callmeageeth's stats
- Review count344
- Helpfulness votes1,280
- First reviewJune 13, 2014
- Last reviewApril 29, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.4
Reviews comments
- Review comment count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First review commentNone
- Last review commentNone
- Featured review comments0
Questions
- Question count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First questionNone
- Last questionNone
- Featured questions0
- Answer count28
- Helpfulness votes52
- First answerJune 23, 2014
- Last answerDecember 15, 2021
- Featured answers0
- Best answers8
Ambush at the peak-point, overlooking the enemy and about to march strongly, Bravo 15 is ready to ignite the gaming world. Combining the latest AMD Ryzen 7535HS processor and Nvidia RTX4050 graphics together, Bravo 15 satisfies the gamer's imagination in gaming. With the MSI exclusive thermal solution - Cooler Boost 5, empower the full performance of CPU and GPU. Also the 144Hz gaming display provides sharp and smooth visuals so gamers never miss a beat. Take advantage of Bravo 15 and soar like thunderbird in the game battlefield!.
Customer Rating
4
Midrange performance with boring design
on September 5, 2023
Posted by: callmeageeth
In a time of gaming lights and feature rich laptops, this MSI Laptop is pretty basic. Borderline boring. But boring doesn’t mean bad. In fact, for the price this is a pretty compelling laptop. I was quite impressed with the performance. There are some things I wish it had, like higher resolution screen, but all in all, it’s a nice package - albeit in a slightly dull package. My perspective on this laptop is from a practical standpoint vs. a deep dive into performance metrics.
IN THE BOX
As one might expect, the only thing you get in the box is the laptop and the charger. The charging brick is relatively small, it’s big, but not unwieldy and there’s sure to be plenty of slack should your plug be far away.
As one might expect, the only thing you get in the box is the laptop and the charger. The charging brick is relatively small, it’s big, but not unwieldy and there’s sure to be plenty of slack should your plug be far away.
SETUP
While the experience setting up this laptop wasn’t unlike the setup of any other Windows laptop, I ran into a few delays. Nothing that really takes away from the experience, but it certainly felt like more of a bear than other computer setups. It could very well be user based or some one off, but it’s worth mentioning. There was an inordinate amount of updating, as one would expect, but the updates, both for Windows and the MSI Center didn’t work at first. I kept getting errors. Eventually the Windows updates went through (I can’t explain what happened or say that I did anything), but I was never able to resolve the issues with the MSI Center. Granted, it’s not necessary to have. But the MSI Center is where one might go to monitor the hardware. Of course there’s 3rd party apps that do this, and I’m not one to regularly use these computer maker’s software, but maybe that matters to you. In any event, it didn’t stop me from actually being able to game.
While the experience setting up this laptop wasn’t unlike the setup of any other Windows laptop, I ran into a few delays. Nothing that really takes away from the experience, but it certainly felt like more of a bear than other computer setups. It could very well be user based or some one off, but it’s worth mentioning. There was an inordinate amount of updating, as one would expect, but the updates, both for Windows and the MSI Center didn’t work at first. I kept getting errors. Eventually the Windows updates went through (I can’t explain what happened or say that I did anything), but I was never able to resolve the issues with the MSI Center. Granted, it’s not necessary to have. But the MSI Center is where one might go to monitor the hardware. Of course there’s 3rd party apps that do this, and I’m not one to regularly use these computer maker’s software, but maybe that matters to you. In any event, it didn’t stop me from actually being able to game.
DESIGN AND INTERNALS
As I said, the design is pretty boring. It’s a thick black plastic laptop with lots of bezels. It’s not terribly heavy, but is much heavier than an ultrabook or the like - which is frankly to be expected. The lid has understated etched lines and an MSI logo that doesn’t pop. Again, not saying that’s good or bad. Frankly, this doesn’t scream gaming laptop, but from a distance looks like your standard corporated issued business laptop. It has sturdy raised rubber feet on the bottom that keep the laptop from sliding on your desk and elevated for airflow. There are 3 USB-A ports, one USB-C, ethernet, HDMI out, and 3.5 mm headphone jack. The USB-C port seems more recessed than the other ports, and I didn’t have any issues plugging a USB-C webcam into it, but I couldn’t make my USB-C thumb drive work. The USB-C prong in my thumb drive wasn’t long enough to make a connection. Seems like an odd design choice. Admittedly, however, I haven’t tried a whole lot of USB-C cables to see how many fit or don’t fit and whether my issues were specific to my one thumb drive.
As I said, the design is pretty boring. It’s a thick black plastic laptop with lots of bezels. It’s not terribly heavy, but is much heavier than an ultrabook or the like - which is frankly to be expected. The lid has understated etched lines and an MSI logo that doesn’t pop. Again, not saying that’s good or bad. Frankly, this doesn’t scream gaming laptop, but from a distance looks like your standard corporated issued business laptop. It has sturdy raised rubber feet on the bottom that keep the laptop from sliding on your desk and elevated for airflow. There are 3 USB-A ports, one USB-C, ethernet, HDMI out, and 3.5 mm headphone jack. The USB-C port seems more recessed than the other ports, and I didn’t have any issues plugging a USB-C webcam into it, but I couldn’t make my USB-C thumb drive work. The USB-C prong in my thumb drive wasn’t long enough to make a connection. Seems like an odd design choice. Admittedly, however, I haven’t tried a whole lot of USB-C cables to see how many fit or don’t fit and whether my issues were specific to my one thumb drive.
You get some decent gaming chops on the inside. There’s an RTX 4050 for dedicated graphics, and Ryzen 5 for processing. Note that the RTX 4050 is great for 1080p, which is what this laptop supports and brings with it NVIDIA’s advancements in ray tracing and DLSS. There’s 16 GB of RAM which is fine for this machine, Wi-Fi 6E for the fastest internet. The screen, however, is only 1080p but you do get a 144 hz refresh rate. Honestly, when using a 15 inch screen, 1080p is really all you need. MSI calls the screen a matrix display, and it looks good. Text and images are plenty sharp. So while we might be accustomed to higher resolution screens on big TVs, you realize you don’t need it on a smaller screen.
The keyboard is just fine. I’m not a big fan of the font MSI uses, it looks like a font in a sci-fi movie, but that’s just personal preference. It’s backlit, which isn’t always a guarantee on cheaper laptops. The lighting is plenty bright to use at all times. The WASD keys are translucent which is cool, and makes it easy to find when playing FPS games with a keyboard and mouse. I will always prefer a mechanical keyboard, so I use a separate keyboard with my laptops. But the typing experience was just fine, the keyboard is nice and quiet (vs. mechanical clickiness) and was very responsive. The touchpad was also very responsive and is plenty big IMO. What is a plus to me is the number pad to the right. I dislike when 15 inch laptops don’t take advantage of the space and put in a number pad. Again, this is personal preference.
GAMING PERFORMANCE
I play a wide variety of games on a wide variety of machines. I like playing Cyberpunk 2077 on PC, as well as some Xbox games through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. I also have a whole library of games from Epic. To test out the capabilities, I opted to try Cyberpunk first. I just opened it up and went with the default settings at first (side note, I’m not one to really fine tune all my graphical settings on PC, it’s just not my thing, I have too little time to actually play games).
I play a wide variety of games on a wide variety of machines. I like playing Cyberpunk 2077 on PC, as well as some Xbox games through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. I also have a whole library of games from Epic. To test out the capabilities, I opted to try Cyberpunk first. I just opened it up and went with the default settings at first (side note, I’m not one to really fine tune all my graphical settings on PC, it’s just not my thing, I have too little time to actually play games).
Most of the visual settings were on High or Ultra. When I started playing, my framerates averaged about 60 FPS, but when the action got heavy, it sometimes dipped into the 30s. It wasn’t unplayable, but it wasn’t ideal, especially when the screen supports 144 hz. I went back into my settings and turned on DLSS 3.0 - for those that don’t know, I’m sure most of you reading this do, that’s a feature in the newest NVIDIA 40 line of GPUs that utilizes AI, and software magic to increase your framerates. After doing so, I saw a marked improvement in my FPS (note in my pictures below, you might notice the average FPS is higher than what I cited, that’s because I paused playing to take a screenshot and there was no action going on when the screenshot was grabbed). But I was really impressed with the lighting and textures. The ray tracing was fantastic. All in all, even with just turning on DLSS 3.0 in the menus (again, I don’t really get into the fine tuning, it’s not my thing, but I know it’s important to a vast majority of PC gamers) I was able to get great performance out of Cyberpunk which is known to be graphically demanding.
I also tried one my favorite games, Lego Builder’s Journey. It’s a simple puzzle game, but it looks amazing on this laptop - primarily because of the ray tracing and high refresh rate. I was able to get FPS in the 100s.
All-in-all, as a 1080p gaming machine, you can’t do much better in terms of performance - without breaking the bank.
OTHER USES AND COMMENTS
It almost goes without saying that most gaming laptops are good all around laptops. If you can handle high demanding games, it can handle about anything else. When I’m not gaming, I mostly use computers for word processing and surfing the web. Of course this handles that just fine.
It almost goes without saying that most gaming laptops are good all around laptops. If you can handle high demanding games, it can handle about anything else. When I’m not gaming, I mostly use computers for word processing and surfing the web. Of course this handles that just fine.
The speakers are par for the course for a laptop. You’ll want dedicated speakers when in a serious gaming session but otherwise, they sound as good as you’d expect in a laptop. There’s little to no bass to speak of, but I found them to get plenty loud to hear spoken dialogue in games.
The battery life is rated at around 8 hours for web surfing or video playback. I didn’t perform a battery run down test, but I would be surprised if it lasted 4 hours with general use (which might include some gaming). I’ll also note that when I unplugged it after a full charge, went a few days and turned it on without plugging the power in, the power level was at 75%. I haven’t tested it thoroughly, but I hope this was an aberration in that I might have not fully turned it off before closing the lid. Otherwise, I would be concerned about relying on the battery.
CONCLUSION
If you are in the market for a gaming laptop that can handle most any game and is reasonably priced, this MSI is a good one to consider. I found no performance issues playing a wide variety of games on high visual settings. The 1080p screen is more than adequate on a 15 inch screen.
If you are in the market for a gaming laptop that can handle most any game and is reasonably priced, this MSI is a good one to consider. I found no performance issues playing a wide variety of games on high visual settings. The 1080p screen is more than adequate on a 15 inch screen.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
The Ninja Blast Portable Blender brings high-speed Ninja blending power on the go with a cordless, hand-held design. The 18-oz. vessel is perfect for smoothies, protein shakes, and frozen drinks. Blast through frozen ingredients with Ninja’s BlastBlade Assembly. Ninja Blast is rechargeable via USB-C. One-handed, easy-open sip lid and carrying handle make drinking on the go easier than ever.
