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  • Review count
    233
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    February 18, 2014
  • Last review
    April 1, 2024
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    June 25, 2016
  • Last review comment
    June 25, 2016
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    August 27, 2015
  • Last answer
    April 9, 2019
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BeingHonest's Reviews
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Smart camera optimized for the garage. Works alone or as an upgrade to your myQ-connected garage door opener, the Smart Garage Camera easily adds streaming video, recorded events, motion detection and 2-way communication to the myQ app.
 
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Customer Rating
3 out of 5
3
Most features locked behind high subscription
on November 9, 2023
Posted by: BeingHonest
Pro:
-Easy installation
Con:
-High subscription price for single device
-Features limited without subscription
The camera was easy to set up and paired in the MyQ app. The camera has a magnet at the base and also comes with a magnetic pad to attach to your garage door opener. The camera doesn’t have to be placed in the garage and would work like any other wireless camera. The power cable could be longer.
The camera has good motion and person detection, but these features are locked behind the subscription. The alerts are a bit delayed, up to a minute at times. It can be linked to your garage door opener, and within the MyQ app, you are able to see the live view and operate your garage door at the same time. Both daytime and night vision images look good. It does have a mic for 2 way communication, but the volume is a little low.
Without the subscription plan, the camera is basically only good for live viewing. There’s no video storage, motion detection, nor person detection. There are two subscription plans, a single device plan for $4 a month ($40 a year) and a multi device plan for $10 a month ($100 a year). The single device plan, for what it offers compared to other camera subscriptions, is higher than it should be.
The single device plan only saves video for 7 days, and other cameras have at least motion activation as a free feature. If this is the only device being used, then it’s better to look for another camera. The multiple device plan fares better, allowing video to be saved for 30 days.
If you just need a camera and not pay a monthly fee for the features, or not needing it to be tied to the MyQ system, then there are better choices. It’s not a bad camera, but there’s nothing unique here. The image is good, the night vision is clear, and the mic is what you’d expect. Most of the features are locked behind the subscription, which doesn’t offer the best value unless you have the multi device plan.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
 
Enjoy exceptionally clear sound with the Logitech Zone 950 Premium Noise Canceling Headset, our best wireless headset. Work from anywhere and ensure you can hear and be heard in busy environments – like open offices and cafes. The Zone 950 noise canceling headphones feature Advanced Call Clarity technology, which uses AI to make it easier to hear the person you’re talking to by suppressing ambient noise. Hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC) blocks distracting background sound. Noise canceling mics elevate your voice while suppressing other sounds. 40 mm speakers deliver premium audio for meetings and music. The free Logi Tune app offers a dynamic and personalized equalizer (EQ) that automatically adjusts the audio to your own hearing range or lets you customize the sound to your preferences. Designed for comfort and a longer life with replaceable earpads and battery.
 
