Nordic by nature: How does the Epos Expand series perform in the practical test?
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The Danish manufacturer Epos now has an impressive portfolio of hardware for video conferencing solutions. PROFESSIONAL SYSTEM has tested a selection of solutions from the Expand series.
(Image: Epic)
Contents of this test report:
Epos became known most recently through a joint venture with Sennheiser, in which, together with the Danish hearing aid acoustics group Demant, Epos Sennheiser Communications A/S sold primarily headsets and communication solutions. In 2020, the joint venture was mutually terminated and Sennheiser and Epos concentrated on their own business areas in various constellations. The company values, know-how and employees of the joint venture were transferred to Epos. Nevertheless, Epos and Sennheiser continue to use their synergies for collaboration. There are also still products under the co-branding Epos|Sennheiser.
Since the entire Expand series from Epos includes numerous devices that we were not able to test all, we limit ourselves to a selection that includes the Vision 3T, Vision 1 and Capture devices. This practical test is intended to show how Epos performs with its Expand series for video conferencing applications.
With the Expand Vision 3T, Epos has designed a video bar as a spatial solution. Microsoft Teams Rooms runs on an integrated Android system. To operate, the video bar must be equipped with its own Teams account. A room account is then saved as a room in Teams, which you can select in meetings or call using the call function.
The vision solutions also include the slightly larger Vision 5 video bar, which is also equipped with integrated Microsoft Teams Rooms on Android, as well as the Vision 1M USB webcam for small and medium-sized meeting rooms and the Vision 1 USB webcam for use in Home office or on the go.
In addition to the camera-equipped vision solutions, the Expand series from Epos also offers several speakerphone audio solutions, such as the Expand 80(T) for up to 16 participants in one room and the Expand 80 Mic, with which an Expand 80 can accommodate up to can be expanded to include two microphones. There are also the portable Expand 20/30(T/+)/40(T/+) Bluetooth speakerphones, the intelligent speaker Expand Capture 5 for teams rooms and the Expand Control tablet for controlling various Epos video conferencing solutions.
The USB webcam Vision 1 is the smallest solution in the Vision series and is primarily designed for use as a personal webcam in the home office or for mobile work. It is designed to be compact to be as portable as possible. The camera also comes in a suitable transport case. It can be attached to a wide variety of monitors or laptop screens using a fold-out foot, as well as to a tripod using a thread. It has an integrated manual shutter that can be used to cover the lens. Two beamforming microphones ensure that you can be clearly heard from a maximum distance of 3m. There is also integrated noise canceling, which actively blocks out background noise. The Vision 1 is equipped with a 4K camera with a wide-angle lens and offers a maximum resolution of 2,160p at 60Hz. It has an eightx digital zoom and automatic light correction. A white LED light signals to the user that the camera is currently active. The Epos Connect software can be used to adjust zoom, image detail, exposure, colors and other settings and update the firmware. Remote management is possible via Epos Manager or other solutions. During the test, other video conference participants repeatedly praised the camera’s good, clear image.
Personal webcam: The Vision 1 was designed as a personal webcam for home office or remote work and also offers two microphones with integrated noise cancellation. (Image: Epic)
With the all-in-one conference solution Vision 3T, Epos took a special path very early on. They were among the first to develop a conference solution with integrated Teams Rooms based on Android. Other manufacturers have only recently come onto the market with such solutions. The Vision 3T is actually a bundle because it also comes with an Expand 30T Bluetooth speakerphone. The most important commands can be sent to the Vision 3T using the remote control, which is also included. The biggest advantage of an integrated Teams Rooms solution is the ability to join a meeting with just the touch of a button.
The Vision 3T is equipped with a 4K camera sensor from Sony, but only offers a maximum of 1,080p at 60Hz via the MS Teams soft codec. The Epos AI ensures optimization of voice quality and noise suppression with the included Expand 30T speakerphone, which is designed for up to eight participants. The PTZ functionality of the Vision 3T is also able to select an image section that matches the active speaker via the noise mapping in the Expand 30T. It offers dual-screen support where content can be presented on one screen and the video conference can be followed on the second screen. The device is managed remotely via the Micorosoft Teams Admin Center.
Special highlight: The Vision 3T can also be attached directly to a screen like a webcam.
The Expand Capture 5 is a smart speaker with a seven-microphone microphone array. It is equipped with a Microsoft Cortana voice assistant for Teams Rooms. This means that important functions of the connected video conferencing solution can be controlled via voice command. The Capture 5 also offers special transcription functions that correctly capture up to ten participants in the room and play them back in the live feed of the meeting, even if they are speaking at the same time. To do this, a voice signature must be set up in Teams in advance and compared with the cloud.
For intuitive operation, LED displays signal the operating status. Capture 5 is advertised as a premium speaker and has a striking Scandinavian design.
Cortana voice control: The smart speaker with microphone array Expand Capture 5 enables live capture of up to ten people in the room as well as voice control of Microsoft Teams Rooms environments. (Image: Epic)
Conclusion
With the Vision series, Epos has created a great portfolio of hardware solutions for a wide range of conference room requirements. Together with partners, the Danish manufacturer offers numerous bundles that provide the customer with a complete solution. All interviewees found the image quality of the tested cameras to be extremely good, as was the voice recording. Personally, the sound of a speakerphone like the Expand 30T is too thin for me. Perhaps the 80T, which was not tested, has more sound to offer. The sound of the Capture 5, on the other hand, was very pleasant and round. Due to its compact size and robust design as well as its high-quality transport case, the Vision 1 is the ideal companion for changing work locations. Epos specifies the Vision 1 with an RRP of €209, the Capture 5 speaker is €419, and the Vision 3T bundle is available for €1,399.
In order to equip a Teams Rooms device with a Rooms account, you need a resource account. Microsoft 365 resource accounts are mailbox and Teams accounts that are dedicated to specific resources, such as a room or projector. These resource accounts can automatically respond to meeting invitations by applying rules set when they were created. For example, if there is a shared space such as a conference room, a resource account can be set up for that conference room, which will automatically accept or decline invitations based on calendar availability. Each resource account associated with a Teams Rooms device requires its own Teams Rooms license.
There are Teams Rooms Basic licenses and Teams Rooms Pro licenses.
Microsoft Teams Rooms Basic provides basic meeting experiences at no additional cost to organizations that purchase a certified Microsoft Teams Rooms system. The Teams Rooms Basic license includes scheduling, meeting attendance, content sharing and collaborative whiteboarding, as well as basic security and management features out of the box. A Teams Rooms Basic license can be used to license a single certified Teams Rooms system in a room. If you want to log in to more than one Teams Rooms system in a room with the same resource account, you need a Teams Rooms Pro license. Up to 25 Microsoft Teams Rooms Basic licenses can be assigned to Teams Rooms systems in your organization. If you want to license more than 25 Teams Rooms systems, you need additional Teams Rooms Pro licenses. Teams Rooms Basic licenses can only be used for Teams Rooms systems and not for Teams Panels.
The Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro license enables an enhanced in-room meeting experience, such as intelligent audio and video features, front-row and large gallery views, and dual-screen support. Additionally, the Teams Rooms Pro license offers advanced management features such as remote device management, conditional access, and detailed device analytics. The Teams Rooms Pro license is intended for medium and large companies as well as smaller organizations with many rooms or advanced needs. Teams Rooms Pro licenses can be used for both certified Teams Rooms systems and Teams Panels.
In my test, I was also able to save my personal Teams account due to the lack of a resource account, but this option will be switched off on July 1, 2023. Teams Rooms hardware that then has a user license will no longer be able to log in until a Teams Rooms license is assigned.
