Soundpeats Space
Intro
Hello readers, today I am reviewing the all new Soundpeats Space from the wireless gurus “Soundpeats”. Up to this point I’ve reviewed a number of Soundpeats True Wireless devices and also Air Conduction “On-Ear” style headsets as well. Each device doing exactly as they are promoted to do and each displaying near “top in class” sound quality and functionality. Soundpeats wonderful rep kindly asks if I want to review their devices and the answer is always a resounding “yes”. Of course I do. Each review I find myself trying to come up with new ways to say that their products have fantastic price-to-performance. After a while it gets a bit repetitive. I suppose what I’m getting at is… I feel somewhat like a broken record folks. Also, I would think there are much worse problems that one could have. Also, thank you Soundpeats.
So yes, I’ve reviewed a number of Soundpeats products and like I said, each has its own claim to be one of the better devices of its respective kind in each one’s respective price points. However, I have never reviewed a Soundpeats set of Over-Ear Cans before. Now that I think of it, have Soundpeats ever crafted over-ears prior to this model? At any rate, I am thrilled to check this set out and spend quality time with them. Here is a list of some of the review items I’ve covered from Soundpeats, for your reference:
–Opera 05 (Mahir’s review)
Space
Back to the Space. From the outset the Space promises some nifty tech Housed within the beautiful chassis. A couple highlights include 40mm DD, 35db ANC attenuation, pass-thru, 65 ms low-latency mode, BT 5.3, a gargantuan 123 hours of battery life, and multi-point connectivity etc. I don’t want to run down the whole list, but this is all good stuff which makes this reviewer quite happy. Folks, I’m kind of ready to get this set of cans on my ears and begin testing them out. So, without further ado… The Soundpeats Space…
Non-Affiliated Purchasing links and deal:
Space 30% Off Deal
– Limited Time: Feb. 22 to Mar.15
– Checkout Price: $48.99
– 20% page coupon +10% code: SPACE4PR
– US Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CK128QP7
Space Pros
-Build Quality is fantastic using quality materials for the price
-The design is simply dope
-Ridiculous 123 hrs battery life / 65 hrs with ANC
-Actually great low-latency mode
-ANC is extremely good
-Soundpeats App
-Ability to listen on wired as well
-Very fun and warm sound with smooth textures
-Very musical
-Nice expansive stage
Space Cons
-Wired mode sounds muffled and veiled
-Lacks treble sparkle and airiness
-Cannot swap out pads
-Some sort of a carrying pouch would’ve been nice (not really a con)
-Call quality is only decent
Gear used for testing
-Shanling M6 Ultra
-Aful SnowyNight (dongle-dac for wired mode)
-Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Packaging / Accessories
Unboxing
There isn’t a whole lot to share here. Upon receiving the Space, I found a pretty large box sitting at my front door. The box is white and has a picture of the “cream-colored” Space on the front along with some specs scattered all around the box. Once you open the lid, you’ll see the gorgeous Space sitting pretty staring back at you and nestled nicely inside of some soft foam cut-outs. In my case I saw the beautiful cream color. Under the foam is another box with some accessories. Not the greatest bounty of items but I also wasn’t expecting much to begin with. There is one 3.5 to 3.5 auxiliary wire for wired listening as well as a USB type C charging cable, and a manual. Not bad for the price but I also wish there was a carrying pouch of some sort. Not that it’s a big deal or anything as I have plenty of them strewn around the house. Okay, under my bed hidden and out of the view of my wife.
Build / Design / Internals / Fit
Build Quality
I don’t know how Soundpeats does it, but they seem to take ordinary materials and make them feel extremely well built and solid. This is how I feel about the Space. The entire unit (besides the band) is crafted from a hard plastic, not cheap feeling, chinsy or weak. They added a durable aluminum band to help the sturdiness of the Space. They added a very soft memory foam headband rest for the top of your head which is covered in a soft faux-leather material. The pads are also memory foam with the same faux leather. They are very soft but also have enough rigidity to seal around the ears. I find the Space pads have good clasping strength, not too much and not too little. The pads also are foldable which is a nice touch. You’ll find the buttons on each side at the cup bottom along with a type-c charging port (left side) and the 3.5 auxiliary port (right side). Also, at the bottom you’ll notice the microphone with a nice metal grill. All things considered, for $79 the Space feels durable and reasonably robust. I certainly have no complaints.
