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Andyj
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- Review count80
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- First reviewAugust 5, 2016
- Last reviewApril 24, 2023
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.6
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- Answer count6
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- First answerOctober 16, 2018
- Last answerNovember 13, 2019
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AORUS 15 redefines high-end gaming laptops. Combining powerful performance and mobility with the latest 13th Gen Intel Core Processor H-Series and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptop GPUs, powered by NVIDIA DLSS 3, ultra-efficient Ada Lovelace arch, and Max-Q Technologies. The high refresh gaming panel with a high screen-to-body ratio, enables gamers to be immersed in high-quality visuals similar to a movie theater or top-tier e-sports room.
Customer Rating
5
A surprisingly capable mid-range gaming laptop
on April 24, 2023
Posted by: Andyj
The hard drive is a bit on the small side. I only had enough room to install a couple of AAA titles at once before running out of drive space. Hopefully, I cover enough below with the games I did test to help make an informed decision on this model.
One of the games tested was Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. I was able to turn on DLSS and use the Best Quality preset for the game. I ran a short test flight, keeping an eye out for any stuttering with the graphics, but didn’t see any at all. The game ran very smooth, from takeoff to landing, with no noticeable issues with the scenery loading. I mention this, because I have watched other computers struggle with having the graphics turned up and normally end up trading framerates for picture quality.
Another title that I was able to play for a little while was Atomic Heart, which fully supports DLSS 3.0. I was also able to run this game with DLSS set to Best Quality. As I played through the game and moved around throughout the environment, not only was the gameplay smooth, but the graphics were amazing, especially the reflections on the different types of surfaces and materials. There were practically no loading times as I played on.
Both games used all 8GB of system memory while running, but I never realized any performance issues because of this.
The 144Hz HD display has pretty good picture quality, whether it be for gaming, or otherwise. It gave a smooth presentation while gaming. I didn’t notice any excessive backlight bleeding on this display panel. I also tested the HDMI 2.1 output and was able to output 4k@30Hz w/o HDR and 1920x1080@120Hz w/ HDR. It seems the GPU just doesn’t support higher refresh rates at 4k and feels like a hardware limitation from Nvidia and not Gigabyte.
The fans were able to draw heat away efficiently from the laptop without being overwhelmingly noisy. The RGB light on the keyboard, as well as underneath the display are a nice touch and are customizable using Gigabyte’s Control Center software. The fan speeds are adjustable and have some built-in presets and an AI mode to optimize the system for gaming, content creation and general use to name several.
The overall design of the laptop is nice, with a seemingly metal lid, but both the top and bottom of the laptop are fingerprint magnets. There are ample USB connections on the laptop to hook up just about anything you might need.
To be honest, I didn’t expect much from this model with its specifications. However, I was quite surprised at how well it ran these resource intensive games almost effortlessly. It goes without saying that older games should run well on this, with its current generation of Intel CPU (i5-13500H) and Nvidia GPU (RTX 4050 6GB).
I wish it had more internal storage space and system memory, but it does surprisingly well with this configuration.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Designed to help you feel your best, do your best with the HP M27h FHD Monitor. You do you with elevated comfort and crisp visuals~all in a mindful form factor for an inspo-worthy desk.
Posted by: Andyj
The HP M27h monitor is incredibly thin. The base of the monitor does not waste any desk space because it is flat and nearly flush to the surface it’s on. I was able to place a keyboard, with its feet up, right up against the bottom of it.
After adjusting some of the monitor settings, I was able to get a picture I was comfortable with. The monitor controls, while easily accessible on the right underside of the monitor, are laid out in such a way that is a little awkward to use at first.
I found the color accuracy to be exceptionally good, whether it be looking at colorful online videos such as demos, web browsing or even gaming. The monitor itself has plenty of screen real estate at 27”. I found that with that size, that everything was clear and comfortable to see smaller details without straining your eyes.
