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- Review count71
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- First reviewAugust 21, 2015
- Last reviewApril 30, 2024
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- First answerMarch 22, 2017
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Design meets function with the BESPOKE Cube Air Purification System by Samsung. This visually appealing, virtually silent Air Purification System traps large dust particles, helps remove unpleasant odors, and captures ultrafine dust, providing clean air for your home.
Posted by: tgharrell
Unpacking the Samsung BESPOKE Cube Air Purifier was easy enough, and that was some minor assembly involving the filters and power brick. In total, it took about 5-10 minutes to get it operating.
My first thought was that the off/on chimes make this seem like some household device from the 90s. I don't know how else to describe it, but it's easy to get over.
Initially I wasn’t certain that the air purifier’s air sensor was accurate, but using my thermostat’s air quality detector and running the air purifier, I found that it is in fact accurate—as the purifier ran, the pollutant levels reported by my thermostat decreased. According to both the air purifier and my thermostat, I now have very clean air! The purifier’s small screen informs you of the current air quality, and the manual explains all this, but I have yet to get a grasp on it other than high numbers are bad, blue or green is good quality, and yellow or red is bad quality.
If the room has good air circulation, is relatively small (400 square feet or less), or both, this air purifier works a lot faster. I’ll often turn on a ceiling fan to speed up the purifying process. It does well to clear out the smell of food after it’s cooked, even bacon. I tried the room where we have our cat litter box, however, and it doesn’t seem to do so well to remove the smell that lingers in there, even when I have it on high circulation.
I found myself mostly using the smart preset, as it runs the purifier at the proper speed according to the quality of the air. It’s interesting to watch it run at a high speed (you can hear how hard it’s working) and slow down as it actively purifies the air. I do like to use the high preset when cooking. I don't really use the pet, wind-free, or sleep settings.
I’m not sure why the package included so many pet filters—one seems fine to me, and I run it almost constantly with a dog that loves to shed along with two cats. It also looks like it could be reused a few times.
I get that this thing requires a lot of parts to do a lot of work, but still—it’s rather large. I haven't yet figured out the best place to put it where it doesn't stand out so much. I like its shape and design, but I simply don't know where it can go that it feels out of the way. And it would be nice if it had some handles or carrying shape for easier mobility around the house.
It’s nice to know that my family and I are breathing better-quality air thanks to this air purifier, and despite its size, it can run quiet yet effective enough that I don’t even notice it’s there most of the time.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Built on the belief that modern life needs modern solutions, GE Profile appliances are designed to make daily life simpler by incorporating Smart Home technology and cutting-edge features in every appliance. GE Profile’s sleek design and quality engineering will give your kitchen the most up-to-date look and the innovative performance you’ve been looking for. And now the cutting-edge engineering you've come to expect from Profile is available in a countertop espresso maker that delivers up-to-date styling and exceptional performance. All GE Profile Espresso machines are Wi-Fi connected and sync with the SmartHQ app. Drink customization technologies allow users to customize drink preferences by volume and strength, while also enabling software updates. The built-in steam frother creates a variety of textures and thicknesses and the built-in conical burr grinder delivers a consistent grind with any bean roast and features an adjustable grind size for ideal taste and aroma extraction. Built with a modern design this contemporary espresso machine has a sleek appearance to match its high-tech functions and compliments any décor.
Posted by: tgharrell
My wife and I love coffee, and we like espresso drinks, we also enjoy the novelty of this espresso machine.
The espresso machine grinds coffee beans very well. We try to keep it at a setting of around 7 or 8 (you can set it anywhere between the arbitrary numbers 1 and 15. This gives us an average coffee ground that extracts well. The portafilter has a nice weight to it, as does the tamper. We also like the frother for lattes, which are my favorite. The espresso initially came out strong, but later we noticed that our grounds may have been a little too coarse, and this is why we set the grinder a litter higher than normal.
