lambda100's stats
- Review count102
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- First reviewDecember 20, 2014
- Last reviewMay 14, 2023
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- Average rating4.7
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- Answer count20
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- First answerJune 29, 2015
- Last answerDecember 1, 2021
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LG’s SJ7 Sound Bar Flex offers endless entertainment from a versatile dual-speaker design: The two main speakers can be placed in front of the TV, or to the left/right vertically or in front of and behind the listener for an even more cinematic experience. Both speakers are Bluetooth, and the right unit has a built-in battery, so it can work independently just about anywhere.
Customer Rating
5
An Innovative Soundbar! Can I give it 6 stars?
on August 11, 2017
Posted by: lambda100
I have a very specific checklist when I go into a purchase for a soundbar. First and foremost it must have great sound - clarity for television show dialogue, richness for music audio, and immersiveness of hearing and feeling the action from movie blockbusters. Second, it must be easy to use, not only easy to put together at initial set-up, but it must be intuitive as I don't have the time to read through all the tiny print of the user manual each time just to understand what all the flashing lights mean. Third, it must be compact, but still deliver loud and quality audio. Finally, it must be good value where the price paid is commensurate with standout features and great quality audio.
Enter the LG SJ7 Flex Soundbar. It meets all the criteria I've listed above and then some. What exactly is the LG Flex Soundbar? Is it a 2.1 system or a 4.1 system or a portable bluetooth speaker? Well, its all of them combined into a three piece speaker system that allows you the flexibility to set them up however you want depending on your room and your needs. And it is not gimmicky...I was impressed at how the sound system delivered excellent audio quality in all the different set ups.
The speaker system is comprised of a primary (left) speaker, a secondary (right) speaker, and the subwoofer. You can actually configure the speakers in four different ways. The first way is to use the system as a tradtional soundbar unit by joining the primary and secondary speakers together horizontally as a single soundbar. The second way is by orienting the primary and secondary speakers vertically and propping them up onto separate speaker stands that you can place on either side of your television to create stereo separation. The speaker stands are included in the box. The third configuration is to use the secondary speaker as a rear surround speaker in a 4.1 set up while the primary speaker becomes the front speaker. Finally, the fourth configuration is to disconnect the secondary speaker from the power supply and use it as a portable bluetooth speaker which delivers 30 watts of audio power. The secondary speaker contains a lithium ion battery that only lasts a measly 4 hours of playback, and will take nearly an equal amount of time (3hr 40min) to fully recharge.
It may sound intimidating and complicated to do the initial set up for the speakers out of the box, but it is surprisingly easy. All you have to do is connect the back of each speaker to its own power cord and into the ac outlets. Once that is done, what you have to do next is press the power button on the primary speaker and slide the switch on the secondary unit to select between portable, rear, and soundbar use. Voila!...you're done and ready to go! Besides the three power cords, the system is communicates with each of the other two speakers wirelessly.
You can read up on all the specs for the speaker system on the LG webpage, but I'll just point out some of the important ones to save you the trouble. Physical connection is either through hdmi arc or via the optical cable. There is no 3.5mm aux connection. Wireless connection is through bluetooth. There is no NFC. When connected to AC power, the sound system can deliver up to 320 watts (80 watts each for the two speakers, and 160 watts for the subwoofer), but if you disconnect the secondary speaker from the power supply, the speakers take a hit in output and will go down to a total of only 140 watts in a 2.1 and 4.1 set up. The subwoofer measures 6.7” width x 12.6” height x 9.9” depth and weighs 9.3 lbs. The primary and secondary speakers share identical dimensions of 13.4” width x 2.9” height x 4.3” depth in the horizontal position. (Naturally, when you prop the speakers up in the vertical position, they will be 13.4” in height). And the following numbers are not listed in the LG specs as I did my own measurements: primary speaker weights 3.9 lbs, secondary speaker weighs 4.1 lbs (probably due to the lithium ion battery), power cord lengths for the speaker each measures approximately 10 feet in length, and the sub-woofer power cord is approximately 5 feet in length. LG was pretty generous to provide ample length of power cord and they also included two cable ties to organize your power cables.
Onto sound quality, that's the purpose of why you're considering purchasing this flex soundbar system, right? As I mentioned in my introduction, there are several measures for audio quality of a soundbar system. One is the clarity of conversational dialogue. If I can't hear an improvement in sound clarity over my built in television speakers, then it's going back in the box and back to the store. Well, with the LG flex soundbar, the dialogue is crisp and clear. In fact if it isn't as crisp as you would like it, you can make adjustments to the sub-woofer bass, the treble, and the bass for the speakers. Dial down the bass and you'll get better vocal clarity for listening to dialogue. Most budget soundbar systems only include adjustment to the sub-woofer bass unit, but LG included adjustment to the treble sounds as well. This is great feature to have.
As for listening to music, audio quality is superb - well balanced with all lows, mids, and highs well represented. Audio clarity and instrument detail are captured very well. Of course you can unbalance things a bit with adjustments to the treble and bass as mentioned above and when you do that, the music comes alive! Dial up the bass and the sub-woofer's low frequencies will thump and vibrate the floor. The bass is powerful for such a compact sub-woofer. Dial down the bass, and turn up the treble and the instrumentals will shine. The speaker system is very versatile in handling the dynamic range of music.
Finally, the speakers really rock when replicating the immersive cinematic experience. For watching movies, I either prefer to set the speakers up vertically for stereo separation or set them up as a 4.1 system. Turn up the bass and action sequences and explosions make you feel like you're part of the experience! If you turn up the volume and bass high enough, you'll hear every rumble and may even feel the vibration of the bass along the floor and wall depending on the material composition of your room. You'll enjoy it, but if you have a shared wall with your neighbor, be ready for some complaints. I was truly surprised that for a budget system at this price point, the bass is so powerful. The 4.1 sound system in the LG SJ7 is decent, but cannot compete with a 4.1 system with dedicated left and right rear separated speakers.