The HP monitor sports a 5ms response time and a 75Hz refresh rate. I could not discern any noticeable amount of screen or input lag. While I would not exactly call this a gaming monitor, I also would not say it can’t. I have used monitors like this for gaming over the years and find that they hold their own.
The HP M27h is a good all-around monitor, with a stylish thin design, a nice crisp, large, colorful display to go with it. I would recommend it to any person looking for a nice HD monitor with plenty of screen that will not break the bank. It’s as easy on the eyes as it is on your wallet.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Experience breathtaking 8K video and immersive 3D audio with our new 7.2-channel 8K receiver. Enjoy space-filling sound from your 7.2 or 5.2.2 setup with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. It~s easy to enjoy all your content with Works with SONOS, Chromecast Built-in, Apple AirPlay, and Spotify Connect~all via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
Posted by: Andyj
I’ve been an A/V receiver and wired speaker person throughout my life. This is my first Sony receiver, and so far, I’m not disappointed. Setting it up was fairly simple. My current TV is a Sony XB-55X90J that supports HDMI 2.1 and 4k@120Hz. In addition, my TV supports EARC, which allows me to control some of the AN1000 settings through the TV menus.
I am currently using 7 Sony Core series speakers in a 5.0.2 channel setup. My front speakers are the Sony SSCS3 Floor standing speakers, with the matching SSCSE Atmos enabled speakers sitting on top. My center channel is the Sony SSCS8 and my rear speakers are the Sony SSCS5. I have an open living room area in an apartment that doesn’t follow a traditional box design. While I also own the Sony SA-CS9 subwoofer, I did not use it for testing.
I’ve watched a number of movies supporting a wide variety of audio formats of which I have yet to see the AN1000 fail to play properly. The sound quality is incredibly clean and precise with no real EQ tweaking needed to get crisp clean sound out of the speakers.
I’ve listened to a number of musical formats with various streaming services and found the Sony to be lacking nowhere in terms of sound reproduction with everything sounding precise as the original recording,
The AN1000 supports a feature that I personally haven’t come across before on an A/V receiver. It has the ability to pair Bluetooth (headphones, earbuds, etc.) to it and when enabled and connected, you can have your own private listening mode, with the volume turned up even more if you want. When Bluetooth is configured in this mode, it disables the speakers automatically.
The 360 Spatial sound mapping was fairly easy to configure with the included microphone and stand. The calibration process was straightforward and mainly requires you to pick your speaker configuration before it runs. I feel that there was a noticeable difference after running this calibration for 360 spatial sound and enabling it. It adds a new depth to not just music, but to movies as well.
Overall, there is nothing to complain about with the Sony STR-AN1000 as it’s a extremely capable current and next gen AV receiver, supporting practically all major formats and even 8k@60Hz video. I was looking to upgrade from my older receiver and this was just right for me. I couldn’t be more thrilled with how it sounds and performs.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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From simple tweaks to advanced artistic options and adjustments, it~s never been easier to create photos you~ll love to share. Bring motion to your photos with Adobe Sensei AI*, add peek-through overlays, and showcase your photos with new collage and slideshow templates. Plus, go beyond your desktop with new web and mobile companion apps (English-only beta), and enjoy faster installation and performance plus Apple M1 chip support. You~ll find all your photo essentials in this easy picture editor.
Customer Rating
5
A great tool for photo management and editing
on December 8, 2022
Posted by: Andyj
I have a massive library of images, from my cell phone, DSLR photography, scans etc. I unfortunately have many duplicate photos after trying to manage everything for the past 13 years. What really drew me to Adobe Photoshop Elements was its ability to catalog all 120.000 images across all my drives. I have tried other applications to manage my library and try to clean it up, but most of these other programs crash after running out of memory, sometimes losing all your progress.
I was able to import everything into Photoshop Elements 2023 through their Organizer tool that is found once you launch the program. It can take a while to catalog everything, then creating thumbnails, while also scanning faces that you can choose to add tags to, such as a name for example. As you can imagine, a library of this size takes quite a while to process and once you have done this, you can easily select any photo in your library to apply the array of filters and other tools available through their Photo Editor portion of the software.