In case you want to try different beans, be aware that once you've put coffee beans in the hopper that you'll need to use it all. We wanted to try a couple of different beans, and in my attempt to remove what was already in the hopper, beans spilled out. This I expected, but there were also plenty in the grinder hiding underneath it, and this wasn't as easy to clean up, as it required me to tip it over.
To fine tune the espresso, we made use of the SmartHQ app. You can change the grind time and volume for both single and double espresso, and you can set the amount of water that's dispensed.
The one thing I wish—and this is for any coffee machine product I've ever encountered, including this one—is that the water reservoir would for once somehow be refilled from the front or side. Our floating cabinets sit low, and so we have to pull this out whenever we have to refill it with water since the reservoir is located on the back and has to be filled from the top. It's relatively heavy, so it's a slight pain to do this.
We enjoy the little espresso machine in our home without having to hook it up to its own water line. It looks nice in our kitchen, too. As coffee lovers, we get a lot of use out of it!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Durability
5
Quality
5
Ease of Use
4
Value
4
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Unleash the power of the Samsung 980 PRO with Heatsink for next-level computing. With a PCIe® 4.0 NVMe™ interface, get up to 2x the data transfer rate of PCIe® 3.0¹ while remaining compatible with PCIe® 3.0. ¹Results are based on a comparison with Samsung PCIe® 3.0 NVMe SSDs and SATA SSDs.
Posted by: tgharrell
With the Samsung 980 PRO with a heatsink, I chose to utilize it with my PS5, as my integrated SSD is always full. It boasts a 5.5GB/s raw read bandwidth when installed in my PS5, which happens to be the same speed as the integrated SSD. tested five different games—two are for PS4, one is for PS4 but has PS5 optimization, and two are for PS5 but have PS4 counterparts. The PS4 games are those known to have long load times: Tom Clancy's The Division 2, Grand Theft Auto V, and Red Dead Redemption II. The PS5 games are Watch Dogs Legion and Assassin's Creed Valhalla. I conducted three tests for both the integrated SSD and the 980 PRO. Disclaimer: my results may have an error margin of up to a quarter of a second based on reaction time.
First, I tested the optimized PS5 game Tom Clancy's The Division 2. I specifically tested loading time from character selection to game loop. With the integrated SSD, I got an average of 18.9 seconds load time based on three tests. With the 980 PRO, that average time was reduced to 16.74 seconds. This is better, but it's a negligible difference.
I then tested Grand Theft Auto V. Here, I calculated the load time between the character splash screens and the game loop. With the integrated SSD, the average time was 30.58 seconds load time. With the 980 PRO, that average time was reduced to 15.64 seconds. This was by far the largest reduction in all my tests and very noticeable!
The third game I tested was Red Dead Redemption II. With the integrated SSD, I got an average of 1 minute 0.92 seconds load time between the start screen and the game loop. With the 980 PRO, that average time was only reduced to 58.98 seconds. This is a similar reduction to Tom Clancy's The Division 2, and with this length of load time, it's not noticeable at all.
I then decided to move on to PS5 games. I initially only tested one, but based on the results, I had to look a little further into why I got the results I did. The first game was Watch Dogs Legion. With the integrated SSD, I got an average of 14.00 seconds load time between the start screen and the game loop. With the 980 PRO, the average time was surprisingly increased to 14.38 seconds. Although this is negligible, it left me confused, so I decided to try another PS5 game.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla was next. With the integrated SSD, I got an average of 29.41 seconds load time between the start screen and the game loop. With the 980 PRO, the average time was 28.77. Much like two other games, the decrease in load time was negligible. Interestingly enough, the test results for the integrated SSD were 31.38 seconds, 28.15 seconds, and 28.69 seconds. For the 980 PRO, the results were 29.94 seconds, 29.07 seconds, and 27.29 seconds. One test for each SSD seemed somewhat anomalous (31.38 seconds and 27.29 seconds). Without these anomalies, the integrated SSD would seem the winner in speed by a very slim margin. I can't really pinpoint what's going on here, whether it's how these specific games have been optimized, or something more is happening with games built for both current and last generations of consoles.
