****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
This review is for the SoundSoul Dancing Fountain Bluetooth speakers. Apologies for the lengthy review but I wanted to try and provide helpful info because in my opinion, the instructions didn't provide much help. When I purchased these there were three or four different styles listed together and I wasn't really clear what design/shape I'd actually be getting. These are about 9" or 10" tall and look like rectangular pillars. The bottom third of the speaker is a shiny black plastic and the top two-thirds is clear acrylic. I actually use these as a light source in my bedroom because you can have the lights on without actually using them as a speaker. There are four small lights on the inside, orange, purple/pink, blue, and a green/blue but the speakers look predominantly blue when they're not dancing. In the picture it looks like the circles on the front light up blue but mine don't--not sure if they're supposed to. The instructions seemed like they were maybe translated poorly from another language or just not written very clearly because the english is a bit choppy and unclear. The instructions consist of a single page and they honestly don't really explain how they work. There are four buttons on the front--a volume up/next song, on/off, mode, and volume down/previous song. You have to hold the on/off button down for a second and then release it to turn the lights on/off (and turn the speakers on/off). The speakers come equipped with an extremely loud voice that announces when you've turned them on, when the bluetooth is connected, and when the aux cable is connected. When I press the mode button, the voice says "bluetooth mode is on". When you connect with a computer or mobile device, it chimes twice (a sort of ding dong sound) and says "paired" and the water sort of jumps twice with the ding dong sound. If you disconnect bluetooth it chimes and says "waiting for pairing". It also chimes and tells you when you've connected the aux cable (to a 3.5mm port). Once again, due to lack of instructions, I'm not sure if you can adjust the volume of this voice, but it's pretty loud. If people are sleeping in your home and you decide to turn on the speakers to use them as a light source, be prepared for the really loud chime and the voice to say "bluetooth mode is on"--it says it every time you turn them on. They come with three cables. One looks like a mini USB to mini USB that connects the two speakers together. One is a micro USB to USB that plugs into the left speaker and then into a computer or USB-equipped charger (charger does not come with speakers), and the last cord is the 3.5mm aux cable that plugs into the left speaker and then into a headphone jack on a computer or mobile device. You use that if you don't want to connect via bluetooth. I've had no problem with the bluetooth connection so far pairing with both my MacBook Air and iPhone. These are rechargeable so you plug them in for a bit and then you can unplug them. In order for both speakers to work, you have to keep them connected together via the mini USB cable. If you want a completely wireless setup, you can unplug that cable, disconnecting the left speaker from the right and the left speaker will continue to work but the right speaker will power off. Using them as just a couple of lights, I'd say the battery is lasting 4 or 5 hours--using them as speakers, maybe 2 hours. I can't speak on charging time because I've got them right next to my laptop and just keep them plugged in when I'm not using the computer. Once again, the speaker will loudly chime and verbally tell you that the battery is running low and you need to plug in the speakers. There is a blinking light on the front of the left unit that alternates red/blue when the bluetooth isn't connected.I think the sound quality is really pretty impressive. I'm not a speaker nut so I don't really have any high-quality speakers to compare them to but I like the sound. The dancing water seems to be pretty sensitive and you really don't have to have the volume up very loudly at all for the water to jump nice and high. I like to listen to nature sounds at night and the water reacts to the thunder in a thunderstorm recording, birds chirping, etc. I also played some classical music and had it really quiet and the water was close to hitting the top. So that bit works really nicely. They reflect really well on the ceiling--you get a cool, multi-colored, moving water effect. It actually looks similar to how a puddle would reflect if you dropped a rock in the middle.They are pretty lightweight, so you do need to have them on a steady surface. The right one especially is light as a feather--the left one is a bit heavier. All the wires connect to the left one and the control buttons are on the left one. The water in the speakers is just enough to cover the bottom--you really can't even tell there's anything in them unless you move them or unless they're dancing. The water also reacts to spoken word stuff (audio books, tv shows/movies, etc.)So, overall:Pros: Clean design, lighting effect, dancing water effect, sound, and portabilityCons: No clear instructions, blinking red/blue light on the front, audible chime/voice, too light (they tip over easily when you're messing with the cords)
