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- Review count72
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- First reviewOctober 24, 2013
- Last reviewSeptember 8, 2025
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- Average rating3.9
- Review comment count1
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- First review commentMarch 29, 2017
- Last review commentMarch 29, 2017
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- First answerOctober 3, 2020
- Last answerOctober 3, 2020
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Make every microsecond count with the Crucial T710 Gen5 NVMe SSD. Built for serious gaming and professional creative applications, the T710 speeds up your experience with up to 14,900/13,800MB/s sequential and 2.2M/2.3M random reads/writes. The T710 is based on Micron G9 TLC NAND and features an optional integrated heatsink for unthrottled use. Its single-sided and low-power design makes it ideal for use on PCs and laptops.
Customer Rating
5
A fast SSD but make sure your M.2 supports PCIe 5!
on September 8, 2025
Posted by: KusMoG
The Crucial T710 is a PCIe Gen 5 NVMe M.2 SSD so before you make your purchase, double-check with your motherboard to see what generation of PCIe your M.2 slots are on, while also bearing in mind that each slot may have different specifications. PCIe 5 is backwards compatible, but you'll be spending money on a SSD you won't achieve its maximum speeds with. I don't think it's great for future-proofing if you don't have a PCIe 5 slot because it may be cheaper later down the road and faster, better tech may be available by the time you do have one.
Installation will vary depending on your system. Some motherboards and laptops have built-in locking systems, some you'll need to screw on. It's your standard m.2 installation affair. But no screws are included, as they're usually supplied with your motherboard. All that the T710 comes with is the SSD itself, and documentation.
This version of the T710 SSD does NOT come with a heatsink. But it may not be necessary to have included if your motherboard has a heatsink for the M.2 SSD slots. With no heatsink, it also makes this more compatible with different laptops as some laptops can't fit SSDs with heatsinks.
This version of the T710 SSD does NOT come with a heatsink. But it may not be necessary to have included if your motherboard has a heatsink for the M.2 SSD slots. With no heatsink, it also makes this more compatible with different laptops as some laptops can't fit SSDs with heatsinks.
Crucial's claim on the box says, "reads up to 14500 MB/s" but I wasn't able to get that using the CrystalDiskMark benchmark.
Sequential read: 13956.52
Sequential write: 13206.51
Random read: 93.80
Random write: 306.93
Sequential write: 13206.51
Random read: 93.80
Random write: 306.93
They're slightly less than 2x as fast as my old PCIe Gen 4 SSD I've upgraded from. The biggest speed benefit I got was from transferring single large files, such as ISO images and backups of my bluray videos. Bear in mind, that if one destination doesn't support PCIe 5, then you'll have a bottleneck and the transfer speeds won't be as fast.
I never experienced any overheating or slowdown using the m.2 heatsink from my motherboard. If you save/move around large files, or move a large number of files at once, pretty frequently, I'd suggest getting a heatsink for it as performance typically slows down if it gets too hot.
PCIe Gen 5 SSDs are still relatively new on the market, as are the motherboards that support them, so I can't really speak to how it compares to the others. But I did find the T710 satisfyingly fast as an upgrade to my PCIe Gen 4 SSD.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Meet ProArt P16 ~ your ultimate creative companion for the studio and on the move. Its OLED touchscreen ensures precise color accuracy for flawless proofing, while versatile I/O ports seamlessly connect all your peripherals. This NVIDIA Studio-validated laptop packs GeForce RTX 5070 graphics and AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor with 50 TOPs NPU, a pairing that will supercharge all your creative endeavors. With AI-enhanced creative features and a long-lasting battery, ProArt P16 transforms any setting into your studio.
Customer Rating
4
Great for creators, battery efficient discrete GPU
on August 4, 2025
Posted by: KusMoG
Design
Made from an aluminum body, it’s lightweight, but feels solid and durable, with no creaking or flexing under normal use. Its black finish is attractive and fingerprint resistant. It doesn’t feel metallic and feels comfortable on the skin, soft and silky smooth. The status lights are curiously found on the back of the laptop and hidden by the hinge when the display is folded open. It only seems to be useful while the laptop isn’t in use. The keyboard is backlit with 3 levels of brightness and the option to turn the backlight off. However, I found the minimum setting for the backlight to be too bright. The backlight also doesn’t illuminate the Shift function labels on the keys. The keyboard itself has considerably more travel than other ultra slim laptops, while still being silent. There is no numpad, but this allows for front-firing speakers on the sides of the keyboard as well as the touchpad in a centered position, to prevent accidental input while typing while looking straight on to the screen. The P16 comes with an infrared camera compatible with Windows Hello for facial recognition login, which works in the dark, and more convenient than fingerprint login.
Made from an aluminum body, it’s lightweight, but feels solid and durable, with no creaking or flexing under normal use. Its black finish is attractive and fingerprint resistant. It doesn’t feel metallic and feels comfortable on the skin, soft and silky smooth. The status lights are curiously found on the back of the laptop and hidden by the hinge when the display is folded open. It only seems to be useful while the laptop isn’t in use. The keyboard is backlit with 3 levels of brightness and the option to turn the backlight off. However, I found the minimum setting for the backlight to be too bright. The backlight also doesn’t illuminate the Shift function labels on the keys. The keyboard itself has considerably more travel than other ultra slim laptops, while still being silent. There is no numpad, but this allows for front-firing speakers on the sides of the keyboard as well as the touchpad in a centered position, to prevent accidental input while typing while looking straight on to the screen. The P16 comes with an infrared camera compatible with Windows Hello for facial recognition login, which works in the dark, and more convenient than fingerprint login.
Display
The display is a glossy touch screen OLED with slim bezels and measures 15.8” diagonally. It’s pretty reflective, so it’s not ideal for use opposite a window or light source. Its native resolution is 3840x2400, which is a 16:10 aspect ratio. It’ll produce black bars for 16:9 presentations, but the extra vertical space makes it better for content creation, giving you a larger workspace. Because it’s a 4k display against a 16” display, you won’t spot individual pixels (or at all) at 150% scale or higher. The display has a refresh rate of 60 Hz which is acceptable for content creation, which is what the laptop was designed for. However, I find it a very curious decision that ASUS chose a touch panel over 120 Hz since it doesn’t really leverage touch input very well, while at the same time, proves to be very capable of 120 Hz for gaming. Feels like a misstep to me. I don’t have a protractor, but if I had to guess, the hinge looks like it only goes as far back as 30°. There’s also some wobble when the display is touched. It also does not come with a stylus although it supports the ASUS stylus. When I tried using my Samsung phone’s S-pen, it wouldn’t work. I found the touch display best for making quick selections in editing programs with buttons like Photoshop, and keep the touchpad in my editing workspace. Since the hinge doesn’t fold flat to 180° or 360°, the P16 doesn’t work well for drawing with touch input. I didn’t notice any text fringing. The display is Dolby Vision certified, and is able to play Dolby Vision content. For a model aimed at content creators, I was surprised that its default color profile was oversaturated. Creators looking for accurate colors will want to switch to a different profile such as sRGB, which is great for web content, or Display P3, which is great for graphics and video editing.
The display is a glossy touch screen OLED with slim bezels and measures 15.8” diagonally. It’s pretty reflective, so it’s not ideal for use opposite a window or light source. Its native resolution is 3840x2400, which is a 16:10 aspect ratio. It’ll produce black bars for 16:9 presentations, but the extra vertical space makes it better for content creation, giving you a larger workspace. Because it’s a 4k display against a 16” display, you won’t spot individual pixels (or at all) at 150% scale or higher. The display has a refresh rate of 60 Hz which is acceptable for content creation, which is what the laptop was designed for. However, I find it a very curious decision that ASUS chose a touch panel over 120 Hz since it doesn’t really leverage touch input very well, while at the same time, proves to be very capable of 120 Hz for gaming. Feels like a misstep to me. I don’t have a protractor, but if I had to guess, the hinge looks like it only goes as far back as 30°. There’s also some wobble when the display is touched. It also does not come with a stylus although it supports the ASUS stylus. When I tried using my Samsung phone’s S-pen, it wouldn’t work. I found the touch display best for making quick selections in editing programs with buttons like Photoshop, and keep the touchpad in my editing workspace. Since the hinge doesn’t fold flat to 180° or 360°, the P16 doesn’t work well for drawing with touch input. I didn’t notice any text fringing. The display is Dolby Vision certified, and is able to play Dolby Vision content. For a model aimed at content creators, I was surprised that its default color profile was oversaturated. Creators looking for accurate colors will want to switch to a different profile such as sRGB, which is great for web content, or Display P3, which is great for graphics and video editing.
Inputs
Left side:
-proprietary 200W power port
-full sized HDMI 2.1 port
-USB 4 Type-C port
-USB 3.2 Type-A port
-3.5mm audio jack
Left side:
-proprietary 200W power port
-full sized HDMI 2.1 port
-USB 4 Type-C port
-USB 3.2 Type-A port
-3.5mm audio jack
Right side:
-USB 3.2 Type-C port
-USB 3.2 Type-A port
-full sized SD card slot
-USB 3.2 Type-C port
-USB 3.2 Type-A port
-full sized SD card slot
Charging is done from the left side of the laptop, and the only way to take advantage of the P16 at full power is using the stock 200W power adapter. The USB 4 port only charges at up to 100W, which will cap the CPU and GPU. The cap isn’t as bad as it sounds because it’s still a powerful laptop even with the cap. You just won’t be able to take full advantage of the hardware’s capability. Due to this being a Ryzen laptop, one of its USB-C ports is only USB 4 and not a Thunderbolt port. ASUS also skimps out compared to the competition by making its other USB-C port 3.2. This USB 3.2 Type-C port on the right side has power delivery, but isn’t capable of charging the laptop.
Connectivity
It comes with WiFi 7 but unfortunately maxes out at 2882MB/s up&down. I've seen others do 5000MB/s. It also has Bluetooth 5.4, which is the latest version.
It comes with WiFi 7 but unfortunately maxes out at 2882MB/s up&down. I've seen others do 5000MB/s. It also has Bluetooth 5.4, which is the latest version.
Performance
When set to Performance mode, which can only be run while plugged in using the stock 200W charger, the P16 is impressively powerful, but the fans blare non-stop, making it a pretty noisy laptop. It’s not a high-pitched sound or anything offensive, but it’s a noticeably aggressive sound of fans spinning. The laptop doesn’t get too hot as long as the vents on the bottom of the laptop aren’t blocked. It’s best used on a flat desk and not recommended on a bed while in Performance mode.
When set to Performance mode, which can only be run while plugged in using the stock 200W charger, the P16 is impressively powerful, but the fans blare non-stop, making it a pretty noisy laptop. It’s not a high-pitched sound or anything offensive, but it’s a noticeably aggressive sound of fans spinning. The laptop doesn’t get too hot as long as the vents on the bottom of the laptop aren’t blocked. It’s best used on a flat desk and not recommended on a bed while in Performance mode.
While in Performance mode, I was able to play Shadow of the Tomb Raider in max Custom settings, which is more demanding than its preset Ultra settings in native 3840x2400 resolution and get a stable 60fps. In 1080p with those same maxed out settings, I could get 144fps. Sadly, the display is only a 60 Hz panel. But since the P16 was designed for content creation, 60 Hz is more than fine. The Nvidia GPU can be leveraged by connecting the P16 to an external gaming monitor.
When running on battery, the P16 caps its CPU, and the discrete GPU (if it's being used). The P16 will use the integrated Radeon 890M. I never experienced any thermal throttling.
Other than Performance mode, the laptop runs cool and very silent, especially in Whisper mode, where the fan never seems to go off. Through the MyASUS app, your hardware configuration is customizable. You can run on the integrated graphics card exclusively for longer battery life. It’s also nice that the integrated graphics is a Radeon variant (890M), while the discrete GPU is a GeForce RTX 5070, particularly for software that has benefits for one type over the other.
The SSD is speedy with a 5279 MB/s sequential read, 4831 MB/s sequential write. It has a random read of 56 MB/s and random write of 146 MB/s and a capacity of 2TB. There is also a spare m.2 slot for additional SSD storage.
