Brio

GoodGearGuide New Zealand

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Featuring caller ID, A2DP Bluetooth for wireless music streaming and up to six hours talk time the Sudio Brio is a hands free Bluetooth speakerphone with plenty of features.

Pros

  • LED display, caller ID, phonebook, A2DP Bluetooth profile, decent battery life

Cons

  • Bland design, display could have been a little larger, sound quality not up to scratch for music, noise and wind cancellation not the best

Bottom Line

The Sudio Brio offers an excellent list of features for a Bluetooth headset, headed by caller ID and phonebook synchronisation.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 149.00 (AUD)

As it has an LED display, the Brio features caller ID through a built-in phone book. To use this feature, you'll need to synchronise your phonebook with the Brio; a process which is as simple as choosing "sync phonebook" from the menu. The Brio then automatically downloads the phonebook records from your mobile phone. For our 183 contacts, the Brio took about two minutes to upload all the entries, which isn't too shabby.

The LED display is clear, and its brightness can be adjusted. In addition to caller ID and phonebook entries, the Brio display as shows a battery life indicator. The screen is particularly good for night time use, as text is crisp and clear and there are minimal graphics. With the amount of spare space on the unit though, we feel it could have been a little larger.

Performance is average. The Brio isn't quite as effective as the, the BlueAnt Supertooth Light in terms of noise isolation or sound quality but it does the job. Wind noise can be an issue though; you'll need to close your driver's window to be able to hear clearly, as the microphone does tend to pick up noise. That being said, the Brio is definitely in-line with most other hands-free speakerphones we've reviewed.

Pairing the Brio to your phone is a simple process, achieved by navigating to the main menu, selecting "enter pairing mode" and entering the default passcode (0000). Conveniently, the Brio can pair with up to eight devices at one time. Once paired, there is support for voice dialling, call waiting and conference calling, although these features are all dependant on whether your mobile phone supports them.

The Brio also has A2DP support, meaning you can stream wireless music from your phone through the speaker. We wouldn't recommend this though, as the speaker really isn't loud enough for listening to music, nor is it of a good quality. Sudio includes a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack, although this is fairly pointless, as the appeal of a Bluetooth device lies in its wireless capabilities.

Unfortunately, the design is fairly bland; the Brio is finished in a dull grey and black plastic. It certainly doesn't feel like it should command the price tag it does, although the features offered are very reasonable. An excellent part of the design is the sunvisor clip - it connects via two magnets attached to the back of the unit, so it's easy to remove. There is also an air vent clip included in the sales package.

Sudio claims the Brio offers up to six hours of talk time and 550 hours of standby time. Both quoted figures quite reasonable for a speakerphone, especially one with a display and phonebook capabilities.

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