Xephyroth's stats
- Review count105
- Helpfulness votes1,394
- First reviewMay 11, 2016
- Last reviewApril 30, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4
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- Answer count5
- Helpfulness votes8
- First answerOctober 23, 2016
- Last answerNovember 28, 2020
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Listen to music uninterrupted with these Sony stereo headphones. Adaptive noise cancellation features ensure you only hear the music and not ambient sounds, while a powerful battery delivers up to 20 hours of listening pleasure. These Sony stereo headphones are wireless so that you can listen in comfort to the high-resolution audio that delivers incredible bass and trebles.
Customer Rating
3
Best ANC & sound, but comes up short in design
on September 29, 2016
Posted by: Xephyroth
I am an audiophile. I own 10+ headphones for various purposes and own more headphones than anybody else I know. Additionally, I do have also have a background in music technology, audio engineering and music production. Needless to say, music and headphones are a passion for me. So when I got the opportunity to check out the Sony MDR1000X, I was very excited.
BUILD:
Looking at the MDR1000X, it has a fairly understated look. Sony touts its design as luxurious, as it utilizes a soft synthetic leather on both the housing and the earpads. Elsewhere, the build uses plastic to keep the headphone lightweight for great portability. Speaking of portability, the earcups swivel and fold so that you can place them in the included carrying case. That being said, this is where Sony’s first design mistake unfolds (pun intended).
The earcups swivel in a counter-intuitive direction! For a long time now, most headphone manufacturers have allowed the earcups to swivel away from you. The MDR1000X, however, has earcups that swivel towards you, meaning that when they rest around your neck, the earcups face your chest. Which means that there isn’t a natural way to take them off and place them flat on a desk. While some may not find that to be a big deal, it’s a daily inconvenience and poor design decision that I would not have expected from Sony—or any other headphone manufacturer, for that matter. I constantly find myself fumbling each time that I attempt to put them away. I do not have these problems with competing products
The second complaint that I have is that I constantly fumble with the three buttons on the left earcup (ie. POWER, NC, Ambient Sound). Since you can’t see the buttons when the headphones are on your head, they need to be easily distinguishable. Perhaps if I were blind, my sense of touch would be fantastic, but these buttons are basically flush with the earcups. The only indication that Sony provides for each button is a slightly extruded “bump” of various lengths. I often find myself pressing the NC button when I meant to press the POWER button, or the Ambient Sound button when I meant to press the NC button. These buttons should not be flush with the earcups. While perhaps it makes the headphone look more symmetrical, this design currently sacrifices a good user experience.
As for the earcups, one thing I’m concerned about is if the synthetic leather will wear down or fade from the oils on your fingers, since you do interact with the touch-sensitive gesture pad for many of the controls.
The included carrying case is good, but once again, Sony made another sacrifice by not putting a pocket inside the case so that you can store the included Micro USB and auxiliary cable. Instead, they opted to put the only pocket on the OUTSIDE of the case. It hasn’t been a big deal for me, but they really need to work on their designs.
FEATURES:
Pairing with the MDR1000X can be done via NFC or via the Bluetooth menu under your phone. However, you can only be connected to one device at a time, so you’ll have to put the headphones in the pairing mode if you want to pair with a different device. Compared to a competing product I’ve used, this is a nuisance, but many people are probably used to this.
That being said, the MDR1000X has some features that separate it from other noise-cancelling headphones. Firstly, there is a touch-sensitive gesture pad on the right earcup. The gestures include swiping up/down for volume control, double-tapping for play/pause, swiping left/right to skip tracks, placing your hand over the earcup for to temporarily decrease volume (AKA Quick Attention), and pressing a finger for 2 seconds to use your phone’s voice assistant.
All of these features are quite useful unless you or somebody else touches the right earcup by accident. With the headphones still powered on, I would occasionally take the headphones off my head and my right hand would end up triggering some gesture by accident. Don’t get me wrong, the touch gestures were great and generally quite responsive, but it would have been nice if there was a way to prevent accidents like that. Aside from that, I disliked having to swipe up and down so many times to adjust the volume. Instead, I think a circle gesture could prove more effective, as many people are used to rotary knobs for turning volume up and down.