Battery
Using the 200W stock power adapter, it takes 1 hour and 45 minutes to charge from 0% to 100%, though it hits around the 90% mark after around 1 hour. Using a 100W USB-C charger, took about 4 hours to charge from 0% to 100% but hit around 90% after around 1 hour and 30 minutes. The battery life itself varies greatly depending on the mode you use and what you’re doing but otherwise excellent when you need it to be without the laptop feeling sluggish. When streaming video non-stop at 76% brightness and 50% volume I got about 9 hours of battery life. When gaming in 4K using the discrete GPU with HDR on and no caps (Windows mode; Best Performance power plan) it lasted only 1 hour and 47 minutes.
Using the 200W stock power adapter, it takes 1 hour and 45 minutes to charge from 0% to 100%, though it hits around the 90% mark after around 1 hour. Using a 100W USB-C charger, took about 4 hours to charge from 0% to 100% but hit around 90% after around 1 hour and 30 minutes. The battery life itself varies greatly depending on the mode you use and what you’re doing but otherwise excellent when you need it to be without the laptop feeling sluggish. When streaming video non-stop at 76% brightness and 50% volume I got about 9 hours of battery life. When gaming in 4K using the discrete GPU with HDR on and no caps (Windows mode; Best Performance power plan) it lasted only 1 hour and 47 minutes.
Sound
The sound out of the box sounded terrible to me. It sounded too isolated. But this was the sound profile for its “Music” setting. When I switched it to “Dynamic”, the sound was amazing. It utilizes Dolby Atmos, which gives the audio depth without sacrificing detail. The speakers also get very loud without any distortion. The microphone on the other hand isn’t very impressive. My recorded voice sounds too processed and unnatural. It does do a good job with noise cancellation though, eliminating sounds like an air conditioner.
The sound out of the box sounded terrible to me. It sounded too isolated. But this was the sound profile for its “Music” setting. When I switched it to “Dynamic”, the sound was amazing. It utilizes Dolby Atmos, which gives the audio depth without sacrificing detail. The speakers also get very loud without any distortion. The microphone on the other hand isn’t very impressive. My recorded voice sounds too processed and unnatural. It does do a good job with noise cancellation though, eliminating sounds like an air conditioner.
Touchpad
The touchpad is very responsive but unfortunately lacks haptic feedback. Taps can be done anywhere on the touchpad, but physical button clicks can only be done on the bottom portion. The touchpad is very responsive and feels smooth to touch. It has a unique DialPad touch feature built in to the top-left portion of the touchpad that needs to activated via a simple drag from the top-right corner of the touchpad gesture. I have never accidentally triggered this gesture personally, although perhaps your mileage may vary. When the DialPad is turned on, it gives you a touch dial that comes with preset functions for specific apps like Photoshop and Word, while also allowing you to customize the dial with functions and apps that you assign on your own. This gives your shortcut access to commonly used functions via the DialPad.
The touchpad is very responsive but unfortunately lacks haptic feedback. Taps can be done anywhere on the touchpad, but physical button clicks can only be done on the bottom portion. The touchpad is very responsive and feels smooth to touch. It has a unique DialPad touch feature built in to the top-left portion of the touchpad that needs to activated via a simple drag from the top-right corner of the touchpad gesture. I have never accidentally triggered this gesture personally, although perhaps your mileage may vary. When the DialPad is turned on, it gives you a touch dial that comes with preset functions for specific apps like Photoshop and Word, while also allowing you to customize the dial with functions and apps that you assign on your own. This gives your shortcut access to commonly used functions via the DialPad.
Bundled Software
ASUS includes StoryCube and MuseTree with the P16.
StoryCube appears to be a AI-assisted media hub. It automatically organizes your media with AI, such as sorting photos by people with AI recognizing similar faces; sorting photos by scenes that AI will come up categories for such as "Diving & Snorkeling", "Pets". My issues is, it has proven to be very inaccurate for me, and makes things more of a mess and irritating. A picture of a woman taking a selfie in a normal car was labeled under "Off-road Racing". You're supposed to able to search your media contextually, but StoryCube does a poor job. When I search "tennis" it shows one result despite the many tennis photos and videos I had. When I search "blue", I get no results.
I do like how you're able to trim and even crop videos in StoryCube.
But StoryCube only works with the folders you add to it manually, so it can be cumbersome.
ASUS includes StoryCube and MuseTree with the P16.
StoryCube appears to be a AI-assisted media hub. It automatically organizes your media with AI, such as sorting photos by people with AI recognizing similar faces; sorting photos by scenes that AI will come up categories for such as "Diving & Snorkeling", "Pets". My issues is, it has proven to be very inaccurate for me, and makes things more of a mess and irritating. A picture of a woman taking a selfie in a normal car was labeled under "Off-road Racing". You're supposed to able to search your media contextually, but StoryCube does a poor job. When I search "tennis" it shows one result despite the many tennis photos and videos I had. When I search "blue", I get no results.
I do like how you're able to trim and even crop videos in StoryCube.
But StoryCube only works with the folders you add to it manually, so it can be cumbersome.
MuseTree is a Generative AI image content board. You start with an idea and MuseTree will generate images from it. Then you can add more AI generated images to your content board. You can take those other images and stack them on an existing image to have AI generate an image that combines the 2.
My issue with MuseTree is that the default AI image model it uses, dreamshaper, isn't a style I like. It looks obviously AI, which is to say, bad and soft-looking. It's got a cheap Made in China vibe.
You can change the AI image model by downloading a different one from Civitai but I haven't found any good ones for my needs. On top of that, it won't produce any copyright content.
My issue with MuseTree is that the default AI image model it uses, dreamshaper, isn't a style I like. It looks obviously AI, which is to say, bad and soft-looking. It's got a cheap Made in China vibe.
You can change the AI image model by downloading a different one from Civitai but I haven't found any good ones for my needs. On top of that, it won't produce any copyright content.
ASUS came out with the ProArt P16 last year with the RTX 4060 last year, but this model has the RTX 5070, which is more battery efficient when running on the discrete GPU. It also generates AI images slightly quicker. But the improvements for gaming are marginal. It can game but its best use is for media editing and creation.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Logitech MX Master 3S Bluetooth Edition ~ productivity and precision mouse. With Quiet Clicks and 8K DPI any-surface tracking for more feel and performance.
Posted by: KusMoG
Pros:
-Mouse can be used on virtually any surface, including glass
-Ergonomic; comfortable with any grip
-Very silent
-Pairs with up to 3 devices so you can switch between them (can only use with one device at a time)
-Long battery life
-Very smooth scroll and thumb wheels
-Extremely customizable when used with Logitech's Options+ software
-Logitech Flow allows use of mouse between up to 3 PCs at the same time and copy/paste across them -8000DPI sensor for quicker movement on high resolution displays
-Cheaper than version with Bolt receiver
-Mouse can be used on virtually any surface, including glass
-Ergonomic; comfortable with any grip
-Very silent
-Pairs with up to 3 devices so you can switch between them (can only use with one device at a time)
-Long battery life
-Very smooth scroll and thumb wheels
-Extremely customizable when used with Logitech's Options+ software
-Logitech Flow allows use of mouse between up to 3 PCs at the same time and copy/paste across them -8000DPI sensor for quicker movement on high resolution displays
-Cheaper than version with Bolt receiver
Cons:
-May be jarring to users of the older MX Master series mice at first due to all the changes they made
-145Hz polling rate means it's not made for serious gamers
-Flow only compatible with Windows and MacOS
-(for left-handed people) It's a right-handed mouse
-May be jarring to users of the older MX Master series mice at first due to all the changes they made
-145Hz polling rate means it's not made for serious gamers
-Flow only compatible with Windows and MacOS
-(for left-handed people) It's a right-handed mouse
I won't bury the lede. The MX Master 3S Bluetooth Edition is the MX Master 3S *without* the Bolt receiver or USB cable included, so you get it at a cheaper price. Out of the box, it readily connects via Bluetooth.
If you already have a Bolt receiver, you can pair it with this "Bluetooth Edition" mouse since the receiver pairs multiple devices like the Unifying receiver it replaced. You'll need your own USB-C cable to charge it.
If you already have a Bolt receiver, you can pair it with this "Bluetooth Edition" mouse since the receiver pairs multiple devices like the Unifying receiver it replaced. You'll need your own USB-C cable to charge it.
Thanks to its ergonomic design, it never feels uncomfortable using the MX Master 3S. It's tall enough and curved in the right way to allow your hand and fingers to naturally rest on it. The soft rubberized texture of the base provides a comfortable feel. I've used the mouse all day and my wrist never feels tired from it.
What's new to the MX Master 3S that was absent from the Master MX 3 that preceded it are the silent left and right click buttons. What was once the loudest parts of mouse, on the 3S it's now the most quietest. The amazing thing is, it still feels tactile. It doesn't feel mushy or suppressed. You'll feel the click like you always do. It's just A LOT less noisy. The change is so dramatic that you may hate initially, like I did. I wanted a silent mouse, but when I first used the 3S I instantly felt regret and frustration. My brain was so used to expecting a sound when I click that when I didn't with the 3S it felt extremely jarring to me. I think I may have been clicking harder than I needed to out of reflex. Fortunately, within a half hour, maybe an hour at most, I got used to the silent click and wound up falling in love with it like I thought it would. Oh my GOD, I WISH I had this 20 years when I was up using a computer during late hours when my parents expected me in bed. The left/right click buttons aren't the only thing that's gone quieter. The scroll wheel is also a lot more quiet, even in ratchet mode, where the wheel has tactile "steps" when you spin it. The back/forward side buttons are also relatively quiet. All in all this mouse seems to be designed to work quietly. The loudest part of the mouse is probably the thumb button.
None of the buttons feel cheap. They all have a pleasant tactile responsive feel. No soft mushy feel. No sticky feel. The thumb button is easier to find and on the MX Master 3S than the 2S and older because it has a very slight bump to help feel your way to locating it. It also feels easier to press because there is now a groove on the side of the mouse to allow the button to be pressed deeper. You won't accidentally press it while resting your thumb there because of where the button is placed, in the center of the base of mouse on the left side. It's hard for me to explain. It's not easy to press the button by accident, but it's easy to press the button when you need to.
There are 2 wheels on the mouse, the scroll wheel in between the left/right click buttons for scrolling with your index finger, and the thumb wheel on the side for scrolling with your thumb. There is no longer the rubberized coating on the wheels but they still have a good feel to them. I like this change as I imagine the wheel will be easier to clean over time as it collects dirt and grime. The rubber from the older versions made it tougher to clean as dirt would stick to it. Now it's just all steel. The thumb scroll wheel is now placed above the back/forward buttons instead of beside them. Thanks to this, the thumb scroll wheel is in its own row and the wheel is now wider making it more easier to use than ever before. The scroll wheel has SmartShift, which automatically switches the scroll wheel from line-by-line scrolling to hyper-fast scrolling when you scroll faster. Or you can use the Shift wheel mode button below the scroll wheel to switch between Ratchet (tactile steps) and Free spin (no tactile steps) immediately.
With the use of Logitech's Options+ software, the mouse is extremely customizable. Every button on the mouse can be remapped. You can even map buttons for specific applications only, instead of making the changes global. With Options+ you can also change the speed of both wheels, as well as change the direction of the scrolling of the wheels. You can also change the pointer speed by changing the sensor range. The range is from 200DPI to 8000DPI by steps of 50 DPI. The default DPI out of the box, and without the Options+ software is 1000DPI. I found 8000DPI way too fast and frenetic for me to be precise with it with my use case, even though I have a 3 monitor setup with 4K monitors, but this may be helpful for others with a more expensive setup like a multi-monitors using 8K monitors which have twice as many pixels, making the average mouse pointer feel slower with the default sensor. The higher DPI sensor would allow the mouse pointer speed to move faster. The Options+ software is also where you can set up the MX Master 3S with Flow. Flow allows you to use and control multiple computers with Options+ also installed seamlessly. Switch to another computer by simply moving your cursor to the edge of the screen. Flow also allows your to copy and paste content between those computers. However, since Flow is dependent on the Options+ software, it's only compatible with Windows and MacOS. So there is no first-party solution from Logitech for Linux, Android, or iOS.
Whereas "MX" meant the mouse employs Darkfield technology to allow tracking on virtually any surface, the "Master" means the mouse is able to pair with up to 3 devices. With a button found under the mouse, you can switch between those 3 devices.
