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- Review count69
- Helpfulness votes307
- First reviewOctober 24, 2013
- Last reviewSeptember 16, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.9
- Review comment count1
- Helpfulness votes0
- First review commentMarch 29, 2017
- Last review commentMarch 29, 2017
- Featured review comments0
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- Answer count1
- Helpfulness votes5
- First answerOctober 3, 2020
- Last answerOctober 3, 2020
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The WH-1000XM5 headphones rewrite the rules for distraction-free listening. Two processors control 8 microphones for unprecedented noise canceling and exceptional call quality.
Customer Rating
4
Incredible if you don't mind that they can't fold
on May 31, 2022
Posted by: KusMoG
Pros:
-Rich in features
-Can charge the battery from 0% to 100% in less than an hour with a 45W PD charger.
-Excellent transparency mode
-Lightweight
-Touch panel is more responsive
-Long 30 hour battery life with noise cancelling and high resolution audio (LDAC) on.
-Settings save on the headphones including EQ
-Rich in features
-Can charge the battery from 0% to 100% in less than an hour with a 45W PD charger.
-Excellent transparency mode
-Lightweight
-Touch panel is more responsive
-Long 30 hour battery life with noise cancelling and high resolution audio (LDAC) on.
-Settings save on the headphones including EQ
Cons:
-No longer collapses to smaller size
-No wind reduction ambient mode
-plastic construction still prone to creaking
The XM5s are an addition to Sony’s 1000X line of headphones with 2 undeniable improvements over its previous generations and those are its microphones and its battery charging capabilities.
The rest are pretty subjective when compared to its previous iteration, the WH-1000XM4, which is a good thing that Sony is still keeping this model in the market.
-No longer collapses to smaller size
-No wind reduction ambient mode
-plastic construction still prone to creaking
The XM5s are an addition to Sony’s 1000X line of headphones with 2 undeniable improvements over its previous generations and those are its microphones and its battery charging capabilities.
The rest are pretty subjective when compared to its previous iteration, the WH-1000XM4, which is a good thing that Sony is still keeping this model in the market.
CONSTRUCTION/DESIGN:
It’s still made of the plastic similar, if not the same, as the XM4. Unfortunately, I’ve found this material to be prone to creaking ever since the XM3. After 5 days of wear my once silent XM5 began creaking whenever I move around while wearing them. It did go away 2 days later, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it returned.
The black version of the XM5 is prone to showing fingerprint stains a lot more easily than previous versions.
The cushioning is made of a different material from previous generations that feels more comfortable on the skin; smoother, less abrasive. The size of the cushion is less thick than the XM4 but I didn’t find it less comfortable. They still sweat up the ears on a warm day or after extended continuous use.
The headphones’ length adjustment is via stepless plastic rods so you’ll no longer hear clicks when adjusting them.
Unfortunately, the ear cups no longer collapse to a smaller size for portability.
They’ll still swivel, but when rested around your neck, the ear cups will swivel facing up.
The proximity sensor is no longer visible but it’s still there in the left ear cup.
The XM5s do not have any water or sweat resistance, and the included written materials advise users not to work out with them.
It’s still made of the plastic similar, if not the same, as the XM4. Unfortunately, I’ve found this material to be prone to creaking ever since the XM3. After 5 days of wear my once silent XM5 began creaking whenever I move around while wearing them. It did go away 2 days later, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it returned.
The black version of the XM5 is prone to showing fingerprint stains a lot more easily than previous versions.
The cushioning is made of a different material from previous generations that feels more comfortable on the skin; smoother, less abrasive. The size of the cushion is less thick than the XM4 but I didn’t find it less comfortable. They still sweat up the ears on a warm day or after extended continuous use.
The headphones’ length adjustment is via stepless plastic rods so you’ll no longer hear clicks when adjusting them.
Unfortunately, the ear cups no longer collapse to a smaller size for portability.
They’ll still swivel, but when rested around your neck, the ear cups will swivel facing up.
The proximity sensor is no longer visible but it’s still there in the left ear cup.
The XM5s do not have any water or sweat resistance, and the included written materials advise users not to work out with them.
SOUND:
The XM5’s sound is easily the most balanced since the XM2 going away from the bass-heavy and generally muddy sounds of the XM4 and especially the XM3, without losing much of the punchiness. It’s a cleaner-sounding bass. The default sound is Sony’s typical warm sound but thanks to the customizable and responsive EQ using Sony’s Headphones app, you can change this to get a more neutral sound. The EQ settings save directly on the headphones themselves so the sound will stay that way no matter what device you connect to, until the next time you change the EQ settings from the app.
I always struggle to describe sound quality because I’m not an audio expert, but music of all genres sound great to me on the XM5.
Supported codecs are SBC, AAC, and LDAC. Like with the XM4, AptX is not supported. This may not be a huge deal if you’re using the headphones on Apple, PC, or newer Android devices as they’ll support the theoretically best option for those.
While I didn’t experience any latency issues with videos except one time with YouTube (turning headphones off and on again fixed issue), I did for gaming.
The XM5’s sound is easily the most balanced since the XM2 going away from the bass-heavy and generally muddy sounds of the XM4 and especially the XM3, without losing much of the punchiness. It’s a cleaner-sounding bass. The default sound is Sony’s typical warm sound but thanks to the customizable and responsive EQ using Sony’s Headphones app, you can change this to get a more neutral sound. The EQ settings save directly on the headphones themselves so the sound will stay that way no matter what device you connect to, until the next time you change the EQ settings from the app.
I always struggle to describe sound quality because I’m not an audio expert, but music of all genres sound great to me on the XM5.
Supported codecs are SBC, AAC, and LDAC. Like with the XM4, AptX is not supported. This may not be a huge deal if you’re using the headphones on Apple, PC, or newer Android devices as they’ll support the theoretically best option for those.
While I didn’t experience any latency issues with videos except one time with YouTube (turning headphones off and on again fixed issue), I did for gaming.
NOISE CANCELLING:
The XM5 still lives up to being one of the best in the market for active noise cancelling headphones in its price range. When compared to some of its competitors using their demo display at my local store, it’s embarrassing to hear how much better the XM5 was.
At the same time, it claims to have the best noise cancelling yet with the help of 2 processors. I still own the XM4 and to my ears, the XM4 still does a better job and cancelling noise than the XM5.
However, when record the sound inside the earcups with noise cancelling on using a tiny microphone for both the XM4 and XM5, to my surprise, the XM5’s do produce lower decibels of sound than the XM4.
I’m no expert at this, but if I had to come up with some sort of explanation I think it may be because the XM4 produces a more apparent white noise sound that’s mostly absent on the XM5. While this white noise helps mask outside noise better for my ears, it still does attribute to noise volume. The noise cancelling on the XM5 produces a much cleaner sound with less cabin pressure.
The XM5 also has an active optimizer that uses the mics to assess your surroundings and change the noise cancelling characteristics accordingly. My issue with it though is it doesn’t work the way you want it to sometimes.
I can tell it’s working when I hear the sudden changes with no music playing. The easiest way I can get it to noticeably work is by turning the air conditioner on. As I move closer to it, I can hear the noise cancelling change like a flick of the switch. I also feel a change in air pressure with my ears. One way of resetting this is by going into transparency mode.
But there are times when the noise cancelling changes to make it sound worse and allows the noises that I consider more annoying, to be more easily heard. I liken the auto optimizer as an audio version of a camera’s auto focus. Sometimes it focuses to a noise cancelling profile I wasn’t aiming for. You have no control over the auto optimizer, not even from the app.
What shines is the ambient mode, which is customizable to 20 levels with 20 allowing the mode outside sound. It almost sounds like you’re not wearing any headphones at all, or perhaps more accurately, wearing open back headphones. I feel comfortable enough to wear them while watching TV and talking to people.
The bad? Wind Noise Reduction is now missing from the Ambient mode settings. And no, the XM5’s noise cancelling isn’t effective enough to eliminate wind noise.
The XM5 still lives up to being one of the best in the market for active noise cancelling headphones in its price range. When compared to some of its competitors using their demo display at my local store, it’s embarrassing to hear how much better the XM5 was.
At the same time, it claims to have the best noise cancelling yet with the help of 2 processors. I still own the XM4 and to my ears, the XM4 still does a better job and cancelling noise than the XM5.
However, when record the sound inside the earcups with noise cancelling on using a tiny microphone for both the XM4 and XM5, to my surprise, the XM5’s do produce lower decibels of sound than the XM4.
I’m no expert at this, but if I had to come up with some sort of explanation I think it may be because the XM4 produces a more apparent white noise sound that’s mostly absent on the XM5. While this white noise helps mask outside noise better for my ears, it still does attribute to noise volume. The noise cancelling on the XM5 produces a much cleaner sound with less cabin pressure.
The XM5 also has an active optimizer that uses the mics to assess your surroundings and change the noise cancelling characteristics accordingly. My issue with it though is it doesn’t work the way you want it to sometimes.
I can tell it’s working when I hear the sudden changes with no music playing. The easiest way I can get it to noticeably work is by turning the air conditioner on. As I move closer to it, I can hear the noise cancelling change like a flick of the switch. I also feel a change in air pressure with my ears. One way of resetting this is by going into transparency mode.
But there are times when the noise cancelling changes to make it sound worse and allows the noises that I consider more annoying, to be more easily heard. I liken the auto optimizer as an audio version of a camera’s auto focus. Sometimes it focuses to a noise cancelling profile I wasn’t aiming for. You have no control over the auto optimizer, not even from the app.
What shines is the ambient mode, which is customizable to 20 levels with 20 allowing the mode outside sound. It almost sounds like you’re not wearing any headphones at all, or perhaps more accurately, wearing open back headphones. I feel comfortable enough to wear them while watching TV and talking to people.
The bad? Wind Noise Reduction is now missing from the Ambient mode settings. And no, the XM5’s noise cancelling isn’t effective enough to eliminate wind noise.
FEATURES:
*Speak-to-chat allows you to enter ambience mode with the “Focus on voice” option on automatically whenever you speak. While it’s supposed to make you hear voices better, “Focus on voice” option does so at the expense of making the environment sound less natural and your own voice sound muffled. Unfortunately, with Speak-to-chat there is no way to enter ambience mode without the “Focus on voice” option. This mode also isn’t great to have on if you’re the type of person that likes to sing along to the music while listening to it as that would activate Speak-to-chat.
*Covering the right ear cup with your palm enters Ambient mode in its max 20 setting, as long as it stays covered. It returns back to the mode you were previously in once you uncover the right ear cup. This is convenient for times when you want to be alert of your surroundings for a brief or sudden moment.
*Multipoint allows the headphones to connect to 2 different devices at the same time. Unfortunately, this still won’t work with the LDAC codec.
*Automatic Power Off allows the headphones to automatically turn off after a certain period of time when you aren’t wearing your headphones.
*”Pauses when headphones are taken off” allows you to do just that. While they are taken off, the touch panel is disabled as well so it prevents accidental inputs. Wearing the headphones again will unpause. This is all provided that the app that’s playing supports pausing. For example, it won’t work with watching live channels on the ESPN app.
