Following up on the Yamaha PSG-01S – USB Speakerphone for Skype
A few weeks ago I wrote about The Yamaha PSG-01S – USB Speakerphone for Skype. After some ongoing use, I’m as satisfied as ever. It’s turning out to be a great tool for conference calls, and lately I’m spending hours every day on those.
In some conversations with other folks testing this, there are some other differentiators that warrant brief mention here -
- The PSG-01S is the only Skype-certified Speakerphone that has a client interface to the hardware supported by Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 at this point. Given early popularity of Windows 7, that’s a point wirht noting.
- The PSG-01S delivers four microphone array for full 360 degree participation in a call. This speaker array makes it nice for around-the-table calls. And they contribute to echo cancellation and background noise reduction.
- The PSG-01S supports 300 KHz to 20KHz audio for not only local music and voice recording but also for listening to music, podcasts and other audio. On a Skype call, the microphone is spec’d to 7KHz, sufficient for support of wideband audio – but the speaker continues to operate over the 300Hz to 20KHz range.
On of the points I made in my post was that at a US$249/€199 price point, it was just a touch pricey for many potential customers. That point was taken seriously as many of us made similar comments. Now there’s promotional pricing for the holiday season to December 31, 2009: US$199.90/£179.90/€179.90. Keep in mind that the pricing includes shipping and VAT/sales taxes. .
For those of us testing this unit, it’s been the personal experience and real use in the filed and on the road that’s caught our attention. Many people I’ve talked to find themselves just using it so often it’s become a habit. Sheryl and I sometimes fight over it, moving from one PC to another.
As a result of the positive feedback, In Store Solutions wants to encourage user trials and is extending its return policy so that anyone purchasing during this promotion can return it, shipping prepaid but no questions asked, for a full credit until January 31, 2010. This gives purchasers a chance to make their own mind about the value with no risk.
If you were on the fence, now’s a chance to try one of these out for yourself. You’ll find it under Phones at your local country Skype Store.