nickcal's stats
- Review count328
- Helpfulness votes1,316
- First reviewFebruary 22, 2014
- Last reviewAugust 20, 2025
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.7
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- Answer count4
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- First answerMay 23, 2016
- Last answerSeptember 7, 2020
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Pair your morning jog with these Jaybird RUN wireless earbuds, and enjoy your music each step of the way. Bluetooth compatibility with multiple devices lets you share your playlist without the tangle of wires. These Jaybird RUN wireless earbuds are sweatproof and dirtproof to handle the worst of your workout.
Customer Rating
4
A solid, quality set of headphones
on October 27, 2017
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
I’ve had a real love-hate relationship with earbuds for many years now. They never seem to fit my ears right and even when they do, I don’t feel like I get the same sound experience that I do with a set of on-ear or over-the-ear headphones. Sound always seems to be hollow and without any bass boost. When wireless earbuds started coming to market, I sadly found something I disliked more than standard earbuds. Not only did they not fit or produce a solid sound, they also didn’t connect properly. One earbud would drop out sometimes and they just weren’t consistent. The Run true wireless sport headphones from Jaybird are a different breed all on their own.
UNBOXING
The headphones arrive in a well-designed kit. The box has Jaybird branding on it and a decent description of the product. Right away, you know that there is a mobile app experience designed for the headphones from the presence of the App Store and Google Play Store logos. In the box you will find several sets of ear gels and ear wings for earbud fit adjustments, a charging case for the headphones, a charging cable and case, a storage pouch, and the earbuds themselves.
The headphones arrive in a well-designed kit. The box has Jaybird branding on it and a decent description of the product. Right away, you know that there is a mobile app experience designed for the headphones from the presence of the App Store and Google Play Store logos. In the box you will find several sets of ear gels and ear wings for earbud fit adjustments, a charging case for the headphones, a charging cable and case, a storage pouch, and the earbuds themselves.
Setting up the headphones isn’t difficult. When you turn them on for the first time, they are automatically put into pairing mode. I paired them to my iPhone and they appeared in my Bluetooth menu automatically. The instruction booklet suggests that you try out all the ear gels and wings until you find the best fit for your size ears. I was fortunate because the stock gels and wings that came pre-installed on the earbuds provided a solid fit for me.
USER EXPERIENCE
The mobile app for the Run headphones provides some basic information about the headphones and gives users the ability to use preset sound profiles to get a richer sound. You can design your own sound profiles if you want and save them for future use. I rather like this customized sound option. There are some mobile apps that only allow you to listen to predesignated music options to get the added features, but no matter what you are using with the Jaybirds Runs, you can utilize the sound profiles on top of that.
The mobile app for the Run headphones provides some basic information about the headphones and gives users the ability to use preset sound profiles to get a richer sound. You can design your own sound profiles if you want and save them for future use. I rather like this customized sound option. There are some mobile apps that only allow you to listen to predesignated music options to get the added features, but no matter what you are using with the Jaybirds Runs, you can utilize the sound profiles on top of that.
For the first time in a long time, I found a set of sport earbuds that are wireless that actually provide a good fit for my ears. I don’t feel like they are going to fall out of my ears and because they are solid in my ears, I get a better sound. One issue I’ve had in the past with earbuds that are a ‘tight’ fit is that they become uncomfortable. The Run headphones have remained comfortable and I’ve used them for a couple of hours at a time.
The only aspect of these headphones I don’t like is the control system. You can, of course, use your mobile phone to control the volume and playback of music, but the in-line controls really come in handy in most cases. The Run headphones have buttons built into both earpieces. They are a hefty click-style button that requires you to press quite hard in order to engage the control. I found this nearly impossible when I had the earbuds in my ears. I had to take the earbuds out in order to click the button.
Listening to music was a very nice experience and I can’t say that much for earbuds. I could hear everything in great detail and thought that the sound quality was superb. I had a little issue with watching streaming videos, but I think that had more to do with the Internet connection than the earbuds themselves.
Even though I’m not typically an earbud user, I really appreciate the Jaybird Run headphones because they give you freedom when being active where a lot of headphones do not.
