With the light bars horizontal, the cables are a little less obtrusive, but I noticed that both of the light bars have the cable going out the same direction. The stand does not offer an option to route the cable through the back of it. When I had the stand with the light bars in a vertical orientation, the cable was very visible. The light bars have a fairly thick cable that comes out of each bar. The second issue – cable management – is something that is hard to overlook. I had to have the volume up pretty loud before the lights were reacting with any normalcy. I turned the volume up until the light bars started reacting to the music more. It was comfortable for me to listen to while working, but not so loud that you could hear it outside my office. I had the volume of my music set on a moderate level. The lights were located directly under my speakers and just weren’t picking up the music that was playing. The first time I turned that mode on it was sporadic in operation. Starting with the latter, the sound reaction isn’t a feature I use often, but if it’s offered, I feel as though it should work. There are two main criticisms I have of these smart lighting bars – the cable management and their reaction to sound. That seemed to fit my desk better, but to be honest, I’m not 100% convinced that they will remain there. So, I switched the stand so that the bars were sitting horizontally. The bars are tall enough that they interfere with my mounted speakers as well as the general aesthetic of my workspace.
At first, I tried them standing vertically, but realized rather quickly that wasn’t going to work well with my desk setup. This made me happy because it meant that there were more options for powering them than just their wall adapter.Īfter providing power to the light bars, I installed the stands which are tightened onto the lights using very small screws and the Allen wrench. So, for my initial test, I plugged them into my computer’s docking station to see if that would provide accurate power. I opted to use the stands and have them sit on my desk, but I don’t think anyone would have trouble with mounting these on the back of a monitor or other surface using the 3M strips provided. They are made primarily with plastic and are very lightweight. The bars themselves seem to be pretty tough.
A decent user manual was provided along with adhesive mounting strips, cable management clips, a power adapter for the wall, an IR remote, the stands, and an Allen wrench to tighten the stands onto the bars. Based on the generic style of the box (the name of the product just says “LED Ambient Lighting” and no brand is given), I was really impressed with all that was included. All the pieces and parts to the lights were safe inside the box.
The box was actually a little banged up, but that could have happened during shipping. The LED Ambient Light Bars with smart lighting arrived in a simple retail-style box.
Users have the option of setting up unique lighting effects through the app (DIY modes). The light bars can be controlled through the smartphone app or via their remote control. The lights are reactive to music and voice and users have control over the lights’ sensitivity, style, and tempo to sound they detect. The bars come pre-programmed with 12 light shows, 10 ambient background modes, and 4 music modes. The light bars offer a wide spectrum of colors and a number of different settings to work with. The LED Ambient Light Bars With Smart Lighting provides bright, colorful lighting paired with smart features and control. So, it was an easy decision to add the LED Ambient Light Bars With Smart Lighting from Up Tech Instruments. I especially appreciate smart lighting or lights that are app-controlled. I never thought I would add RGB lighting into my space, but as it turns out, I really enjoy having strategically placed colored lighting as long as it’s subtle.
I can surround myself with things I love and that inspire me. So, having a space where I can make my own helps me be creative. Not only do I have a full-time job during the day as a Marketing Director, but I also write product reviews for MacSources in the evenings. Fortunately, we have enough space in our home for me to have a dedicated space for my home office. I’ve been working from home exclusively since September 2020.
This smart lighting device is easy to use and install – and costs 50% less than competitors!