*Quick Access is the replacement of the Custom button function of the older gens. Double-pressing or triple-pressing the NC/AMB button allows you to assign a Service function to it. Unfortunately, it’s essentially a beta with these headphones since the only service that works for it is Spotify. You can’t even assign a voice assistant to this button anymore. The voice assistant is accessed by press-holding the right ear cup.
*Voice assistant: When set to Google Assistant and Alexa you will still need to be connected to a device with these apps as they cannot be used with the headphones alone. The XM5 just natively supports them to allow faster responses and the ability to read your notifications out to you. You can also use it for any other voice assistant, but it is basically just a Bluetooth audio extension of your phone and slower.
*Speak-to-chat allows you to enter ambience mode with the “Focus on voice” option on automatically whenever you speak. While it’s supposed to make you hear voices better, “Focus on voice” option does so at the expense of making the environment sound less natural and your own voice sound muffled. Unfortunately, with Speak-to-chat there is no way to enter ambience mode without the “Focus on voice” option. This mode also isn’t great to have on if you’re the type of person that likes to sing along to the music while listening to it as that would activate Speak-to-chat.
*Covering the right ear cup with your palm enters Ambient mode in its max 20 setting, as long as it stays covered. It returns back to the mode you were previously in once you uncover the right ear cup. This is convenient for times when you want to be alert of your surroundings for a brief or sudden moment.
*Multipoint allows the headphones to connect to 2 different devices at the same time. Unfortunately, this still won’t work with the LDAC codec.
*Automatic Power Off allows the headphones to automatically turn off after a certain period of time when you aren’t wearing your headphones.
*”Pauses when headphones are taken off” allows you to do just that. While they are taken off, the touch panel is disabled as well so it prevents accidental inputs. Wearing the headphones again will unpause. This is all provided that the app that’s playing supports pausing. For example, it won’t work with watching live channels on the ESPN app.
*Quick Access is the replacement of the Custom button function of the older gens. Double-pressing or triple-pressing the NC/AMB button allows you to assign a Service function to it. Unfortunately, it’s essentially a beta with these headphones since the only service that works for it is Spotify. You can’t even assign a voice assistant to this button anymore. The voice assistant is accessed by press-holding the right ear cup.
*Voice assistant: When set to Google Assistant and Alexa you will still need to be connected to a device with these apps as they cannot be used with the headphones alone. The XM5 just natively supports them to allow faster responses and the ability to read your notifications out to you. You can also use it for any other voice assistant, but it is basically just a Bluetooth audio extension of your phone and slower.
CONNECTIONS:
*Bluetooth 5.2
*3.5mm audio: works without battery use but without noise cancelling/transparency, and works with battery to use powered functions like noise cancelling/transparency. Bluetooth functions do NOT work while wired, so you cannot use microphone. Inline wired microphones will NOT work because jack doesn’t support input.
*USB-C for charging only; does NOT support USB audio.
*Bluetooth 5.2
*3.5mm audio: works without battery use but without noise cancelling/transparency, and works with battery to use powered functions like noise cancelling/transparency. Bluetooth functions do NOT work while wired, so you cannot use microphone. Inline wired microphones will NOT work because jack doesn’t support input.
*USB-C for charging only; does NOT support USB audio.
CHARGING:
I used a Samsung 45W Fast Wall Charger and to my surprise I got way better than advertised results!
3 minutes of charging gave me 3 hours and 50 minutes of LDAC playtime with noise cancelling.
Charging from 0% to 100% took only 52 minutes. I dramatic improvement from the XM4 which took 2 hours and 50 minutes using the same charger.
I used a Samsung 45W Fast Wall Charger and to my surprise I got way better than advertised results!
3 minutes of charging gave me 3 hours and 50 minutes of LDAC playtime with noise cancelling.
Charging from 0% to 100% took only 52 minutes. I dramatic improvement from the XM4 which took 2 hours and 50 minutes using the same charger.
Battery Life:
I got 30 hours of battery life with noise cancelling using LDAC while playing a 24-bit FLAC album on a loop. So their battery claims are accurate; not an oversell or undersell.
I got 30 hours of battery life with noise cancelling using LDAC while playing a 24-bit FLAC album on a loop. So their battery claims are accurate; not an oversell or undersell.
I'll miss the portability of the XM4 but the incredible charging time of the XM5 and the amazing transparency mode is what seals the deal for me. Ambient mode has NEVER sounded this good and natural on a Sony noise cancelling headphone, and very close to a leading competitor known for having this quality. Highly recommended if you don't mind that it can't fold anymore.
My biggest concern is its durability over time.
My biggest concern is its durability over time.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Linksys E9450 WiFi 6 router covers 2800 square feet* and handles 30+ devices at speeds up to 5.4 Gbps. This compact Dual-Band router lets you surf, stream, and game all at the same time to keep you connected to the things that matter most. With Parental Controls and separate Guest Access, your network will always remain safe and secure. Easily add devices to your network with a push of the WPS button
Posted by: KusMoG
from Brooklyn, NY
Don't let the lack of external antennas fool you, the E9450 delivers on its promised range and even performs better on range than another router I had that had 4 adjustable external antennas, which actually had dead zones in one of our bedrooms, the garage, and the front porch on the 5GHz band. The E9450 on the other hand still operated in those locations under 5GHz while still delivering our max internet speed of 230Mbps.
The router is compact and yet has a good solid heft, giving it a premium feel, and won't move around while cables are plugged in when standing vertically, which is also supported by the rubber feet on its stand.
You can actually lay the router horizontally, but out of the box it will slide around on a flat smooth surface. If you place it on a rubber mat or attach non-slip feet on them, it will work out fine.
You can actually lay the router horizontally, but out of the box it will slide around on a flat smooth surface. If you place it on a rubber mat or attach non-slip feet on them, it will work out fine.
Setup is incredibly simple and done using any internet browser. You simply connect to the router's wifi connection using its SSID and sign in with the credentials noted on the included written materials, then enter 192.168.1.1 on any browser to get to the router's configuration page. The router will walk you through the initial setup.
The configuration page itself is fast to navigate through, with a clean and easy to understand interface.
The configuration page itself is fast to navigate through, with a clean and easy to understand interface.
UPnP (universal plug and play) works out of the box. The E9450 was able to set up the port forwarding for my Plex Media Server automatically without me having to do anything, and even labeled it correctly as "Plex Media Server".
The E9450 has a USB 3.0 port which allows you to connect an external disk to it and turn it into a NAS (network attached storage) as a SMB, FTP, or UPnP media server. The configuration page has a relatively mature external storage section, allowing you to see the USB speed protocol the connected device is running at, shared folders, the ability to format the drive and safely eject the drive.
The supported formats for external storage on the E9450 are FAT32, NTFS and HFS+.
The supported formats for external storage on the E9450 are FAT32, NTFS and HFS+.
Missing from the router is the ability to host a VPN server. This is not to be confused with connecting to a VPN server, of which the E9450 has no problems doing. It supports IPSec, PPTP, and L2TP VPN passthrough. But if you want to create a VPN server of your own for your home network to allow it to be accessible outside of your home, you can't. Furthmore, to my knowledge, DD-WRT doesn't support this router.
Fast AX wifi speeds with reliable range and an excellent, speedy and informative configuration page makes this a router I can easily recommend.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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eufy Smart Wi-Fi 2k Video Doorbell with Chime is a battery powered (or wired- you choose) video doorbell that is the perfect protection for your home. With no monthly fee, enjoy 2K resolution so that you can see who is at your door, clearly. Talk to them via the 2-way mic, and be alerted when a human is at the door instead of the neighborhood dog. IP65 Weatherproof Ensures the Video Doorbell camera continues to operate in extreme temperatures from minus 4°F to 122° F (minus 20°C to 50°C). Installation is easy. No need to mess around with complicated wiring, self-installation in minutes. Wireless Video Doorbell camera will also work with old chimes.
Customer Rating
5
Solid home security camera with free local storage
on July 24, 2021
Posted by: KusMoG
from Brooklyn, NY
The Eufy Battery 2K video doorbell with chime is a great cost-effective option for home security. Thanks to local storage, you don't need to have a paid subscription to record events from your video doorbell. The downside to local storage is that you won't be able to access your recordings if your doorbell isn't actively connected to the wifi. However, like its competitors, Eufy also has its own subscription cloud storage service so your recordings are stored on the cloud and viewable from anywhere even when your doorbell is not connected to the internet.
The local storage is located on the bundled chime instead of the doorbell, so it's inside your home. It uses microSD, which makes it expandable to 128GB according to Eufy, though it comes with a 16GB microSD card.
Setup was straight forward and easy. Although this doorbell is battery powered, you also have the option of installing it wired. The power source will still be the battery but the wired setup will continually charge the battery so you won't need to remove the doorbell from the mount to recharge it.
Recharging the doorbell is a bit of a drag. The battery is non-replaceable so you'll need to detach the doorbell from the mount using a SIM-card removal type tool that's included each time you need to charge it. Sadly, it still charges via micro-USB. Recharging the doorbell takes about 6 hours, so that's 6 hours of downtime.
I personally find the doorbell to be attractive but glossy black is all you'll get. There are no faceplates. There is a ring light on the doorbell button that lights up when motion is detected.
The video quality is excellent- clear and bright, although this largely relies on the stability of your doorbell's wifi connection at the location it's installed so keep this in mind. The included chime acts as a wireless extender for the doorbell as well, but sometimes it may still not be sufficient. Unfortunately, I live in an apartment building so I'm unable to comment on its performance under low light since the hallway that my doorbell is installed at is always lit.
The doorbell has motion detection, which it can send you notifications for, but frequent activation of this will greatly impact the battery life. Since I live in an apartment building, I don't get any false positives as only people roam around the hallways. I have no trees, bugs, or cars in range to possibly trigger its motion sensors.
I can't confidently confirm Eufy's battery claims of 180 day battery life, but from my usage that could be the case. In a whole day the battery either didn't drain a percent, or went down 1%.
Notifications were pretty quick, and also include a live picture thumbnail.
The app is pretty straightforward as serves as a platform for the Eufy ecosystem of home security devices, such as their cameras. However, you won't find any social Neighborhood watch type features on it.
The app is pretty straightforward as serves as a platform for the Eufy ecosystem of home security devices, such as their cameras. However, you won't find any social Neighborhood watch type features on it.
While the chime can be used to play a digital chime, you can also disable it. This is useful for a wired setup, where it will still use your original chime which you may prefer. You can also set up Amazon Echo dots as a chime from the app.
The Eufy doorbell works with both Google Assistant and Alexa.
Competitively priced and without the need for a paid subscription to view recordings of older doorbell events, I would recommend the Eufy Wired/Battery 2k video doorbell to anyone in the market for one.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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How much content can you hold with your fingertips? With the Crucial X6 Portable SSD, the answer is: A lot! Whether you’re downloading videos for off-line travel, organizing family photos, collaborating with classmates, or heading off on a great adventure, the Crucial X6 features up to 2TB of portable storage capacity and is ready to go wherever you do.