Some final notes before concluding. There is an onboard screen on the primary speaker that will have a display of the different functions and settings. For example, as you adjust the sub-woofer equalizer, the screen will display that you're adjusting the sub-woofer and will display each numerical value of bass as you're adjusting the bass up or down between -15 to +6. Also, if you select one of the preset equalizers, the display will tell you which equalizer setting you have it set on. The onboard screen is helpful as it elminates having to guess if you've pressed the correct buttons on the remote or whether or not you have even made the adjustments. This is way better than on some sound bars where only flashing lights are displayed making you guess whether or not you did things correctly.
The portable bluetooth speaker works well, also having great audio clarity and dynamic range. However, the few shortcomings are that the only connection is bluetooth (no 3.5mm aux), short battery life of 4 hrs, and that it is rather large to really take around outside of the home. So, even though it is still considered a portable bluetooth speaker, I would really reserve its use for different areas of the home such as a kitchen, bedroom, or dining room. It's also not designed to be rugged and it has no waterproofing or water resistance, so this speaker should stay indoors and shouldn't accompany you outdoor to pool parties.
So do I recommend the LG SJ7 flex sound bar? An unequivocal yes! This speaker system is a gem and deserves six stars, not five. The extra star is for being innovative in producing a simple to use, versatile system that has multiple configurations while maintaining great sound quality.
My Best Buy number: 3451666665
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Experience clear, crisp sound with these JBL Everest wireless headphones. Their Pro Audio Sound technology provides the sound quality you'd expect in a concert hall or studio, while the echo-canceling microphone lets you make clear, hands-free calls. Enjoy your music wirelessly with the Bluetooth feature on these JBL Everest wireless headphones.
Customer Rating
5
Amazing Audio Quality
on July 9, 2017
Posted by: lambda100
Let's start with the audio quality of the JBL Everest 310...simply amazing! I have a box of over a dozen headphones from the major name brands such as Bose, Sony, and JBL, and I was truly astounded by the phenomenal audio quality of the JBL Everest 310. They are the best sounding headphones I have ever heard. The entire audio sound spectrum is well represented – highs, mids, and bass are all there. The audio sounded so good out of the box that I did not even need to use an equalizer app to adjust the sound like I usually need to do with other headphones. The bass punches when it needs to and is not overwhelming and doesn't drag down the highs and mids. The sound has great depth and clarity as well. I could not believe such great audio was coming from a bluetooth connection. I could not tell the difference between wireless vs wired connection. The audio quality on the Everest 310 is simply that good. Wow!
This is a premium set of headphones and JBL recognizes it. The headphones come with a hard protective carrying case with an interior pocket to store the usb charging cable and 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable. The earcups can be folded and also twisted for easy storage. Kudos to JBL for supplying a storage case!
Comfortwise, these are on-ear headphones and will compress against your ears. However, the cushions on the earcups are thick, soft, and comfortable. I also wear glasses and I did not experience any pain or fatigue after wearing the headphones for over an hour.
Build quality is very good. The headband is metal and the rest of the headphones is plastic. All parts of the headphones appear to be well mated with tight tolerances. A large letter 'R' and 'L' are printed inside the earcups to easily identify the right and left sides of the headphones.
The bluetooth connection is very good. I did not experience any skipping or breaks. Another major plus is that the JBL Everest 310 does not have the annoying bluetooth audio hiss where you hear a hissing noise during the brief silence between audio tracks that seem to plague so many other lower quality bluetooth headphones.
Another great feature of these headphones is that it has the JBL ShareMe function where you could wirelessly connect any other bluetooth headphones, from any manufacturer, to the Everest 310 and share your music wirelessly. This is a cool feature to have and is especially useful for situations such as car trips where you can have two kids watch a movie while each of them has their own set of wireless headphones for the audio.
The JBL Everest 310 is nearly perfect, but I do have have two gripes about these headphones. First the buttons on the right earcup do not have the best tactile feel to them that I find it difficult to identify the correct button to push while wearing the headphones. Second, there is no indication of how much battery life is remaining. I understand that the battery lasts 20 hours of use between charges, but there should be some type of battery meter either built into the headphone when it is powered on or via an app which tells you how much battery life is remaining.
In summary, I can say without hesitation that these are hands down the best sounding wireless on-ear headphones I have ever heard and I fully recommend them. I am astonished by the level of audio quality that JBL is able to achieve with these headphones. They are really setting the standard for others to follow.
My Best Buy number: 3451666665
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Listen to music all day with these JLab JBuds Pro earbuds. The adjustable tip placement provided by the three gel tip sizes delivers comfortable wear, while the two Cush Fins offer a deeper sound-sealing fit. The 10mm titanium drivers of these JLab JBuds Pro earbuds produce high-quality audio for a dynamic listening experience.
Customer Rating
4
Good Entry Level Wireless Ear Buds
on June 30, 2017
Posted by: lambda100
The Jlab Jbuds Pro is pretty much a no frills in-ear headphone for those who are budget conscious. The package contains the earbuds wth three gel cushion tips, two sizes of ear fins, a cable clip, a micro usb charging cable, and a basic set of instructions. My ear buds arrived fully charged. Battery life is announced every time the ear buds are powered on. All controls are managed by a bulky in-line controller which has the microphone, a center button for powering on/off and bluetooth pairing, and standard up/down buttons to adjust volumes and change music tracks.
One good quality about these ear buds is that it is very comfortable. The gel cushion tips fit well within my ear canal forming a good seal, however it is not designed to block out ambient noise.
