YourMainDude's stats
- Review count115
- Helpfulness votes817
- First reviewNovember 4, 2016
- Last reviewMay 2, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4
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 count1
- Helpfulness votes0
- First answerNovember 1, 2018
- Last answerNovember 1, 2018
- Featured answers0
- Best answers0
Experience stunning Ultra HD content with this LG Blu-ray player with multi-HDR compatibility lets you enjoy the full image quality and features of an HDR TV. This LG Blu-ray player has two HDMI outputs to accommodate a HDTV and a cable box. This HDR-compatible, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player offers 4x the resolution of a standard Blu-ray player. The built-in UHD upscaling technology enhances the picture quality from standard Blu-ray discs and DVDs.
Customer Rating
3
Well positioned by price, average in performance
on August 30, 2017
Posted by: YourMainDude
from Sonoma County
The LG - UP970 4K Blu-Ray player is fairly pedestrian in its presentation and construction. I've had the pleasure of testing this unit out connected to a LG OLED panel and can report that picture & audio quality overall is about average compared to other unit I've demo'd. For it's price-point most people should find it suitable for their needs.
A few of the things that did notice - not expecting a 'flag ship' experience - do dampen my enthusiasm about this model. The unit does power up & initialize fairly quickly but disc loading was about average. The basic set up screens are easy to read and are logically arranged but controls overall were still basic.
One of my biggest pet peeves with Blu-Ray players is their ability to sync up the audio stream and I'm disappointed to report that LG has missed the mark on getting consistent the audio decoder hardware in this device to work smoothly. Across many different movie discs I noticed significant lag in the audio kicking in after the actual movie has started - sometimes in the realm of 2 or more seconds of delay. Once the movie was going though, there were no noticeable drops in the audio stream. I also didn't encounter any picture freezes or need to power cycle the player due to things locking up - which is a good thing.
The up-scaling of 1080p movies to 4K left a bit to be desired. I noticed quite a bit of flicker and frame jump on a few movies but it wasn't consistent and is probably something that can be resolved with a future firmware update. True 4K performance was clearly better.
The physical construction of this player is on the weak side. We found that the disc tray button wasn't always responsive to the first touch and the remote control feels little cheap - and designed like an afterthought. The unit is overall quiet in operation considering it's light weight construction but it certainly lacks that solidly built heft one might expect when taking it out of it's box and setting it up. Considering the price point for this unit - especially when it's on sale - one really can't complain though.
I would recommend the LG - UP970 Blu-Ray player to anyone looking for a good, 'middle of the road' unit at a decent price.
My Best Buy number: 2036057829
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+3points
4of 5voted this as helpful.
Hear everything happening in the game with this Logitech gaming headset. Low distortion and an acoustic port behind the driver combine to produce precise, realistic sound, and downloadable software lets you customize audio for each game. Play in comfort with the ultra-soft microfiber ear pads of this Logitech gaming headset.
Customer Rating
4
Misses the mark on comfort ...
on August 18, 2017
Posted by: YourMainDude
from Sonoma County
After breaking these cans in for several weeks I can say that I am honestly shocked at how well they perform/sound. They could use a tad bit more gain to their maximum volume output but I won't dock the overall rating for it - as many of the current offerings of head sets have this same issue. The inline volume dial is nicely placed.
I'm not a huge fan of the typical driver software that accompanies gaming head sets but Logitech has actually done a nice job integrating the controls for the G433's into their already mature Gaming Software app and the various controls are intuitive and straight forward. I am also wary to the effect many software installations for peripherals can have on an operating system and pay close attention to Event logs. I can confidently report that the Logitech software doesn't cause errors or disrupt Windows in any noticeable way.
Good job Logitech!
Good job Logitech!
I ran through many of the games in my Steam library and found them all to sound on par with the Steel Series cans I had been using. The sound field was very spacial, dynamic and immersive.
The pseudo surround mode works but not to my liking - but that is a common problem and I have yet to find a head set that does a good job with simulated surround sound - so I won't hold anything against this particular head set.
The pseudo surround mode works but not to my liking - but that is a common problem and I have yet to find a head set that does a good job with simulated surround sound - so I won't hold anything against this particular head set.
The construction is solid except for one major aspect - the head band. Personally I prefer head sets that incorporate an inside suspension band. The G433's feel solid in hand, I like the detachable microphone and the ear cups articulate nicely to match the contours of a head - but the solid head band as designed is very uncomfortable after just 1 hour of game play. That's really unfortunate. With head shapes being such a huge variable, your mileage may very, but the simplest solution would be for Logitech to design in a secondary suspension band - and then I would call this head set near perfect. Because of this I am deducting one star from my rating.
Summary
Full fidelity and excellent control via software.
Head set feels solid in hand and the articulating ear cups are very flexible - but both versions of the cup pads are very stiff when new - only time will tell on how well they break in and hold up to use.
Restricted, top-end volume gain - but typical for the price point.
The camo blue is very cool but I would prefer the red ones if I had a choice.
Full fidelity and excellent control via software.
Head set feels solid in hand and the articulating ear cups are very flexible - but both versions of the cup pads are very stiff when new - only time will tell on how well they break in and hold up to use.
