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EPOS EXPAND Capture 5 Review

Today we are writing our EPOS EXPAND Capture 5 Review, which focuses on the EXPAND Capture 5 from EPOS. It is an efficient product today since digital meetings have become integral in our daily lives. And with or without the Coronavirus, these meetings will be here to stay. 

That is why companies need to have a system that works efficiently. Simultaneously, it should guarantee good audio and video quality on both ends of the conversation. 

The best way to receive this audio and video quality is by utilising Intelligent Speakers. An ideal option would be the EXPAND Capture 5 from EPOS. 

The product is an intelligent solution that levels the playing field while empowering professionals working remotely or in the office. Participants joining via the onsite meeting room can receive high-quality speakers automating live transcriptions. It allows remote participants to follow the conversation with ease. 

If you need something like the EXPAND Capture 5 and want to learn more about it, do not worry. Our EPOS EXPAND Capture 5 Review will discuss everything about it, including its design, functions, features, etc. 

EPOS EXPAND Capture 5 Packaging

Like other products, the EXPAND Capture 5 arrived in a sturdy and protective cardboard box. The company opted for a simple and minimalist approach to its design.

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The only element you will find on the package is the company branding. Plus, there is a sticker with the name and an illustration of the product.

We also looked inside the box for our EPOS EXPAND Capture 5 Review and saw a few other inclusions. These are the powerbox, a USB-A cable, a Universal Power Supply Unit, a compliance sheet, plus a safety & quick guide.

EPOS EXPAND Capture 5 Review – Design and Functionality

While looking further into the product for our EPOS EXPAND Capture 5 Review, we learned interesting details about the product. Since it is the newest addition to the collaborative and rich MTR experience, it combines innovative communication and advanced audio. Additionally, it mixes AI and collaboration technology too. 

The EXPAND Capture 5 is a Smart speaker that determines in-room participants during live transcription. As a result, everyone can determine who is speaking at that time. Additionally, it establishes a post-meeting transcript identifying both in-room and remote attendees. 

The new Smart product can automatically identify participants joining Microsoft Teams to transcribe a live feed of the meeting/conversation. Also, the EXPAND Capture 5 has a premium speaker system.

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The EXPAND Capture 5 features a speaker driver and a seven-microphone array. Together, these allow superior audio and voice recognition to guarantee natural and lifelike conversations. It will feel like everyone in the meeting is in the same room.

Additionally, the product can accommodate voice interactions with clarity between remote and in-room participants.

The Smart speaker is ideal for meeting rooms with eight to ten people. Plus, it can identify participants via voice, attributing their comments to their names. The product performs this action via the auto-generated meeting transcript.

The total supported meeting size allows up to 20 participants with transcription possibilities. However, it is good that Microsoft is to support more transcribed individuals.

Remember that the EXPAND Capture 5 can only be linked to the MTR system on Windows. That is because they function to offer users a whole collaboration experience with both audio and video. These systems let users easily and quickly join Microsoft Teams meetings, share content, and make calls seamlessly.

Design of the EXPAND Capture 5

Once we got the product out of the box, we felt how well-built the EXPAND Capture 5 was. It sports a circular exterior with speakers, while its top section houses the mute button. Of course, you will find the company branding in front of the EXPAND Capture 5.

Underneath the speakerphone is rubber grips to keep the product stable in place. These are a great addition since the rubber grips adequately help prevent instances of falling/slipping. Also, the rubber grips prevent the EXPAND Capture 5 from scooting around or getting knocked off the desk. 

These grips use Kvadrat wool. 

Since the EXPAND Capture 5 was created and designed together with renowned creatives, it embodies excellent style and aesthetics. Plus, it represents the commitment of EPOS to longevity, quality, and sustainability. 

The company considered the resonance dampening properties of Kvadrat material to ensure highs without peaks and lows with outstanding responsiveness. Overall, this results in a system with a smooth sound that gives vocals warmth and clarity.

LED Indicators

We also checked the LED indicators of the speakerphone for our EPOS EXPAND Capture 5 Review. The company opted to place the LED as a ring at the top of the EXPAND Capture 5.

Its LED indicators are for Cortana activities and mute indication. Below is the list of different LED colours and what these are indicating. 

  • Green indicates in a meeting.
  • Red shows in a meeting with the mics muted.
  • Pulsating white indicates Cortana is activated and listening for input.
  • A rotating snake with a blue head & white tail shows that Cortana is processing. 
  • Pulsating blue/white means Cortana is answering or executing.

When the LED is off, the EXPAND Capture 5 is on low power mode. This status happens 10 minutes after MTR enters sleep mode. 

Key Features of the EPOS EXPAND Capture 5

What makes the EXPAND Capture 5 better than ordinary speakers? Is it an efficient solution for online meetings? We will discuss the product features in our EPOS EXPAND Capture 5 Review.

Upgrade your Microsoft Teams Rooms with the EPOS EXPAND Capture 5

The EXPAND Capture 5 is an intelligent speaker used on MTR or Microsoft Teams Rooms systems on Windows. It features a seven-microphone array and the Cortana voice assistant.

This product offers advanced transcription and voice recognition capabilities that provide an exclusive meeting experience. 

Enhance the Microsoft Teams Rooms Experience with EPOS EXPAND Capture 5 Review

When using the EXPAND Capture 5, you can enjoy all the Microsoft Teams functionalities with enterprise-grade security. The beamforming microphone array and premium speaker deliver excellent audio quality for all participants.