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Customer Rating
3 out of 5
3
Great noise canceling/suppression. Mic is muffled
on November 7, 2023
Posted by: BeingHonest
Pro:
-Eliminate most background noise
-Great noise cancellation
-Battery life
-Good wireless range
Con:
-Muffled or quiet mic
-One ear can get uncomfortable
-Sound quality starts to degrade with multiple sources
The Zone 950 has a mic designed to eliminate background noise during calls, and for that part, it works amazingly well. Unfortunately, perhaps as a result of the noise suppression, the mic sounds either muffled or distant during calls. It does have great active noise canceling, blocking out background sound from being heard. The battery life is also good, lasting about 15 hours. Comfort was also an issue as the on ear pads got uncomfortable after a while.
Build Quality
The headset seems well built. It’s light and flexible, and has rubber foam in the headband and ear pads. The mic has an auto mute feature, but is not adjustable. There’s touch control on one side and can be assigned within the Logi Tune app. The pads are very soft, but the rubber/leatherette cover made it warm after a short time. After an hour they started to feel uncomfortable as they pressed on the ear.
Mic and Call Quality
The mic has built in noise suppression, using a process to isolate your voice and eliminating most, if not all, background noise. The result is similar to Nvidia’s RTX Voice. Leaving a lot of background noise on (TV, street noise, and fans) while in a call, the other people said they can’t hear anything other than my voice. However they said that my volume was low, even with my mic level at max, and that my voice would sometimes sound far away or like “in a cathedral.” This may be a result of over processing of the mic audio, but there’s no way to adjust the suppression level. So while the noise suppression is excellent, the end result isn’t that great either.
Noise Canceling
The active noise canceling is quite good. Even when surrounded by background noise, it manages to block out the majority of it and what remains is faint. Background voice still comes through, but is muffled enough to not be distracting.
Sound Quality
The headset switches between two sound modes. One for calls, when the mic is active, where the sound is tailored towards call clarity. The other is when the mic is off, with the audio sounding better for media and music. Each of the modes has separate volume control, and when they switch, it will automatically adjust the volume level. I thought it was a bug that made my pc volume jump up and down until I realized this. For calls, it sounded fine and the other people came in clear. There’s the Call Clarity feature within Logi Tune app that’s supposed to enhance the clarity of the person on the other end of the call, but it didn’t sound that different to me. For music, it sounded surprisingly good, with enough bass and clarity. The EQ can be adjusted within the LogiTune app.
With the wireless receiver, I was able to walk pretty far away from my computer and was still able to hear just fine. However, I noticed that when there’s too many audio sources playing, the sound quality started to degrade. I was in a Discord call, and had a few tabs of video playing, and the sound started cracking and sounded mechanical.
Summary
Even though the noise suppression and canceling are both excellent, the mic sound quality was low and muffled. It was still okay for the purpose of being in a call, but it was still disappointing. The audio quality is pretty good for both calling and media. For me, the on ear pads got uncomfortable after about an hour so I probably won’t be using this unless I really need the noise suppression.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
For those who crave greater customization and immersion, satisfy your enthusiast needs with the Razer BlackWidow V4 75%—a compact, hot-swappable mechanical keyboard powered by Razer Chroma™ RGB. From installing new switches to creating unique lighting effects, shape it to way you love to play.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Keys feels great. RGB pops on the white version.
on October 31, 2023
Posted by: BeingHonest
Pro:
-Tactile keys
-Low noise
-Evenly diffuse lighting
-Swappable with 3 or 5 pin keys
Con:
-White will get dirty faster
First Impression
This keyboard is hefty, and the white version looks really nice. It will, no doubt, get dirty quickly over time, but that’s the choice you make for buying a white version. The white color makes the lights look better, making it stand out more and giving a subtle glow. It comes with a magnetic foam and leather like wrist wrest. It feels nice but I don't think it'll take long til it gets dingy. The soft silver braided USB cable is a nice touch.
Keys
I didn’t expect to like the keys on this keyboard so much. Typing on this feels so satisfying. The default keys, Razer’s Orange keys, feel and sound great. The tactile feel has a noticeable bump and has a heavier feel to them. They’re closer to Cherry Browns, but have a bit more resistance and are less clicky. They are quieter and have more of a low tock rather than a hollow twang, feeling closer to keys found on custom keyboards. Each key is stable with minimal wiggle. The lettering is clean and evenly lit, overall looking beautiful. The placing of the arrow keys and smaller buttons on the right takes a bit to get used to, and you’ll probably be pressing the wrong keys for a bit. The pause and mute knobs look a bit out of place, but are sturdy and responsive to press on. The volume rocker has a clicky scroll, which is preferred for precise control.
The big feature of this keyboard is that the keys are swappable. It’s compatible with 3 and 5 pin keys. I didn’t try to replace them, as I’m fine with the included keys.
RGB Lighting
The lighting, combined with the white color, looks vibrant and super clean. The lighting under the keys are diffused, eliminating any harsh hot spots and light bleeding. There’s also a strip of lighting on each side, providing some accent lighting and giving the table a bit of a glow. Each key, the side lighting, and the volume knobs can each be customized in the Synapse app. There’s basic presets, or fully customizable with layers of effects. The color accuracy is pretty close, but there are few colors that couldn’t be reproduced.
Synapse features
Aside from customizing the RGB, you can set up Hypershift, which is essentially the fn key that works with every other key, nearly doubling the number of key combinations. I’m still not a big fan of Synapse since it can be buggy, but with just the keyboard, it seems to be working ok.
Overall a great keyboard. Looks nice, with clean RGB and key caps. More importantly, it keys feel great. Tactile is nice, quiet, and satisfying for typing and gaming. Each key can double as another function with Hypershift, giving you more options. The only downside is that the white version will probably get dirty quicker.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
Your guide for everyday wellbeing, Theragun Sense features relaxing massage therapy scientifically proven to relieve aches and pains, ease soreness, reduce stress and help you sleep better. Take the guesswork out of your treatments with an LCD screen that acts as your personal guide, displaying easy to follow step-by-step massage and breathwork routines directly on the device. Choose from 5 preloaded routines, or personalize them to fit your needs by swapping and saving your favorite routines from the Therabody app. Plus, build daily stress-relieving habits with an immersive breathwork experience in the Therabody app featuring 3 visually-guided breathwork routines, relaxing TheraMind sound therapy and haptic vibration cues directly on the device. Whisper-quiet, lightweight and equipped with our patented triangle grip so you can easily reach anywhere on your body, Theragun Sense makes it easy to create an effective, personalized wellness routine.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Nice message gun. HR sensor is good add on.
on October 12, 2023
Posted by: BeingHonest
Pro:
-Quiet
-Handle allows for multiple grips and angles
-Battery life
Con:
-Heart rate sensor under utilized
The Theragun Sense comes with four attachments and a carrying bag. The attachments include the standard ball, the dampener, the thumb, and the micro-point. The gun has a triangle handle allowing for multiple grips and reaching different angles comfortably. It has a heart rate sensor on the inner side of the handle. On the back, there’s a small display controlled by directional buttons. The massager can be used on its own by using the presets in the menu, but they are limited without the app.
The percussive massaging is, to me, about the right amount of force. It’s strong enough to soften tight muscles while staying quiet. If pressed too much, the piston will stop so it may not be enough for those looking for really hard messages. The different attachments make a difference. The dampener and the standard being good for loosening tight muscles, while the thumb really pinpoints the knots.
The heart rate sensor is used for the breathing exercises. It’s a nice addition, but it feels like it’s underutilized since only a few features use it. Without the app, you can double tap it to measure your heart rate, or start a breathing exercise that'll measure your heart rate as you take deep breaths. With the app, there’s the Heart Beat exercise which will vibrate the messenger slightly slower than your heart rate in order to slow it down. These do work, but they’re pretty much the only ones that seem to use the sensor. I was expecting to at least have the heart rate displayed while doing the exercises to see the effect.
For relaxation, the exercises do work to reduce the heart rate and calm me down. The Heart Beat routine brought down my heart rate by a bit, and the breathing exercises helped to ease the tension or help with sleep prepping. For daytime tension, it’s encouraged to do the exercises throughout the day. Besides the breathing exercises, there’s also light whole body messages to relax some of the muscle tensions.
The battery can last up to two hours, depending on how long and the strength used. Using it on and off, will last you a while.Charging is done with a USB C to USB A cable so it’s easy to charge and doesn’t need its own charging cable.
The Therabody app has guided routines for various recovery and relaxation exercises. There are ones for pre or post workouts, office tension relief, body pains, and relaxation. All of them have video guides to follow along and will show optimal pressure levels. Some, such as those for breathing, will have calming music to listen to. You can set goals and activities to get recommended routines. The app can also link with other health apps to give better recommendations according to your activities.
As a whole, this is a good massage gun. I like the triangle handle design which makes it much easier to reach around the body. The percussive force is enough for everyday needs and it’s quiet even at max speed. It’s small enough to put in a pouch and travel with. The addition of the heart rate monitor and relaxation routines are great, but they could have been utilized a bit more to get more out of it.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
 
