes a camera that links to your video conferencing tools and television screen. Equipped with 4K technology, Logitech’s Rally Bar has one of the best cameras you can find in an all-one-sound bar. In addition, it syncs directly with video conferencing technologies like Microsoft, Zoom, Pexip, GoTo and RingCentral.
Best In-ceiling Mic
An in-ceiling mic is a microphone that either hangs from the ceiling or is installed in the ceiling panels in order to pick up sound from the room in the most effective and efficient way possible.
Most appealing design: Shure’s MXA910
Shure’s MXA910 has one of the most appealing designs in the in-ceiling microphone market. Designed to look like a ceiling panel, it’s a discreet way to evenly pick-up and distribute sound throughout a room.
And the best part: its design does not compromise sound quality. If the look and feel of your conference room is one of your top priorities, this the best conference room microphone for you.
Most advanced audio settings: Sennheiser’s TeamConnect Ceiling 2
Sennheiser’s TeamConnect Ceiling 2 has some of the most advanced audio settings on the market, and is best for conference rooms that are being managed by a skilled IT team.
Its advanced features include the ability to manually adjust your audio in order to suit the design of your room. For example, you might want to block noise emanating from a doorway or air handler. This in-ceiling microphone is the best conference room microphone for manually adjusting settings so you don’t hear unwanted noise. Additionally, this microphone can be paired with the control interfaces below to automatically focus on each presenter around the table.
Most cost-effective: Biamp’s Tesira microphones
Biamp’s Tesira microphones are the most budget-friendly solution for achieving high-quality sound with an in-ceiling microphone; it is also the best conference room microphone for smaller spaces.
These microphones cost less because they are significantly smaller in size than the other options on this list. The smaller design holds fewer microphones (4) than our other options (8), meaning you wouldn’t be able to cover as large of a space, but it does achieve the same high-quality sound for smaller spaces.
Best In-ceiling Speaker
An in-ceiling speaker is a speaker that either hangs from the ceiling or is built into your ceiling panels for high-quality sound distribution throughout a conference room.
Best 70-volt speaker: QSC’s AC-C6T
70-volt (70v) speaker systems are common in commercial settings because they’re easy to use and easy to install. 70v systems consistently send voltage throughout a distributed sound system in a room.
The QSC AC-C6T can be wired to an amplifier, allowing you to send low voltage signals from your source equipment with enough gain to be heard in your speakers.
Best for power over ethernet (POE) wiring: Shure’s MICROFLEX™ MXN5W-C
POE systems allow electronic devices to connect to power through ethernet cabling, without the need for batteries or a wall outlet. This ceiling speaker gets its power directly from the network switch it’s connected to.
Shure’s MICROFLEX™ MXN5W-C has POE capabilities, removing the need for an amplifier. It’s easy to install and can be managed by a remote IT team.
Most cost-effective: Yamaha’s NS-IW360C
Yamaha’s NS-IW360C is the best option for conference room installations that need to be built on a budget. It’s easy to install, has a low-profile design, and doesn’t compromise sound quality for cost.
Best Control Interface
Simply put, a control interface allows you to control all the devices in your conference room from one place. A person operating this one piece of equipment can instruct the device or system to do what they need, and the system will respond accordingly.
Best overall: Crestron’s TS-770-B-S
Crestron’s TS-770-B-S is our top pick for a conference room control interface. It can control a wide variety of devices—everything from cameras and microphones to a room’s lighting or window shades.
Best for ease of use: Extron’s TLP Pro 725T
Extron’s TLP Pro 725T is our top pick for ease of use as it easily integrates with other Extron devices that make up your conference room. You can purchase speakers, amplifiers, extenders and more from Extron, and control them all easily with this one device.
Best for remote management: QSC’s Q-SYS Touch Screen Controllers
QSC’s Q-SYS Touch Screen Controllers are the best option for conference rooms that are remotely managed by an IT team. IT professionals can easily control cameras and speakers from afar, and update settings when needed. In addition, this is also the most visually appealing option.
Best Wireless Sharing Solutions
Wireless sharing devices allow you to share your computer screen or video on a separate screen without having to connect the two using a wire.
Most advanced settings: Extron’s ShareLink Pro 1000
Extron’s ShareLink Pro 1000 is one of the most feature-heavy options for wireless sharing devices. It can connect to an HDMI device; it can be updated with additional applications; and it allows users to share using standard technologies like AirPlay or Chromecast.
Best for presentations: Biamp’s Modena Wireless Presentation Systems
Biamp’s Modena Wireless Presentation Systems allows sharing through a web browser, and includes a feature that enables bi-directional broadcasting.
For example, if you were attending a large meeting, your screens could simultaneously display a video feed of meeting participants alongside the presentation.
Best for ease of use: Barco’s ClickShare wireless conferencing system
Barco’s ClickShare wireless conferencing system set the standard for the wireless sharing market. It’s incredibly easy to use—simply plug it directly into your computer using a USB device and in under a minute, you’re ready to share. Users simply click the big red button on the device to display their screen.
Do you Need Help Choosing the Right Technology for Your Conference Room?
Whether your conference room priorities are look and feel, ease of use, sticking within a budget, or anything else, this list of conference room technology solutions curates the best options currently on the market.
If you need help selecting the best conference room technology for your custom needs, reach out to Aspen Custom Electronics for a consultation. Our experts are always in-the-know when it comes to the latest and greatest technologies for conference solutions.
