05.Sound Rise II — FAQ

How to set the alarm on Sound Rise II?

There are two steps to setting the alarm on your Sound Rise II: setting the alarm time and setting the alarm mode.

Step One: Set the Alarm Time

1. Press the ALARM SET button and the alarm time will start flashing.
2. Turn the TUNE/SET knob to select your alarm time and press ENTER to confirm.
3. The alarm will go off and the ALARM ON icon will be displayed.
4. Press the ALARM ON/OFF button to turn the alarm on or off.

Usually, this step is intuitive and users can do it without reading the manual.

Step Two: Set the Alert Mode

1. Press and hold the MODE button for 2 seconds to enter the alarm mode setting, the source icons on the left will start flashing.
2. Turn the TUNE/SET knob to select the alarm sound: Bluetooth, FM Radio, or the built-in chime, and then press the ENTER button to confirm.
3. Turn the TUNE/SET knob to select the day you want the alarm to go off, and then press the ENTER button to confirm.
   a. d-1 means on Monday
   b. d-2 means on Tuesday
   c. ...
   d. d-7 means on Sunday
   e. 1-7 means on all seven days of the week
   f. 1-5 means on every five working days
   g. 6-7 means on the two weekend days
4. Turn the TUNE/SET knob to select the maximum alarm volume and press the ENTER button to confirm.

Note: By default, the maximum alarm volume is set to level 15. This means that when the alarm goes off, the alarm volume will gradually increase from level 0 to level 15. In early production batches, the maximum alarm volume can be set between [10,30], but cannot be set below 10. This is to ensure that users don't potentially miss low volume alarms. Starting with new production batches from 2025, the maximum alarm volume can be set between [1,30], which gives the user more flexibility in setting the maximum volume, but be reminded to test it before putting it into real use and not to miss any alarms due to low volume.

If you would like to see a video of how to set the alarms on your Sound Rise II, here is a YouTube video made by Jack Picks:

https://youtu.be/3o7qBoRQqsk?si=nArOE4rZnJjKOqYI

Do both the Sound Rise and Sound Rise II have dual alarms?

• Sound Rise SFQ-08 has dual alarms with weekday/weekend settings.
• Sound Rise II SFQ-16 only has a single alarm with weekday/weekend settings.

Several reviewers say they prefer the older version because of the dual alarm feature. If you're an old Soundfreaq fan and consider "dual alarm" to be an important feature in your daily life, we recommend you take a look at the Sound Rise DAB SFQ-17. Contact support@soundfreaq.com for more information.

Do both the Sound Rise and Sound Rise II have a gradually increasing volume, and how long does it increases for?

Both SKUs support progressive volume on alarm. The volume has a level of [0,30]. The user can set a maximum volume for the alarm in the range of [10,30], both inclusive. The default setting for the maximum alarm volume is 15, but the user can select any volume within the range [10,30]. As the Sound Rise II has a PROGRESSIVE WAKE-UP VOLUME design, this means that when the alarm goes off, the volume will start from 0 and gradually increase to the maximum volume set by the user within 1 minute.

Below are some examples with different maximum alarm volume settings for levels 10/20/30:

• 10: Volume gradually increases from 0 to 10 over 60 seconds
• 20: Volume gradually increases from 0 to 20 over 60 seconds
• 30: volume gradually increases from 0 to 30 over 60 seconds

It's true, however, that for existing production batches, the user cannot set this maximum volume below 10, as it would be inaudible to some users in deep sleep. Again, this is a deliberate design choice that some users don't seem to like. We have decided to remove this locking mechanism from future builds starting with 2024-07-01.

How long will the alarm go off if I don’t turn it off?

The alarm will go on for 60 minutes if without any human intervention.

Can the alarm be set on Bluetooth or aux input on both models?

• Wake up alarm sound for Sound Rise, SFQ-08: Bluetooth, FM radio, Line in or built-in chime.
• Wake up alarm sound for Sound Rise II, SFQ-16: Bluetooth, FM radio, or built-in chime, but Line-in not available.

