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psyclopps
 
 
 
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  • Review count
    230
  • Helpfulness votes
    719
  • First review
    July 30, 2012
  • Last review
    August 5, 2025
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  • Average rating
    4.5
 
  • Review comment count
    2
  • Helpfulness votes
    2
  • First review comment
    October 14, 2011
  • Last review comment
    June 28, 2012
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  • Answer count
    21
  • Helpfulness votes
    39
  • First answer
    April 25, 2013
  • Last answer
    February 17, 2021
  • Featured answers
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  • Best answers
    3
 
 
psyclopps's Reviews
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Control the battlefield with the exceptionally engineered RIG 500 PRO HX headset, designed for Xbox . With its lightweight exoskeleton, precisely-tuned acoustic chambers, powerful 50 mm drivers and the first-ever RIG game audio dial delivering intuitive volume control.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Well rounded but not amazing
on August 19, 2018
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
After testing these for a few days, they are a pretty good set of headphones for your Xbox One. There are a few imperfections but overall they do a great job, especially with supported Atmos content.
The headphones are of good quality. They do not feel cheap and they do not feel ultra premium, they tend to find a good middle ground here. The headphones have a mic boom, a cable that plugs right into the headphone jack on the controller. I like how the plug on the controller side has a small curve which makes it flush with the controller. The Volume knob is also on this side of the cable. I felt the headphones are a tad too small as with my adult noggin, I max out the space available and it doesn’t stretch anymore. If you have a large head this might be uncomfortable.
The headphones come with a free voucher for the Dolby Atmos for headphones app for Xbox & Windows. The app itself allows Atmos support when using the headphones in the system (configure in the sound settings). It is also a great portal with some showcase videos, links to movies and games with Atmos support. There does not appear to be a huge variety of supported content but it was very interesting with what is available. I tried it with some of the demo videos, Pacific Rim and Gears of War 4.
In testing, I found the audio to be a little muddy. There is plenty of bass but not much detail on any part of the spectrum. It is good for action movies and games though but I wouldn’t want to use them to listen to music. The Atmos feature creates a neat illusion of depth in front, behind and above you but it is nothing that will make you sit in awe as similar things have been done via headphone with EAX and other audio technologies in the past. In games, I barely noticed any of the surround as I was more into the game itself, in movies it is more obvious. The microphone works well and people on the other end said they heard me clear with no noise.
These are a pretty good set of well rounded headphones, they are not groundbreaking but look cool, sound decent and put a lot of punch into your movies and games. A solid 4 out of 5. I would give it a 5 if out of five if there was more room for the head and better audio quality.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
Experience enhanced cinematic viewing on this 65-inch LG Super UHD TV. It has full array local dimming for a more lifelike picture. Its ~7 intelligent processor produces sharp, accurate images in 4K resolution, and LG ThinQ AI creates a center for your smart home devices.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Great overall, amazing picture
on July 11, 2018
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
This TV is perfect for my needs. It might not be perfect for everyone but it is overall well rounded and has amazing specs/performance.
Unboxing is simple. Open the top, take out the extras, lift the main part of the box off the bottom and the TV will be standing there in the bottom part of cardboard nicely padded with Styrofoam. The TV is heavier than I expected (granted it is 65”) but with the trend of TV’s being thinner and lighter I assumed it might be a little less heavy. A single person can lift it but I do recommend a two person carry to protect your back and the TV.
Set up is a breeze, take out the stand, attach the other part of the stand to it and screw it into the TV. Initial TV power on walks you through the setup of channels and wifi.
If you have used smart TV’s before you might be used to slow interfaces, this one uses WebOS with Android Assistant built in and I gotta say, it is so smooth of an interface you will be wowed. The gyro inside the controller allows you to point to specific parts of the screen to interact. I thought this would be more cumbersome then clicking left and right but it actually is quicker once you get the hang of it.
It is equipped with Dolby Vision, I have used HDR tvs using HDR10 before but once you compare it to a Dolby Vision device… the first words are WOW. The colors pop so much more on supported content, and the brights will amazing you. I hooked it up to my Xbox One X and watched a few 4K Blu-rays, they looked amazing and I realized I had been missing out this whole time on many details. On the standard settings, you do not get much of the soap opera affect (smoothing) so kudos to LG for making that a non-issue. The TV supports Dolby Atmos which does not give you much benefit on the TV speakers or a plain old 5.1 system but it is nice to have support built in.
Android Assistant felt half baked to me, it works but often times I would have to ask it a question multiple times. This did not seem like an issue with the microphone or volume but more with how it seems to hang for a second to thing then nothing happens. I feel this could be fixed in a future update but it was a slight issue for me upon review.
There is a large catalog of apps you can download from the store and I do not think there was one I could not find that I looked for, all the major music and movie apps were there.
If you decide to hang this on a wall it will work but just be sure you have a very good wall mount installation. As mentioned earlier, the TV is on the heavier side and if your mount is not properly anchored it might create issues.
One thing I would like to see on this TV is a satellite input device. Some brands have it so a single connection goes to the TV and all the inputs for your other devices feed into a box at the other end of the cable, this is very convenient for a wall mount. This LG TV only takes inputs in the back of the TV so you will have to manage your cables wisely unless you have a receiver taking all your inputs.
I give it a 5 out of 5 for quality, interface and performance. I give it a 3 out of 5 for design and engineering.
Overall, this works out to a solid 4 out of 5 for me!
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+10points
12of 14voted this as helpful.
 
