nickcal's stats
- Review count323
- Helpfulness votes1,307
- First reviewFebruary 22, 2014
- Last reviewJuly 11, 2025
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- 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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Samsung's 34" Odyssey OLED G8 Ultra-WQHD Gaming Monitor features OLED technology for a wider color spectrum and vibrant images. 175Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time (GtG), and AMD FreeSync™ Premium Pro allows for faster, exhilarating gameplay without image tearing. 34" 21:9 Ultra-WQHD display with 110 pixels per inch for stunning detail and clarity. Glare Free technology significantly reduces glare from external light sources, so the OLED screen’s perfect black and color experience are presented without distractions. OLED Safeguard includes Thermal Modulation System, Logo and Taskbar Detection & Screen Saver to help prevent burn-in. A Slim Metal Design and Ergonomic Stand provides unparalleled style and comfort, with connectivity that enables access a variety of input options. Gaming Hub offers instant access to streaming with Smart TV Apps for access to mustsee shows and free live content. 3-Year warranty.
Customer Rating
4
Great with a frustrating smart TV interface
on September 16, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
Setup: The monitor is well packaged and does require a bit of assembly. The stand is separate from the monitor body and attaching it using a couple of screws is needed. You do have the choice of using the stand or using a VESA-compatible mount. I opted to use the latter and swapped out my current monitor, which resides on a gaming monitor arm. To do this, I had to attach the VESA adapter that came with the monitor and then screw the VESA adapter from the monitor arm to it. The arm held it effortlessly because it is so light - weighing only 12.1 pounds (without the stand).
The physical installation of the monitor was easy, but the rest of the setup left something to be desired. Even though the inclusion Samsung Tizen OS Smart TV interface is considered a benefit, I found it more annoying than anything. For starters, you have to connect your monitor to an internet connection and then you have to log into your Samsung account. If that wasn’t enough, the monitor automatically starts playing whatever content is showing on Samsung’s free TV service. There is no easy way to stop it. To be honest, I was in the middle of testing a host device feature and simply wanted the monitor up and running. So having these extra steps to get through just to use the monitor as a monitor was frustrating.
Overall Impression/Usage: As far as image quality goes, I was pretty impressed. The OLED panel does a good job of providing a crisp, clear image. Text was easy to read and colors were vibrant. The brightness level could be higher (it’s only 250 nits + HDR) whereas my current monitor is 1000 nits (HDR peak). I appreciate that the monitor has a DisplayPort and two HDMI 2.1 ports, I found myself wanting at least one USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 port so that I could connect a host device directly to the monitor without a hub, dock, or adapter.
I’m not a huge fan of the smart TV interface. It seems to just get in the way of the basic monitor functions. It would be great to have a way to shut it off so that you didn’t have to use it at all. I wanted a quick way to view the refresh rate as I switched between inputs but I couldn’t find that option. I connected a Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus to the monitor so that I could try out Call of Duty: Mobile with it. I was able to connect to the monitor at 120Hz using a capture card as a pass through and a couple of different apps. This was great for gameplay.
Conclusion: Overall the monitor seems like a great option for gaming and most types of computing tasks, but the interfaces get in the way.
Pros
Lightweight and easy to mount on a wall or monitor arm
Easy installation
Comes with cables
Clear image
High refresh rate
Cons
Easy installation
Comes with cables
Clear image
High refresh rate
Cons
Not 4K
No USB-C connection
Not extremely bright (only 250 candela per square meter or 250 nits)
Smart monitor interface can be frustrating to work with
Large power supply
Price tag
No USB-C connection
Not extremely bright (only 250 candela per square meter or 250 nits)
Smart monitor interface can be frustrating to work with
Large power supply
Price tag
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Experience Tomorrow, Effortlessly: Get ready for a seismic shift in how you get things done. Seamlessly integrate AI into your everyday PC tasks, saving time, and boosting productivity. Forget sorting through endless search results. Transform how you uncover knowledge by simply asking for exactly what you need and getting tailored responses. Unlock a laptop’s full potential and experience tomorrow's innovations effortlessly today with Swift 14 AI.