There is one more thing I want to mention: while I tested two PS5-exclusive games and an additional PS5 game with a PS4 counterpart, load times were a mere 2-3 seconds and not worth mentioning here.
Aside from load times, transfer from one storage to another is incredibly fast. Moving games from the integrated SSD to the 980 PRO shaved off several minutes. The games mentioned here, which range from approximately 50 GB to 110 GB in size, took around 15-20 minutes to transfer from the 980 PRO to the integrated SSD. From the integrated SSD to the 980 PRO, every game took approximately one minute. I was really pleased with this, and I will make use of in the future!
So is the heatsink providing any assistance to load times? It's hard for me to say. I did not conduct any tests beyond initial loading, and it's quite possible the heatsink can help in smoothing out processing during the game loop. All in all, it's fast and lets me hold more games without having to remove and redownload them frequently. And despite a couple of strange load times with PS5 games, it's still super fast.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The new Alienware x17 is super thin, extremely light laptop . Now’s your chance to game with gear that knows no boundaries. The Alienware x17 gaming laptops with advanced Alienware Cryo-Tech™ cooling defy boundaries. Introducing Element 31 thermal interface material and a Quad-Fan Design. We are incorporating more fan blades, more copper materials, and vapor chambers to deliver ample power while dissipating the heat more efficiently and allowing the fans to run less resulting in reduced noise. The x17 features five tailored power states, and grants access to thousands of games with Windows. Alienware laptops will bring your favorite games into hyper-reality with Windows DirectX 12 Ultimate. Constructed with magnesium alloy and aluminum parts gamers can experience the evolved Legend Industrial Design that reimagines the way you game. The Alienware x17 is equipped with 11th Gen Intel processors, has more storage options with dual drives featuring SSD and includes powerful NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 30-series discrete graphics.
Posted by: tgharrell
The Alienware x17 R1 is undoubtedly a solid laptop, one that rivals many others. I’m having a lot of fun with the x17 R1 the more time I spend using it.
I wish there was a black variant, but white does just fine. I don't care for the “17” design on the lid. The LED placement is great--on the back where the ports are located, on the lid, the keyboard, and the power button. They are all of course customizable in the Alienware Command Center.
The 17.3-inch FHD 360Hz display is beautiful and crisp at 1080p. It doesn't have HDR but not many laptops do. You'll benefit from higher frame rates, but this laptop doesn't need 360Hz in my opinion. It would have been more effective to go to 165Hz or even 240Hz, since many games have a hard cap somewhere in there (which this laptop is fully capable of achieving with older games or some newer games running at lower settings).
I was surprised to discover that the x17 R1 is equipped with a Samsung PM9A1 NVMe 1TB SSD. I didn't run it for any numbers but instead looked at pass mark disk ratings, and it's arguably comparable to a Samsung EVO 980 PRO SSD. The RAM is also Samsung brand.
After updating all the firmware and drivers, I ran some benchmarks. I decided not to adjust or modify any settings except for those in the Nvidia control panel. I ran benchmarks with Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Red Dead Redemption 2, and I got pleasant results. I'm a quality gamer, and so my benchmarks were performed with maximum quality settings. For Shadow of the Tomb Raider, I got just over 100 FPS on average. For Red Dead Redemption 2, I got 54 FPS on average. Despite this being lower than my standard of 60 FPS, the fact I got to 54 FPS on a laptop with no adjustments beyond Nvidia optimization is very pleasing. I know if I make adjustments, I can achieve a better framerate with a game like Red Dead Redemption 2 while maintaining excellent quality. Disclaimer: I do have Windows 11 installed, and so frame rates may vary by only a few frames on Windows 10.