NordVPN is a VPN (virtual private network) ~ it encrypts your internet data and hides your virtual location. What~s more, the advanced Threat Protection feature helps you avoid trackers and ads, scans URLs to make sure the websites you visit are safe, and inspects downloaded files for malware.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Perfect VPN
on July 1, 2018
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
This software works flawlessly so far. Install is a breeze, just make an account, activate your subscription on the website and download the apps. I downloaded it onto two desktops, one laptop and two Android phones. I believe you get six licenses on this one for one year.
The software is easy enough to use on all your devices and has a simple interface that is easy to learn or can have advanced features if you so wish. The interface has a nice map to see where you are connected, a nice big connect button, the ability to select your country you want to connect through or specialty servers. One of my favorite features is the anti DDoS connection which blocks various malware as well. I also love that you can have it turn on automatically when you are connected to Wi-Fi but also have exceptions. For example, I want the full speed of my home Wi-Fi, so I have that as an exception, but it automatically turns on when I go to any public Wi-Fi for example.
Speed seems to have little impact I saw my ping at home go from 4ms to 8ms on speed test and the download upload speed stayed steady at around 150mbps.
There is no CD in the box, but the instructions will have you download it on their website.
This appears to be well worth a purchase, it works well, is easy to use and keeps you safe!
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
2of 3voted this as helpful.
 
Enjoy your favorite music through these Sony Sports wireless noise-cancelling headphones. The in-ear design ensures a snug fit, so you can jog or walk without missing a beat, and the wireless format eliminates the need for cumbersome cords. The Ambient Sound Mode on these Sony Sports wireless noise-cancelling headphones keeps you alert to your environment.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Very good but not great
on May 28, 2018
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
I really want to love these, but it was hard to say that they were the best. They have lots of great perks but also a lot holding them back.
The box will contain some warranty information, large and small ear hooks (they are almost the same size) and a total of four different size ear buds. The device itself is a cable, two ear pieces and a control on the left side. I like that there is no excess cord and it is just long enough to reach around your head with a little slack to spare. All the controls are on the remote on the left side. The earbuds look pretty cool when wearing them and the curvy design kind of blends into your ears in my opinion. NFC pairing is present to make your Bluetooth pairing experience much easier.
The controls are pretty useful once you get the hang of them but I felt they were somewhat poorly designed. The buttons are a small volume rocket on the top of the flat side with a play/pause button at the bottom. The side has a tiny button for ANC settings (on, off and ambient) and the middle has a power button. It just feels strange using these buttons on the side and takes some thinking/getting used to. There are not buttons on the earbuds which is fine but they would probably be a better place for volume controls. There are two things on each headset that look like buttons but if you touch them while music is playing you will hear static, this is where a lot of the tech for the ANC is housed. The ANC itself does a pretty good job and it is very subtle but works well with drowning out gym noise. Ambient mode works very well actually as I have tried headphones that do this but the outside sound is usually artificial sounding and overpowering, this one makes it sound very natural. One large problem I had with the remote location is that it drags on the left side of the headphones resulting it in getting caught when I turned my head or extra weight on one side affecting the fit of the earbuds.
Speaking of the earbuds, this is where it will either shine or go poorly for you. When I found a good combination of sizes to fit my ears, it sounded extremely good. There is lots of Sony’s bass in these and it does a great job with the other ranges of audio. Connections were maintained with my phone via the AAC Bluetooth codec which I feel sounds much better than SBC. There is no APTX, APTX HD or LDAC compression here though. But… when I turned my head I consistently had a hard time maintaining a seal on my left ear resulting in audio that just was annoying since I have to push it back in my ear each time. Most of the time it wouldn’t be an issue but it would occur often enough I was annoyed by it. Some uses will not have this issue I am sure since it is all dependent on ear design but I have seen many other companies do better with the fit aspect. Battery life was pretty good with close to the advertised 6 hours which was enough time for a few gym visits. These are very water resistant as well with all ports covered nicely so sweat and rain will be zero issue for most people.
So, if I could break it down, 5 stars for appearance, sound quality and ease of use. For fit and practicality, I would give it somewhere between 3 stars for me so I will give the total score of a 4 for these. I like them but don’t love them as much as I had hoped. If they fit your ears right I think most people would rate it a 4 or a 5
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
User submitted photo
+22points
31of 40voted this as helpful.
 
