The 10 Best Conference Phone Systems

conference phone

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Today, we’re able to work more flexibly than ever. Cloud-based phone systems mean we can access the tools we need from anywhere, while softphone apps enable us to make business calls from our smartphones. A change accelerated by COVID-19, the nine-to-five, office-bound workday is becoming a thing of the past.

That’s why conference phones are such a useful investment. When you have employees working remotely, organizing face-to-face meetings is difficult (and ill-advised and unsafe, during the current state of play). With a top conference phone, all parties can simply dial in from anywhere, enabling much more flexibility and safety.

But which conference phone should you choose? We’ve researched dozens of leading suppliers, comparing features, costs, and more, to bring you the best conference room phones for businesses.

Those top conference phones are: Cisco Webex, the Avaya B100 Series, the Poly Trio Series, Poly SoundStation IP 5000, Yealink CP860, Poly SoundStation2, Mitel MiVoice Conference Phone, Cisco 7937G, Snom MeetingPoint IP, Yamaha PJP-2OUR and Poly SoundStation IP 6000. Read on to find out what makes them great…

What are the top 5 conference phone systems?

These are the providers we recommend based on our research. Use our cost comparison tool to find the best value service for your business

  1. Cisco Webex – Best for video conferencing
  2. Avaya B100 Series – Most versatile conference phone range
  3. Poly Trio Series – Best premium conference phone range
  4. Poly SoundStation IP 5000 – Most affordable conference phone
  5. Yealink CP960 – Best for remote businesses

The Top 10 Conference Room Phones

The best conference room phones are:

  • Cisco Webex: Best for video conferencing
  • Avaya B100 Series: Most versatile conference phone range
  • Poly Trio Series: Best premium conference phone range
  • Poly SoundStation IP 5000: Most affordable conference phone
  • Yealink CP960: Best for remote businesses
  • Poly SoundStation2: Best for small teams
  • Mitel MiVoice Conference Phone: Best for large conference rooms
  • Snom MeetingPoint IP: Best for sound quality
  • Yamaha PJP-2OUR: Best portable conference phone
  • Poly SoundStation IP 6000: Best for mid-sized conference rooms

Of course, there are several factors to consider when buying a conference phone – including the size of your conference room, the size of your team, location-based logistics, and the size of your budget. To narrow down your choices, read on for individual ratings and reviews of each of the above.

And if you’d like more direct help, we can actually match you up with the conference phone suppliers that best suit you, based on your requirements. Just answer a few quick questions about your business, and we’ll connect you to top suppliers that can meet your needs. They’ll then be in touch directly with tailored, no-obligation quotes. It’s the quickest way to compare the best conference phone options for you.

Conference room phones
The right conference phone will help you communicate smoothly with colleagues near and far

Cisco Webex

Best for video conferencing

Cisco’s Webex devices aren’t exactly what you’d call “phones” – but, given their innovative video conferencing technology, it would be remiss of us not to mention them. Available as interactive boards that address the whole conference room, small desk-based devices that enable one-to-one video meetings, and full-on room kits that include panoramic 4K video and directional audio, Webex’s high-tech solutions will suit businesses that are looking for a totally slick video conferencing experience.

Of course, if you don’t see the need for a whole new set of devices, you can simply download Webex’s video conferencing app onto you and your teammates’ smartphones, tablets, or laptops, giving you the ability to tune into a meeting from anywhere.

Price: £0 – £25 per host, per month (Cisco’s most basic Webex plan is free). Cisco also offers custom packages at bespoke prices.

Highlights

  • HD-quality video
  • Customisable video layouts
  • The ability to join a meeting from any device – whether that’s a smartphone, laptop, or Webex device
  • The ability to record your meeting online, with automatic transcriptions built-in

Avaya B100 Series

Most versatile conference phone range

Affordable and versatile, Avaya B100 Series conference phones provide an excellent range of conference call solutions for boardrooms of all sizes.

The Avaya B100 series of conference phones combines powerful performance features — including 360-degree surround sound, full duplex operation, and built-in recording — with intuitive design components, like a touch-screen display (Avaya B189) and an onboard conference guide. The result is a powerful and user-friendly conference phone for SIP based large meetings (Avaya B179) and smaller rooms (Avaya B149).

Price: $100 – $850 on Amazon (dependent on model)

Highlights

The best of the Avaya B100 Series phones’ features are its onboard conference guide, intuitive keypad design, and built 360-degree surround sound. Other features include:

  • Full duplex functionality
  • Built-in recording
  • Bluetooth headset and PA-system compatibility
  • Powerful call bridging for up to 5 people and different locations

Poly Trio Series

Best premium conference phone range

For premium performance and premium design, Poly’s (formerly Polycom) Trio range is a series of excellent conference phones.

Stylish, powerful, and built for large boardrooms, Poly Trio devices are next-generation conference phones designed with an eye (and ear) towards power and simplicity. The devices’ vivid 5-inch LCD displays (barring the Trio 8300, which has a basic black and white screen), room-filling audio, and noise-blocking technoology make them ideal for large conference rooms, though there are Trio devices available for rooms of all sizes.

Price: $600 – $1,000+ on Amazon (dependent on model)

Highlights

The stylishly-designed Poly Trio conference phones come with a host of features, including:

  • Onboard Bluetooth technology
  • Poly’s HD Voice and Noise Block
  • 360-degree microphone coverage
  • One-touch-to-join meeting integration

Poly SoundStation IP 5000

Most affordable conference phone

Highly affordable, this conference phone is ideal for small conference rooms and executive offices hosting calls with up to 6 participants.

Also from Poly, the Soundstation IP 5000 is a feature-rich conference phone for businesses looking for a high-quality conference call solution on the affordable end of the pricing spectrum. Equipped with a wide range of call handling features, the Soundstation IP 5000 supports calls with up to 6 participants, and is the phone that RingCentral specifies as the preferred conference phone for its phone system clients.

Price: $230 – $250 on Amazon

Highlights

The Poly Soundstation IP 5000 comes equipped with a wide range of features, including:

  • Compatibility with a wide range of SIP call platforms
  • Patented Poly Acoustic Clarity Technology
  • Power over Ethernet
  • Advanced call handling, provisional, and security features
  • Compact design for rooms of any size

Yealink CP960

Best conference phone for remote businesses

Yealink’s modern CP960 conference phone boasts capacity for up to 20 participants. Paired with Yealink’s CPW90 wireless microphones (seen in the image to the left), which can be placed 66 feet away from the CP960 device and can each pick up voices from 10 feet away, it’s a great solution for large meeting rooms.

One of the most forward-thinking things about Yealink, though, is that it has partnered with Zoom (you know, 2020’s favorite software). As a result, the CP960 comes loaded up with Zoom Rooms controller software, and can act as your Zoom Rooms controller, microphone, and speaker, for a stellar voice and video conferencing solution.

Price: $800 – $1,000 on Amazon

Highlights

The CP860 boasts a host of features, including:

  • Yealink Noise Proof Technology
  • Pentagon meeting room interface
  • Hybrid UC Meeting, which bridges calls from multiple devices into one call

Poly SoundStation2

Best conference phone for small teams

With a simplified design and high-definition audio performance, the Poly SoundStation2 is an excellent choice for small to mid-sized boardrooms looking for an affordable conference call solution.

The Poly SoundStation2 is a highly affordable conference phone designed for medium and small-sized conference rooms. Upgraded with a 50% increase in microphone sensitivity over the previous SoundStation model, and a vivid LCD display, the SoundStation2 provides excellent sound quality for call participants up to 10 feet away.

Price: $275 on Amazon

Highlights

Although cheap, the Poly SoundStation2 doesn’t cut corners when it comes features and performance. Here are some of its highlights:

  • 360-degree sound coverage
  • 50% increase in microphone sensitivity over the previous SoundStation model
  • Vivid LCD display
  • 25-entry phonebook/speed dial list
  • Password protected settings
Compare tailored, no-obligation quotes from the best conference phone suppliers for you – just tell us what you're looking for!

Mitel MiVoice Conference Phone

Best for large conference rooms

With 16 built-in microphones, Mitel says its MiVoice Conference Phone boasts four times the audio quality of an average conference device. And with a truly modern design, this compact little machine doesn’t look like your traditional conference phone, either; but still manages to boast a 7-inch full color touchscreen for easy navigation.

Mitel also offers the MiVoice Video Conferencing Phone, which – as the name suggests – incorporates video meeting technology, without the need to pay for a third-party video service.

Price: $500 – $700 (retailer dependent)

Highlights

The Mitel MiVoice Conference Phone comes with an expansive list of features, including:

  • Beamforming Technology that isolates the main speaker’s voice from up to 12 feet away
  • Embedded collaboration services enable you to share documents and presentations
  • 22kHz Wideband Audio
  • One-touch buttons for navigating settings and adjusting volume
  • Multi-lingual support

Snom MeetingPoint IP

Best conference phone for sound quality

The Meeting point is an impressive debut conference phone from Snom. With its impressive sound quality for medium to large conference rooms, it’s a great choice for larger teams.

Designed for executive offices and large boardrooms alike, the Snom MeetPoint IP comes equipped with full duplex broadband audio for up to 10 participants in a single location.

