Wraith's stats
- Review count219
- Helpfulness votes2,070
- First reviewAugust 18, 2014
- Last reviewJune 27, 2025
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.6
- Review comment count1
- Helpfulness votes0
- First review commentSeptember 25, 2016
- Last review commentSeptember 25, 2016
- Featured review comments0
Questions
- Question count0
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- First questionNone
- Last questionNone
- Featured questions0
- Answer count27
- Helpfulness votes28
- First answerAugust 18, 2014
- Last answerDecember 13, 2021
- Featured answers0
- Best answers3
Enjoy legendary Technics sound quality in over ear headphones, with advanced noise cancelling technology and superior call clarity. Technics A800 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones allow you to hear music—and life—as it’s meant to be heard. Enjoy unparalleled high fidelity, hearing every detail without interruption from outside sound. Whether you are at home, at work, working out, or traveling, the Technics EAH-A800 amplifies words and reduces surrounding noise for impeccable call quality on your phone and video calls, with the option to add more or less ambient sound to your experience. Also, with multi-point connectivity, switching audio devices for any of your tasks is seamless and clear. Comfortable over-the-ear earpads, with a headband that reduces pressure across the entire head, ensure the perfect fit for maximum comfort and effectiveness in noise cancellation. Built for comfortable all-day use, Technics A800 has a battery life of up to up to 50 hours on a single charge with ANC on, with quick charge of 15 minutes for 10 hours of playback, and a Wearing Sensor for auto shut-off. It is compatible with voice assistant technology (Siri, Alexa), interfaces with the Technics audio connect app, and folds easily to place in compact carrying case.
Customer Rating
3
Unfortunately not up to the Technics name.
on September 10, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
I was SOOOOOOOOO stoked to get the chance to review the first pair of ANC headphones from Technics. My parents's Technics gear is still the reference that I go by for what a quality system sounds like, and my Technics turntable is a revelation of sound and quality. While these new headphones look sharp, where it really counts, the sound, is a complete let-down. To add insult to injury, they also aren't that comfortable, and the build quality leaves a lot to be desired.
I understand that Technics is trying to get into a very competitive ANC headphone market and to keep the price target they set, they had to make some sacrifices, but I would say they should have gone the opposite way and gone a $150-200 more and made a 'Cadillac' of headphones. Everybody can do noise cancelling now. It's not new tech like when Bose launched the class years and years ago. Everyone can also make headphones with lots of plastic, pleather, and some memory foam. I want Technics to innovate and give us, a headphone done with titanium and leather, or at least some new tech behind the drivers that evokes a WOW when you fire up 'Baba O'Riley' by the Who or 'Rosanna' by Toto. I will pay a premium for THAT headphone. BTW, the sound signature for the A800s is a bit too bottom heavy for my taste and it doesn't even do that well, it seems more 'flabby' and it messes with everything else.
That isn't to say that the Technics A800's are BAD, they aren't, but they also don't bring anything to the table that several other brands bring, some at an even better price. What the A800s have is:
- Decent Padding; though not enough for someone who is lacking enough hair on the top of their head (such as I) to supplement what they give you. I couldn't wear the Technics for more than two hours without taking them off because the point of my noggin was killing me. Also, my ears were sweating as well (though that was partially because we are experiencing a more humid and hot few days than we are used to).
- Long Battery Life; I think I drained the battery about 15 percent while running it through my 82 track Headphone Test playlist. It is about five hours long, so I see no reason why they can't hit the 50 hours of playback that Technics says it can do.
- Good Noise Cancelling; decent but not better than quite a few others out there. Maybe Technics can isolate one set of frequencies for their 'industry leading' claim, but for someone who often uses their ANC headphones JUST as noise-blockers (so I can concentrate while writing or reading), they are not the best out there.
- Good App; lots of controls, a five band EQ, and well organized. This IS better than the offerings of many others.
- Easy Set-Up; while other headphones can also connect easily, the Technics set do it well with TWO sources. I had my A800s connected to both my iPhone and my MacBook and it was easy to switch sources. Great for when I came in from outside and streaming from my phone, to working on my laptop in my office.
Again, are the Technics A800s bad? No, not at all. They are a good pair of ANC headphones, and if you dig the styling, want the Technics name emblazoned on them, and they fit you well, please go out and buy them.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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The Shark Clean Sense Air Purifier MAX with Odor Neutralizer Technology uses Pure Air MicroForce to deliver fast, powerful, and quiet purification for up to 1200 sq. ft. A True HEPA filter captures 99.98% of airborne particles (based on IEST-RP-CC007.3, 0.1-0.2 microns). Odor Neutralizer Technology guards against odors throughout your home.
Customer Rating
5
Quiet and and Efficient.
on September 6, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
There's not a lot to get excited about when talking about an air purifier but it is always nice to get an appliance that is needed (my allergies are super bad), and also works well.
The Clean Sense Air Purifier MAX is a very good purifier for a good sized room, in our case our rather large owner's suite. Fortunately we live in a nice enough area that we can have the windows open for most of the summer because it rarely gets hot enough to need the AC but it is also nice enough to have flowering plants for a longer than normal season for everywhere else. In order to save my marriage I need something to help pull the dust and pollen out of the air to minimize my snoring as much as possible.
We used to have a really good one but it got pretty loud and it burned through filters like nobody's business. We then got a large (and expensive) unit that seemed like it would almost be overkill but in fact it did worse than the smaller one it replaced. It has not been cutting it and it needed to be replaced. BTW, I think it was more intended for office/workplace environments where you run it hard and you also need to worry about VOCs and such.