My Best Buy number: 2677435109
Mobile Submission: False
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With a Serial ATA interface, this WD Blue WD10EZEXSP internal hard drive easily connects to your PC or Mac. The 1TB capacity offers ample space to house important files, such as pictures, videos and music.
Customer Rating
5
Perfect for a quick NAS fix
on October 20, 2017
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
Verified Purchase:Yes
In my ideal world, I would walk into the store and pick up a 4TB WD RED hard drive for my Drobo. This is not ideal and I had a bad drive so placing an order online wasn't going to happen. I needed a drive and I needed it fast. The 1TB WD was the best drive Best Buy had in store so I went for it. I'm happy that my Drobo excepted the drive and it's been working flawlessly for a few weeks now. I'm happy with the speed I've been getting from my Drobo using these drives. I really don't have anything bad to say other than I wish I would have had the opportunity to pick up a bigger drive the same day.
My Best Buy number: 2677435109
My Best Buy number: 2677435109
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I would recommend this to a friend!
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Make the most of your morning routine with this Philips Norelco wet/dry shaver. Providing a powerful shave in the shower or out, this electric shaver delivers a full hour's shaving on one 60-minute charge. The MultiPrecision Blade system on this Philips Norelco wet/dry shaver cuts long and short hairs with fewer passes.
Customer Rating
5
A NICE SHAVER FOR TRAVELING
on October 20, 2017
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
For many years, I’ve struggled with finding the ideal portable electric shaver for my needs. I typically have to shave at least once a day (if not more) and having something available at a moment’s notice is key for me. The Philips Norelco 5550 series shaver is a really nice option for someone like me.
The 5550 can be used as a wet or dry shaver. I prefer to use something when shaving so that my skin doesn’t get irritated, but I’ve used it dry, too and found that it’s pretty gentle. The shaver is packaged with a precision trimmer for sideburns and mustaches. I’ve seen it referred to as a ‘beard’ trimmer, but I don’t think it would work very well with super thick hair. The teeth just aren’t long enough.
The shaver has a very efficient battery. It’s rechargeable, which I love, and comes with a charging cable (but no stand. That can be ordered separately). For an hour’s worth of charging, you will have about an hour’s worth of shaving with the 5550 shaver. If you are in a hurry, you can let the shaver charge for about 5 minutes and will likely get through a single shave.
The 5550 also ships with a cover for the shaver head, but no carrying pouch. I would personally love to see this shaver come with a hard shell case for traveling, but I’d be happy with a soft sided case rather than have nothing to store it in. One of the reasons I like to have a case is so that I can keep all the accessories for a shaver in one place.
Like I said above, I tried this shaver out in both wet and dry circumstances. I was very happy with both results. I felt as though the shaver did a good job trimmer. I really like to use it in between grooming with a standard bladed razor. I found that the shaver was easy to clean and store and it travels well.
My Best Buy number: 2677435109
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Save precious kitchen prep time with this Philips Viva multi-chopper. Its two functions provide coarse and fine chopping, and its automatic speed selection adjusts its performance to the type of ingredient. This 500W Philips Viva multi-chopper lets you achieve chef-quality results for coarsely chopped ingredients thanks to its ChopDrop technology.
Customer Rating
5
A great time-saver for the kitchen
on October 18, 2017
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
My grandmother likes to cook. She watches afternoon cooking shows and then tries to replicate what those celebrity chefs have made. It brings her enjoyment and that makes me smile. That being said, she doesn’t grip kitchen tools as well as she used to and so she tries to avoid some recipes that require fine chopping of ingredients. This Multichopper from Philips seemed like a great gift for her. The Multichopper is provides perfectly diced onions (and other vegetables) in mere seconds. A job that once took my grandmother 30 minutes or more to intricately chop up vegetables can now only take a fraction of the time.
The device arrived in a nicely branded package from Philips. It was well padded inside it the box and the chopper came in just a couple of main pieces. I really like simple assembly options for equipment like this so I was pleased that there weren’t a lot of smaller parts.
The chopper comes with two different blade options — the ChopDrop blade and the regular chopper blade. Both blades fit into the motor unit loosely. I thought they might snap into place, but they don’t. They simply rest there. I was actually quite impressed with how well all the pieces fit together.