Customer Rating
4
Works great, but use case is limited
on September 2, 2023
Posted by: callmeageeth
This is a fantastic little blender but won't be for everyone. It's really only meant for one person as you can tell by the size. You won't be making a picture of margaritas at your next house party with it for example, or smoothies for the entire family.. But for someone drinks their meals frequently, or even infrequently, this is a nice little option - especially when on the go. It's extremely portable and user friendly and the motor works well for the most part. There are a few little quirks, but nothing that would stop me from recommending it.
WHAT YOU GET AND GETTING STARTED
The blender comes in a little cardboard package in the shape of a big tube. There's not much in there, it's just the blender and inside of it you'll find an instruction manual and an extremely short USB C cable for charging. All in all everything you would need. Setup is pretty straightforward, one of the stickers on the blender itself tells you to charge it for at least two hours before the first use. But unlike other Ninja blenders, there's not 6 different types of preset blending options (like ice crush, smoothie, pulse etc.). There's a button to turn it on and off, and there's a button to start and stop the blending. Frankly, it’s all I ever want in a blender.
DESIGN
The blender is solid and well designed. It comes apart in three pieces. There’s the lid, which is both the lid of the blender (to prevent everything from shooting out) and has a flip top so you can drink from it, there’s the clear plastic container, and the motor base. The lid screws into the clear plastic body, which then screws into the motor base. The blender will not turn on unless the arrows on the clear plastic body and motor base are aligned (which requires you to twist/tighten them to a certain point). Again, it all fits well together and feels solid. I can’t speak to its durability if it’s, for example, dropped, but it at least feels like it should take a little beating. Especially since it’s meant to be portable, so drops are bound to happen.
The bottom of the motor base has a thick and sturdy rubber seal. This minimizes slipping and prevents the blender from dancing around on the table while in operation.
OPERATION
There’s no LCD screen or the like. There’s just a color ring around the power button. These lights can be thought of as error messages. If it’s white, that means the clear plastic body isn’t properly aligned with the motor base, so it won’t work. Orange means that the blades are blocked (this happened frequently to me). Solid red means it needs to be charged. There’s a handy sticker that you can remove from the motor base telling you what these colors mean, but I keep it attached so I can quickly reference it.
When you first use it, you’ll notice inside the clear plastic body a picture that shows you how to properly load the blender. 6 ounces of liquid are required, they go in first, then it’s recommended to add fresh fruit, maybe greens, then nuts/seeds/butter, and then finally ice or frozen fruit. This is an easily formula to follow but it took me a few tries to get the right amount of ingredients in there. I’m used to a larger blender and tended to overload it. I started to cut up some of my veggies (i.e. carrots) and fruits (i.e. apples) so I could fit more food in the body.
After it was loaded and the top was screwed on, it was time to turn it on. I kept getting the orange light, meaning the blades were stuck. But I learned to turn the blender upside down (leaving the blades untouched) and then when the motor started running I started to shake the blender (shaking it while in operation is actually recommended). The motor will run for 30 seconds before turning off automatically. All in all, I didn't have any complaints about its capabilities. So long as you don't jam it full with nuts, vegetables or firm fruits, it works just fine. No concerns there.
WHO'S THIS FOR?
The biggest question you have to ask yourself is who is this blender for? While you can blend on the go, do you really need that? You can't, for example, get your ingredients ready the night before, put it in the blender and then put the blender in the fridge (you're warned against putting the motor in the fridge). So it's not as if you save time. If you make a smoothie as a part of your morning routine, it's the same process. I guess the difference is, do you blend it right then, or do you take it on your morning commute?
If you make multiple smoothies in a day, I guess this makes sense, you can use it multiple times no matter where you are.
To me, the biggest benefit to having this blender is the small size. In my household, we have a giant blender. We barely use it and it takes up a ton of space. And when I did use it, it was for single person smoothies. So for me, this is a nice blender, it's small and doesn't take up a lot of space.
CONCLUSION
In sum, the blender works well for single person shakes - putting aside its portability. But the utility of having the ability to blend things on the go is a little hit and miss. All depends on your use case. It works well, so that shouldn't be your concern, the biggest question to ask is whether you can get by with a single person blender, which would save lots of space versus large blender.
WHAT YOU GET AND GETTING STARTED
The blender comes in a little cardboard package in the shape of a big tube. There's not much in there, it's just the blender and inside of it you'll find an instruction manual and an extremely short USB C cable for charging. All in all everything you would need. Setup is pretty straightforward, one of the stickers on the blender itself tells you to charge it for at least two hours before the first use. But unlike other Ninja blenders, there's not 6 different types of preset blending options (like ice crush, smoothie, pulse etc.). There's a button to turn it on and off, and there's a button to start and stop the blending. Frankly, it’s all I ever want in a blender.
DESIGN
The blender is solid and well designed. It comes apart in three pieces. There’s the lid, which is both the lid of the blender (to prevent everything from shooting out) and has a flip top so you can drink from it, there’s the clear plastic container, and the motor base. The lid screws into the clear plastic body, which then screws into the motor base. The blender will not turn on unless the arrows on the clear plastic body and motor base are aligned (which requires you to twist/tighten them to a certain point). Again, it all fits well together and feels solid. I can’t speak to its durability if it’s, for example, dropped, but it at least feels like it should take a little beating. Especially since it’s meant to be portable, so drops are bound to happen.
The bottom of the motor base has a thick and sturdy rubber seal. This minimizes slipping and prevents the blender from dancing around on the table while in operation.
OPERATION
There’s no LCD screen or the like. There’s just a color ring around the power button. These lights can be thought of as error messages. If it’s white, that means the clear plastic body isn’t properly aligned with the motor base, so it won’t work. Orange means that the blades are blocked (this happened frequently to me). Solid red means it needs to be charged. There’s a handy sticker that you can remove from the motor base telling you what these colors mean, but I keep it attached so I can quickly reference it.
When you first use it, you’ll notice inside the clear plastic body a picture that shows you how to properly load the blender. 6 ounces of liquid are required, they go in first, then it’s recommended to add fresh fruit, maybe greens, then nuts/seeds/butter, and then finally ice or frozen fruit. This is an easily formula to follow but it took me a few tries to get the right amount of ingredients in there. I’m used to a larger blender and tended to overload it. I started to cut up some of my veggies (i.e. carrots) and fruits (i.e. apples) so I could fit more food in the body.
After it was loaded and the top was screwed on, it was time to turn it on. I kept getting the orange light, meaning the blades were stuck. But I learned to turn the blender upside down (leaving the blades untouched) and then when the motor started running I started to shake the blender (shaking it while in operation is actually recommended). The motor will run for 30 seconds before turning off automatically. All in all, I didn't have any complaints about its capabilities. So long as you don't jam it full with nuts, vegetables or firm fruits, it works just fine. No concerns there.
WHO'S THIS FOR?
The biggest question you have to ask yourself is who is this blender for? While you can blend on the go, do you really need that? You can't, for example, get your ingredients ready the night before, put it in the blender and then put the blender in the fridge (you're warned against putting the motor in the fridge). So it's not as if you save time. If you make a smoothie as a part of your morning routine, it's the same process. I guess the difference is, do you blend it right then, or do you take it on your morning commute?
If you make multiple smoothies in a day, I guess this makes sense, you can use it multiple times no matter where you are.
To me, the biggest benefit to having this blender is the small size. In my household, we have a giant blender. We barely use it and it takes up a ton of space. And when I did use it, it was for single person smoothies. So for me, this is a nice blender, it's small and doesn't take up a lot of space.
CONCLUSION
In sum, the blender works well for single person shakes - putting aside its portability. But the utility of having the ability to blend things on the go is a little hit and miss. All depends on your use case. It works well, so that shouldn't be your concern, the biggest question to ask is whether you can get by with a single person blender, which would save lots of space versus large blender.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+7points
7of 7voted this as helpful.
Zero in on a perfect aim with our first-ever glass gaming mouse mat—built to last with premium tempered glass. Optimized for optical sensors and specially treated for quieter swipes, stay in the zone with an ultra-smooth surface that makes your mouse feel like there is zero resistance.
Customer Rating
4
Great performance, but large and needy
on June 13, 2023
Posted by: callmeageeth
I’m a gaming enthusiast - meaning I keep up on the latest trends and games - but my kids and job (i.e. adulting) keep me from gaming as much as I’d like. Point is, I’m not someone looking at every angle for a slight advantage against my online opponents. But I always appreciate new tech and tech accessories that look good and provide certain advantages. I’ve been using the same cloth/rubber mousepad since 2011 (I know because the year is on it). It’s ugly. I own a few Razer peripherals and have always been impressed with their build quality and utility.
I never thought I’d want or even like a glasspad, but when I step back and think about it, most good laptop trackpads (specifically Macbooks) have glass trackpads which provide superior responsiveness, feeling and accuracy. But they have their drawbacks, namely they can break easily. That’s not to say it will crumble in normal use - even over time - but I certainly don’t have any worries dropping something on my rubber/cloth mousepad and it breaking. That’s something to at least think about with this Razer mousepad.
The things to know about this trackpad is that it’s large. Like really large. You will need to make sure you have ample space on your desk - you won’t want it hanging off the edge. It also comes with a large warning telling you not to put sharp objects on it, or hot or cold items. Good news is that it’s easy to clean, you simple wipe the dust off every month or so to prevent buildup.
In terms of performance, I love it. It’s truly frictionless, my mouse simply glides across it. I can say that it’s a noticeable difference from a traditional cloth mousepad, but I can’t say the performance bump is noticeable. Now again, true games that care about every little advantage might say differently, but day to day and casual gaming (like strategy games) it’s hard to say there’s a performance difference. But it certainly feels nice to use. The surface is so large your wrist inevitably ends up resting on it and it feels smooth to the touch. It also looks professional, it actually looks like it might have some texture or “grip” to it, but that’s just cosmetic. It truly feels, smooth as glass, pun intended.
