As a member of a two car family I always seem to get the car without the built in Bluetooth speaker phone system. For me that means I have to keep a Bluetooth earpiece attached to my head on most car rides. Thankfully SuperTooth has come out with a new Bluetooth car speakerphone called the Crystal to help solve this problem.
The SuperTooth Crystal is a versatile Bluetooth car speakerphone as it can play back music from Bluetooth A2DP enabled phones, announce GPS instructions as well as function as a hands free system. This last feature is great for those with stringent hands free driving laws. The Crystal is simple to install and pair up. Plus it works flawlessly with the iPhone 4S and Siri.
The SuperTooth Crystal comes packaged in a black cardboard box with the speakerphone visualized through a clear plastic window. On the sides of the package is a scaled image of the device in profile to provide the user an idea of its actual size. In the back is a list of the package contents and multi-language list of product features.
Opening the package we find the SuperTooth Crystal speakerphone, a USB to micro USB cable, USB car charger, a metal clip and user guide. SuperTooth offers the Crystal in five colors – black, silver, blue, purple and white. For today’s review we will look at the black model.
The feature set on the Crystal is pretty impressive as it has a Lithium Ion battery that has a 20 hour talk capacity, and 40 days of standby time coming from a three hour charge cycle, Bluetooth A2DP capability allowing the speakerphone to play back music or GPS voice commands and MultiPoint technology allowing the Crystal to connect to two phones simultaneously.
The Crystal weighs in at 100 grams or 113 when attached to the metal visor clip and measures 4.9 cm x 13 cm x 1.4 cm. It is composed of black-brushed metal appearing plastic with four buttons around the perimeter and a silver disk surrounding the main Multi-Function button. Its pill shape is reminiscent of the Sony Ericsson phones from the early 2000s.
The SuperTooth logo is seen at the bottom right of the unit below the speaker area.
On the top center area are the Volume control buttons, while on the left hand side adjacent to the Multi-Function button is the microphone. The Multi-Function button is used to answer, end calls and voice dial on the Crystal. On the bottom we find the End/Reject call and Power buttons. At the center of this Multi-Function button is a phone icon that is illuminated by a blue LED when is use.
On the back side of the Crystal we find a micro-USB port for charging the unit and a magnetic disk for attaching the device to the clip in one’s vehicle.
The clip is composed of solid black colored metal. SuperTooth also includes a Micro Auto Charger that has an output of 5V/0.5A for charging the Crystal when used with the included USB cable.
Specifications:
Turning on the Crystal is accomplished by pressing the power button for one to two seconds until you hear the audible Bluetooth noise indicating the Crystal is now on. Now the speakerphone will handle all of your phone’s audio unless you select otherwise off your handset. Handsfree calling can be accomplished by pressing the MultiFunction button and then using voice commands if your phone has that capability. Using the iPhone 4S activated Siri when pressing the Multi-Function button. To hang up simply hit the Multi-Function or End call buttons on the Crystal unit.
Answering an incoming call is as simple as pressing the Multi-Function button.
If you don’t have voice command, initiating a call from your handset will then transfer the audio over to the Crystal.
Like most Bluetooth audio devices the call clarity on the Crystal ranged from excellent to poor but that has to do more with the cellular service than the Bluetooth device. Overall the incoming and outgoing audio was on par with the built in Bluetooth device found in my wife’s GMC vehicle.
Music playback worked as advertised although the speakers from the SuperTooth Crystal are far from hi-fidelity. I would not chose the Crystal over my cars built in speakers but if you hear music off your Bluetooth enabled device then the Crystal will work in a pinch. GPS instructions from my Navigon app worked as advertised.
Battery life matched the advertised specs as I was able to get two solid weeks of use out of one charge of the Crystal. A nice feature of the Crystal with an iOS device is the addition of a battery indicator on the home screen.
Conclusion:
Overall the SuperTooth Crystal is a great hand’s free Bluetooth option for those who use their cell phones frequently in their automobiles. This device allows drivers to comply with hands-free laws while making in automobile phone calls less of a nuisance.
Priced at $69 the Crystal is an excellent deal. The excellent call sound quality on the Crystal is on par with the built in Bluetooth system in my wife’s GMC. The magnetic locking system allows the unit to be easily carried around by the user or hiding it out of site when leaving one’s car. It uses the latest Bluetooth 3.0 technology along with A2DP audio playback.
The only knock I have with the unit was the music sound quality playback but that is not the Crystal’s primary focus. I know the SuperTooth Crystal will a constant traveling companion in my car for quite a long time.
Pros:
+Simple set up
+Good quality audio during calls
+Excellent battery life
+Works flawlessly with Siri
+Battery life indicator on iPhone home screen
Cons:
-Music playback sounds tin-ny
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