Count on crystal-clear voice communication with these Jabra Elite wireless neckband headphones. Three-microphone call technology and professional-grade active noise cancellation block ambient sounds, and they come with different-sized EarGels for a customizable fit. These Jabra Elite wireless neckband headphones support Amazon Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant for voice-activated control.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Well rounded for every use
on May 23, 2018
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
So far, I am finding these headphones to be very well rounded and are turning into an awesome daily driver with very few faults I can find. The box and items inside seem well designed with a nice appearance of quality and not a whole lot inside. The headphones are nicely presented upon opening and you will also find a small manual, additional headphone ear buds and hooks, a nice cloth carrying pouch and a USB cable.
The unit was smaller than I expected having tried multiple behind the neck headphones over the years. The ear bud portion feels rather well built. The cables feel strong and hold their shape pretty well. I believe this is by design to best keep the microphones on the right side close to your mouth for phone calls. The base neck portion is sturdy and very slim. They have a great grippy silicon texture to them so they will not slip very easily around your neck with normal wear. The design is not flashy at all and I would describe it as more functional, they are not bad looking by any means though.
Pairing is straight forward like any Bluetooth earbuds and works best with the Jabra + software if you want to fine tune the EQ and update the firmware. It is not needed but nice to have.
Audio quality is very good. I tested them walking outside, doing office work, at the gym and going to bed. One battery charge lasted me the whole day with LOTS of listening. Walking out side I used the ANC feature and it did a very good job of blocking most of the static from the road while letting it just enough important audio like cars and cross walk signs. I took a few calls and it was very clear on my end with the caller saying the same. Office work was music with the pass through feature engaged. It does a very good job of allowing all ambient sound in while not overpowering the music. It does sound a little amplified though and can be annoying over extended periods. So when no one was around I turned it off and just concentrated on my music and podcasts. My gym usage was surprisingly good. I usually get lots of interference at the gym with Bluetooth headphones but had no issues with this headset. The music came in loud and clear with good quality. The ANC was perfect for the gym as it eliminated all the background music, conversations and most of the sounds of the weights. The water resistance is IP54 rated so it should do a decent job protecting against sweat and rain but I wouldn’t try to get it more wet than that. This might have become my favorite gym headphones partly because of the audio quality / ANC and partly because it stays in position on my neck perfectly due to the grippy texture. Bed time music was a good experience since I could just concentrate on music so lets talk about audio quality.
If you are used to any high quality wired headsets, you will instantly notice the music is a little more muddy due to the use of SBC profile. The website and box didn’t describe what Bluetooth profiles were supported and only say Bluetooth 5.0. I checked developer options on my phone and it wouldn’t change from SBC mode so it appears there is no APTX or LDAC (high quality) profiles present. That being the case, the music did sound very good overall but I think you will need to adjust it with the EQ in the app to get a good setting you like. I was curious about the Bluetooth 5.0 as it is supposed to make larger range connections with your phone possible but I didn’t see much improvement from the normal 30 or so feet over Bluetooth we have become used to over the years. Bluetooth 5.0 is also supposed to make file transfers and battery life better which were both hard to test since my phone I tested it with supports 5.0 and I didn’t have another phone to test it with a different version. From my experience though, the firmware updates transferred relatively quickly and battery life was exceptional as it lasted me pretty much the entire day. You battery life will go down with ANC enabled.
I give this headset a 4 out of 5 as it is very high quality and is well worth a purchase. I only took a star away for little details I would like to have seen, mainly support for APTX, high water resistance rating and something other than micro-USB for charging. Those are little gripes so if that doesn’t bother you, you will probably enjoy these very much.
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+5points
7of 9voted this as helpful.
 
Enjoy an authentic sound with these Sony 1AM2 headphones. Their 40mm HD drivers provide clear, precise sound across all frequencies, and their separate left and right channels reduce crosstalk for balanced audio. These Sony 1AM2 headphones are lightweight, with pressure-relieving cushioned earpads for comfortable all-day wear.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Best headphones ever
on May 19, 2018
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
I’m gonna knock out the bad stuff first. These headphones are not Bluetooth, they are not noise cancelling, the box feels a little cheap and they are not water resistant. Ok, now that that is out of the way I can talk nothing but praise for these amazing headphones.
My first thing I have to say, go out and buy these. These are probably the best sounding headphones I have ever put on my ears. I have used a lot of high end wireless headphones over the years but I always fall back to wired for listening to high quality music. My library consists of a lot of music from HD Tracks and 7Digital so I had a lot of 24 bit audio ranging from 44khz to 192khz used in my testing. My equipment used ranged from my PC which had on board audio (with support for HD 24bit 96khz) and on my phone which has a quad DAC on it.
Unboxing was pretty basic but not bad. The outer packaging looks nice but feels rather cheap and tears apart pretty easily. You then find a nice box inside of the cheap layer that folds open with heavy duty cardboard. The headphones are resting inside on a pillow of cloth and soft materials. You will find a warranty booklet, a carrying case and the cable inside. I first did my testing on my phone since it has support for HD Audio and a quad DAC to power these babies. I loaded it with HD Audio tracks from Kacey Musgraves, Khalid, the Hamilton Soundtrack and Daft Punk to get a decent range of audio. My mind was instantly blown with each sample. I think the biggest improvement from my old set of cans is the ability to easily separate the harmonics. I am used to those types of audio blending together nicely, but these Sony headphones make each part of the track stand out distinctly with no loss of quality allowing them to blend together just like a live performance. I felt most of the audio had a flat feel to it with no portion of the audio feeling overpowered. The bass was loud but clear and a little more punchy than normal but not to the point where it overwhelms, the highs are crisp and stand out distinctly. The mids are extremely clear. I felt no need to mess with the EQ on my device as everything just feels like it sounds like it was originally intended. These headphones made me want to listen to all my favorite albums all over again to see what tiny parts of the audio I have been missing out on over the years. Supposedly they support 3hz to 100khz so your pets might like it since I am pretty sure no human can hear sounds in those ranges.
As for the hardware itself, my first impression was surprise on how light they are. There is a lot of plastic, memory foam and leather all over these but I feel it works pretty well. I am used to high quality headphones trying to integrate lots of metal for a more premium feel and heft, but it is kind of relieving having a high quality pair so light you barely notice them when you wear them. The plastic is obvious, but it does not feel cheap by any means. The foam on the ear cups is stunning. Most of us have felt memory foam before but this is some of the softest memory foam I have ever felt. It is like a soft pillow on your ears. I have been listening to them for about 5 hours today along (I should really take them off) and I feel zero discomfort or overabundance of heat. Though these have no ANC, they block a lot of the outside sound out due to their design.
The design itself is rather pleasing with a lower profile on your head (I can’t stand cans that stuck out and make my head look even bigger than it is). The cord is detachable from the headphones and sticks out of the back of the left side creating a nice streamlined look. If the cord matters to you it fells high quality with a durable rubber coating. There is an inline remote on it with a single button for pausing/skipping and a microphone to take calls on. There is also a cable with a four band connector used for their Walkman lineup, I did not get a chance to test as I do not have one of their newer HD Walkmans.
Again, this is the best set of headphones I have ever heard, it is very hard to find a fault with them if you are in the market for a wired set of high quality headphones
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
3of 4voted this as helpful.
 