The chopper comes with two different blade options — the ChopDrop blade and the regular chopper blade. Both blades fit into the motor unit loosely. I thought they might snap into place, but they don’t. They simply rest there. I was actually quite impressed with how well all the pieces fit together.
Either of the blades rest on a post that is located in the chopper bowl. The big difference between the two is that one is designed to chop inside the MultiChopper basket and the other is designed to chop outside the basket. In fact, when you use the regular chopping blade, you can’t even use the basket. The instruction manual states that the MultiChopper is intended to chop onions, garlic, cheese, raw and cooked vegetables, cooked eggs and fruits. The regular chopper is intended for use with nuts, raw meat, onions, hard cheese, boiled eggs, garlic, herbs, and dry bread. It’s a bit more of an all around blade. The device comes with a recipe book, which is a great help getting started.
Because the MultiChopper comes apart so easily, it’s pretty easy to clean. The only part you really have to be cautious about is the blades because when you are cleaning them, they are 100% exposed and you could easily cut yourself because they are so sharp.
When it came time to testing out the MultiChopper, I brought my grandma into the kitchen so she could see it work. We chopped up mini sweet peppers - one red and one orange - first using the MultiChopper blade and basket. I cut the tops off of the peppers and scooped out the seeds. Then I dropped each pepper into the basket whole. Once the motor was situated on the bowl and I pressed down, the peppers were chopped up within seconds. Next, we chopped up a quarter of a green pepper with the regular chopping blade. Again, the pepper was diced within just a few seconds and some of her meal prep was done within seconds.
The peppers we chopped up were a very fine dice. While this will work for most of our uses, I do wish there was a setting for size of cut so that you could end up with larger chunks if you want them. The Philips MultiChopper is a fabulous addition to our kitchen. It will save time and frustration so that we enjoy our meals more.
My Best Buy number: 2677435109
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Make smoothies, sauces or purees with this 1500W Ninja blender. It has 10 preset programs to ensure ingredients are properly blended, and 10 manual mode speeds give you complete control when blending tough ingredients. This Ninja blender holds up to 72 ounces.
Customer Rating
5
A truly remarkable kitchen appliance
on October 17, 2017
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
When I was growing up, my parents always tried to make me the perfect milkshake at home. Unfortunately, it always turned out thicker or thinner than the ‘store bought’ shakes. Even though mom and dad made the shakes with ‘real’ ice cream and milk and didn’t serve me processed milkshake mix, I still had it in my head that the shakes from McDonald’s or Arby’s were better. Now that I’m an adult, I’ve still tried to discover the perfect ‘at home’ milkshake. And, what I’ve been realizing over the years is that it’s not necessarily the ingredients that make the shake — it’s the blender. The Ninja Chef high-speed blender is the the answer and the perfect addition to my kitchen.
The Ninja Chef blender is part of the SharkNinja family of products. When I got the blender, I didn’t realize that it was a sister product to my Shark Ion Flex cleaning machine, which I love. Even though I had heard great things about the Ninja brand, knowing that I already had experience with the product family instilled even more confidence in me that the blender would not only work well, but that it would also last for a very long time.
Set up of the blender is easy. It comes in separate, but already assembled parts. When you open the box, you will find the pitcher, pitcher lid with lid cap, tamper and the base. The Ninja Chef comes packaged with a recipe guide, full instruction manual, and a quick assembly card.. Even though the quick assembly card shows you everything you need to know to get started, it’s still suggested that you read the full manual before getting started. The Ninja Chef has a ‘cleaning’ mode as one of its settings. I think this is brilliant because it gives you a good option to clean the blades without cutting yourself. It is suggested that you clean all the parts in warm, soapy water before your first use. All the attachments are dishwasher safe and you can clean the base with a clean, damp cloth.
Assembly is easy. You place the pitcher on the base and lock it in place. Then you add your ingredients into the pitcher. If you have a lot or need to add them gradually, you can remove the lid cap from the lid and lock it into place when you are ready. Once your culinary creation is ready and all your blender parts are locked into place, you can select one of the Auto-IQ programs. This is probably my favorite part of the Ninja Chef. You can always run the Ninja manually, but it has a ‘brain’ telling it the optimal timing for the most-used recipes. For example, the Smoothie setting runs for 50 seconds. It started out with several bursts of power and then runs continuously for a few seconds before finishing with another pulse.