The Shark Clean Sense MAX was super easy to set up. Open up the bottom, take the nice and large filter out of its bag, replace it, close her up and finally plug in the odor neutralizer unit. Firing it up it started up in auto mode, ramped up to high fan speed because it said the air quality was only 83% and then kept going until it was satisfied that it was up to 100%. This was a good way to start things off but I'm going to keep it on a more constant, and lower level, fan speed so that it isn't quite so loud when we are trying to sleep. Level one is virtually silent, and in a dead quiet room, you can just barely hear it going.
I'm going to pause here to point out the one quibble I have with the Clean Sense MAX. Why does this unit have the only area that doesn't expose the 360 degree filter to the air, on the front? Shouldn't this be on the back that will be most likely against the wall? As it is, it is really only pulling in air from the sides. This would be fine if these were the only openings because the filter maintenance for the MAX is to flip and rotate the filter to maximize exposure. A nice 90 degree turn and a flip would expose all new filter area, but now we have 270 degrees being used (though the back quarter would see less flow). That's just me thinking logically about the device.
As for the air quality sensor suite on the MAX, it's a nice to know but not really needed. Also, the Odor Neutralizer had me worried a bit at first because it was so strong upon taking it out of the sealed pack, I figured that it was just going to make our room smell a little too scented, but once installed and dialed in to the right level, it does just add a nice undertone of scent (though I tend to find that air purifiers do a pretty good job with scents just through the regular carbon pre-filters).
All in all, the Shark Clean Sense Air Purifier MAX is a nice, unobtrusive, and quiet air purifier. I'm pretty happy with it so far, and my wife did say that my snoring has tapered back off over the last week, I'm looking forward to seeing if it has as solid of an effect on the amount of dust I have to clean up, but that is going to take more time to test.
If you are looking for a really good purifier, at a good price, you can't do much better than the Shark MAX.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Charge any J1772 compatible electric vehicle with this Rexing to J1772 charging adapter. Use at any Tesla Level 1 and Level 2 charging stations.
Customer Rating
5
If you need an adaptor, this is the one to get!
on August 20, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
This is going to be a pretty short and sweet review. I have to drive all over the place with my Chevy Bolt and while in MOST of the places, there is a pretty good infrastructure in place for both regular and DC charging, I do head off into the wilds of California where it becomes a little more limited. What I DO find out there are quite a few hotels that have Tesla destination chargers and this Rexing adaptor is going to make my life a bit easier. My wife and I also head up to our friends farm in the Central Valley and there is very little charging infrastructure around them except their home charger for their Tesla. In the past, we just took my wife's car because it is an ICE and we don't have to worry, but we have been putting a lot of miles on it would like to spread that out a bit. Now I can plug into their home charger with no problems.
I haven't gone anywhere recently so I just asked if I could test it out on my neighbors home charger and it worked like a charm on the first try. I like that it comes with a nice case AND that it has a lock to keep some yahoo from stealing it for their own CCS equipped vehicle, which is something I worried about with another adaptor that I thought about getting.
All in all, this is well worth the price if for no other reason than the peace of mind. But for me, it is going to make travel into the more remote areas of the state a whole lot easier.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Alienware m18 Gaming Laptop - Play like a boss with a high-powered, 18-inch gaming laptop that features advanced Alienware Cryo-techcooling, 7000 Series AMD Ryzen 9 processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics.
Customer Rating
4
A Literal and Figurative MONSTER! Slays Games!
on August 4, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
Let me start off by saying I was literally dumbfounded when I opened up this box and pulled out the Alienware m18. I have never seen a "laptop" this big before in my life. I know it is one of the new class of 18" laptops that are coming out, and perhaps this is the way of the future instead of towers or NUCs, I don't know. What I do know is that the Alienware m18 is an absolute beast of a machine and there wasn't any game that I could throw at it, that it didn't gobble up and spit out at 60+ frames per second.
I really wondered who this is for when I fired up the m18 for the first time, but then I realized that this thing is REALLY a laptop, what it is is a compact desktop with an integrated screen and keyboard. THIS is for those people who used to haul all their PC gear to their friend's house and set up LAN parties. This is for that person, who doesn't have the room for a full tower and gaming monitor set-up. This is for someone who wants some portability but for the most part is going to have it firmly ensconced on their desk and plugged in all the time.
I threw a ton of games at this from my Xbox Game Pass library (you get a free month of Ultimate), and both my Steam and GoG libraries. We are talking about everything from oldies like Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption to modern games like Red Dead Redemption 2 (weird that I have two games dealing with redemption... maybe I should talk to a shrink about that). The two games I'm going to focus on though are Star Trek Online and Microsoft Flight Simulator. These are my 'go-to' test games because one (STO) is an absolute mess of gaming code, and modern graphics cards struggle with it way more than they should. MS Flight Sim is obviously because maxed out, it can render some absolutely gorgeous scenery. I have hundreds of hours in each game and I can tell if anything is 'off'.
In both cases the m18 and its RTX 4070 absolutely slays. STO never dropped below 100 frames per second with everything maxed and special effects going wild on the screen (if you've played STO you know that some of the 'space magic' can get to be a little much). On MSFS I kept the frame rate pegged at 60fps despite everything turned up to ultra. I also did this while unplugged and on just the 'Performance' setting. Despite being on battery and cranking out solid numbers, fan noise stayed pretty moderate and thermals were decent (though I did increase the temperature in my office by 3 degrees).
Now I only tested the Alienware m18 with games, but I'm betting that with the horses she has under the hood, she would make an excellent platform for video, 3d, and image rendering. If I were talented enough to do any of that, I might have tried it out.