Enjoy high-quality graphics and fast performance with this Dell Alienware Aurora desktop. Its 16GB of Intel Optane memory is expandable to 64GB, providing plenty of room for future expansion, and the 1TB hard drive delivers ample file storage space. This Dell Alienware Aurora desktop has an NVIDIA GeForce 1070 graphics card for smooth rendering of 3D images.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Amazing well rounded gaming PC
on April 21, 2018
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
This computer is a dream come true. It is not 100% perfect but is extremely well rounded and great for expansion.
I received it in the mail in a sturdy package. The packaging is fairly basic with just a white Alienware box inside, the computer, a keyboard, a mouse and some quick start documentation. There is not much else inside.
The setup was easy. Connect power, connect the monitor, key board, mouse and press the cool alien shaped power button. The first start is rather slow, and the computer is sluggish at first as it installs all the updates. After this is all good to go your computer will quickly get extremely fast with the introduction of Optaine memory in conjunction with the hard drive. You really will notice near SSD speeds on most operations once you have opened up various programs and rebooted the computer a few times. It is like an extremely high-speed cache that is non-volatile, so it never has to reload. There is not much bloatware installed, just some Alienware software and your usual Microsoft apps.
After toying around with it I tossed an extra SSD drive in it, there is room for two SSD drives but no room for a traditional 3.5-inch hard drive as the only slot for that is occupied by the C: drive. Every component is modular so replacing anything is extremely easy. There are tons of USB ports on the back and top including a USB-C connector. Out of curiosity I wanted to see how it would handle a 2nd Nvidia 1070 card. I tossed it in there, there is a perfect amount of space but the power supply will not handle this setup. The primary video card has a 8pin power connector, the 2nd video card only has a 6 pin so you will need to upgrade the power supply should you want two 8 pin connectors. If you are running video cards that need 6 pin you will have no issue.
The build quality is top notch. All layouts internally and all external surfaces feel as if there is a lot of thought put into it. The computer runs rather cool and I could not get the GPU temperature to go above 75 degrees C, my old computer would routinely go up to 83 C so I am very impressed by the great airflow. The cables are all neatly arranged inside and do not restrict airflow.
The m.2 slots are occupied with a Wi-Fi card and the Intel Optane memory. I was skeptical of this new storage at first but the more I used the computer, the faster it got, and it really feels like there is a 1tb SSD installed now. Just remember if you wanted to install a M.2 hard drive you would have to remove the optane storage.
The i7 8700 processor is a beast and it is awesome watching a program like BOINC running 12 threats at the same time. It looks like it is water cooled and will run nice on anything you throw at it. The memory is occupied by a total of 16GB DDR4 sticks (2 8gb slots) so you will have two more slots available for expansion.
Games run smooth as butter. I spent a good amount of time playing Overwatch, Xcom 2, Forza Horizon 3 and Call of Duty WWII at 1080P and it never ever dropped below 60fps. Most games would run in the 100fps range when vsync was turned off.
The lighting effects are a nice touch but nothing required. The software is easy to use with lots of preset profiles but you can choose any combination of colors on the side panels and the Alienware logo you wish. My kid is obsessed with a yellow/blue/red layout. There is killer networking software installed as well if you have a router that supports it.
Most people will probably upgrade their mouse and hard drive but just for your info the included base keyboard is pretty good quality with great travel and a nice clicky mechanical feel. The mouse is standard fare and will do the job.
The compute screams of quality and value at the same time. It is almost perfect out of the box and there is plenty of expansion ability. If I would change anything whatsoever I would toss a little more storage in the (easy upgrade if you clone a new drive and replace it, just disable optane before and reenable after) and I would have included a slightly more powerful power supply for dual video purposes. Every other detail is outstanding. Go buy this computer!
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
+3points
3of 3voted this as helpful.
 
