Best Conference Ceiling Microphones

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF CEILING MICROPHONES?

Ceiling microphones are the most aesthetic solution among different conference microphones.

We made a list of the main advantages of ceiling microphones that will certainly convince you that ceiling microphones are the most suitable solution for your room:

  • Ceiling microphones can replace two or more gooseneck microphones. They can catch the voice of two or more speakers simultaneously.
  • Ceiling microphones are the perfect solution for multipurpose rooms. The furniture can be moved without caring about any microphones put on the table.
  • The presenter cannot interact directly with the microphone and can focus only on his speech. Ceiling mics are the perfect choice when the talker moves around the room or uses visualization tools. 
  • Set and forget – once the microphones are installed, you do not need to worry about them again.
  • Ceiling microphones eliminate the noise of the table clutter, like paper rustling, laptop fans, and finger tapping.

Ceiling microphones offer great flexibility and ease of use

WHEN THE CEILING MICROPHONES THE RIGHT CHOICE?

Consider buying ceiling microphones in the following situations: 

  • Many-to-many presentations, such as the daily business meetings

Ceiling microphones are a flexible and easy-to-use solution for small and enlarged huddle rooms when the participants in the meeting are both talkers and listeners.

  • one-to-many presentation, such as lectures

The microphones can be installed in front of the stage – in cases of several presenters who prefer to move freely. 

Microphones can also cover the audience in case they are expected to participate in the discussion by asking questions. In these cases, a sound system is recommended so that the active microphone is turned on and the rest are turned off.

THE BEST CEILING MICROPHONE

SENNHEISER TEAMCONNECT 2

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Sennheiser TeamConnect 2

We can’t say that Sennheiser TeamConnect 2 is just a good microphone. It is by far the best ceiling microphone solution.

This microphone uses patented beamforming technology to catch the position of the active speaker, which practically means it only catches the desired sound without disturbing ambient noise. 

TeamConnect 2 is a perfect solution for various business rooms with its wide pickup range and easy integration with different sound systems. 

The microphone is suitable for multifunctional small to large rooms with impressive room space coverage of 60 square meters (680 square feet). It can work as a part of the current analog or digital audio system. It also features the Dante installation technology.

The microphone is powered over ethernet and can be controlled remotely everywhere, from a mobile device or a laptop.

SUSPENDED MICROPHONES

Suspended microphones can improve sound quality as they hang from the ceiling, and their proximity to the talkers can usually be adjusted. The closer the microphone, the better the audio quality. At the same time, the hanging microphones remain so distant that they do not disturb the meeting participants. 

They are usually used for small to medium-sized conference rooms. For larger conference rooms, several microphones are used to cover all participants.

ADVANTAGES

  • impressive wide pickup range
  • excellent sound quality
  • Polycom patented stereo technology

RECOMMENDED FOR

small, medium, and large conferencing rooms

collaboration rooms, training rooms

on-stage presentations

ADVANTAGES

  • different pickup cartridges available to choose from to provide an optimal polar pattern
  • the gooseneck can be adjusted closer to the speaker

RECOMMENDED FOR

 small and medium conferencing rooms

collaboration rooms, training rooms

on-stage presentations and choirs

ADVANTAGES

  • clear sound reproduction
  • the best sound quality in this price range

RECOMMENDED FOR

small to medium conferencing rooms

collaboration rooms, training rooms

on-stage presentations and choirs

If you are looking for a microphone with a wide pickup range and perfect audio quality at a reasonable price, Polycom HDX is your best choice. This microphone is a one-size-fits-all solution for a great part of the conferencing rooms. 

It is a 360-degree microphone with a 12-foot pickup range and covers a remarkable 420 square feet of room space. Four microphones together cover an area of 1600 square feet! Up to four microphones can be installed in one conference room.

The microphone produces excellent sound quality with the Polycom StereoSurround™ and the Polycom noise-suppression technology.  

Vaddio Ceiling microphones have a similar design (and even better) design than Polycom HDX. Vaddio has presented two models of ceiling microphones – with and without Dante connectivity. Despite their good appearance and audio quality, these microphones lack the large covering range that Polycom HDX offers.

In the middle-class range, the Shure MX202 excels among the rest of the hanging microphones as a reliable solid-built microphone. It has a gooseneck suitable for adjusting the microphone in a particular direction. 

Check out our review of Shure MX202 for detailed info about this mic.

Both the Shure MX202 and the Audio Technica PRO45 possess a pickup range of about 3-4 feet and are suitable for small to medium-sized rooms. 

The Audio Technica PRO45 is our third choice on the list of hanging microphones. It comes at a low price range and still provides excellent quality with clear sound reproduction.

FLUSH-MOUNTED CEILING MICROPHONES

Flush-mounted microphones, as the name says, are so small they are hidden in the interior. These mics can practically be installed on any hard surface – on the ceiling, the wall, or the table. They can become the right solution for non-standard room spaces. 