Logitech claims it has a battery life of up to 70 days, carefully wording it so that 70 days is their claim max point. So don't expect 70 days. The reality is, how long it lasts will vary depending on the user and how they use it. So, if you're a previous MX Master 2S or Master 3 user, expect the same amount of battery life as that. Perhaps the average user will get 45-50 days out of it. For someone like my mom, who is elderly and not on the computer as much, 70 days is definitely possible. This is thanks to how power efficient the mouse is. It goes into sleep mode after a long period of inactivity. I have never felt the need to power my mouse off.
The mouse charges via USB-C but the cable is NOT included. 3 minutes of charging will give you about a full day's worth of use. You can see the battery percentage through the Options+ app or bluetooth if you have it connected via bluetooth. And it only reports the battery percentage in intervals of 5%. So the 35% battery I'm seeing now actually means 31% to 35%.
The mouse can also connect to a Bolt receiver, which is NOT included. If you already have one from a different device, you can add the MX Master 3S Bluetooth Edition to that same Bolt receiver.
The battery indicator on the MX Master 3S is just a single LED, albeit larger and easier to see. On the MX 2S and older, there were 3 LEDs so you could see the battery level. With one LED, you can now only see whether the battery is above 10% (green), below 10% (red), or charging (blinking). I honestly don't think this is that bad because when it turns red, that's your reminder to charge it or else it will die. And being in the red with 10% will give you 3 days of extensive usage to do it, which is plenty of time.
For loyal MX Master mouse users coming from the 2S or older, you may be in for a real unpleasant shock from all the changes they've made to the 3S. But give it time and you'll fall in love with it like I did. With the cheaper price it's perfect if you don't want to use up a USB port or already have a Bolt receiver. And as of 8/1/2025 it's on sale at Best Buy and a no-brainer to me. Get it on sale while you can! It's a steal.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Meet Pixel 9 Pro with Gemini, now in two sizes. It has a sleek, stunning design, and it~s the most powerful Pixel yet. Take pro-level photos and videos with the triple camera system, and make expert edits. And it~s engineered by Google, so it gets the best of Google~s AI first.
Customer Rating
4
Excellent Android phone for casual, not for gamers
on September 16, 2024
Posted by: KusMoG
The Pixel 9 Pro XL is arguably the best native Android experience you can get from a flagship phone. Everything that was promised by Google for Android is there, unlike other Android phones that will remove certain features in favor of their own version, or for seemingly no reason at all. Thankfully, Google offers it in a Pixel phone that's probably it's most premium looking and feeling yet.
The phone is slim, albeit thickest at where the camera bar is. But the phone does not rock around when placed on a flat surface or even while using the touchscreen on the phone. When held in hand, it feels smooth and comfortable thanks to the rounded edges. While the back is matte, the edges are glossy, which attract fingerprints, but it isn't so much a big deal because it can't be seen from the front or the back on the phone when looking straight on. Plus the glossy edges do give it a premium look. The only visible branding is the G on the back, and in the Obsidian color it's very discreet while still clearly visible if that makes sense. It's not loud, and looks professional.
The display gets really bright which is useful outdoors. The display comes in the "High resolution" setting by default, which is 1008 x 2244. When switched to "Full resolution" you get the maximum 1344 x 2992 the phone is capable of, at the cost of more battery usage. How much battery usage varies greatly on the user, but for average daily use that doesn't include any gaming, I've found the difference negligible and prefer to switch it to Full.
It has 2 different color modes, Adaptive- which makes colors more vibrant and saturated, and Natural, which gives more accurate colors, but appears more muted by comparison. The Pixel 9 Pro XL comes in Adaptive by default.
With the Smooth display setting enabled, it uses variable refresh rate, to automatically raise the refresh rate up to 120 Hz for some content.
It has 2 different color modes, Adaptive- which makes colors more vibrant and saturated, and Natural, which gives more accurate colors, but appears more muted by comparison. The Pixel 9 Pro XL comes in Adaptive by default.
With the Smooth display setting enabled, it uses variable refresh rate, to automatically raise the refresh rate up to 120 Hz for some content.
The user interface animations are the best I've seen for Android though sometimes they get in the way of usability. Locking and unlocking the phone has an aesthetically pleasing swipe animation while the phone's brightness dims or brightens. When you and minimize apps, the animations are smooth and the icons wiggle back into place on the home screen from the "force" of the shrinking window when an app is minimized. When you have a video floating in PIP (picture-in-picture) mode and hold down on it to drag, a Remove button appears below to remove the video from PIP. That's pretty standard for Android. But with the Pixel, when you drag it to the Remove button, the Remove button enlarges and engulfs the PIP video, which shrinks down to go inside that button while the video still remains playing. It doesn't actually close until you release your finger from it. It's just aesthetically pleasing. The Pixel's user animations have a lot of personality to them, and when you're switching over from a different Android phone they're very noticeable and you learn to appreciate them quickly. Switching back to another phone may make it harder considering what a pleasant user experience the Pixel offers.
Something else I've noticed is that I usually hate the circle icons and folders for Android. But on the Pixel I don't mind them. It just seems to fit with the whole user interface experience they have going on, which includes the animations.
Something else I've noticed is that I usually hate the circle icons and folders for Android. But on the Pixel I don't mind them. It just seems to fit with the whole user interface experience they have going on, which includes the animations.
The sound is amazing and gets plenty loud, and clear without distortion. They don't sound tinny, nor is it very bassy.
The stock apps are great because they're from Google, and they're the ones we often find ourselves going to the Play Store to download and install anyway on other phones. However, with other phones, they usually don't allow you to uninstall their stock apps- only disable them. What you're left with is 2 versions of an app, taking up valuable storage space, especially when it's the base model, like this 128GB.
There are also exclusive features that Google apps have only available to Pixel phones, such as the Audio eraser. It's a handy feature that can recognize different speakers and noises, and gives you the option of lowering/increasing their volume, or eliminating them altogether.
Updates come straight from Google, so you're first in line for the latest Android updates.
There are also exclusive features that Google apps have only available to Pixel phones, such as the Audio eraser. It's a handy feature that can recognize different speakers and noises, and gives you the option of lowering/increasing their volume, or eliminating them altogether.
Updates come straight from Google, so you're first in line for the latest Android updates.
The camera is excellent, especially in low lighting. With "Night Sight" you can take pictures in dimly light or dark environments, while not clear as with lighting, still produce a decent visible photo. In complete darkness, taking a picture pointed at the direction of my sofa, which I couldn't see with my eyes or the viewfinder from the Camera app, revealed the sofa in the photo shot. Shutter speed is lightning quick on the default 12MP setting. If you set it to 50MP, the shutter speed becomes incredibly slow, with about a half second delay between each shot. The quality between them is negligible in most cases, but the 50MP is a huge difference maker if you want to zoom in to view detail.
With 50MP it will produce a 8160 x 6144 resolution image.
With 12MP it will produce a 4080 x 3072 image resolution image.
For most people, I would stick with the 12MP and use 50MP on a special case basis, like portraits or anything where detail is a no-compromise must.
Optical zoom maxes out at 5x but there's image stabilization, unlike the 10x with my previous phone. So it's easier to get a good shot without a tripod when using the 5x zoom.
With 50MP it will produce a 8160 x 6144 resolution image.
With 12MP it will produce a 4080 x 3072 image resolution image.
For most people, I would stick with the 12MP and use 50MP on a special case basis, like portraits or anything where detail is a no-compromise must.
Optical zoom maxes out at 5x but there's image stabilization, unlike the 10x with my previous phone. So it's easier to get a good shot without a tripod when using the 5x zoom.
Performance was fine for everyday tasks. I didn't notice any difference from the Pixel 9 Pro XL and another phone that supposedly has the better processor when doing things like browsing the web, taking pictures, watching videos, composing email, making calls. It's speedy and the whole user experience is pleasant. It's when the CPU is pushed with apps like gaming where the Pixel 9 Pro's performance flaws start revealing themselves. You'll still be able to game, but on lower settings for the more graphically intense games. But for a lot of mobile phone games, this won't be a big deal. It's titles like Genshin Impact where it suffers. If AAA title gaming is a must for you, then this will be a deal breaker. I can't recommend the Pixel 9 series in general. It was clearly not built for high performance gaming.
Battery life is excellent. It will definitely get you through a whole day unless you spend most of that day recording video. I consistently get 8 hours of screen on time while the phone is in Full resolution mode, and with Always On Display enabled. Overnight there's barely any battery drain. Some nights, I'll wake up and the battery life is still the same as just before I went to sleep.
Charging, both wired and wireless, could be better, but the Pro XL offers the best of the entire Pixel lineup. Google sells a 45W charger, which I bought, but don't let them fool you. The Pro XL will only charge up to 37W. Besides that, I was able to achieve the same charging speed results with my Samsung EP-TA845 45W charger. From 0% to 100% with both chargers, they took around 1 hour and 24 minutes.
Wireless charging is a different story. Google claims that to get the maximum 23W charging, you need the Pixel Stand 2. However, Google is no longer selling this stand in the store and offers no explanation. They're still being sold in stores like Best Buy, but who knows for how long? And if you've seen the Pixel Stand 2, it has a curved back, which doesn't play nice with phones with magnetic cases. So I was never able to get 23W charging. I've only been able to get the standard 15W wireless charging. So the 23W comes with a catch, an expensive one since the Pixel Stand 2 costs $79. The Pixel 9 Pro XL opted to skip Qi2 charging, so it doesn't have the convenience of magnets for proper alignment. You could end up putting it on a wireless charger overnight and waking up to see it's not fully charged because it disconnected at some point since the charging coil was never properly aligned with your charger.
Charging, both wired and wireless, could be better, but the Pro XL offers the best of the entire Pixel lineup. Google sells a 45W charger, which I bought, but don't let them fool you. The Pro XL will only charge up to 37W. Besides that, I was able to achieve the same charging speed results with my Samsung EP-TA845 45W charger. From 0% to 100% with both chargers, they took around 1 hour and 24 minutes.
Wireless charging is a different story. Google claims that to get the maximum 23W charging, you need the Pixel Stand 2. However, Google is no longer selling this stand in the store and offers no explanation. They're still being sold in stores like Best Buy, but who knows for how long? And if you've seen the Pixel Stand 2, it has a curved back, which doesn't play nice with phones with magnetic cases. So I was never able to get 23W charging. I've only been able to get the standard 15W wireless charging. So the 23W comes with a catch, an expensive one since the Pixel Stand 2 costs $79. The Pixel 9 Pro XL opted to skip Qi2 charging, so it doesn't have the convenience of magnets for proper alignment. You could end up putting it on a wireless charger overnight and waking up to see it's not fully charged because it disconnected at some point since the charging coil was never properly aligned with your charger.
The AI features all feel gimmicky aside from the convenient Gemini, which is the upgraded version of Google Assistant. But Gemini isn't a Pixel exclusive. Features like Add me, allow you to take 2 photos of the same location and combine them together as if they were taken together. It's fun, but the novelty wears off if you don't have any practical use for it.
Pros:
-Definitive Android experience, as Google intended
-Bright display
-Very pleasing UI animations
-Excellent cameras, esp for low light
-Very fast user experience for tasks besides gaming
-Fastest charging speeds of the Pixel 9 lineup
-Longest battery life of the Pixel 9 lineup
-Definitive Android experience, as Google intended
-Bright display
-Very pleasing UI animations
-Excellent cameras, esp for low light
-Very fast user experience for tasks besides gaming
-Fastest charging speeds of the Pixel 9 lineup
-Longest battery life of the Pixel 9 lineup
Neutral:
-AI feels gimmicky for now. Some may appreciate it. Some may find no practical use for it.
-AI feels gimmicky for now. Some may appreciate it. Some may find no practical use for it.
Cons:
-23W wireless charging only attainable with Pixel Stand 2, which isn't travel friendly, expensive, and no longer sold in the Google store
-No Qi2
-mediocre gaming performance
-23W wireless charging only attainable with Pixel Stand 2, which isn't travel friendly, expensive, and no longer sold in the Google store
-No Qi2
-mediocre gaming performance
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Enter a new era of mobile gaming with the power of a full-fledged pro console controller. The Kishi Ultra forges into new terrain as the greatest mobile controller ever created. Meticulously designed with console-class ergonomics, immersive haptics, and Razer Chroma RGB, the Kishi Ultra delivers a true console experience with zero compromise.
