Mobile Fun Blog » car handsfree

Jabra Bluetooth Speakerphone SP700 Review

Taylor — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:38:26 +0000

I have used a few Bluetooth Visor Car Kits in the past only to find sooner or later (more sooner), I retire them to the Bluetooth graveyard located in a dark corner in the spare room at home. It always begins on a high with a promise to provide a ‘Hands-free’ but safe, convenient , compact, foolproof and law abiding way to receive and make calls while sitting in the comfort of a stationary or moving vehicle… However, eventually the honeymoon gloss fades and cracks appear to what first seemed a win, win situation.

Jabra SP700 Bluetooth Speakerphone

So when presented with the opportunity to try yet another Handsfree Bluetooth in-car visor product I did not climb over the office furniture or rugby tackle fellow colleagues to be first in the queue. However on this occasion a particular feature of the Jabra SP700 caught my imagination – it claimed to offer both voice and stereo music streaming direct from my Bluetooth enabled mobile phone to my in-car entertainment unit.

In the Box

The compact and stylish Bluetooth speakerphone also comes supplied with a visor clip that is already fitted, a USB charger cable, USB car charger and ‘plain English’ and compact user guide.

Jabra SP700 Bluetooth Speakerphone Box Contents

Getting Started

Just connect the USB charger cable to a spare USB port on your computer and up pops an illuminated red battery icon to indicated that it is charging. When fully charged this icon then changes to green. If you do not have easy or regular access to a computer then think about purchasing a USB Mains Charger and use the USB charger cable provided in the box when not in the car. On the front of the unit are a range of icons that illuminate to indicate what status the speakerphone is in. I will discuss these in detail later.

There is no dedicated off/on button, and although not immediately obvious, this function is activated by pressing and holding the front of the speakerphone; 2 seconds to switch it on and 4 seconds to switch it off. If like me, you tend to exit your vehicle and forget to switch the speakerphone off then do not worry, the SP700 has an auto-power off when the phone is out of its Bluetooth range.

Pairing the SP700 to your mobile phone couldn’t be easier; when you switch it on for the first time it automatically enters its pairing mode which is clearly indicated by an illuminated Bluetooth Status icon appearing. Next, just activate the Bluetooth function on your phone and set the phone to “discover” the SP700, enter the pin code (0000), mount it to your car visor and you’re good to go!

The Jabra SP700 clips neatly to your sun visor in the car

Controls

Now the SP700 is not big on controls, I have already mentioned the lack of an on/off button and it does not have any audio adjustment controls aside of a volume up & down button on one side of the unit, and there is also a FM transmitter button located on the opposite side.

Features

Now the SP700 provides the basic functions like any other like handsfree kit, as well as supporting extended features of some phone models like voice dialling – which as you may have already experienced is a potential Olympic Linguistic event in its own right. Also the SP700 features advanced noise reduction and echo cancellation that insures excellent sound quality on both sides of the call.

When using the SP700 the current status is clarified by a clear voice announcement – available in 10 languages – a treat no doubt for those multi lingual potential users out there or those wanting to practice some basic phrases before arriving at their international holiday destination this summer!

The voice announcer switches from a female to a male voice for different status alerts. However the announcement that caught me by surprise was the one that announced the caller ID of an incoming call – brilliant – and by pressing the front of the speakerphone I could answer or end the call. The announcer also confirms when the speakerphone is switched off and also when it has made connection with your mobile phone.

I found the clarity of the incoming call to be excellent by comparison to other Bluetooth visor speaker phones that I have used in the past, and I can confidently say that my voice was clearly received by my caller. I must admit that my vehicle suffers from very little cabin noise generally – however I also tested it in my wife’s 1.4 about town vehicle which isn’t a tractor by any means – but with mischievous and noisy kids in tow I still found the SP700’s speakerphone to be equally as impressive.

