Guest post by Howard Chang, product manager, AmperorDirect.

Introduction:

As promoted by IPEVO, TRIO is truly designed with versatility in mind. TRIO has an acceptable speaker phone quality and it can be a cost effective Skype conference phone solution.

With a single button to easily switch between handset and hands-free mode, a person can pick up the IPEVO TRIO and use it as a Skype USB phone without difficulties. Since the TRIO has a smallish footprint, travelers can put the IPEVO device into the carrying pouch (included in the retail package) and bring it on the road.

Package Includes:

• IPEVO TRIO handset
• USB extension cable
• Carrying pouch
• Installation CD
• Quick installation Guide

The Look:

I was impressed by the look of IPEVO TRIO. The outline design is elegant. The color fits into any office environment without any problem. The paint on the case is strong enough to pass my fingernail scratch test. The fact that IPEVO TRIO can either be laid down on the table to provide easy access in a multi-speakers situation or be stood up in front of a single user to accomplish best voice quality shows that IPEVO has thought through all the real-world scenarios.

Voice Quality:

IPEVO TRIO has two modes to conduct Skype calls: handset mode and hands-free mode. There is an easily reachable button at the side of the phone to toggle between modes. In handset mode, the voice quality is very good. Although I was surprised to see the voice sampling rate in the IPEVO TRIO specification is only 8KHz and does not fully comply to Skype's highest 16KHz standard; the result is still ok. I am not sure if it is a typo or not because I am not able to tell the sound quality difference between using IPEVO TRIO and a USB phone which claims to have 16KHz sampling rate.

Audio Performance

• Voice sampling rate : 8KHz
• Communication : Full Duplex
• Echo cancellation : up to 60dB
• Support AGC (auto gain control) function

Electrical Specifications

• Operating Voltage : 4.5V ~ 5.5V
• Magnetic Speaker
  Coil Resistance : 4 +/- 0.6 Ohm
  Sound Pressure Level : 80 dBSPL@0.5m
• Condenser Microphone
  Omni directional
  Sensitivity : -36 +/- 3 dB
• Receiver
  Sensitivity : 90 dBA
  Frequency response : 180~7Hz

Hardware Description

• USB 2.0 compatible
• Internal omni microphone
• 7© 2W speaker
• Power from USB

Minimum System Requirements

• Microsoft Windows XP
• Mac OS X 10.4 up
• 400MHz processor
• 128MB RAM
• 40MB free hard disk space
• USB port
• CD-ROM drive
• Broadband Internet connection (DSL, Cable Modem..., etc)

In hands-free mode (speaker), IPEVO TRIO performs better than other desktop Skype phones, such as Netgear SPH200D and GE 28310EE1, in the same mode. It is a true conference phone solution.

However, the microphone sensitivity of the IPEVO TRIO is not up to par to the Polycom Communicator, a direct competitor. This means a person needs to speak closer to the microphone in order to attain better performance. Considering the price different between Polycom Communicator (MSRP: $129) and IPEVO TRIO (MSRP: $79), the trade-off is acceptable, and expected.

Functions:

The most-talked-about feature of IPEVO TRIO is its recording function. It is done with software, FreeRec which is included in the package and installed along with the driver.

During a call, a user can click on the red circle recording button on the phone to save the conversation. The microphone volume level on TRIO can be set to auto-adjust by FreeRec. There is no setup in the software for recording time limit (I guess the HDD capacity is the true limit). But, FreeRec allows users to reduce the voice sampling rate which can significantly lower the saved file size.

IPEVO TRIO's recording has a time delay between pushing the red button and the actual starting of the recording session. The computer needs several seconds to load FreeRec software into the system. Therefore, it is recommended to manually run the FreeRec software from the TRIO icon at the Windows tool bar before the call – if you expect the need to record the conversation.

Most other IPEVO TRIO's functions, such as volume up and down, call, hang-up and microphone muting, can be activated through buttons on the phone. Those buttons are marked clearly with symbols and are simple / obvious to use. There is also a green "S" button on the phone which allows users to toggle between different Skype tabs, such as "Contacts", "Call Phones" and "History", on the computer screen.

Wish List:

The IPEVO TRIO has nearly all the features I would look for in a conference phone. However, there is one thing I would like to see on the next generation IPEVO TRIO: a button on the phone to select different Skype contacts on the computer screen. If this button is available, I don't need to go back to my computer keyboard and mouse to pick the right Skype contact to call. It will be very convenient if we can do all the necessary steps to conduct Skype calls through the phone.

Conclusion:

IPEVO TRIO can perform several different Skype tasks in one unit, while still providing respectable voice quality. If you are a SOHO or are running a small business with a mid-level budget, the IPEVO TRIO is the right Skype conference call solution for you.

By the way, it's a pleasant experience in testing IPEVO TRIO. When I see the USB extension cable and the carrying pouch in the package, and the English manual written in real English, I know the IPEVO design team has really taken the end users' need into consideration. As a product qualifying engineer who has checked out tons of products from the Far East, I feel very good in finally seeing an Asian vendor providing a quality product. Good job, IPEVO.