So if the m18 is so great with games, why did I only give it 4 Stars? Well, I did have a few issues with the laptop, though far less than I've had with many others, but still enough for me to knock a star off.
1. Sound - While the m18 can crank out some serious decibels, there are WAY too many times that the sound card was either experiencing interference or stuttering and the sound would go 'crispy'.
2. Keyboard - This is actually not a knock on the keyboard itself, because it is actually really nice to type on and the keys are nice a clicky even with it being just the standard keyboard and not the upgraded one with Cherry switches. I just can't do a full scale keyboard and touchpad set up on a laptop. I'm too used to the ten-keyless and more compact keyboards for my work computer and desktop. I need my keyboard, touchpad, and hands centered to type the way I want. If you are used to a full keyboard and not thrown off by a touchpad skewed to the left, then this is a non-issue for you.
3. Touchpad - Not the best I've ever used. Too many times during testing, I thought that I had tapped hard enough to activate a button or pop-up and move on, only to see that it didn't register and I had to go back. It's responsive enough for movement and actual clicks of the corners but I use taps of the touchpad way more often and those aren't as responsive as I would like.
4. Power 'Brick' - This 330w behemoth weighs more than my regular laptop, and I'm not exagerating! If you tried to pack the m18 and this power brick into a backpack, it will give you scoliosis by the time you reach your destination! If the laptop size itself wasn't enough to limit its use to desktops, the brick pretty much cinches that. This leads us to...
5. Battery - I'm not really going to knock the Alienware m18 on battery life because there is no laptop on the planet that could drive this much power and screen and not suck through a battery in record time. The two times I recorded it, I got 1:15 and :50 out of the battery before it warned me to plug in. This thing NEEDS to be plugged in. It is NOT for playing marathon sessions strictly off the battery.
All-in-all, I'm pretty impressed with the Alienware m18. It is staggeringly huge but it puts up the numbers and graphics to justify it. I also like how it follows Dell's repair/upgradeability ethos. It will be super easy to open up the bottom panel and throw in some more hard drive space (which is going to be needed).
If you are looking for a desktop tier, semi-laptop, gaming rig, I think you need to take a look at the Alienware m18. She delivers.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Superb sound meets brilliant stage lighting, for a multisensory experience you can take anywhere, with up to 30 hours of battery life,¹ plus IP67 rated dust and water resistance.² Savor our most powerful high-quality speaker sound as the compression horn tweeter produces dynamic sound and the 4.5-inch woofer brings the bass to life. Plus it has a stage lighting that puts a vibrant lightshow on the wall to get the party started.³
Customer Rating
4
Buy it for the boom not the baubles (lights).
on July 18, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
Whoo whee! Can this thing put out some bass! I was looking for something that we could allow guests to use when they rented out our place for both personal music as well as an amp for a microphone, and perhaps liven up the outside area with some fun lights. As for the music, the XBOOM XG9 is a winner. This thing pumps out great sound, especially for being in an open area and not really having a good wall set-up to bounce the lows around. This is a great 'boombox' for the 21st century.
As for the light show, it's not as great as I had hoped. Seeing the huge lens on the back of this thing I was almost thinking I would be getting a show like it was coming from a regular projector plugged into a computer or something. My disappointment was probably mostly coming from the fact that I had unrealistic expectation. While the XG9 does do a nice job setting up some ambient light and can follow along with the music, it really needs to be in a pretty dark place for you to appreciate what it puts out. If this is in a dark room and you are trying to do a rave-like experience it probably would be pretty good, outside with lights so drunk people don't trip over things and sue us? Not so much.
The microphone we ordered did not show up in time for us to try it out with the group we had this weekend, but we found that we definitely need it, fortunately it will be showing up tomorrow and we'll be good from here on out.
Also, the app is pretty good, though when dealing with the light set up it can get kind of confusing because flipping one set on, grays out another option, which seems like it is needed to get the full show, but eventually I got things going the way I wanted. It looks like you have a ton of color/pattern options but really they don't seem all that different in action. Either way, it does provide some ambiance.
My rating is probably more of a 4.5 stars rather than a 4, because the thing I really wanted it for, a way for guest to have a music source of their choosing without having to tie them in to our main system, the XG9 did phenomenal. The light show was just a nice to have, and while it is just OK, it is still pretty nice, if not as pronounced as you might think it would be.
If you need a boombox to crank out your tunes, you can't go wrong with the XG9. She pumps out the jams and will blast you with the beats!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Are you ready to feel the rush of extreme performance? The Crucial T700 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD offers speeds of up to 12,400MB/s sequential reads and up to 11,800MB/s sequential writes (up to 1,500K IOPS random reads/writes) for faster gaming, video editing, 3D rendering and heavy workload applications. Built with Micron 232-layer TLC NAND and featuring a premium aluminum and nickel-plated copper heatsink that dissipates heat without noisy fans or liquid cooling, the Crucial T700 Gen5 SSD is optimized for performance, takes full advantage of Microsoft DirectStorage, and is backward compatible with Gen3 and Gen4 motherboards. A non-heatsink SKU is also available for use with an integrated motherboard heatsink. With SSD speeds nearly 2x faster than Gen4 in your PC, you’ll never look back from the Crucial T700!
Customer Rating
5
An outstanding upgrade for any PC!
on July 3, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
My gaming tower originally came with just a 512gb SSD and a 1TB spinning drive. Since then, I have added another 1TB SSD but I really don't like using the spinning drive so I was looking to add some more space to hold all my games. In walks the Crucial T700 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD!