Customer Rating
5
A great machine for most daily work
on September 15, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
The Acer Swift 14 AI 14-inch laptop powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and Windows 11 Home edition. It’s processor, RAM, and storage capacity make it a powerful productivity machine for heavy multitaskers. The GPU included is the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite Adreno, which is suitable for most standard tasks, but isn’t going to support heavy gaming or high-demand creative tasks easily.
DESIGN: As far as looks go, the Acer Swift 14 is a pretty standard laptop. It is dark gray and has the Acer logo etched onto the lid. The bottom of the laptop features rubber feet that lift the computer off a flat surface for ventilation. The trackpad is a little larger than a standard trackpad and it seems very responsive. The laptop is slightly thicker than some other laptops I’ve used but it’s still sleek and has a slim profile.
DISPLAY: The screen of the laptop is a touchscreen and I didn’t have any issues with it registering my touch inputs. I didn’t think it the screen collected too many fingerprints and love how bright it is. The display has a resolution of 2560 x 1600 and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The refresh rate is great for smoothing out fast-moving visuals, but may not be apparent with standard tasks. The brightness level is only 300 nits, but it seems to be plenty bright in my opinion.
BATTERY: Out of the box the laptop didn’t power on. I plugged it into power using the provided power adapter and it turned on. After setup was completed, the battery showed it was at 89%. I left the laptop on and unplugged it from the power adapter. I changed the standby settings so that the laptop would not fall asleep. Then, I turned on a 4K YouTube video and let it play at 100% brightness. After one hour, the laptop had only drained 6% of its battery. With that in mind, I would estimate that it would take 15-16 hours of use to drain the battery completely.
NETWORK SPEED: To test the network speed, I ran Ookla’s Speed Test using Chrome. The dowload speed was 737.19 Mbps and the upload speed was 604.51 Mbps and the ping was 12. This was using an AT&T Fiber connection with a Netgear RAXE500 Tri-Band WiFi 6E Router.
PERFORMANCE: When I completed standard real-world tests such as surfing the internet, editing photos (just using Paint), and notepage/processing tasks, the laptop passed above expectations. When I set up the laptop, I did it as a new PC and customized the experience for business and creativity as it seemed to be the best match for the laptop’s specs.
One thing that was different about the setup process was that the laptop automatically completed updates as a part of its initial startup. I did decline the trial offers of Office 365 and Xbox Game Pass. When it came to search settings, I turned off search highlights and the work or school account options. Then, I turned off the Microsoft Start feed in the Widget area. Once those setup tasks were completed, I completed the Windows updates.
After finishing setup and updates, I restarted the computer and immediately ran Task Manager to see how many computing tasks were running. There were 181 tasks running - most of which were system-based.
I ran Geekbench to assess how well the CPU would perform. The Geekbench CPU score was 2426 single-core / 14374 multi-core. As a means of comparison, the top-ranking CPU on Geekbench’s charts is the Intel Core i9-13900KS with a score of 3140 for single-core and a multi-core score of 21796. When looking at the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-78-100) processor that is in the Acer laptop against the Intel Core i9, the Intel chip outperforms the Snapdragon X Elite in nearly every area except power efficiency and integrated graphics.
Overall, the Acer laptop is a power-efficient laptop that is great for many different tasks. I wouldn’t bet on it as a dedicated gaming machine, but for most other tasks it’s worthwhile.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Elevate your driving experience with this cutting-edge Wireless Apple CarPlay Adapter. Perfect for iPhone users and compatible with vehicles that have built-in Apple CarPlay, this adapter transforms your commute by enhancing both safety and accessibility. Benefit from effortless auto-pairing and a stable Bluetooth connection that seamlessly integrates with your vehicle's system. Enjoy the convenience of wireless hands-free media streaming and voice control, allowing you to focus on the road while staying connected and entertained. Unlock the full potential of your car's capabilities with this essential upgrade.
