I didn’t expect this to be as sensitive as it was, but as soon as I took it out of the package and plugged it in, it was very, very receptive to sound (even just from us talking). I was a little surprised and really like that. The biggest consideration is that the lights are exposed like little computer chips (not encased like a light rope) and you’re instructed not to get it wet. Having said that I first tested it out in my kitchen and had no problems. It comes with a little remote to change the colors and variations. It would be great for use with media, like a computer or TV monitor, for gaming and music, but we’ve decided to use it in our rec room and it adds a really fun element to our games table.