I’m not big on editing my photos, but there aren’t too many reputable companies that make a solid product to catalog very large photo collections and then offer an easy way to edit them. Just peeking around though the Photo Editor, there are an array of drawing tools, picture filters and some other advance guided tools for more difficult things, like removing an object or person from an existing photo. I’ve used this software on several computers, most of which have at least 32GB of RAM and at least 8 cores or more. I have cataloged files from SSDs and HDDs, and drive speed really makes a difference for this initial step and how long it will take to catalog.
I have found that Adobe Photoshop Elements 2023 is a robust and capable program to handle most, if not all my photo management and editing needs. I may not be the typical Photoshop user, but it’s nice to be able to find potentially misplaced images that are scattered across multiple sources and be able to edit or delete them with ease.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The self-charging adidas RPT-02 SOL headphones are built in part from recycled plastics* and are designed to endure the everyday challenges of an active lifestyle. Using light as the ultimate source of energy, you're offered all the playtime you need to keep the music going. Taking time to recharge or gearing up for a workout, these sport headphones are powered by light to power your performance.*51% of the product consists of plastic of which 87% is post consumer recycled PC-ABS and recycled nylon (excluding plastics in electronic components)
Posted by: Andyj
I’d like to start off my review by mentioning that the entire packaging, from the outer box to the wrapping paper material the headphones come in is all paper recyclable. Considering that the Headphones themselves are built with post-consumer recycled plastics and other ecofriendly materials.
Unlike many other headphones these can be charged with light because they are solar powered. The entire top of the headband is where the light is absorbed, and the app can tell you how much light they are getting and whether it’s enough to charge them or not. The app also controls some EQ presets or lets you customize your own sound to your liking. These headphones feel like they can take a drop and not really break.
The underside of the headband is and the earpads are fabric, which feel quite comfortable after wearing them for long periods of time. The controls that are built in are quite simple too. On the left side, there is a button to check the light levels to charge them. On the right side is a combo button/joystick to power on the RPT-02 SOLs as well as adjust volume and I thin you can skip tracks too.
Oh, and if you don’t get a lot of direct sunlight every day, then yes, you can charge them with a USB Type C cable (not included, but available if requested). I’ve only charged them once to full capacity this way and have yet to have the battery drop under 90%.
Last but not least, these actually sound good for sport headphones. Form and functionality are found in these Bluetooth headphones that can run for up to 80 hours and should rarely need to actually charge them. I was thrilled to hear about these, and I like the entire concept. I have a solar powered watch that has served me well for more than a decade, so I appreciate a good solar powered product like this.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Soundcore Sleep A10 Earbuds are your perfect companion for a peaceful night's sleep. They~re designed around an exclusive 4-Point Noise Masking system to keep night-time disturbances under your radar. Enhanced passive noise canceling combines with an advanced active noise masking algorithm, and soothing sleep sounds to block out up to 35dB of unwanted noise and deliver the ideal sleep environment. Sleep A10 earbuds are tiny and lightweight so they stay comfortably in your ears, all night long. Slim profile and pressure-free fit means even heavy side-sleepers can rest the entire night without discomfort or fatigue.
Customer Rating
5
These have changed the way I sleep, for the better
on November 21, 2022
Posted by: Andyj
I’ve been a foam earplug user for most of this year. I’ve found that having in my ears to block out small sounds around me helps me sleep better. As a Tinnitus sufferer, the lack of background noise makes the ringing in my ears sound even louder. I’ve often wished I could listen to sleep music or something calm to fall asleep to, but most earbuds are uncomfortable to sleep with in my ears, or the battery isn’t really suited have ANC running all night.
The Anker Soundcore Sleep A10 addresses the issue of blocking out noise up to -35db, but they can be programmed to play white noise, that is highly customizable, up to three layers and adjustable levels. So, if you like crickets chirping with the sound of a thunderstorm with ocean waves, then the app will let you use that.