Customer Rating
5
Helpful device
on September 11, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
One of my favorite features of iOS is CarPlay. The only thing I don’t like is that wireless CarPlay isn’t widely available. My car came equipped with CarPlay, but it required my phone to be hardwired into the car and I hate cables. So, having a wireless CarPlay adapter seemed like the ideal solution to me.
This adapter was easy to install and get set up. I’ve used many types of wireless CarPlay adapters and most of them utilize complicated menus and many of them have both English and Chinese menu items which make it very hard to determine what settings to choose. This Rexing adapter is a great upgrade from non-wireless CarPlay because the setup is effortless and doesn’t have multiple languages to deal with.
I love how small the adapter is. It makes it easy to stow away in the middle storage compartment of my car. So far, I’ve not had any issues with it and I’m really enjoying having wireless CarPlay.
Unlike other CarPlay adapters this one is super solid. I like how well it works. Will get one for my other car.
Unlike other CarPlay adapters this one is super solid. I like how well it works. Will get one for my other car.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Congratulations—you hooked yourself up with a pair of Apple AirPods! Now protect them as best you can with the Best Buy essentials Silicone Case for Apple AirPods 3rd Generation. Specifically designed for 3rd generation Apple AirPods, this silicone case cradles and protects your AirPods from drops up to 3.94 ft. A removeable carabiner ring attaches your case to lanyards, keychains and more. This case supports wireless charging, and precise cutouts allow constant access to your buttons and charging port. Finally, the rich blue color looks great and shows off your style. Protect your AirPods with a silicone case that gets the job done and looks stylish while doing it.
Customer Rating
5
Classic, simple design
on September 11, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
My fiance and I have been fans of the Apple AirPods since they were first released. The only issue either of us has had was keeping the charging case protected. Silicone cases like this one are perfect for this purpose. In addition to that, the case protects the shell of the AirPods from getting scratched. This particular case is designed with an O-Ring carabiner clip which is helpful for attaching it to backpacks, key rings, or belt loops.
The case seems sturdy. One of the features of this case is a silicone strap that connects the top to the base of the case. This is nice because it means that the top can’t get separated from the bottom of the case, but it is pretty thin. I pulled on it to see if it stretched out and I didn’t seem to change the integrity of the strap. I do, however, wonder how it will fare over time.
The silicone is smooth, but it does collect pocket lint, which is a fatal flaw of this material. It’s very protective, but it doesn’t stay super clean. The charging port cover is open, which means that it’s not completely resistant to the elements. There is a cutout for the indicator LED on the front and a clear indicator of where the reset/pairing button on the back of the AirPod case is. The case isn’t super heavy, but it will add some weight to the AirPods.
Overall, this is a nice case and it’s better than no protection at all. If you are just looking for something to give your AirPods some added protection without a lot of flare, this is a nice, affordable option.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The new Zenbook S 16 harmoniously blends beauty and performance. Featuring an impossibly thin 0.43-inch chassis crafted from premium Ceraluminum material, the S 16 exudes elegance in its craftsmanship. Immerse your senses in its breathtaking 16-inch 3K OLED Lumina display and experience high-fidelity audio from its six powerful speakers. Optimized for productivity, the S 16 is powered by the latest AMD Ryzen processor with a dedicated AI NPU that speeds up local AI processes, while a quick-access Copilot AI Assistant key streamlines your workflow. Despite its compact form and powerful performance, the Zenbook S 16 offers incredible all-day endurance thanks to its 78Wh battery.
Customer Rating
5
An exceptional all-around laptop
on August 28, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
The ASUS Zenbook S is a 16-inch productivity machine powered by AMD, Windows 11, and Copilot. This is a high-end laptop that is designed to handle more power-hungry tasks such as content creation, but it isn’t great for heavy gaming. I have only had the Zenbook for about a week, but it’s already proven itself to be a fantastic multitasking powerhouse.
DESIGN: The physical design of this laptop is stunning. It has a ‘Celaluminum’ covering, which is a combination of ceramic and aluminum that is strong and scratch resistant. The color is a silvery white tone and there are some geometric lines etched into the lid of the computer. “ASUS Zenbook” is imprinted on the cover as well, but it’s small and set off to one corner. When you open the cover, the screen, keyboard, and trackpad match the gorgeous exterior.