Linksys Velop Pro 7, powered by groundbreaking Wi-Fi 7 technology, delivers more than double the speed of Wi-Fi 6. That's not just an upgrade, it's a revolution.
 
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Customer Rating
2 out of 5
2
Can't block websites by default. Buggy UI.
on October 7, 2023
Posted by: BeingHonest
Pro:
-Wide coverage
-Strong connection
-Each node has 4 wired connections
Con:
-Parental control doesn’t fully work without advance settings
-Buggy
My experience with this router has been mixed. Initially things seemed to have gone well with an easy set up experience and strong and stable wifi signal. However, after a bit of use, things started to fall apart. For starters, parental control wouldn’t completely work out of the box and required me to edit the IPv6 settings in order to block all websites or internet access. This was confirmed to be an issue by Linksys tech and engineers. Then the app started having UI issues and connection issues with duplicate devices. After much back and forth with their team, the problem still persisted. While the devices connected to the network still worked, I don’t have the confidence to switch over to this system.
Setup
Setting up the mesh system was easy to do with the Linksys app. Once you register a Linksys account and plug everything in, the app will guide you step by step to set up the main router and the nodes. It did take a few tries to get it to connect, but after a modem reboot, it completed the process. You can manage your network settings in the app. Be aware that if the nodes are too close to each other, connection can actually get worse. It’s recommended that each node be at least 30 ft from each other.
Usage
When it worked, it seemed to work great. Transfer speeds were what you would expect. I had no real way to test Wifi 7 since all my devices are still Wifi 6, and no streaming service would need that much speed. I thought I would try some real case usage that had given me problems in the past, which would be remote play. Steam remote play worked well at max settings. During my test, I didn’t have any signal digression and it didn’t feel like I was playing remotely. I was able to transfer and update games between computers in a few minutes. PS5 remote play, with a direct connection, plays smoother and more stable than before at 1080p. PS5 remote play is known to be unstable so it still wasn’t perfect.
Parental Control and Other Issues
With parental control, you can either limit connection completely (of scheduled access times) or block specific sites per device. However, this didn’t work properly and wouldn’t block access to many sites such as YouTube, Google, Facebook, Twitter, or Amazon. Blocking the internet connection completely also didn’t work. After testing it with tech support, I was told that by default, it doesn’t block sites that use IPv6, and that it would only work once you disable the automatic IPv6 settings, which is something most users wouldn’t know about. This is a huge oversight since almost all major sites and ISP uses IPv6.
Another issue is that when you change any setting for parental control for one device, other devices are affected for a brief moment. For example, I turned off access for my main pc but my other pc, streaming Twitch, would have its access interrupted and needed to be refreshed.
It got worse. After rebooting the router, Device Settings was all messed up. It showed that some devices are now wired, offline, or that signal was very weak. It seems all the devices are connected and working properly, but the information the router is showing is incorrect. A full factory reset didn’t fully resolve the problems either. Then I started having connection issues with devices showing up as duplicates and wouldn’t connect. I eventually went back to my old router and everything has worked since. Pausing devices worked on all sites without having to change any settings.
Summary
It may only be just me, but my experience wasn’t great with this mesh system. Initially, it seemed to work really well. It was fast and had strong connections. However, with the issues of parental control not working out of the box, connection problems, and bugs with the app, it seemed too unreliable to fully switch over. Even after about 6 hours total with tech support, not all the problems could be fixed and I eventually went back to my old router.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
0points
1of 2voted this as helpful.
 