Only at Best BuyPull in HDTV signals from local stations up to 60 miles away with this Mohu Beam antenna. It's 23 inches long and looks like a sound bar to blend with your home entertainment equipment, and you can mounts it on the wall. This Mohu Beam antenna includes a signal amplifier for clear digital reception.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Near perfect antenna
on April 14, 2018
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
This thing works as advertised. The installation is easy as can be and I got a better signal than any other comparable antenna I have tried in the past. The packaging is pretty small, about the size of a sound bar. Once opened you will see some instructions, the antenna bar, coax cables, the coax amplifier and mounting hardware (mostly just screws).
The device itself looks pretty good overall. It appears modern, sturdy and is something I wouldn’t mind having on display. This is usually a problem for TV antennas as they either look cheap and flimsy or are bulky and need to be hidden. This antenna is designed to be mounted above or below your tv similar to a wall mounted sound bar. As my TV is wall mounted and the sound bar is also wall mounted I was concerned it would be too much clutter on the wall but it actually looks quite nice below the sound bar, it is partially hidden behind my entertainment stand anyways so it is pretty out of the way but I wouldn’t be ashamed of letting it be seen.
Installation is a breeze, just for testing I initially tried it out before mounting it. Plug in the coax cable to the device then hook it up to the amplifier which feeds to the tv and the USB port for power. Upon TV setup, it initially recognized 10 TV channels, that is the most for me compared to antennas I have used in the past. I usually get 4-6 channels that have a mix of good and bad quality. All 10 channels got a great signal an it wasn’t even properly mounted/oriented yet!
Installation to the wall was even easier than the sound bar, it is very light so you don’t need to worry too much about securing it too much but you will be fine with a few screws and brackets that are included.
To summarize, it is a great looking antenna that gives great performance and will likely give you a few channels over the air you might not have had previously. A great tool for cord cutters who want to reclaim some local channels. If I could make any changes it would be to make the device have a slightly smaller footprint but that is minor overall. This is probably the best OTA antenna out there currently.
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
 