What I ended up doing is moving all the games off of the 1TB SSD to the spinning drive and then flashing the operating system over to the now empty 1TB SSD. I pulled the 512GB drive and put the new 'system drive' in its place. Now you may ask why I didn't use the 2TB drive in the main M.2 slot, and that would be because that slot is crammed between the CPU w/liquid cooler, and the top of the video card. Since the T700 comes with it's own heatsink, I didn't want to waste that in such a cramped area with not great airflow.
I then installed the Crucial T700 in the secondary M.2 slot at the bottom of the motherboard and right in the path of the fans from both the video card and the PC. Both M.2 slots are unfortunately only Gen 4x4, so I am not getting the max speed I could get from either of the SSDs but no one is going to see the 12400 MB/s that is claimed on the box of this thing any time in the near future. But that is OK, the capacity of this drive is big enough that I will be using it in my next tower as well. I then moved over the game files from the spinning drive and then pulled it from the tower.
I fired everything up again, with everything in place and I now have 3TB of high speed and super high speed drives available. Everything runs well and I have not had a single hiccup in the week that it has been installed and running. While I wish I could say that I could tell that everything was running a lot faster, I don't think any of my games quite task my system enough yet to see that. I have posted the benchmarks for both my 1TB and the Crucial T700 2TB drives.
I'm definitely going to make sure that the motherboard in my next tower has Gen 5x4 slots so I can see this drive REALLY show its power. As it is, it is a great drive, with a large capacity, and room to continue to stretch its legs in a more powerful system. It's isn't cheap but when has getting the best components for your PC been cheap?
I would recommend this to a friend!
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OpenFit continues the Shokz open-ear concept to let users enjoy all-day comfort and hear their own soundtrack while staying open to the world around them. OpenFit offers an ultra-lightweight, open-ear construction to hear both your own audio and every sound around you with crystal clarity. DirectPitch technology produces a full audio experience to immerse yourself in your favorite songs, podcasts, and audiobooks. A flexible ear hook design combines stability and comfort. Moments are precious, and OpenFit gives you the freedom to hear every one of them.
Customer Rating
5
Skeptical at first but now my favorite earphones!
on July 3, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
Let me start out by saying that I've had Shokz headphones before so I thought I knew what I was getting into when I was offered these to do a review prior to launch. Let me say next, that I was unprepared for the Shokz OpenFIT.
Since there was no real info out on these before I received them, I assumed (and you know what happens when you do that), that these were just like the other Shokz headsets that use bone conduction technology but that they were no longer connected by a band, which I thought was cool. When I popped them out of the case and tried to hook them on my ear the way I figured they went, I got extremely frustrated trying to get the main part of the headphone over the bone in front of my ears AND keep them hooked over my ears. You may ask yourself: "Self, why didn't this knucklehead look at the instructions that were included with the OpenFIT headphones?" To which I would reply: "You answered your own question when you called me a knucklehead." I am a red-blooded American tech-bro and instruction manuals are for old people... and it would seem, knuckleheads.
Once I figured out what to do and how to wear the OpenFITs properly, I proceeded to run them through my 'headphone test' playlist that has favorites of every genre that I know like the back of my hand so I can tell if they are 'off'. I was pleasantly surprised with the Shokz OpenFITs. For being an open earphone and not going directly into your ear canal, they did a VERY nice job on virtually everything except for rap and dance songs. While the bass was there, it is virtually impossible for any headset that doesn't seal your ear canal to do real bass any justice, and this goes for earbuds that sit in in the bowl of your ear as well.
Where the OpenFITs really blew me away was with rock and jazz (which are my preferred genres anyway). The first song that made me really sit up and go 'Wow', was 'Riders on the Storm' by The Doors. On a lot of headphones, the opening thunderstorm intro can be muddy and too soft but on the OpenFITs it almost sounded like a thunderstorm was rolling in. They are even good enough to call out the poorly produced songs that I have, which many mainstream earbuds kind of gloss over with a lack of definition themselves.
My absolute favorite thing to listen to on these though will be jazz. Herb Alpert's horn comes through great on the OpenFITs and the flamenco guitar of Ottmar Liebert is bright and crisp. Sitting in my easy chair, these are phenomenal headphones that still allow me to hear what is going on around the house.
That leads me to probably the only thing I DON'T like about the OpenFITs, where you can wear them. You would assume that the open ear for situational awareness and the over ear hooks for stability would make them great for exercise, and they do, IF you exercise inside. If you are going to bike, run, or even just go for a brisk walk, the wind noise will drown out your music. And not just by a little, I mean they will actually create MORE wind noise than normal since they stick out from your ear and deflect air more than your ears already do. That being said, I'm OK with this. I'm now going to relegate my previous set of earbuds made by a certain 'fruit' company to be my workout pair, and the Shokz OpenFITs are now going to be my go-to pair for all my other listening.
Here are a few more details that I liked/didn't like about the OpenFITs:
Like:
1. Great battery life. I charged these up completely on the day I got them and over a week later I STILL have not had to charge the case again despite listening to the OpenFITs for well over their 28 hours of rated life. I just checked and the case is at 30%.
2. The 'Dolphin' ear-hooks. I forgot how much I miss having ear-hooks. ALL of my earbuds prior to the bluetooth revolution all had hooks like these and while earbud makers have done a better job on keeping earbuds in your ear without having to jam them in there, it still won't beat having the ear-hooks.
3. Nice App. Nothing to blow you away, but it is a clean and functional app that allows you to quickly and easily change or set-up EQ profiles. I only wish I could see the details of the 'canned' profiles so I could better judge if I am actually changing anything or if I'm just imagining it.
4. Call Quality. While I don't think calls sound necessarily any better on my end, several people that I talked to on the phone said that I sounded 'Much better' than normal, which would be using the 'pods' from the fruit company. That was actually a big surprise for me.