Customer Rating
4
Like a PlayStation Portal when used with a tablet
on September 4, 2024
Posted by: KusMoG
The Razer Kishi Ultra feels great to hold in your hands thanks to the full size ergonomic grips. The buttons also have a mechanical click to them instead of a mushy feel. They feel responsive and don't feel cheap. They actually feel like a gaming console controller.
The arrangement of the controller's sticks and buttons makes it really familiar to an Xbox controller, so it makes it feel pretty natural for Xbox Game Pass, or Steam Link gaming on your phone. When you're not playing it with console cloud gaming, the Kishi Ultra retains the console user experience with the Razer Nexus app, which is a frontend portal for all the games you have installed on your mobile device. For games compatible with an Xbox controller, the Nexus app has a setting readily available to enable or disable Xinput mode so the controller is seen as an Xbox controller by the game. On top of that, the Nexus app presents your games with a console-like user interface, like a Nintendo DS, even having haptic feedback with the motors inside the grips.
Above each of the grips there is a LED strip that lights up in different colors with different lighting modes. It's customizable through the Nexus app. You can have it cycle through different colors over every few seconds, keep it static with one color, have it pulsate in different colors or the same color, or just turn off the lights altogether if you find them too distracting or are concerned with the battery consumption it takes from your phone.
There is a USB-C port for passthrough wired charging *and* to use as a wired controller on a Windows PC. Unfortunately, this port does not support Samsung's fast charging nor does it transmit data for your mobile device.
One of the advantages about the Kishi Ultra compared to other mobile device controllers is that the Kishi Ultra is designed with large devices in mind. It easily expands to my S22 Ultra's width with a spring-based expanding backbone, and can fit up to an 8" tablet such as an iPad Mini. When paired with an 8" tablet you can pretty much get an experience similar to the $200 PlayStation Portal. So the Kishi Ultra has that going for itself with its own high price tag. And since the connection is made by USB-C and not bluetooth, there is no input lag.
I love that the Kishi Ultra has four holes, 2 on the left, 2 on the right, to let sound from your mobile device pass through. On the original Kishi, there were only 2 on the right side, none on the left. This had the left speakers of my S22 Ultra sounding muffled while the right was clear. With the Kishi Ultra, the speakers from both sides now come through clearly and evenly.
On the bottom of the left side of the controller there's a standard audio jack for headphones as well.
I only have a couple of issues with the Kishi Ultra. The first is its backbone design. I worry about its durability when carrying it around inside a bag with other things because its backbone is just made of hard plastic. I worry that under certain pressure, it could end up breaking. Like for instance, if I put it in my backpack and I lean against the subway door because it's rush hour and really crowded. Will the controller hold up being sandwiched between my back and that subway door and whatever other stuff I may have in my bag that may get in between the grips and applying pressure against the backbone like my metal water bottle?
The other issue I have is with its fit with different phones. It doesn't fit all phones securely, nor will it work with all phone cases. The number of allowed fit configurations using its different sized rubber phone holder pieces is way too limited. I had to remove my case to get my S22 Ultra to fit the Kishi Ultra and have it align properly with the USB-C plug. But that's not the end of it. After I've fit it in, the rubber grips that hold the phone aren't grippy enough to prevent the left side of my phone from sliding down occasionally. And if you're a person that handles a controller aggressively when you play, you can find your phone sliding down the grip pretty frequently. On the right side, the mobile device is held in place by the USB-C plug. But constant moving and sliding could wear out/loosen that plug over time. There's nothing else on the left side of the controller to hold the controller other than the rubber inserts because the Kishi Ultra was designed to be used with tall 8" tablets, where its height extends beyond the height of the Kishi Ultra itself.
Other than those concerns, the fact that you can get a PlayStation Portal like experience with the Kishi Ultra thanks to its premium look and feel, as well as use it as a wired controller for PC gaming, I would recommend it. Just be careful with packing it away when on the go because I don't have a lot of confidence in the plastic backbone.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Gear up for greatness with Galaxy Watch Ultra, a premium new smartwatch built for top-of-the-line performance. Climb the highest peak. Bike the long way home. The durable titanium design is our toughest yet, able to stand up to the rigors of your workout ~ even ocean swimming.~ Maintain your healthy lifestyle with new features enhanced by Galaxy AI~ that give your performance an edge, including an Energy Score~ that helps you start each day in the know and improved Heart Rate Tracking~ that helps you hone in on your heart health during your favorite cardio activities. Challenge yourself to do better than before on a run or a bike ride with a tracker that compares your current performance to your last one.~ Wherever you decide to go, blaze new trails with an improved GPS~ that makes navigation a breeze and a battery that keeps you moving ~ it~s our longest lasting yet, up to 100 hours.~ Plus, you can stay focused on your workout while keeping in touch with call and text capabilities right on your wrist.~ Get the extra motivation you need to conquer your goals with Galaxy Watch Ultra.
Customer Rating
4
No rotating bezel, but FAST and long battery life
on September 3, 2024
Posted by: KusMoG
Let’s get the elephant in the room immediately out of the way: the Galaxy Watch Ultra copied a lot from its competitor’s Ultra watch. But that watch isn’t compatible with Android phones while the Galaxy Watch Ultra is. So, if you were envious of the other watch, know that the Galaxy Watch Ultra takes a lot of design cues from it.
The watch has a square encased in a square but the display itself is still circular. Some people call it a squircle. Some call it cushioned. The display has a 1.5” diameter, which is the same size as the Galaxy Watch 7 44mm’s display. The Galaxy Watch Ultra is only labeled at 47mm because it includes the case, but as you can see, that method of marketing is deceptive. There is a clear advantage to the 47mm over the 44mm but it has nothing to do with the display and more to do with the other internal hardware.
Internally, the larger space allows the Dynamic Lug System, which is used for switching bands on the Ultra, to fit. Band installation is fool proof. You simply push the band into the watch until it clicks. No more finding tiny pinholes, and aligning the band’s pins to fit inside them like traditional bands or the Galaxy Watch 7. Removing bands on the Galaxy Watch Ultra is as simple as pressing the eject buttons on the back of the watch. At the same time, they will never eject accidentally no matter how hard I forcefully push the watch against my skin or clothes.
Unlike its doppelganger from another company, the Galaxy Watch Ultra has speakers that you can play content with. It comes with LTE, so if you use it with a mobile plan, you can use it independently without your phone to stream music from apps like Spotify while you’re on a run. The speakers are also convenient for playing back voice memos. Or for your alarm to wake you up when you wear the watch to sleep. What makes the Galaxy Watch Ultra different from the previous generations of Samsung watches is that the Ultra has the best sounding speakers yet. They’re the loudest and open sounding that they don’t sound like they’re coming from inside a tin can. Not just for music and video, they also enhance the quality of phone calls with the watch. Calls can be heard as clear as a phone’s speakerphone and people on the other side of the line couldn’t tell I was using my watch to answer their call. At no point did either of us ask to repeat anything because the calls were so clear.
Despite the heavier weight, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is very comfortable to wear. Maybe it has something to do with the stock watch band evening out the around your wrist. I’m not sure. The watch band itself is very breathable and doesn’t irritate my skin. The part of the band that holds the tail end of the band in place is metal, but more importantly, it stays in place when worn. I never have to fidget with it, worrying about it sliding off and not keeping my band in place like other watch bands of this type. The disadvantage of this is that it hits the palm rest and edge of my laptop. I worry about it scratching my laptop, so I usually take it off. This can be remedied by using a different watch band.
The processor is one of the highlights of Samsung’s latest release of smart watches, which includes the Watch 7 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra. With Samsung’s previous releases, I’ve never noted the processor’s performance, but with the Galaxy Watch Ultra (and I assume the Watch 7 as well since they use the same processor) the improvement is a lot more noticeable! Everything feels so much more responsive. Apps like Samsung’s Internet browser are the big winners for this. Unfortunately, if you’re using it as a Wi-fi device, the Watch Ultra will prioritize the Bluetooth tethered connection with your phone over actual Wi-fi so using the Internet app will still appear sluggish due to it using the internet data over bluetooth from your phone. There is no way to keep it on Wi-Fi because while you can connect to it manually, it will eventually automatically disconnect. Wi-Fi is mainly used for updates as was the case with the older Wear OS Wi-Fi Galaxy Watches.
What separates the Ultra from the 7 are a few things. One of them is the battery life. I ignored Samsung’s Watch6 line because they didn’t release a watch that was comparable to or better than my Watch5 Pro. Not even with the Watch6 Classic, which saw the return of the physical bezel. The Galaxy Watch Ultra uses a 590mAh battery, the same rating as the Watch5 Pro. Using the Photo watch face with no monitoring complications except for battery, I was able to fit 2 workouts across 2 days, with a battery life span of 44 hours. However, with the Ultra Info Board watch face, which has the heart rate monitor, compass, and battery complications, under the same usage I got 41 hours of battery life. With that said, it lasts one whole day with a session of sleep easily under heavy usage. I found this more or less similar to my Watch5 Pro.
The Ultra also has a Quick button which isn’t present on the Watch 7. It’s a customizable button that’s unfortunately extremely limited to Samsung’s own Health app and a few system functions- Stopwatch, Flashlight, Water Lock. Or you can set it to no function at all. It’s setting it to the Health app that makes it truly convenient because you have the option to assign it to a specific exercise. Even better than that is during workouts, a single press of the Quick button will pause or resume the workout tracking. A double press records a lap when running or biking. And my favorite: a press and hold will finish the exercise. I no longer have to slide a menu open to pause or end an exercise, which was so inconvenient. It’s a shame Samsung doesn’t allow you to assign the button to third party apps. But if the quick button suits your needs, it’s a moot point.
Holding the Quick button for 5 seconds activates a siren which is loud and piercing. My issue with it though is that after it’s activated, it uses up 10 seconds to make a blaring sound- like a warning sound- before it gets to the piercing siren sound. I imagine for dire emergencies when you need immediate attention from people that can be very frustrating and counterproductive.
Holding the Quick button for 5 seconds activates a siren which is loud and piercing. My issue with it though is that after it’s activated, it uses up 10 seconds to make a blaring sound- like a warning sound- before it gets to the piercing siren sound. I imagine for dire emergencies when you need immediate attention from people that can be very frustrating and counterproductive.
Unlike the 7, the Ultra is made of titanium instead of aluminum, so it’s more durable and resistant to dents. However, it still won’t help prevent scratches so keep that in mind, especially with the black paint on the bezel. Both use sapphire crystal glass which make them very resistant to scratches, which is great to have when you’re touching the screen a lot of the time. Bear in mind, sapphire crystal isn’t for preventing damage on impact, so it can still crack.
I can’t speak to the accuracy of its health monitoring other than the heart rate monitor matches what I get on a treadmill when I’m running at the gym. It has other gimmicky monitoring like ECG and sleep apnea, but the watch itself warns you of its accuracy and that it shouldn’t be substituted for actual medical equipment. To monitor sleep apnea, you need to sleep with the watch twice over a 10 day span. After that, if you don’t have sleep apnea, the Watch Ultra simply tells you it didn’t detect it. I can’t tell you what it tells you or what information it provides if you do since apparently, I don’t experience sleep apnea for the watch to trigger it.
The library of apps and watch faces is one of the main reasons to choose a Wear OS watch over a fitness watch and the Galaxy Watch Ultra is arguably the best one currently on the market. It runs on the latest Wear OS 5 thanks to its partnership with Google. Besides having the latest features, it also ensures compatibility with the newer apps that get released or updated, unlike some other Wear OS watches out there. Historically, Samsung has been great with releasing updates for its Wear OS watches as well.
The cons going against the Galaxy Watch Ultra is despite it being marketed as a fitness watch for fitness enthusiasts and adventurers, it doesn’t deliver the way other sports smartwatches do. For starters, there is no physical control option for when you’re really drenched. Many have complained about the absence of the physical bezel on the Watch Ultra but it’s more than that. They could have added buttons for physical control navigation. They could have made the Quick button a rotating crown. They didn’t. Without it, using it in the rain or when you’re drenched in sweat, becomes a challenge as the liquid will register accidental inputs and make it behave erratically. And that itself can be a deal breaker for the serious athlete or adventurer.