Posted by: KusMoG
from Brooklyn, NY
At 2.5" L x 2.625" W x 0.5" it is very portable, which a square and flat design that hides away in most shirt and pants pockets without bulging out. It is also very light.
I think the best thing about the external SSD's design is that the USB port on it is the standard USB-C. So while the USB-C to USB-A cable is included with the SSD, if you lose it or need a longer cable, you can always replace it with any standard USB-C cable. Keep in mind though that all USB-C cables are not the same, and to get the full speed of the SSD you'll need a USB 3 speed USB-C cable.
When used while the SSD is at cool or normal temperature, it is extremely quick for transferring large single files, faster than a lot of comparable SSDs at this price point. When transferring many small files that add up to a large file size, the speed is dramatically slower, like a lot of competing SSDs at this price point but it's not any slower than the competition.
This external SSD's biggest flaw is the speed throttling that happens when the SSD becomes warmer (I've never had it become 'hot' although this is probably because the speed throttling never allows it too. I'm almost sure of it.) What this means is that, when the SSD gets really warm, the file transfer speeds become dramatically slower. From 2x to 4x slower; the hotter it gets, the slower it becomes. How it gets hot is through extended use of the SSD over a very short period of time. The good news is, it transfers very quickly.
However, if you're using it for backup transfers that are 256GB or larger that can take minutes, this will heat up the SSD and eventually it will slow to a crawl, and the initial 10 minutes you see can end up being over an hour.
For less intensive transfers like transferring a large ISO file from one device to another, this SSD is perfect.
However, if you're using it for backup transfers that are 256GB or larger that can take minutes, this will heat up the SSD and eventually it will slow to a crawl, and the initial 10 minutes you see can end up being over an hour.
For less intensive transfers like transferring a large ISO file from one device to another, this SSD is perfect.
As advertised, this external SSD works with Android flawlessly as well, provided your device has a file manager installed to browse the data on the SSD. If speeds are slow on the Android device, it's possible that it's your Android device's USB port that's the issue, and may not be capable of the max speed transfers of the SSD because the SSD itself is extremely fast.
Summary: Small, lightweight, and extremely fast, the Crucial X6 SE is an excellent travel companion for the casual user, but not ideal for the IT professional transferring large amounts of data constantly over a short period of time. The thermal throttling makes it unreliable for large, lengthy file transferring projects that require timeliness.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The HTM6 S2 Anniversary Edition delivers clear dialog and power in a compact form for Home Theater. Continuum mid-bass drive units provide make it easy to hear actors and robust bass lines for action films while Decoupled Double Dome Tweeters create an enveloping sense of space and clarity. Featuring upgraded crossovers for even more transparency and a unique trim-ring to celebrate this milestone, the HTM6 S2 Anniversary Edition is the most sophisticated, affordable center channel Bowers & Wilkins has ever made. The HTM6 S2 Anniversary Edition is the matching center channel for the 600 Series Anniversary Edition range of products. Over the last 25 years, the 600 Series has been our most affordable performance range of loudspeakers, and we’re celebrating our love of sound with acoustic improvements to the crossover network for overall greater levels of clarity and smoother high frequencies so you can enjoy a compelling listening experience across the range of products.
Customer Rating
5
Amazingly clear speakers. Great for center channel
on December 31, 2020
Posted by: KusMoG
from Brooklyn, NY
I need to preface this review by saying I am by no means an audiophile. I'm not familiar with the science or the technical jargon so I'm not going to pretend like I'm an expert at sound quality. I categorize myself as an enthusiast. I've invested in a decent receiver, home theater system, cables, etc. And I care about what I listen to enough to know what I like and don't like, and notice when something is lacking.
The design is a rather conservative rectangular box with sharp edges. The only eye catching aspect of its design are the silver cones. The finish is a matte black vinyl-looking plastic. Some may find this boring, but since I use it in my home theater setup, I prefer less eye catching things in my field of vision while I'm watching something on TV.
The grill attaches to the speaker magnetically, which I love. It's easy to remove or install it to the speaker with one hand, and effortless since the magnets always guide it to attach in its proper position. it's no longer a chore to remove the grill if I ever want to sport an industrial look.
I reviewed this center speaker along with the 603 S2 Anniversary edition floorstanding speakers and not only do they complement each other perfectly, they share similar characteristics. The clarity lives up to its claim. For OTA TV sound, it's just clear without sounding muffled or muddy. Likewise with movies. The great thing about these speakers is I'm able to hear dialog clearly even in low volume. It doesn't lose its high resolution.
I highly recommend this speaker in a home theater setup. The center channel is where the dialog in movies is predominantly played and with this speaker it's a joy to listen to.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The 603 S2 Anniversary Edition combines outstanding power and clarity that makes them perfect for larger rooms and ideal for home theater. Continuum mid-range cones provide clarity for singers, Decoupled Double Dome Tweeters create an enveloping sense of space and twin bass drivers deliver scale and authority. Featuring upgraded crossovers for even more transparency and a unique trim-ring to celebrate this milestone, the 603 S2 Anniversary Edition is the most sophisticated affordable floor-standing loudspeaker Bowers & Wilkins has ever made. The 603 S2 Anniversary Edition sits atop the 600 Series Anniversary Edition range of products. Over the last 25 years, the 600 Series has been our most affordable performance range of loudspeakers, and we’re celebrating our love of sound with acoustic improvements to the crossover network for overall greater levels of clarity and smoother high frequencies so you can enjoy a compelling listening experience across the range of products.
Customer Rating
5
Great soundstage, bass response, clear speakers
on December 31, 2020
Posted by: KusMoG
from Brooklyn, NY
I need to preface this review by saying I am by no means an audiophile. I'm not familiar with the science or the technical jargon so I'm not going to pretend like I'm an expert at sound quality. I categorize myself as an enthusiast. I've invested in a decent receiver, home theater system, cables, etc. And I care about what I listen to enough to know what I like and don't like, and notice when something is lacking.
The speakers were tested in a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos-enabled speaker home theater setup, although digital music (FLAC) and vinyl LPs were tested using a pure direct setup, eliminating the use of all the speakers and subwoofer except for the 603 S2 anniversary edition floorstanding speakers, since they are my front L/R speakers in my setup.
My equipment used that's relevant to the 603 S2 Anniversary Edition:
Receiver: Marantz SR8012
Speaker wire: Mediabridge 14 gauge speaker wire, terminated with banana plugs on receiver end, bare speaker wire on speaker end, with a length of approximately less than 10 feet.
Left/Right front speakers: Bowers & Wilkin 603 S2 Anniversary Edition floorstanding speakers (bi-wired)
Receiver: Marantz SR8012
Speaker wire: Mediabridge 14 gauge speaker wire, terminated with banana plugs on receiver end, bare speaker wire on speaker end, with a length of approximately less than 10 feet.
Left/Right front speakers: Bowers & Wilkin 603 S2 Anniversary Edition floorstanding speakers (bi-wired)
I have used the speakers for at least the recommended 15 active hours for "burn-in" as the manual suggests. Personally though, even after 15 hours, my ears couldn't notice any changes. But again, I'm not an audiophile and apparently not sensitive enough to these subtle changes. What's important to note is that it should now sound the way it was intended to, according to the manual.
The speakers come with a plinth (base) that's around 14.5" x 13", but I didn't bother using them because they made the speakers too wide for my speaker placement, where I have limited space in my living room. However, at 7.5" x 13.5 (13.75" with the grill on), it's slim enough to fit.
The speaker grill is magnetic, making installation and removal an effortless breeze that can be done with one hand. I prefer to keep the grills on since I have a home theater setup and prefer to have less eyecatching distractions in my field of vision. However, if I ever want that industrial look with the cones exposed it's no longer a chore for me to remove the grills to do so.
The design is pretty conservative. Cones and rear port aside, it's a rectangular box with sharp edges and a matte vinyl finish. I tend to prefer this minimalist approach although some may find it boring.
I previously had Pioneer SP-FS52 floorstanding speakers and at the time I thought those speakers were great. Upon replacing them with these 603 S2's I immediately noticed how much clearer the sound was. Dialog was clearer, and sound separation was more apparent.
When I started playing my vinyl LPs and FLAC albums to test how music sounded, it was the wide soundstage that became immediately apparent to me, especially with my FLAC albums. I kept checking my receiver to make sure I didn't have virtual surround or dynamic EQ on and I really didn't. Despite running off just the left and right speakers (no center, no subwoofer, no surround) the soundstage was wide and full. It sounded like I had surround sound on when I didn't.
The bass response is another highlight from these speakers. They're fantastically powerful and engaging without being muddy. It's very clear, particularly in the highs and mids. The bass response is so powerful that I feel like I don't even need my subwoofer. The vibrations are easily felt even in low volume, which may be a problem for some people, including myself since I live in an apartment. I've had to use the included foam bungs to reduce the bass.
Speaking of volume, going back to the clarity of these speakers, I am absolutely amazed at how clear sound emitting from these speakers are even at low volume. The sound doesn't lose its high resolution under low volume. I've never been able to set the volume as low as I do with these speakers and still be able to hear stuff clearly, like dialog from a TV program.
These are easily the best speakers I've ever used in my home theater system setup, and I highly recommend them.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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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.
Customer Rating
3
Great but cheap dpad, questionable quality control
on October 3, 2020
Posted by: KusMoG
from Brooklyn, NY
Minimum phone height: About 5.25" from top to bottom (NOT diagonally the way manufacturer's advertise their phone in terms of screen size). Phones smaller than this will not be compatible because there will be no tension support in the center and the left controller part will dangle away from the right part.
***Do NOT use an adapter if your phone isn't USB-C. The controller's left and right parts are supported by a spring-based tension band on the back. This tension may eventually break your adapter and possibly your port as well due to the small size of the adapter not being able to support the force of that tension.
***Do NOT use an adapter if your phone isn't USB-C. The controller's left and right parts are supported by a spring-based tension band on the back. This tension may eventually break your adapter and possibly your port as well due to the small size of the adapter not being able to support the force of that tension.
Max phone height: About 6.5" from top to bottom (again, not screen size but device height). Max phone height with needing to angle the left controller to fit the top of the phone is 6 1/8".
At 6.49", the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is just at the limit of the Razer Kishi and will fit.
At 6.49", the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is just at the limit of the Razer Kishi and will fit.
Phone width: From 2 7/8" to about 3". Phones wider than 3" will not fit because that is the absolute max before it hits hard plastic.
Max phone depth: 3/8" with rubber insert. 7/16" without rubber insert.
Your phone may work with a case but it's probably very few. You can remove the rubber inserts to try to fit the case in. If it doesn't fit, do NOT force it in, or else you may damage the hard plastic case of the controller.
Pros:
- Usability -
The Razer Kishi essentially turns your phone into something kind of like a Nintendo Switch, especially for phones that allow you to use your home screen in landscape mode. The phone stays in securely thanks in part to the rubber inserts that grip it while preventing damage to it while it's attached.
