MAXHUB vs Traditional AV Installation: Can All-in-One Technology Really Save Money?

Often, yes, in small and medium rooms. In large or unusual rooms it often doesn't. An all-in-one board such as the MAXHUB XBoard V7 puts the display, touch layer, three cameras, a 16-microphone array, speakers and a pluggable Windows PC into one chassis. That removes several separate devices, most of the cabling between them, and much of the integration work a traditional AV install needs. What it cannot do is reach every seat in a long boardroom or drive a second display in Teams Rooms touch mode, and if the panel fails, the room loses everything at once. No vendor-neutral study compares the total cost of all-in-one boards with modular rooms, and we found none from AVIXA or the major analysts. So this article sets out where the costs actually sit and leaves you to price both options for your own room. MAXHUB boards at SourceIT are price on request.

What does each approach include?

Modular components follow Zoom's meeting-space hardware guide. MAXHUB figures come from the XBoard V7 series and V655T datasheets. Zoom puts typical medium-room hardware at US$8,000 to US$15,000 MSRP, before installation.

Where does an all-in-one save money?

• Fewer devices to buy and mount. Camera brackets, speaker mounts, a separate PC enclosure and a controller cable run all disappear. One wall mount or floor stand carries everything.
• Less integration labour. Several devices need cabling, configuring and tuning to work together. A board arrives with its camera, microphones and speakers already matched to each other, so most of the commissioning is network set-up and sign-in.
• One warranty and one management console. MAXHUB gives three years on the V7 boards and the MT71 PC modules, and manages the fleet through its Pivot platform. Running one vendor's tool is simpler than chasing firmware for four.
• Furniture and space. Small Singapore meeting rooms rarely have space for a credenza of equipment. A board that hangs on the wall frees that space.

An all-in-one board saves on cables, labour and coordination. It does not repeal the physics of a long room.

Where does the saving disappear?

The saving shrinks as rooms grow. Zoom's guide moves large rooms (12 to 16 people, about 4 x 7.5 m) to PTZ cameras, ceiling or table microphones, a DSP and up to three displays. A board's microphones sit at one end of the room. MAXHUB quotes 15 m maximum pickup but 8 m as the best range, so people at the far end of a long table may still need extra microphones. Microsoft's room planning guidance also says touch boards run as standalone devices and do not support dual-display mode. A boardroom that wants content on one screen and people on another still needs a modular design.

The other costs are less visible:

• Single point of failure. If the panel needs repair, the camera, audio and whiteboard go with it. MAXHUB's pluggable PC module can be swapped separately, which helps with compute faults but not with panel faults.
• Locked-together lifecycles. A modular room can replace a tired camera on its own. With an all-in-one, the camera and microphones age along with the screen.
• Licences still apply. Teams Rooms needs a Basic (free, up to 25 rooms) or Pro (US$40 per room per month, billed annually) licence on either design. MAXHUB's sources don't say whether a Pro licence is included with the Teams Rooms models, so assume it is not.
• Security housekeeping. CVE-2025-53704 affected the MAXHUB Pivot client before version 1.36.2. It is fixed, but it is a reminder that management software needs patching as well as the board. Our post Is Your Meeting Room Secure? covers the basics.

How should you compare quotes?

1. Measure the farthest seat from the front wall. If it is beyond about 8 m, price extra microphones into the all-in-one option.
2. Decide whether you need two front-of-room screens. If you do, an all-in-one touch board alone won't do it.
3. Ask both suppliers for installed cost: hardware, mounts, cabling, labour, commissioning and the first year of licences.
4. Compare warranty length, on-site cover and spare-part arrangements, not just price.
5. Check who will manage firmware for each device over five years.

For the room-planning side, see Your Meeting Room Needs Better Planning. For the board itself, see MAXHUB XBoard V7 Review and Three Cameras and 16 Microphones in One Display. Yealink's version of the same idea is covered in Why Buy Separate Cameras, Speakers and Displays?

Buying in Singapore

SourceIT supplies the MAXHUB XBoard V7 range, including the V6550 65-inch with i5, V7550 75-inch with i5 and V8650 86-inch with i5, the Teams Rooms V655T, and the MT71E PC module. All are price on request. Browse the MAXHUB interactive display collection or the medium-room video conferencing collection to compare modular options. For a quotation covering hardware and installation, use Request for Quotation on the product page, call (65) 6978 3502, email Sales@sourceit.com.sg or use our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Is an all-in-one meeting board cheaper than a traditional AV setup? Often, in small and medium rooms, because it needs fewer devices, less cabling and less integration work. No vendor-neutral study quantifies the saving, so compare installed quotes for your own room.

When is a traditional AV installation better? In large rooms, rooms with seats far from the front wall, and rooms that need two front-of-room displays, since Microsoft says touch boards do not support dual-display mode in Teams Rooms.

What is the microphone range of the MAXHUB XBoard V7? MAXHUB's datasheet lists a 16-microphone array with best pickup at 8 m and a maximum of 15 m.

Does a MAXHUB board still need a Teams Rooms licence? Yes. Teams Rooms needs a Basic or Pro licence on any certified device, and MAXHUB's documents do not say whether a Pro licence is included.

How much does a MAXHUB XBoard V7 cost in Singapore? MAXHUB boards at SourceIT are price on request. Use Request for Quotation on the product page or call (65) 6978 3502.