I do not play CS:GO, Overwatch, or Fortnite. I know they're designed to be played at a performance level, and I’m certain you’d get that performance with this laptop.
Now, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 that can be found in this laptop isn't your big and hefty RTX 3070, but instead a laptop GPU form factor. This means there are some caveats, but you'll get some of the best performance a laptop can give you. The base wattage is 110-120W while gaming, but I believe this is without Dynamic Boost 2.0, which has been questionable.
There are some safe overclocking settings in the Alienware Command Center if that’s your thing. You can also get into the BIOS but I didn’t do this—I’m fine with the default limitations.
When the four fans start to kick in, they describe it as quiet, but it is not as quiet as they make it seem. And you cannot use Nvidia's WhisperMode 2.0. Instead you'd have to go into the command center and mess with the thermal profiles to achieve your preferred level. That said, this laptop does stay very cool thanks to four built-in fans. The fans don't let the CPU or GPU go above 80C, which was the highest I noticed, but I hardly see anything go over 70C. If the fans stay at 60% speed or lower, then it sounds good. Idle runs at around 40-45C.
It's clear that the x17 R1 is clearly designed for performance over quality. But for me, the specs are enough to get the performance I want without sacrificing quality, or vice versa.
This laptop performs very much to my satisfaction. But is this all worth the price? I'm certain that a good chunk of it is for the name. But if you prefer a laptop experience over that of a desktop, for whatever reasons you may have, this is definitely an option to consider.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Smart security that is designed for every home. Set up in minutes, and receive notifications from the app whenever a visitor presses your Video Doorbell or motion is detected. You can also choose to wire it to sound your existing home chime. Blink Video Doorbell lets you answer your door no matter where you are. Receive customizable alerts right from the Blink Home Monitor app, and experience helpful features like HD day and night video and two-way audio. Best part – Blink’s long-battery life technology provides peace of mind for up to two years.
Posted by: tgharrell
The Blink video doorbell is a welcome addition to the rest of our Blink system, and I was happy to replace my old doorbell with it. It works with our doorbell transformer, so I was able to do a wired setup.
From opening the box to completion, it took about an hour to set up. It took this long because I wasn't too sure of a couple of things. After snapping the video doorbell in place, it doesn't feel like it's snapped in or secured against the back cover. I checked several times and was not quite happy with it. It feels like you can rip it off because as you pull on it even slightly, you begin to see the back cover. I feel anyone can rip it off with enough force. This could of course be the case with many devices, but this especially easy to rip off due to its bulkiness (which I have no problem with) and the fact that there are six thin tabs that secure the doorbell to the back cover.
I do not like the chime that the video doorbell makes itself. The quality of the chime is similar to that of a cheap toy that makes noise. I wish it could be disabled.
The video quality is nice. It's a clean 1080p with lots of detail. The horizontal field of view is decent, but the vertical field of view could be better. As for the two-way talk, the person listening at the doorbell receives great voice quality. However, anyone viewing the doorbell camera feed gets much less quality. Thankfully it's mostly clear what's being said. We had about a three-second delay when we tested it.
The price is undoubtedly what's going to enable consumers to pick this up, and I think this is a perfect start to having a smart doorbell if you don't already have one. There's definitely more this doorbell could have, but right now I just wish it was more physically secure.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Facecam packs a pro-grade lens with a cutting-edge image sensor. High-speed circuitry that outputs beautiful uncompressed video without artifacts, app control, and onboard memory. Up to 82 degree field of view lets you frame your face or reveal your surroundings, while a fixed focus range ensures that you always stay in crystal-clear focus. Optimized for indoor use, a premium SONY® sensor enables Facecam to capture extraordinary detail and minimal noise. So you’ll look amazing in all lighting conditions.
Posted by: tgharrell
The Elgato Facecam is in my opinion the next best thing to a DSLR camera if you're seeking a quality camera for most applications. Streaming or video meetings will definitely benefit from it. I'd even recommend it for content creation on a budget.