The trackpad is a bit larger than a standard trackpad and you have the option of using more two, three, and four finger gestures. This type of function is very similar to what you get with a touchscreen device, such as a mobile phone or tablet. Since I’m very accustomed to that, I felt right at home.
DISPLAY: This laptop does not come with a pen, but the monitor is a touchscreen. This is one feature that I wish my other laptop had because I mistakenly touch the screen so many times when I move between my phone, tablet, and laptop. I found that the screen was very responsive and it didn’t seem to get too dirty with fingerprints. The screen resolution is 2880 x 1800, which is Full HD and actually treads into 2K territory (anything between 1440 and 2160 is considered 2K). The specs actually classify it as 3K, which isn’t widely recognized.
The aspect ratio is 16:10, which is slightly bigger than standard widescreen. I viewed 4K video content from YouTube on this laptop and thought it was gorgeous. The screen is reflective and if you try to take a picture of its screen while turned off, you will get a reflection of yourself in the shot. With a brightness of 500 nits, the it’s very easy to read and edit documents as well as images on this display.
With it being an OLED HDR screen, visuals are very impressive. You get a high color depth and very vibrant images.
SOUND PERFORMANCE: I was very impressed with the power and sound quality of these speakers. They are Harmon/Kardon speakers and the computer is equipped with Dolby Atmos as a sound profile. I listened to some music using YouTube Music and blown away by how powerful the speakers are. For most sound, I comfortable listening at a level of 10, but for testing purposes, I bumped the volume up to 24 and 50 (I discovered that the volume increases and decreased by increments of 2). At 50, it was almost too loud for me — especially with it sitting right next to me. I found that I had a slightly different experience when I played a movie using Disney+. I had to turn the volume up to 50 in order to hear all the details I wanted to hear while watching the intro sequence to Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2.
I used an app on my phone (Sound Level Meter) to measure the loudness of the speakers. First I captured some ambient noise, which measured around 27dBA. Then, I listened to music at the two levels I mentioned. The average dBA level was 33.5 with a max level of 79.2. The meter divides sound levels into four colored segments - blue (quiet), green (speech), yellow (noise), and red (danger). For the most part the volume level was in the green area, but when the music peaked at a high point (at 50% volume on the laptop), the level bounced into the yellow area. With the movie playing at 50%, I got a max level of 58.5 dBA and a minimum level of 25.2 dBA. It barely bounced into the yellow area.
BATTERY: Out of the box, the laptop did not power on until I plugged it into power. It did, however, immediately show that it was at 60% battery level after set up was completed. I charged the laptop to 100% and then ran it down to 3% by playing a constant stream of 4K video streaming on YouTube. The screen brightness was turned up to 100% but the volume was turned down to 0%. The backlighting on the keyboard was also turned off and no other tasks were running other than YouTube on Chrome. I started this test at noon and at 11:44pm the computer finally shutdown due to lack of power. It took less than two hours to charge it back to full power with 30% battery life gained in just under 30 minutes.
NETWORK: To test the network performance, I ran Ookla’s Speed Test using Chrome. The download speed was 814.95 Mbps and the upload speed was 724.87 Mbps and the ping was 13. This was using an AT&T Fiber connection with a Netgear RAXE500 Tri-Band WiFi 6E Router.
PERFORMANCE: When it comes to performance, I will say that standard real-world tests passed with flying colors. I did a variety of tasks including surfing the internet, editing photos (just using Paint), and notepad/word processing tasks. I set the laptop up as a new PC and customized the experience for business and creativity as it seemed to match the specs of the computer the best. I did decline the trial offers of Office 365 and Xbox Game Pass. When it came to search settings, I turned off search highlights and the work or school account options. Then, I turned off the Microsoft Start feed in the Widget area. Once those setup tasks were completed, I completed the Windows updates. For the most part, this was a pretty standard setup process for me, but I did note that after the second reboot, I got a notification that ASUS needed to do a Firmware update on the Bios. I completed that with no issues, but a couple of days later, I had to do it again. There weren’t any issues with these updates, but it was strange to me since I’ve not encountered that before.
