ClearOne comm C100s User Manual
Chat™|50 vs. Polycom Communicator C100s
Competitive Comparison
May 2007
Competitive Comparison Table
ClearOne Chat™|50 Polycom Communicator C100s
Photos and Sizes
(photos at 1/3 scale)
Width
3.8”
(9.7 cm)
Width
3.24”
(8.23 cm)
Depth
4.1”
(10.4 cm)
Height
1.8”
(4.8 cm)
MSRP $149 $129
Connectivity USB
Telephone handsets
Cell phones
Desktop video conferencing devices
iPods and other MP3 players
Applications • PC:
• Skype, Vonage, Google Talk
• Web conferencing
• Video conferencing
• Enterprise VoIP softphones
• IM with audio chat
• Audio playback
• Gaming
• Telephones
• Cell phones
• Desktop video conferencing devices
• iPods and other MP3 players
Audio Processing Built-in DSP - all audio processing
takes place on the Chat 50 itself,
utilizing ClearOne’s market-leading algorithms
for:
• Echo cancellation
• Noise cancellation
• Advanced input & output level management
• 20Hz-20kHz full bandwidth frequency
response for deep, rich sound
USB only
Skype only
• Does not connect to any other devices
• Is focused solely on Skype (integrated
Skype button)
• Questionable performance even with other
PC applications. According to Polycom FAQ
on the Communicator: “Skype is the only
application that is officially supported by
Polycom Communicator model C100S. It is
optimized for use with Skype, and if used
with other Internet calling or voice
applications, Polycom Communicator may
experience diminished audio quality and/or
loss of button functionality.”
No on-board DSP processing code is loaded onto hard drive of connected PC:
• Audio processing tasks compete for CPU
resources with other PC applications such as
video conferencing over internet
• This could affect echo cancellation and duplex
performance
• No ability to ever connect to non-PC devices
because it contains no built-in processing
Depth
5.25”
(13.33 cm)
Height
0.85”
(2.16 cm)
Chat™|50 vs. Polycom Communicator C100s continued
ClearOne Chat™|50 Polycom Communicator C100s
Expandability The base-model Chat 50 offers USB
connectivity, and also comes bundled with
various cables and accessories to enable
additional connectivity for the road warrior
or many other uses:
• Chat 50 USB ($149)
– device with USB cable
• Chat 50 USB Plus ($179)
– adds power adapter, cell cable
• Chat 50 USB Plus Int’l ($189)
– adds int’l power clips, cell cable
• Chat 50 Global Traveler ($209)
– adds adds int’l power clips, cell
cable, travel case, MP3 audio player cable
Industrial Design No moving parts: durable, functional,
attractive design:
• Puts microphone and speaker in
optimal positioning without need for
a stand
• Professional, sleek design
complements contemporary look
of laptops, enterprise phones,
cell phones, etc.
Audio Quality Deep, rich sound with the best
full-duplex performance and echo
cancellation in the category PC
Magazine editor that gave the
Chat 50 the Editors’ Choice Award
stated that it has “excellent, full-bodied sound.
I found the audio comparable
to that of high-end Polycom
conference-room models which
cost far more.”
Warranty Two Years One Year
Product Awards PC Magazine Editors’ Choice Award
- May 2006
None
Moving part: design includes flip-out stand to
prop unit up:
• Prone to breakage, particularly as a
portable unit that will be taken in and
out of bags, etc.
Early testing by other parties (not yet tested by
ClearOne) resulted in
significant echo and poor duplex
performance, particularly when
switching between headset mode
and speakerphone mode
None
ClearOne Communications, Inc. | 5225 Wiley Post Way, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, UT, 84116 | www.clearone.com | Part No. 803-159-001 Rev 1.0
Loading...