The first thing I made with the Ninja Blender was a protein milkshake. I added 8 ounces of milk (measured using the marks on the side of the pitcher), 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder, two scoops of ice cream, and about a cup of ice chips. Then, I set the blender to the Smoothie program. I was able to clean up the ingredients in the time that the blender was running and I didn’t have to worry about it spilling or making a mess of the kitchen because all the parts were locked. The smoothie shake turned out perfectly. With the help of the Ninja Chef, the long-lost homemade milkshake suddenly became attainable.
Even though I’ve primarily used a blender for smoothies and other drinks, the Ninja Chef opens up a world of possibilities because I can make things like dips and even cake mixes in this blender. I love the power of the Ninja Chef and can’t wait to see what I can make next.
My Best Buy number: 2677435109
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Keep your camera safe and secure with this Peak Design SlideLITE camera strap. Two aluminum adjusters let you lengthen or shorten the strap so you can comfortably wear it around your neck or over your shoulder. An Anchor Link connection system ensures you can quickly attach and detach the strap on this Peak Design SlideLITE camera strap as needed.
Customer Rating
5
Best stap for a DSLR i've used
on October 16, 2017
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
Verified Purchase:Yes
If I had more time to write this article, I would go into detail on why I believe it’s the best option for neck strap on the market. Since I don’t, I will simply cover off on a few features that really jump out to me.
First, I want to state that comfort is key when it comes to neck straps. The standard Canon neck strap cuts into my neck for some reason. I don’t know why, but it’s always irritated my skin. The SlideLITE has never bothered me while wearing it.
Second, I am able to use the SlideLITE with an Arca Swiss plate. That means, I never have to take the SlideLITE off my camera to slap a plate on it and vice-versa. That my friends is a huge time saver for me.
Now let us jump into something I'm not a fan of. When I first started looking into the SlideLITE I emailed the company to ask if there was a difference between the SlideLITE and the Pro model. They told me, no but, I would be better off with the Pro version due to the size of my camera. This confused me as I read that both models can handle full-size cameras. I went back and forth with them before getting a straight answer that the SlideLight can handle a full body without any problems but the Pro would give me a wider strap and thicker padding. Now if I planned on keeping the strap on me all day for hours at a time I would think a thicker and wider strap would be useful but for the most part, the strap that comes with the SlideLITE is perfect. I can simply roll it up and put it in my camera bag without taking up much space. I really wasn't a fan of getting the run around from support about if the SlideLITE would handle the weight of a Canon 5D Mark IV. Needless to say, it's working flawlessly and I'm super happy I saved money going with the SlideLITE over the Pro.
I would absolutely recommend this to anyone with a camera. Also, I can't forget to mention how Peak Design has made all of the there straps interchangeable. The system is brilliant and being able to so quickly with a push of my thumb click it off my camera and back on is amazing. I do however wish they would find a better way for the Clutch to come off the camera. Being able to quickly remove it in the same form as the SlideLITE would be wonderful.
My Best Buy number: 2677435109
My Best Buy number: 2677435109
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Protect your iPhone's data with this 64GB iXpand charger and backup base. It charges your iPhone quickly with 15W of power, and it backs up photos and videos as it charges to ensure precious memories are always safe. This iXpand charger and backup base also backs up your stored contacts, so you can restore them when needed.
Customer Rating
5
A great way to recharge and backup your iOS device
on October 6, 2017
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
The battle for storage is a constant one. No sooner do we obtain the larger capacity mobile devices that we find ourselves with full hard drives and needing to back up our data so that we can continue taking photos and videos of our precious memories. iOS devices have the option of being backed up to iCloud, but if you don’t pay the premium option for the larger amount of storage, what are you to do? SanDisk has a pretty interesting option in the iXpand Base.
This device is designed to allow iOS users the ability to charge and back up their phones at the same time. This charging base will not work with Android phones and it is not a wireless charging base. The ‘base’ is simply a place to lay your phone while it charges and transfers data. On the back, you will find two ports - one Micro USB for the power adapter and one SD card slot for backups. There is a standard USB port on the bottom for you to plug a Lightning cable into. This is not included with the base, but I would have liked to see SanDisk provide all the cables needed.
