Why Does My Nearity 360 Alien Sound Echoey or Reverberant?

If voices sound echoey, reverberant, or unusually noisy during a meeting, check the meeting application's audio settings, update the firmware, and compare the main unit with and without the extension microphones.

Step 1: Check the Microphone and Speaker Settings

Open the audio settings in Zoom or your meeting application and confirm that the Nearity 360 Alien connection is selected as both the microphone and the speaker.

• If the camera is connected directly by USB, select Nearity 360 Alien.
• If you are using the NA20 Wireless Dongle, select Wireless transceiver NA20.

Using different devices for the microphone and speaker can cause audio routing problems and make echo more noticeable.

Step 2: Make Sure Echo Cancellation Is Turned On

Check the audio settings in Zoom or your meeting application and make sure its built-in echo cancellation has not been disabled. After changing the setting, make a short test call before the next meeting.

Step 3: Update the Firmware in NearSync

Connect Nearity 360 Alien to NearSync and install the latest firmware available for the device. Firmware updates may include improvements to reverberation handling and noise reduction.

Keep the device connected to power and USB until the update is complete. You do not need to install a specific version number unless NearHub Support provides one for your device.

Step 4: Check the Room and Microphone Placement

Rooms with glass, bare walls, hard floors, high ceilings, or open adjoining spaces naturally produce more reverberation. Some room echo may remain even when the device and meeting application are configured correctly.

If you use extension microphones:

1. Place the main unit and extension microphones so that they cover different seating areas.
2. Avoid positioning several microphones so that they strongly cover the same participants.
3. Run a test with people seated in their normal meeting positions.

Clearer pickup zones help the system maintain more consistent microphone selection. Excessive overlap may cause noticeable changes in voice tone as the system switches between microphones.

Step 5: Test the Extension Microphones Separately

Use the same room, participant position, and recording application for both tests.

1. Disconnect both extension microphones.
2. Use only the Nearity 360 Alien main unit to record a short audio or video sample.
3. Daisy-chain both extension microphones and reconnect them to the main unit.
4. Record a second sample under the same conditions.
5. Compare the amount of echo, reverberation, background noise, and any change in voice tone.

If the Problem Continues

Contact NearHub Support at support@nearhub.us and include:

• Both test recordings: main unit only, and main unit with two extension microphones
• A screenshot showing the selected microphone and speaker in the meeting application
• A screenshot of the firmware information shown in NearSync
• A photo or simple diagram showing the room, seating, and microphone placement

These materials will help the support team determine whether the main unit, the extension microphones, the meeting application settings, or the room environment is contributing most to the issue.

If the irregular noise appears only when both extension microphones are connected, the extension microphones may be contributing to the issue. Some earlier extension microphones may produce irregular broadband noise when two units are daisy-chained.