The lense is fixed with an aperture of f/2.4, which is good for a well-lit room, whether artifically or by sunlight. The included cable is long enough for when you have the camera on a boom arm. I also like the privacy cap. It has multiple video formats ranging from 540p30 to 1080p60, but I personally use the maximum resolution and framerate. And latency usually throws me off, but the Facecam's super low latency means I see what is happening virtually as it happens.
This camera is super easy to set up with its plug and play feature. The cable is pretty thick and resistant to bending, so adjusting its position on the included mount can take just a little work. The mount itself sits sturdy and goes well with almost any size bezel monitor. Mine is approximately half of an inch, and while the mount does extend past it and onto the display proper, it is practically unnoticeable.
The Camera Hub application isn't required, but I recommend getting it if you want to fine-tune the Facecam. It gives you access to a number of settings including zoom, picture, exposure, white balance, and processing. The zoom can be useful, but be aware that this is a digital zoom, not optical, and so you'll lose quality the more you zoom in. Contrast, saturation, and sharpness can also be adjusted but the default settings are good for most areas. Like a DSLR, shutter speed and ISO are adjustable. I simply use the automatic adjustment with an average metering, and the picture I get is good. I'll sometimes get a flicker if the lighting isn't right. The only ways to get rid of it is to either have good lighting or turn off the auto settings for exposure and instead manually adjust. I've gotten the flicker to go away after messing around with the exposure settings, even if I reverted back to what I had adjusted from. Not much to say on white balance other than I prefer the automatic adjustment. The noise reduction best works in a well-lit setting. Otherwise it's very heavy and everything is way too soft.
The image quality is really nice. The dynamic image processing built into the Facecam does a wonderful job of optimizing the picture and really sets it apart from ordinary cameras.
After you've made all your adjustments, you can save your settings on the camera, so if you ever move the camera to a different computer, your settings are safe and sound. Sadly you can only save one set (why not multiple, I have no clue), so if you change rooms, you'll need to make adjustments all over again.
My only real issue with the camera is the fact that it's equipped with Sony STARVIS CMOS technology, which should provide low-light performance. Despite this, I would not rely on it to do much of the work in these situations. I think this specific technology it's best left to security cameras and not content creators. Provide ample lighting if you want to get the best out of this camera.
The image comes through very nicely, and I'm quite pleased with its performance overall. If you have the right lighting, it can produce an amazing picture that rivals that of a DSLR.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Stream Deck gives you 15 LCD keys to control your apps and tools. Trigger actions, launch social posts, adjust audio, play sound clips, activate lights, and much more. Get visual feedback to confirm your commands. Set Stream Deck to automatically switch key configurations as you jump between apps. It’s the ultimate workflow hack, and it’s fully customizable. Personalize your Stream Deck with custom icons, screensavers, and a growing range of interchangeable faceplates. Use the app to configure keys with ease, and hit the Stream Deck Store for app plugins, icon packs, thousands of royalty free tracks, effects, and more.
Posted by: tgharrell
Out of the box, it's simple to plug in and get going. It sits snug on my desk and not in the way of anything else and doesn't slide. The buttons themselves feel nice, though less physical feedback would be welcome. It's nice to be able to customize the brightness of the keys for different settings.
I've not owned a Stream Deck before, but I find this extremely useful for streaming. I'm still discovering ways to boost my efficiency, but ultimately it lets me keep my eyes more on the important things and less on navigating the stream controls or features outside of the Stream Deck due to its compact design and customizable buttons. A lot of manual controls can be set up within the Stream Deck software. I am able to set up a folder with all of my important stream controls, or create a folder for my Elgato capture software. There are plenty of controls, music, icons, and more on the store, too, and most are useful in any work (or play) environment.