The only reason I wouldn’t give it 5 stars is because it’s overpriced for a trackpad - not overpriced necessarily as a “glass” trackpad. And it’s extremely large, which is nice, but limits your placement options (of course there are smaller sizes). Plus the concern of it breaking. Of course, once it’s on your desk, that really shouldn’t be a problem unless you happen have a shelf with heavy objects next to it that might fall and break it. At the end of the day, it’s a pleasure to use both casually gaming and just day-to-day tasks.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Introducing CZ Smart YouQ, the smarter smartwatch. Citizen CZ Smart Casual 41mm smartwatch is designed to help you be the best version of yourself throughout the day, every day. Inspired by the rich design of Citizen’s iconic sport technical timepieces, CZ Smart marries cutting-edge science and technology with the style and quality you expect from Citizen. CZ Smart YouQ leverages AI Models built with IBM Watson Studio and research pioneered by NASA Ames Research Center to power features within the proprietary YouQ application. CZ Smart YouQ helps you anticipate patterns of fatigue and alertness and offers highly personalized insights and suggested actions to help you improve alertness and promote the building of better habits, readying you to meet whatever the day may bring. Compatible with both iPhone and Android, CZ Smart YouQ features Wear OS by Google. The versatile, customizable menu of dials, designed exclusively for CZ Smart, gives you all the information you need at your fingertips. With a range of interchangeable 22mm bands available for all CZ Smart watches in bracelet, mesh, leather, and silicone, you can dress your CZ Smart watch for any occasion and make the most out of every moment. The Smarter Smartwatch: CZ Smart features the new proprietary wellness app YouQ built using research pioneered by NASA’s Ames Research Center and AI Models built with IBM Watson Studio. YouQ helps wearers maximize their daily potential by learning the wearer’s unique Chronotype and rhythms. YouQ computes HR, SP02, fitness activity, sleep data, and alert scores to offer the wearer a personalized 24-hour forecast of alertness. Aggregating data over time will enable CZ Smart YouQ to cater to wearers personally allowing them to understand their body’s natural rhythms. Meet your self-care advisor: CZ Smart YouQ provides the wearer a daily, brief, and gamified Alert Monitor, designed based on NASA’s PVT+ (Psychomotor Vigilance Task Test), a test used by astronauts to measure alertness. Only CZ Smart YouQ uses Alert Monitor scores and sleep data to identify the wearer’s distinct Chronotype (are you a morning go-getter, steady achiever, high-energy hustler?). CZ Smart YouQ helps you stay on track with an Hourly Power Score, an indicator of your cognitive and physical energy at a particular moment and offers Power Fixes to mitigate the effects of fatigue and improve alertness so the user can optimize themselves for what’s ahead. You may have a napuccino or liquid energy in your future. Preloaded and ready-to-go: Citizen Connected works with phones running on the latest version of Android (excluding Go Edition and phones without Google Play Store) or iOS. Applications available via the Play Store include CZ Smart YouQ App, Google Fit, Strava, Spotify, YouTube Music, and Amazon Alexa. CZ Smart features 24+ hour battery life (varies based on usage) and achieves a full charge in just 40-minutes. Connections include Bluetooth (connect your headphones), Wi-Fi, GPS (head out for a run or hike and leave your phone behind), and NFC (make contactless payments). Sensors include Gyroscope, altimeter, barometer, accelerometer, heart rate sensor, SP02, ambient light sensor, so that you can track activity goals, heart rate monitor, cardio fitness tracking, steps, sleep, and more. Personalization, notifications, and more: The uniquely designed CZ Smart dials give hundreds of options to fully customize your watch face and receive the information you find most important. Stay focused all day while getting notifications on your watch for incoming calls, texts, emails and calendar notifications. The built-in speaker enables you to conveniently answer a call from your smartwatch. With Amazon Alexa built-in, CZ Smart makes it easy to tackle your daily tasks and organization. CZ Smart next generation: Citizen Connected works with phones running on the latest version of Android (excluding Go Edition and phones without Google Play Store) or iOS, 24+ hour battery life, Qualcomm 4100+ chipset, offering the user a seamless connection and quick response and screen changes.
Customer Rating
4
Classical, highly stylish smart time piece
on May 28, 2023
Posted by: callmeageeth
I’ve long been interested in watches. I have a small collection of time pieces. But then when I got my first Fitbit, I stopped wearing traditional watches because I became OCD about tracking my fitness. I’ve literally worn a Fitbit every day for the past several years. I love my Fitbit Sense, but I really want a better looking smartwatch to wear with formal attire (for work). This Citizen watch will not replace a Fitbit, and the Pixel Watch is likely a better option - for me - in terms of integrating Fitbit into a better looking smartwatch. But the classic design of this Citizen watch, and the sophistication of it, has finally brought an additional watch into a rotation with my Sense. I will often compare this watch to my Sense.
The biggest drawbacks, to me, are two fold: water resistance (apparently it has none), and for something billed as an “active” device, fear of hitting it against something. It has other drawbacks for those new to smart watches that are inherent in every smart watch, especially Android watches.
IN THE BOX AND SETUP
Inside you’ll find the watch, a charger, and some warning papers. The watch was securely package and protected from scrapes and damage while in transport. The setup was very easy. I am using a Pixel 7a, and after turning the watch on and downloading the Citizen app to my phone, I easily paired it. There was an initial update, and I had to log in to my Google account and grant the watch/app access to my account. All in all, I was using the watch on my wrist within 20 minutes of taking it out of the box.
Inside you’ll find the watch, a charger, and some warning papers. The watch was securely package and protected from scrapes and damage while in transport. The setup was very easy. I am using a Pixel 7a, and after turning the watch on and downloading the Citizen app to my phone, I easily paired it. There was an initial update, and I had to log in to my Google account and grant the watch/app access to my account. All in all, I was using the watch on my wrist within 20 minutes of taking it out of the box.
DESIGN
The pictures do this watch justice. What the pictures don’t convey is the quality of the build of the watch. It is finely crafted. It’s got a nice heft without feeling too heavy. The rubber strap is thick and durable, almost to a fault. It can be somewhat difficult to put on (for a watch) but the tradeoff is that I never - even when running - ever thought it was going to fall out or otherwise felt loose. There’s the classic crown wheel on the left and two buttons on each side of it. The buttons are responsive and feel smooth. If you can’t tell, I’m in love with the design and looks of this watch.
The pictures do this watch justice. What the pictures don’t convey is the quality of the build of the watch. It is finely crafted. It’s got a nice heft without feeling too heavy. The rubber strap is thick and durable, almost to a fault. It can be somewhat difficult to put on (for a watch) but the tradeoff is that I never - even when running - ever thought it was going to fall out or otherwise felt loose. There’s the classic crown wheel on the left and two buttons on each side of it. The buttons are responsive and feel smooth. If you can’t tell, I’m in love with the design and looks of this watch.
The screen. The screen is amazing and super responsive. It’s a bright OLED screen that’s extremely sharp. There are no bezels the screen goes straight up to the
SOFTWARE, APP, AND CUSTOMIZATION
First, the app on your phone. The app is pretty basic. You can change the watch faces, including customizing the colors. It’s a little difficult to find at first, but there’s quite a bit of settings you can change through the app. You change which apps send you notifications (although the only quirk is that you have to receive a notification on your watch before it shows up as a notification you can disable). The most important setting you’ll want to check on is the battery life. There’s daily battery life mode, where you can expect the watch’s battery to last a full day. There you can tweak it to your liking, such as always on display, tilt to wake, tap to wake, wifi, Bluetooth, system sound etc. Obviously your mileage will vary when it comes to these settings. Then there’s time only battery mode, where you can basically think of your watch turning everything off but the screen. It will show the time and nothing else. I haven’t tested how long the watch will run on this particular mode, and that’s because if I have a smartwatch, I want to use its features (until I have to because of low battery life and inability to charge it at the time it does). But there is a way to change the “schedule” so when your watch hits a certain battery level, it automatically switches to “extended mode” or “time only mode” which I appreciate.
First, the app on your phone. The app is pretty basic. You can change the watch faces, including customizing the colors. It’s a little difficult to find at first, but there’s quite a bit of settings you can change through the app. You change which apps send you notifications (although the only quirk is that you have to receive a notification on your watch before it shows up as a notification you can disable). The most important setting you’ll want to check on is the battery life. There’s daily battery life mode, where you can expect the watch’s battery to last a full day. There you can tweak it to your liking, such as always on display, tilt to wake, tap to wake, wifi, Bluetooth, system sound etc. Obviously your mileage will vary when it comes to these settings. Then there’s time only battery mode, where you can basically think of your watch turning everything off but the screen. It will show the time and nothing else. I haven’t tested how long the watch will run on this particular mode, and that’s because if I have a smartwatch, I want to use its features (until I have to because of low battery life and inability to charge it at the time it does). But there is a way to change the “schedule” so when your watch hits a certain battery level, it automatically switches to “extended mode” or “time only mode” which I appreciate.
Wear OS. I really like wear is, it's definitely improved over the years. There's lots of fun apps in the watch store to take advantage of. For me, I really like the Peloton app which tracks my heart rate while riding the bike or using the app. This may not matter to some, but for me, having this feature increases the chances the watch stays on my wrist for longer periods.
SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE
I've enjoyed this watch. It looks great and feels great. It lasts a full day which is par for the course for smart watches. I've had no connection issues. I've had issues with my Sense not connecting to my phone causing me to have to reset it. It's been reliable in that department so far. It's extremely customizable in terms of notifications and things you can do to save battery life. There are a decent number of watch faces but I wish there were more (maybe there are and I haven't found them?). And I know Ive said it before, but it's just a handsome watch which makes it all the more pleasurable to wear. I do wear it on runs and when riding my peloton but I've been really bugged about getting it wet, going out of my way to prevent it from getting wet. There's just not enough information about water resistance for my liking. I'd like to think it's ok out in the rain, but I'm afraid to try.
I've enjoyed this watch. It looks great and feels great. It lasts a full day which is par for the course for smart watches. I've had no connection issues. I've had issues with my Sense not connecting to my phone causing me to have to reset it. It's been reliable in that department so far. It's extremely customizable in terms of notifications and things you can do to save battery life. There are a decent number of watch faces but I wish there were more (maybe there are and I haven't found them?). And I know Ive said it before, but it's just a handsome watch which makes it all the more pleasurable to wear. I do wear it on runs and when riding my peloton but I've been really bugged about getting it wet, going out of my way to prevent it from getting wet. There's just not enough information about water resistance for my liking. I'd like to think it's ok out in the rain, but I'm afraid to try.
QUIRKS
There’s a few quirks of this watch. Nothing that would change my recommendation, but it’s worth noting. The first is that when the watch goes into extended mode, or the battery level is otherwise really low, you have to charge it and then restart it to get it back into “daily battery mode.” It’s not a big deal, but it’s not like a switch that you can hit back and forth between the modes.
There’s a few quirks of this watch. Nothing that would change my recommendation, but it’s worth noting. The first is that when the watch goes into extended mode, or the battery level is otherwise really low, you have to charge it and then restart it to get it back into “daily battery mode.” It’s not a big deal, but it’s not like a switch that you can hit back and forth between the modes.
Water resistance. Admittedly, I thought, as a watch geared toward activity (I don’t know if I would call it a fitness watch), I assumed it had some amount of water resistance. It wasn’t until I saw a warning in the instructions that made me really pause. The instructions state that it has no water resistance and seemed to warn the user against even washing their hands while wearing the watch. This got me completely bugged. I didn’t expect this watch to work while swimming laps (I don’t do that with my Sense), I’m concerned about sweat and wearing it in the rain.