A definitive living room audio center that enables seamless enjoyment of video, audio, and music, the Technics SU-GX70 is a heavily featured streaming amplifier that combines the sonic genes of Technics Grand Class components with a wealth of source functions. Abundant input options let you choose how you want to listen to your favorite movies, music and more, whether you’re connecting directly to the source with multiple connection options, or streaming wirelessly in high resolution playback. The premium design makes the SU-GX70 a welcome addition to any home cinema or audio set-up.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Great audio but a bit clunky to use
on September 28, 2023
Posted by: BeingHonest
Pro:
-Crisp audio
-Connection for almost any audio devices
-Network connections
Con:
-Clunky to use
-App is slow and bad UI
-Remote not that useful
Setting up the amplifier was more complicated than it had to be. There are three options to set it up, using Google Home, Apple Home Kit, or WPS on your router. Using the Google Home, it was clunky as Google Home failed to automatically detect the amp and had to be manually added. Once added, you can cast via Google Home, but it just seems more steps than necessary to operate it. You don’t really need to use Google Home and instead can switch to using the Technics’ app.
The Technics Audio Central app looks old and isn’t very snappy. In the main page, you can choose your sources, be it a streaming service, network device, or an audio device. Using Spotify will open its own app, but other services like Amazon Music takes a second or two for “Reading” before it moves on to the next page. Then what you get looks like you’re browsing a file directory. You may get better audio quality playing through the Audio Center app, but it feels slow and unintuitive compared to the service’s own apps. Under settings, there are options to adjust the sounds and tune the speakers.
The amplifier is sleek and robust. The front has the main volume dial, a small screen with some touch functions with an input dial, and USB in, and headphone jack. The back has pretty much all the connection types you may need. There’s AV, digital, optical, USB, HDMI arc, and ethernet ports. You can connect to a network device, a USB flash drive, play through your TV, or connect traditional audio players. You can also stream through services like Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Quobuz, and Deezer. Chromecast and Airplay are also available.
Operating it is also a bit clunky. You can switch your inputs, either with the dial or remote. The clunky part is for the streaming services. While you can switch the input to one of the services, you can only control it through the app. So why let us cycle through those extra inputs to only have to open the app anyway? Since the screen is small, you have to scroll through the on screen settings one at a time to turn them on and off. It’s better to use the app to change the settings if possible.
Audio is the star here. It’s clean and detailed, and when paired with good speakers, will give much more clarity. The components inside are supposed to help reduce interference and keep the audio clean. There’s a setting to completely turn off networking to maintain pure audio. To enhance audio even more, there are speaker settings to adjust for their placement in the room, and the LAPC feature can calibrate the sound based on speaker output.
This is an amplifier for music lovers and geared towards maintaining clean and clear audio. It has the benefit of having an HDMI arc to be able to pass your TV audio through it, and access to multiple streaming services. There’s plenty of connections for a variety of devices including networking devices. Setup was a bit too complicated than it should be and the app is a bit unintuitive and slow, but that’s a bit nitpicking. It works fine, just not very good to look at. It may seem like an old fashioned device trying to add modern features, but the audio results are what's important, and it’s very good.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
The JBuds HD Webcam brings new focus to your virtual life. With high-definition images and natural sound, the attention will all be on you whether you’re leading a meeting, recording a vlog, or joining a virtual workshop. The crystal clear glass lens and dual omni-directional microphones give you serious performance, and the easy-to-use clip-on design fits seamlessly into any setup.
 