Don't Like:
1. The 'Wobble'. The only thing I wish the team at Shokz would do, would be to tighten up the play of the earphone on their hooks. There were quite a few times that it would feel like it was falling out of my ear only to swing back in. I have gotten more used to it by now, but it is one of those things that is almost like a reflex when you feel like your earbud is about to fall out. It is just a bit of panic when you are afraid it's going to fall down a sewer drain and be gone forever. I understand though that Shokz needed enough play to accommodate ears of all sizes.
All-in-all, I'm pretty impressed with the Shokz OpenFIT headphones. While not the best for outdoor sports, they are great for pretty much everything else.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The new, redesigned Revolve60 packs enough USB-C power to charge a full-size laptop. Nowadays, most smartphones need up to 30 watts and most laptops require a minimum of 45 watts with Power Delivery (PD). Yet most surge protectors with USB-C offer only 20 watts or less. The new Revolve60 kicks out a full 60 watts of PD-enabled charging through dual USB-C ports. Armed with super conducting Gallium Nitride (GaN), Revolve60 achieves high wattages safely and more efficiently than standard silicon. For added capability, four industry-exclusive rotating outlets help you customize your setup and guard your tech against power surges and spikes.
Customer Rating
5
Another Great Power Device From 360 Electrical!
on June 23, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
This is my third product from the team at 360 and I couldn't be happier with it. My first product from them was a similar power bank but the plugs were on the sides and it was EXACTLY what my wife had asked me to find. She has it on the wall by her sink in the bathroom and it keeps the cords nicely out of the way in a cramped corner, plus it also has USB ports (USB-A on that model), which are great for a few of her personal care items that power/charge via USB (a jewelry cleaner and a trimmer).
The Revolve60 is like the bigger brother to the other unit in that it's a bit more versatile in the plugs it can handle given the front facing plugs and the ability to rotate. It also has updated USB-C outlets that make it exactly what I wanted for our kitchen/living room (we have an open concept house). The Revolve60 is mounted on section of counter between the two 'rooms' where we often set up devices to charge. Now that area is going to be our main charging hub for all of our devices, from phones, to tablets, to laptops, and bluetooth speakers.
I have no bad things to say about the Revolve60, but I will point out one thing that is 'weird' but not really an issue. The picture that Best Buy uses for the Revolve60 and the sticker on the box would seem to indicate that this is model 3E0773 which DOES NOT have the screw in the center that you can use to secure the hub to the wall outlet (a nice feature if you need it). The picture on the box, the markings on the unit, and the actual unit all show/have the center screw. Like I said, this is a feature that is good to have, because if you don't need it or can't use it because of the wall outlet configuration, the screw can be removed. The outlet that I'm using the Revolve60 with does not have a screw configuration that would allow me to use this feature but my lower wall plugs do, so if I ever move it I can then use the securing screw.
If you need an outstanding power hub to charge all of your modern devices, you can't go wrong with the Revolve60.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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As game files get larger and larger, the WD_BLACK C50 Expansion Card for Xbox is the fast and easy way to give your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S a big capacity boost so you can keep more titles installed. Just plug this officially licensed card directly into the dedicated slot on the back of your Xbox Series X|S console and it’s good to go, no extra software or installation steps needed. The card delivers similar performance as the Xbox internal storage for a seamless experience when you’re installing, loading, playing, and saving your favorite games. Keep your library ready to play and get into the action fast with the WD_BLACK C50 Expansion Card for Xbox.
Posted by: Wraith
This is my second expansion card for my Xbox One Series X. I bought one of the original cards when it launched and now that that one is full, I needed another and being a fan of Western Digital products, this new Xbox expansion card was a no-brainer.
Despite having a Series X, I actually do not own any physical games. All of my games are downloaded either from the Microsoft Store or are a part of the Xbox Game Pass program. Being an old-school PC gamer, I tend to keep my primary drive installations to they system and my most played games, while I use secondary drives for everything else. In this case, I have Star Trek Online, Minecraft, MS Flight Simulator, and No Man's Sky on my main drive. All of the other games are on my original 1TB card and it is now full (it is at 943GB right now). I will be downloading Diablo IV soon and while that one will be on the main drive I will want to move Flight Sim to an external drive and later with some of the recent games that were announced (Starfield WOOT!), Diablo IV will join it on this new drive.
While it may stink that you have to buy cards like this to store your library, I like the fact that you don't take a performance hit by using them and fortunately they have come down in price. The WD-BLACK C50 works perfectly straight out of the box, and is a MUST HAVE for any Xbox, plus I got an additional month of Game Pass Ultimate added to my subscription!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The XPS 15 laptop is the perfect balance of power and portability with an unrivaled immersive visual and sound experience. Whether you are streaming, editing photos or creating your next masterpiece, the XPS 15 has the power to move your ideas into reality.
Customer Rating
4
At First Confused But The XPS 15 Is A Solid PC
on June 17, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
When I first received this Dell XPS 15 laptop to review, I was a bit confused as to whom this laptop was gear towards. It has the power and dedicated graphics to be a pretty darn good gaming rig, but then it has just an FHD+ screen, and quite frankly no gaming laptop should ship with anything less than 2K/QHD, especially at this price point. That being said, since it does only have the FHD+ screen and can not be a converted to a tablet nor does it have a touch screen, I didn't see the power as a particular benefit to a creative (photo, video, audio, or animation). All of this was exacerbated early on in my testing by some VERY poor performance and a swamped cooling set-up.
