Pillow speakers.... what a great idea!
Especially for self help, subliminal tapes etc. Even for sunbathing !
I've tried several pillow speakers in the quest for better sound quality AND comfort.
Apparently a difficult combination to attain for many manufacturers.
I began my quest by purchasing one of the first offerings, a standard size bed pillow, in which the speakers were embedded. A cord was attached to the pillow to connect to your device (walkman, in my case).
Afer several uses, (not that many) the speakers would cut out & crackle when I moved the cord.
Ended up as spare pillow sans speaker :o(
Next, I tried the standard $6 radio shack pillow speaker, which was actually rather sturdy, round & had a handy volume control (similar to the Sharper Image pillow speaker). Excellent for travel, but the sound quality really sucked, really tiny AND really tinny AND it really feels like there is a rock under your pillow.
After much searching, I came across the PillowSonic digital stereo pillow speaker insert, purchased for $19 from the manufacturer's website.
I received a free relaxation CD as they were running a promo at the time
I think PillowSonic has nailed it.
The cushioned pillow insert contains TWO speakers providing stereo sound (from both sides of the pillow). Surprisingly clear, quite adequate, although we are not talking Bose quality. Not too shabby.
The pillow sleeve itself is rather soft & cushioned well enough where the metal edges of the speakers are not annoying to your ears through your pillow. Unlike the hard plastic radio shack unit... (aka little rock);
PillowSonic is quite comfortable; you can barely feel the speakers.
I slide it into my pillowcase, underneath my pillow & cannot feel it.
Easy to pack & travel as well.
The only disadvantage I encountered was the lack of volume control on the cord or unit. You must use the volume control on your audio device, which is kind of a pain. However, the cord is approx 6', so your device should be close enough to adjust the volume.
Each of the pillow speakers I tried had disadvantages.
Personally, I'd rather have the better sound quality, so I'll sacrifice the volume control.
Of course, my puppy promptly chewed up the connection wire, so I guess I'll be purchasing another... Dare I hope the designers have upgraded the unit & included volume controls?
Original Review:
This product is essentially two very flat speakers, but not that different from those in your headphones, inserted into a rectangular pocket of foam. There are hard pieces in the pillow speaker, but there is enough foam in front of it, that you can sleep on it comfortably, as the back of the speaker just presses further into your pillow.
I cannot use this underneath my pillow as I have a tempurpedic memory foam pillow its just too dense to hear the speaker well even at the highest volume but a regular pillow would work much better.
However, I put this right on top of my pillow and put my ear on top of it, it works great, I tend to keep it at the highest volume and just adjust the distance of the pillow to my ear depending on how loud I want to perceive it, the speakers do not have a volume on them (that would be a nice feature). I've slept on this every night for 7 months and no visible wear or tear has appeared.
The only drawback is that the pillow has two plastic tabs similar the small end of a plastic tag holder that holds a price tag to your new clothes on the front, and that scratches my face, I cut it off though with no apparent repercussions, I'm not sure what purpose they served, perhaps to hold wires in place.
Overall, this is exactly what I was looking for as I need to listen to something to fall asleep, but with kids and husband often sleeping in the same room, I don't want to play it on a regular speaker.
UPDATE 11/7/2011:
So I originally purchased these speakers in 2007. I have used a pillowsonic speaker every single night to fall asleep since then. Unfortunately I'd love to say that my original pillowsonic speaker is still going strong, but that's not the case. I don't remember the exact timeline, but after a while the original speaker ended up with one of the wires going to one of the speakers detaching, so only 1/2 worked, then eventually it quit altogether. I purchased another one and it had the same eventual problem. I'm now on my third. However, this is over 4 years of literally laying on the pillow speaker (because as I said above, I can't put it under my pillow) all night long and the speaker gets yanked around by the cord a lot and shoved into pillowcases and suitcases for travel. Listening to an audio book to fall asleep is just about the only thing I have found that works for my insomnia.
So, although I've had to replace it a couple times, I am not displeased with the amount of time each has lasted, given the price and how hard I am on them.
Buy Pillowsonic Stereo Pillow Speaker Now
I listen to a relaxation CD while in bed and have not liked doing so while using headphones. The reason being that they are uncomfortable if one falls asleep while listening. Also, the sound in the rest of the house is blocked out. The Pillowsonic Pillow Speaker is the perfect solution. I have a very thick pillow and I can hear the music very well and the speaking also well with the volume up high. The person in bed next to me can hear nothing. A+ item.
Read Best Reviews of Pillowsonic Stereo Pillow Speaker Here
You do have to adjust your head a bit otherwise its muffled. It took me a few days to position it correctly under the pillow. I put it at a 45 degree angle and it worked perfectly. However, after about a month of use its starting to die on me. One of the speakers is really fissling out, and the other one is starting to fade as well. Its more irritating than "soothing". I would not buy this particular product again.
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I purchased a "pillow speaker" a couple of weeks ago and it was terrible. It was one mono speaker attached to a 3/4" jack and would not get loud enough to hear throug my pillow. This pillowsonic stereo speaker however is much better! It's stereo for one and way loud enough also. To be realistic though, the sound is somewhat muffled. The way to get around this is to set your equilizer, if you have one, with higher mids and lower the bass. I use the "bass reducer" setting on iTunes and it sounds great!
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I like how this product keeps my tubing from tangling but as I need to change tubing, I pulled it apart when I tried to remove tubing from it. Not able to repair it. Had to throw it away after a 1 month use. I did purchase another one to see if it was just my fault or the product. I also ordered a different kind and I'm using it now with no issues in removing tubing when needed. It's up to you if you want to try this connector. It does what it is made to do, but unsure of it's stamina.
