Jabra SP500 Bluetooth speakerphone review: Jabra SP500 Bluetooth speakerphone

Like the Bluant Supertooth II, the Jabra SP500 qualifies as a wireless speakerphone, in that it isn't a true hands-free device unless paired to a phone that has built-in voice-command operation. Though it's relatively bulky, the unit is modern and stylish without a single straight line to be found. The SP500 offers a good amount of talk and standby time, which means that forgetting to turn it off shouldn't be a problem. Also in its favor: when the rechargeable batteries eventually wear out, you can replace them with off-the-shelf AA nickel-metal-hydride cells.

While the multifunction button--used primarily for connecting and disconnecting a call--is more than large enough, the mute button and the volume dial are far too small to safely use while driving. We find the speaker a bit squawky and not loud enough for our liking--a point we attribute to the unit's automatic volume adjustment. Despite the speaker's drawbacks, the SP500's microphone works well, delivering clear, albeit slightly tinny, sound to the receiving handset. Unlike other models we've tested, our cell phone had no problem with voice commands via the speakerphone.

Difficult to see, difficult to use
The Jabra SP500 is stylish, with a clean, modern design, but measuring 4.9 by 2.9 by 1.3 inches, it's bulky compared to other devices on the market. The flexible microphone arm is a nice touch; it won't break if bent the wrong way and looks like a safe option in the event of an accident.

In daylight, the SP500's single, blue LED light is difficult to see, and we struggled to tell whether the device was on or off. The layout for the unit's other buttons is also frustrating. Every time we grabbed the device, we seemed to hit the mute button, which resides on the underside of the unit. The volume dial is so small that we found it hard to use when parked, let alone while driving.

The SP500 can be mounted via either a suction cup or a solid visor clip; we prefer the latter. However, there's no provision for using an earpiece or a microphone, which might make privacy a bit of a concern.

Long battery life
Jabra claims an impressive 480 hours of standby and 20 hours of talk time for the SP500. Most cell phones consume a lot more power when paired with a Bluetooth device and will need to be recharged a number of times before the SP500 requires a refill. We particularly like that it uses standard nickel-metal-hydride AA rechargeables. Far too may devices become useless when the proprietary internal battery can no longer hold a charge and a new one can't be found. You can charging the SP500 with either an AC plug or an in-car adapter, both of which are included in the kit.

Pairing the SP500 to our phone was very easy. Jabra's claim of one-touch pairing apples only to the SP500's half of the procedure. We had to follow the normal procedures for our phone, but the whole process took less than 30 seconds and was completely intuitive. Connecting and disconnecting a call also required only one touch of the large multifunction button.

Phones that support the hands-free profile can also take advantage of one-touch operation for redialing, rejecting an incoming call, swapping between calls on call waiting, putting a call on hold, or retrieving a call, all of which are achieved by holding down the multifunction button until it emits two short beeps.

The Jabra SP500 includes an office mode, which is designed to improve call quality in the home or office. You activate office mode by holding down the mute button for 5 seconds until you hear the beep; the blue LED light on the Jabra's multifunction button should also flash more frequently. For those who find the flashing light annoying, you can turn it off by holding the mute button for 10 seconds. We suspect it's more of an issue at night, given its poor daylight visibility. In practice, we found the office mode function more annoying than useful because it was too easy to activate accidentally.

Sorry, I can't hear you
While the Jabra SP500's voice recognition worked well, we constantly found ourselves straining to hear what people were saying. The manual says you can adjust the speaker volume to your own preferences, but the unit's automatic volume-control feature (which can't be turned off) seemed to constantly override our wishes, and we could never get the volume as high as we wanted. With the insufficient volume we could get, we noticed a slight squawk from the speakers, but this distortion wasn't a major problem.

At the other end of the line, the SP500 sounded tinny but clear. Unlike our experience with the Supertooth II, we had no trouble using the voice-activated features of our Sony Ericsson T-610--a big plus if your phone supports voice dialing and you want a comprehensive hands-free experience.

The Jabra SP500 comes with one-year limited warranty with Web site, e-mail, and telephone (toll-free in the United States and Canada) support.