Sound quality is decent. Voices have good clarity. However, when playing music, it becomes evident that the headphones lacks depth and detail. Overall, the audio has good balance with slight emphasis on the middle frequencies. Bass is present, but is a bit lacking and will not appeal to those seeking low frequency punchiness.
The microphone is okay, but tended to pick up a lot of background noise. People on the other end of a phone call may have difficulty hearing your voice if you are in a noisy outdoor environment. To have the person on the other line hear you clearly, you'll need to have the microphone pretty much right next to your mouth, otherwise your voice will sound distant.
The specs state that the battery lasts for 6 hours of play back. I got around that much in my testing.
Another thing to note is that these headphones also suffer from the characteristic bluetooth hiss that can be heard at low volumes.
Would I recommend these headphones? Yes. They offer “good enough” audio quality for this price point...in other words good value. The Jbuds Pro wireless earbuds cannot compete with the flagship bluetooth in-ear earbuds from the premium manufacturers, but they were never designed with that purpose in mind. The Jbuds Pro are designed for the average budget conscious consumer who is willing to make some compromises in audio quality for a basic set of wireless earbuds and wouldn't get too upset if they were lost because of the reasonably low purchase price.
My Best Buy number: 3451666665
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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3of 3voted this as helpful.
Work on any surface with this Logitech wireless mobile mouse. Its Darkfield technology allows flawless tracking on glass, metal and even cloth, and its compact size makes it easy to pack. Enjoy the speedy free-spinning mode of this Logitech wireless mobile mouse for rapid scrolling, or switch to click-to-click mode for more precise work.
Customer Rating
5
Logitech Continues to Innovate
on June 29, 2017
Posted by: lambda100
I've always thought that the mouse was one of those utilitarian technologies that couldn't be improved upon and that Logitech, being the most dominant player in this market, would not have any incentive to make a better mouse. The Logitech MX Anywhere 2S proved me wrong. From the sculpted design to the weighty feel of the mouse, and right down to the smooth rolling speed of the hyper-fast scroll wheel, it felt very refreshing as if I were holding a mouse for the first time.
The mouse is well designed. It is rounded at the palm of the hand like any old mouse, but is more angular along the side edges and the front. Placement of the buttons is very natural. There is the forward/backward thumb buttons on the side, scroll left/scroll right button on the mouse wheel, and a middle gesture button directly below the wheel. All five of these buttons can be customized to your liking to control other content such as adjusting volumes, opening and closing windows, etc.
The mouse is powered by a lithium ion polymer which Logitech claims can last up to 70 days on a full charge. I've only had this mouse for a day, so I can neither corroborate nor deny their claim. The amount of battery remaining is indicated by the green led lights when you switch on the mouse. 3 green lights means the battery is fully charged, 2 lights mean it still has 66% charge, 1 light is 33% charge, and a red light means it's time to charge.
One of the nice things about this mouse is that you have a choice of how you want to connect it to your computer, either through the unifying receiver or via bluetooth. The mouse is feature rich. To get the most out of the mouse, you need to download the “Logitech Options” software. Once you install the software, you can customize the buttons, make adjustments to pointer speeds, define the direction of the scroll wheel, and seamlessly switch the mouse to up to three different computers with the Logitech Flow technology. The Logitech Flow is pretty awesome and this is one of the features that you're paying for in this premium mouse. This function allows you to seamlessly move the mouse from one computer to another and to copy and paste content from one computer to another with just the click of the mouse (note, you cannot drag and drop). You need to download and install the Logitech Flow software on the two (or three) computers you plan to use with this mouse and follow the on-screen menu that will lead you through the set up process. Once set up is completed, you will be amazed at how easily it is to cut/copy/paste content from one computer to another with the mouse. To get the mouse from one computer screen to the next, you simply move the mouse cursor to the edge of your first computer screen ,and the mouse cursor magically appears on your other computer screen and you could then control the other computer and paste or copy the file onto the second computer. It's a pretty cool feature that Logitech provides to give an option on how to transfer files between two computers. However, both computers need to be on the same network for the Logitech Flow to work.
Another cool feature that you're getting with the MX Anywhere 2S is the hyper-fast scrolling function. With a simple press of the wheel, the scroll wheel transforms from a traditional wheel that will click and scroll a few lines at a time to a hyper scroll wheel allowing you to quickly scroll up and down long documents or web pages with a low friction spinning wheel.
Other than those two main standout features (1. Logitech Flow and 2. Hyper-fast Scrolling), you pretty much have an advanced functioning mouse with customizable buttons. You also get Logitech's Darkfield high precision tracking sensor which will track on any surface including glass which is useful if you find yourself in situations where you're in need of using the mouse in a less than ideal surface.
In summary, Logitech's MX Anywhere 2S is a great choice for anyone seeking a sleek wireless, high performance mouse with bluetooth connectivity needing to transfer files between computers or needing to control up to three computers with a single mouse. There isn't anything negative I can think of about this mouse. You really cannot go wrong. The deciding factor is whether or not you will be needing to use the Logitech Flow or the hyper scrolling features. If you need them, then this mouse should be considered; if not, then Logitech has more basic mice offerings to select from at a lower price point.
My Best Buy number: 3451666665
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Take your favorite music anywhere with this Nyne Rock boom box. It has two midrange speakers, two tweeters and a subwoofer, and its rechargeable lithium-ion battery lets you play tunes for up to 8 hours. This Nyne Rock boom box is Bluetooth 4.0 compatible and connects to a mobile device via NFC one-touch technology.
