1. Introduction
A Better Way to do Bluetooth
Sometimes, a Bluetooth Headset is not practical. Sometimes, we don't want a blinking blue device hanging out our ear. Sometimes, we just want to be able to talk in our cars with no physical limitations whatsoever. For those times - the BlueAnt Supertooth II might be just what we need.
BlueAnt is an Australian based company with offices around the globe. They are exclusively dedicated to manufacturing and selling quality Bluetooth Audio accessories. While it seems that just about everybody is jumping onto the BlueTooth bandwagon these days, very few companies are exclusively dedicated to Bluetooth technology. The dedication shows.
This review will cover the Supertooth II Bluetooth Portable Handsfree unit. The Supertooth is mounted magnetically to the sun visor in the car - or it can be used as a stand alone speaker phone in your home.
The Supertooth II Portable Handsfree is designed primarily for the car – but it could be used anywhere. It is a relatively compact unit that attaches magnetically (very securely, I might add) to a clip on the sun-visor. The full specifications from the BlueAnt website are as follows:
Supertooth II Product Specifications:
Supertooth II |
Bluetooth Standard |
Bluetooth V1.1, Class II |
Frequency |
2.4GHz |
Maximum communication distance |
Approx. 10m |
Operating Talk Time |
20 hours |
Operating Standby Time |
800 hours |
Charging Time |
About 3 hours |
Bluetooth Profiles supported |
Handsfree, Headset |
Battery Type |
Rechargeable Lithium Ion |
Speaker |
50mm, High Power Neodyne type |
Microphone |
With built-in noise canceller |
Weight |
133.3 g (without clip) |
Dimension |
(lwh): 138x60x25 mm |
Other Comments |
A Full-Duplex device |
- Compact size
- Compatible to all Bluetooth Mobile phones and PDA’s
- With a Smart Digital Signal Processor DSP) for Noise Cancellation and Echo Suppression
- Supports Voice Dialing (if phone supports)
- Supports Redialing (for Handsfree profile only)
- Supports Multi-pairing to 2 Devices
- Single Pick-Up/Hang-Up Button
- With Call Reject Button
- Adjustable Volume Control 0º, 55º, 210º Swivel Arm orientations for easy access of the microphone even when the sun visor is up or down
2. Design & Use
Design
The Supertooth II is a wonderfully designed unit. The two magnets attach securely to one of the two included sun-visor clips. Noteworthy on this model is the large speaker and the flip down microphone.
The beauty of this design is that flipping down the microphone turns on the device and answers the calls. If the Microphone is kept in the "down" position, calls will automatically be answered when they come in. Your hands never have to leave the wheel - which is the idea behind "hands free" design.
There is a very easy to use volume control knob - a design I much prefer to up and down arrows. LED's show the Bluetooth connection and charge of the battery.
One extra detail is that the Supertooth II ships with a car charger and a home AC charger. In theory, you never need to take the Supertooth II out of your car to charge.
Ease of Use
The Supertooth II could not be easier to use. Pairing is accomplished by holding the call reject button and the Pick up button simultaneously. Lights flash, phone finds Supertooth, pass code entered and there you have it.
One of the nicest features of the BlueAnt experience is their wonderful user guides. Within the user guides are not only directions for pairing and using, but specific directions for virtually every mobile phone/smartphone on the market.
I so appreciated the subtle differences in directions for getting this to work flawlessly on my Treo. No manual has ever been more complete and helpful. BlueAnt obviously realizes that Bluetooth is still an evolving science and that some companies do it a bit differently.
Once paired, using the Supertooth II was a joy. The Mike can swivel into a usable position whether the visor is down or up (a nice touch). Calls came in perfectly. This is truly a “just set it up and use it” kind of device.
Call Quality
This is the single most important issue in a Handsfree car kit. If people can't hear or understand you - no matter how good the design - the car kit becomes useless. Well, BlueAnt has no worries in this department.
I routinely asked callers how I sounded. People said calls were clear and I sounded just like I was using the phone itself. Even with the windows down and the radio on, people were still able to hear me clearly.
Sound on my end was amazing. Calls were clear - no tinny sound, no reverberation - just crystal clear sound.
3. Conclusion
This is, hands down, the best HandsFree Carkit I have used. It was simple to use. The individual instructions for virtually every mobile phone were greatly appreciated. Calls were clear and the unit never failed. There was no re-pairing necessary (which happens often when I test these things).
I was also impressed with the build quality and the very complete package which includes not only the requisite manuals, but also car and home chargers, two sized sun visor clips and an earbud.
Pros:
- Great build quality
- great size
- easy to use
- powerful
- crystal clear calls
Cons:
The BlueAnt Supertooth II is available at www.myblueant.com and various on line retailers for US$129.99.