The Xperia XZ2 Compact is designed to be the ultimate entertainment device. Whether you're recording breathtaking videos in 4K HDR, or watching films in HDR, the Xperia XZ2 Compact delivers big screen entertainment in the palm of your hand.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Best phone yet!
on April 13, 2018
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
I have finally found a near perfect phone. I am one of those people who upgrades to the latest phone whatever it is at the time. I am often happy with the new phone for a little while but there is always that itch that the next phone will be better. After using the XZ2 for a few days, I feel like there is nothing wrong with this phone and I can find no faults that make me look at other phones. I had to look hard for any issues and luckily any that I found I truly don’t care about.
Starting with the unboxing, the packaging is basic compared to those of other phones. The box is simple with the Xperia logo on it (shiny). Upon opening you see the device which instantly strikes you as very small. Under that there are the Quick Charge 3.0 charger, cable, documentation, headphones, USB-C to headphone dongle, and some extra ear buds to find your fit. I was surprised to see there was no SIM insertion tool. Upon inspection I saw the SIM tray can be removed without the tool and you can quickly swap SIM’s or memory cards. You might see this as a curse or a blessing but I had zero qualms with this.
Upon inspection of the device, it felt right. What I mean is phones these days are huge. My previous phone was a 6” screen device and I was a little concerned with a compact phone. Well, I can finally do anything on this phone with one hand and has amazing ergonomics. Sony put a lot of effort into making sure the device fits well in your hand as you can reach any part of the screen with your thumb and the curved back side will fit in your palm just right in a way that reduces slipping, a problem which plagues most phones these days in my opinion. The materials are high quality. Even though the back side is a polycarbonate it feels very tough and looks amazing with a translucent appearance. The fingerprint reader, lens and sensors are all laid out in a way that makes sense. The buttons on the right side contain volume at the top, power in the middle and, thanks heavens, a CAMERA BUTTON at the bottom! I don’t know why all phones don't come with a dedicated camera button as it makes life so much easier. It not only launches the camera app but it also is a two stage button so a half press will focus, a full press will take a photo just like a real camera.
I quickly booted it up and installed my apps after. The Snapdragon 845 processor is a beast! You can easily install gigabytes of apps while using the phone and see zero stutter. I have not seen a single instance of lag on this device yet. Games will run buttery smooth and everything loads with extreme speed.
The interface has a Sony skin on it but is mostly stock. It uses most of the Google apps for everyday applications such as calendar, messages and so on but there are a few duplicates such as the Sony photo app which is kind of silly since Google includes Photos app as well. It is annoying but I felt bloatware was minimal on this device. The only thing I ended up disabling was the PlayStation app (Xbox guy here) and the AVG antivirus app since I use a different brand.
The phone unlocks very quickly with the back mounted fingerprint sensor. Thank goodness Sony finally included a fingerprint sensor as this has been missing from previous models. This was important enough that I figured it deserved its own paragraph! It is easy to find and far enough away from the camera that you do not risk getting fingerprints on it. Being a smaller phone you will need to bend your finger a bit to reach it though as it is mounted in the middle below the natural resting spot of your index finger.
Audio is great, the twin speakers are very loud and clear. I noticed very minor distortion at max volume with certain podcasts, but I did not hear any issues in music. The headphones are curiously not USB-C type but traditional 3.5mm type which you can use with the included USB-C dongle. Once I found the right fit with the earbuds, they sounded great. Not the most amazing pair but pretty darn good for free headphones with punchy bass and a crisp sound.
The display is great! It is IPS so the blacks will not be as dark as a OLED but in actual use I could barely tell any difference! The resolution is more than enough for a 5” screen at 1080x2160 and HDR content looks great. One sacrifice you might make with a smaller screen like this is the keyboard can feel a little cramped. The device ships with SwiftKey but a switch to Gboard fixed that issue for me.
I would not rate the camera as the best in the market but it is extremely good, accurate and will give you detailed photos. They were a little noisy in low light but only when I zoomed in to full size. As stated earlier, the camera button makes things work so well. Video recording supports 4k WITH HDR! One of the only phones that can do this right now I believe. You can also take some very quick 1080 extreme slow mo clips if you want to be creative. I tossed a few sample shots of random household objects in low light so you can see. The 5mp front camera is a little lacking but it isn’t bad. It lacks detail but colors look good and is more than sufficient for a phone. If selfies are your thing you might be put off by this as there are better phones for selfies (Sony ones included).
I have not tested the water/dust resistance but it does have a resistance rating that should keep you safe. I am also not going to test the scratch resistance but I have confidence in the Gorilla Glass 5 it uses.
Last thing I want to touch on is battery life. Being a smaller phone you will have a smaller battery. I believe it is 2870 mAh and after a few days of use I got home with about 20% battery life. That is not bad for me as I am a heavy user who listens to podcasts and music all day, reads the news, uses GPS a few times a day and plays a few games / YouTube videos during lunch. The battery charges extremely fast with the QC 3.0 charger and I was able to get it up to 75% after getting home while cooking dinner. There is no wireless charging so I recommend you have a charger in your bag if you expect extended times of heavy use and travel.
This is probably the phone that is closest to perfect thus far. My only fixes if I could make it any better would be add wireless charging and upgrade the front camera slightly. Other than that I love this thing and Sony has earned my confidence in their phone brand once again!
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Meet the secure, tamper-proof smart lock from Nest and Yale. It~s keyless, so you can lock and unlock the door from anywhere with the Nest app.[1] Give people you trust a passcode instead of a key, and get alerts when they come and go. And lock the door with a tap. If you forget, the Nest x Yale Lock even reminds you.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
A amazing home security device
on March 24, 2018
Posted by: psyclopps
from Everett, WA
The Nest x Yale smart lock is exactly what I have been waiting and looking for. I have been in the market for one of these devices for a while now and of all the ones I have seen for sale in places like Home Depot, there was always something holding me back from making the purchase. Usually issues were quality, ease of use, appearance and so on. Well… if you have been in that situation as well, this is probably the lock for you.
The box comes with a lot of hardware inside. There is the outer lock, the inner lock and mounting plate, a good bit of screws, instructions (with drilling template if needed), strike plates and the inner lock. Having never changed a lock before it seemed like a bit much but the instructions were pretty straightforward and there are some great tutorials on Youtube and on the Nest website.
I hit a few snags upon installation but nothing that was the fault of the Nest x Yale lock. My first snag was the old lock I had had a round bolt with no strike plate so I had to chisel out a groove for the strike plate to fit into in my door. Second hiccup was that the old lock installation did not have a good fit with the new deadbolt / frame strike plate. Over the years my door has started hanging at a tiny angle as the house settled so this tiny misalignment caused the bolt to not align properly. Again, not an issue with the lock but it was a learning experience for me with the installation. My fix was to use the old strike plate instead of the included one as the size is slightly different and it worked on the old one.
I would imagine a good chunk of houses might have a few snags as well so if any of it seems too daunting don’t forget that Nest always offers Nest Pro Installation with local vendors if you want to pay a little extra.
Once I got it installed and aligned my next snag was figuring out how to get it working with the Nest app. I will save you some time. There is a Nest Connect hub you can pair with the app first. The website says you have to be connected to Nest Connect or to Nest Secure in your app before you can use the lock. Once you pair the Nest connect, scan the QR code on the lock itself (in the battery compartment). It then works flawlessly.
Here is how it works… When you leave the house, touch the “Yale” button and it locks the door with a nice tune that plays. When you get home you can open your door via the app or you can put in your personal pin on the door. Each user of the house can get a personal PIN number to make things easier to remember for everyone. If you have a guest in the house, you can give them a pin as well so they do not know yours and so you can cancel it once they leave. The lock offers a privacy mode so no one can get in unless they use the app, kind of cool.
It looks cool on the door but I will have to repaint my door as it has a different shape compared to the old round lock I used to have, a minor inconvenience but one more thing to do.
This thing has a easy to use user interface, looks great, has wonderful app support through Nest and is very reliable. I am curious how long the four AA batteries will last but if it is like other Nest devices I should get a warning when they are low. A great purchase overall.
My Best Buy number: 0962208100
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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psyclopps's Review Comments
 