Customer Rating
5
The Nyne Rock is the Life of the Party!
on June 23, 2017
Posted by: lambda100
The Nyne Rock bluetooth speaker is near the top of its category in terms of a powerful bluetooth speaker capable of reaching very loud volumes ideal for outdoor events like pool parties and barbecues. In order to deliver those loud sounds, the physics demanded that the speaker must be proportionately large. The speaker measures 21.2” wide x 6.5” high x 9.7” depth and weighs in at a tad over 10 lbs. I'm not sure why the Best Buy specs are incorrectly stating that its 12 lbs, and how every other reviewer seemed to just blindly follow suit with this number without validating the actual weight, but I weighed the speakers and also checked this against the specifications in the instruction manual which lists it at 4.6kg or 10.1 lbs. For those who do all their shopping online without physically going into a store to look at a product, take note that this speaker is massive. The speaker is advertised as being portable, but portability here is definitely used very loosely in the sense that you can pick up the speaker and still be able to transport it (If we apply this definition, then most consumer electronics are portable), but keep in mind that the Nyne Rock won't fit in your backpack, purse, or most bags for that matter....in other words it may be portable but its far from being compact.
In terms of build quality, the Nyne Rock is designed to be very rugged and the hard black plastic and rubbery shell will handle some of the elements such as light bumps and water splashes. The rubber foot pads of the speakers are very grippy and is slip resistant even on wet surfaces. Speakers are well protected from the elements with the metal grills.
The control buttons are all lined up at the top of the speakers and will be lighted for the duration that the speaker is turned on. Buttons are standard: power, bluetooth connect/phone answer, play/pause, skip forward, skip reverse, volume up and down. On the rear of the speakers and hidden in a compartment door are the connectivity outlets and battery meter. In this area you will find the aux-in, line-out, usb 5V/1A built-in powerbank smartphone charge socket, power outlet for the ac adapter, and a battery level indicator that displays remaining charge.
The sound quality of the Nyne Rock is very good. The specifications state that the speakers are powered by 2x12.5W mid-range drivers, 2x5.5W tweeters, and 1x25W subwoofer. The sound spectrum is well represented, but a little weighted toward the treble frequencies. For a unit of this size, I was surprised that the bass is not overpowering even as the volume is turned up. The bass is clearly audible, but it is not bass heavy. In fact turning up the volume seems to make the higher audio frequency range more pronounced. Even though the Nyne Rock is more than capable of cranking out the loud sounds, you want to refrain from having the music playing at the loudest volume setting because the unit will distort the sounds at that volume. Keep it a few volume notches under, the music will still be loud, and you won't get that distortion. Another thing to take note is that the speaker will emit an audible hissing noise at high volume settings when no music is playing.
The speaker is easily connected via bluetooth/NFC. All my devices were able to quickly find the Nyne Rock on bluetooth and connect almost instantaneously. Also, if you like things hardwired, you can connect to the speakers with a 3.5mm audio cable.
The specs state that play time lasts anywhere from 10-12 hours on a single charge. In my testing, I was able to get around 12 hours with the Nyne Rock at the mid-volume setting. Obviously, if you are playing music at the loudest volume setting or charging your phone with it, you will drain the battery quicker.
So in summary, the Nyne Rock is an awesome bluetooth speaker for those scenarios where you need to have some seriously loud audio for parties and outdoor settings. It is a large speaker that can be obtrusive in a small room and will occupy quite a bit of real estate on desks, dressers, bookshelves, and such. In these kind of cases, I would recommend the more typical, smaller bluetooth speakers where they are truly considered portable and still have decent audio quality and volume. But every bluetooth speaker has its place and function, and the Nyne Rock feels most comfortable being the life of the party!
My Best Buy number: 3451666665
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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This is more than just a speaker - it's a journey. Starting from the very basic elements of sound and speakers, your children will build a deeper understanding as they move toward assembling their Speaker Cube. At every step, exploration is encouraged and curiosity is rewarded.
Customer Rating
4
Fun Learning for the Kids & Great Bose Quality
on June 15, 2017
Posted by: lambda100
The Bose Build Speaker Cube is really a fun experience for a child to put together and learn about how a speaker works. My eight year old put the speaker together by herself, learning in the process with the Bosebuild Sound app through the Apple App store. Once assembled, the bluetooth speaker connected easily to her tablet, and she was able to listen to her favorite tunes. The audio quality is very good with well balanced sounds and clarity. Kids will enjoy the changing lights as the speaker plays music and sticking the various silhouette covers on the cube.
Here are things I liked about the Bose Build Cube:
(1) Educational – Kids will have fun learning
(2) Simple to assemble
(3) Very good Bose quality sound
(4) Connect via bluetooth or with a 3.5mm aux cord
(5) The speaker lights up as it plays music. (Note the lights can also be turned off if it's too bothersome.)
(1) Educational – Kids will have fun learning
(2) Simple to assemble
(3) Very good Bose quality sound
(4) Connect via bluetooth or with a 3.5mm aux cord
(5) The speaker lights up as it plays music. (Note the lights can also be turned off if it's too bothersome.)
Minor things that I disliked include:
(1) Bluetooth speaker is not portable. You must power it with the supplied AC adapter power supply. There is no rechargeable battery.
(2) No separate volume control on the speaker. All volume is controlled through your host device (tablet, laptop, PC, phone)
(3) The speaker is exposed. There is no speaker grill to protect it from being damaged. Knowing that children can be rough on things, Bose should have provided a grill.
(4) Relatively expensive. At the regular price of $149, the Speaker Cube is an expensive learning tool. You could take the entire family to a science center for a whole day of educational fun and still have money left over.
(5) Access to the app is only through the Apple App store. The entire Android market was left out. It would be wise for Bose to include an app through the Google Play store in the future. Note, the speaker will work on any device (iOS, Android, Windows PC, laptop, etc.) that has either bluetooth or an aux connector.
(1) Bluetooth speaker is not portable. You must power it with the supplied AC adapter power supply. There is no rechargeable battery.
