Tech Tuesday: Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling Medium

Over the last few years, Sennheiser’s TeamConnect 2 has become a staple in our AV installations. It’s got great coverage and sound quality, and we’ve deployed it with great success in many boardrooms, training rooms, and other large conferencing spaces—but it can be a bit overkill for smaller spaces like huddle rooms. Thankfully, the folks at Sennheiser have developed a new version of the TeamConnect microphone for small to medium spaces: the TeamConnect Ceiling Medium.

 
A deconstructed view of the Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling Medium, with ceiling tile and suspension mounts
 

What’s Under The Cover?

Under the hood, the TCC-M contains the same condenser microphones as the TCC-2, it just has less of them. However, the TCC-M still features up to 40 square metres of audio coverage.  This makes it perfect for huddle spaces or boardrooms for up to 10 people. With 15 microphones, the TCC-M can also easily be programmed to take full advantage of multi-camera conferencing systems.

 
3 different mounting options for the TeamConnect Ceiling Medium
 

Mounting Options

Although it’s in a smaller form factor than its big brother, the TCC-M still provides tons of flexibility for mounting. This can be surface mounted on a ceiling, flush mounted into the ceiling or a ceiling tile, or suspended using the included cable kit. Additionally, the housing of the unit is removable and fully paintable, making it easy to match the microphone to your space.

Signal Transmission and Security

The TCC-M has also been designed with modern AV capabilities in mind. The unit transmits power and data over a single RJ-45 cable, making cable management much simpler. The TCC-M is also fully Dante enabled, for easy interoperability with camera tracking systems and room control systems. It also fully supports 802.1x security protocols, and fully encrypts all its outgoing signals using the TLS1.2 protocol.

Sennheiser TCC2 vs. TCC-M

You may be wondering: what’s the difference between the TCC 2 and the TCC-M? The main difference is the quantity of microphones. Both models use the same Made-in-Germany electret microphones—however, the TeamConnect Ceiling 2 contains 28 condenser capsules, while the TeamConnect Ceiling Medium has 15 capsules. As a result, the TCC-M has a smaller pickup radius of 12.5 feet, vs the 20 foot radius of the full-sized TeamConnect. Beyond that, there are a few cosmetic differences. The TCC 2 easily fits into a ceiling tile grid, which is great for aesthetics. However, the TCC 2 is not paintable, whereas the TCC M is, allowing you to match your room décor better.

 

In Conclusion

All in all, Sennheiser really hit this one out of the park. It sounds just as great as the original TeamConnect, provides the same great features, and does it at a much better price. We’ve installed tons of the TeamConnect 2 microphones, and we’re super excited to start integrating the TCC-M into our next installations.

Interested in improving the audio pickup in your spaces? Get in touch—our team of expert AV designers can help.

Evolution AV