Regardless, I do think the Quick Attention is probably the most noteworthy gesture here. Using the headphones at work, occasionally I’d have somebody come by my office to ask a quick question. Being able to place my hand over the earcup, provide a quick answer, then resume my music is great.
However, this was infrequent, as most of the time somebody came by, I had to engage in a longer conversation. At which point, I’d pause my music and enable the Ambient Sound mode and use the Voice sub-mode which enhances the ability to hear yourself and others. At that point, I was able to hear the person I was talking to without taking the headphones off. Alternatively, I could have lowered the volume of my music and continued talking with Ambient Sound mode on, but it’d be rude to not give somebody else my full attention. More often, I’ll leave the Ambient Sound mode on so I can hear people as they come in to my office, but you can’t really make out a conversation without your music’s volume being quite low. This feature could be more useful if you were allowed to increase the volume of the ambient noise.
NOISE CANCELLATION:
Sony’s noise cancellation is where the research and development really went. Compared to other active noise-cancelling headphones on the market, Sony has stepped up to the top. With the built-in optimizer (activated by first enabling the NC, then holding the NC button for 2 seconds), these headphones get rid of annoying rumbles and high end frequencies. I compared the MDR1000X with a very popular competing headphone, and it performed better at reducing noise. While it wasn’t a substantial difference, it was a noticeable difference. Sony is doing something right, here.
SOUND:
So what’s the purpose of having a headphone if it doesn’t sound good? Well, the MDR1000X sounds great. Compared to another flagship noise-cancelling headphone, Sony was able to deliver better bass response and more dynamic range. The treble is recessed—especially in the areas of sibilance. This gives the MDR1000X a more ‘relaxed’ sound and prevents fatigue. Overall, a very pleasant sound, but a little bump in the treble could improve the sound for my taste. Either way, Sony provides a very balanced sound that I think most people would enjoy.
COMFORT:
These headphones are quite comfortable with a very soft headband and earpads, but they don’t blow me away. I find that I usually have a more comfortable experience when the earcups are deeper, and unfortunately, these earcups are pretty shallow compared to other offerings. While I can get through a whole day using these headphones, I occasionally feel a very minimal bit of discomfort that I experience on my ears. Compared to a competing flagship, the comfort on these are just a notch down.
CONCLUSION:
Sony has some improvements to make with its MDR-1000X. It has a lot of features that other noise-cancelling headphones don’t have, but their design decisions lead to an average implementation. Pairing to multiple devices is a no-go, the buttons need to have more of a tactile feel, and the touch gesture controls can sometimes be finicky. Putting the headphones away can be a bit cumbersome due to the fact that the earcups swivel in a counter-intuitive manner. Comfort is great, but could still use some improvement. That being said, these have some of the best noise-cancellation available to consumers, and on top of that, they do sound great—which is often something that noise-cancelling headphones don’t do well. If all you care about is having the best noise-cancellation, these may very well do that while also sounding the best.
My Best Buy number: 1043516619
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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+2points
16of 30voted this as helpful.
Brew delicious coffee your way with this single-serve Ninja Coffee Bar system. It uses any ground coffee while bringing out the best flavor with advanced thermal flavor extraction technology. This versatile Ninja Coffee Bar system has a built-in frother that lets you brew, froth and drink out of one mug.
Customer Rating
4
Great for those looking to make specialty coffee
on September 20, 2016
Posted by: Xephyroth
Let's start with what the Ninja Coffee actually does. It's a drip machine, so it doesn't handle any sort of cup/capsule system like some other coffee machines. All you need are coffee grounds, water, and an electrical socket to plug the Ninja into. That's just the essentials.
You fill the reservoir (which can hold around 440z or so) with water, turn on the machine, and press the power button to start pre-heating the water. After a few minutes or so—admittedly slower than the Keurig in my kitchen, the Ninja is ready to brew your coffee. Place your mug of appropriate size under the dripper, and with just 2-3 scoops of ground coffee into the reusable filter (or your own paper filter), you're almost ready to brew your coffee. Simply choose one of 4 different sizes between 8 oz and 22 oz and then select a brew type (Classic, Rich, Over Ice, Cafe Forte, or Specialty), and the Ninja will begin dripping.