I personally use Streamlabs OBS, and it's nice to see a list of common commands already available. But some things do seem to be dated or near useless. For instance, there is a list of commands for legacy software. That's fine, as it's certainly still useful to some, but where are the dedicated commands for new software? Something I see as near useless is the key for sending out a YouTube message. You'd think it could be useful, but these have to be typed in advance, so you're mostly confined to common phrases like "welcome" or "bye."
Despite the above, you can create hotkeys within the Stream Deck software and can set up and use commands accordingly as long as whatever software or game you use is open. This means versatility, which is always a plus in my book.
Since you can create your own keys, you don't need to stream to reap the benefits; I've set up a folder with some important hotbar commands in Final Fantasy XIV. As long as something can be assigned to a keystroke (or multiple keys), it will work! I haven't gone further yet, but you can customize the icons for any button you create, and even create animated icons. Going this route, I won't have to label every button, especially for games, so I know what it is.
I'm quite pleased with the Stream Deck and fully expect to get a lot of use out of it. I would like to see more preset keys for Elgato's own devices, however.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The ROCCAT Syn Pro Air wireless PC gaming headset delivers immersive 3D Audio surround sound for next-level PC gaming. Hear game audio from all directions, including from above and below with exclusive 3D Audio surround sound. Syn Pro Air is also equipped with Turtle Beach patented Superhuman Hearing sound setting - proven to improve your game play by 40%. Stellar Wireless technology provides an exceptional 2.4Ghz low-latency wireless connection for PC, plus an included USB-A to USB-C adapter lets you connect to other devices with ease. The long-lasting 24-hour battery lets you play all day, and night, and rapid charging provides 5 hours of battery life on just 15 minutes of charge. Stay cool under pressure thanks to athletic fabric-wrapped memory foam ear cushions with ProSpecs technology. Adjust between 16.8 million vivid colors in two different lighting zones visible through the Bionic Shell earcups and sync up with other ROCCAT AIMO-compatible devices. Download NEON on PC for even further customization and configuration including 3D Audio, custom 10-band audio EQ settings, activate Superhuman Hearing, adjust lighting and more.
Posted by: tgharrell
Out of the gate, I like the look and feel of the padding on the ear cups—it's an athetlic fabric with memory foam designed for comfortability. It fits really well and is comfortable, and my ears don't get hot. I will say that if you hang this headset, gravity will always pull the cups down, and you'll need to readjust every time. There's some freedom in how the cups can rotate, so it's free of rigidity when there are drastic head movements. I wish this headset was equipped with a self-adjusting band instead of a solid one. It's kind of odd that Roccat reverted back to a standard headband, but at least it's got foam on it for some comfort. The exterior is a fine matte finish that appears solid until RGB shines through. The honeycomb design is welcoming, as it's both aesthetic and ergonomical.
As far as the detachable flip-to-mute mic, I like it, but at the same time I don't. On one hand, it's great that I don't need the microphone in my face all the time. However, when you do get the mic out of your face, the movement of it feels rigid. It has two snapping points to mute it, too. It's unnecessarily snappy, and you can hear and feel when you move the mic up and down. I'm not kidding when I say it jars the whole headset. As for the microphone quality, it seems standard—nothing to boast about. I listened to mic audio through two different devices and couldn't tell them apart.
Starting with the Syn Pro Air, Roccat has switched to a new application called Neon. I'm not going to review Neon, but it's important to mention it as it unlocks features for the headset, including lighting and sound settings. AIMO illumination is great as always and is preferable over other settings. I love how organic the light colors transition. Neon does not report an accurate battery status in my opinion. I've only seen 100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, and 10%. It stayed at 75% for the longest time, and within a few hours went from 75% to 10%. Roccat claims it has a 24-hour battery life, but I don't think the average gamer will see that. I want to mention that initially the Syn Pro Air would take several seconds to connect, but a recent update seems to have fixed that.
