Description
What The Jabra Speak2 55 Is
The Jabra Speak2 55 is a portable speakerphone built for hybrid working. It is a conference call device rather than a music speaker, and that distinction runs through every part of its design: four microphones instead of one, full duplex audio, echo handling and a voice leveling feature, all wrapped around a single 50mm full range driver. Jabra ships it with a felt pouch and describes it as pocket sized.
It sits in a different category from the consumer Bluetooth speakers it shares a listing category with. Where something like the Anker Soundcore Boost is tuned for music, the Speak2 55 is tuned for speech intelligibility across a table. It is the desk and small group alternative to a personal headset such as the Jabra Evolve2 65 from the same manufacturer.
Microphones And Call Handling
Four beamforming microphones are fitted, and beamforming is the feature that separates a speakerphone from a speaker with a microphone attached. Multiple microphones let the device work out which direction a voice is arriving from and steer its pickup toward it, which is why a speakerphone can sit in the middle of a table and follow whoever is talking. Jabra pairs that with noise cancelling processing to filter background sound.
Full duplex is the second essential feature and Jabra names it explicitly. It means both ends of a call can speak at the same time without the system muting one side, which is what preserves the natural rhythm of a conversation. Half duplex devices produce the clipped, one at a time feel familiar from cheap conference phones.
Voice Level Normalization
Jabra describes Voice Level Normalization as automatically equalizing voices to the same volume level so that everyone can be heard. In a meeting where one person sits close to the device and another leans back across the room, that is the difference between a usable call and constant volume adjustment. As with all such features, it is a manufacturer described behavior rather than a measured result.
Connection, Battery And Build
Two connection routes are provided. A USB-C cable connects to a computer, with a USB-A adapter supplied for machines without USB-C, and Bluetooth 5.1 connects to a phone with a stated wireless range of up to 30 meters. Battery life is quoted at 12 hours, which covers a full day of calls, and the device is certified to work with Microsoft Teams.
Jabra states that the Speak2 55 is water and dust resistant and comes with a two year warranty. The included components are the speakerphone itself, a felt pouch, a safety information leaflet and a warranty leaflet. The listed weight is 13.7 ounces.
One practical detail about the two connection routes is that they behave differently in a meeting. A USB-C connection to a laptop makes the Speak2 55 appear as an audio device to the meeting software, which is the arrangement most conference platforms handle best. A Bluetooth connection to a phone is more convenient but relies on the phone routing call audio correctly, and it uses battery on both devices. For a scheduled meeting the cable is generally the more reliable option.
Highlights
- Four beamforming microphones with noise cancelling processing.
- Full duplex audio for natural two way conversation.
- 50mm full range speaker with wideband audio.
- Voice Level Normalization across participants.
- USB-C connection with a USB-A adapter included.
- Bluetooth 5.1 with a stated range up to 30 meters.
- 12 hours of battery life.
- Microsoft Teams certified.
- Felt carry pouch included.
- Two year warranty stated by Jabra.
Things To Consider
Before the specific errors, one general note: this listing publishes no microphone pickup radius, no charging time and no frequency response, all of which are standard on competing speakerphone pages.
The specification table on this listing is full of errors. Surround Sound Channel Configuration is listed as 5.1 for a device with one 50mm driver. Woofer Diameter is given as 50 millimeters and Tweeter Diameter as 5E+1 millimeters, which is the same 50 millimeter figure written twice for what is described everywhere else as a single full range driver. Bluetooth range appears as 3E+1 meters, another formatting artifact. Is Waterproof is marked True while Jabra’s own description says water and dust resistant, and no IP rating appears anywhere, so the level of protection is undocumented. Color is listed as Black while the product title says Dark Grey. Material is listed as Jabra, and the number of batteries as two lithium ion cells.
- No IP rating is published, so water and dust resistance is not quantified.
- This is a speech device. It is not tuned for music and has a single driver.
- Product dimensions are listed as 3.5 inches in all three directions, which does not describe the shape shown.
- Color is given as both Dark Grey and Black.
- Charging time is not stated anywhere.
- Microphone pickup range in meters is not published, unlike some competing speakerphones.
- The channel configuration and driver fields in the specification table are wrong.
Who Should Buy It And Who Should Not
The Speak2 55 suits someone who takes calls from several places: a home desk, a shared office, a hotel room or a small meeting room with two or three people. It removes the need to wear anything, the battery covers a working day, and the USB-C plus Bluetooth combination means it connects to a laptop and a phone without a configuration step. For a small huddle around a table it does the job a room system would do at a fraction of the installation effort.
It is the wrong device for a real meeting room, where a bar with camera and audio such as the Yealink UVC34 or a room camera like the Logitech Rally Camera with a dedicated audio system is the correct answer. It is also the wrong device for music, and the wrong device for private calls in a shared space, where a headset such as the Logitech Zone 900 keeps the conversation contained. The rest of the portable Bluetooth speakers category is mostly music oriented by comparison.
