Start with your phone or music device at 50% volume and set on top of the SoundFlow with the speaker aligned to a marked area. Audio will begin to play automatically. Volume can be adjusted with the SoundFlow and/or your phone/music device
Dimensions: 1.2 x 3.5 x 7.6 inches
Condition: New Warranty:1 Year VOXX (Note: this is the manual to the battery-less model, but warranty is the same) Estimated Delivery: 8/16 - 8/18 Shipping: $5 or free with VMP
What’s in the Box?
1x Soundflow Soundboard
1x USB to Micro USB cable
1x 3.5mm Aux cable
@djslack Yeah, I get that. I don't know, I've never been big on the battery to charge a battery to charge another battery thing. But, charging at a wall or computer is never inconvenient for me, I can see how this would be useful to others.
@mehgrl They are slightly different in size. As others said the sp40 also acts as a battery charger. However, there are only a couple left of the black and green model (http://www.amazon.com/Soundflow-Soundboard-SP20WDBK-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00EFS12HS) for $12.99. Sadly, only a few minutes ago they offered a free wifi adapter and other bonuses with this item (but these offers have just been removed from the page).
@mfladd we were playing with this at work on friday... i would never try to listen to music via the speaker button on my phone, but i bought one of these. it's sounds way better. (disclaimer: i am not an audiophile)
@KDemo It probably works the same way a hearing aid magnetically couples to a telephone handset. Monophonically and without particularly good audio fidelity.
The speaker in a classic telephone handset has a speaker cone connected to a coil that moves in a magnetic field. Engineers realized they could put a tiny coil into a hearing aid to pick up the signal driving that coil without picking up the background noise in the room. Many over the ear hearing aids have a switch to select either using the microphone, or the coil.
Almost all modern phones are hearing aid compatible. The ones that have non-magnetic speakers will have a coil just for compatible hearing aids.
This thing probably picks up that magnetic signal.
@hamjudo Cool! But that's not what's happening here; it's definitely not picking up speaker EM emissions. It looks like one of the bars that the phone rests on is a mechanical sensor hooked to a piezo or magnetic element, which is then amplified to the speakers. But that's just a guess, and now I have to find out for sure - undervalued-glib-skink
@uwacn The lower bar with the lines around it is almost certainly a transducer of some sort. Which leaves me to assume that putting my case-clad phone on the device will result in majorly hampered performance.
Magnets work by elves and incredibly thin thread. When two magnets get close to each other, the elves throw thread to the other elves and pull them closer, like pulling a boat to a dock.
@ChunkyBitz i was trying to come up with some way to pretend i didn't know while referencing one of his books. now there's no point. thanks. i mean, sincerely, because i could have been up for a while.
@ntowl24 $10? Well then, you're in! The internal 5,200 mAh phone charging battery is worth about 10 bucks. Subtract that $10 from the $20 asking price and you have your $10 experiment! What are you waiting for?
is there someone who took it apart? does it work by instant mic-> speaker throughput like a megaphone or is there bigger magic like picking up speaker vibration or some such using some radio frequency etc?
@username Inferring from the Amazon listng someone linked above, it's an inductive pickup so it's picking up the current changes in the speaker coil on your phone.
@username I'd guess its sound might actually be a bit cleaner (if the word "clean" is allowed with this device) using a mono phone. Stereo phone drivers would generate slightly different sound from each channel, getting muddled when combined into this apparently mono speaker gadget.
@djslack so if that's how this works, which is really cool by the way, then how does it discern between music or legit audio versus all the electrical hums as shown in the video when he was using it near the cell phone? If this speaker picks up all the electrical hums as well then it's not just useless, it's incredibly annoying.
@jdp My guess is it's either very directional and your speaker has to be in the right place, or it tunes out rf interference somehow. It would be a huge flaw if it also buzzed every time your cell phone transmitted data.
@brhfl really curious as to why the AA version would be better. I had an AA fm modulator...way more annoying than the rechargeable alternative and this can charge another device as well.