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Customer Rating
3 out of 5
3
Good image but constant focusing and bad mic
on September 25, 2023
Posted by: BeingHonest
Pro:
-Good image quality
-Wider camera angle
-Magnetic face plates
Con:
-Focus shifts constantly unless auto focus is deactivated
-Mic sounds like it’s coming from a can and peaks
The JBudsCam is a budget friendly camera with a good image quality for its price. It has an image resolution of 1080p at 30 fps with a wide angle shot. The image is clear and sharp. The color accuracy is pretty good, with skin tones looking warm under the right lighting conditions. Any bright light will look blown out and cause the rest of the image to be really dark. The most annoying issue is the constant focus shifting. Even slight movement will cause the image to slightly zoom and adjust focus. The auto focus may be disabled if the application using the camera can access the camera settings. For instance, I was able to disable it in OBS under the camera properties.
The camera mic is worse than expected, even from a webcam. It sounds like it’s coming from a tin can. The mis pickup is actually too sensitive, and is constantly peaking that even normal talking volume sounds blown out. It’s best to avoid using it totally.
The camera has a nice weight to it so it stays put either clip to the top of the monitor or placed flat on the table. It comes with a set of changeable mesh faceplate that’s magnetically attached to the face. It’s a nice addition to the design.
Overall, the camera can be good if you can tweak the settings and image. Out of the box, it’s okay and it’ll do fine for video calling, but the constant autofocus can be really distracting. If disabled, its usability score is higher. With some color correction, it can be good for an entry level streaming setup as well. The mic is just bad and will sound blown out, and best avoided.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
The G5 gaming laptop powered by NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU combines gaming, entertainment, work and more! Its powerful 12th Gen Intel Processor allows you to effortlessly handle multiple tasks at the same time. It features a 3 screen display output, built-in SD card slot, and next-gen Wi-Fi 6 technology; with a tool for every task, this laptop provides great balance between gaming, entertainment, and work capabilities. Welcome to your new go-to laptop.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Good but cooling could be better.
on September 23, 2023
Posted by: BeingHonest
Pro:
-144hz refresh rate
-Num pad
-A lot of ports
Con:
-Cooling
-Speakers
-512gb storage
Not sure:
-Battery
Build
The build is overall good. It’s thin and not too heavy. The body is plastic and has a bit of a flex at the top but nothing negative beyond that. There’s a good amount of ports, including 2 USB, 2 type C ports, HDMI, mini DP, headphones and mic, Ethernet, and a card reader. The USB ports are spread out on each side, 2 USB on the left, a type C on the right, and another in the back. It’s easier to manage peripherals like this. The intake is plenty vented, taking up almost a third of the bottom with the heat pipes in clear view, but that doesn’t mean cooling is the best. More on that later.
It comes with 512gb M.2 Gen 4 SSD, which is not really enough when games today are 100+ gb. Luckily the laptop has another M.2 slot for expanded storage.

Display and Sound
The 1080p 144hz display is good enough for gaming. It’s not as vivid as other displays I’ve seen on a laptop, but it does get bright enough. Colors are average, but I wouldn’t do any color accurate graphic work on it. The speakers are simply bad. Worse than a laptop at this price range should be. They can get loud, but they sound cheap, muffled, and lack any clarity. They sound a bit better if the laptop is sitting on a hard surface so the sound can bounce up, but still bad.
Gaming
Out of the box gaming performance can be good with a caveat. The 4060 can do a decent job at steady framerates on medium settings, and with DLSS on can push higher framerates. Something like Baldur’s Gate 3 ran fine capped at 60 fps, and pushed higher uncapped. However, this is where the caveat comes in. Cooling and fan noise. Something like Baldur’s Gate 3, at medium and fps locked, can already push the CPU into the 80’s and the fans start getting loud. When uncapped, the fans got loud. The middle of the keyboard started to get warm fast. The chassis getting hot and fans being loud is to be expected from most gaming laptops, but some do a better job at keeping the CPU temps down. The takeaway is that gaming can be good, just be aware that the settings have to be kept in check to keep the temps down.
The Control Center is more user friendly than other brands built in controlling applications. Adjusting power and fan setting is more straightforward. However it may have some bugs which led to inconsistent battery life.
Battery Life
Battery life was somewhat of an anomaly during testing. Having the laptop in Entertainment mode (balanced) and with only a Youtube video running, the results were drastically different each time. The first time, the battery lasted only an hour. The second attempt, an hour had passed and the battery still showed 99%, and ended up lasting even longer. The third attempt was more of a normal expectation with the battery depleting at a steady rate and lasting about two hours. It may have been the Control Center not switching the GPU on/off properly, but it does show that the battery CAN last for hours under low power settings. While gaming, however, it averages out about an hour or so, depending on the games.
Conclusion
This laptop, for its build and specs, is fine. Build quality is good and should have enough ports for most needs. The display is fine for gaming, but the speakers are bad. It should have come with a bigger SSD, but at least it has another M.2 and can be easily expandable. Gaming performance is what you’d expect, but the temperature can get hot and fan noise will certainly get loud. Play around with the fan control and keep the game settings in mid range and it should be fine.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
 