Design
I love the look of this set. Especially the cream-colored pair. However, the Space comes in white, cream, and black. Truthfully, I think each colorway looks pretty slick. Aesthetics is something that Soundpeats excels at folks. They always design their products with a touch of elegance and class, but also modern and hip. It’s a tough line to walk but Soundpeats always seems to nail the design. On each cup you’ll see the Soundpeats logo which is a different color for each colorway. Also on the inside of each cup are big left and right-side markers in the form of an ‘L’ and a ‘R’. Friends, the entire aesthetic is so dope! This is coming from someone who much rather prefers in-ear style earphones. I actually used the Space out and about a lot because they actually look, well… Awesome.
Internals
Soundpeats decided to go with a large 40mm driver of unknown material. I will update this review if I can manage to find out this info. I’ll cover the battery in a later section, but Soundpeats does have a massive battery in deck internally. They also went with a talented Bluetooth SOC chip, the JL7081F6. This chip allows Bluetooth 5.3, multi-point, ANC, and a host of other functions. However, it best serves the Space with outstanding connectivity. But I will cover that later. For now, that’s about it for Internals that I have info on.
Your breathing SPACE is right here
Soundpeats Promotional
With cutting-edge 40mm dynamic drivers, SOUNDPEATS SPACE Over-ear Headphones deliver crystal-clear stereo sound and punch bass that brings your musical breathing space to life. For audiophiles seeking the pinnacle of sound quality, switch to Hi-Res mode with the inner cable connection.
Fit / Comfort
Now we get to one of the most important variables in any Over-Ear review, and that is the comfort. I mentioned earlier the memory foam headband, the memory foam cups, each with soft faux leather covering them. There is just enough of a softness to really drive the comfort for long periods. Folks, I’ve had these on my head for a crazy number of hours and the only thing that ever forces them off is when they get too warm. That’s it. That’s also expected too. Like I stated earlier the Space band offers nice clasping strength to help the seal around the ear. Again, not too much and not too little. Truly, I believe that fit and comfort are one of the benefits of this set and certainly are a “pro” in my book.
Specifications
–Core Specs
Bluetooth: V5.3
Profiles: A2DP/AVCTP/AVDTP/AVRCP/HFP/HID
Chipset: JL7018F6
Supported Bluetooth Codec: AAC/SBC
–Battery
Battery Capacity: 1000mAh
Headphone Charging Time: 2 hours
Charging Port: Type-C
Playtime Time: 123 hours
–What’s in the Box
SOUNDPEATS SPACE Over-ear Headphones
Type-C Charging Cable
User Manual
–Package
Headphone Weight: 264g
Control Type: Button
Features
SOC Chipset
I’ve already made you all aware that Soundpeats did decide to go with a fine chipset on hand in the JL7081F6 SOC chip. I know almost nothing about this chip other than what I see from the Space. There really isn’t any info online that I’ve been able to drum up. I can tell you that it does allow fantastic connectivity through Bluetooth 5.3. I really mean this folks, I am so impressed with the strength of this SOC Chipset. Never have I had even one connection issue. Connection ability is supposed to extend 50 feet (not that I’ve checked this) too. Now, the JL7081F6 SOC chip only allows AAC, SBC and LC3 (only BT 5.2 and above devices for LC3) Bluetooth audio codecs but to be honest I found using AAC was wonderful on both Android and IOS devices. This chipset allows multi-point connectivity between multiple devices, a fantastic ANC mode, low latency among other features.
ANC / Transparency Mode
One huge “Pro” about the Soundpeats Space is its ability to cancel out noise using the onboard ANC. I found the ANC to be extremely good. Through the unit itself, you can toggle between a few different modes. By short pressing the left side button once you can cycle through transparency mode or “pass-through” as the wonderful voice calls it, anc mode, and normal mode. However, if you go into the Soundpeats App you can actually choose either “indoor” or “outdoor” anc modes. You can also use the app to toggle between pass through and normal mode as well.