For ECG and sleep apnea tracking, it can only be done with a specific list of Samsung phones since it’s isolated to the Samsung Health Monitor app, which is not compatible with any other Android devices, including older Samsung phones.
The Watch Ultra’s battery life pales in comparison to some smartwatches in the market but you have to consider that those watches don’t offer the same user experience as the Watch Ultra either. Their OS can feel more basic and sluggish. Their app library is nowhere near as expansive or active as Wear OS. You’re also paying significantly more for the battery life and wearing a heavier watch compared to the Watch Ultra. So there’s no easy recommendation for everyone since everyone’s different. I wouldn’t recommend the Watch Ultra for the serious athlete because its fitness data and lack of physical controls for navigation is a deal breaker when you can find them on other sports smartwatches. But for the casual user that works out, it’s probably the best you can get for Android phone users. You will be paying more for the battery life, stronger titanium build, and the quick button, but the price is comparable to what other companies charge for this sort of watch- cheaper in some cases. It’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth it.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Unlock the ergonomic edge you need for posture-perfect hardcore gaming with the Razer Iskur V2. Armed with an adaptive lumbar support system and a fully adjustable lumbar curve, experience personalized support that caters to your unique body shape and a wide range of sitting positions.
Customer Rating
4
Comfy, doesn't tip; quality issues over time?
on August 6, 2024
Posted by: KusMoG
The Iskur V2 was easy to install with the instructions on a large fold-out, easy to read sheet. It took me 30 minutes when I took my time, and maybe around 40 minutes overall from its unpacking. The screws are already preinstalled in the locations they're supposed to be in. You'll need to unscrew them and re-screw them to make the attachments during the installation, but it leaves no room for guess work like most other installations, where you're wondering if you're working with the right screw or not.
I found the chair very comfortable but from reading other reviews, it seems very subjective for this chair. The chair's cushioning is definitely on the firm side, but that's not to be confused with hard. Your seat won't sink in much when you sit. If you prefer a plush, soft seat it may not be for you. When my mom tried the chair, she said it felt like sitting in a car, and I agree. And that's what I liked about the Iskur V2. But unfortunately, it made me disappointed that the caster wheels didn't have locks, so they're not the best to use out of the box from racing sims when used with pedals. The casters are replaceable but that's an additional cost for me, on top of the hefty price of the Iskur V2 to begin with, not to mention the stock casters would end up not being used if I replaced them.
The material of the Iskur V2 is listed as EPU leather, which without getting into the scientific specifics, is faux leather. But it feels very premium as if it were leather. It feels like sitting in a luxury car. And the material makes it easy to clean for accidental liquid or food spills with a wet wipe.
The armrest is listed as "4D" which I'm pretty sure means 4-directional. You can adjust the position of both armrests in 4 different directions:
-left and right
-away and close to you
-up and down in height
-diagonally inwards towards and outwards away from you
for each direction there are 3 fixed positions for you to adjust them to.
I loved this because I can find a comfortable position to rest my arms and elbows when I'm playing long sessions. But what I didn't like is how rattly the armrests were because of its ability to adjust. I'm also suspicious of the material that the armrests are made of. The look and feel like the material on cheap office chairs I've used, and from my experience with those, over time and heat from sunlight from an open window, it cracks and peels. I can't say for certain the same will happen with the Iskur V2 because for all I know they're probably different materials, but it's something that's a concern for me. That aside, the armrests feel comfortable on the skin and for resting during long sessions.
-left and right
-away and close to you
-up and down in height
-diagonally inwards towards and outwards away from you
for each direction there are 3 fixed positions for you to adjust them to.
I loved this because I can find a comfortable position to rest my arms and elbows when I'm playing long sessions. But what I didn't like is how rattly the armrests were because of its ability to adjust. I'm also suspicious of the material that the armrests are made of. The look and feel like the material on cheap office chairs I've used, and from my experience with those, over time and heat from sunlight from an open window, it cracks and peels. I can't say for certain the same will happen with the Iskur V2 because for all I know they're probably different materials, but it's something that's a concern for me. That aside, the armrests feel comfortable on the skin and for resting during long sessions.
The headrest is extremely soft, plush, cool (temperature-wise), and comfortable. I could definitely fall asleep on it comfortably because it feels like a dream. The headrest's position is adjustable with an elastic band that's length adjustable. I found this inconvenient if people of different heights will be using the chair. But I feel like I may be able to use it as a pillow for flights or car rides.
The chair folds all the way back to 152° according to Razer but it felt like 180° to my brain because of how comfortable I felt lying down on it when it was fully folded out. I could easily find myself sleeping on it if I had guests over and not enough beds. To make it even more comfortable I would just use it with an ottoman for my legs to rest, but for me being 5'9" my legs were still comfortable with the height adjusted. But what I absolutely loved is how I never felt like the chair would tip backwards while I was leaning back on the chair or lying down, even with my feet rested on my ottoman. It never felt like it would tip even when I leaning the chair back from its base. The weight of the base supports my weight well, and I weigh 187 lbs. There is a switch(? not sure what it's really called) on the left side under the seat that allows you to lock the position of the backrest from its base, and even when it's locked in the position where the back is fully lowered to its limit from the base, it never feels like it's going to tip backwards. It's such a great feeling knowing that I never have that worry. I just feel comfortable in the position I want it to be in and I can focus on gaming or whatever else it is I'm doing instead of fearing for my safety lol.
The adaptive lumbar support is the highlight of this model and unfortunately it's a mixed bag. It's implementation is unique in that it's a partially floating and separate component from the rest of the backrest of the chair. This was intentional by design because it allows you to rock your back left and right instead of stuck in one fixed position, where you can also feel hot and uncomfortably stiff over time. There is a dial on each side of the chair that allows you to adjust the lumbar support. The left dial adjusts the lumbar support up and down the backrest, while the right dials adjusts how far the lumbar support extends outwards from the backrest. With the combination of both, you can find the precise position for the lumbar support to fit the specific curve of your back. And since it's adjustable, the chair can adapt to the curve of any user's back. The problem is, because of it's floating design, it feels fragile. I have concerns of its longevity. The warranty coverage is for 3 years, but it's only for certain parts, without mentioning which parts, so hopefully it covers the floating backrest as well. When adjusted to certain positions the chair creaks because of the design of the floating backrest, which I found annoying once I noticed it. Rocking my back left and right while lying down would also produce an unsettling pop from the lumbar support too. But when I used the Iskur V2 in my most common positions, which is upright during gaming, and slightly folded back while watching TV, it was silent and very comfortable. But for the previous issues I mentioned, I have a real concern about issues developing over a longer period of time.
The Iskur V2 felt like love at first sight to me... until after the honeymoon. I would definitely recommend considering the Iskur V2 because it is very comfortable if it fits your preference like it did for me. Just take the issues I highlighted into serious consideration because you're making a sizable investment.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Meet ProArt P16 ~ your ultimate creative companion for the studio and on the move. Its OLED touchscreen ensures precise color accuracy for flawless proofing, while versatile I/O ports seamlessly connect all your peripherals. This NVIDIA Studio-validated laptop packs GeForce RTX 4060 graphics and AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor with 50 TOPs NPU, a pairing that will supercharge all your creative endeavors. With AI-enhanced creative features and a long-lasting battery, ProArt P16 transforms any setting into your studio.
Customer Rating
4
Powerful and long-lasting! Wished it was 120 Hz.
on August 2, 2024
Posted by: KusMoG
*Design*
Made from an aluminum body, it’s lightweight, but feels solid and durable, with no creaking or flexing under normal use. Its black finish is attractive and fingerprint resistant. It doesn’t feel metallic and feels comfortable on the skin, soft and silky smooth. Aside from the usual OEM stickers found on Windows laptops, the branding on it is very unassuming and professional. Status lights are curiously found on the back of the laptop and hidden by the hinge when the display is folded open. It only seems to be useful while the laptop isn’t in use. The keyboard is backlit with 3 levels of brightness and the option to turn the backlight off. However, I found the minimum setting for the backlight to be too bright. The backlight also doesn’t illuminate the Shift function labels on the keys.
The keyboard itself has considerably more travel than other ultra slim laptops, while still being silent. There is no numpad, but this allows for front-firing speakers on the sides of the keyboard as well as the touchpad in a centered position, to prevent accidental input while typing while looking straight on to the screen.
The P16 comes with an infrared camera compatible with Windows Hello for facial recognition login, which works in the dark, and more convenient than fingerprint login.
Made from an aluminum body, it’s lightweight, but feels solid and durable, with no creaking or flexing under normal use. Its black finish is attractive and fingerprint resistant. It doesn’t feel metallic and feels comfortable on the skin, soft and silky smooth. Aside from the usual OEM stickers found on Windows laptops, the branding on it is very unassuming and professional. Status lights are curiously found on the back of the laptop and hidden by the hinge when the display is folded open. It only seems to be useful while the laptop isn’t in use. The keyboard is backlit with 3 levels of brightness and the option to turn the backlight off. However, I found the minimum setting for the backlight to be too bright. The backlight also doesn’t illuminate the Shift function labels on the keys.
The keyboard itself has considerably more travel than other ultra slim laptops, while still being silent. There is no numpad, but this allows for front-firing speakers on the sides of the keyboard as well as the touchpad in a centered position, to prevent accidental input while typing while looking straight on to the screen.
The P16 comes with an infrared camera compatible with Windows Hello for facial recognition login, which works in the dark, and more convenient than fingerprint login.
*Display*
The display is a glossy touch screen OLED with slim bezels and measures 15.8” diagonally. It’s pretty reflective, so it’s not ideal for use opposite a window or light source. Its native resolution is 3840x2400, which is a 16:10 aspect ratio. It’ll produce black bars for 16:9 presentations, but the extra vertical space makes it better for content creation, giving you a larger workspace. Because it’s a 4k display against a 16” display, you won’t spot individual pixels (or at all) at 150% scale or higher. The display has a refresh rate of 60 Hz which is acceptable for content creation, which is what the laptop was designed for. However, I find it a very curious decision that ASUS chose a touch panel over 120 Hz since it doesn’t really leverage touch input very well, while at the same time, proves to be very capable of 120 Hz for gaming. Feels like a misstep to me.
I don’t have a protractor, but if I had to guess, the hinge looks like it only goes as far back as 30°. There’s also some wobble when the display is touched. It also does not come with a stylus. I’m not aware if it even supports one. When I tried using my Samsung phone’s S-pen, it wouldn’t work.
I found the touch display best for making quick selections in editing programs with buttons like Photoshop, and keep the touchpad in my editing workspace. Since the hinge doesn’t fold flat to 180° or 360°, the P16 doesn’t work well for drawing with touch input.
I didn’t notice any text fringing.
The display is Dolby Vision certified, and is able to play Dolby Vision content.
For a model aimed at content creators, I was surprised that its default color profile was oversaturated. This seems to be a popular configuration marketed for casual users because of its vivid exaggerated colors that makes images pop. But creators looking for accurate colors will want to switch to a different profile such as sRGB, which is great for web content, or Display P3, which is great for graphics and video editing.
The display is a glossy touch screen OLED with slim bezels and measures 15.8” diagonally. It’s pretty reflective, so it’s not ideal for use opposite a window or light source. Its native resolution is 3840x2400, which is a 16:10 aspect ratio. It’ll produce black bars for 16:9 presentations, but the extra vertical space makes it better for content creation, giving you a larger workspace. Because it’s a 4k display against a 16” display, you won’t spot individual pixels (or at all) at 150% scale or higher. The display has a refresh rate of 60 Hz which is acceptable for content creation, which is what the laptop was designed for. However, I find it a very curious decision that ASUS chose a touch panel over 120 Hz since it doesn’t really leverage touch input very well, while at the same time, proves to be very capable of 120 Hz for gaming. Feels like a misstep to me.
I don’t have a protractor, but if I had to guess, the hinge looks like it only goes as far back as 30°. There’s also some wobble when the display is touched. It also does not come with a stylus. I’m not aware if it even supports one. When I tried using my Samsung phone’s S-pen, it wouldn’t work.