@avengerofpi And if Jedi Knights can be likened to sonic screw drivers, which I think is completely fair game, then some metals (say, all non-ferous metals) are like wood.
@Thumperchick Bummer...that I bought it from meh.com and you sent me defective goods and obviously couldn't care. I hope that others get that you guys suck. That will be my last buy from Meh.com. last time you guys sent me bad batteries you did the stand up thing, this time.... Bummer.
@Thumperchick Oh and what about the meh.com policy that is "Q: What's your return policy? A: If it's damaged, defective, or just DOA, we'll either refund or replace it at our discretion. Just fill out our support form and tell us all about it."
Plus, why don''t you try and follow your own advice and figure out how to get warranty support from them? It's near impossible.
@Thumperchick By the way, i complained on facebook and got this
Meh we'll be happy to take care of directly - sometimes manufacturers can do more than refund so there's a purpose in that route if you need another working unit. If your perspective starts with that as a run-around then I get the response. Write back and tell them snapster said to shut up and help.
@cerich I'm not an employee. I was pointing you to the information available since it's the weekend and you're not likely to get a staff response until Monday. You are always more then welcome to send a message to meh.com/support and ask for their help. Historically, if there's an issue with a product - and the warranty is a vendor or manufacturer, then meh will ask that you start there; then step in if that fails. I don't think that's unreasonable.
Hey @cerich, I'm the guy that runs the CS stuff over here. We received the emails you sent in over the weekend and will get it taken care of. As mentioned above, we don't actually have any support staff working the weekends at this time. @Thumperchick is not actually an employee here, just a very helpful community member that was trying to offer whatever help she could until our support staff got back in the office this morning. You'll see an email back from our team shortly.
Mine was completely dead (no lights or sounds or anything) until I let it charge for an hour or two. So if you think it's broken, try giving it a few hours to charge up first.
I would just take it back to China cause they screwed it up they didn’t made it properly its messed up doesn’t work at all speaker works front back speaker is messed up I’m not happy I’m just going to take it back to China cause China is stupid crappie stuff never go with their stuff
Specs
Condition: New
Warranty: 1 Year VOXX (Note: this is the manual to the battery-less model, but warranty is the same)
Estimated Delivery: 8/16 - 8/18
Shipping: $5 or free with VMP
What’s in the Box?
1x Soundflow Soundboard
1x USB to Micro USB cable
1x 3.5mm Aux cable
Pictures
Everything included
Hand for scale
That’s all it takes!
Detail view
Retail box
Price Comparison
$69.99 List, $51.98 at Amazon
Find a relevant price comparison? Please share it in a comment in this thread
Warranty
90 days
This sounds appealing.
@xarous sounds more amplifying to me
Boom deh clap!
Número Eins!
@elliedan Zwei?
@elliedan THAT'S NUMBERWANG!
@clonete Rotiere das Brett!
@elliedan you got cute with the boom deh clap, that's why you missed out on first post-
@madmaxmedia 'sackly.
FWIW, número zwei would have also been 'nicht gut'. It has something to do with mixing metaphors...
Or languages...
Or what's a meta for?
@elliedan That's where cattle graze...a meta. :)
Interesting technology. I want it. Meh technology
Copy of this thing that was always on woot?
http://www.magicsoundbox.com/
@darkzrobe Yeah except that does way less for more money.
And I thought speaker dock Friday was boring.... :O
a speaker dock by any other name would smell as sweet.
no thank you. undoubtedly useful, but not something I'd really use that often.
Is this the same product for less? http://www.amazon.com/Soundflow-Soundboard-SP20WDBK-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00EFS12HS
@mehgrl Nah, that's the SP20. This is the SP40! Can you really settle for 20 less SPs? I think not.
@mehgrl That one doesn't have the internal 5000 mah battery, it requires AAs.
@mehgrl
It sure seems it is
@mehgrl looks like that one needs batteries instead of being a power bank too.
@zerth If that's the only difference… well, the AA option seems way more appealing…
@brhfl with the 5000mah battery it will also charge your phone
@brhfl Seems I have 72 of those things sitting around here somewhere.