How do they work
Like I said, the ANC is no joke. I find it attenuates most noises very well but excels at somewhat canceling out low pitch noises like the hum of an AC unit or a fan, the sound of a motor, stuff like that. There is also a nice blanket sound isolation for some higher frequency noises but nothing which will surprise you. I think by now we know that they will never cancel everything out but simply attenuate the sounds. I really feel that Soundpeats has nailed this tech folks. The Space does a fantastic job without changing the overall sound quality too much which is a great asset as many ANC devices do. Many times, they will over-saturate the low frequencies to help block outside noises. This is just a gimmick though. Soundpeats instead just has a good functioning ANC and doesn’t prescribe to trickery. I think you’ll be surprised, friends.
Transparency or pass-thru mode is a bit of a mixed bag. It certainly works as Intended but you won’t find pass-thru mode as good on cans as you will with in-ears (my opinion). However, the Space has a fairly natural sounding pass-thru. It isn’t tinny or metallic like so many devices and you can hear your outside environment fairly well.
Step into serenity with SPACE
Soundpeats Promotional
With Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation, SPACE Bluetooth Headphones reduce ambient noise by up to 35 dB. Immerse yourself in your private world, escape the chaos, and enjoy the perfect balance of tranquility and awareness, all at the touch of a button.
Low-latency mode / Game mode
Using the Soundpeats app you can toggle game mode very easily. However, much easier is to simply enforce this mode on the device itself. By pressing the “power” button three times you can both enter as well as exit game mode. I found the game mode does very well for movies. Of course, I cannot measure latency, but Soundpeats promotional materials state that the Space can get as low as 65 milliseconds, which is basically perfect lip syncing. Nobody on planet earth can discern 65 milliseconds. Now, for gaming I found that the Space had fantastic latency with one caveat: first-person shooters. Any FPS game I found there was the slightest (and I do mean slightest) lag. That lag only happened sporadically. I found when I was playing with alot of commotion going on around me it would occur the most. Of course, this is expected folks. Every low-latency Bluetooth device performs the same, pretty much. All things considered; the Space has a fantastic game mode.
Multi-Point Connection
I have to 100% honest with you all. Please forgive me. I did not use the multi-point connection ability of this set. I simply had no need for it. However, the Space does allow you to pair to two devices at once. I have used this functionality in the past on other devices and when I needed it, it’s awesome. I’m glad Soundpeats adds this ability to the Space, but I simply don’t use it for anything now. I wish I would’ve checked it out more for review purposes, but I did not. I will edit this review when I get the Space back from my son… Lol.
Soundpeats App
One enormous benefit to any Soundpeats product is the fact that they have a great app for either Android or IOS which can do a whole host of operations. You can update firmware, check battery info, run through the customized EQ settings, the preset EQs and also use the adaptive EQ (more on those later) as well as toggle ANC modes and game modes. I cannot begin to tell you how nice this is folks. Not every Bluetooth device has this ability, and it is noticeable when they don’t. I have always praised the simplicity of Soundpeats App and the ease of use that it offers. Nice work once again Soundpeats! Let’s look at the EQ functionality.
Equalization
Like I said, the Soundpeats app lets you really address any sound changes that you’d like. One thing which is nice is the “Preset EQ” settings. In the app you have a total of nine “preset” settings which carry their own flavor to the sound. You can also run through the “Adaptive EQ” which runs through an algorithm to change the sound to suit your own personal hearing capabilities. I honestly don’t really like this function although I know many folks do. I simply can’t get it right for whatever reason. At any rate, the test lasts about a minute. Get to a quiet place and the app will play tones in different frequencies to test your hearing ability. This will help the algorithm dictate what the best listening experience suits you. Again, I don’t use it but you may. Next is my favorite feature in the app and that is the “Customized EQ”. Yes sir! Soundpeats has a total of 10 bands from 31hz all the way to 16khz. Without question I play with this. It is very nice to have as the settings that you change actually save to the Space for use with any app and any device. It’s very useful. Please remember though, I didn’t use the customized EQ for the sound portion of the review. I instead used the Soundpeats Classic preset setting.
Battery Life
This is another huge “Pro” and actually a big selling point. The Soundpeats Space offers a ridiculous 123 hours of battery life without ANC enabled. With ANC you still get a whopping 61 hours. It’s a little silly folks! 123 hours is getting comedic it’s so long! You also get 12 hours off of a simple 10-minute quick charge if you deplete the battery. Are you amazed yet? Just silly. I still have yet to drain this battery and I’ve had them for about a month. Okay I did charge them a couple times but still, I am so impressed! Another huge benefit to the battery is its ability to “fast charge”. Granted, you rarely have to use this feature but it’s a great feature all the same. The battery is quite great and once again it’s a huge selling feature.
