On its own, a single Pulse 5 delivers mono sound (we’ll get into how it sounds below), but when connected to another Pulse with the PartyBoost feature, a stereo pair can be created. Or you can link multiple compatible speakers for a bigger sound. I only received one review unit to test out, so I was unable to try this feature.

Pushing the psychedelic aesthetic even further, behind the clear shell is the speaker’s core of brilliant LED lights, which seemingly floats, moves, and color-shifts like a glob of melted wax in a more modern lava lamp. Why it made the cut: It’s truly a classic lava lamp that won’t overwhelm your room with psychedelic nostalgia. Why it made the cut: One device provides your trippy music and visuals thanks to a built-in speaker and a Bluetooth connection.

Highest Rated in Bluetooth Speakers

Bass is rather anaemic, leaving electronic music and hip hop sounding a little flat and lifeless. There’s just no real presence to the low registers. The mids and treble fare better, with decent clarity and detail for the money.

Green Earth’s culture is defined by a simple set of values that define how we operate every single day – Trust, Care, Innovation, and Pride. They reflect how we interact with our clients, our colleagues, and our communities. We hold each other accountable for creating a company we can all be proud to work at. A brown leather handle fixes to the speaker and lets you carry the speaker around like an old oil lamp. If you’re looking for Halloween costume accessories for next year, you could dress one of these up blast out spooky music as you haunt your friends. Just a thought.It’s worth paying attention to how the companies add the color to the lamp. Some add dye directly to the wax and liquid, while others use neutral substances inside and paint the outside of the container. Those painted on the outside may lose a bit of their luster after regular cleanings, but they’ll look more vivid in the meantime. Extra features The phrase “lava lamp” typically evokes an eclectic, psychedelic color pallet akin to what you’d find at that store in the mall that always smells like patchouli. That’s usually correct, but it’s not always the case. Some lava lamps embellish their look even more by adding glitter and other fun pollutants into the mixture to liven up the light show. Others tone it down a bit and give off more of an ’80s Art Deco vibe. None of them are particularly subtle, though, so if you’re looking for something to complement your Kanye-style all-white living quarters, maybe it’s time to get a regular lamp. The only other features interrupting the flow of the Pulse 5’s clear shell are its sturdy nylon loop strap and a beautifully compact 3.5-inch long panel of physical controls that houses the USB-C charging port, power, Bluetooth, and PartyBoost connectivity buttons (for pairing multiple Pulse speakers together), as well as a button to control the LEDs (on, off, and a long-press lets you change the mode) and a power-level light. Derek Malcolm / Digital Trends