Symphony Rhapsody - traditional vibrator by Evolved Novelties - review by joja

The Symphony Rhapsody is another in a long line of versatile and well-designed Evolved Novelties toys, perhaps even my favorite. It works wonderfully as both a clitoral vibrator and a thrusting toy, is reasonably quiet and strong, and works well in the shower, especially thanks to its compatibility with silicone lube.

My absolute favorite way to use this toy is to get it nice and lubed up and slide the head up and down my clitoral shaft, allowing the toy to bend with the pressure I apply. Oh, heaven. I definitely recommend you use lube with this toy at all times, as the rubbery surface creates a lot of drag when dry. The TPR is firm enough to apply plenty of pressure, so you won't need a second hand to press the tip of the vibe if you require a lot. This vibe isn't as strong as Evolved's rigid toys on account of the vibration-stifling material, but it will definitely get the job done for most users.

For internal play, the Rhapsody has two main functions: thrusting and filling. It is definitely not a g-spot toy; though the ridges will lightly brush your g-spot during thrusting, it's simply too flexible to give the pressure required. It's relatively wide girth makes it great for those who like to feel "stuffed" during clitoral play. The ridges and slight give of the material help it stay in comfortably.

As a thrusting toy, the Rhapsody has almost everything: it's very smooth and easy to insert when lubed up, has a wide base that works wonderfully as a handle and the ridges, ohh the ridges. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice they were. Subtle enough to not be irritating, but raised enough to be felt. My only complaint is that they don't extend all the way to the head, which is where I usually prefer the most texture.

The Rhapsody is made of thermoplastic rubber (TPR), which is latex- and phthalates-free. It has a light smell right out of the box (likely due to the foam in which it sits), but it quickly dissipates with use. It tastes slightly of rubber, is rubbery to the touch when dry, and beautifully smooth when lubed up. The one thing I dislike about this material is that it is a lint magnet from hell - anyone with pets will soon know the joy of picking hair after hair off their beautiful toy, no matter how airtight the box seems to be. It doesn't help that the foam inside the original box itself is quite linty.

The body of the toy has a lovely amount of give, just enough to enjoy the squishy feeling without being too floppy to apply external pressure. The texture can definitely be felt during play, but is not so extreme as to be uncomfortable. My labia often get irritated with toys that have texture that extends to the base, but not with this one. I think it would be great for light texture lovers or as an introduction to textured toys.

The one thing that really makes the Symphony line stand out from other Evolved toys is the handle. There have been many complaints about Evolved's push-button vibrators, as the buttons could very easily be accidentally pressed. I have found the new larger, more pointed base of the Rhapsody virtually eliminates this problem. It works wonderfully as a handle during internal use. The button remains safe at the tip while my fingers rest on the edges.

I tend to go for smaller toys and found the Rhapsody's girth a little too much for me at times. I'd much prefer a slimmer girth that gets gradually larger from base to tip, instead of the opposite. If the head were more pronounced and the threading continued to the tip, this toy would be just about perfect.

The Rhapsody has three vibration speeds that get progressively more "buzzy" from low to high. The toy's material tends to dampen vibrations, so they don't travel well through the shaft. It is quieter than rigid vibes, but also less strong - I felt little difference between the medium and high setting, leaving a little more power to be desired. Though the toy is still pretty quiet overall (can be heard through covers, but definitely not through a closed door or in the shower). The motor will occasionally get louder under pressure, especially on the highest setting.

The vibe is operated with a simple push button control that cycles through each vibration before turning off. It's a bit harder to push than older Evolved toys, which combined with the new pointed base makes it much harder to accidentally change settings.

Like most Evolved toys, the Rhapsody comes in a lovely tin complete with a window view of the toy inside. The Rhapsody's tin is somewhat larger than other Evolved toys, at 10" l x 4.75" w x 2.5" h. The toy comes in a removable foam insert that leaves plenty of room for other toys, lube, condoms, or anything else you'd like to keep in it.

The Rhapsody is made of thermoplastic rubber, which is compatible with both water- and silicone-based lube. It can be easily cleaned with soap and warm water or baby wipes. Unfortunately, TPR is a somewhat porous material, and cannot be sterilized.