This is the SuperTooth Disco 2. It’s the sequel to one of my favorite Bluetooth speakers ever, the SuperTooth, only smaller, a little quieter, and a lot more stereo-er. It also has a quirky little flower-vase style which will probably grow on you, especially if you have small tables.
Like any other Bluetooth speaker, the SuperTooth 2 shows up as an AirPlay device on your iPhone or iPad, and you can pipe over music or pretty much any other sound you like. Unlike almost all other BlueTooth speakers, though, the SuperTooth 2 can talk to another SuperTooth 2, whereupon they become a stereo pair – all without wires.
Unfortunately, my review package only contained half of a stereo set, aka. one speaker. Fortunately, it kicks ass anyway.
The Good
While smaller and a little quieter (16 watts against the 28 watts) than its older brother, the SuperTooth 2 sounds great. It is particularly full-sounding with spoken-voice podcasts, and music sounds better than it does on smaller Jambox-style speakers, thanks to the size.
The flower-vase shape takes a little getting used to, but when you realize that this speaker will fit in tiny spaces, and can even be balanced on a drinks tray to take it up to the roof terrace, then you’ll grow to love it. And while it looks top heavy, a lot of the weight is in the base to keep things stable.
The radio is BlueTooth 4, which means low, low power if used with the iPhone 4S or iPad 3. In practical terms, the speaker seems to remain connected at all times, even when it isn’t. For instance, if I’m listening to a podcast, then I leave the house (with my iPad), when I return and press play on the top of the SuperTooth 2 it starts back up almost instantly.
And talking of buttons, there’s a full range of them: Play/pause, skip forward, skip back, and separate buttons for volume up and down, plus a dedicated power button.
The Bad
There isn’t really anything wrong with the SuperTooth 2. In fact, the only way to fabricate complaints is to compare it to other speakers meant for different things. It’s not as small as a Jambox, nor does it have a microphone. It’s not as loud as the original SuperTooth. Which is to say, it does exactly what it was designed to do.
The Verdict
The SuperTooth 2 isn’t available to buy yet, but will be just $100 (or $200 if you want to buy a pair). At that price, this thing is a bargain, loud enough to use as a home speaker and portable enough to sling in a bag (it comes with a natty cloth carrying bag).
You’ll have to decide whether the form-factor is the one you want, but if medium is your thing, then you won’t be disappointed.
[xrr rating=85%]
Source: SuperTooth