Restricted, top-end volume gain - but typical for the price point.
The camo blue is very cool but I would prefer the red ones if I had a choice.
Uncomfortable head band needs a redesign.
The inside padding is inadequate and simply not good enough to support a long game play duration.
The inside padding is inadequate and simply not good enough to support a long game play duration.
I can only recommend this head set with the obvious caveat that there is potential for discomfort. Give them a try and see how they work out for you.
My Best Buy number: 203605782
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Get seriously clean floors without the effort thanks to this Roomba robot vacuum. It automatically navigates across your carpet or vinyl while avoiding hazards and keeping track of its location all the while picking up dirt, debris and mess. Automatic recharging keeps this Roomba robot vacuum powered so that it's ready to go.
Customer Rating
4
Pleasantly surprised but not for everyone.
on July 30, 2017
Posted by: YourMainDude
from Sonoma County
Presentation
The Roomba 890 came precisely contained in a box with everything labeled nicely and clear instructions on how to remove shipping tabs and how to generally set things up. The unit feels solid when removing it from the box and has an overall neutral presentation. The “home” charging station is small and easily positioned and the kit also comes with a perimeter limiter tower you can set up near stairs or rooms you wish to block the robot from accessing … or diving off of.
The Roomba 890 came precisely contained in a box with everything labeled nicely and clear instructions on how to remove shipping tabs and how to generally set things up. The unit feels solid when removing it from the box and has an overall neutral presentation. The “home” charging station is small and easily positioned and the kit also comes with a perimeter limiter tower you can set up near stairs or rooms you wish to block the robot from accessing … or diving off of.
Overall we were please opening the box and in some ways, felt like we were unboxing a Dyson.
Initial Setup
Setup was simple and straightforward. After positioning the robot on the home dock for a full charge – as instructed – we immediately loaded the Android app and got to setting things up.
At first blush, the app seems detailed and deep with information – but more on that part later.
While waiting for the unit to fully charge, we configured the Wifi settings and setup a daily schedule. Pretty simple and no hurdles. Refreshing.
Setup was simple and straightforward. After positioning the robot on the home dock for a full charge – as instructed – we immediately loaded the Android app and got to setting things up.
At first blush, the app seems detailed and deep with information – but more on that part later.
While waiting for the unit to fully charge, we configured the Wifi settings and setup a daily schedule. Pretty simple and no hurdles. Refreshing.
Internal Configuration
The dust tray and integrated filters are easy enough to access but we do feel the capacity of this model is rather “smallish” in terms of dirt collecting capacity – especially for those with pet(s) adding to the dirt accumulation. In other words … don’t get rid of your old vacuum – you’ll need to keep it around for at least an occasional deep cleaning.
The dust tray and integrated filters are easy enough to access but we do feel the capacity of this model is rather “smallish” in terms of dirt collecting capacity – especially for those with pet(s) adding to the dirt accumulation. In other words … don’t get rid of your old vacuum – you’ll need to keep it around for at least an occasional deep cleaning.
The battery seems more than adequate for a single floor of an ~2000 square foot home or about 800 to 1000 square feet of coverage and we haven’t seen battery capacity presenting any types of issues during the first 2 weeks of operation – but more on that part too – later.
Performance
We have our 890 programmed to come on at 5 AM – Monday through Friday – and it’s a pleasure coming downstairs and finding the family room carpet looking clean and well groomed.
Our downstairs is a combination of carpet and tile (mainly tile) and there are plenty of obstacles for the Roomba to maneuver around. We’ve left the downstairs bathroom door open to see how well the unit would traverse that small space but did utilize the infrared tower to block access to our front, den area. The tower works as designed.
We have our 890 programmed to come on at 5 AM – Monday through Friday – and it’s a pleasure coming downstairs and finding the family room carpet looking clean and well groomed.
Our downstairs is a combination of carpet and tile (mainly tile) and there are plenty of obstacles for the Roomba to maneuver around. We’ve left the downstairs bathroom door open to see how well the unit would traverse that small space but did utilize the infrared tower to block access to our front, den area. The tower works as designed.
The unit is a bit loud in operation – much louder than we expected – but certainly quieter than any upright or canister vacuums we have owned over the years. The dust/dirt collection compartment pretty much fills up after 5 days of usage and is easy to clean once you get the filter out of the way. That arrangement needs a little polish from the product engineers, from out perspective.
For the balance of 14 days, we always found the Roomba back at the base station – fully charged – except for one event that has us worried. Inside the phone app, you can review the growing list of days in operation, events and the unit’s overall status. On this particular day, we found the 890 sitting silent in the half bath, unobstructed yet asleep. We physically returned the unit back to the charging station to check the app and interestingly enough – there was no record of that mornings interrupted event. No error codes. Simply nothing. We immediately checked the battery status and it was “green” and good to go – so the unit didn’t run out of juice during its cleaning routine. Very strange. The 890 wasn’t jammed in a tight space or snagged up on anything that could have prevented the drive system for keeping it motion. A total mystery. This happened once in 14 days of trial.
Summary
Pros:
Ease of setup.
