During a virtual event this morning, Sennheiser unveiled its entry into the all-in-one unified communications AV bar market with two solutions for small and mid-sized collaboration spaces.
From its headquarters in Germany, Daniel and Andreas Sennheiser, Co-CEOs of Sennheiser Group set up the big announcement. Daniel Sennheiser led the discussion by stating, “We live and breathe audio. We have continued to stand for reliable technology and extraordinary audio experiences for nearly 80 years, these decades of expertise in audio flowing to all our products, we listen carefully to understand our customer's ideas, challenges, and ambitions, and translate them into new technologies, work streams, and products that are as individual as our customer's needs. With our business communication solutions, we have transferred this creative dissatisfaction and pioneering spirit from recording studios and stages into the world of collaboration, meeting, and learning. We set out to be present with our products in the majority of meeting rooms and lecture halls around the world.”
Andreas Sennheiser, said,” Over the past years, we have seen tremendous growth in our business communication portfolio and Sennheiser presence in the market. At the same time, we have proven to be a reliable business partner being able to meet our customers’ needs even throughout a component crisis. One shining example of Sennheiser’s ambition to deliver products that truly meet our customers where they are is our TeamConnect family with TeamConnect. Our team has developed a range of products that are intuitively usable, manufacturer agnostic and audibly better, while offering real problem-solving capabilities to facilitate collaboration and learning.
Sennheiser’s head of marketing, Christopher Currier got the honor of introducing the TeamConnect Bar. “A vision based on customer centricity, solution-oriented products, and an open ecosystem with our alliance partners that allows you the freedom and flexibility to control your project without being boxed into one particular ecosystem or brand.”
Part of the Sennheiser TeamConnect Family, the TeamConnect (TC) Bar Solutions options for small (TeamConnect Bar S) or mid-sized (TeamConnect Bar M) meeting and collaboration spaces, the TC Bar Solutions are true problem solvers with benefits like easy setup, brand agnostic integration, easy management & control, high video quality, security, and sustainability.
The TC Bar S features four microphones and two speakers, while TC Bar M has 6 microphones and four speakers. Both easily integrate with any meeting platform and can be further enhanced with other compatible products, including those from Sennheiser.
Ronja Harste, product manager, UC Solutions at Sennheiser, said, “The microphones are of course premium microphone capsules that offer beamforming technology for high speech intelligibility and the speakers are powerful full-range stereo speakers incorporating improved directivity and optimized passive radiators. Both the TeamConnect Bar S and Bar M feature trusted ER audio quality and a 4K Ultra HD camera. But where we've improved the collaboration experience is through features like auto framing and person tiling. We believe that these new features truly enhance the feeling of equity and inclusion for all.
Think about the last meeting you were a part of where there was a longer conference table. If you were using the TeamConnect ceiling tool or another premium audio solution, it was probably pretty easy to hear participants at the far end of the table, but could you see them? With person tiling, each member of the meeting is brought front and center and given their own tile in the meeting. As long as the camera can see them, the advanced AI algorithms will give them their own tile so that remote participants feel just as connected to the person at the front of the room as those in the back. Auto framing also keeps everyone in view even as they move, whether shifting slightly in their share or getting up to move about the room. But, of course, if you prefer a more traditional view of the meeting room, all of these features are easily turned on and off using the included remote control,” Harste said.
“At Sennheiser, we've specialized in superior audio quality for years, but found a strong video partner in the independent test laboratory ‘Image Engineering’ to ensure that the video quality stood up to the audio quality that is synonymous with our brand,” added Harste. “That led to the development of our first all-in-one device, the TeamConnect Bar Solutions, which are the most feature-rich all-in-one conferencing devices in their class.”
The TC Bar Solutions provide unparalleled freedom and flexibility, allowing customer to choose the right video conferencing device for their meeting room size. Easily integrate the TC Bar into a room design with multiple mounting options like wall mount, VESA mount, tabletop or freestanding. The option of using Dante for adding extension mics and/or a 2nd external USB camera make the device even more scalable.
The powerful full-range stereo speakers with their improved directivity pattern and optimized passive radiators ensure natural speech and outstanding intelligibility. Integrated beamforming technology enables seamless transition between presenters and offers freedom of movement and configuration within the space.
The built-in DSP, as well as the option to adjust your audio settings via Sennheiser Control Cockpit, gives users the opportunity to further optimize room acoustics. The TC Bars also come with an automatic conference and music mode switch to provide the best audio to match the content.
The TeamConnect Bar Solutions feature some of the latest advances in meeting technology to further enhance modern hybrid meetings and lectures—taking video to the next level. The 4K Ultra HD camera is further enhanced by AI features like "Autoframing" and "Person Tiling", enabling all remote participants to clearly see everyone in the room. With advanced AI, even the smallest gestures and facial expressions are conveyed to ensure increased meeting inclusion and engagement.
Thanks to Sennheiser’s open and agnostic ecosystem philosophy, the TC Bars are also compatible with many major Media Control Systems from our Alliance Partners, with certifications currently in process. For basic adjustments, several features, like zoom, person tiling, and more, can be found on the included remote control.
When it comes to security, the TC Bar Solutions follow industry best security practices, and their configuration is password protected. The communication to the Sennheiser Control Cockpit, as well as 3rd party media control systems, is encrypted using industry-standard Transport Layer Security 1.2 and safe from misuse. The TC Bars also support IEEE 802.1x network authentication and, of course, for additional privacy, a lens cap is included.
The TC Bar Solutions received a distinction with the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2023. Following the assessment, the jury unanimously said: "The high-quality fabric covering elegantly conceals the powerful speakers and microphone array. The central camera module with surrounding LED ring serves as a user interface and is the striking design element of the otherwise unobtrusive device that integrates well into any environment.”
