Soulra SP400 iPod & iPhone Solar / Mains Powered Docking Station - Black

The first word that comes to mind as I write this review is "finally"! Finally someone has made a nice rugged boom box for the iPod that can be used inside or out! The moment you take it out of the package you can tell that this is a solid, well made piece of gear. But just as important, the sound is great. If you're not satisfied with the sound you may want to try adjusting the setting on the iPod itself to improve the bass or treble setting to your preference. There's no way to adjust the treble setting on the Soulra itself, it only has bass boost. But adjusting on the iPod works just fine.

A nice undocumented surprise was to learn that you're not limited to only playing the music that's loaded on your iPhone or iPod Touch. If you use an IPhone or iPod Touch with a 3G or 802.11 connection you can stream audio from the internet through the iPhone or iPod through the Soulra speakers. It takes a little trickery to get it to work, but it works just fine.

Step one - pause music playback. If you have streaming playing before you snap it into the Soulra it will play the stream for a second or two and then switch to iPod content.
Step two - press pause to stop the music.
Step three - press play on the iPhone or iPod Touch screen and voila, the internet stream plays through the Soulra. I've tried Pandora, the NPR application, Rhapsody, and This American Life and they all worked flawlessly.

I"ve not tested the solar panel or the "splashability" yet, but I'm certain these features won't disappoint. I can't wait to take this out on the boat!

Our family bought this product mainly for trips to the beach and spending time outdoors. It proved fairly quickly to be a great decision as we used it on our most recent trip this Summer. We made ourselves some extensive playlists on our iPod/iPhones and were able to simply press play and let it go. I do have a couple of observations (both good and maybe a little less than good)...

1. Our unit (once charged) actually performed better than advertised as it lasted for more than 8 hours at 3/4 volume with the Bass Boost on over the course of 3 or 4 days. I must also add that these WERE sunny days and the solar panel was exposed, allowing it to charge while playing during the daylight hours. It was able to play most of the days and into each night, never showing any signs of slowing down.
2. Sound Quality is good. NOTE: If your looking for exceptionally high-end audio quality this may not be for you. I will say that personally, I DO have a certain level of expectation with regard to the audio performance of these type of products (Especially for the $200 price tag). Let me say that I was not disappointed. While it may not blow away an uber-audio enthusiast-type, it was more than adequate for its intended purposes and plays at reasonably high volumes and will decent sound quality.
3. The construction of the unit is great. Its definitely built to last with a tough exterior shell which appears to be able to take some abuse. It's got a little weight to it too.
4. Unit comes with an Auxillary input on the back for additional device connection. Very convenient.
5. I also found that the unit does not always have to be in direct sunlight to maintain its charging status. Again, the sun was out for most of our trip but if the unit is kept JUST out the direct sunlight, it was still able to charge and more importantly, keep it out of the heat. (see my comment #6)
6. In the not so Good/Could be Better category - And is my only real complaint... When the unit sits in the sun, it tends to get extremely hot, preventing you for handling it. Also, it retain this heat for some time. This is not a deal breaker however it is something to consider as this not only will it affect handling the unit, you have to question whether it could potentially damage your electronic devices that are you are connecting to it. GRANTED, I was in 95+ degree heat which may not be recommended for the unit anyway... I would only suggest that future versions of this unit be available in lighter, more reflective colors/materials to help minimize this issue.

Otherwise, a solid product that performs as advertised (thus far-owned for about 3 months) and something that I would certainly recommend to others.

Here is what I don't understand. The unit is solar powered yet it takes 10 hours to recharge only giving you 4 hours of power. Wouldn't this make more sense if the unit could recharge in the same amount of time that it gives in playing time? Giving you the option of continuous play while charging. Currently after 4 hours you are left with a sound system that has ran out of power.

I had mine for a total of 18 days which gave me plenty of time to really test it out. It just did not do it for me. Here is what I found.

Pros:

* Very nice looking and durable. Smooth black finish all around
* Splash proof with cover that protects your iPod
* Light weight with an easy to carry handle
* Remote control although the distance was only about 2-3 feet for me

Cons:

* I felt the sound was very one dimensional and did not provide a nice wide angle or much of a stereo separation. For $199.99 this should sound much better than what it does currently.
* I got about 3 1/2 hours of play time on a full charge via AC, about 1/2 hour shy of what is claimed
* If this provided 4 hours of power it would be much better if it recharged in the same amount of time for continuous playback using solar. It needs 10 hours in direct sunlight to charge again
* Lack of low end. But to be honest I was not expecting much. It does have a bass boost but will distort and higher volumes.
* iPod gets hot and will not function if too hot. Now obviously you should not have any electronics in direct sunlight or things like this may happen. But this is designed to be in direct sunlight and is based on using an iPod. What good is it if you have the chance of your iPod overheating?

We had a party in the park for about 2 1/2 hours. It did last the entire time but I really had to turn it up a bit to hear it well with all the people there. About 3/4 high. They claim about 4 hours of use when the volume is half way.

I am returning the Etón Soulra for a Soundmatters foxLv2 Bluetooth Pocket-sized Audiophile Loudspeaker System with Bluetooth and Hands-free Microphones (Black). This was actually my first pick as I have never heard anything on the market that sounds this good. The Etón is simply not for me but I am happy I had a chance to check it out.