There is also a drip-stopper in case you want to stop dripping your coffee earlier than the machine. That being said, if you stop early and decide not to finish the rest of the brewing process, you will likely be left with some coffee in the filter chamber—which can be quite annoying. You'll have to empty it by releasing the drip-stopper and letting the remaining, colder coffee drip into another cup which you can then dispose of. Cleaning the reusable filter is very easy. No complaints there.
If you decide to froth your milk, the included frother on the Ninja makes the job very easy. It even detaches for an easy clean-up process! The Ninja is a great way to make specialty coffees, since it has much of the configuration necessary to do so.
However, the temperature of the coffee could be improved if you like your coffee to come out scalding hot. Temperature certainly plays a factor in the flavor of the coffee, but also in the experience of drinking your coffee. As a result, it's hard to give the user so much control over the temperature when your machine is trying to make it easier to make better-tasting coffee. Regardless, the coffee that resulted was pleasant.
Two areas that could use improvement are:
1. The temperature of the resulting coffee (drippers are slower, and there's no heated base to keep your coffee at the same temperature while you wait)
2. The speed of pre-heating the water.
1. The temperature of the resulting coffee (drippers are slower, and there's no heated base to keep your coffee at the same temperature while you wait)
2. The speed of pre-heating the water.
My Best Buy number: 1043516619
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Take this 11.6-inch Acer Chromebook anywhere you need to go thanks to its compact size and light weight. With its Intel Celeron N3060 dual core processor, you can enjoy fast Internet browsing and computing. The high visibility of the HD touch screen display with LED backlighting lets you use this Acer Chromebook in almost any lighting conditions.
Customer Rating
3
Poor quality control and performance
on July 21, 2016
Posted by: Xephyroth
INTRODUCTION:
I have owned two Chromebooks prior to the R11. I am familiar with the Chrome OS ecosystem, what it has to offer, and where it falls short.
I have owned two Chromebooks prior to the R11. I am familiar with the Chrome OS ecosystem, what it has to offer, and where it falls short.
BUILD QUALITY (3/5):
The build quality of the R11 is average, at best. It has a patterned aluminum cover/lid, but it doesn’t make the device feel any bit premium, and I wouldn’t count on it providing any additional protection to the display. The unit I received has misaligned hinges, which causes the device to rock a bit at certain angles—in addition to being an eyesore. That being said, I don’t feel as though it will cause any harm to the device in the long-term.
The build quality of the R11 is average, at best. It has a patterned aluminum cover/lid, but it doesn’t make the device feel any bit premium, and I wouldn’t count on it providing any additional protection to the display. The unit I received has misaligned hinges, which causes the device to rock a bit at certain angles—in addition to being an eyesore. That being said, I don’t feel as though it will cause any harm to the device in the long-term.
I had no issues with flipping the display 180 degrees. Typing on the keyboard was fine, but I personally felt as though the keys could have had less resistance or bit more vertical displacement. I had to press harder on these compared to other keyboards I’ve tried on Chromebooks around this price range.
DISPLAY (3/5):
The 11.6” display runs at 1366x768—resulting in 135 ppi (pixels-per-inch). Comparatively, a 13.3” display at 1920x1080 results in 165 ppi. The R11 display is adequate at this resolution—text is sharp enough to avoid complaining, and viewing images and videos is enjoyable.
The 11.6” display runs at 1366x768—resulting in 135 ppi (pixels-per-inch). Comparatively, a 13.3” display at 1920x1080 results in 165 ppi. The R11 display is adequate at this resolution—text is sharp enough to avoid complaining, and viewing images and videos is enjoyable.
That is, unless you’re trying to use it in direct sunlight. This display is quite reflective, so you won’t be using this much in direct sunlight. With a bit of shade, you’ll be fine. Indoors, the display is adequate and provides adequate brightness. The display is also quite reflective and is also a smudgy fingerprint magnet, which is why indoor use in moderate lighting conditions is ideal.