I have since changed my mind and consider this XPS 15 to be a solid 'all-arounder' of a laptop. It does nothing exceptionally (except perhaps Office apps), but everything it does, it does pretty darn well. On top of that, I'm impressed with how Dell has now gone all in on allowing consumers to upgrade/repair their own computers and makes access easy and they even put out a repair manual online. That is a nice consumer-friendly approach that a lot more manufacturers need to adopt.
The biggest thing that changed my mind was how much the laptop improved with just a few rounds of updates. I always try out a computer pre and post updating just because I want to know what is delivered raw vs. tweaked. The performance of the XPS 15 on games and video encoding was mid at best. Now I like to task computers with the game Star Trek Online, not because it is a AAA title, but because it is so poorly optimized and has such cruddy spaghetti code running behind the scenes, that modern computers and graphics cards actually have a harder time running it. Prior to updates I was getting 17-18 fps regularly throughout the game and it sounded like a jet engine was going in my office with the fans in this thing. After all the updates and some tweaking of settings, to include actually upping the resolution and graphics settings, I was regularly getting 40-45 fps. Still not spectacular but actually pretty good for STO!
So that told me that the guts of the XPS 15 are actually pretty darn good as a solid all-around laptop once things are tweaked and updated. The FHD+ screen is also much better than I initially gave it credit for, though I still think that a QHD screen is the bare minimum for this laptop.
Here are some other things I like and don't like about the Dell XPS 15:
Like:
Classic styling: I had a Dell XPS way back in the day when they first started this current design and carbon fiber deck. It was an instant classic then and it is still classic now. Some may actually call this a drawback since they have not really innovated in this area in quite some time, but classic is classic.
Keyboard: The Dell XPS keyboard is tied for my second favorite laptop keyboard with Macs. My number one is still the IBM/Lenovo keyboard but this keyboard is right up there with the best. Types well with minimal mistakes and a great feel.
Trackpad: Huge and responsive. Love this thing. Normally I would pair a mouse with a laptop just for ease of use but I don't need it with such a great trackpad.
SD Card Slot: I appreciate the inclusion of the SD Card slot, though this should be standard on any laptop larger than 13", it is still nice that they actually did it.
Don't Like:
Filthy Out of the Box: This is the second laptop I've received (the other one was not Dell), that was absolutely filthy with dust and debris INSIDE the plastic sleeve the laptop comes in. I had to use some canned air to clear out all the junk. Absolutely weird.
Needs a Dongle: While great that they put the SD Card slot in, I'd rather actually have either an HDMI or USB-A port. Granted, they provide you with a dongle for those two ports, but one or both should just be standard.
Final notes: I read another review on here where the reviewer said that the RTX 4050 in this laptop can not drive an external display. They are wrong. I was able to use my own hub to plug the XPS 15 into my 32" BenQ 4K HDMI 2.1 monitor and was able to crank STO up to the max AND it was utilizing the GPU. I was limited to a refresh rate of 60hz but that was because of my own dongle being limited to than and not the card.
All-in-all the Dell XPS 15 is a solid laptop and if I could give half stars, I would seriously consider giving it 4.5 stars instead of 4. It is not cheap by any standard but it is built well, performs well, and is easily upgradable. If you need a solid computer that handle pretty much anything you throw at it, you could do far worse than the XPS 15 but not much better without spending much more or giving up something else in the trade.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Wraith's Review Comments
Make driving routines more enjoyable with this OverDryve car system. Its voice assistant capabilities let you read and send text messages by command and also play music in your car without taking your hands off the wheel. The built-in dash cam of this OverDryve car system lets you record trips and capture every moment on the road.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5No-Brainer If You Want A Great All-In-One System
By Wraith
I wondered about creating a GPS system nowadays with so many people having their smartphones with their own GPS functionality or with most cars coming with some kind of infotainment system, but after using the OverDryve 7 for the last two weeks, I think it is a great system and is a no-brainer for anyone looking to add GPS functionality to their car.
First off, my favorite thing about this device is the mounting bracket. I kid you not. One of the things I always hated about car GPS systems was having to lock it in place and reconnect the power and such. In the process of doing that I would invariably mess with my carefully set up positioning and would have to do it all over again. The Overdryve has an awesome bracket that you keep set up in your car and plugged in to everything and the Overdryve unit itself links via magnets and the connections are made through little contacts on the back. Easy-peasy. On top of that, the basestation also has an additional GPS antenna to improve location accuracy. Now I have rarely had problems with previous GPS devices and but the additional antenna could probably help when you are in the 'canyons' of the city, though I haven't gone downtown to try it yet.
The GPS system is great. While my car has one built in, it acts a bit too much like my mother and won't let me input anything if I am not at a complete stop. My wife can't even do it from the passenger seat because if we are moving at all it completely locks out the GPS controls. I understand why, but it would be nice for some kind of override. With the Overdryve, we don't have to worry about that. She just plucks the device from the mount, types in the destination and clicks it back into place. The guidance voice is kind of grating but so is my wife yelling directions at me from her phone!
I played around with the handsfree and entertainment applications and they are fine, but my car handles that pretty seamlessly, so I don't think I will be using that function of the Overdryve. The voice commands are much more responsive than those for my car system so I will give it that. The other thing I don't have to worry about is the backup camera or tire pressure monitor, because my car already has that, but if your car doesn't, this is a really cool feature. While each of those systems is an add-on, they are both only about $150 each and I guarantee I paid more for that functionality from the auto maker.
As for the Overdryve also being an Android tablet, and can be used off the mount like any other tablet, it is true that it can do so, but it is a little bulky for that and it is an Android tablet with all that entails. Sorry, I have an iPad and I can't really see myself ever using this as just a regular tablet, but perhaps if you forgot yours and you have a fussy kid in the back and want to send it to the back seat to quiet them down, this could be a lifesaver.