After finishing setup and updates, I restarted the computer and immediately ran Task Manager to see how many computing tasks were running. There were 186 tasks running - most of which were system-based. There were 68 background processes and Task Manager reported that 3% CPU, 22% Memory, and 1% Disk was being used for these processes.
I did several benchmarking tests on this laptop when I first got it (Geekbench, Geekbench AI, GFX Bench, and Cinebench) to check out its general performance ranking. I admit that I was a little confused about this machine’s place in the market since it has all high-end components except for the entry-level GPU. The tests I ran provided some valuable insights.
Cinebench - Cinebench is a benchmarking tool used to evaluate the performance of a computer's CPU and GPU. It primarily measures the processing power of the CPU by rendering a complex 3D scene, which tests the CPU's ability to handle multi-core and single-core workloads. The resulting score reflects the CPU's performance, with higher scores indicating better processing capability. Single-Core Score 113pts; Multi-Core Score 713pts. This ranked it along size Apple M1 Max and Apple M1 Ultra processors, which are powerful, but are two generations behind the current chipset for that ecosystem.
GFXBench - I ran the high-level and render tests. The results were:
Aztec Ruins OpenGL (High Tier) 3721.82 Frames
4K Aztec Ruins OpenGL (High Tier) Offscreen 2362.31 Frames
Render Quality (high precision) 3927.92 mB PSNR
This means the Zenbook’s GPU will perform similar to a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 or NVIDIA GeForce 1050 Ti.
4K Aztec Ruins OpenGL (High Tier) Offscreen 2362.31 Frames
Render Quality (high precision) 3927.92 mB PSNR
This means the Zenbook’s GPU will perform similar to a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 or NVIDIA GeForce 1050 Ti.
Geekbench - Geekbench provides an easy-to-understand score that allows users to compare the performance of different CPUs and devices across various tasks, ranging from everyday applications to more demanding computational workloads. The Geekbench CPU score was 1606 single-core / 8363 multi-core and the GPU score was 26656.
One additional test I ran was to see how quickly the laptop would compress a 4K video file. I used a 4K H.264 video file that is 10 minutes 15 seconds long and added it to Handbrake. Then I used the Fast 1080p30 preset to complete the conversion. The file was converted in approximately 12 minutes.
Overall, the ASUS Zenbook S exceeded my expectations. I wish that it had a more powerful GPU so that it could also be used for gaming, but it’s a fantastic laptop that can used for nearly any type of task.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Enter a new era of mobile gaming with the power of a full-fledged pro console controller. The Kishi Ultra forges into new terrain as the greatest mobile controller ever created. Meticulously designed with console-class ergonomics, immersive haptics, and Razer Chroma RGB, the Kishi Ultra delivers a true console experience with zero compromise.
Customer Rating
5
Best portable controller for phones and tablets
on August 23, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
Hello there, gamers; welcome to your portable playing machine. The Razer Kishi is an outstanding device that works with small tablets and phones. I have been using mine for a week and couldn’t be happier. It allows me to play on the go without packing an extra portable monitor controller or laptop. It’s lightweight and has all the buttons you could want for fast-paced shooting games. It even has a headphone jack, but I couldn’t test that as I only have Bluetooth headphones. It is nice to have included if a time arises when wired headphones are needed.
One downside is getting used to the extra buttons on the top of the Kishi, not the back. That was a weird flex by Razer. I’ve used the Kishi with my iPhone 15 Pro Max, Android phone, and my iPad mini. It’s fantastic and is like holding a normal Xbox controller.
There is a companion app that is not 100% necessary to use but it is nice because it gives you the ability to change your RGB colors and map the extra top buttons.