As for the touch screen, it works quite well. If anything, Chrome OS needs more refinement and more features to really utilize the touchscreen. Multi-touch worked without issue. However, modern web content isn’t really suited to touch screens, so it’s definitely a bit awkward to have a touch screen, at the moment.
PERFORMANCE (2/5):
I really can’t give this Chromebook a 3 because there are older, cheaper Chromebooks that outperform this more expensive R11. The Intel Celeron N3050 is really a bottom-bin Intel Atom, more than it is a Celeron. These fanless processors (aside from the Core M series) don’t come close to the U-series Celerons. Sure, you’ll get more battery life, but what is that worth if it’s a pain to use the device?
I really can’t give this Chromebook a 3 because there are older, cheaper Chromebooks that outperform this more expensive R11. The Intel Celeron N3050 is really a bottom-bin Intel Atom, more than it is a Celeron. These fanless processors (aside from the Core M series) don’t come close to the U-series Celerons. Sure, you’ll get more battery life, but what is that worth if it’s a pain to use the device?
With my bookmarks, caching, history, extensions, etc. that is associated to my Google account, this Chromebook could not handle more than a few tabs without throwing a fit. When I used Guest mode, the Chromebook performed adequately with 4 tabs—to the point where scrolling was not abysmal.
That being said, I had much better performance on a 13.3” 1080p Chromebook using the Intel Celeron N2840 and 4GB of RAM—which was the same price as the R11. Even Acer’s own C720 outperforms the R11.
BATTERY LIFE (4/5):
The battery life on this Chromebook doesn’t quite stand up to some other contenders, but with light processor usage, it shouldn’t have any problem lasting throughout the day before needing a charge. However, the idle drain is not very good. For a fanless design, you would expect low power consumption when the device is idle, but you will want to turn the device when you aren’t using it for long periods of time—otherwise you will be saying goodbye to 10-20% of your battery.
The battery life on this Chromebook doesn’t quite stand up to some other contenders, but with light processor usage, it shouldn’t have any problem lasting throughout the day before needing a charge. However, the idle drain is not very good. For a fanless design, you would expect low power consumption when the device is idle, but you will want to turn the device when you aren’t using it for long periods of time—otherwise you will be saying goodbye to 10-20% of your battery.
CONCLUSION:
Over all, the R11 is an average product. It doesn’t really get any high marks, and its touch screen really isn’t useful with the current state of the web and Chrome OS. Once Play Store integration with Chrome OS becomes stable, these touch screens will make more sense. But until that day comes, the vision for this Chromebook is very fragmented.
Over all, the R11 is an average product. It doesn’t really get any high marks, and its touch screen really isn’t useful with the current state of the web and Chrome OS. Once Play Store integration with Chrome OS becomes stable, these touch screens will make more sense. But until that day comes, the vision for this Chromebook is very fragmented.
My Best Buy number: 1043516619
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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QuietComfort® 35 wireless noise cancelling headphones are engineered with world-class noise cancellation that makes quiet sound quieter and music sound better. Free yourself from wires and connect easily to your devices with Bluetooth® and NFC pairing. And enjoy up to 20 hours of wireless listening per battery charge.
Customer Rating
4
An excellent product, but at a premium price.
on June 2, 2016
Posted by: Xephyroth
INTRODUCTION:
I consider myself to be an audiophile. I've spent a decent amount of time trying headphones, DACs and Amplifiers. Sound quality is important to me, and I have many pairs of headphones that I use for different purposes. Each headphone has a different level of comfort, different sound, and each serves a different purpose.
UNBOXING:
The unboxing experience of these headphones is very minimalist. You're greeted with a product guides and safety manual, and the small carrying case which the headphones reside in. Not much to talk about. In the case, there is a airplane adapter, an AUX cable, and a Micro USB cable for charging these headphones.
BUILD & CONSTRUCTION (4/5):
The QC35's build quality is good. For comfort, Bose has opted to use a durable, lightweight plastic for the construction. This results in the headphones resting very lightly on your head to prevent fatigue on the soft spot of your head—something I've commonly found to be an issue with headphones. The caveat is that there are some areas (primarily the adjustable headband) where there the unit is slightly 'rickety' or loose. That being said, I'm not worried about these headphones breaking without me attempting to purposely break them.