Now for my few quibbles with the device. I had a little trouble syncing it to my phone for the first few tries but after I did a phone restart I didn't have a problem and it had maintained the sync no problem, so it could have been my phone and not the Overdryve. My only other problem is the name. Seriously, Overdryve?! I realize that Overdrive was probably taken but I kind of feel like some hipster should be on TV telling me how 'swaggy' this thing is. Every time I have had to type Overdryve into this review, I have had to roll my eyes and they are getting tired.
In summary, if you want a great functioning GPS system, and that is all, this is a phenomenal GPS and it costs about the same as other 7-inch GPS systems. If you need the functionality of an infotainment system, and want the ability to add safety features like a back-up camera and tire pressure monitoring, this is a no-brainer because you get all of that for the price of a basic 7" GPS. On top of all that, you get a fully functional Android tablet! I really can't see why anyone would buy any other standalone car GPS system now that this is out. Even if you don't need the other functions, they are nice to have and Rand McNally has created the best GPS device I have ever used, for the same price as other systems. Seriously, this is the unit to get.
Wraith
Rochester Hills, MI
Dash Cam!
September 25, 2016
I totally forgot about the dash cam function of this. Yet another feature that makes this a no-brainer. I have not had much experience with dash cams but this one works well. Now let's just hope I don't end up on one of those dash cam compilation videos on YouTube!
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Wraith's Questions
Wraith has not submitted any questions.
Cleaning up after pets has never been easier than with CrossWave X7 Cordless Pet Pro, our BEST CrossWave multi-surface cleaner for homes with pets. It vacuums and washes at the same time, across sealed hard floors and area rugs, combining cleaning steps and saving you time. It’s perfect for grab and go cleaning of frequent pet messes with up to 30 minutes* of hassle-free, cordless run time and it weighs just over 10.5 lbs. Our pet parent engineers incorporated three different cleaning modes: Hard Floor Mode, Area Rug Mode and TURBO PET Mode to boost cleaning performance, especially for pet and everyday stuck-on messes. CrossWave X7 Cordless Pet Pro multi-surface cleaner also has LED headlights to illuminate pet hair, dirt and debris while cleaning along baseboards and in corners. And unlike when you use a mop and bucket, there’s no need to worry about putting dirty water on the floor while you clean, since our Two-Tank Technology keeps the clean and dirty water separate. When you’re done cleaning, CrossWave X7 Cordless Pet Pro cleans itself! It has a self-cleaning cycle that rinses the brush roll and inside of the CrossWave with clean water, so there’s less clean-up after cleaning. Plus, it comes with two trial-size bottles of our PET Clean + Natural formula and two PET Multi-Surface Brush Rolls. And this machine doesn’t just clean up after pets, it helps save them! 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.
Does this machine clean up both hard and soft puppy poops? We are elderly and have three Chihuahuas & a Chiweenie. Two dogs are elderly and have been pad trained because we do not have a fenced yard & area predator threats. The pups likely too.
I would not use this for either. This is for dirt, mud, dust, hair, litter, and small food bits. If it were a liquid mess (vomit/diarrhea) it might do OK, but nothing bigger or more substantial than that.
3 years, 6 months ago
by
Wraith
Cleaning up after pets has never been easier than with CrossWave X7 Cordless Pet Pro, our BEST CrossWave multi-surface cleaner for homes with pets. It vacuums and washes at the same time, across sealed hard floors and area rugs, combining cleaning steps and saving you time. It’s perfect for grab and go cleaning of frequent pet messes with up to 30 minutes* of hassle-free, cordless run time and it weighs just over 10.5 lbs. Our pet parent engineers incorporated three different cleaning modes: Hard Floor Mode, Area Rug Mode and TURBO PET Mode to boost cleaning performance, especially for pet and everyday stuck-on messes. CrossWave X7 Cordless Pet Pro multi-surface cleaner also has LED headlights to illuminate pet hair, dirt and debris while cleaning along baseboards and in corners. And unlike when you use a mop and bucket, there’s no need to worry about putting dirty water on the floor while you clean, since our Two-Tank Technology keeps the clean and dirty water separate. When you’re done cleaning, CrossWave X7 Cordless Pet Pro cleans itself! It has a self-cleaning cycle that rinses the brush roll and inside of the CrossWave with clean water, so there’s less clean-up after cleaning. Plus, it comes with two trial-size bottles of our PET Clean + Natural formula and two PET Multi-Surface Brush Rolls. And this machine doesn’t just clean up after pets, it helps save them! 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.
Does this come with any attachments?
No. There really isn't any need for them since there isn't a wand/hose to use elsewhere. It does have the charging/drying base as well as an extra mopping roller head.
3 years, 6 months ago
by
Wraith
The best bedroom Smart Clock just got even better. The Lenovo Smart Clock Gen 2 with Wireless Charging Dock keeps your nightstand clutter free. Charge up to two additional devices at once: your phone (using the wireless dock) and another accessory, like a smart watch (using the USB port). The 4“ color touchscreen showcases the time, weather and your family photos with a choice of customizable clock faces or check in on your smart cameras feeds before bed. Enhanced with a built-in nightlight when docked, the light is just bright enough to illuminate your way without waking your partner. With multiroom audio, you can add your Lenovo Smart Clock Gen 2 to a speaker group and play media across multiple devices and rooms.
Would the alarm function still work if the internet goes out?
Yes, because it can be set directly on the device as well as through the Google Home app. Doesn't need internet for anything but data it would have to pull from the internet like music/weather and such.