Ambush at the peak-point, overlooking the enemy and about to march strongly, Bravo 15 is ready to ignite the gaming world. Combining the latest AMD Ryzen 7535HS processor and Nvidia RTX4050 graphics together, Bravo 15 satisfies the gamer's imagination in gaming. With the MSI exclusive thermal solution - Cooler Boost 5, empower the full performance of CPU and GPU. Also the 144Hz gaming display provides sharp and smooth visuals so gamers never miss a beat. Take advantage of Bravo 15 and soar like thunderbird in the game battlefield!.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Good budget gaming laptop. Good cooling.
on September 5, 2023
Posted by: BeingHonest
Pro:
-Good and quiet cooling
-144hz refresh rate
-Num pad
-Good amount of ports
Con:
-Battery life
-Small trackpad
-Speakers lack highs and lows
-Gamer aesthetic
Given the specs, this laptop performed better than expected. Will it play all games on high settings at 144fps? No, but it can probably play newer games at 60fps on medium, if not high. It does a good job keeping the temps in control without getting too hot or loud. The keyboard manages to cram in a full num pad without making it feel cramped. There’s just enough ports, with 3 USB ports (2x USB 3), a USB-C, 3.5mm, ethernet, and HDMI out. The screen has pretty good colors and 144hz refresh rate. The speakers are not good, as it’s lacking in lows and mids are muddy. Battery life is about 2 ½ hours on balance settings.
Build
The body is all plastic, so there is a bit of a cheap feeling to it, but it’s overall rigid. It does pick up finger smudges easily, especially the keyboard. It’s not the thinnest nor that light, but it’s still good. I’m not a fan of the “gamer” designs, with the raised panel lines and transparent WASD keys. The lit up WASD keys really trips me up when I’m typing. The addition of the num pad does shift some keys closer and it does that a bit to get used to. The trackpad feels a bit small.
Gaming
Gaming experience was good. With the RTX 4050, the performance alone probably won’t impress, but when factoring cooling and lower fan noise, it can be a good compromise. The chassis doesn’t get too hot and mainly keeps the heat above the keyboard. At higher settings or fps, the fans will start to kick in, but even then it’s not as loud. Playing Baldur’s Gate 3 on high and capped at 60fps resulted in consistent frame rate. The temperatures are usually in the 70’s.
The 1080p display looks fine, and the 144hz is a plus. The colors are a bit muted, but it doesn’t take away from the experience.
The speakers don't sound that good. The mids are loud, so speech and vocals come through, but start to distort and crack at louder levels. The bass is almost non-existent. Even for a laptop speaker, it sounds cheap.
Battery life isn’t that long, even with the discrete GPU off. On the balance setting and only having a stream running, the battery lasted a bit under 3 hours. Gaming will last about an hour or so.
The camera is about what you’d expect from a laptop webcam. It’s a bit washed out and low light can get grainy. It’s passable for video calls.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Good budget gaming monitor, but no DisplayPort
on August 2, 2023
Posted by: BeingHonest
Pro:
100 Hz Freesync
Bright and good color
Con:
Only has HDMI and VGA
The stand
This is a good budget gaming monitor, sporting a bright display and up to 100 Hz Freesync. Gaming on it is smooth with good color levels. Being a lower cost option, some features are missing. Most disappointingly, is the lack of DisplayPort. This monitor only has HDMI and VGA, and no audio out. The stand isn’t that great, with it being unadjustable and wobbly. It’s also hard to remove.
The panel has thin bezels, but runs a bit thicker at about 2.5 inches deep. The stand is fixed with a latch that is difficult to remove. It’s also really loose and wobbly. It does have VESA mounts at least. The panel menu is operated with a combination of buttons and a knob.
The back inputs are very barebone, with just VGA, HDMI, and power. The choice to include a VGA over a DisplayPort is an odd one since it’s harder to find a computer that still has VGA out, and modern GPUs have fewer HDMI.
Gaming experience didn’t have any stuttering issues, and provided smooth 100 fps gaming. It may seem that 250 nit isn’t that bright, but in reality, the monitor is plenty bright. The color may lean a little bit to the darker side but not too noticeable. Color contrast looks good, but again, the black levels are a bit dark. The black uniformity is clean, and the white has just a bit of gray around the corners. Viewing angles are great. Overall, no real complaints.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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BeingHonest's Review Comments
 