Does a nice job of cleaning in a household with no pets.
A great option for anyone with solid flooring in our opinion.
The edge brush design is proven effective – keeping our baseboard/floor corners looking great.
Seems to have plenty of onboard battery reserve to do larger homes.
Small, elegant profile with unobtrusive lighting, easy to use top-board buttons and fairly well though-out Android app.
Ease of setup.
Does a nice job of cleaning in a household with no pets.
A great option for anyone with solid flooring in our opinion.
The edge brush design is proven effective – keeping our baseboard/floor corners looking great.
Seems to have plenty of onboard battery reserve to do larger homes.
Small, elegant profile with unobtrusive lighting, easy to use top-board buttons and fairly well though-out Android app.
Cons:
Louder than we expected.
Limited dust bin capacity and a bit tricky removing and emptying it out in conjunction with the associated filter panel.
Rogue and unexplained behavior that doesn’t get reported back to the app – seems like a major hole in the software design. The app status didn’t even report anything had even gone wrong. There wasn’t even a logged cleaning event for the day in question. Honestly, that’s unacceptable.
Louder than we expected.
Limited dust bin capacity and a bit tricky removing and emptying it out in conjunction with the associated filter panel.
Rogue and unexplained behavior that doesn’t get reported back to the app – seems like a major hole in the software design. The app status didn’t even report anything had even gone wrong. There wasn’t even a logged cleaning event for the day in question. Honestly, that’s unacceptable.
We can recommend this product as a good way to maintain a healthy and clean home for those without pets – especially those with mainly tiled, hardwood or manufactured material flooring.
For those with pets, we feel it’s better to stick with a conventional vacuum cleaner as these robots simply don’t have the capacity to be “hands off” for a reasonable period of time.
For people with many pets in the same house…don’t even bother.
For those with pets, we feel it’s better to stick with a conventional vacuum cleaner as these robots simply don’t have the capacity to be “hands off” for a reasonable period of time.
For people with many pets in the same house…don’t even bother.
The Roomba 890 exceeded our expectations and although the product needs a few things addressed, it’s a nice addition to the tech in our home – and certainly useful.
We'd certainly recommend the Roomba 890 but with caveats.
My Best Buy number: 203605782
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+3points
4of 5voted this as helpful.
Grill and brown food to tasty perfection all-year-round with virtually no smoke thanks to the Philips Smoke-less Indoor BBQ Grill. Advanced infrared technology and special reflectors guide heat to the grid for delicious, evenly grilled food. The drip tray underneath remains cool so there is up to 80% less smoke and minimal splattering when cooking.
Customer Rating
3
Decent indoor grille ... but over priced.
on July 30, 2017
Posted by: YourMainDude
from Sonoma County
The Philips - Avance Collection Indoor Electric Grill is a convenient way to grille indoors all year round. It's pretty basic, lightly constructed and quick heat up.
We tried a bunch of different food stuffs on this grille, from fish to burgers to a vegetable medley wrapped in foil and everything came out decently cooked. The design does in fact do what it says dramatically reducing grease splatter in the cooking area although there is no down-draft fan to aid in this performance. Cooking area provides an nice, even environment and cleans up easily.
All this said, the unit feels cheaply constructed and is very light.
Even the control knob as a low-budget feel/action to it.
Even the control knob as a low-budget feel/action to it.
The lightweight construction may be a huge advantage to some who struggle with heavier kitchen appliances - but to us - it feels like a cheap Walmart toaster - and as such - should be much lower in price.
For thirty dollars, this would be a easy recommendation but there's really nothing fancy about his grille. We expected much more from this widget.
My Best Buy number: 2036057829
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Share this review:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Improve your audio experience with this Samsung three-channel soundbar. This unit, which has a built-in subwoofer, channels high-resolution full-spectrum sound and eliminates the need for an extra bass speaker. Use 4K pass-through to connect your Blu-ray player or other UHD device to the Samsung three-channel soundbar for stunning multi-channel audio and a clear picture.
Customer Rating
5
Excellent performance for a fair price.
on July 12, 2017
Posted by: YourMainDude
from Sonoma County
Presentation
The sound bar comes in a box just big enough to protect the unit and house the accessories – remote, batteries, cables, mounting h/w and instructions – with no waste and easy to store away somewhere in case you have to protect it in the event of a future move. Upon unpacking the unit, It looks and feels solid, with a good amount of heft for its size.
The sound bar comes in a box just big enough to protect the unit and house the accessories – remote, batteries, cables, mounting h/w and instructions – with no waste and easy to store away somewhere in case you have to protect it in the event of a future move. Upon unpacking the unit, It looks and feels solid, with a good amount of heft for its size.
Initial Setup
Setup was simple and straight forward. You have a world of choices to connect the Samsung HW-MS650, 3-channel hi-res soundbar – HDMI, toslink (optical) digital transport, Bluetooth and wifi. Hooking up any of the cables is as simple as would be expected and using either of the two wireless modes of operation were quick & painless as well.
