SuperTooth Disco Bluetooth Stereo Speaker Review
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As a techie and audiophile I have several speaker systems around my house...but this little device adds a whole new twist! The SuperTooth Disco Bluetooth Stereo Speaker AD2P has turned out to be a solid speaker set, with an amazingly convenient main feature - Bluetooth music streaming. I'll admit, I was skeptical at the utility and the sound quality of this guy at first - but I am now smitten. Check out why after the break!
So like I said I have several speaker systems around my house, and even more headphones hanging around due to my unhealthy obsession with all things music and sound. I wasn't particularly interested in getting another speaker set, especially if the sound quality was going to be subpar. And when thinking Bluetooth - SQ was not something I was expecting. In fact, I was expecting connection difficulties, static, dropped signals and just overall inconvenience. After figuring out how to get this baby up and running, I am now seeing why it has been well received by consumers.
The SuperTooth Disco Bluetooth speaker is a elongated speaker box, that is very simple in design. It comes in a cheesy box, with cheesy looking instructions, but I was surprised to see it included a very nice form fitting case with openings for the charging areas. I didn't expect that it would come in this case. In fact, I was a bad reviewer and didn't do my due research on the product, so I was going into the whole thing blindly. But by doing this I was pleasantly surprised after getting through the initial cheesy box to find this very nice solid and sturdy speaker set, sitting comfortably in is shell case. Looking around the product, I noticed a large volume nod with forward/back/play/pause controls, and a little LED light on the front. On the back of the product, I was EXTREMELY happy to see an power port, with CHARGING capabilities. Great sign! This thing has an internal battery that lets you charge and recharge. On the back I also found an auxillary input. Nice universal touch.
First impressions of this device was that I thought it was going to be pretty basic - nothing too exciting. I didn't have high expectations for this device since I didn't know the brand very well. The SuperTooth Disco lets you connect any music playing or media playing device that has Bluetooth for wireless streaming. Knowing how Bluetooth can be hit or miss is what made me skeptical. Reading through the instructions and connecting for the first time was difficult. The instructions were unclear about how to connect my iPod Touch, and I gave up on the device for a couple weeks and went on to work on other products. I don't know what made me come back and try the thing again - but I did. Initial frustrations and hard feelings were gone. To connect all you have to do is hold down the Bluetooth button until it beeps and goes into discovery mode, go over to your Bluetooth media player and do the same, and then pair the two by entering "0000" on the media player. Instructions did not tell me to hold down the Bluetooth button, so I am hoping that the company makes some changes to their product support.
Once connected this thing works like a dream. The sound quality is ROBUST surprisingly, as there is a bass booster option on the front of the speaker where the controls are. There is very deep base, and the speaker doesn't sound anemic like some other speaker systems out there. There appears to be a built in woofer into this speaker as you can see from the back of the device, and this adds wonderfully to the sound. Sound quality aside, I found that there was the slightest bit of static when the speaker volume was turned up to top volume. To counteract this, I suggest beginning at a low volume for the speaker set, and adjusting your volume on your iPod. The volume of this speaker Sound wise I was very pleasantly surprised. If you know my background I have been around the block when it comes to speakers and headphones, so this little guy was a nice surprise indeed.
After connecting to the speaker for the first time from an iPod, the device is stored in it's memory. To disconnect from the speaker, one may just turn off the Bluetooth on the iPod, and the speaker goes into standby automatically, maintaining a very low power loss in this mode. To turn on the speaker again, just go into your iPod and turn on the Bluetooth, and connect to the speaker already stored in the iPod memory. It is as easy as that. The ease of continued use is what is making this speaker really shine to me, not to mention the battery life so far. I am at about 2 hours of continued use. Very nice. (Update come about true battery life).
This is a very nice speaker for those who don't want to be going back and forth to their portable speaker just to change a track or change the volume. Portable iPod speakers have come a long way, and I can see myself using this guy a lot at picnics, and outings with an iPod in my pocket and the speaker on it's rechargeable battery. I would say this is a great item for looking for convenience and just operability. At $150 it is kind of pricey but it is comparable to portable speakers that have been on the market previously from Altec Lansing etc..For those looking for something to play your music on the go for everyone to enjoy - look no further.