COMFORT (5/5):
As mentioned, the light plastic construction prevents these headphones from causing pain on the soft spot of your head. Additionally, the padding on the headband is VERY soft. These are some of the most comfortable headphones I own. The ear cups are also padded very nicely and are very comfortable to wear. I've worn these for hours on end without experiencing fatigue on my ears. Your choice of music is more likely to cause fatigue. The clamping force of these headphones is just enough to provide a proper seal and keep them comfortably resting on your head. If you shake your head a bit, they won't come off, but they'll shift a little. Overall, I'd definitely use these headphones if I wanted a comfortable listening experience.
CONNECTIVITY (5/5):
One of the nice things about the QC35 is that it can connect to multiple devices wirelessly via Bluetooth. You can either connect manually or via NFC—which I did confirm to work via a small terminal on the side of the earcup. It was a bit difficult to connect it this way, but it does work. I was able to also pair the devices manually through the Bluetooth menu of all my devices. 2 devices are allowed to be paired simultaneously, but you can have 8 devices registered in the pairing list. For those of us with a lot of different devices, this is very convenient, as I turn the QC35 on and it will automatically connect to whatever 2 devices are nearest. The pairing switch on the back of the earcup can be toggled to connect to other devices in your pairing list. You can alternatively use a 2.5mm to 3.5mm auxiliary cable (which it comes with) to use the device wired—with or without active noise cancellation. This is a pretty popular cable, so if you need a longer one or need a replacement, you can find these online without issue.
SOUND (4/5):
With noise cancellation active, these headphones are mostly neutral. I've compared them with my most neutral, analytical headphones. I was very surprised by the sound these headphones were able to accomplish, given that active noise cancellation often affects the sound signature. Compared to my most neutral headphones, these had a little bit less sub-bass (but they can definitely do bass with a touch of EQ) and had slightly recessed, less-harsh highs. Overall, a very pleasant sound. The sound stage is good—obviously not as good as some open-back headphones, but most closed-back tend to be pretty narrow. These headphones can definitely get loud, but you're probably not blasting these if you're taking advantage of the active noise cancellation. While you can listen to these using an AUX cable and without using active noise cancellation, I would really recommend turning the active noise cancellation on (wireless and wired), as they sound rather dull and unpleasant without it on. Call quality was also decent with the noise-rejecting microphone showing a lot more competence compared to a lot of other wireless headsets.
NOISE CANCELLATION (4/5):
The noise cancellation is excellent on these headphones. It's been a while since I've really experienced active noise cancellation, but Bose definitely has something great going here. In noisy environments, they passively cut out mids and highs, and turning the active noise cancellation on cuts out a lot of low hum and rumbling noises. Great if you're around machinery, in a busy city, or on a long international flight. One thing I dislike about all active noise cancellation is that, without playing music, it can make your ears feel as though you've changed air pressure and need to yawn to 'pop' your ears. Otherwise, these do a great job at noise cancellation, as that's what they were built for. Additionally, it should be noted that these do leak *some* sound at higher volumes—so there's potential for you to disturb somebody around you.
BATTERY LIFE (5/5):
This is one of the areas where the QC35 really excels. It has a rechargeable battery rated for up to 20 hours on Bluetooth and 40 hours wired. While I can't give estimates, I can definitely say that these headphones can go all day. With 2-3 hours of wireless listening per day, you can make these headphones last a whole week before needing to recharge. I have been extremely satisfied with the battery life. I thought that it might be a bigger issue, but clearly, it isn't.
CONVENIENCE (5/5):
Bose provides a nice case (6" x 8.5" x 2.5") for resting your headphones. It can additionally store your AUX cable, micro USB cable, and a few other accessories if you so choose to do so. This makes it very easy to store them in the back pocket of a backpack, a larger purse, a carry on bag, etc.
CONCLUSION:
Objectively speaking, if you are looking for a pair of headphones with active noise cancellation, these do a great job. If you couldn't care less about active noise cancellation, then save your money and search elsewhere. If you're still here searching for Bluetooth headphones, then I suggest you keep looking—because at this price premium, you could likely buy 2+ pairs of excellent Bluetooth headphones.