(2) No separate volume control on the speaker. All volume is controlled through your host device (tablet, laptop, PC, phone)
(3) The speaker is exposed. There is no speaker grill to protect it from being damaged. Knowing that children can be rough on things, Bose should have provided a grill.
(4) Relatively expensive. At the regular price of $149, the Speaker Cube is an expensive learning tool. You could take the entire family to a science center for a whole day of educational fun and still have money left over.
(5) Access to the app is only through the Apple App store. The entire Android market was left out. It would be wise for Bose to include an app through the Google Play store in the future. Note, the speaker will work on any device (iOS, Android, Windows PC, laptop, etc.) that has either bluetooth or an aux connector.
Overall, it is a great sounding, quality speaker that kids will enjoy learning and building. It's a five star product, but I have to deduct a star for value because, as I mentioned above, it is expensive for the learning experience gained.
My Best Buy number: 3451666665
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Immerse yourself in rich, vibrant sound with this 2.1-channel Sony sound bar. It has a two-way wireless subwoofer that delivers booming bass and an S-Force PRO front surround for a theater-like audio experience. This Sony sound bar uses Bluetooth connectivity to pair easily with home theater and other audio devices.
Customer Rating
3
Clear Audio, but Lukewarm Bass Response
on June 2, 2017
Posted by: lambda100
The Sony HTCT290 is an ideal entry level soundbar when all you want is a step up from the sound quality that your television speakers can deliver. The audio from the soundbar is balanced with respect to the mids and trebles and has excellent audio quality. The subwoofer is substantial in size, measuring 6.8” wide x 13.5" high x 14.4” deep and weighing nearly 14lbs, leading you to believe that the bass will be deep and powerful. However, the bass output belies its heft. The lows delivered by the subwoofer is rather weak. Even when turned up to its maximum setting, the bass just barely makes its presence known. It does not thump, it does not rumble, it does not rattle the windows and walls, and if I can give personality to it, I would describe the bass response as timid and restrained. Mids and trebles continue to dominate the sound spectrum as the volume is turned up, and the bass plays a minor supporting role. This is great for hearing the clarity in voices on your television shows or movies where dialogue is the predominant audio, but will leave much to be desired when trying to enjoy the explosive, rumbling action sequences in an action movie where the overall immersive cinematic experience demands strong bass response. The remote control has different pre-set audio sound effects for playing music or movies, but even after selecting the movie sound effect, the soundbar and subwoofer combination with Sony's touted 'S-Force Pro Surround Sound' fails to replicate a true surround sound experience.
I'm a Sony loyalist and have purchased a ton of Sony products from headphones, to televisions, to cameras, and even one of their other soundbar offerings and can highly recommend all of them. However, for the Sony HTCT290 soundbar, I find myself a bit on the fence. So here are my recommendations. If your current built-in speakers on your television sounds tinny and annoying, then purchasing this soundbar will be a huge improvement. It is a decent soundbar for listening to crisp, clear audio with a good balance of mids and trebles. On the other hand, for someone like myself who believes that a movie comes to life when you have the complete audio sound spectrum experience from the highs to the mids and down to the lows, then this soundbar will disappoint, and the cinematic experience cannot be expected from the HTCT290 at this price point. So to be fair, from a price-to-performance measurement, the audio from this soundbar is a good value. In the end, I would still recommend it as a decent entry level soundbar.
My Best Buy number: 3451666665
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+120points
132of 144voted this as helpful.
Listen to music safely with these JLab JBuddies folding headphones, which have an integrated 85db volume leveler to safeguard sensitive ears. Equipped with soft cushions which stay comfortable for extended periods, these earphones and make a great addition to your kid’s travel kit. Use these versatile JLab JBuddies folding headphones with a range of devices.
Customer Rating
4
Great first set of headphones for young children
on May 25, 2017
Posted by: lambda100
The Jbuddies headphone's big selling point is that it limits the sound volume below 85dB to ensure a safe listening experience for young children between the ages of 2-8 years. There is a volume regulator on the exterior of the right ear cup to control the maximum volume for the headphone. Despite being constructed entirely of plastic, the adjustable headband is very flexible. These are considered on-ear headphones since the earcups rest entirely on the ear. I was concerned at first that the on-ear headphone would be uncomfortable for my eight year old daughter, but the cushions were soft and she was able to wear them for over an hour without reporting any discomfort. The ear cups measure 2” in diameter. However, I would have preferred that Jlab designed the headphones with over-the-ear earcups to maximize comfort for children's ears.
My eight year old daughter really had fun with the headphones. She enjoyed sticking the monkey stickers and the Jlab logo stickers that came with the headphones onto the exteriors of the ear cups. As a parent I liked the fact that even at the maximum volume, I'm re-assured that the headphones really don't get that loud. I also liked that the headphones can be folded compactly to facilitate storage and transport.
In general children tend to be rough on things. I'm not sure how long these headphones will last. The weak link in any wired headphones is, well, the wires. When the wires go bad, you will either lose audio to one or both sides of the headphones. This is true for all wired headphones. It would have been nice if Jlab designed the headphones with a detachable 3.5mm audio cord. This way you can simply replace the wire and wouldn't have to toss out a perfectly good set of headphones just because the wire went bad.
In terms of audio quality, for this price range, you really cannot expect too much. They are average sounding, consisting mostly of mids, with a tad of bass. It is definitely lacking in clarity and crispness, but heck, these headphones are designed for kids, so they won't know the difference unless they are offsprings of audiophiles.
All in all, the Jbuddies headphones will appeal to young children and parents. It is comforting to know that the Jbuddies headphones will help keep the audio to a safe listening level.
My Best Buy number: 3451666665
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Perfect portability is assured with this Dell XPS two-in-one laptop. All the data is stored on a 256GB solid-state drive for everyday security, and the 13.3-inch screen produces high-quality images and text for easy use. An Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM keep this Dell XPS two-in-one laptop running smoothly.
