i bought these speakers as a gift for someone, i really liked the fact that you could have used it on your laptop, without having to plug it into an outlet. within the first week of using the product, she complained about a scratching noise, whenever you turned the speaker up too loudly. now the reason why i bought them in the first place, is because the speakers on her laptop are horrible, and she wanted additional volume. Now, the fact is, when you play the speakers too loudly, you hear a horrible scratching noise, which defeats the purpose for which they were bought in the fist place. in addition to which, every so often it just stops playing for no apparent reason- i am really frustrated with these speakers, and stuck with them because the return date has expired. this is a very honest opinion, coming from someone who wishes he had made another choice- dont be stuck like i am, choose another pair of speakers.