I found the touch display best for making quick selections in editing programs with buttons like Photoshop, and keep the touchpad in my editing workspace. Since the hinge doesn’t fold flat to 180° or 360°, the P16 doesn’t work well for drawing with touch input.
I didn’t notice any text fringing.
The display is Dolby Vision certified, and is able to play Dolby Vision content.
For a model aimed at content creators, I was surprised that its default color profile was oversaturated. This seems to be a popular configuration marketed for casual users because of its vivid exaggerated colors that makes images pop. But creators looking for accurate colors will want to switch to a different profile such as sRGB, which is great for web content, or Display P3, which is great for graphics and video editing.
*Inputs*
Left side:
-proprietary 200W power port
-full sized HDMI 2.1 port
-USB 4 Type-C port
-USB 3.2 Type-A port
-3.5mm audio jack
Right side:
-USB 3.2 Type-C port
-USB 3.2 Type-A port
-full sized SD card slot
Left side:
-proprietary 200W power port
-full sized HDMI 2.1 port
-USB 4 Type-C port
-USB 3.2 Type-A port
-3.5mm audio jack
Right side:
-USB 3.2 Type-C port
-USB 3.2 Type-A port
-full sized SD card slot
Charging is done from the left side of the laptop, and the only way to take advantage of the P16 at full power is using the stock 200W power adapter. The USB 4 port only charges at up to 100W, which will cap the CPU and GPU. The cap isn’t as bad as it sounds because it’s still a powerful laptop even with the cap. You just won’t be able to take full advantage of the hardware’s capability.
Other laptops in the market come standard with 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports. Due to this being a Ryzen laptop, one of its USB-C ports is only USB 4 and not a Thunderbolt port. ASUS also skimps out compared to the competition by making its other USB-C port 3.2. This USB 3.2 Type-C port on the right side has power delivery, but isn’t capable of charging the laptop, which is a shame. It would’ve been nice to be able to charge the laptop from either side of the laptop had they included 2 USB 4 ports instead.
Thankfully the P16 comes with a full sized SD card slot, which most professional cameras use. This avoids you using a USB reader, which would protrude from the laptop. You can always use a full sized SD card adapter with a microSD card.
Other laptops in the market come standard with 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports. Due to this being a Ryzen laptop, one of its USB-C ports is only USB 4 and not a Thunderbolt port. ASUS also skimps out compared to the competition by making its other USB-C port 3.2. This USB 3.2 Type-C port on the right side has power delivery, but isn’t capable of charging the laptop, which is a shame. It would’ve been nice to be able to charge the laptop from either side of the laptop had they included 2 USB 4 ports instead.
Thankfully the P16 comes with a full sized SD card slot, which most professional cameras use. This avoids you using a USB reader, which would protrude from the laptop. You can always use a full sized SD card adapter with a microSD card.
*Connectivity*
It comes with WiFi 7 but unfortunately maxes out at 2882MB/s up&down. I've seen others do 5000MB/s. It also has Bluetooth 5.4, which is the latest version.
It comes with WiFi 7 but unfortunately maxes out at 2882MB/s up&down. I've seen others do 5000MB/s. It also has Bluetooth 5.4, which is the latest version.
*Performance*
When set to Performance mode, which can only be run while plugged in using the stock 200W charger, the P16 is impressively powerful, but the fans blare non-stop, making it a pretty noisy laptop. It’s not a high-pitched sound or anything offensive, but it’s a noticeably aggressive sound of fans spinning. The laptop doesn’t get too hot as long as the vents on the bottom of the laptop aren’t blocked. It’s best used on a flat desk and not recommended on a bed while in Performance mode.
While in Performance mode, I was able to play Shadow of the Tomb Raider in max Custom settings, which is more demanding than its preset Ultra settings in native 3840x2400 resolution and get a stable 60fps. In 1080p with those same maxed out settings, I could get 144fps. Sadly, the display is only a 60 Hz panel. The P16 would’ve easily been capable of 120 Hz gaming. Since the P16 was designed for content creation, 60 Hz is more than fine. Movies and videos usually top out at 60 fps. 120 Hz would mostly benefit for mouse movement and scrolling but the benefits are negligible to most users, and the hit it takes on the battery lessens its worth.
When running on battery, the P16 caps its CPU and GPU and probably not by choice. Unlike some other laptops that hard caps the hardware to prevent overheating the P16 appears to do no such thing. It will go as far as its power source is willing to take it.
For comparison, the following are the Cinebench 2024 scores while plugged in vs on battery:
Plugged in Battery
GPU: 10123 7642
CPU (multi core): 1209 835
CPU (single core): 114 100
I didn’t experience any thermal throttling. However, the laptop does throttle when the battery is at 5%.
Other than Performance mode, the laptop runs cool and very silent, especially in Whisper mode, where the fan never seems to go off. Through the MyASUS app, your hardware configuration is customizable. You can run on the integrated graphics card exclusively for longer battery life.
It’s also nice that the integrated graphics is a Radeon variant, while the discrete GPU is a Geforce RTX 4060, particularly for software that has benefits for one type over the other.
The SSD is speedy with a 5048 MB/s sequential read, 3638 MB/s sequential write. It has a random read of 55 MB/s and random write of 124 MB/s.
When set to Performance mode, which can only be run while plugged in using the stock 200W charger, the P16 is impressively powerful, but the fans blare non-stop, making it a pretty noisy laptop. It’s not a high-pitched sound or anything offensive, but it’s a noticeably aggressive sound of fans spinning. The laptop doesn’t get too hot as long as the vents on the bottom of the laptop aren’t blocked. It’s best used on a flat desk and not recommended on a bed while in Performance mode.
While in Performance mode, I was able to play Shadow of the Tomb Raider in max Custom settings, which is more demanding than its preset Ultra settings in native 3840x2400 resolution and get a stable 60fps. In 1080p with those same maxed out settings, I could get 144fps. Sadly, the display is only a 60 Hz panel. The P16 would’ve easily been capable of 120 Hz gaming. Since the P16 was designed for content creation, 60 Hz is more than fine. Movies and videos usually top out at 60 fps. 120 Hz would mostly benefit for mouse movement and scrolling but the benefits are negligible to most users, and the hit it takes on the battery lessens its worth.
When running on battery, the P16 caps its CPU and GPU and probably not by choice. Unlike some other laptops that hard caps the hardware to prevent overheating the P16 appears to do no such thing. It will go as far as its power source is willing to take it.
For comparison, the following are the Cinebench 2024 scores while plugged in vs on battery:
Plugged in Battery
GPU: 10123 7642
CPU (multi core): 1209 835
CPU (single core): 114 100
I didn’t experience any thermal throttling. However, the laptop does throttle when the battery is at 5%.
Other than Performance mode, the laptop runs cool and very silent, especially in Whisper mode, where the fan never seems to go off. Through the MyASUS app, your hardware configuration is customizable. You can run on the integrated graphics card exclusively for longer battery life.
It’s also nice that the integrated graphics is a Radeon variant, while the discrete GPU is a Geforce RTX 4060, particularly for software that has benefits for one type over the other.
The SSD is speedy with a 5048 MB/s sequential read, 3638 MB/s sequential write. It has a random read of 55 MB/s and random write of 124 MB/s.
*Battery*
Using the 200W stock power adapter, it takes 1 hour and 45 minutes to charge from 0% to 100%, though it hits around the 90% mark after around 1 hour.
Using a 100W USB-C charger, took about 4 hours to charge from 0% to 100% but hit around 90% after around 1 hour and 30 minutes.
The battery life itself varies greatly depending on the mode you use and what you’re doing but otherwise excellent when you need it to be without the laptop feeling sluggish.
When streaming video non-stop at 76% brightness and 50% volume I got about 9 hours of battery life.
When gaming in 4K using the discrete GPU with HDR on and no caps (Windows mode; Best Performance power plan) it lasted only 1 hour.
Using the 200W stock power adapter, it takes 1 hour and 45 minutes to charge from 0% to 100%, though it hits around the 90% mark after around 1 hour.
Using a 100W USB-C charger, took about 4 hours to charge from 0% to 100% but hit around 90% after around 1 hour and 30 minutes.
The battery life itself varies greatly depending on the mode you use and what you’re doing but otherwise excellent when you need it to be without the laptop feeling sluggish.
When streaming video non-stop at 76% brightness and 50% volume I got about 9 hours of battery life.
When gaming in 4K using the discrete GPU with HDR on and no caps (Windows mode; Best Performance power plan) it lasted only 1 hour.
*Sound*
The sound out of the box sounded terrible to me. It sounded too isolated. But this was the sound profile for its “Music” setting. When I switched it to “Dynamic”, the sound was amazing. It utilizes Dolby Atmos, which gives the audio depth without sacrificing detail.
The speakers also get very loud without any distortion.
The microphone on the other hand isn’t very impressive. My recorded voice sounds too processed and unnatural. It does do a good job with noise cancellation though, eliminating sounds like an air conditioner.
The sound out of the box sounded terrible to me. It sounded too isolated. But this was the sound profile for its “Music” setting. When I switched it to “Dynamic”, the sound was amazing. It utilizes Dolby Atmos, which gives the audio depth without sacrificing detail.
The speakers also get very loud without any distortion.
The microphone on the other hand isn’t very impressive. My recorded voice sounds too processed and unnatural. It does do a good job with noise cancellation though, eliminating sounds like an air conditioner.
*Touchpad*
The touchpad is very responsive but unfortunately lacks haptic feedback. Taps can be done anywhere on the touchpad, but physical button clicks can only be done on the bottom portion. The touchpad is very responsive and feels smooth to touch. It has a unique DialPad touch feature built in to the top-left portion of the touchpad that needs to activated via a simple drag from the top-right corner of the touchpad gesture. I have never accidentally triggered this gesture personally, although perhaps your mileage may vary. When the DialPad is turned on, it gives you a touch dial that comes with preset functions for specific apps like Photoshop and Word, while also allowing you to customize the dial with functions and apps that you assign on your own. This gives your shortcut access to commonly used functions via the DialPad.
The touchpad is very responsive but unfortunately lacks haptic feedback. Taps can be done anywhere on the touchpad, but physical button clicks can only be done on the bottom portion. The touchpad is very responsive and feels smooth to touch. It has a unique DialPad touch feature built in to the top-left portion of the touchpad that needs to activated via a simple drag from the top-right corner of the touchpad gesture. I have never accidentally triggered this gesture personally, although perhaps your mileage may vary. When the DialPad is turned on, it gives you a touch dial that comes with preset functions for specific apps like Photoshop and Word, while also allowing you to customize the dial with functions and apps that you assign on your own. This gives your shortcut access to commonly used functions via the DialPad.
*AI*
AI on computers feels like a work-in-progress beta at this point in time. Although Windows Copilot+ is available on the P16, it doesn’t appear to be fully implemented. For example, Live captions is present. When you enable it, it makes you go through the setup process as if it’s working and will auto-translate foreign language audio when it hears any. It even goes as far as downloading and installing a translation pack. But it never translates anything.
Microsoft’s Cocreator & ASUS’s Musetree are more of a novelty than something of practical use, especially for a digital artist that’s looking to create their own thing. AI adheres to a style that makes it look obvious that it’s AI.
We'll have to wait for practically useful NPU software.
AI on computers feels like a work-in-progress beta at this point in time. Although Windows Copilot+ is available on the P16, it doesn’t appear to be fully implemented. For example, Live captions is present. When you enable it, it makes you go through the setup process as if it’s working and will auto-translate foreign language audio when it hears any. It even goes as far as downloading and installing a translation pack. But it never translates anything.
Microsoft’s Cocreator & ASUS’s Musetree are more of a novelty than something of practical use, especially for a digital artist that’s looking to create their own thing. AI adheres to a style that makes it look obvious that it’s AI.
