I participated in a consumer survey (not hands on) about this product and recall initially thinking it was one those ‘inventions’ searching for a need rather than the other way around. It also seemed like an uphill battle at the prices they wanted.

However, @ $99 these get pretty interesting – especially if the sound is respectable (don’t need any crappy sounding speakers in our house).

To those who wonder how you use them – I think the point is you leave the wall switch/dimmer turned on and all the way bright. Then you control the lights & speakers via the remote. If you were to turn the lights off with the wall/dimmer switch (daytime) then the speakers would not have any power so you could listen to them during the day.

Creative use – you don’t need recessed ceiling/can lights to use these – any lamp, if roomy enough should be compatible.

We don’t have a spare hundred lying around or a room that isn’t already ‘speakered’ – otherwise I’d jump on these. As mentioned, the 3.5mm connector seems like the universal alternative.

firefgtn8 wrote:How can a review be done on these without showing them in action? Makes me nervous on a purchase!

I watched maybe a dozen videos last time these were up for sale and could not find actual footage of them in action. Today, they're back and I'm even more interested in them! I just found this video that does show the actual light and speaker in action. They seem to only demonstrate the light turning on and off while the music is playing but it's the best I've found so far. It was helpful to watch--I think I might be sold. I sure wish they had a color changing LED option that would go with the music. Maybe a Sylvania rep will read this!

I bought 4 of these from 1saleaday just before christmas (this is a better deal and I'm probably going to pick up 2 more lights at this price - 1 for our bedroom and 1 for our loft). I put 1 in the garage, 2 in our kitchen and 1 in a table lamp. They are on the whiter side, but not so much that it is unpleasant. The sound is also pretty decent for general listening around the house. The one in the lamp sends light more towards the ceiling, but still gives the room a good amount of light. Considering LED can lights run $30+ on their own, these are a very good deal.

I just bought one set and was initially going to use these in the master bath, but I just realized they would be perfect in the garage. Now do I really need another set or just wait for these to show up on Woot again?

Samus wrote:Dude, by the time the LED dies these things will be technological antiques.

Actually, according to specs they'll last 2.8 years. It's not bad, but I'd still want to be able to replace the LEDs rather than starting over from scratch because what I bought is not interchangeable...

Kinda like buying a BMW that takes unleaded gas but you only get one tank. No refills. It's a waste of technology if it's not reusable/renewable.

So you could, theoretically, hook these up to a motion sensor light fixture, crank the volume and scare the crap out of someone sneaking in? Not that I'll do this, just thinking of creative uses.

designersink wrote:Actually, according to specs they'll last 2.8 years. It's not bad, but I'd still want to be able to replace the LEDs rather than starting over from scratch because what I bought is not interchangeable...

Kinda like buying a BMW that takes unleaded gas but you only get one tank. No refills. It's a waste of technology if it's not reusable/renewable.

25,000 hours is a lot longer than 2.8 years. Unless you plan on leaving them on 24/7. An average of 4 hours per day would yeild a 17+ year life span. I think that is worth it.

Does anyone know if there is an advantage to using the 30 pin adaptor over the mini pin when using an Ipod?

elementul wrote:Does anyone know if there is an advantage to using the 30 pin adaptor over the mini pin when using an Ipod?

Don't go with the 30-pin unless you have a Lightning to 30-pin adapter ($30/40) or never plan on buying a newer Apple Touch/iPad/iPhone.

I used these outside for Halloween this past year and they worked very well.. could hear the sound throughout the neighborhood. If you have a specific application like that in mind and don't need great or even good sounding speakers, go for it.
I originally wanted to use these as my surround speakers for ht (wife won't let me run wires), but the sound quality just isn't up to snuff.

bluemaple wrote:Don't go with the 30-pin unless you have a Lightning to 30-pin adapter ($30/40) or never plan on buying a newer Apple Touch/iPad/iPhone.

