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mVox MV900 Bluetooth and USB speakerphone review: mVox MV900 Bluetooth and USB speakerphone

mVox MV900 Bluetooth and USB speakerphone

Kyle Burt
4 min read

With built-in voice recognition and internal memory for up to 12 numbers, the mVox MV900 is a true hands-free device--not just a wireless speakerphone. The unit's small, ergonomic design makes it a good traveling aid, but mVox's bundling of the volume control, mute, and call-reject functions into one tiny switch is definitely a design flaw. Another design drawback is the unit's sun-visor-clip jaws, which are too narrow for some thicker visors.

6.5

mVox MV900 Bluetooth and USB speakerphone

The Good

Built-in voice recognition and a compact profile make the mVox MV900 a solid traveling companion. USB connection means it can be recharged from a computer, so there's no need to pack the power adapter.

The Bad

The mVox MV900's volume control is too small and difficult to use, especially since it has to multitask as the mute and call-reject buttons. Speaker quality is poor at high volume, and the device had some problems with our cell phone's built-in voice-recognition system.

The Bottom Line

Ultraportable and packed with useful features, the mVox MV900 is a handy travel accessory, but some design flaws will become annoying with heavy use.

The mVox MV900's built-in voice commands work well, and programming the device is straightforward. However, we did have some trouble using our Sony Ericsson T610's voice commands through the unit.

Speaker quality is adequate at low range and disappointing thereafter, with distortion even at moderate volume. mVox promises 4 hours of talk time and 200 hours of standby time for the MV900, which should suffice as long as the unit is recharged regularly, either by wall jack or with a computer via a USB cable.

Small device: good; small buttons: bad
Travelers should be delighted with the mVox MV900, which measures just 3.4 by 2.2 by 0.8 inches--a fraction smaller than a pack of playing cards and the perfect size to slip into a purse or a briefcase. The silver matte finish for the top of the body is attractive and will match a number of cell phones and digicams.

The front of the mVox MV900 is dominated by a large LED-lit Talk button, making it easy to initiate outgoing calls and pick up incoming calls when on the move. However, mVox must have chosen a different designer for the tiny volume-control button, which doubles as a mute and call-reject button when pushed into the body. Even with the best execution, multitasking the volume controls on an in-car speakerphone puts its usability at risk. When the volume button is this small and difficult to operate, it's a really bad idea.

For in-car use, the mVox MV900 can be mounted on a sun visor using a snap-on clip that swivels through 360 degrees. Although the attachment works well on thinner sun visors, the jaws aren't really wide enough for thicker visors because the pivot point creates a high point, limiting the gripping ability. There is a loop built into the body for attaching a neck strap for those in the office wishing to use the MV900 as a fashion accessory.

USB adapter enables computer hookup
The mVox MV900 comes with a nice package of features. In addition to its AC adapter, the MV900 can be connected to a computer via its USB cable (included in the package) for recharging. This desktop compatibility also allows the MV900 to be used as a speakerphone for VoIP and instant-messaging applications.

The mVox MV900 sports built-in voice recognition, making it a true hands-free device. Voice-recognition functions include internal memory for 12 phone numbers, with extension, voice keypad, and redial. The unit has a caller-ID function--which can be turned off--and is compatible with a cell phone's speed dial and voice commands. For privacy, there's also a 2.5mm analog headset jack.

For the most part, we were quite pleased with the mVox MV900's performance, but there were a couple of definite weak points--particularly when trying to adjust volume. Pairing the unit with our cell phone was intuitive enough--we just had to press and hold the Talk button until we heard a couple of beeps, indicating that the unit was ready for the phone's half of the procedure.

While adequate at low range, the built-in speaker was less than satisfactory when turned up higher. Even at normal volume levels, we could hear some distortion--not enough to make conversation unintelligible but definitely noticeable, which some users may find sufficiently annoying. Another annoyance was the beep and the cutout that occurs when changing between volume levels. This crazy function, in tandem with the user-unfriendly design of the volume control, leads to a real ordeal for users who are unable to hear the person on the other end of the line. First, they have to feel their way around until they find the volume (micro) switch; next, they have to push it in the right direction--no markings are shown for volume increase/decrease--without pushing it in, which mutes the call; and finally, they have their call interrupted by a beeping sound while they adjust volume. The experience is better from the other end of the line, from where the MV900 sounded good.

Good built-in voice recognition
On the whole, the mVox MV900's built-in voice commands worked without any trouble. On the few occasions that it did misunderstand a number spoken into the voice-keypad feature, we just canceled and started again, remembering to enunciate properly. As with most hands-free devices, learning the individual commands can take time, but once a user is familiar with the key words and menu structure, the MV900's menu prompts can be turned off to save time--a nice touch.

While its own voice commands worked well, we had more trouble trying to use our Sony Ericsson T610's built-in voice commands in conjunction with the mVox MV900. The unit was able to recognize more commands than the Supertooth II, but it didn't work as well as the Jabra SP50. However, unlike those other units, the MV900 is a true hands-free device because it has its own built-in voice commands to fall back on.

Programming numbers into the 12 memory slots in the mVox MV900 was quite simple and done entirely with voice commands. The MV900 can also use voice commands to access nine speed-dial numbers on a cell phone if available.

We liked the mVox MV900's caller-ID function, which announces incoming calls with a rapid-fire 10-digit introduction, giving the user enough time to accept the call before it is redirected to voicemail. The caller ID can also be turned off for privacy purposes.

The mVox M900 has a one-year limited warranty with Web site and telephone (toll-free United States and Canada) support.