No more charging anxiety, here is your safe SPACE
Soundpeats Promotional
Experience unparalleled freedom with an impressive 123 hours of playtime on a single charge. Activate the Active Noise Cancellation mode for an extended 61 hours of immersive audio bliss. Need a quick boost? Charge for just 10 minutes and enjoy 12 hours of uninterrupted use.
Controls
I’ve already covered some of the controls, but I’ll run through them again. You’ll notice each side (left & right) cup has buttons underneath. Well, actually you have one button for toggling ANC/Pass-thru/Normal mode on the left by short clicking. However, on the right side you have a total of three buttons which allow you to control everything right from the Space itself. You have two volume buttons (+/-) as well as a power button. By tapping the power button once you can play or pause your music or answer and hang up calls. You can reject calls by short pressing the power button for 1.5 seconds. To change tracks, you need to long press the volume up or volume down buttons. Switch between two calls happens by short pressing the power button twice. Enter into “Pairing Mode” by simultaneously long pressing the volume up and volume down buttons for 5 seconds. Activate your phone’s personal assistant by short pressing the power button twice. Lastly, enter “Gaming Mode” by triple short pressing the power button. I love that Soundpeats made sure to give all functionality the ability to change on the Space itself, to me this is a huge feature that I’m thankful for.
Call quality
This brings us to call quality and the Space’s ability to reproduce the sound of a voice over a phone call to other folks. If I found any slight issue with the Space, then this is one of them. I found the actual sound of a voice to come across a hint tinny. I used the Space on a number of occasions for phone calls and every time I was told I sounded a bit veiled over. After recording my own voice, I was able to hear that indeed I did sound a hint veiled and somewhat metallic sounding. This is an area that Soundpeats usually nails which was a bit surprising. However, call quality also probably isn’t the most important aspect of a set of Bluetooth headphones. Also, it isn’t… “that bad”. It doesn’t turn people away in disgust… Lol. Simply a hair tinny and not as natural as most Soundpeats products. Nothing which takes the value away from this awesome unit.
Sound Impressions
Note: most sound impressions were conducted over Bluetooth using the AAC codec through Uapp on Android and listening to mainly flac or better files stored on my devices.
Warm/Engaging
Now we get to the most important part of this review. Granted, that’s debatable, but I would think it’s the most important. After all, we purchase these products primarily for music purposes. Thankfully, sound quality is one thing the Space really excels at. Over Bluetooth and using the “Soundpeats Classic” preset EQ, I found that the Space has a warmer slight V-shaped sound across the mix. The tonal color is warmer than anything with emphasis in the mid-bass as well as the upper midrange to a degree. I found the sound to be very smooth across the board with an easy listening and fatigue-free style that is quite engaging. The Space is certainly not an analytical type set as note weight is thicker, flattened and smooth with decent density to notes. Like I said, this is not analytical, dry, or ultra detailed. This set commands musicality first and everything else is a far and distant second. The soundstage is very wide, height is actually very nice too and there’s some nice depth. I really like how the Space creates a nice sound field with texture and a creamy smoothness throughout the midrange. This is an organic and almost analog sounding set of Bluetooth headphones folks. I’m liking what I’m hearing for $79.
Bass Region
The low-end comes across moderately boosted with a mid-bass emphasis. Obviously, you can easily go into the Soundpeats App and change any of the EQ settings, but I found the bass to have a good emphasis as-is out of the box. They’ll thump when they need to thump, and they have good solidity to bass notes for a set of over-ears. I find the bass to balance nice with the rest of the mix and so it isn’t over saturated or too forward. Really, it’s just right in my opinion and EQ can dial it into your particular preferences whenever you’d like.