If you are looking for a great portable gaming handheld go with this as it doesn’t have flimsy sticks like other gamepads.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Better hearing today, technology that’s ready for tomorrow. Our smallest “micro” hearing aid yet features SoundScape proprietary speech clarity technology to deliver next-level listening. Ready for the future of connectivity with Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast as new devices come to market.
Customer Rating
5
The best OTC hearing aids available
on August 5, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
I've suffered with some form of hearing loss for more than half my life. I've been diagnosed with Sensorineural Sloping Hearing Loss in both ears, which is the most common type of hearing loss. It occurs when the inner ear or the actual hearing nerve itself becomes damaged. Over the years, I've tried different types of hearing assistance -- everything from the most simple pre-programmed one-size-fits-all hearing aids to the most advanced premium hearing aids that can be programmed remotely and pair to smartphones. I am currently using a set from ReSound, which is owned by the GN Group, the parent company Jabra. I learned when I started using ReSound hearing aids about six years ago that the Jabra and ReSound engineers work side by side to ensure that users get the best possible listening experience no matter what product they are using.
The Jabra Enhance Select 500 are a great set of OTC hearing aids and I'm extremely glad they are available. In my opinion, they are the next best thing to the premium prescription hearing aids people can get. I was able to set my two hearing aid sets next to each other and see the similarities in their features.
Unboxing and Setup
When I received the kit, I was in awe of everything that was included. In my pursuit of a decent, inexpensive hearing aid, I have used ones that are barely more than an amplifier and only comes with preset mode. This is what I was continuing to expect from other OTC hearing aids. The Jabra Enhance Select 500 was not that at all. The kit comes with the hearing aids, a charging case, wall charger and cable, several packets of ear domes, a cleaning kit, sport locks, a wax guard and receiver tool, and several manuals to follow. This was very similar to the kit I got with the ReSound hearing aids I have.
Out of the box, the hearing aids did have some charge to them, but I would recommend charging them to 100% before setting them up and using them. The hearing aids come with the receiver wire installed and a set of domes already on the ends. They are lightweight and the charging case is very compact. It is, in fact, the same charging case as the ReSound ONE hearing aids I own.
To set them up properly, you must download the Jabra Enhance Select app. I will point out that with iPhones, you can only have one hearing assistance device connected at a time. Since I already had the ReSound ONE hearing aids paired to my phone, I unpaired those so that I could set up the Enhance Select 500s. After I did, I went back into the ReSound app and it recognized the Jabra hearing aids. I didn't attempt to use that app with those hearing aids, but it was very interesting to see that happen given the relationship of the two companies to each other.
The pairing process was fairly simple and they hearing aids stayed connected once they were recognized by the iPhone. After getting the devices paired, I was able to walk through the adjustment steps in the app to get the hearing aids set up.
Remote Assistance
One of the huge benefits of using Jabra OTC hearing aids is the ability to use their remote assistance support personnel to get help with any issues you might have. I reached out to them when I was setting everything up. They walked me through the process and even explained why the two apps were so similar. The person I worked with was very knowledgeable and helpful to me. I also set up an appointment with an audiologist so that I can fine tune the hearing aids.
Experience
Nearly all of my high-end hearing is gone. I can't hear birds without assistance and it's very difficult for me to understand dialogue on televisions shows. The Jabra Enhance Select 500 hearing aids were able to elevate my hearing to a place where I could hear birds and dialogue was quite a bit easier to understand. There is still a difference between this level of OTC hearing aids and prescription hearing aids. The Enhance Select 500 are extremely comprehensive and a great OTC option for people with mild-moderate hearing loss. I would encourage everyone to get their hearing tested -- even if you think you don't have any issues. It gives you a baseline to judge future hearing tests from and the moment you start having issues, you don't have to wait. You can go get a set of OTC hearing aids so that you don't lose more hearing capacity. The Jabra Enhance Select 500 hearing aids are the best OTC option available.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Pairs perfectly with LG OLED B4, C4 and G4 series TVs. Welcome to 7-channel heaven! Give yourself the home theater setup you’ve always dreamed about with rich, immersive sound, exceptional clarity and intense bass. The S90TR 7.1.3ch, features a powerful array of left, right, center, rear speakers, plus subwoofer, that will transform how you experience your favorite entertainment.
