At iProbe we view the decision making process leading up to the purchase of a wireless conference system as a three-step process. The first step is to get an overview of the wireless audio conferencing systems available in the market place. The second step is to evaluate the systems based on Must-Haves, Nice-to-Haves and available budget. The third and final step is to demo the system(s) in one's own environment.
to help speed up the first two phases of the purchase evaluation process, we have performed a comparative analysis of the three leading RF wireless conference systems available in the United States. In the below chart and accompanying PDF we compare the Beyerdynamic Quinta, the Televic Confidea and the Bosch DICENTIS Wireless conference systems. We look at an investment in RF wireless conference technology from the business perspective. The factors selected for our evaluation aim to help busy technical and non-technical decision makers make a reasoned investment decision.
to learn more about how we help organizations make the right purchase decisions, read our case study Avenue Live buys a new wireless conference system (coming soon). In the mean time you can watch our short wireless conference system comparison video.
wireless conference systems are excluded from the study if they do not operate on the basis of radio frequency technology (RF).
manufacturers of RF wireless conference technology provide and sign off their organization data for use in the evaluation. On the rare occasions when a particular data point is not provided we enter an estimate based on our experience interacting with the manufacturer or the product. By doing this, we avoid penalizing an organization too harshly with a “zero” value for data that it overlooks or does not provide, but we do not reward it for withholding them. Where a manufacturer did not have information available or the information was not sufficiently substantiated we gave more points to substantiated information.
moving from a series of specific data points we arrive at a total score for each wireless conference system. In this analysis the factor "pricing" is based on the most basic system where the requirement is for audio-only with short stem microphones, without the need for any add-ons. The pricing reflects the sample cost to end-users based on the 2016 price list for the most basic system to service 40 delegates or 80 delegates sharing a unit between two people. We applied overall a 22% discount to the manufacturers MSRP for all three manufacturers.
each system is rated and assigned a score based on overall impact or criterion strength. Factors with a higher perceived impact, (launch date, pricing, warranty, EOL) are given double (2x points) weight. The system with the highest total number of points receives the highest buy recommendation.
we hope this analysis will help you in your purchase decision. If you have any further questions or would like a demo and/or quote, please do not hesitate to contact us at tel 212-489-6035 or email info@iprobesolutions.com.
we also offer custom comparative analysis and consulting services. Our services are free of charge to prospective buyers of a new wireless audio conferencing system who request a demo. Our custom comparison takes into account the need for specific features such as voting, ID, camera control, the number of users and can include additional factors upon request.
| Overall Impact or Criterion Strength | Score | Description |
|---|---|---|
| High | 9 | Exceptional |
| 8 | Outstanding | |
| 7 | Excellent | |
| Medium | 6 | Very Good |
| 5 | Good | |
| 4 | Satisfactory | |
| Low | 3 | Fair |
| 2 | Marginal | |
| 1 | Poor |
| Beyerdynamic Quinta | Televic Confidea | Bosch DICENTIS Wireless | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System Launch Date - 2x points | Q3 2012 | 8 | Q1 2014 | 10 | Q3 2016 | 14 |
| RF Spectrum | 2.4 Ghz, 5 Ghz | 7 | 2.4 Ghz, 5 Ghz | 7 | 2.4 Ghz, 5 Ghz | 7 |