The 50mm Nanoclear drivers provide a much crisper, clearer sound environment when both 3D audio and your spatial sound of choice is turned on. While it's not necessary for all applications, I find myself enjoying listening to music with it. You won't get as much use out of this if the application doesn't have 3D audio built in (there aren't many); you'll get more of a simple virtual surround sound. But this is true for any audio device.
While I do enjoy RGB and there's such a thing as overkill, I'm not sure what I think of the lights on this. It's subtle, but I was expecting more. If you compare stock images, you may not get what they show you. Instead just a small sliver of the entire cup exterior is translucent for me. It's a little disappointing. Please look at the photos provided and compare them to other reviews here. I asked Roccat about this and they didn't really have much to say other than they don't believe there are any variations. They seem to vary on how much of the cup exterior is translucent.
Overall, the sound that comes out of this is good quality for the price. I fully expect to continue using the Syn Pro Air. All this said, I was let down by it. I expected so much more, and I didn't get it. The flip-to-mute isn't as smooth as it should be; the RGB is too subtle; there's no self-adjusting headband when this headset deserves it. Some things just seemed overlooked. Again, good headset, but perhaps the next edition will have all this and more. I wouldn't say that you should avoid the Syn Pro Air, but definitely consider other options before you make a purchase.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Create engaging video content with this RODE mobile filmmaking vlogger kit. An included tripod helps stabilize your device for improved picture quality, while the on-camera microLED and diffuser provide gentle illumination for capturing life-like images. This RODE mobile filmmaking vlogger kit features a SmartGrip holder to keep your smartphone in place, and the USB-C-enabled VideoMic Me-C microphone captures clear directional audio.
Posted by: tgharrell
This is a hefty vlogger kit. It includes a lot of useful equipment and isn't necessarily just for vlogging either. I plan to use it mostly for content creation. Let me go through each included accessory.
I'm ultimately on the fence with the Tripod 2. It's small. The material is great. It's lightweight, and the honeycomb design on the inside of the legs helps—less material means less weight, which is important if you're holding this for relatively long periods of time. It's nice to know this was not an oversight. It has rubber grips on the bottom of each leg for better stabilization, but depending on the surface, if there is too much weight on the tripod, they will slip, and if one goes, they'll all go. This would benefit from more snap positions other than the widest extension snap which is silly. Something worthy of note is that it gets ridiculously low. On a desk less that is just under waist height, I couldn't see my face. You'll need to set it on something else higher than this tripod or in addition to if you want to achieve this. The legs collapse into a solid handle so that you can hold it, and it feels all right in the hand. This is good since I imagine most people will probably be holding this anyway. I managed to hold the tripod for about 10 minutes while recording and hardly felt tired.
The SmartGrip makes it easy to put your phone in and adjust. It stays snug against the rubber rests which shouldn't case any cosmetic damage to your phone. When locked properly, my phone doesn't move at all, but make sure buttons aren't in the rests. Please be aware that the back of the box mentions that the mount works for phones between 65-85mm wide, or roughly 2.5-3.3 inches.
The MicroLED light is super bright, even on the lowest setting. I wouldn't recommend this for even a slightly dim setting unless you're okay with it being right next to where you'll looking. It will cast a shadow if there is a foreground object, since the LED is small and pinpoint-like. In brighter settings, whether inside or outside, it works great. It gets rid of shadows on the subject to make it much clearer. I haven't messed with the colored filters too much, but they're nice to have. It's not the easiest to adjust because there is a small gap between each locking plate that one keeps the assembly on the grip, and the other positions the light in a certain direction. The small gap makes it hard to tighten. I do feel the top locking plate has no reason to be there; an unmoving LED light would work fine. I like that it's rechargeable. I don't know how long it lasts, but being LED, I'm sure it lasts quite a while. I don't feel it was necessary to include a charging cable for the LED light. If you have a phone with a USB-C port, there's an extremely good chance that you already have a charging cable.
