Sound+Sleep Special Edition Review

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Full Review

Please note that this article is not an exact transcript of my video review above. I’ve written it so it’s easier to find specific information, and added some extra points and photos to clarify some sections.

The Sound+Sleep Special Edition is made by Adaptive Sound Technologies Inc., who also produce the excellent LectroFan range.

It has quite a unique design for a white noise machine, with an unusual teardrop shape and upward facing speaker. Add to that the very shiny buttons (you can see your reflection in the main dial!), and it’s a more elegant device than many of the budget white noise machines I’ve tested.

Let’s take a look at what I did and didn’t like about the Sound+Sleep SE.

The good points

1. Huge range sounds (64 in total)

I’ve tested many white noise machines, but never seen one with so much variety of sounds. I thought 30 was excellent in some of the other devices, but 64 is in another league altogether.

There’s a lot I could say about each sound, but it’s probably better (and quicker) to summarise the main points I’ve found:

• All of the sounds are high quality, with the exception of the city sounds which wasn’t as natural as I’d have liked.
• I like how you can have some of the key sounds with or without extras, such as birds or thunder.
• The loops appear to be long and I don’t notice them repeating, especially when you have the richness setting enabled.
• It’s quick to find the sound you want because of the dual dial and selection button interface.

List of the sounds

There are 16 main sound categories on the large dial – the ‘soundstory group’ as the manufacturer calls them. However, there are 64 different sounds in total as each category has four variations.

You use the dial to select the main category, then press the ‘selection’ button to cycle between the four options in that category. So you can choose to have rainfall with or without thunder, for example.

In the photo below, you can see the main categories on the central dial. I like how easy it is to navigate to the sound you want with this device.

The 16 main sound categories

The four variations in each category

Some don’t need much explaining – there are four types of white, pink, and brown noise, and four types of small and large fans. So that’s 20 variations of white noise and fan sounds. I really like that they range from very deep to more intense sounds, so you can find the exact type you find relaxing.

The ambient sounds vary in different ways. Some are very different, and others add extra elements which you may or may not want. Here are a few examples:

Ocean

1. Waves and lapping water
2. Waves, lapping water & gurgling water
3. Waves, lapping water, gurgling water, gulls, seals & buoy bells
4. Waves, lapping water, gurgling water, gulls, seals, buoy bells & foghorns

Baby

1. Undersea whales
2. Whale party
3. Heartbeat
4. Aviary

Crowds

1. Restaurant
2. Open-air market
3. Coffee shop
4. Ball game

Rides

1. Plane ride
2. Car ride
3. Train ride
4. Paddle boat ride

Meadow

1. Crickets and wind
2. Crickets, wind, bird wings & splashing water
3. Crickets, wind, bird wings, splashing water, songbirds & bees
4. Crickets, wind, bird wings, splashing water, songbirds, bees & frogs

Meditation

1. Om
2. Om & sitar
3. Om, sitar & guitar
4. Om, sitar, guitar & other instruments and sounds

Being able to fine-tune your sound choice like this is great. Some people might like the sound of flowing water on its own, while others enjoy the sound of birds accompanying it. Personally, I love the fact that you have such an amazing choice.

Below, you can see what came with mine: the Sound+sleep Special Edition, the box, user manual, power cable, and audio-in cable.

2. Good noise masking, with an adaptive mode that adjusts the volume automatically

The Sound+Sleep is very good at masking external noise that might keep you awake or disturb you when concentrating. There’s enough volume and sound choice to find just the right combination to shut out the world around you.

In addition, there’s the ‘adaptive’ mode – a feature that’s unique to the Sound+Sleep (as far as I’m aware). It’s a clever feature that makes the noise masking even more effective.

The machine has a microphone that continuously listens for external noise. If the ambient noise level rises, then it turns the volume up. When all is quiet, it drops down again. Note that this is an option, and you can have a constant volume instead if you prefer.

The feature works surprisingly well. So well, that if I have the responsive mode switched on while I write, it turns the volume up every time I start typing on my keyboard. Even the sound of my coffee cup hitting the table triggers a volume change! I like this feature personally, but I can imagine some people might prefer a constant sound and volume instead.