Price: $585 – $620

Highlights

Best suited for up to 10 participants, the MeetingPoint offers unparalleled sound quality and an array of impressive features, including:

  • Backlit geographical LCD display
  • OmniSound full duplex broadband sound technology
  • 3 metre range – suitable for 10 people
  • Power support over ethernet
  • 3 or 4 way conferencing

Yamaha PJP-2OUR

Best portable conference phone

The Yamaha PJP-2OUR’s portability and daisy-chaining capabilities make it a high-performing, adaptable conference phone for businesses on the go.

Highly portable with daisy-chaining functionality, the Yamaha PJP-2OUR is a conference phone that fits into any space you need it to. Equipped with essential features including a built-in echo canceller, high-fidelity microphone speaker, and web/audio conferencing support, the Yamaha PJP-2OUR provides an adaptive conference call solution for business of all sizes.

Price: $339

Highlights

The Yamaha PJP-2OUR features unique daisy-chaining functionality with duplicate models to accommodate larger rooms, and comes with a host of other features, including:

  • USB connectivity for powering, daisy chaining (up to 4 units), and other device connections
  • Built-in echo canceller
  • High-fidelity microphone speaker
  • Supports audio and web conferencing

Poly SoundStation IP 6000

Best for mid-sized conference rooms

The Poly SoundStation IP 6000 is an excellent conference call platform for midsize conference rooms with up to 12 call participants.

Ideal for mid-sized conference rooms, the SoundStation IP 6000 offers HD voice quality, full-duplex technology, and interoperability with SIP environments. RingCentral specifies this model as the preferred conference phone for its phone system clients.

Price: $329 – $419

Highlights

With Poly’s patented Acoustic Clarity voice quality and built-in Automatic Gain Control, the SoundStation IP 6000 provides excellent audio for up 12 different call members each at varying distances of up to 12 feet away. Other features include:

  • Full duplex technology
  • Power over Ethernet
  • High-resolution display
  • Compatible with SIP call platforms
  • Optional expansion microphones/lapel microphone support
Compare tailored, no-obligation quotes from the best conference phone suppliers for you – just tell us what you're looking for!

Conference Phone FAQs

What are the benefits of having a conference phone?

Conference phones are a popular, time-saving alternative to traditional meetings, enabling coworkers who are working from home or in a different office to dial in and join the session, whether just with their voice or using video.

That’s the obvious appeal of the conference phone – but what other benefits does this introduce? Let’s take a look.

Reduced travel costs

If you don’t need to be in the room for a particular meeting, you don’t need to pay to travel to get there. For example, you can join in an important meeting with colleagues based in another country without having to buy a plane ticket.

Superb sound quality

Each of the models on our list were selected because the manufacturers are renowned for their quality design and crystal-clear sound reproduction.

Tech-savvy business owners will delight in the knowledge that satellite speakers can be connected to each of these systems as and when needed to extend the sound range for larger meetings and events.

Strong ROI

Most businesses find that the best conference phones quickly pays for themselves when the savings from reduced travel costs and minimized downtime are factored in.

Increased team agility

Ad hoc meetings become a breeze with conference phone systems. Conference phones allow you to discuss new ideas as and when they arise with minimal prior scheduling, allowing teams to move projects forward faster and more efficiently.


Would a small business need to invest in a conference phone?

Solutions that increase team productivity and improve efficiency are especially important for smaller teams. If you are a small business owner looking to buy or upgrade your business phone system, why not read our comprehensive small business telephones buyer’s guide.


Who are the best conference phone manufacturers?

The top five conference phone manufacturers to look out for are Avaya, Poly, Cisco, Mitel, and Snom. Here’s how the features and capabilities they offer compare:

SupplierPoly logo
Editor’s Rating
LCD Display
Full Duplex Functionality
Bluetooth Enabled
Conference Calling
Sound Recording
Noise Reduction
External Mic Ports
Surround Sound
24/7 Support
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Next Steps

Take note of the size of your conference room, the size of your team, any location-based logistics and your budget before buying a conference phone. With Expert Market you can quickly find the perfect manufacturer for your team by filling in the short form at the top of this page.

Compare tailored, no-obligation quotes from the best conference phone suppliers for you – just tell us what you're looking for!
Written by:
Aimee profile image
Aimee is Expert Market’s resident telephone systems and point of sale go-to. If she’s not writing about business products, you’ll find her daydreaming about dog walking on Dorset beaches.
Reviewed by:
James draws on his 4+ years experience as a researcher to offer specialized advice on a wide range of categories from CRM to Fleet Management. He believes all businesses can grow if they use the right tools and services.