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• Tuned tweeter & bass driver • Passive radiator • High-fidelity sampling rate Design and features When unboxing the Lodge Solar Speaker Series 2 speaker, I was struck by how unassuming it is. If the speaker is used outdoors as intended, it will blend well into most landscaping. Plant a few speakers around a large yard and you can have a concert whenever you wish. Pounding the stake into the ground (rubber mallet recommended) and magnetically attaching the speaker was easy enough. I wish the stake was at least a couple of inches longer for a more secure base. After I first drove the stake into the ground, I noticed that it works better when the speaker is angled upwards toward the listener. However, the stake can’t be angled too much—otherwise, the speaker could fall off the stake. Although the Lodge speaker’s magnets are strong and hold tight to the metal plate of the stake, a single thumb screw is provided that effectively locks it down. I wish that Lodge included three thumb screws in the package since there are three slots for the screws. One thing to keep in mind is making sure the speaker can get enough direct sunlight during the day to effectively charge the batteries. Hiding the speaker under a plant will not provide enough solar rays to keep the speaker charged. As I said earlier, the Lodge speaker has an IP66 rating. This simply means the speaker can be rained on, snowed on, endure a dust storm, and other weather-related challenges. The one thing that cannot happen is total water submersion. Lodge provides a “LodgeCONNECT” smartphone app (iOS and Android), but currently, it will only connect the speaker or update the firmware. Lodge notes that future app updates will include a graphic equalizer and a battery check. Hopefully, the future will include more features than Lodge has promised so far. How good can the Lodge speaker make specifically for the outdoors sound? And is it good enough for indoor use? The speaker doesn’t have the decibel power of the Soundboks speaker. Not surprising since it’s simple physics. The Soundboks speaker is a monster—the Lodge speaker is not. However, the Lodge speaker can get plenty loud for simple backyard or deck parties. Adding a second speaker for true stereo can enhance the audio even more (I haven’t tested this since Lodge only provided a single speaker). Two things about the sound: The Lodge speaker is distortion-free. I threw some bass-heavy tracks at it (and some 40Hz tones) and there were no discernible buzzing or unpleasant sounds. It all sounded pretty great! Speaking of bass, the Lodge speaker has what Lodge calls “Bass Boost”. This setting pumps bass up on the overall audio, but more importantly, boosts the bass for low-volume listening. Bass Boost may disappoint listeners who are bass heads. Its effect is not that kick-in-the-head, but more subtle. While I appreciated the added bass at lower volumes (as advertised), I barely noticed it at higher volumes. I couldn’t tell the difference standing a few feet away from the speaker outdoors. An issue I noticed after turning the Lodge speaker off was that when turned on, it sometimes did not want to reconnect to my iPhone. I would have to go to the speaker and press the Bluetooth pairing