| Frequency Configuration Mode | Automatic/Manual (full/select/fixed) | 7 | Automatic/Manual (full/select/fixed) | 7 | Automatic/Manual (full/select/fixed) | 7 |
| Number of usable US/Europe channels/carriers | up to 150 | 5 | 26/23 | 36/31 | 7 | up to 44 | 5 |
| Encryption | Digital 128-bit + 24-bit PIN | 4 | 128-bit AES | 4 | WPA2 | 4 |
| Transport Case | ✔ | 4 | ✔ | 4 | ✔ | 4 |
| Shipping Case (meets or exceeds ATA) | Custom Order | 1 | Custom Order | 1 | ✔ | 4 |
| Removable Battery type | NiMH, 8 cells, 2080 mAh, 1.2 V (each) | 4 | Lithium Ion, 6600mAh, 7.2V | 4 | Lithium Ion, 12,500mAh, 7.5VDC | 4 |
| Emergency Mic Power Supply | ✔ | 7 | ✔ | 7 | ❌ | 1 |
| Battery life (20% speech/80% listening) | ≈ >20 (≤ 30 hrs) | 5 | ≈ ≤ 28 hrs | 5 | ≥ 24 hrs | 5 |
| Possible to speak indicator | ✔ | 7 | ✔ | 7 | ✔ | 7 |
| Built in Web browser (Accesspoint / Controller) | ✔ | 7 | ✔ | 7 | ✔ | 7 |
| Built-in auto camera control / video conferencing | ❌ | 3 | ✔ | 5 | ✔ | 7 |
| Acoustic Feedback prevention | NOM attenuation | 4 | NOM attenuation / Mic active|LS inactive | 4 | IAFS built-in feedback supressor | 5 |
| Device changeable betw delegate & chairman | ✔ | 4 | ❌ | 1 | ✔ | 4 |
| No. of devices in one system (max) | 150 | 8 | 1024 | 9 | 120 | 7 |
| Certifications (WAP/Tx) - N.A. / Europe | FCC, IC, CE | 5 | FCC, CE | 4 | UL, FCC, CSA, ICES‑003, EPSCE, WEEE | 5 |
| Certifications (Wireless Device) - N.A. / Europe | FCC, IC, CE | 5 | FCC, CE | 4 | FCC, ICES-003, CE | 5 |
| Country of origin | Germany/China | 4 | Belgium/China/Taiwan | 4 | Portugal/China | 4 |
| Demo Kit Availability | 30-day evaluation period | 5 | 30-day evaluation period | 5 | ❌ | 1 |
| Onsite Demo | Available | 7 | Available | 7 | Available | 7 |
| Distributed by | Beyer Dynamic, Inc. | 7 | Aveo Systems, Inc. | 7 | Bosch Security Systems, Inc. | 7 |
| Relationship to Manufacturer | Member of Group | 7 | Independent US distributor | 4 | Member of Group | 7 |
| Pre-sales support | Good | 5 | Very Good | 6 | Good | 5 |
| Warehouse location | Farmingdale, NY | 4 | Marietta, GA | 4 | Greer, SC | 4 |
| US based sales/product engineer | ✔ | 6 | ✔ | 7 | ✔ | 7 |
| US based tech support | ✔ | 4 | ✔ | 7 | ✔ | 7 |
| Engineering team | Germany | 7 | Belgium | 7 | Global | 5 |
| Warranty term (exclusions apply) - 2x points | 2 yrs | 6 | 2 yrs | 6 | 3 yrs | 10 |
| In-warranty support | ||||||
| Battery Pack coverage | 2 yrs | 4 | 6 months | 2 | 1 yr | 3 |
| Gooseneck Mic coverage | 2 yrs | 4 | 2 yrs | 4 | 3 yrs | 5 |
| Free shipping for collection of devices | ✔ | 4 | ❌ | 1 | ✔ | 7 |
| Free shipping for return of devices | ✔ | 4 | ✔ | 4 | ✔ | 7 |
| Advance replacement program | ✔ | 4 | ❌ | 1 | ✔ | 7 |
| Out-of-warranty support | Outsourced | 4 | Inhouse | 6 | Inhouse | 7 |
| EOL Support - 2x points | 4 yrs | 5 | As long as possible | 4 | 5 yrs | 6 |
| Stocked Product or Special Order | Limited Stock | 4 | Stocked Product | 6 | Stocked Product | 7 |
| Client references in North America | ❌ | 1 | References are available | 7 | References are available | 7 |
| USA Rental stock availability | ❌ | 1 | ✔ | 4 | ✔ | 5 |
| Basic System Price (22% disc. frm list) - 2x points | $47,670 | 16 | $63,764 | 8 | $55,613 | 14 |
| Buy Recommendation |
*Disclaimer: iProbe has prepared copyrighted Comparative Analysis to provide information on wireless conference systems. The information and recommendations set forth herein are made in good faith, for information only, and are believed to be accurate as of the date of preparation. However, iProbe Multilingual Solutions, Inc. makes no warranty, either express or implied, with respect to this information and disclaims all liability from reference on it. Proper planning of investment is the sole responsibility of the purchaser. For the latest information, guidelines, or to get a custom proposal, please email info@iprobesolutions.com or contact iProbe at 1-212-489-6035