@djslack Yeah, I get that. I don't know, I've never been big on the battery to charge a battery to charge another battery thing. But, charging at a wall or computer is never inconvenient for me, I can see how this would be useful to others.
@mehgrl They are slightly different in size. As others said the sp40 also acts as a battery charger. However, there are only a couple left of the black and green model (http://www.amazon.com/Soundflow-Soundboard-SP20WDBK-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00EFS12HS) for $12.99. Sadly, only a few minutes ago they offered a free wifi adapter and other bonuses with this item (but these offers have just been removed from the page).
@stinks Me too...only 70 less...and both from Meh. :)
My error has been pointed out to me, sorry Meh
@webender Meh, you're forgiven. Just DON'T do it again!
@webender that's the SP20 model, this is the SP40. I don't know the difference but there has got to be one, right?
@webender i waited too long to edit my post, but know that i understand and i love you.
Can't I just hit the speaker button on my phone?
@mfladd Perhaps, but can you also hit the 5000mAh battery button on your phone? All while your phone's bluetooth remains OFF?
...I didn't think so.
@ateatree still meh. Bluetooth can stay on.
@mfladd we were playing with this at work on friday... i would never try to listen to music via the speaker button on my phone, but i bought one of these. it's sounds way better. (disclaimer: i am not an audiophile)
@katylava you have to buy it?
@mfladd yes, when i accepted the job offer from mediocre, it was with the stipulation that i get paid in dollars instead of speaker docks.
@katylava Does it sound better than the Damson Bluetooth stereo speakers?
You're a shrewd negotiator, @katylava!
Psh, I wasn't even offered to be payed in Speaker Docks. Mighta negotiated for some combination. 80% speaker docks sounds acceptable... Right?
Why am I so tempted by this? Why? It's madness I tell you, madness!
@Humper i bought 2 so
We can now start looking forward to soundboard Saturdays....
@eeterrific You lost a couple days there…
Betcha @Hamjudo knows how it works.
This doesn't exactly say how the sound gets transferred, but it gives a bit more information on the technology (different model)
@KDemo It probably works the same way a hearing aid magnetically couples to a telephone handset. Monophonically and without particularly good audio fidelity.
The speaker in a classic telephone handset has a speaker cone connected to a coil that moves in a magnetic field. Engineers realized they could put a tiny coil into a hearing aid to pick up the signal driving that coil without picking up the background noise in the room. Many over the ear hearing aids have a switch to select either using the microphone, or the coil.
Almost all modern phones are hearing aid compatible. The ones that have non-magnetic speakers will have a coil just for compatible hearing aids.
This thing probably picks up that magnetic signal.
@hamjudo - You're amazing. Thank you.
@hamjudo Cool! But that's not what's happening here; it's definitely not picking up speaker EM emissions. It looks like one of the bars that the phone rests on is a mechanical sensor hooked to a piezo or magnetic element, which is then amplified to the speakers. But that's just a guess, and now I have to find out for sure - undervalued-glib-skink
@uwacn follow up will be enjoyed
@uwacn The lower bar with the lines around it is almost certainly a transducer of some sort. Which leaves me to assume that putting my case-clad phone on the device will result in majorly hampered performance.
@daytonatrbo Depends on how thick your case is and what material it's made from. :)
Magnets work by elves and incredibly thin thread.
When two magnets get close to each other, the elves throw thread to the other elves and pull them closer, like pulling a boat to a dock.
@mcanavino A box of buckyballs is like a clown car full of elves!
@mcanavino ...and that's why Santa and his elves live at the North Pole.
@mcanavino Fucking magnets, so that's how they work!
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"
Extra credit if you can say who this quote is from...
And the answer is...?
Robson. Duh.
@robson Arthur C. Clarke.
@ChunkyBitz i was trying to come up with some way to pretend i didn't know while referencing one of his books. now there's no point. thanks. i mean, sincerely, because i could have been up for a while.
