iLive's Indooor/Outdoor Bluetooth speakers call to mind those solar-powered pathway lights they sell in the lawn-and-garden department at the hardware store. These waterproof, Bluetooth, stereo speakers are not glowing at night, but because they come with solar panels to charge their batteries and removable stakes to drive into the ground to maintain their balance.

It's an interesting idea, to be sure, but the better news is that these speakers - search for iLive model number ISBW240BDL - sound far better than you might guess from their USD 70 price tag (Walmart was selling them for USD 50 at the time of this writing). When you aren't entertaining outside, you can remove the stakes and host the party inside the house.

Design
The cylindrical speakers - you might also compare them to pint beer cans - have circular solar panels on top that will trickle-charge their batteries when it's sunny outside. Without the stakes, each 3.03-inch diameter speaker rises 6.57 inches high.

Each speaker sports an identical set of controls (they were probably sold individually at one point): Volume-up, volume-down, Bluetooth pair, and stereo pair/input select; Plus, a multi-functional power button and next-track / prior-track button. There are two indicator lights for pairing via Bluetooth and stereo, and a microphone located directly above them. The exact opposite side of the speaker houses a big plug hiding a micro USB charging port, an 3.5mm auxiliary input, along with a microSD card slot.

As you might've guessed, one of the ISBW240BDL's neat tricks is playing music from a microSD card. This allows you to forget your playlist and avoids the nuisance of interruptions during playback when your phone becomes a phone. There's a drawback - it only works with a single speaker at a certain time.

My main issue with these speakers would be this : They function as a stereo pair only when Bluetooth is in use. If you use the aux input or the card slot on either speaker, it only can be heard from that speaker. Bummer. The reason is obvious - it's the Bluetooth signal that's being separated via TWS (True Wireless Stereo - or something similar). It's disappointing nonetheless.

On the other hand, you can coordinate music from the ISBW240BDL's other cool trick: FM radio. In this instance, you must assign each speaker to a particular station. FM is invoked by a short press on the "connect speakers" button. The initial sound you hear will be a lot of static, but holding the power button for 2 seconds will initiate a scan for local stations. After the scan is complete, the plus / minus buttons switch stations with a two-second push.

The manufacturer claims the ISBW240BDL are water resistant, but it provides no IP rating for them. The build quality, design and port plug suggest that they could withstand almost anything except total immersion, based on my assumptions. But that's just a guess, because iLive didn't return my fact-check sheet. Based on my listening tests, I'd also guess each speaker enclosure houses a single, approximately two-inch, full-frequency speaker with an amplifier delivering 7 to 10 watts of power to it.

Performance
The audio performance of the isBW240BDL is not going to impress anyone, especially when played individually. however, they're very listenable when paired in stereo. Separation will accomplish this for you. That said, I wouldn't have been that kind at first blush.

I began testing these speakers with the controls facing me. While the stereo separation was excellent, as it should be with independent right and left speakers, Toto's "Africa" sounded lifeless and dull. I slowly rotated the speakers vertically and voila! When I reached a halfway point between the front controls and a plug in back, I was amazed! The high-end showed a noticeable increase, and the placement of different instruments in the sound field also increased. The 360 degree sound claim on the product page is slightly exaggerated.

Bass is the biggest weakness of the ISBW240bDL. The absence of a sub-bass is evident from the two seconds of Young Jeezy's Put On. What bass is present could better be described as low-mid punch. The low-end would not be considered anemic, but the thump is certainly minimal.

These speakers are suitable for casual listening during a picnic or indoor / outdoor gathering. Say, when conversation and eating are the primary focus. They're loud enough to dance to with a couple or two, but avoid bringing them to any hootenanny genre.

iLive claims 20 hours of run time at half volume, but I was only halfway to that mark when a red-light battery warning started to flash. Vendor estimates are usually a bit optimistic. After so many speakers not reaching claims, I regard the iLive's as a good performance.

Conclusion
Stereo separation can make up for a lack of super fidelity, which is largely what's going on with the ISBW240BDL combo. Whoever at iLive realized that and bundled them as a pair deserves a raise - individually, the speakers are strictly lightweight.

These speakers work well as a pair for casual listening in any setting without requiring excessive volume or a thump. So far as I am aware, there is nothing better or even comparable in the cost range. " Remember that they only work stereo when Bluetooth is on "iLive Bluetooth Speaker Review".