It won't plug straight in to Ipod headphone jack? & why do these come with a wall plug?

docpeyer wrote:I used these outside for Halloween this past year and they worked very well.. could hear the sound throughout the neighborhood. If you have a specific application like that in mind and don't need great or even good sounding speakers, go for it.
I originally wanted to use these as my surround speakers for ht (wife won't let me run wires), but the sound quality just isn't up to snuff.

The sound quality is not good enough for surround speakers? That's not good.

elementul wrote:It won't plug straight in to Ipod headphone jack? & why do these come with a wall plug?

There are different adapters (you only get 1 with each pair of lights in this sale) - one is for the ipod 30 pin plug - this one has its own battery so doesn't need to be plugged in. The 3.5mm audio jack adapter doesn't have a battery and needs to be plugged in. The USB adapter uses power from the USB port.

elementul wrote:The sound quality is not good enough for surround speakers? That's not good.

I would say they are on par with an average home theater - if you're into audio and have an expensive setup these wouldn't suffice. We are enjoying them for music around the house while doing other work - they are out of the way an non-intrusive, and provide good background sound.

Do these lights put out a spot or more of a flood pattern?

So, if I my TV has a USB port (Sony Bravia), will that definitely work with the USB dongle?

So would it just be crazy stupid to think about installing these in a ceiling fan? I can't think of any reason why, but it just seems like a bad idea.

grovberg wrote:So would it just be crazy stupid to think about installing these in a ceiling fan? I can't think of any reason why, but it just seems like a bad idea.

I have these in ceiling fans

Has anyone used them inside flushmount ceiling fixtures or ceiling light globes?

Wondering if it kills the sound quality or if it's even practical. Thanks!

was thinking about going in for a couple but am worried about proper connections? Just upgraded to the iphone5 and it has the new plug. Anyone have experience with this?

Thanks

SonjaLarsen wrote:Does anyone know how cool or warm these lights are? I hate bluish tinged lights. Also, could I use them with lights on a dimmer switch?
Thanks!

I work in an entertainment lighting rental shop. We rent professional dimming equipment. Even pro equipment, which costs thousands of dollars, would let the magic smoke out of these. Electronics can last quite a while on dimmed circuits but the overall life of the product will be severely diminished. If anyone ever accidentally dims the circuit, there likely will be no second chance.

althepal wrote:So, if I my TV has a USB port (Sony Bravia), will that definitely work with the USB dongle?

It probably won't (and the manual most likely won't tell you). USB ports in TVs usually are for reading flash drives or other USB media stuff.

Since the USB dongle on this is a transmitter, the TV has to be able to "send" audio to the USB. I'm guessing the dongle is just a USB sound card with a transmitter in it. Make sense?

Like a poster said above, the most versatile (and most future-proof) connector would be the 3.5mm plug

howellboyd wrote:Has anyone used them inside flushmount ceiling fixtures or ceiling light globes?

Wondering if it kills the sound quality or if it's even practical. Thanks!

Actually based on the design I'd say they are ideally mounted flush with the ceiling - if you check out as much as you can find online they make several can housings that come flush up to the clear light front portion. I think the sound is emitted primarily through the slits in the front portion as well. I used a couple of socket extenders and mounted them in my existing can lighting without issue, they stick out less than an inch and aren't really noticeable.

pxpaulx wrote:I would say they are on par with an average home theater ...

I personally can't agree with that statement (but maybe I'm a snob)... it says that the Frequency Response goes up to 20 kHz, but really it's all just midrange.

Are these things neat as hell? For sure. Are they good speakers? That's your call I guess.

SonjaLarsen wrote:Does anyone know how cool or warm these lights are? I hate bluish tinged lights. Also, could I use them with lights on a dimmer switch?
Thanks!

Seems to be pretty warm... Specs say 3000° K. That's pretty close to incandescent. Hit the link to see where that compares...

http://www.energystar.gov/ia/products/lighting/cfls/images/ColorTemperature.jpg

Jaxidian wrote:Man, wish these supported Bluetooth!!

Easy solution. Just buy any bluetooth receiver (around $25)and you got yourself a bluetooth capable wireless speaker set!

althepal wrote:So, if I my TV has a USB port (Sony Bravia), will that definitely work with the USB dongle?