The Jabra SP700 has a classic, slim line design

The best feature is the FM transmission - A simple press of the FM transmission button illuminates the FM transmission icon and speakerphone mute icon, then kicks the voice announcer into action as she clearly tells you the FM frequency to tune your car radio to. If this frequency is congested by existing radio stations then you can make adjustments by 0.1MHz at a time using the volume keys, the announcer will recite the new frequency selected each time you make a change. My radios’ RDS function displayed the word JABRA to indicate that I had sourced the correct frequency and I promptly saved it to a spare preset number. This remains the fixed FM frequency unless you make a change as previously mentioned or reset the unit to factory settings. The only thing I did not have time to test was how the selected FM frequency would stand up to long journeys whereby you may drift into localised radio stations sharing the same frequency; however, the ease I found in changing frequencies leaves me quite confident that such an event occurring would not be a major problem to resolve.

The Nokia E71 phone was used to test the SP700 for streaming music to my car stereo, on hitting the play button on the phone, music came belting out almost immediately through the car speakers. The quality was fairly good, however I found that the SP700’s lack of audio controls came to haunt it as the volume controls previous used to adjust the FM frequency remain set to this function while in FM transmission mode, so you have to rely on your in-car audio controls to equalize the sound and adjust the volume. This sometimes is a problem when you switch back to the radio or CD mode as the volume can sometimes be far too high for those built in sources.

Taking calls using the FM transmission mode was a delight, however be aware that your calls may be picked up by a stranger who is tuned to the same FM frequency and in close proximity to your vehicle, so keep this feature just for music or calls that are not of a private or sensitive nature. On a final point if you turn off your radio or forget to change the status of the SP700 back to its own speakers, then the SP700 automatically disconnects from its FM transmission status following a period of non-use.

The SP700 boasts up to14 hours talk time & up to 255 hours standby however after a week of testing I am yet to re-charge.

Conclusion

I must admit the SP700 has not changed my preference which is to avoid taking calls while driving if I can, however when circumstances dictate that this is unavoidable or for those of you or where this is a day to day necessity then the SP700 does not disappoint, mainly because of its ease of use, functionality, portability and quality. The Ace up its sleeve however is the FM transmission that adds a more practical and up to date feature for all music lovers who have migrated their favourite playlists into the fashionable multi-media Bluetooth mobile phones that are currently available – a smart move by Jabra.

Bluetooth Car Kit Buyers Guide:

Andy Simpson — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:09:18 +0000

When choosing a Bluetooth Car Kit, its easy to become overwhelmed by the vast range of Car Kits available. They all look the similar, they do the same basic job, so what’s the difference and what should you be looking for when choosing a Bluetooth Car Kit?

Fitted or Portable:
Bluetooth Car Kits are generally available in two different formats – Fully Fitted or Plug and Play. By Plug and Play I mean they are normally powered by your cigarette lighter and clip onto your sun visor. Fitted Car Kits require professional installation, and have better audio quality and extra features over Plug and Play kits. Having said that, the quality of Plug and Play kits has improved significantly over the last few years and they are now proving to be a good alternative to the Fully Fitted Car Kit. Plug and Play kits can easily be transferred between vehicles and can be used in the home or office.

Caller Display:
I’m sure we’ve all had it happen us, you’re driving along, phone’s in your pocket, starts ringing, you answer it and immediately wish you hadn’t as you’ve been avoiding the caller! With a Bluetooth Car Kit with caller display, the callers name or number will be displayed on screen so you’ll know straight away who it is. If you decide to go for a Bluetooth Car Kit with Caller Display, look out for one that has Phonebook Synchronisation or Text to voice. More on these two below. Fully fitted kits don’t normally have a screen, but it is worth paying a little extra to go for one with a screen. If you can, look for a kit with a removable screen (eg; Parrot MKi9100) this will remove any temptation to thieves as you can take it out of the car when you leave.

Phonebook Synchronisation:
Phonebook Synchronisation is all about making calls easier while you’re driving. When you pair your phone with the kit, your phonebook will be transferred to the Car Kit. It does depend to some extent on your phone as to how well this will work, but it means you can call someone without having to scroll through the contacts on your phone. Bigger buttons and a clearer screen make this a much safer way of looking through your contacts.