Depending on your phone, at its widest, the Razer Kishi is 1.25" wider than the Nintendo Switch at 10.5". At its narrowest, without any stretching, it's the same width as the Switch at about 9.25"
With more generous/wider curves and a recessed spot on the back on the controller, it feels more ergonomic to hold than the Nintendo Switch.
- Usability -
The Razer Kishi essentially turns your phone into something kind of like a Nintendo Switch, especially for phones that allow you to use your home screen in landscape mode. The phone stays in securely thanks in part to the rubber inserts that grip it while preventing damage to it while it's attached.
Depending on your phone, at its widest, the Razer Kishi is 1.25" wider than the Nintendo Switch at 10.5". At its narrowest, without any stretching, it's the same width as the Switch at about 9.25"
With more generous/wider curves and a recessed spot on the back on the controller, it feels more ergonomic to hold than the Nintendo Switch.
The controls and buttons mimic the Xbox's with X/Y/A/B, Back, Start, Home, L button, L trigger, R button, R trigger, left analog stick, button on left analog stick, right analog stick, button on right analog stick, and cross (+) dpad. Thanks to the availability of these buttons, the controller is also very friendly with any current emulation on Android, including Playstation and Dreamcast. Many of these apps have already been updated to natively support the Razer Kishi and have the buttons mapped accordingly.
- Zero Latency -
The box advertises "Ultra-low latency gameplay" but I experienced no latency. It's a direct USB-C connection and Android recognizes it as a external controller. I wondered if the possible latency concerns may have something to do with the left controller part since it's the right part that has the USB-C connection, but the Kishi doesn't have any bluetooth. From inspecting the box, there's no wireless radio certification noted on it. So the whole construction of the Kishi controller is probably hardwired, and the left controller part is probably wired through the expanding tension band.
The box advertises "Ultra-low latency gameplay" but I experienced no latency. It's a direct USB-C connection and Android recognizes it as a external controller. I wondered if the possible latency concerns may have something to do with the left controller part since it's the right part that has the USB-C connection, but the Kishi doesn't have any bluetooth. From inspecting the box, there's no wireless radio certification noted on it. So the whole construction of the Kishi controller is probably hardwired, and the left controller part is probably wired through the expanding tension band.
- Analog sticks -
The analog sticks feel great to me. They're tight and responsive. They're tight enough to allow me to play platformers like Sonic the Hedgehog 2 with. The clickiness of the button on the analog sticks feels right too and requires the same amount of pressure to click as a regular Xbox controller, so you won't press them accidentally.
The analog sticks feel great to me. They're tight and responsive. They're tight enough to allow me to play platformers like Sonic the Hedgehog 2 with. The clickiness of the button on the analog sticks feels right too and requires the same amount of pressure to click as a regular Xbox controller, so you won't press them accidentally.
Just OK:
- USB-C passthrough phone charging -
The Kishi does not require any external power or use any batteries. It is powered through your phone, so when you have the Kishi connected, know that your phone's battery will drain quicker than usual.
However, the Kishi does have USB-C passthrough charging. Located on the bottom of the right controller part is a power-only USB-C port. So while you're playing with the controller, you can ensure that your phone doesn't lose any battery life, or even charge your phone.
This feature is only "Just OK" for 2 reasons:
1. It doesn't support data. You can't plug it into your computer and access or transfer data through the Kishi's USB-C port. You also can't plug in peripherals like a keyboard or a USB card reader or thumb drive. No data means no data.
- USB-C passthrough phone charging -
The Kishi does not require any external power or use any batteries. It is powered through your phone, so when you have the Kishi connected, know that your phone's battery will drain quicker than usual.
However, the Kishi does have USB-C passthrough charging. Located on the bottom of the right controller part is a power-only USB-C port. So while you're playing with the controller, you can ensure that your phone doesn't lose any battery life, or even charge your phone.
This feature is only "Just OK" for 2 reasons:
1. It doesn't support data. You can't plug it into your computer and access or transfer data through the Kishi's USB-C port. You also can't plug in peripherals like a keyboard or a USB card reader or thumb drive. No data means no data.
2. The Kishi's USB-C port does NOT support any sort of fast-charging. So those 45W, 25W fast chargers are rendered useless with the Kishi as it will drop back down to standard USB charging speeds. My Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ takes about 3.5 hours to charge from 0 to 100% using the Kishi USB-C port making it 3 times longer than without the Kishi USB-C port using a fast charger.
- Buttons -
Aside from the analog buttons, the others feel "Just OK."
The home/back/start buttons feel very rigid and don't feel soft like all the major console home/back/start/option buttons that I'm used to.
Aside from the analog buttons, the others feel "Just OK."
The home/back/start buttons feel very rigid and don't feel soft like all the major console home/back/start/option buttons that I'm used to.
The front-facing X/Y/A/B buttons are decent. I find them comparable to that of the Xbox 360's front facing buttons. Not too clicky but I also don't think they're too mushy like some people have reported they are. The good thing for me is that they're relatively quiet.
The L/R shoulder buttons feel somewhat similar to the front facing ones. They're also relatively quiet. They're also taller than the trigger buttons behind them, so you're not likely to accidentally confuse the buttons.
The L/R trigger buttons are EVER so slightly convex to avoid the concave slippage feel on the Dual Shock 3's concave trigger buttons.
They are also relative quiet with about the same amount of depth and tension, in terms of the trigger button press, as an Xbox 360's trigger button (not the Dual Shock 4, which has more give/less tension than the Kishi's trigger button).
They are also relative quiet with about the same amount of depth and tension, in terms of the trigger button press, as an Xbox 360's trigger button (not the Dual Shock 4, which has more give/less tension than the Kishi's trigger button).
- Supports MS Game Pass -
The button colors are reversed, and the Home button takes you to the Home screen instead of the Game Pass app, but otherwise the $20 cheaper Android Kishi supports Game Pass just the same as the Xbox branded one. You can always remap the Home button using a third party app.
The button colors are reversed, and the Home button takes you to the Home screen instead of the Game Pass app, but otherwise the $20 cheaper Android Kishi supports Game Pass just the same as the Xbox branded one. You can always remap the Home button using a third party app.
It does NOT support PS4 Remote Play but this because of Sony not Razer. Sony only allows Dual Shock 4 or touch controls for its app.
Cons:
- Flex -
If you use it aggressively, the controller parts can flex inwards, towards you due to the expandabilty/stretch of the back of the Kishi. It won't flex backwards though.
- Flex -
If you use it aggressively, the controller parts can flex inwards, towards you due to the expandabilty/stretch of the back of the Kishi. It won't flex backwards though.
- Directional pad (Dpad) -
The dpad isn't as bad as the Xbox 360 controller but like it, it has trouble with definite 4-way (left/right/up/down) inputs.
Playing puzzle games like Lumines, the Kishi would accidentally go down-right or down-left when I press down.
Playing fighting games like Garou: Mark of the Wolves, I had difficulty executing SNK's weird super moves that have diagonal inputs in them.
It's hard to rely on precision with the Kishi's dpad.
The dpad isn't as bad as the Xbox 360 controller but like it, it has trouble with definite 4-way (left/right/up/down) inputs.
Playing puzzle games like Lumines, the Kishi would accidentally go down-right or down-left when I press down.
Playing fighting games like Garou: Mark of the Wolves, I had difficulty executing SNK's weird super moves that have diagonal inputs in them.
It's hard to rely on precision with the Kishi's dpad.
Also, with my dpad, the button presses will emit a high-pitched squeak. I suspect this is a manufacturing defect and have already contacted Razer customer support to address this. They told me to try blowing it with compressed air, which I tried using the straw attachment to blow directly into the crevices of the dpad to get underneath it. That didn't fix the issue. I'm still awaiting an email from them for the warranty process.
- Quality control -
Upon researching my issue with the Kishi's squeaky dpad I found threads with similar complaints regarding Kishi controller quality. So it seems to me that Razer is more about just getting their product out there to sell and taking their chances with those customers who actually complain later. There will be people quick to defend Razer because they didn't receive a defective product but that there is the problem. Quality control. The good get mixed with the bad and what you get is a game of chance. It seems that I got a Kishi with a bad dpad because when I showed the video of my dpad to a Raxer support agent, they agreed it shouldn't be like that and even went as far as to question if I abused or dropped my controller for that to happen (I didn't).
Upon researching my issue with the Kishi's squeaky dpad I found threads with similar complaints regarding Kishi controller quality. So it seems to me that Razer is more about just getting their product out there to sell and taking their chances with those customers who actually complain later. There will be people quick to defend Razer because they didn't receive a defective product but that there is the problem. Quality control. The good get mixed with the bad and what you get is a game of chance. It seems that I got a Kishi with a bad dpad because when I showed the video of my dpad to a Raxer support agent, they agreed it shouldn't be like that and even went as far as to question if I abused or dropped my controller for that to happen (I didn't).
- App -
Razer's app is horrendous. Despite my phone being one of the supported phones (Samsung Galaxy Note 10+), the firmware update button on the app doesn't work. When I tap on it, it does nothing. It's also non-intuitive. To get to the firmware section of the app, you tap on the profile/avatar looking button.
The design also looks like that of a homebrew illegal app instead of one that's more professional.
The good thing is, the app is optional. You don't need it to use the Kishi. Its main use is to update the firmware (which doesn't even work for me), and as a frontend for apps that are compatible with the Kishi. The search function for the apps is hidden in the category section. To search for a particular app, you need to select the "All" category first and only then will you find the magnifying glass icon to search for an app.
Even in regards compatibility it's questionable.
For example, Street Fighter IV Champion Edition is "compatible". But the controller does not function in any of the menus or player select screen. Those are touch-only. The Kishi only works during fights.
The Razer Kishi app is also missing apps that are fully compatible with it. Games such as Sonic the Hedgehog 2. You won't find it in the Razer Kishi app, but it works with Kishi and as "compatible" as the apps listed on the Razer Kishi app. You won't be able to map the buttons, but this is true for some of the games listed as compatible on the Razer Kishi app. It all comes down to what Razer has personally tested for themselves. The omission of Sonic 2 shows that they don't take this task seriously and eventually will end up being an obsolete list of supported games if and when Razer loses complete interest in updating their list on the app.
Razer's app is horrendous. Despite my phone being one of the supported phones (Samsung Galaxy Note 10+), the firmware update button on the app doesn't work. When I tap on it, it does nothing. It's also non-intuitive. To get to the firmware section of the app, you tap on the profile/avatar looking button.
The design also looks like that of a homebrew illegal app instead of one that's more professional.
The good thing is, the app is optional. You don't need it to use the Kishi. Its main use is to update the firmware (which doesn't even work for me), and as a frontend for apps that are compatible with the Kishi. The search function for the apps is hidden in the category section. To search for a particular app, you need to select the "All" category first and only then will you find the magnifying glass icon to search for an app.
Even in regards compatibility it's questionable.
For example, Street Fighter IV Champion Edition is "compatible". But the controller does not function in any of the menus or player select screen. Those are touch-only. The Kishi only works during fights.