I’ve found the default ear wings fit and third set of ear tips work best for my ears. I can lay my head into a pillow, and I feel no pressure or pushback from the Anker A10s. You also have the option of streaming music, but the battery life may not last as long as their own white noise sounds because they are uploaded onto the earbuds and then looped occasionally, resulting in a good 10 hours of playback. I’ve found at the odd times off the night I might wake up to go to another room, that I can just leave these in and even continue playing.
I haven’t used my foam earplugs since I had received these and consider them as good as for sound blocking and the bonus of a comfortable, nights sleep with the sounds of your choice. The carrying case if comes with has a USB Type C connector for charging and can easily slip into a pocket to take somewhere. The sound quality is pretty good as well. Most of Anker’s library is in stereo, so it can be immersive.
I like and will continue to use them every night for a peaceful rest.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Show up to every video call feeling confident, seen, and heard. Logitech Brio 500 includes features like auto light correction for low-lighting conditions, auto-framing so you can move during calls, and Show Mode for presenting objects on your desk. Brio 500 Webcam creates a more authentic Google, Teams, or Zoom meeting experience, allowing you to connect genuinely with others.
Posted by: Andyj
The Brio 500 comes in a nice small box that is easily recyclable. I generally don’t mention product packaging, but I’m seeing an effort to be eco conscious and will be mentioning it along with my reviews.
I’ve used the Brio 500 for a few meetings and appointments. I found that with Windows 11, that this Webcam is pretty much plug and play, but it does have software that you can download from Logitech’s website. I found many of the controls integrated into the Camera settings in Windows 11. Including the ability to adjust the resolution of the camera for both still pictures and live video. This camera is capable of HD resolutions up to 30FPS, with lower resolutions available at higher video framerates.
I found that with very little lighting, the Brio fulling adjusted the picture settings without having to tinker with the camera settings to brighten the image, while still keeping color and skin tones appearing natural. I found that ignoring the directions and not permanently attaching the Brio 500 to my desktop monitor allowed me to use it on other computers I have. However, I find that the mount Logitech has used with this Webcam has been one of the most ingenious mounting “brackets” that I have seen. I can stably mount it to my desktop monitor or with a slight adjustment, mount it on my laptop (even though it has a webcam already). I had no complaints regarding picture quality, smoothness, or audio problems at all. I’ve owned several Logitech Webcams over the years, and while this may not be the highest end model that they make, it works well and smoothly for my needs.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Dominate in style with the powerful 1TB WD_BLACK P40 Game Drive SSD. The downloadable WD_BLACK dashboard gives you full control over the LED light display for a personalized experience every time you play (Windows only). This high-performance SSD storage features blazing speeds in a compact and shock-resistant design, making it easy to take with you anywhere.
Posted by: Andyj
I am using the WD_Black P40 Game drive on my Alienware m17 R5 laptop 6900HX as well as trying it on my AMD Ryzen 9 5900X personally built system. I cannot run a benchmark that will show the full speed of this drive as I have no computers with a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 USB port on them, even though I thought I did. The best I can do is a consistent ~1000MBps CrystalDiskMark Read/Write benchmarks. I cannot show anything faster, so this would make it seem the same max speed as previous generations of around ~1050MBps. It is a great drive, but even with USB 4 port (USB C) on my Alienware laptop, it will not let me run the drive faster than 10Gbps, which throttles out around ~1000MBps.
I have installed a few games that benefit from SSD speeds, like FS2020, some Assassin’s Creed titles and other large game installs (150GB+). I did do a raw file copy test from one of my externals SSDs to this one and was able to move about 250GB in under 10 minutes. This was by no means its top speed, but incredibly fast. Even though my internal SSD on my laptop is fast, I noticed no real difference in loading times or gameplay with anything I tried it on. I just wish I could get the full benefit of its 2000MBps speeds. It’s quick, reliable, and I’ve owned a number of WD drives throughout the years. They do not tend to die on me, the tech just ends up getting outdated before the drives fail.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Always be ready to drop into new worlds with maximum convenience and freedom. Explore and exercise with soundscapes simply flowing into your ears. CHORUS is designed just for Meta Quest 2 to be the ultimate audio integration. Enhance your time in the metaverse with clear, natural sound, plus awareness of the real world around you.