We'll have to wait for practically useful NPU software.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 Bluetooth true wireless earbuds come with a Smart Case that is equipped with an advanced chip that provides seamless audio streaming from a treadmill, television, or the in-flight entertainment system on a plane. Plug case into 3.5mm or USB-C jack to stream content wirelessly to your earbuds to enjoy spatial sound powered by Dolby Audio. Elite 8 Active Gen 2~s are designed to withstand your toughest workouts. Tested against US military-grade standards with rigorous cycles of thermal, shock, dust and water treatment, they give you excellent performance in any environment. Completely watertight even when fully submerged in water, the wireless earbuds can withstand huge clouds of dust and survive drops from 3 feet totally intact. With ultimate grip through Jabra ShakeGrip, they stay secure in your ear all day without the need for ear wings. Powerful 6mm speakers ensure the audio is clear and rich no matter what you~re listening to. Powerful Adaptive Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) automatically adapts to the environment you~re in, filtering out unwanted interference from wind and other extremes. The wind neutralizing HearThrough technology muffles any wind interference, delivering cleaner, sharper sound wherever you are. Natural HearThrough also provides an open ear experience so you can stay in tune with your surroundings without compromising on sound quality. Leave your phone at home but take your music with you. Download your music to your smartwatch, connect your earbuds, and head out for a phone-free run. Your connection will stay solid and stable no matter what, so you can push yourself to the limit without bringing your device along for the ride. And with Bluetooth Multipoint, you can seamlessly switch between your phone or smartwatch without needing to reconnect. 56 hours (ANC off) of battery in earbuds + case & Fast Charge to get 1 hour of battery in 5 minutes. Need to know the weather forecast or take a call on the go? Simply tap the earbud and ask your preferred Voice Assistant, without having to reach for your phone.
Customer Rating
4
Exceptional battery life. Case=best BT transmitter
on July 24, 2024
Posted by: KusMoG
The earbuds are very light and don’t feel heavy in my ears. The outside material feels slightly grippy like rubber, but also soft and smooth. It feels comfortable on skin. They protrude a tiny bit that if you lay your ears against a hard flat surface, the earbuds will make contact with it, which could result in erroneous inputs, since the outside end has a physical button underneath its waterproof seal. But it’s small enough to be worn while sleeping on a firm pillow comfortably with my ears. They never fell out while I’m rubbing my ear against the pillow as a side sleeper. While running on the treadmill all sweaty, I’ve never felt in danger of them falling out. I can’t shake them out of my ears when I violently shake my head downwards from either side.
The earbuds appear durable, but only time will tell if they actually are. My concern is if the outside layer could tear over time, especially with repeated presses of the physical buttons or if they were dropped on a rough and tough surface like concrete, which we have plenty of here in NYC.
They have an IP68 rating and are waterproof. I was able to shower with them on after using them while I was at the gym with music playing and had no issues. Funnily enough, the time I did encounter an issue was when I washed the earbuds underneath running water. If you get water in the earbuds, it will mess with noise cancelling and produce a high-pitched squealing sound. I had to shake out with water droplets to fix that issue. While they’ll survive underwater activities like swimming or snorkeling (Jabra says they’re safe with salt water), because of the way Bluetooth works, you won’t get a stable connection, much in the way of a listening to Bluetooth audio with a steel door in between the device and earbuds.
The battery life is the star of the show for me, personally. With ANC on, I was able to get up to 9 hours at most, and 8 hours on average at 75% volume. That’s the kind of battery life I’ve come to expect with ANC off.
Unlike its older models, the Elite 8 Active can play audio from each earbud independently. So you can listen to either earbud while the other is charging in its case or dead.
Unlike its older models, the Elite 8 Active can play audio from each earbud independently. So you can listen to either earbud while the other is charging in its case or dead.
I always struggle with describing sound quality but they sound great to me. It leans slightly on the warmer side of neutral. Which I think is great for working out with. It doesn’t muddy classical music, but you do lose some detail with highs. Lows are great but the bass is clean and not exaggerated out of the box. Using the equalizer or one of the Bass boost preset, it can achieve that exaggerated thumping bass.
There’s no high-resolution audio codec so if you have or subscribe to streaming services with high resolution lossless audio, you’ll lose detail.
There’s no high-resolution audio codec so if you have or subscribe to streaming services with high resolution lossless audio, you’ll lose detail.
Multipoint connections have worked seamlessly for me. It can connect to up to 2 devices at a time. When you play audio from one device while the other is currently playing audio, it will pause the previous device. It will also show a notification button (on smart devices like a smartphone or tablet) to switch back the audio, in case you didn’t intend it to hijack the connection. My main gripe is that you have no way of knowing what the other device is you’re connected to. It doesn’t tell you on the app, nor via audio notification. All it well tell you is “2 devices connected.”
The ANC (active noise cancellation) is pretty good and does well to block out noise while you’re playing music. Without music, it dulls the loudness of sound effectively. But it doesn’t block high pitch sounds well, like talking.
The Hearthrough sounds great and clear – very natural, except for when you talk. Your own voice sounds muffled or nasally when you speak. That itself makes it uncomfortable for me to use in a real-world scenario when talking to others because it gives me the false sensation that others have a hard time hearing me because I have a hard time hearing myself. But when I’m not talking, it’s excellent, with natural sounding outside noise.
Spatial Audio is a complete joke. There is BARELY any difference with it enabled. I’ve frustratingly toggled it on and off for what felt like hours trying to recognize a real difference but it’s so subtle to be meaningful or impactful. It’s supposed to widen the sound stage but it barely does. The Dolby Atmos function on my phone is noticeable, whereas the Elite 8 Active sounds like no change. Which brings me to another thing. The app has Dolby Atmos branding on it. Yet Jabra markets Dolby Atmos as a feature reserved for its Elite 10. It’s designed to confuse the consumer, and in the end, a moot point, because on the Elite 8 Active it sounds like there is no spatial audio with it enabled. On top of that, there is no head tracking.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active has built-in Google Assistant, which allows you to use Google Assistant without interrupting anything you’re doing on your device. It will also read your notifications to you. But this segues into something that annoys me the most about these earbuds. The controls.
The physical buttons on the earbuds are underneath the outer seal. This is what makes them waterproof. Since they’re physical buttons, you’ll hear the clicks each time you press them. But since they’re physical, you won’t accidentally trigger functions while you’re adjusting the earbuds. But the control customization, while they exist on the app, leaves much to be desired. The volume is controlled by holding the left button for volume down, and holding the right button for volume up. But the volume controls only exist if you turn Google Assistant off. If you turn Google Assistant on, you lose volume controls with the earbuds. They don’t give you the option to remap the Google Assistant function to something else like a double-press or triple press. Google Assistant is locked to holding the right button. To me, that’s absolutely ridiculous that I’m forced to choose between 2 highly convenient functions.
If you use Spotify, the earbuds support Spotify Tap, which you can enable from the app. Once again, Jabra locks this function to the “double press left button” gesture. It can’t be remapped elsewhere.
If you use Spotify, the earbuds support Spotify Tap, which you can enable from the app. Once again, Jabra locks this function to the “double press left button” gesture. It can’t be remapped elsewhere.
The charging case is rated IP54 so it’s only splash and dust resistant. They’re not waterproof like the earbuds, but they’ll withstand a drizzle or light rain. The earbuds take about 50 minutes to charge in the case from 0% to 100% and can hold up to 5 full charges. The case can charge wirelessly, with the LED conveniently facing up so it’s easy to see, or via USB-C.
The highlight feature of the Gen 2 that makes it clearly distinctive from the original Gen 1 is the fact that the case can stream to any analog audio device using LE Audio with the low latency LC3 codec. You’ll need the USB-C to 3.5mm audio cable that comes with it though because that appears to be the only thing that will get the case to recognize the analog device. I tried using a different third-party USB-C to 3.5mm cable I already owned and it didn’t work. If you need to length the included cable, you can do so with extension cables from either the USB-C side or 3.5mm side. Stereo analog adapters for the 3.5mm side to accommodate other sizes will also work. It’s the cable itself that’s important.
Its functionality was flawless. It’s the best kind of Bluetooth transmitter because you don’t have to pair it with your earbuds- they’re permanently paired. To activate the transmitter, you simply press the button on the case while it’s connected to the analog device. It’s a solid connection; no drops from my experience. Best of all is there’s no dip in sound quality either like some Bluetooth transmitters, where the volume becomes quieter. The ideal use Jabra has in mind is with workout equipment, and I agree. You’ll now be free to move around without worrying about cables in your way or tethering you. But you can now use your wireless earbuds on legacy devices as well, like older handheld game consoles, and portable radios and Walkmans. ANC and Hearthrough still work no matter if it’s connected via USB-C audio or 3.5mm analog. Just don’t lose the cable.
Its functionality was flawless. It’s the best kind of Bluetooth transmitter because you don’t have to pair it with your earbuds- they’re permanently paired. To activate the transmitter, you simply press the button on the case while it’s connected to the analog device. It’s a solid connection; no drops from my experience. Best of all is there’s no dip in sound quality either like some Bluetooth transmitters, where the volume becomes quieter. The ideal use Jabra has in mind is with workout equipment, and I agree. You’ll now be free to move around without worrying about cables in your way or tethering you. But you can now use your wireless earbuds on legacy devices as well, like older handheld game consoles, and portable radios and Walkmans. ANC and Hearthrough still work no matter if it’s connected via USB-C audio or 3.5mm analog. Just don’t lose the cable.
The microphone sounds clear when I record memos on a voice recording app, but with phone calls the sound quality takes a dip. You can still hear others clearly and others can hear you, but the sound itself sounds more processed. It’s possibly due to the ANC at work, which does do a good job at blocking out background noise.
Jabra did a great job with what’s said to be their final entry in the consumer market with these earbuds. Where they dropped the ball was with the control customizations. Volume control, Google Assistant, and Spotify Tap are completely locked to specific buttons and cannot be customized. Secondly, its spatial audio is the worst implementation I’ve heard across any device, whether it be phone, tablet, full sized headphones, or earbuds. If you already own the Gen 1, I’m not entirely convinced the ANC improvements are worth the upgrade because even if it one ups Gen 1, I’ve heard better from other brands. Supposedly Jabra’s own Elite 10 Gen 2 is better at ANC, and it has the LE Audio smart case.
If everything you listen to is through Bluetooth, which is the case for many these days, it may also not be worth the upgrade to Gen 2.
Otherwise, everything else about it is great. The battery life with ANC enabled is worth the price of admission for me.
If everything you listen to is through Bluetooth, which is the case for many these days, it may also not be worth the upgrade to Gen 2.
Otherwise, everything else about it is great. The battery life with ANC enabled is worth the price of admission for me.
Pros:
-Excellent 8-9 hour battery with ANC on
-Comfortable
-IP68 rating making it safe to shower with or wear in heavy rain
-Excellent LE Audio transmitter with case works with any analog audio source (adapter-friendly to accommodate different plugs or length)
-Excellent 8-9 hour battery with ANC on
-Comfortable
-IP68 rating making it safe to shower with or wear in heavy rain
-Excellent LE Audio transmitter with case works with any analog audio source (adapter-friendly to accommodate different plugs or length)
Cons:
-Button customization limited to playback controls and ANC/Hearthrough
-Spatial audio barely noticeable
-Button customization limited to playback controls and ANC/Hearthrough
-Spatial audio barely noticeable
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The most flexible laptop, reimagined ~ Surface Pro helps you get the most out of your day with accelerated performance that unlocks a new AI era to enable Copilot experiences, and battery life~ to keep you going all-day long. All wrapped up in an ultra-portable design that can replace your tablet, your laptop, and does more than you could ever imagine.
Posted by: KusMoG
It took over a decade but this is the first Microsoft Surface product (which means the entire family: tablet, laptop, hybrid [Surface Book], Windows on ARM) I've ever had an initial overwhelming positive reaction to. The Surface Pro 11 feels like what the Surface Pro *SHOULD HAVE BEEN* when it was first released all those years ago to compete in the tablet market. Its Android and iOS competitors were always more responsive and the battery life longer lasting. It seemed like all the Surface had going for itself was that it was a full-fledged Windows PC in a tablet form-factor. The problem with that was there was always significant compromises. They were too slow compared to real laptop, which was intentional to extend its battery life. When it was fast, the battery life suffered, and it either generated more heat, you got more fan noise, or both. With the Surface Pro 11, the Surface is finally fast and responsive without compromising battery life, heat, or fan noise.