Bass cont…
The sub-bass doesn’t have the greatest extension in the world but is good for a set of cans at this price. Certainly not like some in-ear earphones but satisfying enough. Not to say that over-ears can’t have great extension because they certainly can. However, EQ does help to get the sound more guttural and haptic in its vibratory feel. The mid-bass does well to accentuate kick-drums with a hollow boom and gives bass guitar a nice grunt and decent fullness. The bass as a whole is warm, less hard edged and softer on attack. Transient decay is on the atmospheric side and so you do get that nice completion to each note. Granted the warmth and smoothness doesn’t really define like some more precise over-ears. The nice thing is that the Space can replay many genres very well in this region with adequate rumble and boom and plenty of impactful kick when needed. Timbre is nice but it is colored quite a bit so keep that in mind. This is a fun bass before anything else.
Wired listening
You will see these smaller sections for wired listening which Soundpeats refers to as “Hi-Res”. To be 100% honest, I didn’t like the wired sound. It is almost too full, too warm, less defined, and less expedient in transient abilities down low. The bass on wired mode simply overtakes the entire mix in an umbrella style veil. Extremely warm and much softer on attack. There is good density, but the note definition suffers. I’d stick with Bluetooth using the onboard SOC chip’s DSP sound settings.
Midrange
The mids are smooth from the lower-mids thru to the upper-midrange. With its smooth textures and lush note weight I don’t find the Soundpeats Space to be a real detail monster. It simply isn’t that. The Space is made for easy listening, perfect for casual enjoyment. I also find the midrange is perfect for movie watching, adding an emotional tinge to everything I listened to. Again, nothing even remotely dry of papery. This midrange is soft noted and smooth with a warmness which pervades every track I listened to. Note weight has thickness to it as the entire midrange offers a certain fullness to my music. I usually prefer a clean, transient tight and forward midrange with lean-lush note weight and a defined and dense note structure. That said, I grew to thoroughly enjoy the Space with its non-offensive sound that adapts well to many genres. .
Midrange cont…
Note weight is thicker in the low-mids due to a certain bass encroachment into this area. I found that this didn’t hurt the sound all that much, although it does produce a slight warm veil over the mix. No issue as Soundpeats hit their target on this one. You see, this warm, weighted, lush and engaging style of midrange is exactly what they got. Again, you can always EQ which does change up the sound pretty nicely. Male vocals come across dense and authoritative, although slightly recessed against the canopy of the rest of the frequency as well. Female vocals on the other hand have a touch more levity to them with a more forward presentation than their male counterparts. Most females have very nice timbre, and I never came across anything even close to shouty during the month-long duration of my listening. Instruments all have that warm coloration to them which can be a good thing, and a not so good thing, depending on your listening preferences. Vocals are buttery and charming with a delightfully emotional and an alluring quality to them. Fantastic for a Bluetooth device.
Wired listening
Again, I will basically repeat what I said in the bass section. The sound on wired becomes far too veiled and overcast in a thick and warm coloration that seems to blur all note outlines with a congested type of note definition. Now, some folks actually love this type of sound and so I cannot say it is a complete loss, but I can say that I most certainly feel the Bluetooth sound quality greatly trumps listening with over wired.
Treble Region
The treble is one of the most non-offensive treble regions I’ve heard in quite some time. There is most certainly a non-fatiguing roll-off. Granted, I cannot confirm this with any frequency graph, but I can confirm this with what I hear. Some harmonics are missing in the upper treble, but I don’t think this is a huge loss. I believe all Bluetooth devices are created to EQ and I found that EQ’ing does help to a degree. Now, it won’t all of a sudden turn your Space Headphones into a treble heads dream, but it will bring some added levity.
Using the Soundpeats Classic preset, the treble once again takes on the warmer and more easily digestible sound profile. This is not the type of treble that will draw out every micro-details. Separation isn’t clean lined and apparent. Instead, the Space holds tight to that fatigue-free musicality that really is very engrossing. There is some bite to treble notes and a very good and robust note body for treble notes, especially in the lower treble area. Again, the treble won’t uplift or illuminate the whole of the sound to the point of brilliance, but it will counter the bass region enough to not come across as too dark or muddy.
Wired listening
When listening using the 3.5 auxiliary port on my devices I once again found this method to be the worse of the two styles. Bluetooth certainly has a more open sound in comparison. There is this pervasive warmth that actually makes the treble very dark. Unfortunately, you cannot EQ over wired through the app and so it is advisable to use an app like Wavelet or Poweramp Equalizer to bring up the treble region if wired listening is your preference.
