Top Conference Phones for Australian Small Businesses
The conference phone market is dominated by three manufacturers that actually have reliable Australian distribution: Yealink, Poly (formerly Polycom), and Grandstream. Each makes devices ranging from entry-level speakerphones to premium boardroom units. The table below summarises the best options for different room sizes and budgets.Yealink CP920 - Best value for huddle rooms and small meeting rooms (2-6 people). SIP, full-duplex, 6m (20ft) microphone pickup, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Noise-proof technology for open-plan adjacent rooms. AU price: ~$350-450 AUD. This is the default recommendation for most Australian small businesses.Yealink CP965 - Best for medium to large rooms (6-16 people). Android-based touchscreen, SIP + Teams/Zoom native app support, 6m pickup with optional expansion microphones (CPE90) for larger rooms up to 20m. AU price: ~$800-1,000 AUD. Choose this when you need built-in Teams or Zoom or when rooms regularly seat more than 8 people.
Poly Trio 8300 - Best for Teams-native environments with small to medium rooms (4-10 people). SIP + native Teams/Zoom, 3.6m (12ft) pickup, NoiseBlockAI for noise cancellation, PoE powered. AU price: ~$700-900 AUD. Strong choice if your business runs Teams as its primary communications platform.
Poly Trio 8500 - Best for large boardrooms (10-20 people). Premium audio quality, 6m pickup, daisy-chainable with expansion microphones for rooms up to 30+ people. SIP + Teams/Zoom. AU price: ~$1,200-1,500 AUD. Only justified for rooms that regularly seat 12 or more people.
Grandstream GAC2570 - Best budget option for medium rooms with video needs (6-12 people). Android OS, built-in Bluetooth, 5m pickup, 4.3" colour touchscreen, supports up to 4 cascaded units for very large rooms. AU price: ~$500-700 AUD. Good value if you need a touchscreen interface without the Yealink CP965 price tag.
Why Most Small Businesses Overbuy Conference Phones
Here is the uncomfortable truth about conference phones: most Australian small businesses do not need one. Not a dedicated SIP conference phone, anyway. If your "conference room" is a 3x4 metre room with a table that seats six people, and your meetings are mostly internal team calls or client video calls via Teams or Zoom, a $250-350 USB or Bluetooth speakerphone connected to a laptop does the job. A Jabra Speak 750 (~$350 AUD), Poly Sync 20 (~$200 AUD), or Anker PowerConf (~$130 AUD) provides perfectly acceptable audio for a small meeting room.You need a dedicated SIP conference phone when your room regularly seats more than 6 people (speakerphones cannot pick up voices reliably beyond 3-4 metres), when you make SIP-based conference calls through your VOIP phone system (not just Teams or Zoom from a laptop), when you need the phone to work independently without a laptop (walk-in dial from the conference phone directly), or when audio quality on conference calls is business-critical (client-facing calls where poor audio reflects badly on your business). If none of those apply to your situation, save the $400-1,500 and buy a USB speakerphone instead. Put the savings toward your actual phone system.Room Size Matching: The Most Important Decision
The single most important factor when choosing a conference phone is matching the device to the room size. Every conference phone has a microphone pickup range, measured in metres from the device. If someone sits beyond that range, the far end of the call hears them faintly or not at all. This is the number one complaint about conference calls: "We could not hear the person at the end of the table." It is almost always a pickup range mismatch.Huddle Room (2-4 People, Up to 3x3m)
A small huddle room or breakout space where 2-4 people sit close together. Any speakerphone or entry-level conference phone works here. A USB speakerphone ($130-350 AUD) is usually sufficient. If you want a dedicated SIP device, the Yealink CP920 (~$350-450 AUD) is more hardware than you need for this room size, but it gives you room to grow. Do not buy a Poly Trio 8500 for a huddle room. It is engineered for boardrooms ten times this size.Small Meeting Room (4-8 People, 3x4m to 4x5m)