Voice Features:
Voice Dialling has been around for a while, but always with varied success, and again depended greatly on the phone that you were using. With most current Bluetooth Car Kits, the voice dialling is controlled by the Car Kit and not the phone. Without getting overly technical, the car kit matches your voiceprint to the name in your phonebook, and then sends the number to the phone – this is great as it means that some phones that don’t support voice dialling can now be controlled by voice in the car.
You no longer need to record "voice tags" for each name in your phone book either. Instead, you just say the name, and the voice recognition software will match your voiceprint to the name in your phone. If the kit supports text to voice, the kit will speak the callers name as well as displaying it on the screen. In most cases, you will still need to make at least one button press to activate the voice recognition.

Multipoint:
Multipoint is a relatively new technology in Bluetooth Car Kits. Standard Bluetooth Car Kits normally allow you to pair with 2 or more phones, but only one can be active at any one time. Multipoint Bluetooth Car Kits allow you to connect and use two phones at the same time – ideal if you carry a work mobile and a personal mobile. With Multipoint, both phones are connected, and when a call comes in, the audio is transferred to the Car Kit automatically. If a call comes in on your second phone, you can easily switch between calls, just by pressing a button on the Car Kit.
For more information on Multipoint and how it works, check out our guide to Multipoint.

Power:
Fully fitted Car Kits are wired into the vehicles power supply, so you don’t really need to worry about how the kit is powered, but if you want a kit that will charge your phone while its in the cradle then your options will be limited to the THB Bury range. When Car Kits changed from having cable connections to Bluetooth a few years ago, most manufacturers removed the cradle from the kit. This means that the only way to charge your phone will be to use a car charger, or a Charging Car Cradle.
Plug & Play Car Kits aren’t wired in to the vehicle so will run off their own internal battery. This battery can normally be charged using a car charger. Some will also have a mains or USB charger too. If you want to charge a phone and Bluetooth Car Kit at the same time its probably worth investing in a twin car charger adapter.

Battery Life:
Battery life is an important factor to consider when looking at Plug & Play Bluetooth Car Kits. As you’re likely to have the unit turned on when ever you’re driving, you need a good stand by time. There’s not much point in it having great talk times if the kit runs out of power half way through a journey.
Over the last few months we’ve seen a few Solar Powered Bluetooth Car Kits appear. These use the power from the sun to extend their stand by and talk times. The LG HFB-500 for example has over 1100 hours of stand by time.

Music & Stereo Integration :
More and more of us now use our phones as MP3 players and want to be able to enjoy our music in the car. Until recently this wasn’t really all that possible, but things are starting to improve.

Fully Fitted Bluetooth Car Kits:
If you want to stream your music over a Bluetooth connection, you’ll need to make sure that your phone and the Car Kit supports the A2DP Bluetooth Profile – without it, you won’t be able to send/receive music. If you don’t want to listen to it over Bluetooth, kits such as the Parrot MKi range, give you the option of plugging in your iPod, USB MP3 Player or any other music device (including your phone) using a 3.5mm Jack Plug fitting – the same as you’d find on your headphones. You’ll also need to make sure that the Car Kit is connected to your car stereo. Generally speaking if the Car Kit has "ISO Connections" (most of the newer kits do) it will plug straight into the back of your Car stereo – All Parrot Car kits, IO Play and the CK-300 from Nokia have ISO connections. If it hasn’t got ISO, its not really designed for music. You may need an adapter cable for your stereo as not all stereos have ISO connections.

Plug & Play Bluetooth Car Kits:
Plug & Play kits don’t have the ability to connect to the back of stereos, so instead they use an FM Transmitter to send music to your stereo. Kits such as the Venturi Mini let you stream your music over Bluetooth to the kit, and then over FM from the kit to the radio. You can use a 3.5mm line in jack if you prefer or you don’t have Bluetooth.
If you don’t necessarily want music to play back through your car stereo, but you do want your call audio routing through the car speakers then this is still an option. The Venturi and the Motorola T505 both have the ability to route your call audio through your stereo speakers. Perfect if you spend a lot of time on the motorway or drive a van!

Remote Control:
Not really so relevant for Plug & Play Bluetooth Car Kits, as they are essentially remote controls for your phone anyway, but if you’re looking at a fully fitted Bluetooth Car Kit, remote controls make using it a lot simpler. Basic kits will have a simple answer/end button, but if you want more control, look for a kit with a full remote. The Parrot MKi range and the Nokia CK-300 both feature remotes that can be used to control music playback, phonebook access, call/music volume and more.