Setup was simple and straight forward. You have a world of choices to connect the Samsung HW-MS650, 3-channel hi-res soundbar – HDMI, toslink (optical) digital transport, Bluetooth and wifi. Hooking up any of the cables is as simple as would be expected and using either of the two wireless modes of operation were quick & painless as well.
Once the unit is fired up, you simply go through a few button presses on the remote to change the sound field preferences and to change how crisp things sound and the intensity of the low end. The remote is diminutive yet feels solidly constructed. I personally like the button layout and intuitive design. So much better than most of the remote designs I’ve come across on similar types of product.
The ‘bar’ supports HDMI-CEC which is Greek for intelligent device control across HDMI cables.
If your television. sat set-top box or cable set-box has it – use it!
If your television. sat set-top box or cable set-box has it – use it!
Internal Configuration
This soundbar supports Dolby Digital 5.1 nd DTS 2 channel sound. To maximize the experience it is recommended to keep the unit in the Dolby mode of operation although you will only get a 3 channel + sub sound field. You can combine this unit with additional wireless components to achieve 5 channels but in practical terms, I believe most purchasers are going this route to begin with because they are space constrained and/or want a unified sound arrangement from a single slab of tech. In this respect, the HW-MS650 delivers.
This soundbar supports Dolby Digital 5.1 nd DTS 2 channel sound. To maximize the experience it is recommended to keep the unit in the Dolby mode of operation although you will only get a 3 channel + sub sound field. You can combine this unit with additional wireless components to achieve 5 channels but in practical terms, I believe most purchasers are going this route to begin with because they are space constrained and/or want a unified sound arrangement from a single slab of tech. In this respect, the HW-MS650 delivers.
One other thing worth noting is that his soundbar can be used as a “pass-through” device.
Simply feed an HDMI cable and power in and then route both a HDMI cable and power bridge cord out to your television and you’ve essentially assembled a full fidelity and unified sound addition to any flat panel that only came with low quality, low gain speakers.
Simply feed an HDMI cable and power in and then route both a HDMI cable and power bridge cord out to your television and you’ve essentially assembled a full fidelity and unified sound addition to any flat panel that only came with low quality, low gain speakers.
Performance
The unit comes with 5 processing modes for the sound:
Standard
Music
Clear Voice
Sports
and
Movie
The unit comes with 5 processing modes for the sound:
Standard
Music
Clear Voice
Sports
and
Movie
There is an internal subwoofer driver that is the real gem in this product. No matter what listening level we tried out, the mid-range and bass fullness was spectacular. Quite honestly, I was completely shocked how good this soundbar performed with a variety of movie genres and live television events.
The treble and bass controls were smooth and well-stepped, never producing an overly bright or bass-bottom distorted sound field. There isn’t lot of granularity to the two individual settings but this level of control still produces remarkable results.
On the flip side, this soundbar is very good as a standalone wireless audio component.
For those consumers that are looking for something a bit punchier than the typical dedicated Bluetooth/wifi speaker for any room in the house – the HW-MS650 is excellent option. Its unobtrusive design will play nice with most room decors as long as one has the shelf space or platform to place the unit. I suppose you could just as easily wall mount this bar wherever you'd like - all by itself.
For those consumers that are looking for something a bit punchier than the typical dedicated Bluetooth/wifi speaker for any room in the house – the HW-MS650 is excellent option. Its unobtrusive design will play nice with most room decors as long as one has the shelf space or platform to place the unit. I suppose you could just as easily wall mount this bar wherever you'd like - all by itself.
I have a similar priced “full sized” wireless speaker from Polk, and the HW-MS650 produces a fuller sound field and does so at much louder levels – thanks to the built in subwoofer.
In a nutshell, anyone looking for a powerful wireless speaker that is capable of filling even large rooms with high fidelity sound should give this beast a try.
Summary
Fairly priced, solidly built and flexible in its application –
The HW-MS650 is strong contender in the soundbar space.
Fairly priced, solidly built and flexible in its application –
The HW-MS650 is strong contender in the soundbar space.
Pros:
Ease of setup.
Provides a massive amount of sound that can be tailored to personal preference.
Small, elegant profile with an unobtrusive set of displays that do dark when not needed.
A diminutive yet complete handheld remote that gives you full control of the soundbar from across the room.
Pretty much comes with everything you’ll need to marry it with a big screen display panel.
HDMI-CEC intelligence. Nice touch!
Ease of setup.
Provides a massive amount of sound that can be tailored to personal preference.
Small, elegant profile with an unobtrusive set of displays that do dark when not needed.
A diminutive yet complete handheld remote that gives you full control of the soundbar from across the room.
Pretty much comes with everything you’ll need to marry it with a big screen display panel.
HDMI-CEC intelligence. Nice touch!
Cons:
Limited surround simulation but still surprising good for its size and the number of sound fields are appropriate for its physical limitations. Not really a con but really a complaint either.
Limited treble and bass controls; mid-range control would have been a nice addition – but what is presented in terms of control does a dog-gone nice job.
Limited surround simulation but still surprising good for its size and the number of sound fields are appropriate for its physical limitations. Not really a con but really a complaint either.
Limited treble and bass controls; mid-range control would have been a nice addition – but what is presented in terms of control does a dog-gone nice job.