This is the most common meeting room size in Australian small businesses. The table seats 6-8, and the person at the far end is about 3-4 metres from the phone in the centre of the table. The Yealink CP920 (6m pickup) handles this room size comfortably with margin. The Poly Trio 8300 (3.6m pickup) works but sits right at the edge of its range for the furthest seats. If you are choosing between the two for this room size, the CP920 provides better pickup coverage at a lower price.Medium Meeting Room (8-14 People, 5x6m to 6x8m)
A proper boardroom table that seats 10-14. The far end of the table is 5-6 metres from the centre. Here you need either the Yealink CP965 with expansion microphones (CPE90 units extend coverage to the table ends), the Poly Trio 8500 (6m native pickup), or the Grandstream GAC2570 (5m pickup, extendable with cascading). Without expansion microphones, a single conference phone at the centre of a 6-metre table will not reliably pick up voices from the ends.Large Boardroom (14+ People, 8m+ Table)
Large boardrooms with tables exceeding 8 metres require expansion microphones or daisy-chained units. No single conference phone reliably covers this distance. The Yealink CP965 supports up to two CPE90 expansion microphones, extending coverage to approximately 20 metres. The Poly Trio 8500 supports external microphone pods. The Grandstream GAC2570 supports cascading up to 4 units. For most Australian small businesses, if you have a room this size, you are likely better served by a dedicated AV integrator who can design a ceiling microphone solution rather than trying to cover the room with a tabletop conference phone.Key Specs That Actually Matter
Conference phone spec sheets are full of numbers. Most of them do not matter for a small business buyer. Here are the specs that do.Microphone Pickup Range
This is the maximum distance from the device where a voice is reliably captured. Measured in metres. Match this to your room size (see above). Marketing specs are measured in ideal conditions (quiet room, no background noise). In a real office with HVAC noise, traffic outside, and someone typing on a laptop, expect 70-80% of the stated range to be the practical limit. A phone rated at 6 metres will reliably pick up voices at about 4-5 metres in a typical office.Full-Duplex Audio
Full-duplex means both sides of the call can speak simultaneously without the audio cutting out. Half-duplex (found on cheap speakerphones) means only one side can transmit at a time, which creates the "walkie-talkie" effect where people talk over each other and get cut off. Every device recommended in this guide supports full-duplex. Do not buy a conference phone that does not.Noise Cancellation and Echo Cancellation
Acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) prevents the far end from hearing their own voice echoed back. All modern conference phones include AEC. Noise cancellation (or noise reduction) suppresses background noise like keyboard typing, paper rustling, or HVAC hum. This varies significantly between models. The Poly Trio series uses NoiseBlockAI, which is notably effective. The Yealink CP920 uses "Noise Proof Technology" which performs well in moderate noise environments. For an open-plan office where the conference room has glass walls and limited sound isolation (common in Australian fit-outs), stronger noise cancellation makes a noticeable difference.SIP Compatibility
If you have a VOIP phone system, the conference phone needs to register as a SIP endpoint on your PBX. All devices in this guide support standard SIP. However, compatibility with your specific provider matters. Before purchasing, confirm with your VOIP provider that the exact model you are considering is supported on their platform. Most providers maintain a list of certified devices. Using an uncertified device may work, but your provider's support team will not help you troubleshoot it if something goes wrong.PoE (Power over Ethernet)
Power over Ethernet allows the conference phone to draw power from the Ethernet cable rather than requiring a separate power adapter. This means one cable from the wall to the phone instead of two (Ethernet plus power). Every conference phone in this guide supports PoE (IEEE 802.3af). However, PoE requires a PoE-capable switch or a PoE injector at the wall port. If your meeting room Ethernet port does not carry PoE, you will need either a PoE injector (~$30-50 AUD) or the power adapter that ships with the phone. For a clean conference table with minimal cables, PoE is worth the small investment.USB vs SIP vs Bluetooth: Which Connection Type?