Also I’m in Canada and it looks like I can’t purchase from your website. I will not use Amazon. Do I have an alternative?

• If the shopper purchases from our website soundfreaq.com, we are currently unable to ship to Canada. You will have to consider other options such as forwarding service.
• If the shopper purchases from Amazon.ca, there is an option for "Remote Fulfillment with FBA", which means that Amazon can ship from its fulfilment centers in the USA to Canada.

I have this nice and expensive alarm clock. I love it. I wanted to start using the AUX 3.5 mm corded headphones at night. And I can’t get any sound out of the headphones.

Thank you for being a Soundfreaq customer, and we hope you’re loving your Sound Rise II! Let’s clarify the difference between AUX IN and AUDIO OUT for your speaker:

AUX IN (Auxiliary Input): The 3.5mm jack on the back of your Sound Rise II is designed to receive audio from devices like smartphones, MP3 players, or tablets. Think of it as a “door” that lets music into the speaker. For example, with an audio cable you could plug your phone into this jack to play music through the speaker.

AUDIO OUT (Audio Output): This type of port sends audio out to headphones, external speakers, or other devices. Unfortunately, the Sound Rise II doesn’t have this feature—its 3.5mm jack is input-only. This means you can’t use it to connect wired headphones for private listening.

Key Takeaway: While AUX IN and AUDIO OUT jacks look identical, they work in opposite directions. Your speaker’s jack is strictly for receiving audio, not sending it out.

Does this make sense? Feel free to ask if you’d like further details—we’re happy to help!

Thanks again for choosing Soundfreaq.

How to set up your Sound Rise II with Bluetooth music as an alarm?

First, make sure the slide switch on the back of your clock radio is set to HM (HOME) and not accidentally set to HTL (HOTEL).

In HOME mode, you can set Bluetooth music, FM radio, or the built-in chime as the alarm sound; in HOTEL mode, you can only set the built-in chime as the alarm sound.

In order for the Bluetooth alarm to work properly, please make sure that a. you have an active music application that is not being shut down by the phone's operating system, and b. the volume levels on both your phone and the Sound Rise II are high enough. If you're still having trouble setting your Sound Rise II to play music from your phone via Bluetooth as an alarm, try the following test steps:

1. Press the POWER or PAIR button to turn on your Sound Rise II and pair it with your phone

2. Open your favorite music app, select the song you want to play as your alarm, and play the song at a moderate volume, then pause

3. Press the POWER button to turn off the Sound Rise II

4. Set an alarm (i.e. in 2 minutes) on the Sound Rise II and select Bluetooth as the alarm sound option

   4.1 Step One: Set the Alarm Time

   4.1.1. Press the ALARM SET button and the alarm time will start flashing. 4.1.2. Turn the TUNE/SET knob to select your alarm time and press ENTER to confirm. 4.1.3. The alarm will go off and the ALARM ON icon will be displayed. 4.1.4. Press the ALARM ON/OFF button to turn the alarm on or off.

   4.2 Step Two: Set the Alert Mode

   4.2.1. Press and hold the MODE button for 2 seconds to enter the alarm mode setting, the source icons on the left will start flashing. 4.2.2. Turn the TUNE/SET knob to select the alarm sound: Bluetooth, FM Radio, or the built-in chime, select Bluetooth and then press the ENTER button to confirm. 4.2.3. Turn the TUNE/SET knob to select the day you want the alarm to go off, and then press the ENTER button to confirm.
   a. d-1 means on Monday
   b. d-2 means on Tuesday
   c. ...
   d. d-7 means on Sunday
   e. 1-7 means on all seven days of the week
   f. 1-5 means on every five working days
   g. 6-7 means on the two weekend days 4.2.4. Turn the TUNE/SET knob to select the maximum alarm volume and press the ENTER button to confirm.

5. Wait and see if the music starts playing automatically when the alarm goes off

In our test suggestion above, we set an alarm that is short enough (2 minutes away) and we know for sure that the music player is still active (and not shut down by the phone's OS). This setup should work in theory, but please let us know if it does not and we will be happy to walk you through the process.