The Razer Kishi app is also missing apps that are fully compatible with it. Games such as Sonic the Hedgehog 2. You won't find it in the Razer Kishi app, but it works with Kishi and as "compatible" as the apps listed on the Razer Kishi app. You won't be able to map the buttons, but this is true for some of the games listed as compatible on the Razer Kishi app. It all comes down to what Razer has personally tested for themselves. The omission of Sonic 2 shows that they don't take this task seriously and eventually will end up being an obsolete list of supported games if and when Razer loses complete interest in updating their list on the app.
Conclusion:
The Razer Kishi plays best with Emulation apps.
Cheap dpad and quality issues are its most serious concerns.
The Razer Kishi plays best with Emulation apps.
Cheap dpad and quality issues are its most serious concerns.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
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1of 1voted this as helpful.
Sony's intelligent noise-cancelling headphones with premium sound elevate your listening experience with the ability to personalize and control everything you hear. Get up to 30 hours of battery life with quick charging capabilities, enjoy an enhanced Smart Listening feature set, and carry conversations hands-free with speak-to-chat.
Customer Rating
4
WH-1000XM3, now with multipoint & proximity sensor
on August 31, 2020
Posted by: KusMoG
from Brooklyn, NY
*The Good*
Range: Excellent. My apartment's longest length is 31 feet with 3 walls between them measuring at about 6 inches thickness. I played a 24 bit, 96KHz FLAC file using the LDAC codec to try to really test the connection because those are the highest settings I can get out of my audio. I didn't get a single stutter.
Range: Excellent. My apartment's longest length is 31 feet with 3 walls between them measuring at about 6 inches thickness. I played a 24 bit, 96KHz FLAC file using the LDAC codec to try to really test the connection because those are the highest settings I can get out of my audio. I didn't get a single stutter.
NFC: Allows you to pair and connect a phone with the headphones by just tapping the phone on the left ear cup. No need to go through the menus for bluetooth and scan, or select device. Just tap and it will connect. Your phone does need to be unlocked though but that's it. The rest is just a simple tap.
Noise-cancelling: Great noise cancelling. Successfully blocks out air conditioner sounds. I couldn't even tell if I had the AC on or not while I was wearing them. S-sounds or hissing sounds get cancelled out entirely. It does its best job with noise cancelling on the low frequency end. My PC's fans (6 of them) are brought down to white noise.
I won't be on a plane until next month so I tried playing a YouTube video of plane engine sounds. It cancels out the harshness of the low frequency noise from it but you can still hear the plane sound. However, when I play music I'm able to successfully drown it out. It's not noise cancelling, but with the aid of the noise cancelling I'm able to tune it out for the most part.
The same goes wearing it on the subway. I live in NYC and our subway is one of the loudest in the world thanks to tiles the MTA uses in most of their station's walls, which amplify sound. You're not going to block all the noise, but it does a great job at dampening it so you can hear your own audio better.
You'll still hear cars on the streets but it will sound like they're hovering instead of rolling past you.
If you own a WH-1000XM3, I couldn't tell much of a difference in noise cancelling performance from it.
You can use the noise-cancelling even without any audio playing. It won't time out as long as you have Automatic Power Off set to "Do not turn off" in the app.
Cupping your hand over the right earcup allows you to temporarily disable ANC and hear outside noise.
I won't be on a plane until next month so I tried playing a YouTube video of plane engine sounds. It cancels out the harshness of the low frequency noise from it but you can still hear the plane sound. However, when I play music I'm able to successfully drown it out. It's not noise cancelling, but with the aid of the noise cancelling I'm able to tune it out for the most part.
The same goes wearing it on the subway. I live in NYC and our subway is one of the loudest in the world thanks to tiles the MTA uses in most of their station's walls, which amplify sound. You're not going to block all the noise, but it does a great job at dampening it so you can hear your own audio better.
You'll still hear cars on the streets but it will sound like they're hovering instead of rolling past you.
If you own a WH-1000XM3, I couldn't tell much of a difference in noise cancelling performance from it.
You can use the noise-cancelling even without any audio playing. It won't time out as long as you have Automatic Power Off set to "Do not turn off" in the app.
Cupping your hand over the right earcup allows you to temporarily disable ANC and hear outside noise.
Sound: I'm not an audiophile by any means, but they're my best sounding headphones. Voices sound clear. Instrument separation is clear. I can hear subtle hihat sounds clearly. Bass is evident out of the box and it doesn't sound muddy (I've read from others that it does but it doesn't sound muddy to me). I tend to think the sound sounds slightly warm (bassy) but mostly neutral.
But best of all is the hardware EQ from that you can use from Sony's Headphones app (app available only on Android and iOS). Unlike the XM3, on the XM4 you'll be able to use the hardware EQ even if you're using the LDAC codec. You can wipe out that bass by setting the "Clear Bass" setting to -10. Or boost it up.
You can customize the EQ through 5 frequency bands (400, 1k, 2.5k 6.3k, 16k).
There are 8 preset EQ settings along with 2 Custom EQ settings you can set and save for whatever purpose and one manual EQ setting, which really is just a third custom setting preset.
Since it's hardware EQ, the changes you make hear on the app effectively change the headphone's sound signature. If you use it on any other device like your PC, or TV, the EQ settings you set will stick. So I feel all the criticism about the out of the box sound feels unwarranted. Spend some time with the EQ and find the sound you like and that's the sound you'll have on all your devices because you've changed the way the headphones sound on the headphones themselves.
But best of all is the hardware EQ from that you can use from Sony's Headphones app (app available only on Android and iOS). Unlike the XM3, on the XM4 you'll be able to use the hardware EQ even if you're using the LDAC codec. You can wipe out that bass by setting the "Clear Bass" setting to -10. Or boost it up.
You can customize the EQ through 5 frequency bands (400, 1k, 2.5k 6.3k, 16k).
There are 8 preset EQ settings along with 2 Custom EQ settings you can set and save for whatever purpose and one manual EQ setting, which really is just a third custom setting preset.
Since it's hardware EQ, the changes you make hear on the app effectively change the headphone's sound signature. If you use it on any other device like your PC, or TV, the EQ settings you set will stick. So I feel all the criticism about the out of the box sound feels unwarranted. Spend some time with the EQ and find the sound you like and that's the sound you'll have on all your devices because you've changed the way the headphones sound on the headphones themselves.
The physical buttons: The Custom button allows me to either assign it to toggle ANC or Assistant commands (can't have both at the same time for that button). I have it set to Google Assistant but it also supports Amazon Alexa too. I find the Google Assistant support so invaluable. Thanks to it, whenever I get notifications on my phone I can press the button and it will read me my notifications. Whether you have notifications or not, it will also give you the time. So useful. The voice that reads you the notifications sounds natural too, not robotic, and is easy to understand.
The power button is clearly spaced away from the custom button that I never mistakenly press it for anything else. One press of the power button and the headphones will tell me how much battery life I have left.
The power button is clearly spaced away from the custom button that I never mistakenly press it for anything else. One press of the power button and the headphones will tell me how much battery life I have left.
**The OK**
Comfort: The XM4s has slightly more cushion on the earpads and headband than the XM3. Unfortunately the opening inside the ear cups haven't changed much. They're not that wide, so they'll still sit on some of your ears even if you might not feel like it does. I can prove it does though. When I insert my finger underneath the cup and reach for my ear, I can feel that it's still being clamped under the earpad. You may not feel it because the cushioning is so soft but the pressure gets felt after extended use. The earcup is also not that deep. Your ears will touch the inner soft lining although you will not feel it. The evidence will be when you sweat. You'll find sweat marks on the lining where your ear touches it.
Speaking of sweat, the XM4 made me noticeably sweat more than the XM3 or XM2 did. Conversely though, I imagine these would make great winter earmuffs. Careful though, they're not waterproof, so throw a hood on when it's raining or snowing.
Clamping force will vary on your head size. I have a large round head so they do clamp with some force but I never really found them uncomfortable even after hours of use.
Comfort: The XM4s has slightly more cushion on the earpads and headband than the XM3. Unfortunately the opening inside the ear cups haven't changed much. They're not that wide, so they'll still sit on some of your ears even if you might not feel like it does. I can prove it does though. When I insert my finger underneath the cup and reach for my ear, I can feel that it's still being clamped under the earpad. You may not feel it because the cushioning is so soft but the pressure gets felt after extended use. The earcup is also not that deep. Your ears will touch the inner soft lining although you will not feel it. The evidence will be when you sweat. You'll find sweat marks on the lining where your ear touches it.
Speaking of sweat, the XM4 made me noticeably sweat more than the XM3 or XM2 did. Conversely though, I imagine these would make great winter earmuffs. Careful though, they're not waterproof, so throw a hood on when it's raining or snowing.
Clamping force will vary on your head size. I have a large round head so they do clamp with some force but I never really found them uncomfortable even after hours of use.
Wired passive mode: You can use the headphones without power as regular headphones. When you power the headphones, you can also get ANC. You just can't use the touch controls.
Touch controls: Touch controls are intuitive. Swipe up for volume up, down for volume down. Swipe left for previous track, right for next track. Double tap to play/pause. Unfortunately, the touch controls can be as finicky as they were on the XM3. If you're familiar withe XM3's touch controls and never had a problem with them, the XM4 will suit you fine.
I put the XM4 in the freezer for 30 minutes while playing music to see if the cold issues on the XM3 exist on the XM4. Surprisingly they don't! I even used a fan to simulate wind along with the cold and I didn't get any erratic behavior that I had with the XM3. Touch controls still worked also. There's still about 3 months until winter here in NYC to know for sure, but I think they fixed it.
I put the XM4 in the freezer for 30 minutes while playing music to see if the cold issues on the XM3 exist on the XM4. Surprisingly they don't! I even used a fan to simulate wind along with the cold and I didn't get any erratic behavior that I had with the XM3. Touch controls still worked also. There's still about 3 months until winter here in NYC to know for sure, but I think they fixed it.
Multipoint: You can now connect the XM4 to more than one bluetooth device at the same time. As long as you don't actively use them at the same time, you won't run into many or any problems. If you do actively use them at the same time, occasionally you'll run into issues. If audio is playing on one device, and you play audio on another, the audio from the first device will continue to play and you won't hear the second device until you pause or stop the first device. This appears to be the current nature of multipoint because I get this same behavior on my Jabra Active Elite 75t's multipoint.
Multipoint does NOT work with LDAC. The Shure Aonic 50 supports multipoint on LDAC so bad job with Sony here, especially when LDAC is their own proprietary codec. How does another company one-up you with your own technology?
So only AAC and SBC work with multipoint on the XM4s.
Multipoint does NOT work with LDAC. The Shure Aonic 50 supports multipoint on LDAC so bad job with Sony here, especially when LDAC is their own proprietary codec. How does another company one-up you with your own technology?
So only AAC and SBC work with multipoint on the XM4s.
Proximity sensor: There's now a proximity sensor inside the left ear cup. This allows the headphones to pause audio when you take your headphones off. You can also turn this feature on or off using the Sony Headphones app.
My issue with it is that it doesn't work with all media. It works fine with audio players and YouTube.
