INTRODUCTION

   Even if the law in some countries didn't "force" the use of hands free devices while in the car purely for safety reasons i really believe that this is one of the most important things drivers should always have in their cars (providing the car doesn't have a built-in one tied to the music system). Of course the best solution is indeed a factory mounted speakerphone hardwired to the music system of the car but the cost of such devices is quite high and after looking around online i can't say that many car models feature such devices in their basic packages (not to mention that you may not even own a brand new car to begin with). The next best solution is one I've been using for many years now and that's no other than portable car speakerphones which can be used whenever you're in the car and provide good audio quality for both ends not to mention that these cost a lot less and require no installation whatsoever. Today we'll be testing the latest car speakerphone by SuperTooth the HD VOICE.

   SuperTooth, headquartered in France, is a world leading manufacturer of Bluetooth speakerphones and portable accessories, with a presence in more than 50 countries. In 2004, SuperTooth created the concept of a Bluetooth speakerphone that could be clipped to a car’s sun visor providing hands-free phone call capability. Today the Bluetooth expert is continuing to pioneer audio accessories that are powerful, reliable and affordable, also integrating new NFC technology. SuperTooth owns its own factory, managing and operating the entire production and supply chain – from initial designs and concepts, to the manufacturing and packaging. For more information, visit www.SuperTooth.net.

   On paper the SuperTooth HD VOICE car speakerphone seems to be amongst the best to have ever passed from our hands since regardless its small size under the hood it packs two high-definition noise-cancelling microphones and two 2.5WRMS speakers powered by a 5.4WRMS class D amplifier. It also features Bluetooth v3.0 connectivity with A2DP support, text-to-speech support (12 languages are supported) and a Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery pack that gives it up to 20 hours of talk time and 1000 hours of standby time. At first glance however although we do like the design and shape SuperTooth has given the HD VOICE (and the mounting system) we simply can't ignore the difference in size compared to the FREEWAY Car Speakerphone by Jabra which I’ve been using for the past 4 years (this model however has 3 speakers inside) and so we're quite curious to see how these two models also compare in terms of performance.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

We received the HD VOICE by SuperTooth inside a small black box with a opening at the front from where you can check the size and shape of the device.

All of the product features are listed on the left side of the box.

Some of the features are also listed at the rear of the box in 10 languages right above the list with the bundle contents.

The box contains the HD VOICE speakerphone, visor clip, USB to microUSB cable, car lighter charger, warranty information paper, quick start guide and a pairing guide.

THE HD VOICE

The HD VOICE features a nice black matte rubber-like coating and measures just 125mm in length, 60mm in width and 26mm in height with a weight of just 113g.

Both speakers are placed at the rear of the device behind this grill.

At the top we see the volume/navigation control knob, Bluetooth activity LED, battery indicator LED, on/off power button and the answer/end call button.

One of the microphones (perhaps even both) is placed at the tip/front of the speakerphone.

The microUSB charging port is located on the right side.

What we don't see a lot if at all is the way SuperTooth mounts the HD VOICE since you just need to place the metal clip on your cars visor and then let the two magnets at the rear do the rest of the job.

CONCLUSION

   It's been almost 4 years since the last time i received a car speakerphone sample so when SuperTooth send their HD VOICE i was very interested to see if it could replace the Jabra FREEWAY which I’ve been using in my car for many years now. I'm not about to say that i don't like the FREEWAY since i do a lot but it's size and mounting clip are not nearly as "ideal" as the ones of the HD VOICE. Unfortunately in the end the HD VOICE was unable to surpass the FREEWAY in raw volume power when used in my car something which was not really strange since as many of you know i use a soft-top convertible that builds quite a bit of noise in the cabin. The HD VOICE did provide sufficient volume at relatively low speeds (up to around 50mph) but when on the freeway i was unable to listen to the person on the other end of the line. To be completely fair even the FREEWAY has a hard time sometimes but the HD VOICE simply falls behind in that area. Of course when used in a regular car the volume levels are more than enough but overall the FREEWAY is louder. I was also surprised to see that the two round magnets kept the HD VOICE locked onto the metal clip at all times something which i didn't really expect (the metal clip did move around slightly however - two rubber pads should be enough to stop that from happening). As for battery life SuperTooth claims you can use the HD VOICE for up to 20 hours but in the full month we tested it we were unable to climb over 16 hours with the volume almost at max, however since i doubt they tested it the same way 20 hours seems legit. The two noise-cancelling microphones were surprisingly good at their job and sometimes people on the other end said they worked even better compared to the microphones used in the FREEWAY.

   As I’m writing these lines the HD VOICE in-car speakerphone by SuperTooth retails for USD79.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 64Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) a price tag which might disappoint some people especially since the more powerful FREEWAY by Jabra costs roughly the same. Overall whether you pick the HD VOICE or the FREEWAY you will be just as happy (unless if you have a soft-top convertible in which case i recommend the FREEWAY) but the HD VOICE is smaller and easier to mount, two things that you really shouldn't ignore. That being said we did like the HD VOICE quite a bit and although it didn't manage to replace the FREEWAY in my car still it's delivers on everything SuperTooth claims/promises and that's why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design
- Size
- Bluetooth V3.0
- Overall Volume Levels
- Dual Noise Cancelling Microphones
- Battery Life (Up To 20 Hours Talk Time)
- Removable Clip (Attached Via Magnets)
 

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Max Volume