My Best Buy number: 2036057829
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
Meet your large household’s high-bandwidth requirements with this tri-band Linksys Max-Stream Wi-Fi router. It performs at up to 4 Gbps for high-speed Internet access, and its MU-MIMO technology lets everyone at home enjoy smooth, simultaneous gaming and media streaming on multiple devices. This Linksys Max-Stream Wi-Fi router has six adjustable external antennas for maximum area coverage
Customer Rating
1
Needs a lot of work... Not ready for prime time.
on May 24, 2017
Posted by: YourMainDude
from Sonoma County
Presentation
The unit arrived within a simple, well organized box. No fluff – minimal waste.
The unit arrived within a simple, well organized box. No fluff – minimal waste.
The unit is lighter within a smaller footprint compared to its bigger sibling, the venerable EA9500, with only 6 articulating antenna instead of 8, 4 Ethernet ports instead of 8 and only 1 USB port on the back - but the overall style is very similar. . I would characterize this unit as average in size – for a table top unit that isn’t a ‘tower’ in stature and should be appealing to those with space concerns.
Initial Setup
To start off, my router came with a down-level version of the firmware, requiring an update which occurred automatically upon setting it up. A key missing feature is a wifi on/off switch on the side of the unit. This unit also took a few attempts at initializing through the Linksys setup process – not obtaining an IP address or seeing the live internet connection out of my modem. This was rectified by the 3rd attempt of a hard power reset.
To start off, my router came with a down-level version of the firmware, requiring an update which occurred automatically upon setting it up. A key missing feature is a wifi on/off switch on the side of the unit. This unit also took a few attempts at initializing through the Linksys setup process – not obtaining an IP address or seeing the live internet connection out of my modem. This was rectified by the 3rd attempt of a hard power reset.
Internal Configuration
One thing this unit has that the EA9500 doesn’t is the Wireless Scheduler tab. I find this feature a must have in modern routers and this is a glaring omission in the EA9500 so kudos to Belkin for its inclusion here. It makes sense that with the absence of the external hardware switch, the software control is the go-to control and probably explains why the higher end model doesn’t have the Wireless Scheduler page in the firmware. Having both would be best and most, higher end routers in fact do have both.
Overall, I prefer what Linksys is doing for the configuration controls and GUI on this model. Everything is logically arranged and very intuitive. It just needs more polish.
One thing this unit has that the EA9500 doesn’t is the Wireless Scheduler tab. I find this feature a must have in modern routers and this is a glaring omission in the EA9500 so kudos to Belkin for its inclusion here. It makes sense that with the absence of the external hardware switch, the software control is the go-to control and probably explains why the higher end model doesn’t have the Wireless Scheduler page in the firmware. Having both would be best and most, higher end routers in fact do have both.
Overall, I prefer what Linksys is doing for the configuration controls and GUI on this model. Everything is logically arranged and very intuitive. It just needs more polish.
Performance
The EA9300 had many issues out-of-the box and after the subsequent firmware update I experienced continual random dropping of the 2.4 GHz channel to various household and mobile devices. This seems to be a recurring theme with a number of lower-end Linksys routers. When it does stay connected, the 2.4 GHz range was strong throughout the house. Conversely, the 5 GHz wireless networks were reliable albeit not as far reaching as say the EA9500. Additionally, the Linksys Velop mesh hardware I currently employ never drops connections and automatically channel assigns beautifully – so this EA9300 needs some serious TLC by the Belkin engineers considering it’s higher than average price point.
The EA9300 had many issues out-of-the box and after the subsequent firmware update I experienced continual random dropping of the 2.4 GHz channel to various household and mobile devices. This seems to be a recurring theme with a number of lower-end Linksys routers. When it does stay connected, the 2.4 GHz range was strong throughout the house. Conversely, the 5 GHz wireless networks were reliable albeit not as far reaching as say the EA9500. Additionally, the Linksys Velop mesh hardware I currently employ never drops connections and automatically channel assigns beautifully – so this EA9300 needs some serious TLC by the Belkin engineers considering it’s higher than average price point.
Summary
For the price, there’s a compelling case to be made for spending a bit more and opting for the higher end Linksys models or perhaps a different brand all together – depending on your needs.
Since it is new, it needs quite a bit more testing & polish.
I cannot recommend this offering to a friend at the present time.
For the price, there’s a compelling case to be made for spending a bit more and opting for the higher end Linksys models or perhaps a different brand all together – depending on your needs.
Since it is new, it needs quite a bit more testing & polish.
I cannot recommend this offering to a friend at the present time.
My Best Buy number: 2036057829
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Share this review:
0points
4of 8voted this as helpful.