Conference phones connect to your call infrastructure in one of three ways, and choosing the wrong one is a common and expensive mistake.SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)
SIP conference phones register directly with your VOIP phone system (hosted PBX or on-premise PBX) via Ethernet. They have their own extension number, can make and receive calls independently, and appear as a full endpoint on your phone system. This is the right choice if you want the conference room phone to be part of your business phone system, with its own number, call history, and the ability to transfer calls to and from desk phones. SIP is the connection type for all five conference phones reviewed in this guide.USB
USB speakerphones connect to a laptop and act as the microphone and speaker for whatever communication app is running on that laptop (Teams, Zoom, Google Meet). They do not connect to your VOIP system. They do not have their own phone number. They are a peripheral for the laptop. This is the right choice if your conference calls are exclusively via video/voice platforms like Teams or Zoom, and you do not need the conference room to function as an independent phone endpoint. USB speakerphones are significantly cheaper ($130-350 AUD vs $350-1,500 AUD for SIP conference phones).Bluetooth
Bluetooth speakerphones pair with a mobile phone or laptop wirelessly. Convenient for impromptu calls, but Bluetooth audio quality is lower than USB or SIP, and the wireless connection can be unreliable in environments with many Bluetooth devices (which describes most offices). Bluetooth is acceptable as a secondary connection option on a device that also supports SIP or USB, but it should not be the primary connection for a conference room. Audio quality and connection stability are not sufficient for regular business conference calls.Detailed Conference Phone Reviews
Yealink CP920
The CP920 is the workhorse of the Australian small business conference phone market. It handles SIP calls natively, supports Bluetooth 4.0 for connecting a mobile phone as a secondary audio source, and includes built-in Wi-Fi (useful if the conference room does not have an Ethernet port, though wired is always preferred for call quality). The 6-metre microphone pickup range covers most small to medium meeting rooms without expansion microphones. Audio quality is excellent for the price, with Yealink's Noise Proof Technology handling moderate background noise well.The CP920 supports standard SIP and is certified by most Australian VOIP providers. It is PoE powered (802.3af) and includes a power adapter in the box for non-PoE installations. The 3.1-inch LCD screen is functional but basic. There is no touchscreen and no app support (no native Teams or Zoom). If you need Teams integration, look at the CP965. If you just need a reliable SIP conference phone for a meeting room, the CP920 is the default recommendation. AU price: ~$350-450 AUD from Australian distributors.Yealink CP965
The CP965 is Yealink's premium conference phone. It runs Android and supports native Microsoft Teams and Zoom Rooms apps, meaning you can join a Teams or Zoom meeting directly from the phone without a laptop. The 5-inch colour touchscreen makes navigation intuitive. Microphone pickup is rated at 6 metres natively, extendable to approximately 20 metres with optional CPE90 expansion microphones (~$150 AUD each). This makes the CP965 suitable for rooms from small (4 people) to large (16+ people with expansion mics).The premium price (~$800-1,000 AUD) is justified if you need native Teams/Zoom support (joining meetings directly from the phone, not via a laptop), or if you need to cover a larger room with expansion microphones. If you do not need either of those features, the CP920 at half the price provides the same core SIP conferencing quality. The CP965 also supports Bluetooth 5.0 and USB-C for connecting as a laptop speakerphone, making it a versatile multi-mode device.Poly Trio 8300
The Poly Trio 8300 is Poly's entry-level conference phone for small to medium rooms. It features a 5-inch colour LCD touchscreen, NoiseBlockAI for aggressive noise cancellation, and native Microsoft Teams Rooms support. The microphone pickup range is 3.6 metres, which is adequate for a huddle room or small meeting room (up to 6 people seated close together) but falls short for a medium boardroom. If your room regularly seats more than 6 people, the 8300's pickup range will not reach the ends of the table.Where the Trio 8300 excels is in Teams-centric environments. If your business runs Microsoft Teams as its primary communications platform and you want a meeting room device that integrates natively with Teams Rooms, the Trio 8300 is purpose-built for that scenario. Audio quality is excellent, as expected from Poly (formerly Polycom, the original conference phone company). AU price: ~$700-900 AUD. The price premium over the Yealink CP920 is primarily for the Teams integration and Poly's superior noise cancellation.Poly Trio 8500