Customer Rating
4
Here's How to Fix the Glitches
on April 8, 2017
Posted by: lambda100
It is without a doubt that the Dell XPS 2-in-1 is is an attractive, state of the art ultra portable laptop. This laptop sells itself upon first touch as I was impressed with the sleek, all around smooth aluminum looking finish. It is a feather weight, weighing in at only 2lbs 11oz when I measured it on my well-calibrated scale. Build quality is superb. The frame of the laptop is very rigid, the hinges are sturdy, and all the exterior parts are finely mated together with tight tolerances.
The 1920x1080 HD Infinity Edge display is bright, vivid, sharp, and reproduces colors very well. I also like the fact that the display can be viewed from large viewing angles.
The keyboard is responsive and doesn't cause me any fatigue through long typing sessions. The backlit keyboard is a nice feature that is included in this laptop.
Along the left edge of the laptop you will find a USB Type-C interface, headphone jack, and battery charge status lights. Along the right edge is another USB Type-C interface, micro-sd card reader, power button, and security cable slot. There is a speaker grille on both the left and right edges. What I found interesting on the Dell XPS 2-in-1 is that the web camera and microphone are located on the bottom edge of the screen. In my experience with laptops, they have always been located at the top edge of the screen. However, I noticed that the location of the webcam at the bottom of the screen did not affect the view as I was able to see my entire face. I was concerned that only the lower half of my face would show up through the webcam on the screen with the camera located at the bottom.
Okay then, onto performance. Out of the box, it is really a 3 out of 5 star laptop at the start. Let me explain. The laptop is actually handicapped by glitchy software and outdated firmware. This is why you see some of the negative review comments. I had the same experience as those folks.
First, there is the adaptive brightness issue. The laptop screen will continually and automatically step up or step down the brightness on the screen. Going into the power options to turn off adaptive brightness does nothing. It continues to automatically make brightness adjustments and is just plain annoying.
The second issue is that there is a problem with the wifi driver firmware that comes with the laptop from the factory. The wifi signal is very spotty. The signal bars sometimes shows one or two strength bars or even drops wifi altogether when I know that it should be showing full wifi strength. I compared it to my other laptops and smartphones which were showing full strength at the same distance from my router, all with no physical obstructions from the device to the router.
The third issue is that I noticed that the battery was draining very fast. In a matter of twenty minutes, it drained down approximately 10% even when I was not doing any intensive operations, merely browsing the web.
The fourth issue is that the brightness adjustment which is made by pressing the combination of the Function key and either the up or down arrows, is extremely laggy. I would press the key for the brightness adjustment, and it would take a second or two to register in the computer to make the adjustment.
The fifth issue is that I hear an odd static, scratchy noise that can be heard in the machine, sounds like something is spinning inside the laptop. It is audible in a quiet environment and this is heard from a regular sitting position. It was not like I had to put my ear up to the machine to hear it.
I'm disappointed that Dell did not do a better job performing quality assurance and quality control before releasing this laptop to the consumer. After all, this is a premium machine that they should have spent a few minutes testing. I was able to identify these problems during my first twenty minutes of using the laptop.
However, the Dell XPS 2-in-1 does redeem itself, mostly. I'm going to now tell you how to fix the first four issues I mentioned above. You will need to open the Dell Support Assist software or go directly to the Dell product support Driver and Download webpage and download the updated BIOS, FirmwareUpdate Utility for Enabling/Disabling Dynamic Backlight Control software, a few Network Driver firmware updates, Chipset software updates, etc. If you are using the Dell support webpage, it will ask you for your Service Tag number. You can locate your service tag number for the XPS 2-in-1 underneath the laptop by opening the little rectangular flap with the XPS imprint. I would suggest you download the 'Urgent' and 'Recommended' files. After installing the updated drivers and software and re-booting the laptop, you will be amazed at how the first four issues have now disappeared. The Dell XPS 2-in-1 finally comes to life, rewarding you by being a responsive and blazing fast ultraportable laptop that it should have been right from the factory! The battery drain has been managed, the adaptive screen brightness issue is fixed, the brightness adjustment response well, and the wifi signal strength is strong and robust.
At this point I believe the XPS deserves an additional star, bringing my review to 4 out of 5 stars. The laptop is an excellent performer. I used Photoshop on it and adjustments were reflected on the photos instantaneously.
Here are some other things that I observed. I mentioned that the laptop has a USB Type-C connector on both the left and right edge. It turns out that you can charge your laptop from either connector. Next observation is that the laptop is screwed in from the bottom by security screws. For the tinkerers out there, it's not your standard Philips head screws, so you will need special security star-type screw drivers to open the bottom panel of the laptop to explore the hardware inside. Third observation is that since you won't be able to open up the bottom panel easily, this means that the battery is not user replaceable. You will need to purchase an external battery charge pack for those times you will be far away from a wall outlet. Another thing to take note is that the laptop comes with a USB Type C to USB Type A adapter. This means you will be able to connect peripherals to your laptop like flashdrives, external hardrives, or an external DVD/CD drive.
Overall, I think this is a solid laptop provided that the drivers and software are properly updated. It can definitely go toe to toe with its competitors in the ultraportable class.
My Best Buy number: 3451666665
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Enjoy immersive sound with these Bluetooth Sony EXTRA BASS over-ear headphones. The presets let you choose between arena, club, hall and outdoor stage sound, and the noise-canceling technology lets you block out the world while you listen to tunes. Listen wirelessly for up to 18 hours with these Sony EXTRA BASS over-ear headphones.
