So the thing that they don't tell you is that LED are directional and don't give diffuse light. In order for this sunrise simulator to work, you have to be facing the box. When the box is on full strength, the light from the box doesn't even remotely light up your room not to give you the effect that it is dawn.
The box itself is extremely cheap, light plastic, which considering the height of the box is not such a good idea if you plan on using the sound alarm as well.
True Sun LLC also has ridiculous shipping prices for this box. I live a one hour drive away from them and it still cost $15 to ship the box. And now if I want to return this box, I have to pay for all the shipping costs and pay them a $20 fee to return this item. I may go there in person and tell them how I really feel about this box.
The picture is quite misleading, the box does not get that bright.
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The difficulty with this simulator is with the LED directionality, AND with the initial intensity. As the directionality was previously discussed by another reviewer, I'll talk about the intensity issue. The designers deserve some praise on the controls, as they are relatively well thought out, for the most part.
My major complaint is the turn on intensity. The SR320 employs diodes to generate the light, and there are roughly fifty or so LED's. These devices exhibit a substantial "turn on" brightness level. A cheaper (in price & quality) product called Soliel uses a simple flashlight bulb. In the soliel the incandescent light ramps up from a barely perceptible level. It is surprisingly effective. I never thought I could easily awaken to what amounts to a candle. As I had borrowed it, I thought I could find something better. The SRS320 has a great specification, and so I purchased it.
The SRS320, unfortunately, kicks in with all the LED's at their minimum power setting. The experience, for me, on the SRS320 was like being caught under stadium lighting. Particularly if you point it at the bed, the device makes for a harsh awakening. The SRS320 should have been designed to bring up the LEDs one by one, initially, then ramp the light level from there. It was a big disappointment, given the cost.
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This light does simulate a nice sunrise effect on dark winter mornings. I angle the light towards the wall, so I won't be blinded by the LED's at full brightness. Set it up for a longer sunrise period if you want it to light up gradually. Full brightness is quite bright.
The unit itself feels a little cheap, but it works well. There are lots of options for daily alarm settings, how long it takes to get bright, if you want a buzzer, etc. Unfortunately, the buttons and menu options are not intuitive and I'm forced to keep my manual nearby.
Still, it does what it says it will and I'm thankful for all the help I can get in the mornings.
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I loved this unit for the first couple of years, but for some reason, the LEDs stopped working. I knew it was past its warranty, so I asked if I could get the unit repaired at my expense. But, no repair service is available. To the manufacturer's credit, they offered me a 25% discount on a replacement unit, but the high price of the unit made it all unpalatable. Thinking over the math, I'd already spent $170 on a unit that lasted only two years ($85/year), then would have to spend another $180 * 0.75 = $135 on another unit that might only last another two years, which means it'd cost me ($170 + $135) / 4 = $76.25 per year.
That's just too much to pay when there are other brands of sunrise simulators out there that might last much, much longer.
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I bought this light box because I work in a dark environment and suffer from SAD like problems. This light box was great when I bought it, but after a couple of months, the light bulb became real dim. I am definitely not getting 10,000 LUX. And it looks like this product fizzled.
Another problem is turning it off. You have to select two different buttons to turn it off. However, this is a minor problem. My main concern with this box is the bulb became dim too soon. I realize that LED technology generally becomes dim with use, but not to the extent this bulb did. I have only had the product for four months.
This product does have a lot of features and I would say that is probably the main selling point of the product. It does everything but give you an enema :)