Customer Rating
5
Outstanding sound system for LG set ups
on July 19, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
I’ve always liked the concept of soundbars. The idea that you can have theater-quality sound in your living room with a simple set up has always been appealing to me. Unfortunately, the execution has been somewhat lackluster given the interfaces between devices. Some systems just aren’t 100% compatible with each other and it makes for a disappointing experience. They have complicated interfaces and extra cabling that you have to hide. Fortunately, the LG S90TR Soundbar is a wireless system and set up is a breeze.
I am actually in the midst of redoing my office setup so adding this system into my entertainment area was perfect timing. I connected the soundbar system with my 65” LG 4K TV and started watching various videos to try out the various features.
Here are the things I really liked about this system.
Easy Setup - To say this system is easy to install is almost not enough to convey the simplicity of it. If you follow the power-up instructions (rear speakers, subwoofer, then soundbar), you shouldn’t have any issues with the system connecting the way it should. I think within about 30 seconds (probably less) the rear speakers and subwoofer were connected to the soundbar. It is a ‘wireless’ system in that there are no speaker wires that have to be run. Each piece has its own power cable, but they don’t have any large power adapter attached to them so they are easy to hide.
App Connected System - Even though the system comes with a remote, I really enjoyed the LG Soundbar app, too. It provides the user with an option for updating firmware as well as being able to see what mode you were using. There is no display on the front of the soundbar so it’s hard to tell what setting you are using without the app. I love being able to switch effortlessly between mode with a simple tap.
Sound Output - The sound quality is very impressive. I have a hearing impairment, which makes it difficult for me to hear dialogue and other higher pitched sounds. This soundbar system produced clear sound and I was able to discern voices from other background sounds. One thing that helped a lot was the Clear Voice Pro preset mode. It brought the vocal track to the front and dropped all the other sounds to the background. This was great for me and my fiance said it didn’t make her experience less enjoyable. It was a good measured preset as were the other modes we tried.
Powerful System - I have been very impressed by the power behind this system. It has a total of 670W, which is a little less than the previous soundbar I was using, which had a total of 800W. But, this LG system provides features such as 3D spatial sound, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, which make it sound and feel like a much more powerful system.
I would not hesitate this to anyone looking to make an upgrade in sound systems. It has a sleek design and comes equipped with a lot of valuable features that can benefit anyone looking to enjoy theater-like sound in their home.
App Connected System - Even though the system comes with a remote, I really enjoyed the LG Soundbar app, too. It provides the user with an option for updating firmware as well as being able to see what mode you were using. There is no display on the front of the soundbar so it’s hard to tell what setting you are using without the app. I love being able to switch effortlessly between mode with a simple tap.
Sound Output - The sound quality is very impressive. I have a hearing impairment, which makes it difficult for me to hear dialogue and other higher pitched sounds. This soundbar system produced clear sound and I was able to discern voices from other background sounds. One thing that helped a lot was the Clear Voice Pro preset mode. It brought the vocal track to the front and dropped all the other sounds to the background. This was great for me and my fiance said it didn’t make her experience less enjoyable. It was a good measured preset as were the other modes we tried.
Powerful System - I have been very impressed by the power behind this system. It has a total of 670W, which is a little less than the previous soundbar I was using, which had a total of 800W. But, this LG system provides features such as 3D spatial sound, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, which make it sound and feel like a much more powerful system.
I would not hesitate this to anyone looking to make an upgrade in sound systems. It has a sleek design and comes equipped with a lot of valuable features that can benefit anyone looking to enjoy theater-like sound in their home.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The most flexible laptop, reimagined — Surface Pro helps you get the most out of your day with accelerated performance that unlocks a new AI era to enable Copilot experiences, and battery life₅ to keep you going all-day long. All wrapped up in an ultra-portable design that can replace your tablet, your laptop, and does more than you could ever imagine.