We know pets makes messes. Whether it's tracked-in mud or bathroom accidents, BISSELL® ProHeat 2X® Revolution® Pet Pro Plus carpet cleaner handles those though pet messes with its exclusive Pet Pro Cleanup System. This system includes a CleanShot® pretreater to remove spots and stains; the 2-in-1 Pet Upholstery Tool to remove pet hair, stains and odors from upholstery, a trial-size of BISSELL® PET PRO OXY Urine Eliminator formula, and an EZ Clean Brush Roll Cover to make maintaining the machine easy. When used in MAX Clean Mode, you get powerful cleaning that outcleans the leading rental*** and leaves carpet dry in about 30 minutes with Express Clean Mode.** All of this cleaning power comes in a lightweight and maneuverable machine with a low-profile foot that gets under furniture. But this machine doesn't just pick up after pets, it helps save them, too. BISSELL® proudly supports BISSELL Pet Foundation® and its mission to help save homeless pets. When you buy a BISSELL product, you help save pets, too. We’re proud to design products that help make pet messes, odors and pet homelessness disappear.***Cleaning results based on ASTM F2828 using BISSELL PET PRO OXY Urine Eliminator formula in MAX clean mode against the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 carpet cleaner using their top selling formula.**Express Clean Mode (reference instruction in user guide). Tested on new carpet with protectant. Results may vary.
Customer Rating
5
Very capable and highly recommended
on May 23, 2017
Posted by: YourMainDude
from Sonoma County
Presentation -
The redesigned approach Bissell has taken on this line demonstrates a commitment to product improvement. There’s no doubt about it. The assembly process is quick and easy. The maintenance aspect features are thoughtful and easy to use because of modularity of the design. And the procedures to actually use the cleaner are simple and straight forward. There are some that comment how lightweight this unit is but I would simply state that this unit is of average weight and maneuverability. There is nothing astoundingly light weight in the feel of this unit and in fact, on moderately plush carpet – coupled with the fact that it has some strong extraction force – it feels heavy and can be tiresome to use over prolonged period of time. That is to say, if you’re tackling several rooms in the same day.
The redesigned approach Bissell has taken on this line demonstrates a commitment to product improvement. There’s no doubt about it. The assembly process is quick and easy. The maintenance aspect features are thoughtful and easy to use because of modularity of the design. And the procedures to actually use the cleaner are simple and straight forward. There are some that comment how lightweight this unit is but I would simply state that this unit is of average weight and maneuverability. There is nothing astoundingly light weight in the feel of this unit and in fact, on moderately plush carpet – coupled with the fact that it has some strong extraction force – it feels heavy and can be tiresome to use over prolonged period of time. That is to say, if you’re tackling several rooms in the same day.
Another glaringly painful aspect of this unit is the fact that Bissell insists on using the ‘Proheat’ marketing angle for this unit – but if you dig into the specifications there is not onboard heater unit. The ‘heat’ comes from the faucet. To me that is borderline false advertising when you consider their previous generations of Bissell machines.
The inclusion of so many attachments should also please any pet owner looking for an effective cleaning machine that is powerful and flexible to use.
Initial Setup-
Again, assembly is quite easy and the instructions are clear & simple. You snap in the handle, set the single retaining screw and insert the two reservoirs. Done.
Again, assembly is quite easy and the instructions are clear & simple. You snap in the handle, set the single retaining screw and insert the two reservoirs. Done.
Performance -
Having used Bissell products regularly over the past 20 or so odd years, I was eager to try this new product out. Upon first use, I went to a newer section of carpet in our home that is in structurally excellent condition but suffers from the most foot traffic – thereby making it quite dirty. I used the Express mode to test the unit’s ability to clean in this efficient mode and to see how quickly the carpet would dry.
Having used Bissell products regularly over the past 20 or so odd years, I was eager to try this new product out. Upon first use, I went to a newer section of carpet in our home that is in structurally excellent condition but suffers from the most foot traffic – thereby making it quite dirty. I used the Express mode to test the unit’s ability to clean in this efficient mode and to see how quickly the carpet would dry.
On this tile inset carpet area – approx 16’ by 16’ in size – I was able to completely cover the area twice, using about 75% of the supply (clean water + solution) reservoir with solid results. The results were remarkable, with a good as new looking carpet pile and it was dry in less than an hour – as promised. I really can’t say enough good things about this Express mode. It truly works without saturating the carpet, using so little water and drying so quickly. This mode alone is worth the price of admission for this cleaning machine.
Next we moved to the older carpet, high traffic areas in our home that have seen better days. Most notably was the disaster area commonly known as a teenager’s bedroom. In the normal cleaning mode, this machine work magic nothing short of a miracle. Certainly a lot more clean water + solution was laid down thereby extending the dry time to a few hours but the deep cleaning achievements of this product greatly exceeded our expectations. The carpet pile came back to life – even better than the last time we had the same area professionally cleaned.
Again, this unit has powerful suction capability, so that in combination with the average build weight makes this cleaner anything but nimble but I would also comment that it is not TOO heavy either. Just don’t expect feather light operation on average to deep pile carpet.
One last thing, in operation, this cleaner puts out an average amount of noise. It is by no means quiet.
Summary-
Easy to setup and use.
Express mode is truly amazing, producing excellent results with a minimal amount of water used and a dry time as good as they promise.
Full strength carpet cleaning in the normal mode with equally excellent results.
About as loud as the average consumer carpet cleaning machine.
Not as lightweight as being described by some folks but also not too terribly heavy.
Misleading “Proheat” marketing is unfortunate as there is no onboard heating element.
