SuperTooth HD Bluetooth speaker (review)
I try to limit calls when I am driving and I refuse to use my phone in my car without a headset or speakerphone. I am not a huge fan of headsets since I don't make that many calls and have transitioned to using Bluetooth speakerphones since I also use them to listen to podcasts. I've been using a Jabra SP700 that I picked up cheap on Amazon, but after testing out the SuperTooth HD speaker I am getting one for myself and not looking back. You can check out several images of this Bluetooth speaker in my image gallery and read about my experiences below.
| Image Gallery: Check out photos of the SuperTooth HD Bluetooth speakerphone. |  | |||||
Hardware
The SuperTooth HD comes with a car adapter and now standard microUSB cable for charging. It measures 125 x 59 x 22 mm and weighs in at 135 grams (with the visor clip). It has a square end and a rounded end with the square end housing the two speakers. The casing consists of high gloss black plastic and brushed silver plastic with a large rubber coated dial and two main buttons.The front of the SuperTooth HD is covered by the external controls and two indicator lights. The large volume control knob/multifunction button is used to answer and end calls, initiate voice dialing, and spin for volume control. Other Bluetooth speakerphones I have used have all had buttons on the side for the volume and they never were super easy to find and control. Spinning the big knob on the SuperTooth HD is quick and easy. The left indicator light is a Bluetooth indicator with the following colors and status:
- Steady blue: Bluetooth is being used for communications
- Blinking blue: connected/paired/on
- Red: low battery warning
- Blinking red & blue: pairing mode is active
The right indicator light is the charging indicator with stead orange during charging and steady green when fully charged.
There is a power on/off button below the main control knob, but I have to say I never use it because the device does so well managing connections itself (I discuss this in more detail below). Lastly, there is a rather large button in the center of the unit for the HandsFree Assistant number that is programmed into the speaker.
There is a durable metal visor clip that attaches to the back of the SuperTooth HD with a strong magnet so it stays mounted even on bumpy roads. You can leave the visor clip in place and easily pop off the SuperTooth HD to hide it when you leave your car or take it a long for conference calling with your phone.
Specifications
Specifications for the SuperTooth HD include the following:- Bluetooth 3.0 technology
- A2DP, headset, and hands-free BT profile support
- 10 meter operating range
- 2.4 GHz frequency
- Talk time of up to 20 hours
- Standby time of up to 1000 hours
- Charging time of 3 hours
- Can be paired with up to 8 devices, 2 at the same time
- 5.4 watts class D amplifier
- Dual microphones (front and back) with DSP noise/echo cancellation
The battery life really is outstanding and I end up charging the speaker up about once a month after several days of podcast listening and phone calls throughout the month.
You can also upgrade the SuperTooth HD via a computer and the included USB cable.
Setup and usage
When you first turn on the SuperTooth HD by pressing the power button for 1 second it will ask what your preferred language is an you can choose from one of six, including British English (my favorite), American English, French, Italian, Spanish, and German. It will then attempt to pair with a phone that you already have in discovery mode and once it finds it will pair up. You may have to enter the 0000 pin code, but most modern phones today do this automatically. The SuperTooth HD will then attempt to perform an automatic contact transfer, so just listen to the voice prompts as it starts up.Once you are connected then you can use the center of the volume knob (multi-function button) to perform the following:
- To answer or end a call: 1 second press when call is incoming or active
- Reject a call: 3 second press when incoming
- Redial: 3 second press when in standby
- Activate voice commands: 1 second press when in standby
The best thing about the entire SuperTooth HD experience has been that I never touch the power button and by simply getting into my car with my Windows Phone Bluetooth radio on my phone and the SuperTooth HD connect automatically every single time I travel. It has been the most flawless and carefree experience I have ever had with a Bluetooth accessory and experiences like this are what appeal to the masses who don't want to mess around with this mobile gear.
Voice commands are available in English and French and if you want to know what all of the available commands are then press the multi-function button for 1 second and say, "What can I say?" Your phone must support voice commands, but most iOS, BlackBerry, Android, Symbian and Windows Phones support this so it shouldn't be a problem for the smartphone owner. With my Windows Phone 7 device I actually can carry on text message conversation without ever touching the speaker and cannot wait to try this speaker out with my new iPhone 4S and Siri.
The SuperTooth HD speaker is also preprogrammed with the envelope button to call their HandsFree Assistant that is powered by Dial2Do. You may recall that Dial2Do is also partners with Jabra, Jawbones, Plantronics, and others to provide hands-free functionality such as sending texts, listening and responding to email, setting up a reminder, and working with Twitter. You get 6 months of Dial2Do service for free with your SuperTooth HD purchase (activation code is on your unit). After the 6 months, there are two pricing options for continued service. I don't spend that much time in my car so I personally do not get much value out of these services and figure calls alone are all the distraction I need in a car.