The packaging is simple and includes SanDisk branding along with some description of the device. The base works in conjunction with an app that you download for your phone. The app acts as a backup manager and gives you options and settings to tweak for your device. The base comes with an SD card already installed and you can get capacities of 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB.
Setup was very easy. Once I downloaded the app and accepted the different permissions, the phone automatically backed up when I plugged it into the base. I actually do backup my photos to iCloud so I decided to backup my contacts to the base. I have over 240 contacts on my phone so I thought it might take a little time to backup to the card. The data transfer was over in less than a minute.
I do want to note that you cannot use the base without the app. When I first plugged into the base, I got a warning that the app was not installed. It will only work with the iXpand app. One of the things I really like about this device is that it will pick up where it left off. You will do an initial backup and after that, the app will recognize where the end was before and backup from that point on. I don’t believe you can do a ‘full’ backup of a device (apps and all) but the app definitely allows you to download images, videos, and contacts to the SD card.
The iXpand base is a really nice way to not only backup your phone, but also charge it. I love the concept of being able to do both functions at once and I love that SanDisk created such a nice looking product for just that purpose. The iXpand Base is great for any iOS user. I would love to see it be a more integrated stand where you actually dock your phone to it vertically rather than have it look like a wireless charging pad, but other than that, I think this is a great product.
My Best Buy number: 2677435109
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Keep enemies out of your room with this fully animated Spider-Man toy. His LED eyes light up when he detects movement with his motion-detection technology, and speech recognition lets him engage in two-way conversations. Hook this Spider-Man toy up to the Internet via Wi-Fi for new adventures, missions and updates.
Customer Rating
3
A bit of a let down, but could be cool for kids
on October 6, 2017
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
It wasn’t too long ago that I saw my first Sphero robot. It was fun to play with although a little tough to get used to movement-wise. That experience was with the first generation Sphero and since that time, the company has branched out into licensed devices like the droids from Star Wars. When I had the opportunity to try out Spider-man by Sphero I thought, “How cool! My very own superhero!” Unfortunately, the experience was less exciting than my anticipation.
The packaging is quite impressive and I have to say that it is adorned in the red/blue branding of Spider-man. It’s very classy looking and has a lot of great graphics on the outside of it. Spider-man himself is one solid piece. Other than plugging in his charging base with the Micro USB cable that is provided (no power adapter included), there is no other assembly required. Getting started with Spider-man is very easy, too. Once you have him plugged into power and charging, you download the app from the App Store (iTunes or Android) and power him on.
The first thing you will go through is a short warm-up to get you familiar with interacting with the hero. This is where the experience sort of fell flat with me. Spider-man does not move. Other than his eyes, which are small LED panels, there is no animation whatsoever. The app is very well-developed and gives users several ways to interact with the statue, but I personally would have liked to see some additional moving parts. I didn’t expect him to swing around the room with a web, but I did think that maybe his head would turn and his arms would be controllable. Spider-man does sense when you move him around, for example, if you pick him up and swing him around the room, but other than that, he’s basically just a free-standing statue.
All that said, Spider-man does look really cool. I was amazed with the detailing on the device and the soft silicone feel of the device. His voice rings through loud and clear and he did understand me pretty well when I talked back to him. The main part of this experience happens in the app. Spider-man can stand guard in a room (he will just report to you that there was motion/activity), act as an alarm, tell you jokes, and even watch TV with you (Spider-man animated series only). For an adult, it’s a little cheesy especially for the price you pay for it, but for, but for a kid, I could see this being a good experience for learning how to interact with an artificial intelligence-driven device.
Spider-man by Sphero is a unique version of ‘create your own adventure’ for the next generation. He looks cool and does work as he should. I just expected a bit more on interactivity from the device itself.