Excellent 5 year warranty.
I recommend this product to everyone looking for a quality product, especially pet owners.
Easy to setup and use.
Express mode is truly amazing, producing excellent results with a minimal amount of water used and a dry time as good as they promise.
Full strength carpet cleaning in the normal mode with equally excellent results.
About as loud as the average consumer carpet cleaning machine.
Not as lightweight as being described by some folks but also not too terribly heavy.
Misleading “Proheat” marketing is unfortunate as there is no onboard heating element.
Excellent 5 year warranty.
I recommend this product to everyone looking for a quality product, especially pet owners.
My Best Buy number: 2036057829
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
Enjoy a smooth shaving experience with this Panasonic cordless razor. It has a pivoting head with three blades angled at 30 degrees that lift and cut facial hair comfortably and evenly, and it can be used dry or wet with shaving cream for convenience. This Panasonic cordless razor has a nonslip rubberized handle to provide a secure grip.
Customer Rating
4
Excellent value but lacks tech prowess
on May 4, 2017
Posted by: YourMainDude
from Sonoma County
Presentation -
The packing is small and avoids unnecessary waste.
The shaver leans more towards the basic of designs but still feels solid and comfortable in the hand. It’s light weight and more slender than what I am accustomed to with a competing brand. This is probably one of the most comfortable to hold shavers I’ve ever owned.
The packing is small and avoids unnecessary waste.
The shaver leans more towards the basic of designs but still feels solid and comfortable in the hand. It’s light weight and more slender than what I am accustomed to with a competing brand. This is probably one of the most comfortable to hold shavers I’ve ever owned.
Initial Setup-
There is no cord or pouch supplied with this unit. The actual shaver snaps into the wall charger which is sort of a good idea if you want to declutter grooming area. The problem with this particular Arc model is that the LED charging indicator is worse than an idiot light on the dashboard of a car. At a minimum, shavers of this class should have a red LED and a green LED for obvious reasons. This unit only has a red LED and it only confirms that your shaver is ‘hot’ to an electrical source. Nothing more.
There is no cord or pouch supplied with this unit. The actual shaver snaps into the wall charger which is sort of a good idea if you want to declutter grooming area. The problem with this particular Arc model is that the LED charging indicator is worse than an idiot light on the dashboard of a car. At a minimum, shavers of this class should have a red LED and a green LED for obvious reasons. This unit only has a red LED and it only confirms that your shaver is ‘hot’ to an electrical source. Nothing more.
Performance -
Putting aside the atrocious indicator light situation, this shaver performs as I expected. I have owned several Panasonic shavers some years back and this model is lighter, more comfortable to hold & use and produces a close shave. The contours and texture to the grip surfaces are excellent. The fact that this shaver works in both wet and dry environments makes it quite appealing.
Putting aside the atrocious indicator light situation, this shaver performs as I expected. I have owned several Panasonic shavers some years back and this model is lighter, more comfortable to hold & use and produces a close shave. The contours and texture to the grip surfaces are excellent. The fact that this shaver works in both wet and dry environments makes it quite appealing.
Battery life is above average for its price point.
The motor drive produces a fairly pleasant hum and I considered it much quieter than I would have expected for the price point. I consider this a bonus considering how light weight it is.
All in all – this shaver is solidly constructed.
Summary-
Comfortable and light weight.
Quiet yet powerful.
Terrible implementation of the charging indicator.
Solid battery life.
Produces a close, comfortable shave with no irritation …
and I have sensitive skin.
Comfortable and light weight.
Quiet yet powerful.
Terrible implementation of the charging indicator.
Solid battery life.
Produces a close, comfortable shave with no irritation …
and I have sensitive skin.
My Best Buy number: 2036057829
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Get your party underway with this water-resistant Sony XB20 Bluetooth speaker. It provides up to 12 hours of nonstop playback, and the single-colored line light ensures your music stands out at night. The EXTRA BASS mode of this portable Sony XB20 Bluetooth speaker enhances the impact of your tunes at dance parties.
Customer Rating
3
Great hardware ... subpar software.
on April 9, 2017
Posted by: YourMainDude
Presentation
The packing is small and avoids unnecessary waste.
The packing is small and avoids unnecessary waste.
The unit is diminutive and feels solid in the hand, with great balance, form and fit. The controlling buttons along the top of the speaker are solid in action and everything you would need to take control is present. The SRS-XB20 has a nice grippy feel to it and addition of the internal lighting (with controls) is a nice bonus.
Sony doesn’t provide a charging adapter, just a short cable – so be forewarned.
Initial Setup
The problems start with the SongPal App after the initial setup.
This app does assist you in managing the establishment of a wireless link between your phone and the speaker. That part anyone can usually do without the assistance of a third party app.
This app does give you control over the lighting and the bass enhancement as well but as far as music playback is concerned – this is where it fails.
The problems start with the SongPal App after the initial setup.
This app does assist you in managing the establishment of a wireless link between your phone and the speaker. That part anyone can usually do without the assistance of a third party app.
This app does give you control over the lighting and the bass enhancement as well but as far as music playback is concerned – this is where it fails.