The design has changed slightly compared to its predecessors in that the edges are more rounded now. It's more gentle on the hands when you're holding it, although there's a gap in the edges there for ventilation on the top and sides, and the kickstand on the bottom. Because of that gap, it creates a thin aluminum sheet that can dig into your skin when you're holding it. The rounded edges protrude more to prevent you from feeling that "sheet" but if you hold it a certain way, it can be felt.
It feels absolutely solid, with no flexing, not even around the kickstand area.
The bezels are thin on 2 sides only: the left and right when viewed in landscape. The top has a thick bezel to house the front-facing camera. The bottom has a thick bezel to attach the Surface Pro keyboard and give it its angle. So when used with the keyboard, the only thick bezel seen is the top bezel. The thick bezels do actually help when viewing the tablet in portrait mode since that's where you're gripping. Your hands won't be in the way of content on the screen.
It feels absolutely solid, with no flexing, not even around the kickstand area.
The bezels are thin on 2 sides only: the left and right when viewed in landscape. The top has a thick bezel to house the front-facing camera. The bottom has a thick bezel to attach the Surface Pro keyboard and give it its angle. So when used with the keyboard, the only thick bezel seen is the top bezel. The thick bezels do actually help when viewing the tablet in portrait mode since that's where you're gripping. Your hands won't be in the way of content on the screen.
The display is behind hard glass and is OLED. Its display resolution is 1920x2880 120Hz display with dynamic refresh rate, so you're capable of setting the display to 60Hz, 120Hz, or a variable refresh rate that will display up to 120Hz when it needs to. The OLED display looks beautiful, with the trademark inky blacks for excellent contrast, with a caveat. When viewing bright-colored content, white being the easily susceptible, you can see a textured looking layer under the glass. It looks like a bunch of oily dots. It's most evident when you look close but if you're the type that's sensitive to visual imperfections you're unfortunately going to notice it. Personally, it doesn't bother me but your mileage is going to vary. If you think this will bother you, I suggest taking a look at a sample display at a local Best Buy to see if it will actually bother you.
The maximum brightness in HDR is 900 nits. The device is Dolby Vision certified, and you can find its certification labeled in the Windows settings, but I wasn't able to get Dolby Vision content to work. Just HDR10. When I open the Microsoft Store app, "Dolby Vision Extensions" is in my Library, but if you go to the app's listing you'll see a warning that reads, "This app will not work on your device." You can't even search for it in the store because it doesn't see the Surface Pro 11 as a compatible device. Without "Dolby Vision Extensions" working properly on Windows, you cannot view Dolby Vision content, which is the case with my Surface Pro 11.
The maximum brightness in HDR is 900 nits. The device is Dolby Vision certified, and you can find its certification labeled in the Windows settings, but I wasn't able to get Dolby Vision content to work. Just HDR10. When I open the Microsoft Store app, "Dolby Vision Extensions" is in my Library, but if you go to the app's listing you'll see a warning that reads, "This app will not work on your device." You can't even search for it in the store because it doesn't see the Surface Pro 11 as a compatible device. Without "Dolby Vision Extensions" working properly on Windows, you cannot view Dolby Vision content, which is the case with my Surface Pro 11.
The star of the show here is the Snapdragon X Elite processor. The Surface feels snappy, like a desktop PC or a powered laptop. There isn't throttling while it's on battery. At least not until the battery hits 6%. And this is all while the tablet remains cool and silent. The caveat with this is that this is only with native ARM apps. When running x86/x64 apps, the Surface becomes a similar experience to what you've come to know and will grow to hate if you haven't already with Intel-based Surface tablets. Battery life takes a hit, the tablet becomes noisier from the fan, and it's hotter.
While only streaming video with the brightness at 75% and volume at 18%, I got 8 hours and 20 minutes of battery life. This appears to fall in line with Microsoft's test used in their marketing claiming up to 10 hours of active web usage which doesn't even explicitly mention streaming, and had its brightness at a measly 150 nits.
While gaming with an ARM64 app, I was able to get 4 hours and 55 minutes of battery life. The Surface never got hot; just warm. The fan went off but it was whisper quiet, drowned out by the audio from the game I was playing.
While gaming with a x64 app under Microsoft's x86/x64 emulation, I got 3 hours and 5 minutes of battery life. This is about on par with Intel-based PCs. The tablet got hot, and the fan was getting pushed hard.
When in sleep mode, I experience no battery drain after 13 hours. Compare that to an Intel tablet, where I lost 6% of battery in sleep mode during those same 13 hours.
While gaming with an ARM64 app, I was able to get 4 hours and 55 minutes of battery life. The Surface never got hot; just warm. The fan went off but it was whisper quiet, drowned out by the audio from the game I was playing.
While gaming with a x64 app under Microsoft's x86/x64 emulation, I got 3 hours and 5 minutes of battery life. This is about on par with Intel-based PCs. The tablet got hot, and the fan was getting pushed hard.
When in sleep mode, I experience no battery drain after 13 hours. Compare that to an Intel tablet, where I lost 6% of battery in sleep mode during those same 13 hours.
Windows on ARM has come a long way in that now most casual users can get by on it, especially if you do most of your work from a web browser. But if you're using it for work, you'll have to seriously assess your usage because if you rely in x86/x84 apps not everything works perfectly. When it does, it's fast and feels like you're working on a normal Intel PC. But most VPN software do not work under emulation, including enterprise ones like Citrix, and SonicWall NetExtender, or consumer ones like NordVPN. Adobe hasn't released its entire library with ARM64 versions.
But for casual use, the Surface Pro 11 is absolutely fantastic, and a positive sign that Windows on ARM is the future of Windows PCs.
But for casual use, the Surface Pro 11 is absolutely fantastic, and a positive sign that Windows on ARM is the future of Windows PCs.
The speakers sound great and present a wide and engaging sound stage BUT there are only 2 speakers. Furthermore, their placement is on the top left and right of the tablet when viewed in landscape mode. This presents an awkward listening experience when used in portrait mode. Audio effectively becomes mono since there's nothing to discern the left and right sides. On top of that, the audio is off-center.
The Surface Pro has WiFi 7 with a max bandwidth of 5Gbps, which is overkill for internet connections since for many users, your internet won't reach those speeds. But for your local network, provided you have a WiFi 7 wireless router, the speed is spectacular. If you have a 10GbE port on your desktop PC, you can finally put it to good use and transfer large files like 20GB 4K video wirelessly in seconds. And with more WiFi 7 devices on the way, it's set for the future of WiFi instead of holding itself back with the older and slower WiFi 6e protocol.
Storage comes by way of a 512GB m.2 2230 SSD, which is the shorter sized m.2 SSD. It's replaceable and easily accessible, hidden behind the kickstand, where you'd normally find the SD card slot in older models. The Surface Pro 11 has no SD card expansion this time around.
The biggest disappointment of the Surface Pro 11 is Copilot+. Nothing it offers is reliable or practical enough for real world usage. The feature I was most looking forward to was Live Captions, which has the ability to auto-translate any audio you play, including internal audio. The problem is the captions are displayed in a very awkward way where it spits out several words at a time. With TV's closed captioning, and other captioning services like on YouTube, they're displayed one word at a time. Microsoft's Live Captions makes it hard to read for me. Translations are also iffy but that's par for the course with these sort of live translation for now. It is nice how you can place the captions wherever you want on the screen though, since it's floating. So if you're looking to watch that TV series or movie that was never translated to your language, you can do it with Live Captions. You'll just have to stomach its horrendous way of displaying the real time captions.
The AI camera filters felt more like a novelty than something that's actually useful. If you're using apps like Zoom, they already have features like this natively in the app. I couldn't find any practical use for Windows' Studio effects.
Copilot itself is wildly inaccurate for information. Its database it pulls from is often not up to date.
The AI camera filters felt more like a novelty than something that's actually useful. If you're using apps like Zoom, they already have features like this natively in the app. I couldn't find any practical use for Windows' Studio effects.
Copilot itself is wildly inaccurate for information. Its database it pulls from is often not up to date.
The future is bright for Windows on ARM, and I can't wait for more developers to finally release their software for it.
Previous attempts for Windows on ARM were downright awful to the point that it seemed like Windows was never going to work with ARM. The Snapdragon X Elite is finally proof that ARM is not only capable of Windows, it makes Windows better. Easily the best Surface tablet I've ever used.
It's Microsoft themselves that is actually holding back Windows, with their massive oversell of Copilot+ and not delivering. Quite frankly, I'm not even sure if the NPU is being used.
Previous attempts for Windows on ARM were downright awful to the point that it seemed like Windows was never going to work with ARM. The Snapdragon X Elite is finally proof that ARM is not only capable of Windows, it makes Windows better. Easily the best Surface tablet I've ever used.
It's Microsoft themselves that is actually holding back Windows, with their massive oversell of Copilot+ and not delivering. Quite frankly, I'm not even sure if the NPU is being used.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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KusMoG's Review Comments
Make your home an internet haven with this versatile Linksys Velop wireless Wi-Fi system. Three identical tri-band dual-stream AC2200 routers, each equipped with a quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor, deliver lightning-fast internet. Equipped with Bluetooth 4.0/LE, this Linksys Velop wireless Wi-Fi system is simple to set up and pairs easily with computers, tablets and smart devices.
Overall
3 out of 5
3 out of 5Optimized for distance, not speed. Limited admin
By KusMoG
First off, let me preface by saying that I'm coming off using an EA9500, a traditional router that costs $100 less than a Velop 3 pack. I also live in an apartment building with a highly congested 2.4GHz space; so bad it affects speeds dramatically and makes the connection highly inconsistent.
With that said, I wasn't really impressed with the Velop at all, for the amount of money it will cost you. It runs on 2.4 and 5.0GHz bands but which your device is connected to is entirely managed by the Velop mesh router themselves. You can't select it yourself. So for some *stupid* reason, even though my Galaxy Note 5 is capable of connecting to the 5.0GHz band, it connects me to 2.4. Because of this I get a slower and inconsistent connection due to the 2.4GHz congestion in my building.
There's also no web administration page, so you can't configure your Velop Wi-Fi from a computer. You need to do it through their app. That means your doing all the heavy lifting of port forwarding and such, from your phone. I'm not sure if they have an app for tablets.
As far as range goes, it will do the job. You will get a strong signal as long as you are near one of the nodes. But the catch is it only extends the wireless signal for as well as it currently performs in your environment at 100% signal and you have no control over which wi-fi band it connects to, like you do with a traditional router. So if your 2.4GHz band wi-fi is terrible to begin with at 100% signal, I suggest you stay very far away from this unless you want buyer's remorse.
I can only recommend the Velop wi-fi 3-pack to users, most especially with wi-fi dead spots in their home, that have great consistent connection in terms or speed and reliability on both 2.4 and 5.0GHz band with a traditional router at 100% signal. This mesh router will be music to your ears since it will be capable of extending your wi-fi range through your house with minimal signal loss.
I can't stress this enough but this router isn't 5.0GHz friendly. I suspect it recognizes when a device is a phone and connects it to the 2.4 GHz band to prioritize distance. It just doesn't offer the flexibility and power administrators want to manually control these connections. I'll be putting all my wireless devices back on my EA9500 because it clearly outclasses the more expensive, less admin-friendly Velop.
KusMoG
Attention Kristine the Linksys Support rep
March 29, 2017
Hi Kristine,
So I called the number you gave me and spoke with a Linksys representative named Kim (Badge ID# 21791) and she agreed with my review. She said it was a product limitation and that users are not able to select the wi-fi band since it's designed to run on a singular network. She also said there is a web UI but it's virtually the same as the app and offers no additional settings or features. So I stand by my review.
It's an awful lot of spend to spend to have so little control. 2 5.0 GHz bands exists on the node but it's USELESS if and when the Velop decides on its own not to connect using that band, instead choosing the inferior 2.4GHz band. This router is a huge step back for IT professional users.
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KusMoG's Answers
Bring your A-game anytime, anywhere. Introducing a universal mobile gaming controller that fits most smartphone devices, designed to bring console-level control to your on-the-go gaming. With this controller by your side, wherever you go, victory will follow.
Will it fit the Galaxy Note 20 ultra
Yes it will. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, while not officially listed as supported, probably because it wasn't available for Razer to test at the time, is the Kishi's limit.
4 years, 11 months ago
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KusMoG