Customer Rating
5
A great solution to an often overlooked problem
on October 27, 2022
Posted by: Andyj
Over the course of time that I have had my Quest 2, I have always wondered if there was a solution for better sounding audio without blocking my ears and making it difficult to hear environmental sounds because of headphones or earbuds. The Logitech Chorus offers an upgrade to the built-in sound quality while keeping an off-ear approach to do so.
They were extremely easy to install and worked fine with my Elite strap with battery. No configuration is necessary, just install them via the directions and adjust the volume on your Quest 2 to your liking when you finish. It is hard to say if they draw any significant amount of battery while in use, but they do connect through the USB-connector on the headset and have a passthrough for my battery connection or connect to external power if that is how you use yours.
Most important, is the sound quality. I found that at full volume, the Chorus did not care for too much bass without distorting, but slightly lowering the volume seemed to correct that. They are an improvement over the built-in speakers, but still fall short of sounding better than in/on-ear solutions. What I do find convenient is that I can just leave them attached to the headset and place everything on my stand I have. I do not have to assemble or disassemble anything once they are installed. They are good enough for daily use and I have enjoyed using them so far.
I would recommend this if you wanted a lightweight, easy to use, decent audio for most needs and convenient open-ear audio solution for your Quest 2, this is for you.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Shark HydroVac Cordless Pro XL 3-in-1 multi-surface cleaner vacuums, mops and cleans itself with powerful suction & hydro mopping at the same time. It deep cleans hard floors and cleans area rugs. Includes a self-cleaning, antimicrobial brushroll* to help prevent odors & bacterial growth on the brushroll; 2-tank system to separate clean & dirty water; extra large clean tank; headlights; LED display and multi-surface concentrate with odor neutralizer technology. *Brushroll treated with antimicrobial substance to preserve roller and resist bacterial odors on the brushroll.
Customer Rating
5
A powerful 3 - in -1 floor cleaning device
on October 15, 2022
Posted by: Andyj
I initially had my doubts about how well this product might work. I do not have a low of hard flooring outside of my kitchen and bathroom and my kitchen floor is far from new. When I first received the Shark HydroVac, my kitchen floor was badly in need of needing to be swept, vacuumed, and cleaned. There were plenty of debris on the floor, a few dirty spots that needed some overdue attention and son on.
I left the Shark Hydrovac to charge until the battery was full, per their suggestions and it has a long runtime once it is charged. I was able to do my kitchen floor three times on the initially charge and two times on my most recent use of it.
This product is great for a multipurpose use and replaces a few older methods of cleaning. I did find that if something is really stuck to the floor, you might need to apply some manual force to dislodge it. For surface cleaning, the Shark Hydrovac is easy to use and easy to maintain, with a built-in cleaning mode suggested for after each use. My floor feels clean in my bare feet, with no errand crumbs or other kitchenly things sticking to my bare feet when I traverse my kitchen floor.
The Shark Hydrovac is easy to assemble, disassemble and clean, with an easy to remove wastewater compartment and removable filter. The product is lighter than you might expect and performs as well as a corded device in my humble opinion. I’m impressed, but it’s not as forgiving for really stuck on messes. It works great for everything else.
I left the Shark Hydrovac to charge until the battery was full, per their suggestions and it has a long runtime once it is charged. I was able to do my kitchen floor three times on the initially charge and two times on my most recent use of it.
This product is great for a multipurpose use and replaces a few older methods of cleaning. I did find that if something is really stuck to the floor, you might need to apply some manual force to dislodge it. For surface cleaning, the Shark Hydrovac is easy to use and easy to maintain, with a built-in cleaning mode suggested for after each use. My floor feels clean in my bare feet, with no errand crumbs or other kitchenly things sticking to my bare feet when I traverse my kitchen floor.
