Tested: eMeet OfficeCore M2 – AI Conference Speaker for $209.99

The development of artificial intelligence is progressing ever faster. Google recently presented its latest advances to the public, and Xiaomi is already using its own “Xiao-AI” in some devices. A new field of application is used in eMeet OfficeCore M2: Thanks to artificial intelligence, the call quality is significantly improved. We received the speaker for testing and try it out for ourselves.

• eMeet OfficeCore M2
  • at Amazon for $209.99 (Prime)

The scope of delivery

The small package is not much bigger than the speaker itself. Completely in black, simple, but beautiful. There is nothing special to note here.

Xiaomi’s AI-Speaker or the Anker model never had a lot of accessories next to the speaker. The same applies to the eMeet. The scope of delivery includes:

• the eMeet OfficeCore M2
• AUX cable
• USB cable
• Operating instructions in English and other languages

Smart Speaker – compact design

The comparatively small speaker measures just 12.5 x 12.5 x 3.5 cm, making it easy to take with you and use on the go with your laptop. So far the speaker is only available in black-grey, but will also appear in grey and white. The speaker is, as the name suggests, the successor of the OfficeCore M1, which can be obtained from Amazon and has already received very good reviews there.

Since the eMeet OfficeCore M2 is designed for meeting rooms and should therefore not appear unsightly, a lot of emphasis was placed on design. Made of high-quality aluminium, the speaker feels quite valuable. The individual parts are all processed very cleanly together, processing errors can be found nowhere here.

Speaker controls

The speaker’s weight of 299 g also makes it a “speaker to go”: although the round shape is nothing for your pocket, it can otherwise easily fit into bags and backpacks. The M2 can be operated via the individual symbols in the middle. On this photo I have summarized the individual controls:

The control buttons respond quickly to the key press, and a short beep sounds as feedback. Depending on the command, you can also press and hold the respective key to trigger another command. This only applies to keys with multiple functions. Conveniently, you can mute your own sound using the middle button. We know this from our office experience and know how practical it is in video conferences with many people.

Various light signals

Above the on/off button there is an LED light indicating the status of the speaker. If this lights up blue, a Bluetooth connection is established or already exists. The white indicator shows that an AUX connection has been established. Set to USB, the indicator lights green. This connection method can be changed using the “Source Switch” button.

Thanks to the different light colours, you always have a good overview of which connection is currently selected for the speaker. Definitely practical, but without it it would also be a huge shortcoming. The charge level of the battery can also be tracked; at 5% remaining battery power, the light ring lights red.

The AUX input allows you to connect external speakers in addition to the speaker if the volume is not sufficient.

Functionality and call quality

The speaker is simply placed in the middle of the table during a meeting. It can be connected via USB cable, AUX cable or simply via Bluetooth 4.2. Four microphones in the device then record what has been said. The AI also detects distant voices up to eight meters away and filters out noise to improve the sound. Even when ambient noise such as a projector or air conditioning is present, a clear sound image should be transmitted.

The distance of the respective speaker should also be detected, whereupon the volume of the microphone is automatically adjusted. Last but not least, several eMeet OfficeCore M2 can be connected together to be used even in larger rooms. Here is a brief overview of the speaker’s individual functions:

• Video and telephone conferences
• 360° voice recognition at a distance of up to 8 m
• automatic switching between speech and music modes

After pressing and holding the speaker for about three seconds, it is switched on; the same time applies to switching it off again. The principle behind the smart speaker is easily explained:

1. When a call is received, it is accepted via the telephone key and the calling person is heard via the loudspeaker.
2. The language assistant (Siri, Google Assistant, Cortana) is called via the button with the eMeet symbol.
3. Use the middle button (keep pressed until recording is in progress) to record voice recordings.
4. Pressing and holding the Language Assist button plays back recordings.

The call quality is really good, both for telephone calls and for playing music. To what extent this is related to the AI cannot be understood with normal means. The user manual also mentions a corresponding app, but this seems not to have been completed yet. If the app should still be released, we will inform you here of course.

The battery

The battery status of the speaker can be tracked by pressing and holding the on/off button; if the battery status is low, the outer ring lights red. Thanks to the USB cable, the eMeet can be charged simply like a smartphone via the mains plug or alternatively on a laptop. The charging time is almost 4 hours. Depending on use, the possible working time (talk time) is 10 hours. The latter is a quite solid value, the loading time could be somewhat shorter for my taste.

Conclusion – The revolution for meetings?

We know from regular experience how annoying badly adjusted microphones can be in multi-party calls and meetings with many people. The eMeet OfficeCore M2 can be quite a help here, however, the manufacturer requires for this also nearly $210. However, especially for telephone conferences in the professional environment, you may be happy to pay for this, but it is only worthwhile for individuals if they are true business people.

But what do you think: Is the speaker an enrichment for the offices or simply too expensive?