Only at Best BuyChoose this HP Spectre 13 notebook for its crisp 1080p display and 13.3-inch screen. It comes with a sixth-generation Intel processor and 8GB of onboard RAM for efficient multitasking, and its solid state drive ensure that programs load quickly. The slim design on this HP Spectre 13 notebook provide enhanced versatility.
 
Overall4 out of 54 out of 5
HP's take on MacBook Air, and it's good!
By BeingHonest
With an attractive design and lightweight portability, this laptop is a (big) tablet size package with full size laptop performance. The laptop is incredibly thin at a mere 10.4 mm and weighting at 2.45 lbs.
Build:
The exterior is a matte finish trimmed with gloss gold, which is reflected with the keyboard. This finish is nice since it doesn't leave fingerprints but the shinny gold is prone to marks. While personally I'm not a fan of the dark gray and gold, it does have a premium look to it. On the back is the headphone jack, 2 usb type C, and a power port, along with the exhaust along the bottom.
Display:
The Spectre comes with a 13 inch IPS 1080p display, and while not on par with a retina display, is clear and sharp. You really don't need a higher resolution for this size. The display setting is default to a custom setting in windows, which I find to be about right. The screen is glossy, which can be annoying. The viewing angle is great! I was surprised that this was an IPS panel.
Keyboard and trackpad:
The keyboard is a typical chicklet type key and is responsive and easy to type with. It is backlit and with the gold trimmed keys, gives a nice glowing effect. The glass trackpad is nice and smooth and functions like a button with gesture controls (which I mostly disabled). It's essentially an Apple trackpad.
Speakers:
The speakers sandwich the entire keyboard, and while HP boast that it's custom tuned by Bang & Olufsen, it performs like what you would expect from tiny speakers on a tablet. Not so good, but considering its size, is adequate for watching videos. With music, it tends to crack at higher volumes and the bass is lacking. Still, the speakers can produce good volume and the individual channels stands out.
Performance:
With an i7 and 8 gb of ram, this laptop can handle any day to day task without a hitch. Just don't expect to do any modern gaming with this. Thanks to its PCIe SSD, this thing is fast. It boots up faster than my gaming desktop. But with only 256gb of storage, you might need an external drive. I'm used to gaming laptop so to me the battery life is very good. I can get at least 5 hours of use without optimizing the brightness and performance. It takes a few hours to fully charge and you should be good to go for a while. There doesn't seem to be a way to replace the ssd or battery so I'm hoping they last. I have one major issue with the performance, and is that it can get hot, not warm, but hot. Installing windows update, this laptop got too hot to be in my lap. Doing multitasking can get quite warm as well.
Overall this laptop performs to my expectations. It's thin and light and can handle everyday tasks smoothly. There's not much HP bloatware, which I find refreshing. It comes with a usb C adapter and a slip cover, but in my case is a tad too small and tight. Even with some of its shortcomings, I can't fault it too much given how much was packed into such a small form factor.
This laptop was provided to me for my honest review.
Customer Avatar
BeingHonest
austin, tx
Thanks for update
June 25, 2016
Thanks for letting me know about the ssd and battery. I didn't see any way to remove the cover, but good to know it's doable. And yes I no longer put it on my lap (laptop-the irony) due to the heat issue. The ventilation is one of the issue I have with this thing, but it's still a good machine.
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BeingHonest's Questions
 
BeingHonest has not submitted any questions.
 
BeingHonest's Answers
 
Enhance work productivity and gaming with this Alienware Aurora liquid cooled desktop computer. Its Intel Core i5 processor and 16GB of RAM deliver optimal power to support efficient multitasking, and the 256GB SSD and 1TB SATA HDD keep files and apps organized. This Alienware Aurora desktop computer's high-definition audio and NVIDIA GeForce graphics provide an immersive media experience.
 

What motherboard is used

No brand name if that's what you're asking. It's a Dell made board.
5 years ago
by
BeingHonest
 
Enhance work productivity and gaming with this Alienware Aurora liquid cooled desktop computer. Its Intel Core i5 processor and 16GB of RAM deliver optimal power to support efficient multitasking, and the 256GB SSD and 1TB SATA HDD keep files and apps organized. This Alienware Aurora desktop computer's high-definition audio and NVIDIA GeForce graphics provide an immersive media experience.
 