The Shark Hydrovac is easy to assemble, disassemble and clean, with an easy to remove wastewater compartment and removable filter. The product is lighter than you might expect and performs as well as a corded device in my humble opinion. I’m impressed, but it’s not as forgiving for really stuck on messes. It works great for everything else.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Stay connected with this Motorola Alexa wireless home phone. The built-in Alexa button lets you make calls, control smart devices and check weather and news updates, while the 2-inch full-color display makes it easy to browse through your contacts. This Motorola Alexa wireless home phone has a hands-free speakerphone for quality sound, and the backlit keypad ensures seamless operations in dimly lit rooms.
For a disabled person who cannot get out of bed, can he say " answer " and receive calls through speaker? Without having to touch the phone, can he answer, speak, or call and speak?
No, not as of yet (11/13/2019).
6 years, 6 months ago
by
Andyj
Enjoy hours of reliability and speed with this HP Pavilion desktop. Its AMD Ryzen 5 processor and 12GB of RAM let you accomplish multiple tasks at the same time, and its 1TB hard drive provides plenty of space for file storage. This HP Pavilion desktop comes with a wired keyboard and mouse for interacting with Windows 10 Home.
Can this handle two monitors with extended display (not duplicate)?
This computer has 1 HDMI port and 1 VGA port. In theory, yes as they still make monitors with a 15-pin VGA connection.
7 years, 7 months ago
by
Andyj
Enjoy hours of reliability and speed with this HP Pavilion desktop. Its AMD Ryzen 5 processor and 12GB of RAM let you accomplish multiple tasks at the same time, and its 1TB hard drive provides plenty of space for file storage. This HP Pavilion desktop comes with a wired keyboard and mouse for interacting with Windows 10 Home.
I intend to purchase the HP Pavilion 590-p0044, which comes with only 1 HDMI slot. I want to run 2 monitors independently. I'm considering buying the NVIDIA Quadro P400. Does anyone any experience in using this card?
I would hit google and check the motherboard specs before doing this. It's highly impractical to run a GPU on this machine, as the case won't fit a full length card and the PSU has zero connectors for a GPU.
7 years, 7 months ago
by
Andyj
Enjoy hours of reliability and speed with this HP Pavilion desktop. Its AMD Ryzen 5 processor and 12GB of RAM let you accomplish multiple tasks at the same time, and its 1TB hard drive provides plenty of space for file storage. This HP Pavilion desktop comes with a wired keyboard and mouse for interacting with Windows 10 Home.
If I add an hard drive do I need to upgrade power supply
No, there is a third SATA power connector inside. I've run it with both the stock 1TB drive + a 2TB HHD and currently have an SSD to replace the 1TB and still have the 2TB HDD running in it.
7 years, 7 months ago
by
Andyj
Enjoy hours of reliability and speed with this HP Pavilion desktop. Its AMD Ryzen 5 processor and 12GB of RAM let you accomplish multiple tasks at the same time, and its 1TB hard drive provides plenty of space for file storage. This HP Pavilion desktop comes with a wired keyboard and mouse for interacting with Windows 10 Home.
Does the motherboard support other ryzen CPUs? Ryzen 7?
It should, but I would not invest in upgrading this build. It doesn't have enough room for a full length GPU and has a proprietary PSU, Mobo and even the DVD drive in it has a wierd half-cable SATA power connector.
7 years, 7 months ago
by
Andyj
Enjoy hours of reliability and speed with this HP Pavilion desktop. Its AMD Ryzen 5 processor and 12GB of RAM let you accomplish multiple tasks at the same time, and its 1TB hard drive provides plenty of space for file storage. This HP Pavilion desktop comes with a wired keyboard and mouse for interacting with Windows 10 Home.
Does this computer have video optical output, microphone, headset out put
No, it has minimal audio connections. Enough to connect a headset with a mic to on the front and the back has those plus maybe a line in.
7 years, 7 months ago
by
Andyj