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Many new cars come with Bluetooth functionality these days that allow handsfree usage of your mobile devices. This includes anything from MP3 players to mobile phones. However, not all of us can afford to buy a brand new car with all the latest options, but we still want to be able to upgrade our current cars with these features. Since I’m talking about Bluetooth here, that is probably one of the most sought after features people want in their cars, the ability to talk on your mobile phone handsfree along with being able to control voice recognition features as well as output any sound from your device to your speakers. There are some kits out there that can do this, but require lots of monetary investment, but there are also kits out there that are quite affordable and do most of what you need. One such kit is the SuperTooth CRYSTAL In-car Speakerphone.

This is a small Bluetooth speakerphone that you can attach to your car visor and install or remove whenever. It has a built in speaker and mic and will fill the duty of all audio coming from your mobile device. That means you use it to hear all sounds coming from your device as well as use it as the mic for your device.

Design and Build Quality

The SuperTooth CRYSTAL is a pill shaped, slim Bluetooth speakerphone. It’s about the same size and an old Motorola SLVR or even about the same size as an iPhone 5. The bottom portion of the CRYSTAL is made from plastic while the top is metal. I’m not really sure what type of metal it is but it has a brushed aluminum look to it. The top portions is mainly what you’ll be looking at all the time and because of this, I’m glad that it has a very attractive design.

The face is pretty minimal with a majority of it dotted up for the speaker. There are 4 buttons cut into the face in such a way where they are still attached to it. They are not separate buttons. These buttons have a good clicking feel to them however so you will know if you are pressing them down correctly. There are 4 of these buttons – power, end, volume up, and volume down. On the right of the face there is one large phone button surrounded by a metal ring. You use this button to answer calls as well as activate voice control if your mobile phone supports that function. On ths iPhone 5, it activates Siri with a push of the button. This button also lights up when the CRYSTAL is activated and functions as a status LED that lets you know if the device is paired, activated, in use, or off.

On the bottom the the SuperTooth CRYSTAL, there is a large magnet right in the center. This is used in conjunction with the metal visor clip that is included as part of the package. What you do is leave the clip on your car visor allowing you to remove the CRYSTAL if necessary without needing to remount the clip. That means you can carry it around with you if you want. On the rear, you’ll also find the USB port that is used for charging the CRYSTAL. According to the specs, it takes about 3-hours to charge but can last up to 20-hours of talk time or 1000 hours on stand-by.

Usage

Pairing the SuperTooth CRYSTAL with your mobile device is very simple. When you first turn it on, it will try to pair with the first device it senses. On your mobile device, just set your Bluetooth to discoverable and you’ll be able to find the CRYSTAL. It will automatically try pairing to that if it’s the only Bluetooth device in range. It may ask you for a pass code, which is set to a very simple, 0000. Now, what’s good about the SuperTooth CRYSTAL is that you can pair more than one device to it, so if you have 2 or more mobile devices, they can all make use of the CRYSTAL.

Once paired, using the speakerphone is just as simple. Adjust the volume using one of the two buttons until it’s at a comfortable volume. When someone calls you, just press the big phone button to pick up the call or the end button to ignore the call. Again, very simple.

Now, as a bonus, the SuperTooth CRYSTAL isn’t just a speakerphone. It also functions as a Bluetooth speaker that can be used to play music, output navigation voice guided directions, or any other audio related duties. For me, I found it quite useful while using it for GPS as well as using it to activate Siri.

Technical Specs

  • Bluetooth hands-free kit version 3.0
  • Quick fixation on sun visor via metal clip
  • Headset and hands-free profiles
  • Multipoint : 2 phones can be paired simultaneously
  • Streams the music of your phone / Announces GPS instructions of your smartphone via Bluetooth A2DP profile
  • Low batt audio signal
  • Automatic pairing
  • Full Duplex
  • DSP
  • Operating range : 10 meters
  • Frequency : 2.4 GHz
  • Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery
  • Voice recognition dialing (if phone supports)
  • Last call redial
  • Reject incoming call

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed using the SuperTooth CRYSTAL. I already have Bluetooth in my car, but the CRYSTAL actually does a lot more than what my handsfree kit in my car does. It allows me to use Siri with a push of a button without me having to pull my phone out of my pocket and it makes using navigation on my iPhone 5 actually audible. The CRYSTAL also has incredible battery life with me only needing to recharge every week or two. I also really liek the fact that both my wife and I can sync our phones to it and can both use it depending on who is driving the car that day. For the most part, my wife keeps it now in her car and she absolutely loves it. She didn’t have Bluetooth in her car before and now she does thanks to this inexpensive little add-on.

The SuperTooth CRYSTAL can be purchased on SuperTooth’s official site here for $69.00, however, if you shop around for it, you can find it for a tad cheaper like in the links below.

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