Fitness tracking. I haven't mentioned it to much and that's because I don't think it's really tailored for fitness. Yes it can track your steps, heart rate and sleep, but when you have to charge the battery every night, it makes it difficult to track your sleep. It does detect your activities (like if you go for a run) and it has GPS but that data doesn't translate to anything (from what I can tell) unless you're using another app like Peloton. And for what it's worth, I wore my Sense and the citizen watch for a few days to track my steps. I can't say which one is the true accurate measure, but the Fitbit regularly counted thousands more steps than the Citizen watch. To me, tracking your fitness is an option with this watch, it's not a selling point or primary feature.
CONCLUSION
This is a well rounded, good looking smartwatch. It does a little bit of everything and the batter life is solid. It is extremely reliable and looks phenomenal. But it's biggest drawback are the question marks related to water resistance.
This is a well rounded, good looking smartwatch. It does a little bit of everything and the batter life is solid. It is extremely reliable and looks phenomenal. But it's biggest drawback are the question marks related to water resistance.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
The versatile and powerful ASUS Pro 15 OLED is an Intel certified laptop that’s designed for those who want to do more. Its 13th Gen Intel Core processor deliver outstanding multitasking and creative power, with ASUS IceCool Plus thermal technology for maximum performance. The 2.8K 120 Hz OLED NanoEdge Dolby Vision has a cinema-grade 100% DCI-P3 gamut, and is PANTONE Validated with DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification. It’s also TÜV Rheinland-certified for eye care. The Harman Kardon-certified quad-speaker Dolby Atmos audio system adds to the cinematic experience with ultra-realistic multi-dimensional sound. For fast face login there’s an FHD camera, and a color sensor allows automatic control of screen brightness and color temperature.
Customer Rating
5
Absolute stellar laptop; capable of anything
on May 24, 2023
Posted by: callmeageeth
I’m a lawyer who edits videos/audio for work and making videos for my kids. I don’t consider myself a professional in that arena - being a lawyer is my first job - but I’m definitely an enthusiast. This computer handles Adobe virtually flawlessly (at least for what I use it for) and I absolutely love the monitor. Similar to my experience with TVs, once you go to OLED, it’s hard to go back.
GENERAL EXPERIENCE AS A LAPTOP
I’ll skip the setup process, as it’s standard for a Windows laptop - logging in with your Microsoft account, downloading your apps like Office 365, Adobe, etc. If you have an ASUS account and another ASUS laptop - I do - it was nice to restore the settings from that laptop with this one. But all in all, the setup experience is like any typical laptop for better or for worse.
I’ll skip the setup process, as it’s standard for a Windows laptop - logging in with your Microsoft account, downloading your apps like Office 365, Adobe, etc. If you have an ASUS account and another ASUS laptop - I do - it was nice to restore the settings from that laptop with this one. But all in all, the setup experience is like any typical laptop for better or for worse.
Putting aside the editing/gaming performance for a moment, this is a terrific all around laptop. Even for non-creators, non-gamers, this is a laptop worthy of consideration. Its speed, ports, and screen, are all terrific and make for a compelling laptop. Just day-to-day navigation from turning it on and off, to saving files and surfing the web is incredibly fast and fluid. And then there’s the screen. OLED screens provide for some of the best range of color and contrast and this screen doesn’t disappoint. Then throw in 120 hz refresh rate for incredibly smooth and vivid motion and you have yourself a terrific screen. I’d go so far as to say, if you primarily consumed content on your laptop, this screen alone is worth consideration.
DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY
In some respects, this laptop has a boring or at least, basic, design. That’s not a bad thing, it just means that there’s nothing visually about the design that makes it stand out from the competition. But some people may not want, or need, the colorful lights that come with some gaming laptops. But I kind of like the understated design.
In some respects, this laptop has a boring or at least, basic, design. That’s not a bad thing, it just means that there’s nothing visually about the design that makes it stand out from the competition. But some people may not want, or need, the colorful lights that come with some gaming laptops. But I kind of like the understated design.
In terms of build quality, it’s top notch. It feels like a quality, premium, laptop for what that’s worth. It doesn’t feel too heavy, but at the same time, feels substantial. There’s virtually no flex in it and every part of it just fits together well.
FEATURES
Arguably, it’s never been a better time to buy a computer, especially a laptop. You can get a wide number of laptops with high end GPUs, fast SSDs, and screens with high refresh rates. So why should this one be towards the top of your list in considering a new laptop? Obviously the answer is somewhat objective, but some of the benefits as I see it are (obviously) the screen, but beyond that you get a full keyboard with 9 key number pad (which is important to me), a wide range of ports including 2 USB A ports, 2 USB C ports, which support USB 3.1, an HDMI port, an ethernet port, and a full sized SD card slot. The latter is extremely important for many creators who need to offload their photos and videos directly from their camera to their computer.
Arguably, it’s never been a better time to buy a computer, especially a laptop. You can get a wide number of laptops with high end GPUs, fast SSDs, and screens with high refresh rates. So why should this one be towards the top of your list in considering a new laptop? Obviously the answer is somewhat objective, but some of the benefits as I see it are (obviously) the screen, but beyond that you get a full keyboard with 9 key number pad (which is important to me), a wide range of ports including 2 USB A ports, 2 USB C ports, which support USB 3.1, an HDMI port, an ethernet port, and a full sized SD card slot. The latter is extremely important for many creators who need to offload their photos and videos directly from their camera to their computer.
It comes with an antibacterial coating where you rest your wrists. Frankly, this is something that gets me excited (maybe I’m obtuse, but I was never concerned about bacteria on the surface of my computer). However, it does minimize hand/wrist prints and smudges which I certainly welcome.
It comes with a physical webcam cover for ultimate privacy. I’ve known this has existed in other laptops, but I’ve never used it. Here, you’ll see an orange circle where your webcam resides, which lets you know it’s physically covered. The webcam has HDR and is 1080p. I wouldn’t say the video call quality was spectacular, but was certainly better than other laptops.
It’s advertised as having AI noise canceling microphones. When I join meetings for work, I’m inevitably in a quiet room to begin with, so I didn’t have much chance to test it out on an actual call. But I recorded a video using the Windows camera app while sitting in a hotel 3 feet from an extremely loud air conditioning unit, and I was impressed; the background noise was virtually eliminated. That could be why no one complained about background noise on my call, they couldn’t hear it. This is only one small example, I didn’t test it outside or in an extremely loud environment, but the microphone’s ability to silence a loud A/C unit tells me the AI driven noise canceling microphones is more than a gimmick.
It also supports Thunderbolt 4 for extremely fast transfer. I haven’t been able to test the exact claims, but I’ve moved multiple dozens of GBs worth of files onto USB 3.1 drives and have been impressed with the speed. When moving a lot of data it really is a gamechanger.
I use Excel for work and having a number keypad makes a big difference when entering in data. I think numberpads are a must in 15 inch laptops, otherwise there’s wasted space.
The speakers are harman/kardon. I know this because the label is imprinted on the surface of the laptop. Speaking in general terms, I found the speakers to be extremely loud. They sit underneath the laptop and when on a hard surface they really sound loud. The bass is lacking, like EVERY laptop, but overall I thought the sound was better than most.
The screen. I admittedly was ignorant when it came to the range of colors (as I said, I’m only a creator in the amateur sense). But this laptop has 100% DCI-P3 which covers the RGB color spectrum. In short, it shows more color than your typical screen and really allows HDR content to pop with high contrasts. You just cannot deny the quality of the screen. The only drawback with it is that it is almost like a mirror. When the monitor is off, it’s a straight up mirror; and even when the image on the screen is mostly black, you will see a reflection of yourself in the screen. It is like a mirror, but definitely worth the tradeoff.
PERFORMANCE
As you might imagine with this laptop having an NVIDIA 3050 and i9 processor, it’s extremely fast and responsive. The NVIDIA drivers are “Studio” drivers (vs. game drivers) which emphasizes stability over having the latest and greatest in gaming performance. Honestly, I don’t know if most of us would be able to tell the difference, but I have used this as a gaming laptop playing games through Xbox Gamepass Ultimate and it’s been great. I played Atomic Heart on Max settings and it ran almost flawlessly. And it looked great on the OLED screen.
As you might imagine with this laptop having an NVIDIA 3050 and i9 processor, it’s extremely fast and responsive. The NVIDIA drivers are “Studio” drivers (vs. game drivers) which emphasizes stability over having the latest and greatest in gaming performance. Honestly, I don’t know if most of us would be able to tell the difference, but I have used this as a gaming laptop playing games through Xbox Gamepass Ultimate and it’s been great. I played Atomic Heart on Max settings and it ran almost flawlessly. And it looked great on the OLED screen.
I’ve been using Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and Premiere as well. I’ve been extremely impressed with this laptop’s ability to handle these resource intensive programs. I’ve had them open concurrently and had no issues going from one to the other. Rendering videos in Premiere is really quick, maybe not as fast as what you’d get on a Macbook with their inhouse chips, but we’re talking plenty fast, especially for amateurs like myself who isn’t working with large datasets.
All in all, I’ve been using this laptop for a myriad of purposes, emails, watching movies/sports, video editing, zoom conferences, gaming, and it handles everything with ease. It’s tough to really quantify the performance other than to say I’ve had absolutely no issues. I hope that trend continues.
CONCLUSION
If this laptop fits in your budget, or is close to it, it’s worth your consideration. For what you get, a well built, relatively light, powerful laptop with a banging 15 inch OLED screen, it’s a great buy. It really is a do it all laptop, geared towards creators with the HDR OLED screen, but useful to all. Watching content and gaming is a joy on this screen. The colors just pop. It’s difficult going back to other screens after using this laptop. Plus, you get powerful performance that can handle virtually every task you need. Truly, this is a great laptop that is my new daily driver (when I’m not forced to use my work desktop). It goes with me everywhere now.
If this laptop fits in your budget, or is close to it, it’s worth your consideration. For what you get, a well built, relatively light, powerful laptop with a banging 15 inch OLED screen, it’s a great buy. It really is a do it all laptop, geared towards creators with the HDR OLED screen, but useful to all. Watching content and gaming is a joy on this screen. The colors just pop. It’s difficult going back to other screens after using this laptop. Plus, you get powerful performance that can handle virtually every task you need. Truly, this is a great laptop that is my new daily driver (when I’m not forced to use my work desktop). It goes with me everywhere now.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+11points
11of 11voted this as helpful.
Let’s clear the air with Blueair. Blue Pure 311i Max HEPASilent smart air purifier quickly cleans 387 sq. ft medium room in about 12.5 min or up to 929 sq. ft medium space in 30 min, on high. This air purifier has a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of 250 for fine smoke particles, dust and pollen. Energy Star Most Efficient 2023.