My Best Buy number: 2677435109
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Bose QuietComfort 35 II Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones are over-ear headphones from Bose featuring world-class noise cancelling technology, and now they're optimized with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant. Enjoy balanced audio performance at any volume with volume-optimized EQ. And you can make or receive clear phone calls, even in loud environments with the noise reduction dual-microphone system in these Bluetooth headphones. Connect to your devices wirelessly with Bluetooth and NFC pairing, with voice prompts for easy Bluetooth pairing. Thanks to Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant you can keep in touch, get answers and manage your day using just your voice with one-button access to the voice assistant of your choice. You can also access your phone's default virtual assistant, like Siri through your headphones. Together, they can create astonishing real-world experiences and fundamentally new ways to work, travel, exercise, learn, play, and more. Wear these comfortable headphones all day because they're built with premium materials. Listen to your wireless headphones for up to 20 hours of long battery life from a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Keep listening without battery power by connecting the included audio cable. Unlock more features and access future updates through the Bose Connect app.
Customer Rating
5
Straight up my new favorite headphones
on September 24, 2017
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
I’ve long been a fan of noise cancelling headphones, but it wasn’t until this past year that I really started appreciating the scope of their use. I traveled across the country on a crowded airplane. While thousands of people do this everyday, I can’t say that I was totally prepared for it the first time around. All the ambient noises really took their toll on me and one year later, when I flew for a second time, I had an excellent pair of noise cancelling headphones in-hand to make the flight bearable. At that time, I was rocking the Sony 1000X Wireless Noise Cancelling headphones and I never thought I would find a better, more comfortable pair of headphones. This past week, I was introduced to the QuietComfort 35 II headphones by Bose. I’ve been a fan of Bose products for many years because they have a reputation for designing great, high-end audio gear. I’m happy to say that the QuietComfort 35 II’s don’t disappoint and they really live up to the Bose quality name.
UNBOXING
The headphones arrived in a standard Bose branded box. The outside covering of the box included some basic details of the product in multiple languages. You will also notice the MFi icon along with the Android logo and the Google Assistant built-in graphic. The QuietComfort 35 II are the first Bose headphones to come with built-in Google Assistant support. That is in fact the biggest difference between the QuietComfort 35 II and the original version of the headphones according to Bose’s website. When you look at the specs of the two headphone models, you will see that they are nearly identical except for the weight (version II is 2.6 ounces heavier) and the fact that the original QuietComfort headphones come packaged with an airline adapter.
The headphones arrived in a standard Bose branded box. The outside covering of the box included some basic details of the product in multiple languages. You will also notice the MFi icon along with the Android logo and the Google Assistant built-in graphic. The QuietComfort 35 II are the first Bose headphones to come with built-in Google Assistant support. That is in fact the biggest difference between the QuietComfort 35 II and the original version of the headphones according to Bose’s website. When you look at the specs of the two headphone models, you will see that they are nearly identical except for the weight (version II is 2.6 ounces heavier) and the fact that the original QuietComfort headphones come packaged with an airline adapter.
The QuietComfort 35 II’s package includes a carrying case, charging cable, and audio cable. When you first open the box, you will see the carrying case. All the other pieces are tucked away inside. The case is built very well. There is an exterior mesh pocket that could be used for extra cables or even your smartphone. When you open the case, you will find another interior mesh pocket and the mail compartment where the headphones lay. They actually fold up in a very specific way, but Bose was kind enough to include a small illustration that shows you how to place them in the case.
BUILD QUALITY
The headphones are lightweight and flexible. I really like that the earpieces aren’t static and can swivel around a bit. It makes it easier to wear in my opinion. The headband extends easily and the materials used to build it feels very solid. The padding on the headband is probably the only thing I would change. It’s soft and comfortable to wear, but it’s covered in some sort of suede fabric, which leads me to think that over time, it will soak up sweat and other oils and wear down. I would have preferred to see this padding covered in leather instead.
The headphones are lightweight and flexible. I really like that the earpieces aren’t static and can swivel around a bit. It makes it easier to wear in my opinion. The headband extends easily and the materials used to build it feels very solid. The padding on the headband is probably the only thing I would change. It’s soft and comfortable to wear, but it’s covered in some sort of suede fabric, which leads me to think that over time, it will soak up sweat and other oils and wear down. I would have preferred to see this padding covered in leather instead.