3 years, 9 months ago
by
Wraith
Does this specific purifier release ozone?
No, it helps filter it out of the air since it is considered to be a toxic gas.
4 years, 4 months ago
by
Wraith
Your life’s an adventure. To capture and keep its best moments, you need fast, high-capacity storage that accelerates every move. With up to 1050MB/s read and 1000MB/s write speeds, store your content and creations on a fast drive that fits seamlessly into your active lifestyle. Up to three-meter drop protection, with IP65 water and dust resistance, a carabiner loop for securing the drive, and a 5-year limited warranty give you the peace of mind to take it with you on travels near and far. From a brand trusted by professional photographers, the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD provides fast solid state performance in a tough, reliable storage solution.
Will this work with the new Xbox Series X gaming console? Thanks
Sort of. From what I understand from Microsoft, the only games you can have on an External USB drive are for the Xbox/Xbox 360/Xbox One. I think you can also have whatever photo/video files on it as well. Series X games have to go on the internal drive or on the new Seagate expansion drive to support the speed required.
4 years, 7 months ago
by
Wraith
Bose Sleepbuds II deliver relaxing sounds that help you fall asleep, and use Bose noise-masking technology so you stay asleep. Tiny, wireless Sleepbuds II are designed for comfort with sleep technology clinically proven to help you fall asleep faster. Sleepbuds II play content only from the Bose Sleep app, which gives you full control of the Sound Library and helps you personalize features. Discover tranquil tones and soothing sounds from nature. Or, use Bose noise-masking sounds to cover unwanted nighttime noise. Download your favorite sounds directly to Sleepbuds II, control volume, and set a personal wake-up alarm. Sleepbuds II feature proprietary eartips made of soft silicone for a comfortable, secure fit. Sleep on your back or side, or rollover during the night, they’ll stay put. Get up to ten hours of battery life from a single charge, enough for a full night’s sleep — and three additional charges from the portable case.
Can they play the music on your phone
No they can not. They can only play sounds from a selection of 40 sounds that come with the Sleep App. You can have up to 10 of them loaded onto the Sleepbuds at a time.
4 years, 8 months ago
by
Wraith
The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 is the next level of premium wireless performance compatible with Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, featuring Xbox Wireless and Windows Sonic surround sound. Take mobile calls or listen to your own music simultaneously while gaming through Bluetooth technology. An all-new metal-reinforced headband and strengthened hinge design deliver significant advancements in durability, and re-shaped Aerofit cooling gel-infused memory foam ear cushions provide premium comfort. The upgraded rechargeable battery provides up to 20-hours of wireless gaming. A larger, high-sensitivity mic improves chat clarity and conceals in the housing when muted, while 50mm Nanoclear speakers provide crisp, accurate sound for the ultimate gaming experience.
Are the rechargeable batteries replaceable by the end user? Batteries dont last forever, it would be a shame(and waste of money) to have to trash a 150$ headset because you cant swap a battery.
Not without busting them open. Yes, that it a big problem with a lot of devices nowadays. There might be a place where you can have someone open them up, but having the battery available is probably not going to happen. When these no longer hold a charge, they are going to need to be replaced. Wish it wasn't so.
4 years, 9 months ago
by
Wraith
The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 is the next level of premium wireless performance compatible with Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, featuring Xbox Wireless and Windows Sonic surround sound. Take mobile calls or listen to your own music simultaneously while gaming through Bluetooth technology. An all-new metal-reinforced headband and strengthened hinge design deliver significant advancements in durability, and re-shaped Aerofit cooling gel-infused memory foam ear cushions provide premium comfort. The upgraded rechargeable battery provides up to 20-hours of wireless gaming. A larger, high-sensitivity mic improves chat clarity and conceals in the housing when muted, while 50mm Nanoclear speakers provide crisp, accurate sound for the ultimate gaming experience.
Is the headset able to be adjusted via the app while connected to the xbox or do you have to adjust it separately?
I can change the settings through the app on my phone while playing. The app connects through bluetooth so I don't think they interfere with each other.
4 years, 9 months ago
by
Wraith
The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 is the next level of premium wireless performance compatible with Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, featuring Xbox Wireless and Windows Sonic surround sound. Take mobile calls or listen to your own music simultaneously while gaming through Bluetooth technology. An all-new metal-reinforced headband and strengthened hinge design deliver significant advancements in durability, and re-shaped Aerofit cooling gel-infused memory foam ear cushions provide premium comfort. The upgraded rechargeable battery provides up to 20-hours of wireless gaming. A larger, high-sensitivity mic improves chat clarity and conceals in the housing when muted, while 50mm Nanoclear speakers provide crisp, accurate sound for the ultimate gaming experience.
Does this fully support Dolby Atmos on Xbox one and Xbox Series x, through the Dolby Atmos App and and games that support Atmos?
I don't think so. When I set them up on my Xbox One X, the setting for these to work is Windows Sonic for Headphones. I have a Dolby Atmos license for another set but I can't select it with these because it says my license does not support these headphones. That being said, they sound great using Windows Sonic. Hope that helps.
4 years, 9 months ago
by
Wraith
Produce clear pictures and sound with this Miroir Full HD pico projector. The 7000 mAh lithium-polymer battery offers up to 2 hours of viewing time, while the pair of 2W speakers deliver high-quality sound for an all-around multimedia experience. This Miroir Full HD pico projector has HDMI and USB Type-C ports for secure connection to a variety of input devices.
What speakers go well with this??
Anything with a simple 3.5 mm (headphone style plug) would work, though the built in 2W speakers are pretty good for a small space. The projector can even power the speakers if they can be powered via USB.
5 years, 5 months ago
by
Wraith