Technicalities
Soundstage
The soundstage is one of the benefits to listening using over-ears and that benefit remains in the Soundpeats Space. The soundstage has expansive width and very nice height. I was immediately impressed with the very wide and tall replay of my music library. There is some depth too though it isn’t as obvious as the width. The depth is there though you won’t be able to perfectly discern layers to that depth. However, I do hear the front to back distinction within the sound which is all I really need for casual listening. The stage size is also fantastic for movie watching which was something that I did often with the Soundpeats Space on my ears.
Separation / Imaging
This is an area that the Space has a bit more of an issue with. I would say that separation of elements on an imaginary stage comes across decently. Certainly not plain awful. That said, when listening to congested tracks or complicated tracks the separation is definitely not as noticeable. All that said, please remember that the Space is not tuned to be a technical wizard. This set wasn’t designed to be an analytical king. This set was tuned for casual enjoyment with a penchant for musicality and without a chance at any harshness. It’s smooth, thickly weighted, emotionally charged and not as crisp and transient swift.
Detail Retrieval
Everything I said in the last section I would also say here. There are some macro-details present, but micro-details won’t rise to the surface as easily. The sound simply isn’t tailored for detail retrieval. This is not a bad thing as not everyone wants such a tuning. In fact, by-n’-large I feel that most consumers simply want something that has some musicality and sounds fun without any worry for harshness. Despite all this I also don’t feel that all details are smoothed over completely either. They are there but have a much harder time the more complicated a track gets. I don’t mind this at all. I would hate to lose the signature melodious tuning just for some pesky detail retrieval. Again, you can EQ a little bit of luminosity up top and bring the bass down a bit which will give way to better detail retrieval if that is what you are after.
Is it worth the asking price?
I can answer this question fairly quickly with a very confident and concise…absolutely! Without question the Soundpeats Space is worth the asking price. The only reason the Space would not be worth the amount is if you simply don’t enjoy over-ears. There isn’t exactly an enormous amount of Bluetooth cans sporting all the attributes that the Space offers. They just do so much, and they do so much… so well. However, like everything in the market, not everything will be for everybody. So, please keep in mind that the answer to this question is only my opinion. It’s an opinion formed over a long period of time with hours of usage, but it is an opinion.
The Why…
So, for all those folks who enjoy Bluetooth over-ear headphones and desire over-ears I would first steer your attention to the build quality of the Soundpeats Space. It’s very durable and solid feeling in hand. The materials used look and feel about as premium as $79 will get you. Soundpeats seemed to really dial in the structural Integrity of this unit. Also, the appearance is one of my favorite aspects about the Soundpeats Space. They are so sweet looking. I especially like the cream color that I have but all three colorways are so well thought out as there’s this slick looking elegance that I find great. The ANC works very well, they have multi-point, latency is extremely low, and from my perspective, every single function that I’ve used on the Space works very well. Soundpeats have had plenty of time to perfect their craft and I think they’ve certainly done so on the Space. However, the real worth of any audio device will always come down to its sound. Of course, this sound signature has to agree with you. However, if you enjoy a warmer, more musical sound, and a sound that has good dynamism with a more fun sound then I feel the Space is a no brainer. Especially at the sales price. I’ll just drop that one more time here:
Space 30% Off Deal
– Limited Time: Feb. 22 to Mar.15
– Checkout Price: $48.99
– 20% page coupon +10% code: SPACE4PR
– US Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CK128QP7
Conclusion
To conclude my full written review of the Soundpeats Space I have to again thank the great people of Soundpeats, namely… Ellen. Thank you for your kindness and generosity. Soundpeats has always been a “class act” at all times. So, thank you very much. To anyone & everyone who took the time to read this review and I do hope it helps you to make a purchasing decision and I thank you very much.
I am very happy with the Space as they are a nice addition to my collection. I do personally recommend the Soundpeats Space to anyone seeking a pair of Bluetooth headphones under $100. However, I want to implore you all to seek out other reviews from other perspectives. Audio devices are so very diverse, the consumers purchasing those devices are diverse, and the reviewers giving their opinions are just as diverse as well. We are all different folks. It would help you out quite a bit to anyone curious about this set to check out those “other” perspectives to help you to make a good purchasing decision that makes sense for your life. With that, I thank you for reading and I do hope it helps. Please take good care, stay as safe as possible and always…God Bless!