Customer Rating
5
Whisper quiet, handsome air filter
on May 22, 2023
Posted by: callmeageeth
Ever since I found out as an adult that I have severe allergies, I’ve made it a point to make sure my house is treated for allergens, and that includes the use of air filters. I now have several different brands and types of air filters in my house, and while I have no objective evidence - like test data - of better air quality, I can say that anecdotally my allergies and the quality of my sleep has never been better.
When I focus on features, ease of use and design, I’m comparing it to Dyson products, 3M and Molekule (which I all own).
SETUP AND EASE OF USE
In terms of setup and simplicity, the Blueair is easily one of the best. I had issues connecting my Molekule to my Wi-Fi network, the 3M doesn’t have any smart features, and the Dyson was easy to setup. (Granted, Wi-Fi app access is not necessary). I plugged it in, the lights on the display came on, and after downloading the app, the app immediately found it and immediately connected to my phone.
In terms of setup and simplicity, the Blueair is easily one of the best. I had issues connecting my Molekule to my Wi-Fi network, the 3M doesn’t have any smart features, and the Dyson was easy to setup. (Granted, Wi-Fi app access is not necessary). I plugged it in, the lights on the display came on, and after downloading the app, the app immediately found it and immediately connected to my phone.
It comes with a manual which is an easy read and simple to understand, but it’s somewhat unnecessary. At least when it comes to the controls, it’s very intuitive. There’s two buttons, one to turn it on and off and the other to switch between fan speeds. There’s 3 fan settings with the 4th putting it in automatic mode and the 5th being night mode which sets the fan speed at the lowest settings and sets the brightness of the display to the lowest.
Bottomline is setup and ease of use is an A+.
DESIGN
With air filters, especially larger ones, are meant to be focal points in your rooms. They are supposed to be placed away from walls so it’s difficult to keep them hidden or otherwise have them blend it. Bottomline is that the design of the air filter does matter (at least to me, and presumably most people).
With air filters, especially larger ones, are meant to be focal points in your rooms. They are supposed to be placed away from walls so it’s difficult to keep them hidden or otherwise have them blend it. Bottomline is that the design of the air filter does matter (at least to me, and presumably most people).
You have the Molekule which to me is a sophisticated looking filter, to me it’s the filter Apple might design. At the bottom you have the 3M which is definitely function over design (it’s a large ugly black box). Obviously design is subjective, but I find the Blueair filter to be very attractive. It starts with the fabric filter cover that filters large air particles on the outside. If you don’t like the color, there are other colors that fit your look. The interface blends into the top of the filter and is not distracting (vs. Molekule which has a small OLED screen), but basic. To me it almost looks like a round laundry hamper, but to me, it’s handsome and I don’t mind having it on display in the middle of my room.
AIR QUALITY AND SOUND
As I said before, I really don’t have a way to test the filtration quality. I rely on the app, which I admittedly had to educate myself on, and anecdotal evidence. As I said, my quality of sleep has improved and my allergies are better. From my perspective, it works well. The app tells you the air quality based on particle pollution, or PM. It also measures AQI or air quality index. The AQI index appears to be based on your location, so the app is pulling that information from external sources. So you’ll notice that the AQI is listed as outdoor. For indoor, it simply tells you whether the air quality is “Excellent” or otherwise (i.e. Good, moderate, polluted, etc.). The filter can apparently capture PM of 2.5 which includes fine dust, animal dander and bacteria. I don’t think it actually tells you what it’s filtering (again, I’m ignorant on some of the science - I have to take this at face value).
As I said before, I really don’t have a way to test the filtration quality. I rely on the app, which I admittedly had to educate myself on, and anecdotal evidence. As I said, my quality of sleep has improved and my allergies are better. From my perspective, it works well. The app tells you the air quality based on particle pollution, or PM. It also measures AQI or air quality index. The AQI index appears to be based on your location, so the app is pulling that information from external sources. So you’ll notice that the AQI is listed as outdoor. For indoor, it simply tells you whether the air quality is “Excellent” or otherwise (i.e. Good, moderate, polluted, etc.). The filter can apparently capture PM of 2.5 which includes fine dust, animal dander and bacteria. I don’t think it actually tells you what it’s filtering (again, I’m ignorant on some of the science - I have to take this at face value).
The other big thing is sound. The Molekule air filter can sound like a jet engine, as does the 3M model. The Dyson does too when it’s on full blast. The Blueair is quite the opposite and is very quiet, even on the loudest settings. It apparently has a “noise reducer” on the inside. Now, some people may like the low hum of an air filter as white noise when they sleep - something to consider when choosing an air filter - while others might think it’s distracting. The Blueair is extremely silent; on automatic settings I can barely hear it even at night. It’s quite impressive.
MAINTENANCE
I think a major factor in deciding on an air filter is maintenance costs. First there’s the hurdle of initial costs, but if you don’t think you’ll need to change the air filters - you probably do - you’ll soon realize they’ll need to be changed. Just look at one of your filters after several months and you’ll want to change it. Then comes the frequency of having to change any filter or filters and the cost. Molekule and Dyson brands fall on the expensive end, with a suggested replacement time of every 6 months. It’s about $60-70 to replace Molekule filters (in my model, there are two filters). The 3M filters are cheaper, about $13 each, but they require more frequent replacement.
I think a major factor in deciding on an air filter is maintenance costs. First there’s the hurdle of initial costs, but if you don’t think you’ll need to change the air filters - you probably do - you’ll soon realize they’ll need to be changed. Just look at one of your filters after several months and you’ll want to change it. Then comes the frequency of having to change any filter or filters and the cost. Molekule and Dyson brands fall on the expensive end, with a suggested replacement time of every 6 months. It’s about $60-70 to replace Molekule filters (in my model, there are two filters). The 3M filters are cheaper, about $13 each, but they require more frequent replacement.
This particular model recommends filter replacement every 6 months, and the costs if you opt for a subscription (which I recommend so you don’t have to remember to order them, and you get a few dollar discount) is about $44. This gets you a replacement filter, but you still have to perform some maintenance on the outer fabric cover. The manual recommends vacuuming the outside (if you see dust on it) with a brush vacuum attachment. Or you can opt to wash it and air dry it. When taking into account the Molekule, which requires the purchase of two filters, I certainly don’t mind washing the outer fabric every so often to prevent my from paying for a second filter, so that’s another bonus of this model.
CONCLUSION
This is a great looking, quiet, air filter that has relatively low maintenance costs. Yes, it is a little ont he expensive side compared to some other options, but taking everything into consideration, it’s a great option. Especially when you take into account that it’s intended to cover a large area like a large bedroom or even a living room. I can comfortably say tha the use of air filters (this model specifically, but also just the use of air filters in general) has increased my quality of life at home; especially living in an area where my allergies can be difficult to manage.
This is a great looking, quiet, air filter that has relatively low maintenance costs. Yes, it is a little ont he expensive side compared to some other options, but taking everything into consideration, it’s a great option. Especially when you take into account that it’s intended to cover a large area like a large bedroom or even a living room. I can comfortably say tha the use of air filters (this model specifically, but also just the use of air filters in general) has increased my quality of life at home; especially living in an area where my allergies can be difficult to manage.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Introducing Logitech MX Anywhere 3S Mouse, a beloved compact wireless mouse with next-level precision and control – now with 8K DPI Any-Surface Tracking and Quiet Clicks so you can master your work anywhere.
Customer Rating
5
The perfect travel computer mouse
on May 18, 2023
Posted by: callmeageeth
I’ve owned several Logitech mice and they’re some of the best all around mice. That includes the original MX Anywhere mouse. My only complaint with it is the use of micro-USB, and it can be a little loud in terms of “clicking” noises. The MX Anywhere 3 fixes those issues with USB-C and near silent clicking and has earned its place in my travel bag.
IN THE BOX
You’ll find the mouse and a USB-C cable and unifying USB receiver. It can operates via Bluetooth (you can technically use it as a wired mouse) or the USB receiver. I prefer Bluetooth so as to not take up use of USB port, but convenient option if your computer doesn’t have Bluetooth for some reason.
You’ll find the mouse and a USB-C cable and unifying USB receiver. It can operates via Bluetooth (you can technically use it as a wired mouse) or the USB receiver. I prefer Bluetooth so as to not take up use of USB port, but convenient option if your computer doesn’t have Bluetooth for some reason.
SETUP
It comes with the battery already slightly charged so you’re able to start using it immediately out of the box. There’s a power switch on the underside, you flip that, and hold the only other button on the bottom to put it in pairing mode. My laptop found it almost immediately. Using Windows 11, a popup window appeared asking me if I wanted to pair the mouse. Bottomline, it was a seamless process.
It comes with the battery already slightly charged so you’re able to start using it immediately out of the box. There’s a power switch on the underside, you flip that, and hold the only other button on the bottom to put it in pairing mode. My laptop found it almost immediately. Using Windows 11, a popup window appeared asking me if I wanted to pair the mouse. Bottomline, it was a seamless process.
In using some Logitech peripherals in the past, I was prompted to download Logi+, the software to manage their devices. That didn’t happen here, but I downloaded it directly from the Logitech website. According to Logitech’s website, this mouse is supported by Logi+ supports this mouse. Meaning it wouldn’t show up as one of my devices within the app, even though it was connected - and working - with my laptop. My MX Keys Mini was recognized (also paired via Bluetooth). It’s not a big deal to me as I don’t anticipate needing or wanting to remap any of the buttons but it might matter to others.
DESIGN
This is a compact mouse that’s well built. It’s made of durable plastic that feels substantial but not too heavy. There’s rubber coating on the sides to give you some grip when using it. Sometimes with mice, my fingers rest too heavy on the buttons and click them by accident, but that’s not the case here. It’s easy to click, but they’re not so sensitive as to cause my me to accidentally click. It’s too small for me to use on a daily basis, but it’s the perfect size for traveling when you need a mouse (I simply cannot be productive with a touchpad). It features two buttons on the left side (sorry lefties) that I use to go forward and back. These buttons are also programmed to perform similar functions in various apps such as Adobe apps (redo/undo) and Word documents (same, redo/undo). On the top there’s a button that you can depress to switch to smooth scrolling (versus feeling like you’re spinning a gear). The former is better for quickly scrolling down a long web page or document, while the latter is meant for more purposeful scrolling. The scroll wheel has a nice textured grip that makes scrolling easy and precise. Honestly, the design for a travel mouse is as close to perfect as you can get.