Customer Rating
5
Incredible bass, but don't forget the mids & highs
on March 26, 2017
Posted by: lambda100
The Sony MDR-XB950B1 is the latest update to the company's Extra Bass headphones replacing the original MDR-XB950BT headphones. The XB950B1 looks nearly identical to the original XB950BT and both weigh the same. (I happen to also own the XB950BT). The left ear cup has the power button, micro usb power connection, audio cord input, microphone, and the bass button which on the current generation is re-labeled as “bass effect” to highlight the ability for the user to adjust the bass settings on a scale of -10 to +10 using Sony's Headphones Connect app. The right ear cup has the volume control +/- button and the skip forward/reverse, play/pause/answer phone button.
The MDR-XB950B1 is an over-the-ear headphone with very thick, soft, and comfortable earpads. I wear eyeglasses and the headphones do not press my frames unduly against my ears. I was able to wear the headphones for hours without discomfort. The metal headband is also well padded and did not feel heavy over my head. The headphones appear to have very good build quality and stretches well to accommodate various head sizes.
Now onto why you're really here... my thoughts on the highly subjective sound quality. These headphones by their very nature, were tuned by the Sony audio engineers to not only emphasize the bass at their default settings right out of the box, but to kick it up a notch to knock you senseless when it's turned up. Audiophiles will hate the sound signature for its total irreverence for how the song was meant to be heard in the studio. Those who own the original XB950BT will recall the nearly identical sound signature which is deep bass with some mids, and muffled highs which don't seem to break through. However, I noticed in my testing of the XB950B1 that the vocals/mids were a little cleaner and that some of the highs did come through ever so slightly better.
As I mentioned above, the way they are tuned from the factory, these headphones are not for the user who demands balance in the audio experience. They were clearly aimed at those who enjoy bass and a lot of it. Those who are seeking the well balanced sound spectrum with crisp highs and mids will be disappointed at first pass with these headphones, until they use an equalizer app to fine tune the higher end frequencies to bring out the highs which these headphones are very capable of and will reward you for doing so. I admit that I was initially dismayed by the lack of clear mids and clean trebles, but I started adjusting the equalizers and virtualizations that brought these headphones to life. Sony also acknowledges that some of us want more punchy bass and others want less by introducing the Sony Headphones Connect app which is available for free download from the Google or Apple app stores to allow users to adjust the level of bass to suit their musical tastes. The ability to adjust the bass from -10 to +10 is a welcome feature, and is the primary distinguishing feature between this second generation XB950B1 and the original XB950BT which only had a “bass boost” that went from extra bass to an insane amount of bass with no settings in between. Now that Sony has included the bass adjustment as an app, it should appease those on either side of the bass spectrum. The +10 bass setting will make the bass sound silly crazy out of this world, and the -10 setting will mellow the bass out a bit and bring you back down to earth. Additionally, the Headphone Connect app also allows users to select presets for outdoor stage, club, hall, or arena-style sound settings. I tried the different presets. They sounded okay, but I prefer to make my adjustments on a third party equalizer app.
Here are some other things to take note of. I really wished Sony included a case to store the headphones. The headphones are bulky and the earcups only turn so that the headphones lay flat. Sony should have also designed the earcups to be foldable (like for the MDR-XB950N1) so that they can be easier to store and transport. The battery life is very good, lasting 18 hrs, which is the same as the original XB950BT. This latest iteration (XB950B1) of the headphones does not suffer from the faint, but audible rumbling/hissing noise that can be heard at low volumes that was found in the first generation XB950BT. This is a great improvement as I found the hissing noise be to very annoying. Finally, these are neither noise canceling headphones nor noise isolating. Don't let the thick padded ear cushions fool you into believing that they will eliminate any ambient noise. With no music playing, you will still hear your surrounding, albeit a little bit muffled.
So in summary, for those looking to upgrade from the original XB950BT to the current XB950B1, the only real change is the freedom to make adjustments the bass via the Sony Headphone Connect app. The sound is very similar between the two. For those those who love bass, these headphones are for you! For those who are seeking their first purchase in the Sony Extra Bass line up, the XB950B1 is a superb choice since the bluetooth connection allows you to lose the wires and the app allows easy adjustment to the bass. And finally for those who are wary that the sound signature is too heavily tuned toward the low end frequencies will be reassured to know that the highs and mids will come through with proper tuning with an equalizer app. I highly recommend these headphones!
My Best Buy number: 3451666665
I would recommend this to a friend!
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PowerCore III 20K is a slim and powerful portable 20000mAh battery. With two USB-A port outputs and one USB-C PD input, this is all you need as your charging companion.
Is this battery allowed on an airplane?
The Anker PowerCore III 20K is rated at 72 Whr, which is within the FAA limit of 100 Whr. It is allowed on an airplane. I took it on an airplane without issue.
2 years, 5 months ago
by
lambda100
Make the most of every day with the sleek style, performance, and all-day battery life² you need in the lightest Surface Laptop, all at an exceptional value. Ultra-light and portable profile, the apps* you use every day, premium materials, and a choice of must-have colors will make this your go-to laptop. ²Up to 13 hours of battery life based on typical Surface device usage. Testing conducted by Microsoft in September 2020 using preproduction software and preproduction configurations of Surface Laptop Go Testing consisted of full battery discharge with a mixture of active use and modern standby. The active use portion consists of (1) a web browsing test accessing 8 popular websites over multiple open tabs, (2) a productivity test utilizing Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook, and (3) a portion of time with the device in use with idle applications. All settings were default except screen brightness was set to 150nits with Auto-Brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.
What version of Windows does Surface Laptop Go ship with?