My Best Buy number: 1043516619
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+3points
3of 3voted this as helpful.
Prevent dead zones around your home with the help of this Linksys Wi-Fi range extender. It works with all types of Wi-Fi routers, and it uses multi-user MIMO for speed and efficiency. This Linksys Wi-Fi range extender can be used to create a different access point or to extend the field of the router’s connection.
Customer Rating
5
The "Spartan" of Network/Range Extenders
on May 11, 2016
Posted by: Xephyroth
I'll start off by saying that I've owned over 10 routers—probably more than most people. I've also tried using different range extenders, but have had poor experiences in the past. This Linksys RE7000 changes my perception of Range Extenders.
INTRODUCTION (My setup):
I currently have 2 wireless access points in my house (both are dual-band 802.11ac). One in the basement, and one on the second floor. The router in the basement is hooked up to the cable modem, while the other on the second floor is being used as an access point via ethernet. My house has ethernet routed throughout the house, but like many others, I have many wireless devices. Despite having 2 routers, certain parts of my house have weaker WiFi signals. While I could opt for the 2.4GHz band, this would result in significantly lower throughput/bandwidth. I choose to always stay on the 5GHz networks for the increased throughput, but in exchange for a weaker signal.
I currently have 2 wireless access points in my house (both are dual-band 802.11ac). One in the basement, and one on the second floor. The router in the basement is hooked up to the cable modem, while the other on the second floor is being used as an access point via ethernet. My house has ethernet routed throughout the house, but like many others, I have many wireless devices. Despite having 2 routers, certain parts of my house have weaker WiFi signals. While I could opt for the 2.4GHz band, this would result in significantly lower throughput/bandwidth. I choose to always stay on the 5GHz networks for the increased throughput, but in exchange for a weaker signal.
UNBOXING (5/5):
When you open the box, you are greeted with the quick start guide, a warranty booklet, and the RE7000. It does not come with a CD, but it is incredibly easy to set up.
When you open the box, you are greeted with the quick start guide, a warranty booklet, and the RE7000. It does not come with a CD, but it is incredibly easy to set up.
SETUP/EASE OF USE (5/5):
The setup process for the RE7000 is wonderfully simple. It can be done from any browser (mobile or desktop). In my case, I chose to use the nearest device—my smartphone (which has 802.11ac). The important thing is to place the RE7000 somewhere in the house that is close enough to your router to catch a decent signal, but also near the weak signal spots of your house. The booklet that comes in the box explains this well, and the browser application can even help you find the best spot. But for simplicity's step, here was my step-by-step process:
The setup process for the RE7000 is wonderfully simple. It can be done from any browser (mobile or desktop). In my case, I chose to use the nearest device—my smartphone (which has 802.11ac). The important thing is to place the RE7000 somewhere in the house that is close enough to your router to catch a decent signal, but also near the weak signal spots of your house. The booklet that comes in the box explains this well, and the browser application can even help you find the best spot. But for simplicity's step, here was my step-by-step process:
1. Plug in the RE7000 to the wall.
2. Wait for the unit to come online and show a WiFi network on your client device (e.g. your smartphone, tablet, or computer).
3. Connect to the Linksys RE7000's WiFi network from your device.
4. On your device's browser, navigate to 192.168.1.1
5. The setup page should appear. It will ask you to create a password for the settings page.
6. Once you enter the password, it will ask you to setup as an Access Point or Range Extender.
7. I chose to setup as a Range Extender, and it scanned and displayed all nearby WiFi networks.
8. I selected my home's WiFi Network (it also noticed that I had a dual-band network, 2.4GHz and 5GHz).
9. It asks for the passwords for both your 2.4GHz and 5GHz connections (if you have both).
10. After verifying that the network credentials are valid, it asks you to specify an name for each new connection (e.g. MyWiFi_2.4GHz and MyWifi_5GHz).
11. The device restarts, and in 30 - 60 seconds, the new networks display on your device.
12. Connect your device(s) to the new network and voila! You're ready to go.
2. Wait for the unit to come online and show a WiFi network on your client device (e.g. your smartphone, tablet, or computer).