If the tables in the room are often moved, mounting a microphone on the table is not advisable

Keep in mind that once installed, flush-mounted microphones cannot be freely moved. Drilling а hole at the specific microphone location should be planned. To get excellent sound quality, the mic’s placement should be adjusted according to its coverage area. Considering these restrictions, we recommend that a professional chooses and installs these microphones for you!

ADVANTAGES

  • can be shared among up to 4 attendees
  • unobtrusive design
  • different pickup patterns

RECOMMENDED FOR

small to medium conferencing rooms

collaboration  and training rooms

ceiling, table, and wall-mountable

ADVANTAGES

  • can be shared among up to 4 attendees
  • unobtrusive design
  • excellent sound quality

RECOMMENDED FOR

 small to medium conferencing rooms

collaboration  and training rooms

ceiling, table, and wall-mountable

Shure MX 395 is a low-profile, discreet microphone offered in three types of polar patterns. Choose the right polar pattern for this microphone according to the size of the room it is going to cover: 

  • Cardioid polar pattern – the mic is going to be used by one or two speakers next to each other
  • omnidirectional polar pattern – the mic is going to be used by several participants, for example, the three attendees sitting at the bottom of the table
  • figure 8 pattern – usually used for two people sitting against each other.

If you need the active microphone to be visible, choose one of the modifications with an LED status light.

The microphone also features Shure’s CommShield Technology, which protects against radio-frequency interference. 

We also picked the Sennheiser MEB 104 with its proven microphone capsule optimized for the best speech intelligibility. Sennheiser is well-known for its impeccable audio quality, but this microphone is more expensive.

This microphone is a good choice if the room is used for multiple purposes. The microphone is offered in a cardioid pattern only. Using the same pattern on all microphones lets you easily move furniture and adapt the room spaces for different business events.

CHOOSING A CEILING ARRAY MICROPHONE

Ceiling array microphones are the most innovative and high-end type of ceiling microphones. They are known as beamforming array microphones, using audio beamforming technology. 

Beamforming microphones offer several conveniences for any conference or collaboration room. Because of their typically wider pickup range, these microphones can be used for conference rooms of various sizes and layouts. These microphones can usually cover an area of about 10 standard microphones. 

Their position practically hides them from the speaker’s view so that he can concentrate only on his speech. They can be positioned in the following ways:

  • flush-mounted – become a part of the ceiling
  • hanging from the ceiling
  • installed on the wall or the table. 

Their only drawback is probably their price. They are more expensive compared to the rest of the ceiling microphones. Still comparing their range and ease of use, they are worth the price.

ADVANTAGES

  • excellent pickup range
  • excellent sound quality
  • remote control from a mobile device
  • unobtrusive design
  • ceiling-mounted only

RECOMMENDED FOR

all sizes of business conferencing rooms

collaboration and training rooms

ADVANTAGES

  • Excellent sound quality; it has the most advanced noise-cancellation technology
  • can be table-, wall- or ceiling-munted

RECOMMENDED FOR

small to large conferencing rooms

collaboration  and training rooms

ADVANTAGES

  • USB microphone directly connected to the laptop
  • built-in SIP phone
  • wall-mountable, usually positioned above or below the monitor

RECOMMENDED FOR

small to medium conferencing rooms

collaboration  and training rooms

The Sennheiser’s TeamConnect 2 excels with outstanding sound quality and its many features. It is the most innovative and top-quality ceiling microphone on the market. The secret of its perfect audio quality is the patented adaptive beamforming technology, which allows the detection of the position of the currently active speaker. The directivity of the microphone focuses automatically on his position. 

TeamConnect 2 provides great flexibility for adjusting conference room spaces with its unprecedented 680 square feet (60 square meters) room coverage. 

The Sennheiser TeamConnect 2 can be named a smart ceiling microphone, as it can be controlled remotely from a mobile phone or a laptop.

The ClearOne beamforming ceiling microphone boosts with the most advanced echo and noise cancellation technology. This microphone is also suitable for large room spaces, although it has a smaller number of microphone capsules than the Sennheiser solution. The ClearOne mic can cover a space of 9-12 standard microphones.

It can be installed on the table or the wall, while the Sennheiser does not have that option. Both microphones can be mounted on the ceilings (ceiling-mounted, suspended, or flush-mounted).

The Phoenix Audio Condor is the perfect choice for those who seek a top-quality plug-and-play microphone solution. It is a USB microphone, so you only need to connect it to a laptop to use it. It does not require a sound system or any additional audio equipment. Besides, it has a built-in SIP phone so that it can be connected to the network and simultaneously provide the functionality of a microphone and a  VoIP phone.

The Phoenix Audio Condor is an innovative microphone, and so is its appearance. It is a 48-inches long microphone array and is not a ceiling microphone. It is wall-mountable to be closer to connecting directly to a PC. This mic is usually mounted below or above a monitor on the wall. 

The Phoenix Audio Condor can cover a small to medium-sized room area, as it has an optimal pickup range of 15 feet (and a maximum pickup range of up to 30 feet). For a larger room, two or more microphones can be used.

If you need to check out more microphone options to find your best conference microphone, you can look at our article about the main types of conferencing microphones.

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