The inside of the ear pieces are marked with a “L” and “R” to show you which way to wear the headphones. One thing I noticed was that the actual speaker on the inside of the ear cup seems to be angled toward your ear. Many of my other headphones just have a flat speaker. I haven’t been able to find out this sort of orientation would affect sound quality or volume, but I am sure the design was done with purpose. The padding on the ear cups is very nice and seems to wear well. I did notice that the foam segments don’t pull off of the cups as magnets, but it does appear that they might snap off the ear cups. Not wanting to damage the foam, I didn’t try to pry them off.
These headphones have physical switches on them which is a bit of an oddity these days. Most of the headphones I’ve been around lately seem to utilize touch controls (the Sony headphones only have touch controls). So, the tactile nature of the buttons and switches on the Bose headphones was a nice departure from what I was used to. I’m sometimes not a fan of physical switches because they will get caught on things like hoodies, but the on/off switch on the right ear cup was designed in such a way that it avoided that usual problem. In addition to the on/off switch, you will also find the volume up/down buttons, and the play/pause button on the right ear cup. On the left ear piece, you will find the Google Assistant/ANR settings button.
On the bottom of the two earpieces, there is also a port for plugging in the Micro USB charging cable and the audio cable for a wired connection. Even though Micro USB has been a standard for quite some time for charging devices of this nature, I feel with a brand new product like this, Bose should have taken the opportunity to switch over to USB-C for charging.
USER EXPERIENCE
As soon as the headphones arrived, I paired them to my phone. They had 70% battery life out of the box, which made me happy that I could go ahead and start using them. I put the headphones on my head and found very quickly that they were more comfortable than my Sony headphones and they caused less strain on my head, too. I’ve used the headphones for a couple of days off and on and not had any issue with the battery life.
As soon as the headphones arrived, I paired them to my phone. They had 70% battery life out of the box, which made me happy that I could go ahead and start using them. I put the headphones on my head and found very quickly that they were more comfortable than my Sony headphones and they caused less strain on my head, too. I’ve used the headphones for a couple of days off and on and not had any issue with the battery life.
The buttons and functions I were very easy to pick up on without reading the manual but for more in depth features, you will need to read the manual because they are not as intuitive as the ones listed above. For example you have no dedicated button for changing songs. For us iPhone users we can easily remedy this by simply pressing in and holding the play/pause button to activate Siri and asking her to switch to the next track or calling up a totally different album. All the Siri commands that work on your iPhone work via this button so no worries here.
Even though I’ve only had these remarkable headphones for a few days, I’ve been incredibly impressed with them. The comfortable design and sound quality both live up to the Bose name. I’ve worn them for several hours and don’t perceive any earaches or headaches from wearing them too long.
Making and receiving calls is pretty simple. making calls again takes the use of Siri. I found this to be super simple and had no issues with Siri hearing or understanding what I asked of her to do. I don’t currently have Google Assistant installed so the dedicated Google button was used for the ANR settings instead. The sound quality is amazing. I am hard of hearing and I didn’t have any issues with hearing music or spoken words. Music and sounds were crisp and dynamic.
As noice cancelling headphones go, I really like how the Bose headphones block out ambient noise with little effort. I love that the noise canceling is activated by flipping a switch. I've not had the chance to use these on a plane yet like I did with the Sony's but with noise canceling turned up to high I can almost not hear anything else around me so I'm assuming they will work just as well if not better for travel.
CONCLUSIONS
I think the Bose QuietComfort 35 II are the best wireless headphones on the market right now. I’ve officially made the switch over to them as my primary listening companions. If you had the QuietComfort 35 that were released last year, I don’t know that the Google Assistant feature is enough to upgrade, but if you are using a different style or brand of headphone, I think you will be happy with the Bose QuietComfort 35 II.
I think the Bose QuietComfort 35 II are the best wireless headphones on the market right now. I’ve officially made the switch over to them as my primary listening companions. If you had the QuietComfort 35 that were released last year, I don’t know that the Google Assistant feature is enough to upgrade, but if you are using a different style or brand of headphone, I think you will be happy with the Bose QuietComfort 35 II.
My Best Buy number: 2677435109
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+27points
46of 65voted this as helpful.