@ChunkyBitz
You are correct! You should get one of these free, but I'm not @Jon t
This is something I'd buy to try out for under $10. There's no way it's worth $20+shipping.
@ntowl24 it'll be hard for you to find out with that attitude ;)
(and you're vmp so no whining about shipping)
@ntowl24 If you're VMP, you already paid shipping...
@ntowl24 $10? Well then, you're in! The internal 5,200 mAh phone charging battery is worth about 10 bucks. Subtract that $10 from the $20 asking price and you have your $10 experiment! What are you waiting for?
@ntowl24 I found it for $13 at Amazon. 1st time I've found a better price tham meh. Black/Green though
http://www.amazon.com/Soundflow-Soundboard-SP20WDBK-DiscontinuedManufacturer/dp/B00EFS12HS/ref=pd_sim_sbs_422_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1ESDSX2PK3VD7FXXAGZE
Ok, I see this is not the same model. My bad, meh.
So it amplifies the speaker on your phone? Anyone know about the sound quality or if there's a noticeable delay?
@askaboutasun Seems it's an inductive pickup and amplifier, like an electric guitar. If so that would make it pretty instant.
@askaboutasun there is like zero delay - best part of this in fact vs many cheap Bluetooth options (speakerphone especially, where lag kills)
If I buy two of these can I pair them for a heavy metal feedback loop?
@nadroj you never know until you try...
Meh! It's hard to take the $69.99 suggested list seriously when your own link to the Soundflow Soundboard page shows " MSRP: $29.99."
@gertiestn Actually no, this is the rechargeable one, which is indeed MSRP $69.99 http://www.soundflow.com/soundboard/?sku=SP40
@gertiestn this is the power plus
Any chance of Sylverster or Tweety coming back? I keep on missing them.
is there someone who took it apart?
does it work by instant mic-> speaker throughput like a megaphone or is there bigger magic like picking up speaker vibration or some such using some radio frequency etc?
@username Inferring from the Amazon listng someone linked above, it's an inductive pickup so it's picking up the current changes in the speaker coil on your phone.
Hmmmm, I do own a Sylvester mp3 ...
also wonder how mono vs stereo phones perform.. for example OG Nexus 5 is mono.
@username I'd guess its sound might actually be a bit cleaner (if the word "clean" is allowed with this device) using a mono phone. Stereo phone drivers would generate slightly different sound from each channel, getting muddled when combined into this apparently mono speaker gadget.
I can't decide if I can justify buying this or not...
@Zypher i justified by $10 for utility and $10 for magic
Anyone know how it actually works? I don't see myself ever using one, but I'm curious.
@Pantheist http://www.kvue.com/story/money/consumer/does-it-work/2014/05/24/2416822/ they were right. it is more interesting before you know.
@Pantheist heed the warning in the write-up.
Or watch this and lose the magic:
@djslack thanks
@Pantheist Wait! is this one of those $120 heating pads in disguise?
@djslack so if that's how this works, which is really cool by the way, then how does it discern between music or legit audio versus all the electrical hums as shown in the video when he was using it near the cell phone? If this speaker picks up all the electrical hums as well then it's not just useless, it's incredibly annoying.
@jdp My guess is it's either very directional and your speaker has to be in the right place, or it tunes out rf interference somehow. It would be a huge flaw if it also buzzed every time your cell phone transmitted data.
My girlfriend does seem to use her phone in speaker mode as one of her primary music devices... might as well try this thing.
humdrum-downy-class
This is kind of neat. I don't really need it, and if I did I'd go for the AA version, but nice to see something interesting that I was unaware of.
@brhfl really curious as to why the AA version would be better. I had an AA fm modulator...way more annoying than the rechargeable alternative and this can charge another device as well.
@tightwad I don't like having to charge a thing when it dies vs. swapping in a pile of batteries I already have charged.
Intrigued, kind of want but probably don't need.......
@Stallion wait, need? what does that have to do with Meh.?