No universal codec set is implemented to facilitate playback directly from the app. What a complete cost cutting measure … and complete oversight in my mind.
Performance
Putting aside the atrocious SongPal app, this speaker sounds amazing – with and without the extra bass enabled. For such a small device, the sound field dispersion is surprisingly good for such a tiny footprint. I can only image that the model 30 and model 40 are even better performers.
Putting aside the atrocious SongPal app, this speaker sounds amazing – with and without the extra bass enabled. For such a small device, the sound field dispersion is surprisingly good for such a tiny footprint. I can only image that the model 30 and model 40 are even better performers.
The built in lighting is total eye candy and I disable it. I own the black version and the lighting looks like an afterthought. Perhaps is appears more appealing on the various fun colored alternates.
Price vs. performance is average at best … for this model.
Too many players in this retail space with equal or better offerings … in styles many will find more attractive and with more complimentary features to their liking.
Too many players in this retail space with equal or better offerings … in styles many will find more attractive and with more complimentary features to their liking.
Summary
Great sound reproduction for its size.
Quality feel and look to the build.
Extra Bass is solid and not boomy.
Rated battery life of 12 hours only achievable with Extra Bass off and at low playback volumes..
Great sound reproduction for its size.
Quality feel and look to the build.
Extra Bass is solid and not boomy.
Rated battery life of 12 hours only achievable with Extra Bass off and at low playback volumes..
The SongPal app is crippled and feels unfinished with inadequate built in codec support.
I recommend that you go to Best Buy and try one out, with your own phone or tablet. Sound Quality is an area that is too subjective as a subject matter to rely solely on reviews posted by others online. If you like that ‘Sony Style’ and the sound truly grabs you … buy one.
My Best Buy number: 2036057829
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+12points
24of 36voted this as helpful.
Bring your favorite varietals back to their natural state with the Üllo wine purifier. It uses Selective Sulfite Capture technology to rid any still wine of sulfites and other impurities and has a built-in adjustable aerator to release aromas and smooth out flavors. The Üllo wine purifier comes with four single-bottle filters, a display case and handy travel bag.
Customer Rating
3
Interesting ... but average at best.
on April 9, 2017
Posted by: YourMainDude
The Ullo filtration/aerator system is diminutive and simple in construct.
This review will be short and sweet.
This review will be short and sweet.
The Review:
This product is interesting but we found it mediocre at best.
The rotating head is stiff & cumbersome and not what we would consider having a 'premium' feel.
This product is interesting but we found it mediocre at best.
The rotating head is stiff & cumbersome and not what we would consider having a 'premium' feel.
Installing the filter is pretty simple.
Your presented with two options once you are ready to use the Ullo, with aeration and without.
Your presented with two options once you are ready to use the Ullo, with aeration and without.
I personally suffer from wine induced headaches. There are many reviews out there from similar sufferers and you'll have to decide how valid those claims are. For me, the removal of sulfites from typical heavy red's that we drink didn't result in any positive outcome.
Nor is there a perceived improvement in the taste of the wine - via the aeration or filtration process. I own aerators that work to 'open up' a bottle of dormant wine and this Ullo performs no better and in some respects performs worse than other designs - so that functionality is in no way a bonus. Lastly, we've demo'd this with friends & family and no one can pin down any improvement in the resulting taste of the filtered vint. Too subjective and variance based.
Nor is there a perceived improvement in the taste of the wine - via the aeration or filtration process. I own aerators that work to 'open up' a bottle of dormant wine and this Ullo performs no better and in some respects performs worse than other designs - so that functionality is in no way a bonus. Lastly, we've demo'd this with friends & family and no one can pin down any improvement in the resulting taste of the filtered vint. Too subjective and variance based.
The last comments I'll make to the suitability of this product for it's intended purpose is the egregious price of admission for the filters and the mere fact that you will be using a lot of them if you drink with any regularity. This 'arrangement' is very similar to the shaver blade business model. If the filters were at or below 50% of the current price schedule, this business model would be more successful by way of opening the door to potentially higher volumes - regardless of the actual gains or benefits of the filtration process.
This is a 'feel good' product for the purchaser and
offers more in the way of having 'conversation piece' value.
Plain and simple.
offers more in the way of having 'conversation piece' value.
Plain and simple.
Another indication of the 'mind set' of this offering is the price for carafes and decanters offered by Ullo. Go to their website and research that. Nothing special here - just outrageous pricing.
In a nutshell, this gizmo doesn't perform up to expectations - it is way over priced for the unit and the filters and therefore I can not recommend this device as something worth purchasing ...
unless you want to impress your friends.
unless you want to impress your friends.
My Best Buy number: 2036057829
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Share this review:
-2points
1of 4voted this as helpful.
YourMainDude's Review Comments
YourMainDude has not submitted comments on any reviews.
YourMainDude's Questions
YourMainDude has not submitted any questions.
YourMainDude's Answers
One solution across all your devices. With Office 365 Personal, you get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more. Work anywhere with apps that are always updated with the latest features. 12-month automatically renewing subscription for one person including 1TB OneDrive cloud storage.