Simplify daily cleaning tasks with this Shark cordless vacuum. It uses DuoClean technology to remove stuck-on dirt and grime from carpets and floors, and it operates using a powerful lithium-ion battery, so you can use it anywhere. This Shark cordless vacuum includes a duster crevice attachment for cleaning in tight, narrow places.
Customer Rating
5
A Great Investment in household tools
on September 21, 2017
Posted by: nickcal
from Evansville, IN
Over the years, I’ve had a real love-hate relationship with vacuum cleaners. When I got my first apartment, I was very impressed with my selection of carpet sweeper, but it wasn’t very portable or easy to store because of its size. Nowadays, I’ve really taken a liking to the more compact floor cleaners because they are easier to get in and out of our storage closet. This makes it easier to do a quick sweep at the end of every day instead of letting dust and dirt pile up. The one issue I’ve still had with these compact vacuums is that they have cords. This cord-free vacuum from Shark is just what I needed.
When you open the box, you will find that all the pieces of the cleaner are individually wrapped up in plastic or boxed for shipment to consumers. It took me approximately 10 minutes to pull out all the pieces and lay them out for assembly. There are several attachments for different types of cleaning that can actually be stored away until you need them. The main part of the device is only three pieces - the floor nozzle, MultiFlex Wand, and the handheld vacuum. To assemble the vacuum, you slide the wand into the floor nozzle, and then lock the handheld vacuum element onto the other end of the wand. Assembly took far less than unboxing all the parts did.
Using the vacuum is quite easy, too. The battery arrived with a small charge on it (one bar) so I plugged it in and started sweeping. The first area I did was a tile entryway that always seems to hide dirt in between the individual tile pieces. The Shark did a great job of pulling up the hiding dirt without having to use any special attachments. After the entryway, I moved into our kitchen/dining room area and was amazed at how easily the Shark turned corners and slid beneath cabinets. It picked up everything from dry spaghetti to toothpicks. Finally, I moved on to the carpet in our living room and a small areas in our bedroom before the battery died.
Moving between surfaces is easy because it only takes a button push. The vacuum does a good job of not only picking up the dirt, but also being easy to store. Clean up meant cleaning off the front roller that trapped hairs and carpet fibers and emptying the dirt trap. I found that you actually have to remove the handheld vacuum segment from the wand in order to open the trap door for the dirt reservoir.
The Shark is a really nice investment in household tools. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to keep their house clean.
My Best Buy number: 2677435109
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+9points
9of 9voted this as helpful.
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nickcal's Answers
Life~s extraordinary moments deserve to be captured with smooth video. DJI OM 4 is a magnetic gimbal designed to complement your smartphone, allowing you to start recording right away. Ultra-compact, easy to use, and bursting with intelligent features, OM 4 is the ultimate solution for capturing and sharing your world.
Does the magnetic sticker phone attachment interfere with wireless phone charging?
Ensure meals are cooked evenly with this Breville the Combi Wave 3-in-1e microwave. The grill, convection oven and microwave functions provide a variety of cooking options, while the Element IQ technology precisely delivers the right cooking temperature for optimal results. This Breville the Combi Wave 3-in-1 microwave features a Power Smoothing inverter for automatic adjustment of power to enable even heat distribution.
Is this an air fryer, microwave and convection oven
Simplify your everyday life with the Google Home, a voice-activated speaker powered by the Google Assistant. Use voice commands to enjoy music, get answers from Google and manage everyday tasks. Google Home is compatible with Android and iOS operating systems, and can control compatible smart devices such as Chromecast or Nest."
Will Google Home work with ECOBEE Thermostat?
No. Unfortunately, Google has limited functionality to only the Nest thermostat. At this time, I don't see them opening up support for third parties as they are probably trying to push it with their own hardware, but that could always change.
8 years, 10 months ago
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nickcal
Enjoy a compact tablet that fits neatly in your pocket with this Acer Iconia One 8-inch tablet. It includes a quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM that deliver powerful processing to play all your games and apps, and the 16GB of flash memory ensure this Acer Iconia One 8-inch tablet and store your files.
can i download skype
Depends on the Google Play store. If Microsoft has a version of Skype for Android then yes.
9 years, 3 months ago
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nickcal