The look of the speakers blend well with our landscaping. We keep ours plugged in, the cord that goes from the main speaker to the other one is long enough, just wish it was a little longer to keep the speakers separated. Not a big deal though! They sound great and have been in several wind and heavy down pours. My laptop is about 30 to 35 feet away and has good signal...anything farther than that it goes in and out. But it works for us! I was a little disappointed when I tried to use our SmartTV, bluetooth equipped, it wouldn't locate the speakers. Just a little too far away I guess. I would recommend these, EASY to install and great to have! The loudness is loud enough to use over a bubbly hot tub and not upsetting the neighbors!