Customer Rating
5
A remarkable tablet PC
on July 1, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
I’ve been intrigued by the Microsoft Surface for many years but I haven’t had the chance to try it out until now. I’m an Apple user for the most part but I do use Windows machines for gaming and my fiancé uses them sometimes for work. But neither of us have had the chance to try out the flagship tablet from Microsoft.
My fiancé was immediately taken with it. She said the screen was breathtaking and one of the first things she wanted to try was watching high-quality video on it. We set up Netflix and Disney+ on it and watched some videos. The speaker quality is very good on the Surface Pro and we didn’t feel the need to immediately connect it to external speakers.
The tablet comes with a full version of Windows 11 on it. My fiancé works with software developers so she’s done a lot of prompt training with bots and she asked a variety of questions to Copilot+. It was quick with responses and one of the things that we both really liked was that it provided references for where it found its answers. We tried image creation and looking up answers to some basic questions and it worked just as well as ChatGPT. The best part is that it’s integrated into the system. There are other system enhancements that Copilot+ provides, but they are a work in progress.
We ran a Geekbench test on it to see how it compared to the benchmark. The single-core score was 2440 and the multi-core score was 13196. Both of these scores surpassed the top Android device listed in Geekbench’s Benchmark Charts (Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, 2.3 GHz) and was in line with Intel Core i5 13th and 14th generation processors.
The tablet is quiet and it doesn’t seem to get overly hot — even with prolonged use. The battery life is very good. We had it on standby for a couple of days and it still had 18% battery left when we picked it up again. It seems to be very efficient power-wise. The only thing I would change about its power features is its charging method. While it will charge using USB-C the charging option that came with it is a magnetic connector and a two-part power supply/cable that is quite bulky to lug around. The Surface Pro is sleek and easy to transport — except for the charging cable.
One of the most remarkable things about this tablet is that it’s running Windows 11 — and running it very well. It’s a fluid experience and even though there was pre-installed software on it, the system didn’t seem to be bogged down at all.
Overall, the Surface Pro Snapdrago X Plus is a remarkable device that provides a high level of productivity for the end-user. We certainly like having it as an additional machine in our home.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Next-level versatility comes in the perfect pair — Surface Slim Pen (2nd Edition) stores securely and recharges in the premium keyboard, featuring a large glass touchpad and luxurious, Alcantara material covering. Ready to pair with Surface Pro (11th Edition), Surface Pro 9 and Surface Pro 8.*
Customer Rating
5
Good accessories, but could use improvement
on July 1, 2024
Posted by: nickcal
I’ve been a tablet user since the 1st iPad was released. I loved it when Apple announced the Apple Pencil and I’ve been using it consistently ever since. I also value a matching keyboard for the tablet and when I got the Surface Pro Snapdragon X Plus, I really wanted the keyboard and pencil to be included as a bundle. This was unfortunately not the case. Aside from that roadblock, I have to say that the design of the keyboard and slim pen are quite nice. I like how they seem to fit as an ecosystem.
The pen is, of course, designed to lay flat for storage and portability. The only downside to that is it’s a little different to be using something flat to write with. I’m used to round pens and pencils and picking up the Slim Pen felt foreign to me. I did get used to it after a little while, but it was a learning curve I had to overcome. The pen has good sensitivity and responsiveness with the screen of the Surface. I doodled a bit in paint and used it to markup a PDF and it worked well for those purposes.
The keyboard attaches to the tablet magnetically and gets its power from that connector. The inside of the keyboard matches the outside — both sides have a soft microfiber cloth as a liner. The keys are nice to type on and while I don’t feel they are a replacement for a standard keyboard, they get the job done for the tablet.
The keyboard is only one piece. It folds over to cover the screen of the tablet, but the back of the Surface Pro is still exposed. The kickstand of the device is part of the tablet’s back and not the keyboard. This was a surprise to me as I’m used to the keyboard accessory being a protective cover for the tablet, as well. It’s not a bad design — it was just surprising.
In my opinion, these accessories are a must-have if you are getting the Surface Pro. They turn a good tablet into a great computer alternative.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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