The Poly Calisto 7200 is a device that has been designed specifically with conference calls in mind. And it shows.
The voice quality is impeccable, it is easy to use, and it is as solid as a rock as well.
It does have some flaws, too, though. But they pale compared to all its benefits to the conference table.
Table of Contents
At a Glance
Calisto 7200 is Poly’s answer for the ultra-compact speakerphone category. It is perfect for individual use and small conference meetings with between 4 and 8 people.
It is suitable for beginner users as it is extremely user-friendly. Teams are guaranteed to learn quickly how to work with the device.
It has the most basic buttons, and the plug-and-play connectivity makes it a breeze to connect with other devices. In addition, it has an LED indicator with changing colors for visual notifications.
Design
The Calisto 7200 is a very recognizable compact speakerphone. This is because it is one of the few products in its category to have a square form factor. In contrast, most other compact speakerphones are rounded.
Overall, the device’s built quality is substantial. It is light enough to be portable but heavy enough to feel reassuring.
One of the more stand-out design features is the liquid-resistant and anti-dust surface. Regarding premium tech pieces, this type of security is always nice to have.
For extra convenience, Calisto 7200 comes with a nice, padded neoprene case. This accessory is handy when the speakerphone needs to be taken to another place.
Audio Performance
Poly is not short on confidence by promising ‘legendary conference quality’ from Calisto 7200. So, does the device live up to such a definition?
It does. By far, this is one of any compact speakerphone’s best two-way audio performances.
The Poly Calisto 7200 is packed with all the technology necessary for catering to a life-like conversation in any small-to-medium conference room.
The Calisto 7200 HD voice system captures an expanded human voice frequency range. In terms of clarity, this creates the effect that the person on the other side of the line is in the same room.
Moreover, the speakerphone of Calisto 7200 can get quite loud. This ensures that every participant in a small conference room can hear the other party. This tiny little box is packed with power.
Poly Calisto 7200 performs just as flawlessly for outgoing speech transmission. The Calisto microphones are optimized to recognize and amplify human speech.
This can be attributed to Poly’s patented NoiseBlock technology for eliminating background noises.
The device is supplied with 4 directional microphones located at the edges of the speakerphone. With a pick-up range of 10 feet, Calisto 7200 is a perfect fit for a medium square or round table.
Overall, the microphones exhibit awesome quality and are very reliable. Together, they can catch voices coming from all directions. Even when the speech was not directed at the microphones, they could pick it up.
Connectivity & Integration
The Poly Calisto 7200 connects to other devices via either USB or Bluetooth.
With USB and Bluetooth, all it takes is a simple plug-and-play procedure to connect Poly Calisto 7200 to other devices. No additional drivers need to be downloaded or installed.
Poly Calisto 7200 comes with 2 USB cables of varying lengths. The first is 4 feet long, while the other extends up to 10 feet.
The longer one is intended for more complex conference room setups. It has loops to enable locking it to a conference table.
The Poly Calisto 7200 is compatible with all recent versions of Windows (7, 8.1, 10) and Apple OS (Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra).
The Calisto 7200 speakerphone can pair up to 10 devices and connect with up to two devices simultaneously. However, the speakerphone can only transmit audio for one device at a time.
If the Calisto 7200 remains in the conference room all the time, the limit of 10 paired devices quickly fills up. This would not have been a problem if the already paired devices could be removed from the pairing list.
It will be inconvenient for bigger organizations if only a few of the 10 devices can pair with the speakerphone.
A simple “clear pairings nightly” or “pairings are temporary and go away on disconnect” setting on the Companion application would fix this.
Another minor problem with the Poly Calisto 7200 is the inability to set a BLE name on the device. This can be a problem if there is more than one Calisto 7200 device in the office, as users will not know which one they are connecting to.
Battery
The Poly Calisto 7200 runs on a rechargeable, built-in Lithium battery. The battery is charged from a PC via any of the USB cables.
Alternatively, the USB cables can be plugged into a power supply adaptor. Remember that such an adapter must be purchased additionally, as Calisto 7200 does not come with one by default.
Now, if the Poly Calisto 7200 has a major weakness, that must be the battery endurance. The device can go up to 6 hours without being charged. This is not bad, but most similar gadgets last at least 8 hours.
At the same time, it takes between 3 and 6 hours to fully charge. Three hours sounds good, but 6 is too much. For this reason, users are advised to charge the device via the power supply adaptor as it is quicker.
Warranty
The Calisto7200 comes with Poly’s standard 1-year warranty.
Please take note that this applies to authorized resellers only.
Final Word
As a whole, the Poly Calisto 7200 is a superb conference device. It fulfills its intended function beautifully.
The mere fact that Poly’s promise of legendary voice quality holds should be sufficient for most users.
This, in combination with the clean design and robust build, turn Poly Calisto 7200 into a go-to business speakerphone.
Interested in alternatives to the Poly Calisto 7200? Pbx.info has most of its competitors covered, too:
Are you looking for a bigger device? Check the review for the Jabra Speak 810 (good for meetings with up to 15 participants).