The VideoMic Me-C microphone is small and has some weight. It feels like it has quality. You'll of course pick up sound bouncing off of walls if you're inside unless you have material that mitigates this effect. But for a microphone that you can get for a phone, especially a USB-C model, I'm quite pleased. Sound recorded with the microphone sounds clear and clean. You can monitor what's coming through the microphone by using the 3.5 mm headphone jack on the back of the microphone. I plugged in a headset and heard exactly what the microphone was picking up, loud and clear.
The included WS9 windshield does a good job after some testing (nothing extensive). It works well and gets the job done.
The microphone came with a rubber clip that requires some explanation. If you have a case on your phone, you'll need to take the clip off the microphone. It will not fit. If you don't have a case, you can use the clip to keep the microphone in place. I still don't see it as necessary, as it's already snug. Even with a case, the microphone alone does plug in. It would depend on the case, I'm sure, but my case is somewhat low-profile. You may have to end up taking the case off if you do have one and want to utilize the rubber clip. It's possible I'm missing something with the clip, but I have yet to understand its purpose.
Overall, it's a great kit. I don't expect myself to vlog very much, but it'll be nice to have for times that I'm at the beach or in the mountains and want to get a personal or unique video. I like having a better-sounding microphone for my phone in situations that benefit from a directional microphone.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Meet the ROCCAT® Magma Membrane RGB PC Gaming Keyboard with silent rubber dome switches. The Magma is equipped with a semi-transparent top plate which presents a mesmerizing illumination display for its RGB lighting. 10 LEDs split over 5 zones diffuse the illumination effects to make it best showcase to date for ROCCAT’s proprietary lighting engine, AIMO. Customizable through the ROCCAT Swarm driver suit, the lighting is available in 16.8 million distinct colors. Get ready for vivid RGB lighting and next-level PC gaming immersion. The Magma also boasts silent membrane typing thanks to high-quality rubber dome keys. Keystrokes feel both responsive and reliable. Advanced anti-ghosting technology lets you press all the most-used keys simultaneously – all of them registering without fail. The Magma is equipped with a detachable palm rest to suit both relaxed typing and aggressive gaming styles.Rounding out this exciting keyboard is ROCCAT Easy-Shift[+] button duplicator technology that expands your command power simply by holding down the designated modifier key (Caps Lock by default).
Posted by: tgharrell
If RGBA is your thing, the Kone Magma keyboard is really colorful and vibrant. It sacrifices a mute or otherwise non-colorful top plate for something that is fully illuminated. And it sure is pretty with all the different gradients that flow underneath all the raised keys.
But that's about all you'll get. You do gain access to Roccat's Easy-Shift and all the features that come with the Roccat Swarm software, so if you're a simple gamer and like colors popping out of your keyboard, this makes a great one to have.
The keys are not mechanical. Instead they are much quieter membrane keys, but they do have anti-ghosting if you need it (I don't). The palm rest feels kind of cheap and has a strange way of detaching itself: first you can attach it by snapping it into place just underneath the edge of the keyboard. Then to detach it, you have to fold it until it pops out. It seems very clunky. Both the keyboard and the palm rest do have anti-slip rubber pads though.
I think what I dislike most about this keyboard is the USB cable. While most of the keyboard seems great quality, the cable is a simple insulated sleeve that you'd find with any generic wired device. I'd have expected differently with Roccat.
I'd really only recommend this to those who have a neat RGBA setup and want to add even more to it, or if you're a simple gamer that needs a neat keyboard with good value. If not, you may want to keep looking.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Hear every footstep, click and breath with this Razer Kraken digital gaming headset. The powerful 50mm drivers have neodymium magnets so that they produce exceptional sound directly to your ear, and the included microphone picks up speech clearly. This Razer Kraken digital gaming headset connects to a USB port for easy setup.
Its works for ps4?
Yes--the requirements in the booklet list PC, Mac, and PlayStation 4.
7 years, 1 month ago
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tgharrell