This is a compact mouse that’s well built. It’s made of durable plastic that feels substantial but not too heavy. There’s rubber coating on the sides to give you some grip when using it. Sometimes with mice, my fingers rest too heavy on the buttons and click them by accident, but that’s not the case here. It’s easy to click, but they’re not so sensitive as to cause my me to accidentally click. It’s too small for me to use on a daily basis, but it’s the perfect size for traveling when you need a mouse (I simply cannot be productive with a touchpad). It features two buttons on the left side (sorry lefties) that I use to go forward and back. These buttons are also programmed to perform similar functions in various apps such as Adobe apps (redo/undo) and Word documents (same, redo/undo). On the top there’s a button that you can depress to switch to smooth scrolling (versus feeling like you’re spinning a gear). The former is better for quickly scrolling down a long web page or document, while the latter is meant for more purposeful scrolling. The scroll wheel has a nice textured grip that makes scrolling easy and precise. Honestly, the design for a travel mouse is as close to perfect as you can get.
BATTERY LIFE
With my original Logitech Anywhere mouse, I simply charged it every so often and left it in my bag. It was never dead when I needed it. I expect the same results, if not better, with this mouse. The battery life is like 70 days on standby, and while I haven’t owned the Anywhere 3 for close to that amount of time, my past experience leads me to believe that will be accurate. The battery life is superb. And even if it was dead, you could obviously plug it directly into a USB port or just charge it for 1 minute and you have at least 3 hours of battery life. Again, I didn’t test this assessment, but I did charge it for 1 minute and the battery life increased by 20% (according to Windows which gives me its battery life in percentages).
With my original Logitech Anywhere mouse, I simply charged it every so often and left it in my bag. It was never dead when I needed it. I expect the same results, if not better, with this mouse. The battery life is like 70 days on standby, and while I haven’t owned the Anywhere 3 for close to that amount of time, my past experience leads me to believe that will be accurate. The battery life is superb. And even if it was dead, you could obviously plug it directly into a USB port or just charge it for 1 minute and you have at least 3 hours of battery life. Again, I didn’t test this assessment, but I did charge it for 1 minute and the battery life increased by 20% (according to Windows which gives me its battery life in percentages).
FEATURES AND USE
I have two laptops I use, one is a small travel one for work and another I use for video/photo editing. You can easily switch between 3 devices with a push of a button. All you’re required to do is to push the button on the bottom and pair it to your device during the first use. From there, just pushing the button automatically switches between them. It’s seamless and flawless. I don’t anticipate many people needing to quickly switch to different devices (i.e. two laptops on your desk) but it’s certainly possible and extremely easy to do if your circumstances call for it.
I have two laptops I use, one is a small travel one for work and another I use for video/photo editing. You can easily switch between 3 devices with a push of a button. All you’re required to do is to push the button on the bottom and pair it to your device during the first use. From there, just pushing the button automatically switches between them. It’s seamless and flawless. I don’t anticipate many people needing to quickly switch to different devices (i.e. two laptops on your desk) but it’s certainly possible and extremely easy to do if your circumstances call for it.
Another great feature of this mouse is that it works on virtually any surface, even glass. I don’t find myself using it on glass, but I did test it on an end table in my house and confirmed it worked. I don’t travel with a mousepad, and if you don’t, this is a big benefit as you need not worry about the surface you’re using. And the plastic skid pads on the bottom create a close to frictionless experience when moving the mouse around. Maybe not as precise as a professional FPS gamer might want, but for the average person it works great.
There’s not much else to say that I haven’t already said. This mouse is a pleasure to use, and I very much appreciate the “quietness” of the clicks versus the first gen Anywhere mouse. Granted, I never found the first gen mouse to be loud when I was using it, and I never had anyone complain about it, but it’s definitely noticeable (you feel it in your finger but don’t hear it) and I say that’s a good thing.
I also want to add this works with any Bluetooth devices. I don’t have a Macbook, but I’m confident it works just as well. I did easily pair it to my Galaxy Fold, and while I don’t anticipate using it on my phone (it was just a test case) I really appreciate the flexibility knowing that some people might.
CONCLUSION
If you travel frequently and are using a computer or any device that requires the precision of a mouse, I can recommend this mouse without reservation. Just taking into account its size and battery life, it’s a reliable tool for travelers. I don’t use mine everyday, but when I travel, it’s incredibly convenient and helpful to have with me. Like I said, it fits in my work bag and is always ready when I need it.
If you travel frequently and are using a computer or any device that requires the precision of a mouse, I can recommend this mouse without reservation. Just taking into account its size and battery life, it’s a reliable tool for travelers. I don’t use mine everyday, but when I travel, it’s incredibly convenient and helpful to have with me. Like I said, it fits in my work bag and is always ready when I need it.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Meet Pixel 7a, engineered by Google. The Google Tensor G2 chip makes it fast. The Pixel Camera takes amazing photos and video. VPN by Google One protects your online activity. Pixel 7a features are rated highest in security. [1] And the battery lasts all day. [2] All for less than you think.
Customer Rating
5
Home run of a phone; all you need
on May 15, 2023
Posted by: callmeageeth
I don’t think I can necessarily convince an Apple user to convert to Android based on the Pixel 7a, but if you are on the fence, or are already an Android user looking to upgrade your phone, you have to consider this phone. It gives you exactly all you need in a phone at a reasonable price. It also bucks the trend of phones getting even larger. It’s nice to have a great phone that’s reasonably sized.
I think it pertinent to mention that I’m a long time Pixel user that converted to a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. After the “wow” factor of having a foldable phone wore off, I regretted not staying with Pixel. So, a lot of my comparisons to “other phones” directly relates to my ownership of the Z Fold 3.
DESIGN
While I’ve only seen photos of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, the Pixel 7a’s design looks strikingly similar and that’s not a bad thing. The back is made of plastic that looks great (it feels smooth like glass). The brushed metal sides look and feel good to hold. It doesn’t feel “cheap” or “plasticky.” But that’s less of a concern since most of us use cases. The only thing that really stands out immediately is the bezels and the “lip” on the sides of the display. The bezels are not big by any stretch, but I guess by 2023 standards they are. They are nothing to be concerned about. The “lip” I mentioned isn’t really a lip but a gap in between the screen and the edge of the phone.
While I’ve only seen photos of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, the Pixel 7a’s design looks strikingly similar and that’s not a bad thing. The back is made of plastic that looks great (it feels smooth like glass). The brushed metal sides look and feel good to hold. It doesn’t feel “cheap” or “plasticky.” But that’s less of a concern since most of us use cases. The only thing that really stands out immediately is the bezels and the “lip” on the sides of the display. The bezels are not big by any stretch, but I guess by 2023 standards they are. They are nothing to be concerned about. The “lip” I mentioned isn’t really a lip but a gap in between the screen and the edge of the phone.
The bar on the backside is obviously not flush with the phone, but it doesn’t seem to protrude nearly as much as the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro (or Apple’s camera bump). Only concern for me with the design of the phone is that it feels slippery. I also wish the power button and volume rocker was higher up along the right side of the phone. But I have bigger hands and my thumb naturally rests above the volume buttons, I wish they were higher. But it’s minor.
FEATURES (that matter)
I won't reference every single thing this phone can do, instead focusing on the selling points, why I love this phone.
I won't reference every single thing this phone can do, instead focusing on the selling points, why I love this phone.
Cameras. Pixels have developed a reputation for great photos and the ease of taking photos. I'm super impressed with the photo quality, especially the ability to point and shoot. Yes, it lacks high end zoom, but let's be honest 100x space zoom in Galaxy phones is mostly a gimmick. If you need to take a photo, you can pull the Pixel 7a out and take a quick photo that will 9+ times out of 10 will deliver a phenomenal photo. The night sight has gotten even better, both in processing speed and quality and is a true joy to use. Bottom line, as far as phone cameras go, this is all you need.
Google assistant. Even if you aren't deeply invested in the Google ecosystem, the integration to Google services is unmatched. Obviously Google synced well with Galaxy phones but even with my Z Fold 3 I found little annoyances that don't exist with Pixel 7a, like Google assistant accuracy and responsiveness. This includes Google password manager which is unbelievably helpful, in ways you don't realize until you don't have it.
Translation, transcription, recorder. You may not be one to use these types of features but when you realize how accurate they are on Pixel phones you realize how helpful they can be. It's more than something reserved for journalists. These features are baked into the software and take full advantage of the Google silicon.
Call screening and call waiting. With the influx of spam calls nowadays, being able to screen them is a huge boon. Same goes for being in hold, you put your phone down and then you'll get notified when a real person answers on the other side.
Screen. The resolution is great. It’s less pixels than other phones, but when you factor in the smaller screen the pixel density increases. Everything looks sharp and crisp. While I generally keep my screen brightness down to save battery, when outside you can turn it all the way up and still be able to see what’s on the screen. While I can’t comment on the brightness compared to other phones specifically, anecdotally, it was perfectly fine out in the bright sunshine. Bottom line is that brightness and clarity are not issues.
SOFTWARE
Again, coming from a Galaxy phone, a huge perk with the Pixel 7a is the clean UI, and minimal apps. Samsung forces it's versions of the same Google apps you already use on you, and end up just clogging your phone with apps doing the same thing. But more than that, the software is just dang helpful. I don't think enough people talk about that. It takes a few days to get everything right, and you will get lots of notifications early on, but they are helpful one time suggestions to help you stay organized. For example, do not disturb hours. This is big for me as I'm constantly getting pinged with emails and other notifications. Pixel 7a asks to set up focused hours which of course focuses you to think about, but if you're like me and constantly distracted by dings you can create a schedule of focus time - all the while leaving important apps to still notify you (say texts). The at the glance on the home screen is also incredibly useful. It tracks your usage, monitors your calendar and puts helpful information front and center like calendar appointments, drive times, and the weather. The phone adapts to your usage and provides helpful cues. Again, it takes a little time to learn your habits but after a little while it really feels like your phone is an actual assistant.
Again, coming from a Galaxy phone, a huge perk with the Pixel 7a is the clean UI, and minimal apps. Samsung forces it's versions of the same Google apps you already use on you, and end up just clogging your phone with apps doing the same thing. But more than that, the software is just dang helpful. I don't think enough people talk about that. It takes a few days to get everything right, and you will get lots of notifications early on, but they are helpful one time suggestions to help you stay organized. For example, do not disturb hours. This is big for me as I'm constantly getting pinged with emails and other notifications. Pixel 7a asks to set up focused hours which of course focuses you to think about, but if you're like me and constantly distracted by dings you can create a schedule of focus time - all the while leaving important apps to still notify you (say texts). The at the glance on the home screen is also incredibly useful. It tracks your usage, monitors your calendar and puts helpful information front and center like calendar appointments, drive times, and the weather. The phone adapts to your usage and provides helpful cues. Again, it takes a little time to learn your habits but after a little while it really feels like your phone is an actual assistant.