It doesn't work with the MLB app when I'm listening to radio broadcasts of games on it. It doesn't work with the ESPN app either. This is probably because they're live streaming sources. But my main reason to even pause audio when I take my headphones off is so the audio isn't leaking out and being distracting and this won't help with that. They could have just stopped the live streaming sources and have them restart it live.
My issue with it is that it doesn't work with all media. It works fine with audio players and YouTube.
It doesn't work with the MLB app when I'm listening to radio broadcasts of games on it. It doesn't work with the ESPN app either. This is probably because they're live streaming sources. But my main reason to even pause audio when I take my headphones off is so the audio isn't leaking out and being distracting and this won't help with that. They could have just stopped the live streaming sources and have them restart it live.
Battery life: 30 hours is what Sony claims.
I got 23.5 hours with AAC, ANC on, no multipoint.
23 hours and 10 minutes with ACC, ANC on, multipoint on (Note 10+, Tab S6)
I screwed up my tests with LDAC time and time again, and it's super annoying to start over from scratch so I apologize for the poor test but I got 60% after 14 hours and 40 minutes with LDAC and ANC on.
So perhaps on LDAC, I can get the claimed battery life of 30 hours.
Battery is reported in intervals of 10% so you'll never see any reports of battery life in between them like 97% or 55%.
Sony claims 10 minutes of charge gives you 5 hours of battery life.
My tests never got anything close to that.
Using a 3.0A charger for 10 minutes I got:
With LDAC, ANC on: 1 hour 55 minutes
With AAC, ANC on: 1 hour 22 minutes
Charging from 0%-100% does take about 3 hours (sometimes less, sometimes slightly longer)
I got 23.5 hours with AAC, ANC on, no multipoint.
23 hours and 10 minutes with ACC, ANC on, multipoint on (Note 10+, Tab S6)
I screwed up my tests with LDAC time and time again, and it's super annoying to start over from scratch so I apologize for the poor test but I got 60% after 14 hours and 40 minutes with LDAC and ANC on.
So perhaps on LDAC, I can get the claimed battery life of 30 hours.
Battery is reported in intervals of 10% so you'll never see any reports of battery life in between them like 97% or 55%.
Sony claims 10 minutes of charge gives you 5 hours of battery life.
My tests never got anything close to that.
Using a 3.0A charger for 10 minutes I got:
With LDAC, ANC on: 1 hour 55 minutes
With AAC, ANC on: 1 hour 22 minutes
Charging from 0%-100% does take about 3 hours (sometimes less, sometimes slightly longer)
**Neutral**
XM4 has Speak-to-chat which allows the headphones to pause your audio and allow you to hear outside noise. It just won't work they way most want it to in real life though. It does an excellent job at not triggering with anyone else's voice but yours. But any sound you make activates it. So no singing along. I find myself turning this feature off.
XM4 has Speak-to-chat which allows the headphones to pause your audio and allow you to hear outside noise. It just won't work they way most want it to in real life though. It does an excellent job at not triggering with anyone else's voice but yours. But any sound you make activates it. So no singing along. I find myself turning this feature off.
**The Bad**
Loss of AptX support. I hoped for AptX low latency but instead they got rid of it altogether. Bad news for older Android devices that can't upgrade to Oreo.
Loss of AptX support. I hoped for AptX low latency but instead they got rid of it altogether. Bad news for older Android devices that can't upgrade to Oreo.
No USB-C audio.
**Concerns**
Build: Plastic construction is like how it was on XM3; feels cheap. May creak after a while. Remains to be seen.
Build: Plastic construction is like how it was on XM3; feels cheap. May creak after a while. Remains to be seen.
**Conclusion**
Great option for Apple users since LDAC and AptX is no concern, and for new buyers that don't own XM3.
Poor value to upgrade from XM3 if you don't care for LDAC or multipoint.
Great option for Apple users since LDAC and AptX is no concern, and for new buyers that don't own XM3.
Poor value to upgrade from XM3 if you don't care for LDAC or multipoint.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Logitech G923 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC is a high-performance racing wheel that revolutionizes the racing experience. Re-engineered to support a next-generation feedback system, G923 features TRUEFORCE high-definition force feedback that dials into game engines to deliver higher-fidelity realism. Feel the pistons pumping, the gravel crunching, and every shift, drift, and hairpin turn like never before. True racing comes from within.
Posted by: KusMoG
from Brooklyn, NY
If you own a Logitech G29, stay put because this wheel is basically a G29 with loss of PS3 support but the addition of the proprietary TrueForce force feedback.
The wheel still uses the same motor.
It's still gear-based so you'll still get a slightly notchy feel when you turn the wheel but it's honestly not that bad in terms of sound. It's actually close to silent. But it's not as smooth as a belt-based wheel, which typically cost more than gear-based wheels (more on this later in my review).
It's still gear-based so you'll still get a slightly notchy feel when you turn the wheel but it's honestly not that bad in terms of sound. It's actually close to silent. But it's not as smooth as a belt-based wheel, which typically cost more than gear-based wheels (more on this later in my review).
The wheel's maximum rotation is 900°, which is par for the course if you're into simulation racing. So you'll be able to turn the wheel 2.5 times from lock-to-lock. Most sport cars have 900° rotation or less. Older vehicles and family cars may have more rotation.
The buttons on the wheel have nearly all the controls of a standard PS4 controller. The only thing that's missing are the 2 analog sticks (because it has the L3 and R3 analog stick buttons).
The Square, Triangle, Cross, and Circle buttons feel premium and the d-pad feels great and precise as well. Perfect for menu selections. The other buttons feel plasticky and kind of cheap by comparison.
The wheel does NOT come with a H-pattern shifter, but it does have metal paddle shifters behind each side of the wheel for gear shifting.
The wheel has RPM LED lights just above the center cap of the wheel.
The wheel is made of mostly metal backed by hard plastic.
So in other words, the looks basically the same as the G29 with the exception of colors. The wheel is now mostly black, including the dial, L/R buttons, and the paddles. The center marker is now something along the lines of turquoise-blue.
The wheel is covered with black leather that feels great to touch.
The Square, Triangle, Cross, and Circle buttons feel premium and the d-pad feels great and precise as well. Perfect for menu selections. The other buttons feel plasticky and kind of cheap by comparison.
The wheel does NOT come with a H-pattern shifter, but it does have metal paddle shifters behind each side of the wheel for gear shifting.
The wheel has RPM LED lights just above the center cap of the wheel.
The wheel is made of mostly metal backed by hard plastic.
So in other words, the looks basically the same as the G29 with the exception of colors. The wheel is now mostly black, including the dial, L/R buttons, and the paddles. The center marker is now something along the lines of turquoise-blue.
The wheel is covered with black leather that feels great to touch.
When you're using the wheel on a PC, you'll need the install the G Hub software to get force feedback to work. I guess they install or act like drivers for the wheel.
In G Hub, you'll also be able to configure the settings for wheel such as the rotation range. This is very useful for emulation gaming since racing games designed with controller play in mind actually have only a 180° rotation (because there's only 2 points of direction, left and right, with analog covering the degrees between them). When left at the default 900° for those types of games, you'll experience severe understeering.
In G Hub, you'll also be able to adjust the sensitivity of the wheel turn; the intensity of the force feedback from the torque (i.e. the pull on the wheel when the wheels on the car are turning) and audio effects (i.e. the vibration from bumps); the strength of the centering spring; and the sensitivity of each pedals.
You'll also be able to set and save specific settings for each application you add to G Hub to their own profile, which will automatically be used whenever you run that application.
In G Hub, you'll also be able to configure the settings for wheel such as the rotation range. This is very useful for emulation gaming since racing games designed with controller play in mind actually have only a 180° rotation (because there's only 2 points of direction, left and right, with analog covering the degrees between them). When left at the default 900° for those types of games, you'll experience severe understeering.
In G Hub, you'll also be able to adjust the sensitivity of the wheel turn; the intensity of the force feedback from the torque (i.e. the pull on the wheel when the wheels on the car are turning) and audio effects (i.e. the vibration from bumps); the strength of the centering spring; and the sensitivity of each pedals.
You'll also be able to set and save specific settings for each application you add to G Hub to their own profile, which will automatically be used whenever you run that application.
The wheel has 2 plastic clamps on each side of the wheel that are tightened with an integrated screw dial above them. These clamps are used to attach the wheel to most tables. The clamp's opening is 1 1/8" so any table/desk that's thicker than that will not work with the wheel's clamps.
The wheel can also be mounted using 2 x M6-1.0 screws. The length of the screw will vary based on what you're mounting it to, but the depth of the screw thread on the steering wheel is 15mm.
The wheel can also be mounted using 2 x M6-1.0 screws. The length of the screw will vary based on what you're mounting it to, but the depth of the screw thread on the steering wheel is 15mm.
The G923 comes with 3 pedals (from right to left: the throttle/gas, brake, and clutch) and are made of metal, with plastic circle bumps within each pedal which I assume is texture for grip. The pedals are screwed on to the spring mechanism using 2 black painted screws, although the black paint wears off easily. I've been using it with my bare feet, sometimes socks, and the black paint on the bottom screw of the gas pedal has worn down to a dirty black-silver.
These screws can be unscrewed the adjust the positioning of the pedals to bring them closer or away from each other. There are 3 positions you can screw them to, and out of the box they are on the center position. You can bring them closer for easier heel-toe shifting or further away if you have larger feet.
The base of the pedals is hard plastic.
The bottom of the pedals' base has rubber feet, although when I used them on my bathroom floor, they didn't hold well and would still slip.
There's also carpet spikes you can pull out, which worked well on my low pile carpet.
Just like the wheel, you can also mount the pedals. It uses 6 x M6-1.0 screws.
The pedals feel great, with the right amount of pressure and resistance when depressed.
These screws can be unscrewed the adjust the positioning of the pedals to bring them closer or away from each other. There are 3 positions you can screw them to, and out of the box they are on the center position. You can bring them closer for easier heel-toe shifting or further away if you have larger feet.
The base of the pedals is hard plastic.
The bottom of the pedals' base has rubber feet, although when I used them on my bathroom floor, they didn't hold well and would still slip.
There's also carpet spikes you can pull out, which worked well on my low pile carpet.
Just like the wheel, you can also mount the pedals. It uses 6 x M6-1.0 screws.
The pedals feel great, with the right amount of pressure and resistance when depressed.
I have some concern about the cables though. The serial cable for the pedals is kind of thin and built-in to the pedals' base.
Likewise, on the wheel itself, the USB 2.0 cable is built-in to the wheel. But unlike the pedal's cable, the USB cable on the wheel is reinforced to prevent breakage. I wish they did that on the pedal's cable too. If either of these two break, they're not easily user-replaceable.
Likewise, on the wheel itself, the USB 2.0 cable is built-in to the wheel. But unlike the pedal's cable, the USB cable on the wheel is reinforced to prevent breakage. I wish they did that on the pedal's cable too. If either of these two break, they're not easily user-replaceable.
The USB 2.0 cable measures 7 feet, however because of the design, the longest you'll be able to make use of it is 6'7".
If you use the cable management loop, it will shorten to a max length 5'11" or shorter.