Certified for Microsoft Teams

The Microsoft Teams Rooms-certified EXPAND Capture 5 focuses on delivering seamless performance and an exceptional user experience. It is the result of the highly-integrated cooperation process of EPOS with Microsoft.

Enhanced Engagement and Productivity

With the EXPAND Capture 5, you can ensure everything is highly audible for remote attendees, keeping all meeting participants engaged. This intelligent speaker delivers high-quality audio as if all participants are in the same meeting room. It unites colleagues effectively and takes your virtual meetings to the next level.

EPOS designed, optimised, and tested the EXPAND Capture 5 for huddles and small to medium-sized meeting rooms with top-notch audio technology. It will deliver the best sound quality in these rooms.

Eliminate Note-taking with the EPOS EXPAND Capture 5

The EXPAND Capture 5 utilises advanced speech recognition for accurate transcription and attribution capture. It can pick up the voices of up to 10 people even when talking over each other. With this speaker, you can attribute and transcribe up to 20 participants per meeting.

EPOS and Microsoft

EPOS has been working with Microsoft on leading solutions for office professionals. These companies have been working together to develop the EXPAND Capture 5, the first of its kind. It brings premium audio to the MTR experience to achieve the most efficient meetings.

Continuous Development

Microsoft rolls out updates to consistently provide new features and improvements. As a result, you can use the EXPAND Capture 5 seamlessly since it stays up-to-date.

Clear LED Indicators of the EPOS EXPAND Capture 5 

The EXPAND Capture 5 has a clear LED indicator that shows the call status and activity of the Cortana. It also allows for intuitive call control.

Contemporary Design

With its sleek, minimalist look and premium materials, the EXPAND Capture 5 will fit any space. Plus, its simplicity allows for optimal capturing of voices.

Easy Orientation and Implementation

The EXPAND Capture 5 is easy for IT managers to implement and for users to operate. It eliminates the hassle of setting up meetings.

Designed with Cortana in Mind

Cortana enables hands-free scheduling of meetings and inviting participants for boosted productivity.

EPOS EXPAND Capture 5 and the Enterprise-grade Security and Privacy

With Microsoft integration, you can control and securely store full voice IDs. You can also do this for data with voice signatures. 

Everything you save in the EXPAND Capture 5 system is secure and private. Plus, the IT administrator can delete or deactivate these at any time.

Specifications

Let us continue our EPOS EXPAND Capture 5 Review and look at its specifications. For starters, the EXPAND Capture 5 is a Smart speakerphone recommended for conference use. However, keep in mind that it is primarily for communication purposes. 

The product has LED lights, a wired connection, plus a USB port for its connectivity. It has a 150 to 20000Hz frequency response and 70dB for its maximum sound pressure. Also, the EXPAND Capture 5 utilises a neodymium magnet and has a 1.52m long cable. 

Audio Input + Cable of the EPOS EXPAND Capture 5

The EXPAND Capture 5 has built-in beamforming microphones with omnidirectional operation modes. There are seven mics on the product, and these have 20 to 8000Hz frequency response. 

These microphones provide a 360-degree directivity angle and echo-cancelling details too. Also, the microphone speakers utilise neodymium drivers. The EXPAND Capture 5 has speaker cables measuring 5-feet-long, while the USB cable is 6.6-feet-long. 

Additionally, it accommodates IoT and intelligent assistants such as Cortana. 

Hands-on with the EPOS EXPAND Capture 5

Setting up personal voice signatures via the Teams client will be easy. We can utilise Teams desktop version (either Mac or Windows) to set up and configure the profile of choice. 

We suggest finding a quiet spot to do recordings. 

First, we had to make sure that the Teams language was English. Then, we selected More Options and then settings to look under Language. 

Under the Settings option, we chose Recognition and then Get Started. We selected Start Voice Capture on the next screen before reading texts aloud. 

After that, we chose Stop Voice Capture, then Close on the final screen. Once we finished setting it up, all data voices were in the Microsoft cloud. Saving files in the cloud via enterprise-grade privacy/security allows offers top-notch protection for your data. 

IT administrators can modify rules and settings for a few individuals or the whole organisation. Plus, they can even remove some or all data at any time.
To transcribe, you will need to enable transcription in teams for each meeting for the EXPAND Capture 5. You can say, “Hi Cortana, please start the meeting.” to activate this.

We tested the EXPAND Capture 5 in a meeting to see its capabilities. The sound quality of this speakerphone was superior, and the speech was audible. Other meeting participants also heard our voices well.

When we moved a few metres away from the microphone, the product retained the volume levels of our voices. With the EXPAND Capture 5, everything was clear, and it carried inflexions & nuances perfectly. 

When we increased the volumes, the EXPAND Capture 5 maintained its clarity which impressed us. It also retained the audio integrity near max volume levels.

EPOS EXPAND Capture 5 Review Summary

The EXPAND Capture 5 builds on the EXPAND product line of EPOS and is an excellent audio solution for collaboration. It successfully addresses the problems of professionals regarding location, time zones, and workspaces. Also, it provides clear and audible audio, which is vital for meetings.

The unique features of the EXPAND Capture 5 are impressive. But what makes the product excellent is it delivers the superior performance that the company claims. It works well in small & medium rooms, and the voices of all meeting participants were clear and easy to hear.

We highly recommend the EXPAND Capture 5 to all professionals who frequently hold virtual meetings. This product will improve communication while boosting efficiency and productivity.

To learn more about the EXPAND Capture 5, visit the official product page of EPOS for additional details.