Dell Stereo SoundBar- AC511M

I was hesitant to buy this speaker for my Dell U2415 monitor based on so many reviews that said it didn't work as advertised (i.e. that it needed both a USB connection for power as well as an aux cable for the sound signal "THAT ISN'T EVEN INCLUDED!!!). Some folks even said that it didn't work with both a USB and aux cable connected.But I wanted a speaker that wouldn't take up any space on my desk and I don't need disco club volume nor thumping base, so I went for it. I figured worst case I'd need to use an aux cable (or worst worst-case it wouldn't work for me at all and I have to return it, but hey, returning stuff is one of Amazon's strengths, right?)So anyway it delivered next day after ordering (the joys of living in a metropolitan area!), I pulled it out of the box and connected the speaker's USB cable into one of the monitor's USB hub outlets and voila, sound was coming out of the speaker even before Skype and all of the other annoying Microsoft bloat-ware had finished starting up after I powered my computer on. Absolutely no setup of any sort required from me on the computer side of things. See the attached picture to this review for how the computer shows the speaker in the audio output section after all is said and done. So easy and I'm running Windows 8 on this machine, for Pete's Sake!Which leads me to wonder; do people not realize that if you plug this speaker's USB plug into one of the monitor's USB ports that the monitor itself has to ALSO be connected to the computer independently via its own USB cord?Even if you don't have your monitor hub connected (or don't have a monitor hub at all), the attached USB plug on the speaker has quite a long cord so hypothetically it would easily plug directly into the computer itself. I haven't tried that, but am absolutely confident it would work just fine. Even better, theoretically, since plugging the speaker into the monitor USB port instead of the computer's means the audio has the extra complexity of going through the USB hub in the monitor. Not that I've noticed any problems at all with that but I suppose if you were doing high data-rate transfers through the hub the sound could take a hit because of it.Sound is perfectly fine, even great, for the size and price of this thing. Again, I don't need disco club volume nor thumping base nor battlefield realistic sound for my application so you may feel differently.Actually I had to lower the speaker, computer, and music app volumes all down to the lower ends of their respective sliders while playing some test tracks since my kid's bedroom is right next to my "office" and the sound output was pretty significant when I first plugged it in.My U2415 has two slots in the bottom of it that were covered up with some glorified tape pieces. Once I pulled the tape off with a mini-screwdriver the two tabs on top of the speaker slotted right into the monitor slots and it looks just like one of the photos Amazon has posted for this item.If you go to Dell's page for this speaker, click on the "Tech Specs" tab, and scroll down to "Compatibility" you'll see a long list of Dell monitors this speaker is designed to work with. I'd guesstimate 2 out of 3 or maybe even 4 out of 5 in that list don't need the included monitor stand mount (the list differentiates which do or don't). Mine was one of those that don't so I can't speak to people's issues with the monitor stand mount, but I'm wondering if their monitor is even on that list at all.

I got this for a desktop computer I was building and added it under my Dell monitor. I use it for conference calls, not for music. It plays music just fine and plenty loud but it is a soundbar. Simple USB cable was plug and play with Windows 10. Zoom, MS Teams, etc... all recognize it. It is small and discreet but the buttons are big enough for you to find and press with ease. Check the compatible Dell monitor stands but it attached with ease to mine.Sounds: Voices are loud and clear for calls. The soundbar has volume adjust buttons which increase or decrease the Windows volume control. The sound is a bit deeper and richer than you get from typical "tinny" sounding PC speakers. I have not run into any issues with audio.Mic: This unit has an integrated far-field microphone. I typically sit 2-4 feet from the microphone and it picks my voice up well. Feedback has been that I sound clear on calls. There is a mute button on the soundbar, in addition to buttons for answer and hang-up, which could be handy in certain circumstances. The microphone on this soundbar is far better than the integrated mic on my USB camera. However, I would say it's generally of average sound capture quality. I have had no issues with it and it is sufficient for hours of daily conference calls.I have attached pictures of the front view under monitor and the rear view of the mounting adapter.I purchased this because it had an integrated microphone. I believe that is the key feature to choose this soundbar over all other alternatives available. The second feature would be mounting compatibility with Dell monitors. The third feature would be the inclusion of front mounted buttons for volume, mute, and call handling if someone were looking for a setup without easy access to a keyboard or mouse (i.e. distributed setup or TV display as a conferencing interface).

Pros:>Easy to install>Sounds much better than I expected>USB Audio and AUX input both work great>Powered by the same single USB plug that can transmit data. No external power plug or brick required!>Volume control is easy, although non-precise via dial. USB volume control from PC is as-expectedCons:AUX audio doesn’t work unless the USB is plugged into a functioning computer/data source. If you try a power brick via USB the soundbar will turn on but no sound will come out of the aux. It is a wild limitation and took some digging to find online as it’s not listed at all in the owners manual or QuickStart guide that I received.NOTE: the usb source and aux source do NOT need to be the same. I have the aux going to the monitors’ aux out and a chromecast as HDMI in. The usb is recognized by your computer and can play audio on its own if you choose.Overall I have a setup that now works and I am pleased overall. (I’m using it with a chrome cast and 4k monitor as a “TV” of sorts when not using the monitor AS a monitor)