Be prepared to use a USB extension cable if needed for your setup. I used a cheap one for my living room and it worked fine on my PS4.
If you use the cable management loop, it will shorten to a max length 5'11" or shorter.
Be prepared to use a USB extension cable if needed for your setup. I used a cheap one for my living room and it worked fine on my PS4.
The force feedback will vary depending on the game you're playing as each game programs it their own way. I found the feedback good for the most part, although the stronger hits were somewhat annoying because it was this unrealistic rattling/hammering feeling from inside the wheel's base. Like something inside the base was knocking hardly on the plastic shell of the base. It reminds me of those corn popper toys that little kids play with with the handle that you roll it around with to make it pop (look it up on youtube).
The only upgrade the G923 features that the G29 doesn't have is the TrueForce force feedback. At the time of this writing only 3 games officially support it:
Assetto Corsa Competizione
Grid (2019)
Gran Turismo Sport
Assetto Corsa Competizione
Grid (2019)
Gran Turismo Sport
iRacing unofficially supports it when you edit its ini file to enable it.
The experience of TrueForce will vary depending on the game.
TrueForce on Gran Turismo Sport was subtle. It's hard to put in words because it's all about feel, but the feeling running over dirt road felt more defined. As does going up or downhill. So it does give you a better sense of immersion. It just feels a little half-baked though. When the car is idle the engine is still running but your wheel feels like the engine is off with no vibration at all. Gran Turismo Sport still doesn't recognize the G923 as its proper model despite supporting TrueForce. The wheel is identified as a G29 in the controller settings. There is also no option to configure TrueForce feedback.
On Assetto Corsa Competizione, the TrueForce feedback feels a lot more pronounced. When your car is idle, you can still feel the engine rumbling from the wheel. When you're accelerating on a straightaway you can feel the gear changes when they shift, like in real life. Driving over grass felt more realistic. When I turned off TrueForce, the engine rumbling while idle was gone. Driving over grass had a more generic rumble feel. The game felt more lifeless after using TrueForce. Feedback was there but it felt plain, like I couldn't feel the nuances of the actual environment or situation.
TrueForce on Gran Turismo Sport was subtle. It's hard to put in words because it's all about feel, but the feeling running over dirt road felt more defined. As does going up or downhill. So it does give you a better sense of immersion. It just feels a little half-baked though. When the car is idle the engine is still running but your wheel feels like the engine is off with no vibration at all. Gran Turismo Sport still doesn't recognize the G923 as its proper model despite supporting TrueForce. The wheel is identified as a G29 in the controller settings. There is also no option to configure TrueForce feedback.
On Assetto Corsa Competizione, the TrueForce feedback feels a lot more pronounced. When your car is idle, you can still feel the engine rumbling from the wheel. When you're accelerating on a straightaway you can feel the gear changes when they shift, like in real life. Driving over grass felt more realistic. When I turned off TrueForce, the engine rumbling while idle was gone. Driving over grass had a more generic rumble feel. The game felt more lifeless after using TrueForce. Feedback was there but it felt plain, like I couldn't feel the nuances of the actual environment or situation.
With PS5 having DualSense with its new controllers, I can imagine those haptic feedback sensations would be translated to this wheel via TrueForce. But the problem is, I don't KNOW that. I'm assuming.
This was such a difficult wheel for me to review because I honestly loved using it. Logitech doesn't help itself by releasing the wheel at an awkward point in time, months before the release of PS5. It has been confirmed by Logitech themselves that the G923 will be compatible with the PS5, but so will the G29 as well as Thrustmaster's line of PS4 wheels (confirmed by them on their website). Due to this awkward timing, the G29 can be had for less money. For the same price of the G923, the Thrustmaster T300 RS GT (which uses a belt drive) with the 3 pedals can be had.
TrueForce is amazing when used to its potential, but it all depends on how the game uses it. It still remains to be seen how many games will actually use TrueForce since it's proprietary. And that right there is the $399 question. I get why it's priced that way. Every new wheel from Logitech starts at that MSRP. But unfortunately it doesn't offer anything to differentiate itself from the G29 aside from TrueForce, which is feedback technology that I see great potential with. But maybe by the time more games support it and have the best of it to show, the wheel can be bought for a cheaper price. If you plan to spend $399 *now* a better wheel can be bought.
If you ever find the G923 at $200-$300 though, BUY IT. It's a great wheel and I love TrueForce. It's just too expensive right now to put all its chips on the promise of a not yet widely accepted proprietary tech (again only 3 games *officially* support it right now). And you lose PS3 support. With the G29 you'll have a wheel that supports PS3, PS4, and PS5 for a cheaper price.
If and when more games support TrueForce and the price is still $399 then I may recommend it because loved the immersion and detail it had to offer in Assetto Corsa Competizione. I believe its implementation in games can only get better. But wait. Don't buy now (unless you fear of it being sold out). If you need one now, belt-based wheels that used to be $600 5 years ago can now be had for $399 and will also support PS5.
TrueForce is amazing when used to its potential, but it all depends on how the game uses it. It still remains to be seen how many games will actually use TrueForce since it's proprietary. And that right there is the $399 question. I get why it's priced that way. Every new wheel from Logitech starts at that MSRP. But unfortunately it doesn't offer anything to differentiate itself from the G29 aside from TrueForce, which is feedback technology that I see great potential with. But maybe by the time more games support it and have the best of it to show, the wheel can be bought for a cheaper price. If you plan to spend $399 *now* a better wheel can be bought.
If you ever find the G923 at $200-$300 though, BUY IT. It's a great wheel and I love TrueForce. It's just too expensive right now to put all its chips on the promise of a not yet widely accepted proprietary tech (again only 3 games *officially* support it right now). And you lose PS3 support. With the G29 you'll have a wheel that supports PS3, PS4, and PS5 for a cheaper price.
If and when more games support TrueForce and the price is still $399 then I may recommend it because loved the immersion and detail it had to offer in Assetto Corsa Competizione. I believe its implementation in games can only get better. But wait. Don't buy now (unless you fear of it being sold out). If you need one now, belt-based wheels that used to be $600 5 years ago can now be had for $399 and will also support PS5.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Tackle heavy workloads quickly with the 17-inch LG Ultra PC laptop. The 512GB NVMe SSD enables rapid app loading, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card delivers lifelike visuals, making it ideal for basic gaming. This LG Ultra PC laptop features a 10th Generation Intel Core i5 processor and 16GB of RAM for responsive multitasking and Windows 11 Home for a fast, secure interface
Customer Rating
4
Great light 17" laptop but beware, it's not Gram
on July 24, 2020
Posted by: KusMoG
from Brooklyn, NY
Weight:
At 4.3 lbs, it’s over a pound heavier than LG Gram.
It’s still lighter than the average 17” laptop without compromising build quality.
At 4.3 lbs, it’s over a pound heavier than LG Gram.
It’s still lighter than the average 17” laptop without compromising build quality.
Battery Life:
From my real world test, which consisted of internet browsing, streaming videos on YouTube, using MS Office, and having my phone connected via Bluetooth for the "Your Phone" app / 40% brightness / Wi-Fi On / Bluetooth On / 75% volume, I got 8.5 hours.
From my real world test, which consisted of internet browsing, streaming videos on YouTube, using MS Office, and having my phone connected via Bluetooth for the "Your Phone" app / 40% brightness / Wi-Fi On / Bluetooth On / 75% volume, I got 8.5 hours.
It kicked into Battery Saver mode after 7 hours, which means CPU becomes slower and screen is dimmer for the last 1.5 hours. However, I didn't notice any slowdown from the regular tasks I previously mentioned while in Battery Saver mode.
While gaming, playing Final Fantasy VII on Steam / 40% brightness / Wi-Fi On / Bluetooth On - using a DualShock 4 controller wirelessly / 75% brightness, I got 4 hours. But note that gaming will vary greatly depending on the game and your settings.
While gaming, playing Rez Infite in VR, max settings / Samsung Headset Odyssey+ with its motion controller / and all the other settings the same as my other tests, I got less than 2 hours.
Design:
Very clean dark silver aluminum with minimal branding. It looks very professional, and to me, attractive.
The casing is not a fingerprint magnet.
Very clean dark silver aluminum with minimal branding. It looks very professional, and to me, attractive.
The casing is not a fingerprint magnet.
The build feels sturdy and I don’t hear any creaks or feel anything loose while using it.
The keyboard’s keys feel nice to type on with no real noise or durability issues.
However, the layout may be a bother to some. Unlike most other laptops with numpads and arrow keys, this laptop does NOT isolate them from the QWERTY side of the keyboard. This may make finding the arrow keys tricky and result in typos.
The numpad layout is also unconventional. The period (.) button is on the top as opposed to being on the bottom where it’s normally found. If you’re a constant numbers cruncher you may find this extremely annoying, especially if you use more than one computer regularly.
The NumLk key is placed normally where the Del key would be above the Backspace key.
However, the layout may be a bother to some. Unlike most other laptops with numpads and arrow keys, this laptop does NOT isolate them from the QWERTY side of the keyboard. This may make finding the arrow keys tricky and result in typos.
The numpad layout is also unconventional. The period (.) button is on the top as opposed to being on the bottom where it’s normally found. If you’re a constant numbers cruncher you may find this extremely annoying, especially if you use more than one computer regularly.
The NumLk key is placed normally where the Del key would be above the Backspace key.
There is NO biometric security on this laptop for Windows Hello.
No fingerprint reader.
No facial recognition of any kind.
No fingerprint reader.
No facial recognition of any kind.
Fan/Cooling:
It uses fans and the vents are on the bottom of the laptop. There is a warning sticker on the bottom of the laptop that says to use it on a flat surface. This is to prevent the vents from being blocked. There are feet underneath the laptop that raise it above a flat surface so it gives the vents room to ventilate.
It uses fans and the vents are on the bottom of the laptop. There is a warning sticker on the bottom of the laptop that says to use it on a flat surface. This is to prevent the vents from being blocked. There are feet underneath the laptop that raise it above a flat surface so it gives the vents room to ventilate.
The laptop stays cool while on the default Balanced power and surprisingly very quiet! It's actually silent most of the time. At its hardest, the noise is not very obtrusive - sort of like white noise. It never sounds like a vaccuum or jet engine.
Camera:
An LG HD 720p Webcam, with a max of 30fps.
Photo quality is a measly 0.9MP (1280x720).
Interesting to note is that while the display is 16:10, the camera only records/takes pictures in 16:9 aspect ratio. Windows’ Camera app does take advantage of that extra height space by having the recording time shown in the empty black space below your video instead of the usual overlay on top of your video for 16:9 displays.
While the camera is only 720p and not intended for serious picture taking or video recording, it does an admirable job in producing accurate colors, better than some other laptops I’ve used.
However, it performs poorly in low and indoor lighting (75W equivalent lighting is what I used in my test). You’ll see a lot of noise.
When used in abundant natural light though, the noise is reduced dramatically and video/picture quality looks decent.
An LG HD 720p Webcam, with a max of 30fps.
Photo quality is a measly 0.9MP (1280x720).