DOWNSIDE - battery life; fingerprint sensor finicky
While I love this phone, it still is lacking. Some things can be looked past given the price, but first and foremost - battery life. My Z Fold 3 barely lasted a day. That was to be expected given the dual screens. My Pixel 7a is not even better. I'm getting to 30 percent by early afternoon and I get anxiety and plug my phone in. I was fully expecting true 24 hour battery life. Yes, there's extreme battery saver, but I want my phone to last 24 hours while using it to it's fullest. Now some people's mileage varies. I consider myself in between a power user and light user. A lot also depends on apps and the draining of power in the background. I also admit that it's possible the battery life gets better as the phone adjusts to my usage and I get rid of unnecessary apps, but I've been unimpressed so far.
While I love this phone, it still is lacking. Some things can be looked past given the price, but first and foremost - battery life. My Z Fold 3 barely lasted a day. That was to be expected given the dual screens. My Pixel 7a is not even better. I'm getting to 30 percent by early afternoon and I get anxiety and plug my phone in. I was fully expecting true 24 hour battery life. Yes, there's extreme battery saver, but I want my phone to last 24 hours while using it to it's fullest. Now some people's mileage varies. I consider myself in between a power user and light user. A lot also depends on apps and the draining of power in the background. I also admit that it's possible the battery life gets better as the phone adjusts to my usage and I get rid of unnecessary apps, but I've been unimpressed so far.
There’s 3 primary ways as I see it to unlock your phone, fingerprint, face unlock and PIN. The PIN method is self-explanatory. Face unlock is easy to setup, but really only works with a lot of light (i.e. doesn’t work at night). Then there’s the fingerprint reader. My Z Fold 3 had a fingerprint reader on the power button which worked great; this is my first experience with an under screen fingerprint sensor. It was very much hit and miss. It works great, then it doesn’t Sometimes during the day, I think it works but it was actually unlocked by the face unlock feature. It doesn’t happen so much as to really be problematic, but it definitely happens enough to feel annoying.
And while I like the design, including the look and feel, the phone is definitely slippery. I mean that in the sense that it feels like it's easy to drop. I wish it had some more grip. Although this is less of a problem if you have a case.
CONCLUSION
Phones are deeply personal to each of us. They contain so much of our lives. We've also never had so many choices (at least on the Android side). And in the world of $1000 phones, the Pixel 7a, despite it's battery life, is a home run. It's well prices and you will feel like your sacrificing nothing in terms of performance. Especially in the world of photos where the Pixel line match up with, if not exceed, the quality of the competition. The usefulness of this phone can not be understated. When taking full advantage of it's thoughtful and helpful features, you're left with a phone that's a true digital assistant.
Phones are deeply personal to each of us. They contain so much of our lives. We've also never had so many choices (at least on the Android side). And in the world of $1000 phones, the Pixel 7a, despite it's battery life, is a home run. It's well prices and you will feel like your sacrificing nothing in terms of performance. Especially in the world of photos where the Pixel line match up with, if not exceed, the quality of the competition. The usefulness of this phone can not be understated. When taking full advantage of it's thoughtful and helpful features, you're left with a phone that's a true digital assistant.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+6points
7of 8voted this as helpful.
Experience a balanced sound, with crisp, soaring teble and controlled, runbling bass. Built-in Dynamic Loudness adjusts the tonal balance of the sound, ensuring your music sounds brilliant at every volume, while Placement Compensation corrects for any nearby reflective surfaces that may affect the sound. Marshall has taken its signature rock 'n' rollhome speaker line-up and given it a stripped-back look that makes a loud statement. Its iconic design knocks all other speakers off the shelf. Generation III is ready for the future of Bluetooth technology and has been built to deliver next-generation Bluetooth features the moment they are available. Over 55 years of sound knowledge is combined with future-proof technology to completely immerse you in your music.
Customer Rating
5
One of the best sounding Bluetooth speakers
on May 7, 2023
Posted by: callmeageeth
The Marshall Action III is my favorite Bluetooth speaker in terms of sound quality. It’s not battery powered, so you obviously can only use it near an outlet, but the sound quality, aesthetics, and its simplicity makes for a compelling option.
DESIGN
As you can tell by the images, this speaker mimics the look of a guitar amp. It’s simple, yet refined. It simply looks great on any shelf. And I absolutely love the controls. They are simple, easy to use, and do all that you need them to. There’s an auxiliary port (for those that use devices with an audio output), a source button to switch between Bluetooth and auxiliary, three knobs (volume, bass, and treble), a joy stick that you push to the left to go back a track, right to go forward a track and you push it to pause/play. And then there’s the power switch which is extremely satisfying to use. I should mention that around the knobs are red LED lights that light up to show the volume, bass, treble level.
As you can tell by the images, this speaker mimics the look of a guitar amp. It’s simple, yet refined. It simply looks great on any shelf. And I absolutely love the controls. They are simple, easy to use, and do all that you need them to. There’s an auxiliary port (for those that use devices with an audio output), a source button to switch between Bluetooth and auxiliary, three knobs (volume, bass, and treble), a joy stick that you push to the left to go back a track, right to go forward a track and you push it to pause/play. And then there’s the power switch which is extremely satisfying to use. I should mention that around the knobs are red LED lights that light up to show the volume, bass, treble level.
SETUP
Using an auxiliary cable speaks for itself, but the Bluetooth pairing process was like any other. I flipped the switch on (after I plugged the speaker in of course) and a notification popped up on my Samsung phone asking me to pair. To put it in pairing mode, you simply hold the Source button down until the Bluetooth LED light blinks quickly. You’ll then be prompted to download the Marshall app (if you don’t already have it). More on the app below.
Using an auxiliary cable speaks for itself, but the Bluetooth pairing process was like any other. I flipped the switch on (after I plugged the speaker in of course) and a notification popped up on my Samsung phone asking me to pair. To put it in pairing mode, you simply hold the Source button down until the Bluetooth LED light blinks quickly. You’ll then be prompted to download the Marshall app (if you don’t already have it). More on the app below.
SOUND QUALITY
Within moments I was setup and ready to go. I placed the speaker in my living room on a table underneath my TV (mounted on the wall). I turned it on and immediately cranked the volume and was literally blown away. It’s loud and clear with deep bass and crisp highs. I played everything from rock, to hip hop, to my kids’ music. It sounded fantastic. For point of reference I was streaming music from YouTube music (FWIW). The sound fills the room without any distortion. I’m frankly impressed with how much bass this speaker puts out. And in some ways it isn’t overbearing. If you’re having a party and just want some background music, it’s great. If you want to jam out and have a dance party it can handle that as well. It really has studio quality sound. It certainly lives up to the Marshall name.
Within moments I was setup and ready to go. I placed the speaker in my living room on a table underneath my TV (mounted on the wall). I turned it on and immediately cranked the volume and was literally blown away. It’s loud and clear with deep bass and crisp highs. I played everything from rock, to hip hop, to my kids’ music. It sounded fantastic. For point of reference I was streaming music from YouTube music (FWIW). The sound fills the room without any distortion. I’m frankly impressed with how much bass this speaker puts out. And in some ways it isn’t overbearing. If you’re having a party and just want some background music, it’s great. If you want to jam out and have a dance party it can handle that as well. It really has studio quality sound. It certainly lives up to the Marshall name.
APP AND CONTROLS
I wanted to comeback to the app. I’m not one to typically tweak minute sound settings. I like just having the basics of bass and treble. For better or worse, the app only allows you to tweak the settings that you can control on the speaker. The app is in some ways unnecessary for that reason, it doesn’t really give you much in addition to what you can control on the speaker itself. But there is a setting for sound compensation within the app. If your speaker is in a corner or close to an edge, you can indicate that in the app and it will adjust the sound. The equalizer in the app only adjusts the bass and treble.
I wanted to comeback to the app. I’m not one to typically tweak minute sound settings. I like just having the basics of bass and treble. For better or worse, the app only allows you to tweak the settings that you can control on the speaker. The app is in some ways unnecessary for that reason, it doesn’t really give you much in addition to what you can control on the speaker itself. But there is a setting for sound compensation within the app. If your speaker is in a corner or close to an edge, you can indicate that in the app and it will adjust the sound. The equalizer in the app only adjusts the bass and treble.
One other comment re controlling the device. I love how you can adjust the sound on your phone. In other words, when you turn the volume down on your phone it turns down the volume on the speaker. This is shown by the lights indicating the volume level around the knob itself. Same goes for changing bass and treble within the app.
WRAP UP
The biggest downside of this speaker is the lack of battery. I wouldn’t say it’s not portable, it is insomuch as it’s not heavy and bulky. But there’s no carry handle, so it’s definitely geared to become a permanent fixture in your home. If you need something to take on a trip, this may not be the next choice for you. But if you’re taking it somewhere you know you’ll have a plug, it’s worth considering given the superior sound quality compared to most other speakers I’ve used. But it’s also not waterproof, so using it by the pool or outside with a chance of rain, will require some forethought. Last, I’ll just add that there’s no “special features” to really distinguish it from other speakers. Other features might be pairing with other speakers for stereo effect or “party” lights. Frankly, that’s perfectly fine by me. Marshall focused its efforts on doing what it does best and that’s creating terrific sound. It’s simplicity and not having those extra features is frankly, a reason to look at this speaker despite it’s price.
Here are some of the pros and cons of the speaker:
Pros:
Leading sound quality in a Bluetooth speaker
Loud and clear
Deep bass
Crisp highs
Easy to use
Cons:
Expensive
Not waterproof
Not battery powered, must be plugged in
The biggest downside of this speaker is the lack of battery. I wouldn’t say it’s not portable, it is insomuch as it’s not heavy and bulky. But there’s no carry handle, so it’s definitely geared to become a permanent fixture in your home. If you need something to take on a trip, this may not be the next choice for you. But if you’re taking it somewhere you know you’ll have a plug, it’s worth considering given the superior sound quality compared to most other speakers I’ve used. But it’s also not waterproof, so using it by the pool or outside with a chance of rain, will require some forethought. Last, I’ll just add that there’s no “special features” to really distinguish it from other speakers. Other features might be pairing with other speakers for stereo effect or “party” lights. Frankly, that’s perfectly fine by me. Marshall focused its efforts on doing what it does best and that’s creating terrific sound. It’s simplicity and not having those extra features is frankly, a reason to look at this speaker despite it’s price.
Here are some of the pros and cons of the speaker:
Pros:
Leading sound quality in a Bluetooth speaker
Loud and clear
Deep bass
Crisp highs
Easy to use
Cons:
Expensive
Not waterproof
Not battery powered, must be plugged in
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
The HT-S2000 soundbar delivers high-quality audio and an upscaled cinematic surround sound experience for all your content. Built for the Sony ecosystem, this compact soundbar solution is compatible with Sony SA-SW3, SA-SW5 subwoofers and, SA-RS3S rear speakers and integrates fully with BRAVIA XR™ TVs.
