diff --git a/packages/speech/src/index.js b/packages/speech/src/index.js
index 492529bbb79..2c69f8e8c93 100644
--- a/packages/speech/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/speech/src/index.js
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ var request = require('request');
 var streamEvents = require('stream-events');
 var through = require('through2');
 var util = require('util');
+var v1beta1 = require('./v1beta1');
 
 /**
  * The [Cloud Speech API](https://cloud.google.com/speech/docs) enables easy
@@ -87,6 +88,10 @@ function Speech(options) {
   };
 
   common.GrpcService.call(this, config, options);
+
+  this.api = {
+    Speech: v1beta1(options).speechApi(options)
+  };
 }
 
 util.inherits(Speech, common.GrpcService);
@@ -631,11 +636,6 @@ Speech.prototype.operation = function(name) {
 Speech.prototype.recognize = function(file, config, callback) {
   var self = this;
 
-  var protoOpts = {
-    service: 'Speech',
-    method: 'syncRecognize'
-  };
-
   config = extend({}, config);
 
   if (!config.encoding) {
@@ -651,21 +651,16 @@ Speech.prototype.recognize = function(file, config, callback) {
       return;
     }
 
-    var reqOpts = {
-      audio: foundFile,
-      config: config
-    };
-
-    self.request(protoOpts, reqOpts, function(err, apiResponse) {
+    self.api.Speech.syncRecognize(config, foundFile, function(err, resp) {
       if (err) {
-        callback(err, null, apiResponse);
+        callback(err, null, resp);
         return;
       }
 
-      var response = new self.protos.Speech.SyncRecognizeResponse(apiResponse);
+      var response = new self.protos.Speech.SyncRecognizeResponse(resp);
       var results = Speech.formatResults_(response.results, verboseMode);
 
-      callback(null, results, apiResponse);
+      callback(null, results, resp);
     });
   });
 };
@@ -773,11 +768,6 @@ Speech.prototype.recognize = function(file, config, callback) {
 Speech.prototype.startRecognition = function(file, config, callback) {
   var self = this;
 
-  var protoOpts = {
-    service: 'Speech',
-    method: 'asyncRecognize'
-  };
-
   config = extend({}, config);
 
   if (!config.encoding) {
@@ -793,19 +783,14 @@ Speech.prototype.startRecognition = function(file, config, callback) {
       return;
     }
 
-    var reqOpts = {
-      audio: foundFile,
-      config: config
-    };
-
-    self.request(protoOpts, reqOpts, function(err, apiResponse) {
+    self.api.Speech.asyncRecognize(config, foundFile, function(err, resp) {
       if (err) {
-        callback(err, null, apiResponse);
+        callback(err, null, resp);
         return;
       }
 
-      var operation = self.operation(apiResponse.name);
-      operation.metadata = apiResponse;
+      var operation = self.operation(resp.name);
+      operation.metadata = resp;
 
       // Intercept the "complete" event to decode and format the results of the
       // operation for the user.
@@ -821,10 +806,10 @@ Speech.prototype.startRecognition = function(file, config, callback) {
         callback(null, Speech.formatResults_(response.results, verboseMode));
       });
 
-      callback(null, operation, apiResponse);
+      callback(null, operation, resp);
     });
   });
 };
 
 module.exports = Speech;
-module.exports.v1beta1 = require('./v1beta1');
+module.exports.v1beta1 = v1beta1;
diff --git a/packages/speech/test/index.js b/packages/speech/test/index.js
index 00bb64adbfa..5bef48918b0 100644
--- a/packages/speech/test/index.js
+++ b/packages/speech/test/index.js
@@ -582,6 +582,8 @@ describe('Speech', function() {
       Speech.findFile_ = function(files, callback) {
         callback(null, FOUND_FILE);
       };
+
+      speech.api.Speech.syncRecognize = util.noop;
     });
 
     it('should find the files', function(done) {
@@ -594,16 +596,13 @@ describe('Speech', function() {
     });
 
     it('should make the correct request', function(done) {
-      speech.request = function(protoOpts, reqOpts) {
-        assert.deepEqual(protoOpts, {
-          service: 'Speech',
-          method: 'syncRecognize'
+      speech.api.Speech.syncRecognize = function(config, file) {
+        var expectedConfig = extend({}, CONFIG, {
+          encoding: DETECTED_ENCODING
         });
+        assert.deepEqual(config, expectedConfig);
 
-        assert.deepEqual(reqOpts, {
-          config: extend({}, CONFIG, { encoding: DETECTED_ENCODING }),
-          audio: FOUND_FILE
-        });
+        assert.strictEqual(file, FOUND_FILE);
 
         done();
       };
@@ -620,8 +619,8 @@ describe('Speech', function() {
         done(); // Will cause test to fail.
       };
 