3. Headphone and audio input jacks

Not everyone likes white noise or whale sounds, so if you’re sharing a room, it’s great that there’s a headphone jack so you can listen in private. There’s also a 3.5 mm audio input jack, with an audio cable provided, so you can play your own music or sounds from a phone or other device through the speaker.

4. Two USB charging ports

On the side of the device, there are two standard USB charging ports. If you only have a couple of outlets near your nightstand, and a lamp and the white noise machine are plugged in, it’s great that you can still charge your phone.

Below, you can see the two USB ports, headphone jack, and audio-in.

5. Auto-off timers

Personally, I think every sound machine should have auto-off timers (eyebrows raise disapprovingly at the Dohm and Lectrofan Micro range). It’s nice to fall asleep or relax to the sounds, but once you’re asleep, there’s no need to subconsciously listen to white noise or thunder for another eight hours.

Having the 30, 60, 90 or 120 minute sleep timer is convenient, and arguably healthier for the brain. But on the nights the annoying neighbourhood dog won’t stop barking, you can leave it to run continuously if you need it.

Below, you can see the timer options and the little LEDs that tell you which option you’ve selected.

6. Ease of use & convenient buttons

I often criticize sound machines for their buttons: endlessly pressing the same button to cycle through 30 sounds, volume and sound choice sharing the same button, touch buttons that you’ll never locate in the dark, and so on.

So I was happy to see that the Sound+Sleep SE gets the interface right in my opinion:

• The main dial is large and smooth to turn.
• The sound categories are labeled.
• The volume and feature buttons are large and clearly labeled.
• You can easily find the right button in the dark if you need to.
• The timer has little lights to tell you how exactly how long it’s set for.
• The jacks and USB ports are nicely lined up on the side, not hidden around the back.

So all in all, the interface is just really easy to use, while still retaining a modern and sleek look.

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Criticisms

1. The speaker could be better for the price

Personally, I don’t expect loud volume from a machine that has relaxation and sleep promotion as its primary job. However, for the price and size of the device, you could arguably expect a better speaker.

To be fair, white noise machines are notorious for having low-quality speakers, so it’s not an uncommon issue. And for me, it’s absolutely fine for nighttime listening. It just won’t get you up and dancing if you use the audio input to play some electronic music on a Saturday night because the only other speaker you have is your phone.

2. Needs to be plugged in

Once you’ve used a sound machine that has an internal rechargeable battery, it’s a feature that you either miss or don’t care about with your next device.

The Sound+Sleep Special Edition comes with a standard plug that needs to be connected to a wall outlet and there’s no internal rechargeable battery. This isn’t a deal-breaker for me, and I think most people will use it on a nightstand or desk where there’s an outlet nearby anyway. But there are other machines that can work without being plugged in if you need that.

3. Large device for a nightstand

With so many sounds and features, it’s no surprise that the Sound+Sleep is at the larger end of the range of white noise machines. It’s not going to fit neatly in a suitcase, and it will occupy a fair bit of space on your nightstand.

Verdict

For me, the Sound+Sleep SE blows the competition out of the water when it comes to the variety of sounds. I’ve already said it throughout this review, but I can’t stress enough how unusual it is to have so many sounds to choose from.

I really like that it offers variety within each category too. It’s frustrating when a device only has rain with two thunderclaps on constant repeat – you soon learn the sound and it takes away the feeling that you’re listening to a natural sound.

Not with the Sound+Sleep though – not only can you have rain with or without thunder, but the thunder is more random than most other devices I’ve listened to.

Sure, it’s not the smallest machine out there, and I felt the speaker could have been a little better for the price. But I think the other features do help mitigate that price – especially the responsive sound setting, and the useful ports and jacks.

So I think if you’re looking for a portable device, but are on a tight budget, this perhaps won’t be the right one for you. But if you want tons of sound options and don’t mind having it plugged in on your nightstand, the Sound+Sleep Special Edition is definitely one I’d recommend.