SynopsisThe last time the earth was ravaged, animals were saved two by two in a massive ark, peacefully sailing to a new beginning, or so the story goes. This time, we're not so lucky. With a massive asteroid hurtling toward the planet, a select few were chosen to inhabit modern-day arks ~ pods buried deep within the earth's core. You were chosen. You were buried alive. And you rose from the ground to face your worst nightmare. Hordes of mutants killing without a thought, bandit gangs wreaking havoc throughout the already defunct wasteland, a looming Authority seizing maniacal power and holding secrets ~ this is what remains of humanity. The world as you know it is gone, but if any world is to stand in its place, there's only one person left who can raise it up from the ashes ~ you. That is, if you can survive the Rage.Step up to the challenge and climb into the wasteland in the first-person shooter that flings you to the edge of the earth and the brink of extinction. Rage pits you against the odds in a desolate world in which you were selected for survival ~ just to face death at every turn. To redeem humanity, you must master a massive arsenal of exotic wingsticks, sentry bots, bomb cars and other powerful weapons and fearlessly wage war against the evil forces overtaking your planet. Fire through heart-pounding first-player shooting action, rip through the wasteland in high-octane vehicle chases and turn your car into your most deadly weapon ~ you have to play dirty if you want to live. Experience the mass decay with every painfully realistic detail with the id Tech 5 engine and Megatexture technology, firing at 60 frames per second to make you feel as if the world has crumbled around you. And when you take the battle online, the devastating action really does stretch around the world. You've survived the apocalypse. Now comes the real battle.
 
Overall1 out of 51 out of 5
Game was not tested properly
By skullboy88 from Los Angeles, CA
First of all the reason for such a low rating is that the game is not playable. Right out the box. Now, I have been building pc's for over 10 years and have sunk hundreds of dollars into my rig to play the most demanding games. And I do. The problem is that ID software sent out a game to the public that is not finished. Google, rage graphics problems and you will find a magnitude of arcticles about poor graphics bad drivers and other issues. AMD and Nvidia have been working for a driver patch but reports from many say they do not work to fix the tearing and poor rendering . People are paying $60.00 for a pc game. Dont you think it should work right away without having to wait for a patch?
Customer Avatar
psyclopps
San Diego, CO
Updates
October 14, 2011
To be fair, a patch has since been release which fixes many of these PC problems including better support for video cards and settings.
0points
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Rock out during your workout with these Sony Balanced Armature Sports XBAS65 earbud headphones that feature water-resistant housing with a waterproof film to stand up to sweat, rain and rinsing. Balanced Armature drivers deliver clear, detailed audio.
 
Overall2 out of 52 out of 5
Horrid Sound
By DELienz from Delaware
I had pair of Sony Headphones that I bought a few years ago for approx. $50 dollars... Sounded Amazing, but I recently ran then over with my car... Anyway bought these assuming the sound would be similar and also compensate for my only complaint with my other heardphones which was falling constantly out of my ear during workouts. Turns out these are more expensive but that sound terrible. Tried changing the setting on my IPOD and there is no overcoming the lack of bass. I am a auidiophile and I do listen to music a lot of double bass and drums so bass is something I must have in a headphone. If that's what you looking for don't buy these. I'm confident cheaper headphones with the same quality sound can be obtained so I would not recommend these to anyone...
Customer Avatar
psyclopps
San Diego, CO
Balanced Armature
June 28, 2012
Balanced Armature headphones are designed to sound like the original recording. Most headphones these days are "dynamic armature" which are designed kind of like a hardware equilizer where bass is usually most important. Any of these balanced armature headphones are aimed specifically at audiophiles as they repoduce very true to original sound with detailed mid ranges and highs.
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2of 2voted this comment as helpful.
 
psyclopps's Questions
 
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psyclopps's Answers
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ASUS TUF Gaming Laptop. Enjoy everyday gaming with this ASUS notebook PC. The Intel i7 processor and 16GB of RAM let you run graphics-heavy games smoothly, while the potent NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics produce high-quality visuals on the fast 15.6-inch 240hz FHD display. This ASUS notebook PC has 1TB SSD that shortens load times and offers ample storage.
 

How many FPS I can get in fortnite?

Well, I didn't benchmark Fortnite but in Overwatch I was getting 150-170 FPS regularly
4 years, 6 months ago
by
psyclopps
 
eero Pro 6 delivers premium Wi-Fi 6 performance. The 3-pack Wi-Fi 6 system supports speeds up to a gigabit and coverage up to 6,000 square feet. So you can say goodbye to dead spots and buffering. Work, play, video conference, and stream from anywhere in your home~even when the whole family is online. Set up eero in minutes and get automatic updates, a built-in Zigbee smart home hub, and more. Powered by TrueMesh, eero optimizes your wifi to work for your space and supports 75+ devices.
 