I think the USB transmitter will not work on any other devices besides laptops and desktops. It will act as a sound card, and transmits the sound to the speakers. The universal transmitter is the most flexible.

can you connect to a Bose radio system if so what connector do I need?

docpeyer wrote:I personally can't agree with that statement (but maybe I'm a snob)... it says that the Frequency Response goes up to 20 kHz, but really it's all just midrange.

Are these things neat as hell? For sure. Are they good speakers? That's your call I guess.

Snob it is

I would say they are on par or slightly better than your average compact bookshelf system/ipod dock. Or, maybe about as good as an average stock car stereo (so yes, you're right, you're mainly going to get mid audio ranges). I never said they were made for intense heavy listening, just nice to have in the background.

How many other options are there to pump music around your entire house and potentially beyond (garage, covered porch are both places I'm setting them up)? There answer is not many, and not at this price point.

The fact that they are also an LED can light (run $30 by themselves) and are basically out of sight makes them a good deal for someone on the fence.

Honestly when I bought mine from 1sale they used the 2-can photo (used here) and I thought I was getting 2 at $65...turned out to be 1 can/transmitter - I was admittedly PO'd! And yet here I am shelling out another $105 for 2 more, so take it for what its worth.

glindo72 wrote:can you connect to a Bose radio system if so what connector do I need?

If it has a headphone jack, then get the 3.5mm connection.

pxpaulx wrote:Snob it is

I would say they are on par or slightly better than your average compact bookshelf system/ipod dock. Or, maybe about as good as an average stock car stereo (so yes, you're right, you're mainly going to get mid audio ranges). I never said they were made for intense heavy listening, just nice to have in the background.

How many other options are there to pump music around your entire house and potentially beyond (garage, covered porch are both places I'm setting them up)? There answer is not many, and not at this price point.

The fact that they are also an LED can light (run $30 by themselves) and are basically out of sight makes them a good deal for someone on the fence.

Honestly when I bought mine from 1sale they used the 2-can photo (used here) and I thought I was getting 2 at $65...turned out to be 1 can/transmitter - I was admittedly PO'd! And yet here I am shelling out another $105 for 2 more, so take it for what its worth.

Ha, I had the same experience. I ordered 6 from 1sale thinking I was getting 12. I was more then upset when I open the box. Getting 2 for this price is a steal.

the only thing that would make it cooler is if the lights would change colors and flash in time with the music

Looks like the universal transmitter is sold out. Is there any way to buy just the universal transmitter somewhere else?

jferrin wrote:Looks like the universal transmitter is sold out. Is there any way to buy just the universal transmitter somewhere else?

How about a transmitter that costs more than the whole deal?
http://www.smarthome.com/46260T/Sylvania-Artison-72287-MusicLites-Toslink-Mini-Jack-Audio-Transmitter-with-Speaker-LED-Remote-Control/p.aspx

elvi007 wrote:No. The speakers have to be powered and there is no power until the lights are on.

The speaker CAN work when the light is off. You just need to turn the light off with the remote. I recommend this because the light these things emits is pretty terrible. It's very pale and it makes everything look like it's going in slow motion. Something with the Hz I'm sure, but I can't explain it.

I've been using these in my bathroom for 3 months and the sound is great. The light is terrible so I keep the light off at all times (I have another light in the bathroom).

Doh!

So close to buying them last night, but wanted to get some more information.

Ready to part with my $$ now but no 3.5mm jack versions available!

I guess they're right when they say "He who hesitates is lost."

How loud are they. I would like to use them outside in a floodlight to use for parties.

Can these be shipped to Canada? I really need one!

Gr8brit1 wrote:The fact that you have to choose which transmitter you want to go with your purchase bothers me, why don't you get all 3, I want all 3 options for versatility. Even though I wish to buy two sets and will get two choices, I still want the 3rd, this is holding me back from hitting the Buy button..

they don't come with a transmitter at all on amazon. and they're 90. for 1. you're getting 2 here. plus a transmitter.

Looks like the 3.5 mm transmitter ones sold out .