MacStories Product Review: SuperTooth Disco

Bluetooth AD2P has opened up a market of fantastic audio products that allow us to stream high quality stereo audio from our smartphones to speakers, headsets, and to car electronics. SuperTooth is just one of many companies who focus specifically on handsfree, bluetooth accessories for travel that work seamlessly with iPhones (and other smartphones of course). Straying from the tradition of car kits and speakers, SuperTooth has launched into the fray of home and portable audio with the SuperTooth Disco, a 28 Watt RMS Bluetooth AD2P speaker that can blast tunes without the need for an electrical outlet. Our full review past the break!

The SuperTooth Disco packs a punch for a wireless, portable speaker that relies upon Bluetooth (or an optional 3.5mm stereo cable) for its soundscape, being integrated with a 12 watt subwoofer and two 8 watt stereo drivers inside its elongated mesh grille. At a reasonable volume, the SuperTooth Disco can get around ten hours of audio off battery alone, and three to four hours of audio at high volumes. The SuperTooth Disco can get incredibly loud if your turn the volume nob past the 11 o’clock position, which is perfect for blasting tunes outside or over party chatter. In my tests with the volume knob just under the 10 o’clock position (volume maxed on the iPod touch), I consistently got eight hours of streaming audio between casual music and podcast listening.

What SuperTooth fails to convey in their product photos is the (mostly) fantastic quality of their portable speaker. The end caps, rear of the speaker, and volume knob are covered in a soft-touch material that, while attracting fingerprints, feels really nice. Even the painted silver accents don’t look unattractive as I expected. The mesh grille covering the bulk of the speaker is solid and smooth across the fingers, giving just the slightest amount of flex if you press your thumb hard enough. The build quality is super impressive; mostly I’m really tickled with just how good the SuperTooth Disco feels in your hands. Three rubber feet keep the speaker firmly planted wherever it ends up, though they do get dirty after use and travel.

I can’t complain about the build quality, but I’m a little sad that SuperTooth’s volume controls couldn’t have a sexier indicator. Powering on the SuperTooth Disco, the volume controls light up with overly bright LEDs that simply look tacky. I suppose this is where the “Disco” name is derived from: the LEDs behind the volume controls, while bright, look terrible. The Bluetooth indicator is just as annoying, flashing blue when there’s nothing playing. The LEDs, instead of lighting up the individual volume controls, shine between the buttons. In a dark room, the SuperTooth Disco quite literally becomes a spotlight. It’s just bad.

As for the controls themselves, the buttons have a firm click that fortunately doesn’t have a plastic feel. The buttons are covered in that wonderful soft-touch material, and while a little stiff, feel substantial and appropriate for this speaker. Setting up the speaker requires a quick read through of the manual; the power-button is used for everything from powering down to connecting new devices. Setup is painless from a Mac, iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, but you can’t connect multiple devices at the same time. A bass button gives your music an extra boost in sound for an extra thump, but I’ve never felt a reason to turn it off. Perhaps this is why I’ve only seen eight hours of battery life instead of ten, but music just sounds fuller with the bass booster enabled.

A quick note: if you’ve never owned a bluetooth speaker before, the music controls are mapped to your iPhone. For example, if the back button on Instacast is mapped to rewind ten seconds, pressing the button on the bluetooth speaker’s replicates that function.

Sound on the SuperTooth Disco isn’t mind blowing as advertised, but it does get loud and it’s perfectly suitable for Bluetooth audio. Over Bluetooth, the Disco does have a tendency to pop as audio is switched off automatically, and I felt highs on the speakers felt a little sharp depending on the song. Otherwise, these are pretty on par with stereo speakers you’ll find at a gym or in my dad’s garage, although I am impressed at the volume these speakers can pump out, and bass can be satisfying for this package.

SuperTooth includes a velcro travel case that, while not the most exciting thing, is a nice extra that can store the wall charger underneath its elastic strap (which is probably supposed to be a handle). The SuperTooth Disco is a little too large to be comfortable in even a hefty purse, but for traveling to the beach or stowing away behind your car seat, it’s perfect for toting around. The SuperTooth Disco isn’t heavy, and I spent a good amount of time in April relying on it as my main speaker system while away from home.

The SuperTooth Disco has impressive battery life, is a great companion for the beach house, and can easily be tossed behind the seat in your Jeep for wherever an adventure takes you. The sound produced is pretty average, though you’ll appreciate the volume and extra bass these speakers produce. Setup is easy, the speakers look really nice (sans the indicator lights), and it comes with a nice freebie (the travel case) which was unexpected. I consistently move these speakers between my kitchen and office for work, and I’ve been really satisfied with just how convenient this speaker is. It’s built as rugged alternative to other solutions on the market, and while it retails for $119 Euros (currently about $170 USD), you can find these for about $130 on Amazon.