Will every unit come with two ethernet ports? Can they be used for wired backhaul or direct ethernet?

Yes, each unit comes with two ethernet. I haven't tried wired backhaul but you can indeed plug them all directly to the router for direct ethernet.
User submitted photo
4 years, 10 months ago
by
psyclopps
 
Get peace and quiet anywhere with these Sony truly wireless noise-cancelling earbuds. An advanced HD noise-cancelling processor blocks distracting background noise so you can focus in noisy environments, and Bluetooth connectivity ensures easy use with smartphones and other devices. These Sony truly wireless noise-cancelling earbuds include a convenient charging case that offers up to 24 hours of use per charge.
 

Can they work independently? Is there a microphone in each piece so you can just switch between the 2 to gain the most amount of battery time?

Yes they do! Each earbud gets its own independent stream so you can use them exactly as you describe.
6 years, 1 month ago
by
psyclopps
 
Capture up to 1440p video with this Nextbase 522GW dash camera. Alexa enables hands-free control through voice commands, and Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi technologies sync with compatible smartphones for quick access to important footage. This Nextbase 522GW dash camera has ports for connecting compatible camera modules for easy expansion.
 

How does Alexa give you directions to your desired destination? Do they show up on the screen, or is this Alexa feature not available on this dash cam?

Alexa is present but it does not integrate into any build in GPS as far as I can tell. There are other devices such as the Garmin speak which combines a dash cam with Garmin + Alexa navigation via a skill but there is no screen on that device.
6 years, 2 months ago
by
psyclopps
 
Enjoy your favorite music through these Sony Sports wireless noise-cancelling headphones. The in-ear design ensures a snug fit, so you can jog or walk without missing a beat, and the wireless format eliminates the need for cumbersome cords. The Ambient Sound Mode on these Sony Sports wireless noise-cancelling headphones keeps you alert to your environment.
 

Two questions: First, 6 hours battery life for listening time? Second, Can you turn off the noise canceling to increase battery life in-between charges?

Yes to all!
7 years, 3 months ago
by
psyclopps
 
Count on crystal-clear voice communication with these Jabra Elite wireless neckband headphones. Three-microphone call technology and professional-grade active noise cancellation block ambient sounds, and they come with different-sized EarGels for a customizable fit. These Jabra Elite wireless neckband headphones support Amazon Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant for voice-activated control.
 

What is the distance from mobile device?

I'm getting around 30 feet on mine. Their website states 33 ft.
7 years, 3 months ago
by
psyclopps
 
Garmin Speak~ Plus with Amazon Alexa is what you love about Amazon Alexa, now in your vehicle. Use voice control for hands-free access to music, news, navigation and more. Plus, a built-in dash cam gives you forward collision and lane departure warnings.
 

Can you please tell me more about the dash cam. Can it be controlled by voice or a remote button? Where does it store the videos and how can I get them? Through wifi or only sd card?

It is simply always recording. There is a separate app you must download if you want to view on your phone. It will connect to your phone via wi-fi but you can take out the Micro SD card if you want to plug the videos in to your computer. There is an overlay option which tells the drivers speed and a little more info as well. It also records in car audio.
7 years, 6 months ago
by
psyclopps
 
Garmin Speak~ Plus with Amazon Alexa is what you love about Amazon Alexa, now in your vehicle. Use voice control for hands-free access to music, news, navigation and more. Plus, a built-in dash cam gives you forward collision and lane departure warnings.
 

If maps stay up to date , is the system using my data plan ? Garmin & TomTom use satellites , what does this system use ? Does this system in any way use my data plan and if so , how ?

I did a trip to a national park using this device. It appears there are no downloaded maps as the moment I lost my data connection the device didn't know what to do. It seems it is always using your data plan as long as you are using pretty much any of its features other than dashcam.
7 years, 6 months ago
by
psyclopps
 
Garmin Speak~ Plus with Amazon Alexa is what you love about Amazon Alexa, now in your vehicle. Use voice control for hands-free access to music, news, navigation and more. Plus, a built-in dash cam gives you forward collision and lane departure warnings.
 

With all these features, Does it scan the road and next to the road for objects such as DEER ? If so will it alert you ?

From my experience, no. There is only lane detection warning and collision detection warning as added safety features.
7 years, 6 months ago
by
psyclopps
 
Simplify tasks with this 15.6-inch HP ENVY convertible laptop. Its Full HD touch screen lets you navigate the intuitive Windows 10 interface, and its Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM ensure demanding programs run smoothly. This HP ENVY convertible laptop has a 1TB hard drive for storing photos, videos and documents.Learn more.
 

Is there any way to do talk to text in tablet mode? Or make the keyboard swype at least?

There is no dictation function but there is a few keyboard settings that could help. You could configure the touch keyboard in split layout so you can use only your thumbs on each side of the screen to type. It takes a little practice but is useable when you get used to it. There is a also a "Scribble" mode where you can write on the screen and it will turn it into text.
7 years, 9 months ago
by
psyclopps