Customer Rating
4
Terrific sound in a small package
on May 2, 2023
Posted by: callmeageeth
This is a terrific sounding soundbar. But to unlock it's full potential, you'll want to consider investing in the separate purchases of a sub and rear speaker (which I don't yet have, but am considering). But know that there's some quirks. It's not truly plug and play unless you own a new Sony TV. I have a several year old model and struggled to get it to work ultimately having to use an optical cable vs HDMI Arc. Maybe it's user error, but my old Samsung sound bar worked using the same HDMI cable and ARC port.
IN THE BOX
First, I want to give Sony props for the eco friendly packaging. It may not matter to most, but the box was easy to open and had no plastic. But onto to what’s inside. You get the soundbar, remote with 2 AAA batteries, HDMI cable, and charging cord (which is a small brick). I wish the power cable and HDMi cable were a bit longer, but those are minor problems for a small subset of people.
First, I want to give Sony props for the eco friendly packaging. It may not matter to most, but the box was easy to open and had no plastic. But onto to what’s inside. You get the soundbar, remote with 2 AAA batteries, HDMI cable, and charging cord (which is a small brick). I wish the power cable and HDMi cable were a bit longer, but those are minor problems for a small subset of people.
SETUP
I think it's important to mention my setup. Basically, I need a sound solution for two spaces, one my living room TV (which is a 2014 model Sony TV) and my basement projector room (intended for video games, so don't knock me for "only" using a sound bar). My living room TV utilized an older model Samsung soundbar with built in sub. I wanted to put that in my theater room. But I couldn't get the S2000 to work with my living room Sony TV.
I think it's important to mention my setup. Basically, I need a sound solution for two spaces, one my living room TV (which is a 2014 model Sony TV) and my basement projector room (intended for video games, so don't knock me for "only" using a sound bar). My living room TV utilized an older model Samsung soundbar with built in sub. I wanted to put that in my theater room. But I couldn't get the S2000 to work with my living room Sony TV.
While I gave Sony props for their packaging they could have done better with instructions. I figured there was an app to control the settings of this sound bar, but I couldn't figure out what it was without a Googlw search. Eventually I downloaded the Home Entertainment app. The app helped me quickly find and connect the soundbar. But it was no help with getting audio from my TV. More on the app shortly.
DESIGN
I have a picture of the S2000 compared to my old Samsung sound bar and I love the size of the Sony model. It's much smaller with just as much of a lunch. It has a small display but it's all you need. I'm disappointed in the single HDMI port. As an ARC soundbar the choice to have one HDMI port makes sense, but I wish it had more. There's an optical sound port which gave me sound but at that point I would habe liked to have extra HDMI ports for my other devices (Chromecast and Switch).
I have a picture of the S2000 compared to my old Samsung sound bar and I love the size of the Sony model. It's much smaller with just as much of a lunch. It has a small display but it's all you need. I'm disappointed in the single HDMI port. As an ARC soundbar the choice to have one HDMI port makes sense, but I wish it had more. There's an optical sound port which gave me sound but at that point I would habe liked to have extra HDMI ports for my other devices (Chromecast and Switch).
At bottom you have a smart looking, compact soundbar that punches above it's weight in terms of sound volume and quality. But there's a limited number of ports which is a double edged sword.
SOUND QUALITY
Continuing with my journey, I ultimately decided to keep the Samsung sound bar where it was (don't fix what's not broken) and use my new soundbar with my projector. While I got the sound to work with my projector it required some workarounds. My projector doesn't have ARC and the limited HDMI ports creates problems.
Continuing with my journey, I ultimately decided to keep the Samsung sound bar where it was (don't fix what's not broken) and use my new soundbar with my projector. While I got the sound to work with my projector it required some workarounds. My projector doesn't have ARC and the limited HDMI ports creates problems.
But as I said I got the sound to work. I started watching Top Gun. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it sounded. while it wasn't perfect surround sound, which I didn't suspect, you could definitely hear sounds coming from above you. I wish I had a sub to really feel the jets, it was definitely serviceable and frankly, more than what the average person would expect. It's not going to replace true 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound but it's pretty darn good. And if you were to add the wireless speakers sold separately, I would imagine it sounds much better.
CONCLUSION
Sound bars are almost a must nowadays. And for good reason. Great sound with a simple setup. At least when you need/want simplicity. This speaker is great in that you can purchase wireless rear speakers and/or subwoofer to compliment the sound. But know that unless you have the newest Sony TVs you could run into issues with getting it to work. It's not simple plug and play - at least in my experience. But the sound quality was worth the trouble.
Sound bars are almost a must nowadays. And for good reason. Great sound with a simple setup. At least when you need/want simplicity. This speaker is great in that you can purchase wireless rear speakers and/or subwoofer to compliment the sound. But know that unless you have the newest Sony TVs you could run into issues with getting it to work. It's not simple plug and play - at least in my experience. But the sound quality was worth the trouble.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
callmeageeth's Review Comments
callmeageeth has not submitted comments on any reviews.
callmeageeth's Questions
callmeageeth has not submitted any questions.
The Lucyd Starman titanium frames weigh just over an ounce, and with their enhanced flexibility will fit most users out of the box. These patent-pending Bluetooth frames offer a unique mix of durable titanium, designer styling, optional vision correction, and smart features. All Lucyd frames include a 7-day moneyback guarantee and 1-year warranty against any defects in frame or lenses.
What are the glasses capable of?
That's a seemingly broad question, but they connect to any Bluetooth source device and can play music through the speakers embedded in the arms of the glasses. The sound is good based on the open speaker design, so the sound will bleed a little bit. But overall, I like them.
2 years, 4 months ago
by
callmeageeth
Feel safe and protected with eufySecurity Solo Smart Lock D20. Securely open your front door with built-in Wi-Fi to only let trusted friends and family enter your home when you allow it. And when you are outside your front door, connect with Bluetooth via the eufy Security app, so you don’t need to fumble for your keys. Solo Smart Lock is tough, too, with stainless steel construction that earned it a BMHA certification. Plus, the IPX3 weatherproof rating ensures it can endure wild temperature swings and heavy rain. Give yourself peace of mind with Solo Smart Lock, and you’ll always feel your home is secure.
Does it come with the lever handle? If not, how can one order the handle shown?
No, it does not come with a lever. You're stuck with what you have, or going to a home improvement store to get one.
2 years, 5 months ago
by
callmeageeth
Easily track you and your children’s (pediatric use) well-being with the ability to store up to 60 measurements for up to 2 users. A universal cuff is wearable on any wrist large or small. The Beurer BC57 synchronizes with your smartphone via Bluetooth® technology so you can see your readings over time and share with your doctor. It also identifies arrythmia and alerts you of any detections.
How do you change the battery?
Underneath the monitor itself, where it attaches to the wristband, there's a cover you can pop open to replace the AAA batteries.
2 years, 7 months ago
by
callmeageeth
Your SWFT journey starts here. Wherever you’re headed, FLEET will get you there with style, safety, and a fresh design that’ll turn heads as you turn corners. Move ahead of the pack with a SWFT e-bike with a detachable, rechargeable battery. Multiple modes allow you to use pedal-assist or your throttle to propel you forward. With a 19.8 mph max speed, you can travel up to 37.2 miles on a single charge of your battery alone. A built-in monitor display indicates your battery output and speed. Let the journey begin.
Do you have to pedal this bike to make it work?
You have to pedal it to get it going, once you turn the pedal maybe twice, the motor kicks in and it will either assist your pedaling or you can use the throttle
2 years, 7 months ago
by
callmeageeth
Your SWFT journey starts here. Wherever you’re headed, FLEET will get you there with style, safety, and a fresh design that’ll turn heads as you turn corners. Move ahead of the pack with a SWFT e-bike with a detachable, rechargeable battery. Multiple modes allow you to use pedal-assist or your throttle to propel you forward. With a 19.8 mph max speed, you can travel up to 37.2 miles on a single charge of your battery alone. A built-in monitor display indicates your battery output and speed. Let the journey begin.
What if I purchase this bike now and and later is cheaper on Black Friday. Do I get the different?
Depending on your membership status, you can get a refund of the difference so long as you're in the return period.
2 years, 7 months ago
by
callmeageeth
GeoBook 120 is a 12.5-inch Windows 10 laptop complete with a 1-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Personal. Powered by an Intel Celeron Dual Core Processor and 4GB RAM, this lightweight laptop makes easy work of essential tasks, browsing and more. 64GB eMMC storage is built in and can be expanded with the addition of a MicroSD card (up to 64GB). GeoBook 120 also features a 2MP webcam, dual microphones and integrated speakers, plus reliable AC Wi-FI.
Can I play Roblox and Minecraft?
My kid has played both on it, and they run just fine.
2 years, 7 months ago
by
callmeageeth
Pixel Buds A-Series bring you rich, high-quality sound for a lot less than you’d expect. Their beamforming mics help make calls crystal clear.*** The flush-to-ear design is stylish, and the stabilizer arc keeps them in place so you can wear them even during the sweatiest workout.**
Does it have Noise Cancellation feature ?
No they do not have active noise cancelling. One of the drawbacks of the Pixel Buds (IMHO) is that they let in a lot of ambient noise, even with a good seal/fit in your ears.
2 years, 10 months ago
by
callmeageeth
Pixel Buds A-Series bring you rich, high-quality sound for a lot less than you’d expect. Their beamforming mics help make calls crystal clear.*** The flush-to-ear design is stylish, and the stabilizer arc keeps them in place so you can wear them even during the sweatiest workout.**
Does Google pixel buds pair with iPhones?
I haven't specifically tried it, but it's my understanding they do, but I do know you'll lose the ability to use/activate the Google Assistant through the Pixel Buds.
2 years, 10 months ago
by
callmeageeth
Featuring a 1-inch CMOS sensor, powerful autonomous functions, and a compact body weighing less than 600 g, DJI Air 2S is the ultimate drone for aerial photographers on the move. Take this all-in-one aerial powerhouse along anywhere to experience and record your world in stunning detail.
Can I use my Goggles with the DJI mavic air 2s?
I haven't tested it, because I don't own the goggles, but there's a setting to change the camera to FPV. And according to dronedj.com, it is compatible.
2 years, 11 months ago
by
callmeageeth
Featuring a 1-inch CMOS sensor, powerful autonomous functions, and a compact body weighing less than 600 g, DJI Air 2S is the ultimate drone for aerial photographers on the move. Take this all-in-one aerial powerhouse along anywhere to experience and record your world in stunning detail.
Will Air 2s work with note 20 ultra?
I don't own that phone, but I don't see why not. Biggest concern is size of the phone and whether it fits into the controller. I use a Google Pixel 4 XL and there's still a little more space for the "arms" of the controller to hold the phone. And in terms of the app itself, you'll need to download it straight from the DJI website (which is the same process for all Androids)
2 years, 11 months ago
by
callmeageeth