@dmlivezey Need/Want/Desire/Wish/Demand/Require/Urge/Weakness/Strength.....all very Meh related with each offer that hits the day.
back up battery? does it charge your phone too? like wireless charging? buying this will depend on the answer
@bacon4jason or ill just buy it anyways lol
@bacon4jason my best guess is it will charge your phone with a US cable, maybe a couple times at first
Magnets are the Jedi Knights of metals. That is how they work.
Does this disqualify me from buying one of these, now?
@avengerofpi And if Jedi Knights can be likened to sonic screw drivers, which I think is completely fair game, then some metals (say, all non-ferous metals) are like wood.
So, when the magnetic poles reverse, will this play songs backwards?
@KDemo ...and will you you hear Satanic messages?
@madmaxmedia I can't stick around to find out... gotta attend Paul's funeral.
Does it work if your phone is in a case?
@sparkle_motion not a kryptonite case, of course
This offering is just far too wonderful for the likes of me.
@cranky1950 we'll do worse tomorrow.
@snapster I'm counting on it.
So if I want to discreetly watch porn on a flight...
@clanecks Why would you want to be discrete?
@G1 Did you mean to separate those "ee's" to change the meaning? Just curious, so I can get the joke. :)
Shaggy2Dope approves, buy Violent Jay is unsure. Love the ICP references in the writeup today, guys. Well done.
Here's a quick Periscope of us demonstrating this magic technology live!
@JonT Very kewl
DOA...seemed like a good idea...
@cerich Bummer. The warranty info to contact Vox is in the first post at the top of the page. I hope they get it taken care of for you!
@Thumperchick Bummer...that I bought it from meh.com and you sent me defective goods and obviously couldn't care. I hope that others get that you guys suck. That will be my last buy from Meh.com. last time you guys sent me bad batteries you did the stand up thing, this time.... Bummer.
@Thumperchick Oh and what about the meh.com policy that is
"Q: What's your return policy?
A: If it's damaged, defective, or just DOA, we'll either refund or replace it at our discretion. Just fill out our support form and tell us all about it."
Plus, why don''t you try and follow your own advice and figure out how to get warranty support from them? It's near impossible.
Dishonest and unhelpful jerks. Bummer.
@Thumperchick By the way, i complained on facebook and got this
Meh we'll be happy to take care of directly - sometimes manufacturers can do more than refund so there's a purpose in that route if you need another working unit. If your perspective starts with that as a run-around then I get the response. Write back and tell them snapster said to shut up and help.
Bummer...
@cerich I'm not an employee. I was pointing you to the information available since it's the weekend and you're not likely to get a staff response until Monday.
You are always more then welcome to send a message to meh.com/support and ask for their help.
Historically, if there's an issue with a product - and the warranty is a vendor or manufacturer, then meh will ask that you start there; then step in if that fails.
I don't think that's unreasonable.
~Unhelpful Jerk
Hey @cerich, I'm the guy that runs the CS stuff over here. We received the emails you sent in over the weekend and will get it taken care of. As mentioned above, we don't actually have any support staff working the weekends at this time. @Thumperchick is not actually an employee here, just a very helpful community member that was trying to offer whatever help she could until our support staff got back in the office this morning. You'll see an email back from our team shortly.
@cerich wow, you're an even bigger cry baby than me. Thanks for helping my self esteem :) (before you jump on meh, I also do not work there)
Thanks all. @thumperchick, sorry I thought you were an employee because I got an email with your reply from meh.com.
It's somewhat difficult to tell what is a employee versus not in the forum.
@cerich employees have an erlenmeyer flask in front of their names
well, that's obvious! duh :-)
Mine was completely dead (no lights or sounds or anything) until I let it charge for an hour or two. So if you think it's broken, try giving it a few hours to charge up first.
Different color, no charging:
Meritline
I would just take it back to China cause they screwed it up they didn’t made it properly its messed up doesn’t work at all speaker works front back speaker is messed up I’m not happy I’m just going to take it back to China cause China is stupid crappie stuff never go with their stuff
@proudpizza899 it doesn’t appear that you purchased this five years ago since you just joined this site.