The Trio 8500 is Poly's large-room conference phone. The 6-metre pickup range matches the Yealink CP965, and the 8500 supports expansion microphone pods for coverage up to 30+ metres (large U-shaped boardroom tables). The 5-inch colour LCD touchscreen, native Teams/Zoom support, and Poly's NoiseBlockAI noise cancellation are all present. Audio quality is the best in this comparison, which is expected given Poly's heritage as the premium conference phone manufacturer.At ~$1,200-1,500 AUD, the Trio 8500 is the most expensive option in this guide. It is only justified for rooms that regularly seat 12 or more people, where the premium audio quality and expansion microphone support are necessary. For most Australian small business meeting rooms (4-8 people), the Trio 8500 is overkill. Buy the Yealink CP920 and put the $800-1,000 difference toward your VOIP service plan.Grandstream GAC2570
The GAC2570 is Grandstream's flagship conference phone. It runs Android, features a 4.3-inch colour touchscreen, supports SIP and Bluetooth 5.0, and has a 5-metre microphone pickup range. The standout feature is cascading: up to 4 GAC2570 units can be daisy-chained together for very large rooms, which is a cost-effective alternative to buying a single premium unit with expensive expansion microphones.At ~$500-700 AUD, the GAC2570 sits in the middle of the market. It offers more features than the Yealink CP920 (touchscreen, Android apps) at a lower price than the CP965 or Poly Trio series. The trade-off is that Grandstream's noise cancellation and audio quality, while good, do not match Poly's. For a budget-conscious small business that wants a touchscreen conference phone with room to expand, the GAC2570 is a solid choice. Grandstream has reliable Australian distribution through IP phone specialists.Teams and Zoom Integration
If your business uses Microsoft Teams or Zoom for meetings, you may want a conference phone that integrates natively with those platforms. "Native integration" means the conference phone runs the Teams or Zoom app directly, so you can join a scheduled meeting from the phone's touchscreen without connecting a laptop. This is convenient but adds significant cost.The Yealink CP965 and Poly Trio 8300/8500 all support native Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms. The Yealink CP920 does not (it is SIP-only). The Grandstream GAC2570 runs Android and can install third-party apps, but it is not officially certified for Teams Rooms or Zoom Rooms, which means it may work but is not supported by Microsoft or Zoom if something breaks.Before paying the premium for native Teams integration on a conference phone, consider whether a laptop connected to a $200-350 USB speakerphone achieves the same thing. In most small business meeting rooms, someone brings a laptop to the meeting anyway. The laptop runs Teams or Zoom, and the speakerphone provides the audio. The conference phone's native app adds convenience (no laptop needed, one-touch join) but not capability. For a detailed guide on integrating Teams with your phone system, see the Microsoft Teams phone system guide.Conference Phone Pricing in Australia
All prices below are in AUD and reflect current Australian distributor and retailer pricing. Conference phone prices fluctuate, so check current pricing before purchasing. The VoIP Cost Calculator can help you model the total cost of your phone system including conference room hardware.Budget tier ($130-350 AUD): USB/Bluetooth speakerphones (Jabra Speak 750, Poly Sync 20, Anker PowerConf). Not SIP conference phones, but they handle 90% of small meeting room needs when paired with a laptop.Entry SIP ($350-450 AUD): Yealink CP920. Best value SIP conference phone for rooms up to 8 people. This is where most small businesses should land.
Mid-range ($500-1,000 AUD): Grandstream GAC2570 ($500-700), Poly Trio 8300 ($700-900), Yealink CP965 ($800-1,000). Touchscreen interfaces, Teams/Zoom native support, better noise cancellation.
Premium ($1,200-1,500+ AUD): Poly Trio 8500. Large boardroom specialist. Only justified for rooms seating 12+ people regularly.Where to buy in Australia: Australian VOIP distributors (Allphones, VoIPon AU, IP Phone Warehouse) typically offer the best pricing and pre-provisioning services. Amazon AU stocks most models but at slightly higher prices. Your VOIP provider may also sell hardware directly, sometimes pre-configured for their platform, which saves setup time.