Make the most of every day with the sleek style, performance, and all-day battery life² you need in the lightest Surface Laptop, all at an exceptional value. Ultra-light and portable profile, the apps* you use every day, premium materials, and a choice of must-have colors will make this your go-to laptop. ²Up to 13 hours of battery life based on typical Surface device usage. Testing conducted by Microsoft in September 2020 using preproduction software and preproduction configurations of Surface Laptop Go Testing consisted of full battery discharge with a mixture of active use and modern standby. The active use portion consists of (1) a web browsing test accessing 8 popular websites over multiple open tabs, (2) a productivity test utilizing Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook, and (3) a portion of time with the device in use with idle applications. All settings were default except screen brightness was set to 150nits with Auto-Brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.
Does this computer have USB ports
The Surface Laptop Go has 1 usb-c port and 1 usb-a port.
3 years, 6 months ago
by
lambda100
Make the most of every day with the sleek style, performance, and all-day battery life² you need in the lightest Surface Laptop, all at an exceptional value. Ultra-light and portable profile, the apps* you use every day, premium materials, and a choice of must-have colors will make this your go-to laptop. ²Up to 13 hours of battery life based on typical Surface device usage. Testing conducted by Microsoft in September 2020 using preproduction software and preproduction configurations of Surface Laptop Go Testing consisted of full battery discharge with a mixture of active use and modern standby. The active use portion consists of (1) a web browsing test accessing 8 popular websites over multiple open tabs, (2) a productivity test utilizing Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook, and (3) a portion of time with the device in use with idle applications. All settings were default except screen brightness was set to 150nits with Auto-Brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.
Does the screen detach
The screen does not detach on the Surface Laptop Go.
3 years, 6 months ago
by
lambda100
Make the most of every day with the sleek style, performance, and all-day battery life² you need in the lightest Surface Laptop, all at an exceptional value. Ultra-light and portable profile, the apps* you use every day, premium materials, and a choice of must-have colors will make this your go-to laptop. ²Up to 13 hours of battery life based on typical Surface device usage. Testing conducted by Microsoft in September 2020 using preproduction software and preproduction configurations of Surface Laptop Go Testing consisted of full battery discharge with a mixture of active use and modern standby. The active use portion consists of (1) a web browsing test accessing 8 popular websites over multiple open tabs, (2) a productivity test utilizing Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook, and (3) a portion of time with the device in use with idle applications. All settings were default except screen brightness was set to 150nits with Auto-Brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.
Can you switch out of S mode on Surface Laptop Go?
Yes, Microsoft allows you to switch out of S mode to Windows 10 Home. Once you switch out, it is permanent and you will not be able to revert back to Windows in S Mode.
3 years, 6 months ago
by
lambda100
Get work done with this Dell Inspiron Chromebook laptop. The 14-inch Ultra HD touch screen supports EMR pens, and the Intel Core i3 processor powers system tasks smoothly with the 4GB of RAM. The 128GB of eMMC storage lets you store documents and media files on this Dell Inspiron Chromebook laptop.
I know this thing isn't light. But how much does it weigh? I don't see that in specs
Toshiba 4K UHD Fire TV Edition is a new generation of smart TVs featuring the Fire TV experience built-in and including a Voice Remote with Alexa. With true-to-life 4K Ultra HD picture quality and access to all the movies and TV shows you love, Toshiba Fire TV Edition delivers a superior TV experience that gets smarter every day. The Voice Remote with Alexa lets you do everything you'd expect from a remote—plus, easily launch apps, search for TV shows, play music, switch inputs, control smart home devices and more, using just your voice.
Can it be wall mounted? I don't see any mounting screw holes from the back picture.
Yes, the Toshiba Fire TV Edition can be wall mounted.
Here are the VESA Mounting Patterns for the different size Toshiba Fire TVs:
43" 200 x 300 - M6 x25mm type screws
50" 400 x 200 - M6 x25mm type screws
55" 200 x 300 - M6 x20mm type screws
Here are the VESA Mounting Patterns for the different size Toshiba Fire TVs:
43" 200 x 300 - M6 x25mm type screws
50" 400 x 200 - M6 x25mm type screws
55" 200 x 300 - M6 x20mm type screws
5 years, 10 months ago
by
lambda100
Toshiba 4K UHD Fire TV Edition is a new generation of smart TVs featuring the Fire TV experience built-in and including a Voice Remote with Alexa. With true-to-life 4K Ultra HD picture quality and access to all the movies and TV shows you love, Toshiba Fire TV Edition delivers a superior TV experience that gets smarter every day. The Voice Remote with Alexa lets you do everything you'd expect from a remote—plus, easily launch apps, search for TV shows, play music, switch inputs, control smart home devices and more, using just your voice.
Can you mira cast or screen cast from your phone/tablet/laptop wirelessly?
No. The Toshiba Fire TV Edition is not equipped with the wireless screen casting feature.
5 years, 10 months ago
by
lambda100
Listen to your playlist in peace with these Sony headphones. They have a 40mm dome driver to deliver the full depth of audio, and the noise cancelling feature minimizes outside disturbances for a better listening experience. These Sony headphones have a battery life of up to 30 hours for extended jam sessions.
Can anyone who has used these AND the Bose QC35 comment on the overall comfort for long trips? The QC35s are good, but I can't wear them for more than 3-4 hours before my outer ears start to hurt from the pressure from the cups.
I have both the QC35 and the 1000XM2. The QC35 is more comfortable on long trips. The 1000XM2 headband forces the earcups to press more firmly against my ears and is less comfortable.
6 years, 6 months ago
by
lambda100
Listen to your playlist in peace with these Sony headphones. They have a 40mm dome driver to deliver the full depth of audio, and the noise cancelling feature minimizes outside disturbances for a better listening experience. These Sony headphones have a battery life of up to 30 hours for extended jam sessions.
Does the cable come with a built in remote? This includes, volume, play pause and microphone.
The audio cable does NOT have a built in remote with in-line mic.
6 years, 6 months ago
by
lambda100