Interesting to note is that while the display is 16:10, the camera only records/takes pictures in 16:9 aspect ratio. Windows’ Camera app does take advantage of that extra height space by having the recording time shown in the empty black space below your video instead of the usual overlay on top of your video for 16:9 displays.
While the camera is only 720p and not intended for serious picture taking or video recording, it does an admirable job in producing accurate colors, better than some other laptops I’ve used.
However, it performs poorly in low and indoor lighting (75W equivalent lighting is what I used in my test). You’ll see a lot of noise.
When used in abundant natural light though, the noise is reduced dramatically and video/picture quality looks decent.
Ports/Connections:
-Right side of the laptop-
* Kensington lock
* RJ45 ethernet - to accommodate the slim design, the opening of the port widens from the bottom’s spring-based flap. The cable still holds in place when gently tugged, but if violently pulled, I imagine the bottom flap is going to break off and you’ll lose use of the wired ethernet port since there will be nothing from the bottom to hold it in place. It’s very nice to have it *ON* the laptop instead of needing a dongle and still keep a slim design.
* 2 x USB 3.1 Type A (the typical rectangular port)
* 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C (the elliptical port) – Thunderbolt 3 not supported. Laptop cannot be charged over USB-C
-Right side of the laptop-
* Kensington lock
* RJ45 ethernet - to accommodate the slim design, the opening of the port widens from the bottom’s spring-based flap. The cable still holds in place when gently tugged, but if violently pulled, I imagine the bottom flap is going to break off and you’ll lose use of the wired ethernet port since there will be nothing from the bottom to hold it in place. It’s very nice to have it *ON* the laptop instead of needing a dongle and still keep a slim design.
* 2 x USB 3.1 Type A (the typical rectangular port)
* 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C (the elliptical port) – Thunderbolt 3 not supported. Laptop cannot be charged over USB-C
-Left side of the laptop-
* DC-In power
* Full-size HDMI 2.0 port – Outputs up to 4096 x 2160. HDR output not supported.
* 1 x USB 2.0 – This is an interesting decision. USB 2 is dramatically slower than USB 3. However, I have come across some older devices (like USB display adapters) that have conflicts when plugged into a USB 3 port. In that respect, it’s appreciated. On the other hand, you don’t have a USB 3 port on the left side of the laptop, which is where the HDMI port is. This makes using a VR headset somewhat annoying.
You’d want to keep this port strictly for peripherals like a mouse’s wireless dongle, so you free up the USB 3 ports for thumbdrives and such that actually take advantage of that speed. If you’re using a wired mouse though and you’re right-handed, this may be inconvenient. For a lefty, it’s perfect.
* Headphone Out/Microphone In combo jack – tested this with my phone’s included headphones’ inline microphone. Both the headphone audio and microphone input worked.
* MicroSD slot – I don’t have any MicroSD cards fast enough to test its limits. I tested a Samsung 64GB PRO Class 10 Micro SDXC with advertised speeds of up to 90MB/s Read, 80MB/s Write.
I got 87MB/s Read, 75MB/s Write with the slot.
The microSD card ejects from the slot with a spring mechanism. The card sticks out exactly 1mm from the laptop when inserted into the slot.
* DC-In power
* Full-size HDMI 2.0 port – Outputs up to 4096 x 2160. HDR output not supported.
* 1 x USB 2.0 – This is an interesting decision. USB 2 is dramatically slower than USB 3. However, I have come across some older devices (like USB display adapters) that have conflicts when plugged into a USB 3 port. In that respect, it’s appreciated. On the other hand, you don’t have a USB 3 port on the left side of the laptop, which is where the HDMI port is. This makes using a VR headset somewhat annoying.
You’d want to keep this port strictly for peripherals like a mouse’s wireless dongle, so you free up the USB 3 ports for thumbdrives and such that actually take advantage of that speed. If you’re using a wired mouse though and you’re right-handed, this may be inconvenient. For a lefty, it’s perfect.
* Headphone Out/Microphone In combo jack – tested this with my phone’s included headphones’ inline microphone. Both the headphone audio and microphone input worked.
* MicroSD slot – I don’t have any MicroSD cards fast enough to test its limits. I tested a Samsung 64GB PRO Class 10 Micro SDXC with advertised speeds of up to 90MB/s Read, 80MB/s Write.
I got 87MB/s Read, 75MB/s Write with the slot.
The microSD card ejects from the slot with a spring mechanism. The card sticks out exactly 1mm from the laptop when inserted into the slot.
Display:
17.0” diagonal display (no touchscreen)
2560 x 1600 native resolution
IPS LED panel – good viewing angles when you need to stand up or share the screen with someone beside you that’s not looking directly in front of the screen.
The screen can fold back up to 130°
Very bright panel at 100%. Factory default brightness is 40%, which is actually still usable.
17.0” diagonal display (no touchscreen)
2560 x 1600 native resolution
IPS LED panel – good viewing angles when you need to stand up or share the screen with someone beside you that’s not looking directly in front of the screen.
The screen can fold back up to 130°
Very bright panel at 100%. Factory default brightness is 40%, which is actually still usable.
Graphics/Gaming:
It has 2-
*Intel UHD Graphics 620 (integrated GPU)
*Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650 (discrete GPU)
By default, the laptop will auto-select the GPU used. This means the laptop will mainly use the integrated GPU, which is fine, and great for battery life.
It has 2-
*Intel UHD Graphics 620 (integrated GPU)
*Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650 (discrete GPU)
By default, the laptop will auto-select the GPU used. This means the laptop will mainly use the integrated GPU, which is fine, and great for battery life.
To use the discrete GPU to its fullest potential though, you’ll need to have the laptop plugged in with the power adaptor. Discrete GPU may get throttled while on battery.
It handles 4k video fine, even you use dual display on the Intel GPU.
It also handles 3D gaming well.
While plugged in to power, using Rise of the Tomb Raider's in-game benchmark tool, I was able to get around 60fps with the High setting / DirectX 12 mode On / 1920 x 1200 resolution.
It also handles 3D gaming well.
While plugged in to power, using Rise of the Tomb Raider's in-game benchmark tool, I was able to get around 60fps with the High setting / DirectX 12 mode On / 1920 x 1200 resolution.
While on battery, using the same benchmark tool and settings, I got 30fps; a similar experience when the same game is played on a standard PS4.
What I found most surprising is that it handles VR gaming as well.
I used a Samsung Odyssey+ to test VR and it worked perfectly. Connecting it to the laptop is slightly annoying though because the HDMI port and the USB 3 ports are on complete opposite sides of the laptop. The cable allows them to just reach the ports but with little room for give. Remember, the USB port on the HDMI side is a USB 2 port and CANNOT be used for VR headsets.
I used a Samsung Odyssey+ to test VR and it worked perfectly. Connecting it to the laptop is slightly annoying though because the HDMI port and the USB 3 ports are on complete opposite sides of the laptop. The cable allows them to just reach the ports but with little room for give. Remember, the USB port on the HDMI side is a USB 2 port and CANNOT be used for VR headsets.
I tested a 4K VR video using GizmoVR, with the power plugged in, and it played flawlessly with no skipping or pauses. I used GizmoVR’s browser to watch YouTube videos in fullscreen VR, and again, no issues.
With 4K VR video:
GPU utilization: 42%
VRAM usage: 2.4/4.0GB
GPU temperature: 67°C
CPU utilization: 25%
RAM: 7.7/15.8GB
With 4K VR video:
GPU utilization: 42%
VRAM usage: 2.4/4.0GB
GPU temperature: 67°C
CPU utilization: 25%
RAM: 7.7/15.8GB
For VR gaming, unfortunately I only had one to test: Rez Infinite
Again to my surprise, I was able to play it perfectly with maxed out graphics settings except the resolution (didn’t feel necessary since they would exceed my headset’s capability).
With Rez Infinite playing:
GPU utilization: 58%
VRAM usage: 1.2/4.0 GB
GPU temperature: 78°C
CPU utilization: 25%
RAM: 7.6/15.8GB
Note: This was actually the hottest I’ve actually had the laptop felt. This was because I had the laptop plugged in to power and using high quality settings. The empty strip area above the keyboard was hot to touch.
Again to my surprise, I was able to play it perfectly with maxed out graphics settings except the resolution (didn’t feel necessary since they would exceed my headset’s capability).
With Rez Infinite playing:
GPU utilization: 58%
VRAM usage: 1.2/4.0 GB
GPU temperature: 78°C
CPU utilization: 25%
RAM: 7.6/15.8GB
Note: This was actually the hottest I’ve actually had the laptop felt. This was because I had the laptop plugged in to power and using high quality settings. The empty strip area above the keyboard was hot to touch.
When used on battery, I was still able to use VR. The GPU temperature was 10° cooler while on battery. The laptop never felt hot the way it did while plugged in.
Mileage will vary depending on the game but I can safely say it will handle the VR game under the lowest settings easily.
Sound:
Speaker grills are underneath laptop. Sound is average. They're not toy speakers but they're nothing special. About the same as the average laptop.
Speaker grills are underneath laptop. Sound is average. They're not toy speakers but they're nothing special. About the same as the average laptop.
Work performance:
It comes with, as of this writing (7/24/2020), a current generation Intel i5 quad-core processor of the U series, so it's not a budget processor like the Atom, Celeron, or Y series. And it shows. I experienced no slowdown for regular MS Office and Internet browsing tasks using Firefox and 8 extensions enabled, including ad-blocking, which means that extension is working for as long as the browser is open.
It comes with, as of this writing (7/24/2020), a current generation Intel i5 quad-core processor of the U series, so it's not a budget processor like the Atom, Celeron, or Y series. And it shows. I experienced no slowdown for regular MS Office and Internet browsing tasks using Firefox and 8 extensions enabled, including ad-blocking, which means that extension is working for as long as the browser is open.
With 16GB of RAM, I had no issues of slowdown while having over 15 tabs open in Firefox while having other programs like Word, SnagIt 2019, Steam, and File Explorer open and running all at once.
Virtualization is enabled by default. I was able to run VMware Workstation 15 Pro and get a virtual machine up and running.
Disk performance:
The laptop uses a Samsung MZVLB512HBJQ 512GB NVMe interface SSD, using PCIe 3.0 x4.
It's VERY fast.
The laptop uses a Samsung MZVLB512HBJQ 512GB NVMe interface SSD, using PCIe 3.0 x4.
It's VERY fast.
Using CrystalDiskMark 8 Beta 3 I got the following results-
Read | Write (in MB/s)
SEQ1M Q8T1- 3405.42 | 2981.90
SEQ1M Q1T1- 1625.97 | 1759.62
RND4K Q32T1- 489.01 | 427.01
RND4K Q1T1- 48.41 | 154.22
Read | Write (in MB/s)
SEQ1M Q8T1- 3405.42 | 2981.90
SEQ1M Q1T1- 1625.97 | 1759.62
RND4K Q32T1- 489.01 | 427.01
RND4K Q1T1- 48.41 | 154.22
Mobile Submission: False
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.
Overall3 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, 9 months ago
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KusMoG