Setting Up a Conference Phone on Your VOIP System
A SIP conference phone connects to your VOIP system the same way a SIP desk phone does. It needs an Ethernet connection (or Wi-Fi if supported and wired is not available), SIP credentials from your VOIP provider (username, password, SIP server address), and either manual provisioning (entering the credentials via the phone's web interface) or auto-provisioning (the phone downloads its configuration from the provider's server automatically).Most VOIP providers will pre-configure the phone for you if you purchase through them. If you buy independently (from Amazon AU or a third-party distributor), you will need to provision it yourself or ask your provider to walk you through it. The process takes 5-10 minutes. The phone connects via Ethernet, you access its web interface from a browser on the same network, enter the SIP credentials, and the phone registers with your PBX. It then appears as an extension on your system, just like any desk phone.One important consideration: assign the conference phone its own extension on your phone system. Do not share an extension with a desk phone. The conference room should have a dedicated number that staff can transfer calls to ("I will transfer you to the conference room") and that appears separately in call logs. Most VOIP providers do not charge extra for an additional extension.Daisy-Chaining for Larger Rooms
For rooms where a single conference phone cannot cover the entire table, you have two options: expansion microphones or daisy-chaining.Expansion microphones are satellite microphone pods that connect to the main conference phone and extend its pickup range. The Yealink CPE90 (~$150 AUD each) extends the CP965's coverage by adding pickup points at the ends of a long table. The Poly Trio 8500 supports similar expansion pods. These are the simplest solution for medium to large rooms because the main phone handles all the SIP/audio processing and the expansion mics just capture additional audio.Daisy-chaining (cascading) means connecting multiple conference phone units together so they act as one system. The Grandstream GAC2570 supports cascading up to 4 units. This is a cost-effective way to cover very large rooms because each unit contributes its own microphone array. However, cascading is more complex to configure and not all VOIP providers support it. Check with your provider before planning a cascaded deployment.Australian Considerations
Conference phone selection in Australia is influenced by a few local factors that do not apply in other markets.NBN upload bandwidth: A conference call over SIP uses approximately 100-150 kbps of upload bandwidth per active call. On NBN 50 (typically 20 Mbps upload), this is negligible. But if you are running a video conference on Teams or Zoom simultaneously with a SIP conference call (common in hybrid meeting setups), bandwidth consumption increases substantially. If your office is on a lower-tier NBN plan, consider whether your upload bandwidth can handle concurrent conferencing loads.Distribution and warranty: All five conference phones reviewed in this guide are available through Australian distributors with local warranty support. Buying from an Australian distributor (rather than importing directly from overseas) ensures you get Australian warranty coverage and local support. Grey market imports (cheaper hardware purchased from overseas Amazon stores or AliExpress) may not be eligible for Australian warranty claims.PoE switch availability: If your meeting room Ethernet port runs through a PoE switch, the conference phone draws power from the cable. If not, you need the included power adapter or a PoE injector (~$30-50 AUD from any Australian IT retailer). Most small business network switches do not include PoE by default. A PoE switch (e.g., Ubiquiti USW-Lite-8-PoE, ~$180 AUD) is a worthwhile investment if you plan to power multiple VOIP devices via PoE.What Most Businesses Get Wrong
1. Buying a Conference Phone When a Speakerphone Will Do
A dedicated SIP conference phone is a specialised piece of hardware. It makes sense for rooms that need independent SIP connectivity, large pickup ranges, or enterprise-grade audio. For a small huddle room where someone always brings a laptop to the meeting anyway, a $200-350 USB speakerphone plugged into that laptop is simpler, cheaper, and perfectly adequate. Before spending $400-1,500 on a conference phone, honestly assess whether your meeting room needs justify it.2. Choosing Based on Features Instead of Room Size
Touchscreen, Android, Bluetooth 5.0, native Teams, AI noise cancellation: these are all nice features. But if the phone cannot pick up the voice of the person sitting 4 metres away, none of those features matter. Start with room size. Identify the microphone pickup range you need. Then filter by features. Not the other way around.3. Not Checking SIP Compatibility Before Purchasing
A conference phone that is not certified for your VOIP provider's platform will likely still work (SIP is a standard protocol), but you are on your own if something goes wrong. Your provider's support team will tell you the device is not supported and refuse to troubleshoot. Always confirm your VOIP provider supports the exact conference phone model before purchasing. Most providers publish a list of certified devices on their website, or you can ask their sales team directly.Your Next Steps
Here is the practical checklist for choosing and setting up a conference phone for your business.1. Measure your room. What is the distance from the centre of the table (where the phone will sit) to the furthest seat? This determines the minimum microphone pickup range you need.2. Count the typical attendees. How many people regularly sit in this room for calls? Not the maximum capacity of the room, but the typical call size. This helps confirm the room-size category.