3. Connect to the Linksys RE7000's WiFi network from your device.
4. On your device's browser, navigate to 192.168.1.1
5. The setup page should appear. It will ask you to create a password for the settings page.
6. Once you enter the password, it will ask you to setup as an Access Point or Range Extender.
7. I chose to setup as a Range Extender, and it scanned and displayed all nearby WiFi networks.
8. I selected my home's WiFi Network (it also noticed that I had a dual-band network, 2.4GHz and 5GHz).
9. It asks for the passwords for both your 2.4GHz and 5GHz connections (if you have both).
10. After verifying that the network credentials are valid, it asks you to specify an name for each new connection (e.g. MyWiFi_2.4GHz and MyWifi_5GHz).
11. The device restarts, and in 30 - 60 seconds, the new networks display on your device.
12. Connect your device(s) to the new network and voila! You're ready to go.
PERFORMANCE (5/5):
I have been very impressed with this device's performance. I tested a worst-case scenario by putting my WiFi router and the RE7000 at opposite corners of the house (definitely not optimal). I then connected the RE7000 to the WiFi router, and performed speed tests using my iPad Pro 9.7 (which has excellent 802.11ac and MIMO support) and the Ookla Speedtest app. Please keep in mind that these results are indicative of only the 5GHz network, and I've only tested using a single device on that network. Additionally, I placed the RE7000 as far away as possible from the router to test the device's reception. As a result, these results would be even higher if placed in an optimized spot.
I have been very impressed with this device's performance. I tested a worst-case scenario by putting my WiFi router and the RE7000 at opposite corners of the house (definitely not optimal). I then connected the RE7000 to the WiFi router, and performed speed tests using my iPad Pro 9.7 (which has excellent 802.11ac and MIMO support) and the Ookla Speedtest app. Please keep in mind that these results are indicative of only the 5GHz network, and I've only tested using a single device on that network. Additionally, I placed the RE7000 as far away as possible from the router to test the device's reception. As a result, these results would be even higher if placed in an optimized spot.
Before testing, I verified that I could achieve a max of about 140Mbps down / 12Mbps up from my ISP, Comcast/Xfinity. My results conclude that from all the opposite corners of the house (even from 2nd floor to basement), I was able to obtain excellent throughput. I usually saw 130Mbps down / 12Mbps up. The minimum being around 90Mbps down / 12Mbps up. This excellent performance is likely due to the beamforming technology, which focuses the WiFi signal directly to your device, rather than in an omni-directional fashion.
That being said, there short bursts where my ISP seemingly capped my speed, but that usually only happened if I ran a speedtest consecutively without waiting between individual tests. During these times, I saw a *minimum* of 60Mbps down / 12Mbps up. The lesson here is to not run Speedtests one after another, as it can skew the data. Waiting 10-20 seconds between tests proved to provide the best results.
A better test would be to do some large file transfers between machines on my local network, rather than relying on my connection to Xfinity. But the majority of people will be interested in their internet speeds. Compared to other devices I've tested, this one has had the best throughput with the lowest physical footprint (being a small device).
CONCLUSION:
I think very few people would be worried about things like build quality and such. This isn't the type of product that you'll be moving around a lot. Even then, this product is small, looks nice, and performs very well. Pairing the RE7000 with a 802.11ac router is your best choice to achieve optimal performance. This is a great product by Linksys, and I am very happy with the results I've achieved—despite the fact that I purposely placed the RE7000 in a spot that would not optimize the signal and throughput. I would highly recommend picking this device up.
I think very few people would be worried about things like build quality and such. This isn't the type of product that you'll be moving around a lot. Even then, this product is small, looks nice, and performs very well. Pairing the RE7000 with a 802.11ac router is your best choice to achieve optimal performance. This is a great product by Linksys, and I am very happy with the results I've achieved—despite the fact that I purposely placed the RE7000 in a spot that would not optimize the signal and throughput. I would highly recommend picking this device up.
My Best Buy number: 1043516619
I would recommend this to a friend!
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