Govee’s newest sensible lamp has social gathering speaker aspirations

Probably the most stunning factor about Govee’s colourful sensible lamp with a speaker built-in is that we didn’t get one thing like this sooner. We’ve had color-changing sensible dwelling lights that sync to music by way of an app, and we’ve had Bluetooth audio system with RGB lights — placing the 2 collectively feels just like the pure subsequent step.

The Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro X Sound by JBL ($179.99) combines snazzy lighting results and first rate sound into one enjoyable, transportable bundle. In contrast to most RGB Bluetooth social gathering audio system, it’s a useful lamp, and it additionally syncs along with your sensible dwelling. And whereas it doesn’t pack sufficient energy to rock an actual rager, it’s the proper measurement so as to add somewhat punch to your subsequent gathering. It’s a sensible gentle with social gathering speaker aspirations.

The speaker / sensible lamp combo isn’t completely new; Ikea’s (now discontinued) Symfonisk Lamp had a Sonos speaker inbuilt (although you needed to put a sensible bulb in it to have a sensible lamp). Govee additionally has a floor lamp with a Bluetooth speaker. However its new desk lamp is extra sensible, extra transportable (due to a 5,200mAh battery), and much more enjoyable. Individually controllable RGB and tunable white LEDs provide each fabulous social gathering results and sensible activity lighting when wanted.

An improve to Govee’s sensible Table Lamp 2, the Professional was first introduced at CES earlier this yr and is now that can be purchased. It sits 10 inches tall, with a 360-degree LED array sitting on high of a 10W full-range 2.5-inch JBL speaker. The Professional’s large additions over the Lamp 2 are the speaker and the battery. It additionally has a bigger base, a wider lamp, and a high speaker grille with buttons for energy, quantity, playback, and biking by means of preset scenes.

The lamp options 210 LED beads that may show full colour in addition to tunable white gentle as much as 600 lumens, shiny sufficient for a studying lamp. The bottom consists of RGB lights that sync with the primary show.

The lighting results, of which there are over 100 presets in addition to 16 that sync with music, are managed within the Govee app, over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. There are a selection of built-in sound and lightweight scenes. My favorites embrace Forest, with tweety fowl sounds and luminescent greens and yellows; Wave, with its ocean acoustics and wobbly blue lights; and Sprinkle, which appears like a delicate rainstorm with a beautiful aquamarine gentle soup.

In fact, you may as well stream any music you prefer to the speaker by way of a Bluetooth connection to your cellphone. Sadly, there’s no choice to stream over Wi-Fi or AirPlay 2 help. In contrast to some social gathering audio system, just one cellphone at a time can connect with its Bluetooth radio. You possibly can have it hear for music out of your cellphone’s speaker, however that feels moderately pointless.

The dynamic lighting scenes roll, pop, twirl, blob, kaleidoscope, or spiral in sync with the music, and sync remarkably nicely to the beat (Govee claims a 32ms response time). The colours are vivid, and the consequences are a variety of enjoyable. Like a variety of Govee’s results, some is usually a bit intense, however there are a number of “gentle” choices, too. You may as well create your personal scenes.

If you’re carried out with dance events, ambient choices, similar to a crackling fire or a soothing sundown, are good, though the colours are nonetheless pretty intense. Settings for studying, work, and illumination make the lamp usable as a activity gentle, too, and sleep settings with lullabies make this a pleasant addition to a nursery. Nonetheless, it’s too massive and shiny for bedside use, even on the lowest setting.

Whereas you should utilize the lamp and app simply with Bluetooth, connecting it to Wi-Fi allows you to management the lamp by means of your sensible dwelling. It really works with Amazon Alexa and Google Residence over Wi-Fi, or you possibly can add it by way of Matter to most platforms, together with Apple Residence. I added it to Apple Residence and was in a position to flip it on or off, and alter single colours with automations and voice — it responded immediately to Siri voice instructions. There’s not presently a approach to sync Govee’s scenes by means of Matter, although, so that you’re restricted to static lighting.

Good lamp, commonplace speaker

This can be a sensible lamp, not a sensible speaker. There’s no voice assistant, and you’ll’t management the speaker by way of sensible dwelling apps (though you possibly can change songs along with your cellphone’s voice assistant whereas related over Bluetooth). It’s additionally a reasonably primary JBL Bluetooth speaker. Whereas it will get loads loud, it has restricted bass, however delivers clear vocals and first rate mids — making it best for podcasts or radio.

Bodily, it barely resembles a full-size HomePod, however in sound high quality, it’s extra like a HomePod mini. It made an ideal train companion throughout my morning dance exercises, with Chappell Roan’s voice coming by means of clear and excessive as she hits these Pink Pony notes. Even cranked as much as 93 p.c quantity, there was no distortion. However as talked about, there’s hardly any bass. I examined it with Unhealthy Bunny towards a full-size HomePod; no contest.

You possibly can pair two lamps collectively for stereo sound, and that’s the best choice in the event you’re on the lookout for a celebration environment. By itself, it’s fantastic for a small gathering or so as to add some oomph to a exercise, however for some actual vibes, you’ll need two. I solely had one unit, so I didn’t get to check this out. You may pair two HomePod Minis or two Alexa fourth-gen audio system collectively and get comparable sound for much less cash, however with out the enjoyable lighting results.

The lamp isn’t weatherproof, however it’s transportable, due to its built-in battery. There’s no deal with, so I needed to type of cradle it like a child, however at 5 kilos, it’s gentle. I took it to the patio on a dry day, and my chickens joined the dance social gathering.

For a extra everlasting outside social gathering resolution, one thing just like the Sonos Transfer ($449) is a greater guess, with larger sound, longer battery life, and an IP56 score. Or, if lights are a should, a correct social gathering speaker just like the JBL Pulse 5 ($249), which has built-in RGB lighting, an IP67 waterproof score, and a pleasant large deal with — however no Wi-Fi connectivity, so no sensible dwelling management.

I ended up utilizing the Govee lamp largely in my screened-in porch, listening to the information with morning espresso or having fun with music with a night tipple, secure from the weather. I set an automation in Apple Residence that activates the lamp when the porch door unlocks, so it’s able to go once we stroll out.

The lamp may pair with different Govee lights to sync all of them to the music utilizing its Dreamview setting. I’ve a tunable white set of Govee’s outside string lights on my porch, but when I had the RGB model, I may flip my porch into a celebration house.

Regardless of its world salad of a reputation, the Govee Desk Lamp 2 Professional X Sound by JBL is a enjoyable, fairly priced combo of music and lights. It’s not the perfect speaker on the market, and it’s a disgrace it’s no more versatile (a deal with and a few weatherproofing would go a great distance), however with its sensible dwelling management and spectacular lighting results, it’s a helpful and entertaining gadget.

Photographs by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge