Jabra’s Speak 410 UC is an excellent compact speakerphone for high, two-way voice quality. The other main strengths of the speakerphone are its user-friendliness and compatibility with across-the-board softphones.
On the other hand, the absence of Bluetooth definitely can be counted as a weakness. This can be quite limiting, especially if you want to use the speakerphone with a tablet or mobile device.
If Bluetooth of the speakerphone is a must-have in your case, we recommend the newer models of Jabra: Speak 510 and Speak 710. Both of these newer models cover a range of up to 100 feet.
It is safe to say that the 410 UC is a high-quality compact speakerphone; however, almost exclusively intended for use with desktop softphones.
Table of Contents
First Impression
Like all other compact speakerphones, the Speak 410 UC has two main utilization modes.
The first one is within the personal, individual workspace. A device like the Speak 410 UC can be an excellent substitution for headsets, for it is a speakerphone that maintains life-like conversations, which are just as engaging as headsets.
Overall, sound quality alone is as good as the Speak 510 and even the Speak 710 (the 710 is more powerful and can handle a meeting with up to 6 participants, but the quality level is identical).
The second use of the Speak 410 UC can be conducting a conference call with up to 4 participants surrounding the speakerphone. This makes it ideal for huddle rooms or public workspaces.
However, unlike most compact speakerphones, it can only be used via its built-in USB cable.
This is understandable, given that the Speak 410 was released in 2014. Nevertheless, it remains limiting except for users who intend on using only their PC anyway.
But the bright side, users don’t have to charge the device separately. The device is charging and powered while plugged in for use via its USB. This way, the 410 UC cannot run out of battery in the middle of the day.
Design
In terms of design and interface, the Speak 410 embodies elegant simplicity. It is small and light, while the average user can quickly learn all its functions.
The Speak 410’s seven buttons are handily placed around the speaker. These include the + and – volume adjustment buttons, the ‘Mute’ button, the ‘Jabra’ button, and the customizable ‘Smart’ button.
The first 4 buttons are self-explanatory. The ‘Jabra’ and ‘Smart’ buttons need some explanation.
The ‘Smart’ button is a customizable speed dial button. It can be programmed as a speed dial button for any preference contact. This button is configured from the Jabra Direct app.
The Speak 410 UC has seven buttons and is simple and easy to access.
What about the ‘Jabra’ button? This button is used for adjusting the ringtone volume. Once pressed, users then need to set the volume from the + and – buttons.
The call control buttons are supported on specific softphone clients—more on this in the Compatibility section below.
In addition to the buttons, LED indicators are at the speaker’s edges. They light up in various colors, depending on what they communicate.
The LED dots are a source of communication between users and the Speak 410 UC.
For example, they light up in red whenever the ‘Mute’ button is pressed. And, of course, the information is accurate, and the call is muted when tested. Users can be reassured that they won’t experience embarrassing situations in which they thought nobody had been listening.
A portion or all the LED dots also light up whenever the call or ringtone volume is adjusted. Moreover, the dots also indicate changes in volume even when it is being adjusted directly from the PC.
This is a nice little detail for improving the workflow. On the one hand, the PC/laptop softphone’s call functions can be directly operated from the speakerphone. On the other hand, the Speak 410’s volume can be adjusted directly from the PC device when this is the easier way anyway.
Video: Learning to use the Speak 410 UC buttons in 2 minutes.
The lower part of Speak 410’s body functions as a cable management system. Whenever the built-in USB cable is not in use, it is wrapped around the lower part of the device.
However, the USB cable’s length is one literal shortcoming of the Speak 410 UC. Being just one meter long, it will likely require extensions in some home offices and huddle rooms.
The bottom of the speakerphone is padded with an anti-slippery rubber material. Also, the Speak 410 comes with a carrying case. Nevertheless, remember that the device must be handled carefully, as the case is not shock-proof.
Mounting the Speak 410 UC onto a wall or elsewhere requires an additional bracket. This is Jabra’s standard mounting component, suitable for the Speak 410 and the Speak 510. Remember that this component is not included in the default Speak 410 pack and must be obtained additionally.
The Speak 410 and its mounting bracket.
Audio
The Speak 410 UC is optimized for the human voice. It is not a recommended option for playing music. Yet, this is a common consideration when it comes to business speakerphones. Therefore, it cannot be counted as a weakness.
Nevertheless, the Speak 410 UC is equipped with all the sound-processing and sound-refining technologies that the 510 and 710 also have.
The Speak 410 UC has a Wideband audio system. This type of audio system is used with most audio devices targeted at business users. That’s because the Wideband audio can pick up a greater frequency range, thus delivering a more nuanced and life-like speech.
The Wideband audio is complemented by Speak 410’s Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology. While the Wideband effectively transmits a richer-sounding voice, the DSP is the filter that prevents everything that is not human speech from reaching you.
When tested, the Speak 410 demonstrated excellent on-call quality. The incoming voice was audible and clean. And indeed, any background noises were reduced to a minimum.
However, the DSP works both ways. That is, it eliminates noises from the other side and blocks those coming from right next to it. For example, it successfully eliminates typing noises from the nearby keyboard. In its turn, this allows for multitasking and increases productivity.
But even before being filtered by the DSP, all outgoing speech is captured by the ‘omnidirectional microphone’. ‘Omnidirectional’ means that the microphone can easily pick up a voice from any side.
The microphone system successfully captures and delivers high-quality voice from all sides, but it can be ‘facing’ only a single direction at a time.
The microphone does indeed pick up voices from all sides. However, voices from certain sides are heard more clearly. This might be attributed to the fact that despite the mic being ‘omnidirectional’, it is nevertheless positioned along one of the periphery edges.
Thus, any speech coming from nearby that side is inevitably ‘prioritized’ in terms of clarity and detail.
Set-Up & Softphone Compatibility
The call controls are supported on softphones, given that compatibility requirements are met.
The Speak 410 is compatible with the most widespread softphones, including Cisco software, Skype-for-Business, and Avaya.
Does your business organization use a different softphone platform? Check whether it matches the 410 UC at Jabra’s official compatibility guide.
Final Words
There are three main reasons: The Speak 410 UC delivers excellent sound in both directions; it is easy to use; it provides users with productivity-enhancing functionalities.
However, there are also some lacking factors to be mindful of.
According to the table, Speak 410 has few disadvantages in comparison with the other Jabra products of a similar kind. This is why it is considered the ‘entry-level’ Jabra speakerphone. However, it can still be the most appropriate match for users that are heavy on desktop-based softphones.