-      speech.request = function(protoOpts, reqOpts) {
-        assert.strictEqual(reqOpts.config.encoding, config.encoding);
+      speech.api.Speech.syncRecognize = function(config_) {
+        assert.strictEqual(config_.encoding, config.encoding);
         done();
       };
 
@@ -636,8 +635,8 @@ describe('Speech', function() {
         return expectedEncoding;
       };
 
-      speech.request = function(protoOpts, reqOpts) {
-        assert.strictEqual(reqOpts.config.encoding, expectedEncoding);
+      speech.api.Speech.syncRecognize = function(config) {
+        assert.strictEqual(config.encoding, expectedEncoding);
         done();
       };
 
@@ -662,7 +661,7 @@ describe('Speech', function() {
       var apiResponse = {};
 
       beforeEach(function() {
-        speech.request = function(protoOpts, reqOpts, callback) {
+        speech.api.Speech.syncRecognize = function(config, file, callback) {
           callback(error, apiResponse);
         };
       });
@@ -699,7 +698,7 @@ describe('Speech', function() {
           return formattedResults;
         };
 
-        speech.request = function(protoOpts, reqOpts, callback) {
+        speech.api.Speech.syncRecognize = function(config, file, callback) {
           callback(null, apiResponse);
         };
       });
@@ -755,8 +754,8 @@ describe('Speech', function() {
       });
 
       it('should delete verbose option from request object', function(done) {
-        speech.request = function(protoOpts, reqOpts) {
-          assert.strictEqual(reqOpts.config.verbose, undefined);
+        speech.api.Speech.syncRecognize = function(config) {
+          assert.strictEqual(config.verbose, undefined);
           done();
         };
 
@@ -783,6 +782,8 @@ describe('Speech', function() {
       Speech.findFile_ = function(files, callback) {
         callback(null, FOUND_FILE);
       };
+
+      speech.api.Speech.asyncRecognize = util.noop;
     });
 
     it('should find the files', function(done) {
@@ -795,16 +796,13 @@ describe('Speech', function() {
     });
 
     it('should make the correct request', function(done) {
-      speech.request = function(protoOpts, reqOpts) {
-        assert.deepEqual(protoOpts, {
-          service: 'Speech',
-          method: 'asyncRecognize'
+      speech.api.Speech.asyncRecognize = function(config, file) {
+        var expectedConfig = extend({}, CONFIG, {
+          encoding: DETECTED_ENCODING
         });
+        assert.deepEqual(config, expectedConfig);
 
-        assert.deepEqual(reqOpts, {
-          config: extend({}, CONFIG, { encoding: DETECTED_ENCODING }),
-          audio: FOUND_FILE
-        });
+        assert.strictEqual(file, FOUND_FILE);
 
         done();
       };
@@ -821,8 +819,8 @@ describe('Speech', function() {
         done(); // Will cause test to fail.
       };
 
-      speech.request = function(protoOpts, reqOpts) {
-        assert.strictEqual(reqOpts.config.encoding, config.encoding);
+      speech.api.Speech.asyncRecognize = function(config_) {
+        assert.strictEqual(config_.encoding, config.encoding);
         done();
       };
 
@@ -837,8 +835,8 @@ describe('Speech', function() {
         return expectedEncoding;
       };
 
-      speech.request = function(protoOpts, reqOpts) {
-        assert.strictEqual(reqOpts.config.encoding, expectedEncoding);
+      speech.api.Speech.asyncRecognize = function(config) {
+        assert.strictEqual(config.encoding, expectedEncoding);
         done();
       };
 
@@ -863,7 +861,7 @@ describe('Speech', function() {
       var apiResponse = {};
 
       beforeEach(function() {
-        speech.request = function(protoOpts, reqOpts, callback) {
+        speech.api.Speech.asyncRecognize = function(config, file, callback) {
           callback(error, apiResponse);
         };
       });
@@ -907,7 +905,7 @@ describe('Speech', function() {
           return through.obj();
         };
 
-        speech.request = function(protoOpts, reqOpts, callback) {
+        speech.api.Speech.asyncRecognize = function(config, file, callback) {
           callback(null, apiResponse);
         };
       });
@@ -985,8 +983,8 @@ describe('Speech', function() {
       });
 
       it('should delete verbose option from request object', function(done) {
-        speech.request = function(protoOpts, reqOpts) {
-          assert.strictEqual(reqOpts.config.verbose, undefined);
+        speech.api.Speech.asyncRecognize = function(config) {
+          assert.strictEqual(config.verbose, undefined);
           done();
         };