3. Decide: SIP or USB? Does the conference room need an independent phone (SIP), or is someone always bringing a laptop anyway (USB speakerphone)? Be honest. Most small business meeting rooms are laptop-plus-speakerphone scenarios.
4. Check your VOIP provider's certified device list. If you are going SIP, confirm which conference phones your provider supports. This narrows your options and ensures you get full support.
5. Check your Ethernet and PoE setup. Does the meeting room have an Ethernet port? Does it carry PoE? If not, factor in a PoE injector or use the included power adapter.
6. Buy from an Australian distributor. Ensure Australian warranty coverage and local support. Avoid grey market imports for business-critical hardware.
7. Provision the phone on your VOIP system. Assign it a dedicated extension. Test by calling from a desk phone to the conference room and confirming audio quality from all seats.If you are not sure which conference phone is right for your meeting room, or if you need help matching hardware to your existing phone system, get a free recommendation from the Need to Know Comms team.
Do I need a conference phone or will a USB speakerphone work?
A USB speakerphone ($130-350 AUD) is sufficient for most small meeting rooms (2-6 people) where someone brings a laptop to every meeting. You need a dedicated SIP conference phone when the room regularly seats more than 6 people, when you need the phone to work independently without a laptop, or when SIP-based conference calls through your VOIP system are required.
What is the best conference phone for a small meeting room in Australia?
The Yealink CP920 (~$350-450 AUD) is the best value for rooms seating 4-8 people. It has a 6-metre microphone pickup range, SIP support, Bluetooth, and built-in Wi-Fi. For most Australian small businesses, this is the default recommendation.
Can I use a conference phone with Microsoft Teams?
Yes, but not all conference phones support native Teams integration. The Yealink CP965 and Poly Trio 8300/8500 run Microsoft Teams Rooms natively. The Yealink CP920 is SIP-only and does not support Teams directly. The Grandstream GAC2570 runs Android but is not officially Teams certified.
How much does a conference phone cost in Australia?
Entry-level SIP conference phones (Yealink CP920) start at $350-450 AUD. Mid-range options (Grandstream GAC2570, Poly Trio 8300, Yealink CP965) run $500-1,000 AUD. Premium boardroom phones (Poly Trio 8500) cost $1,200-1,500 AUD. USB speakerphones (not SIP) start at $130 AUD.
What is PoE and do I need it for a conference phone?
Power over Ethernet (PoE) delivers power through the Ethernet cable, eliminating the need for a separate power adapter. All conference phones in this guide support PoE, but your network switch must also support it. If your switch does not have PoE, use the included power adapter or add a PoE injector (~$30-50 AUD).
How do I cover a large boardroom with a conference phone?
For rooms where the table exceeds 6-8 metres, a single conference phone will not cover the full distance. Add expansion microphones (Yealink CPE90, ~$150 AUD each) to extend the pickup range, or use daisy-chaining (Grandstream GAC2570 supports up to 4 cascaded units). For very large rooms (20+ seats), consider a professional AV installation with ceiling microphones.
Should I buy a conference phone from my VOIP provider or from a retailer?
Buying from your VOIP provider typically means the phone arrives pre-configured for their platform, saving setup time. Buying from an Australian distributor or Amazon AU is usually slightly cheaper but requires manual provisioning. Either way, confirm the model is on your provider's certified device list before purchasing.
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