Does this have a 850 w power supply? Which brand/ model video card is used for this rtx 2070?

Not sure about the power supply (not visible without taking it out), but with Dell you won't be getting any brand name parts. Just generic grade. The 2070 is a blower style.
5 years ago
by
BeingHonest
 
Listen to your playlist in peace with these Sony headphones. They have a 40mm dome driver to deliver the full depth of audio, and the noise cancelling feature minimizes outside disturbances for a better listening experience. These Sony headphones have a battery life of up to 30 hours for extended jam sessions.
 

Really wanna buy these headphones, but does the ANC from these (Sony) create an undesirable pressure to the eardrums? Tried the Bose, they hurt my ears after a while...

I think your case is unique. I haven't heard about noise cancelling causing pain. I have both the Sony and Bose and all I can say is that they are similar, but with the Sony you can adjust the level of NC so that it has less effect in their App. By default, the Sony has a bit of a hiss. It's worth a shot.
6 years, 6 months ago
by
BeingHonest
 
Only at Best BuyChoose this HP Spectre 13 notebook for its crisp 1080p display and 13.3-inch screen. It comes with a sixth-generation Intel processor and 8GB of onboard RAM for efficient multitasking, and its solid state drive ensure that programs load quickly. The slim design on this HP Spectre 13 notebook provide enhanced versatility.
 

I am moving to Australia & hear different information about the power adapters. Do I need a converter to charge this HP laptop internationally? I have the adapter & a converter. Just want to be on the safe side. Thank you!

On the power brick, it says that it takes 100-240v so it should be fine internationally.
7 years, 10 months ago
by
BeingHonest
 
Only at Best BuyChoose this HP Spectre 13 notebook for its crisp 1080p display and 13.3-inch screen. It comes with a sixth-generation Intel processor and 8GB of onboard RAM for efficient multitasking, and its solid state drive ensure that programs load quickly. The slim design on this HP Spectre 13 notebook provide enhanced versatility.
 

Which available adapter is recommended for using with: HDMI screen Ethernet RJ45 network 2 regular USB ports (for wireless keyboard/ printer/ disk on key, not usb-c) Charging ?

There's no HDMI or ethernet out. It only comes with 2 usb-c so you'll just need an adapter to connect to non usb-c devices.
7 years, 10 months ago
by
BeingHonest
 
Only at Best BuyChoose this HP Spectre 13 notebook for its crisp 1080p display and 13.3-inch screen. It comes with a sixth-generation Intel processor and 8GB of onboard RAM for efficient multitasking, and its solid state drive ensure that programs load quickly. The slim design on this HP Spectre 13 notebook provide enhanced versatility.
 

has anyone else had a problem with the speakers?!?! will be playing something and speakers just suddenly cut out. wifi connection fine, tested on video downloaded on device as well but still same issue.

Seems like you have a defected item. I've had this for about a week and haven't experience such issues.
7 years, 10 months ago
by
BeingHonest
 
Only at Best BuyChoose this HP Spectre 13 notebook for its crisp 1080p display and 13.3-inch screen. It comes with a sixth-generation Intel processor and 8GB of onboard RAM for efficient multitasking, and its solid state drive ensure that programs load quickly. The slim design on this HP Spectre 13 notebook provide enhanced versatility.
 

Online, the estimated battery life is 9.5 hours. How accurate is this estimate?

Real world applications would probably get about half of that. I get about 4-5 hours of moderate use.
7 years, 10 months ago
by
BeingHonest
 
Only at Best BuyChoose this HP Spectre 13 notebook for its crisp 1080p display and 13.3-inch screen. It comes with a sixth-generation Intel processor and 8GB of onboard RAM for efficient multitasking, and its solid state drive ensure that programs load quickly. The slim design on this HP Spectre 13 notebook provide enhanced versatility.
 

What users is this directed towards?

Mainly target for everyday users or office workers that needs portability and good performance. For instance if you're looking to get a macbook air or surface pro (only without touch screen).
7 years, 10 months ago
by
BeingHonest
 
Stay cool with this Honeywell Turbo Force HT-906 table fan that features 120° extra-wide horizontal oscillation to help keep a large area comfortable. The pivoting head can be adjusted up to 60° for flexible positioning.
 

How quiet or loud is this fan?

Tired of noisy fans; how is this one for noise? Thanks.
It's a bit quieter but really no quieter than any oscillating fan I've had. This is just smaller and has decent air flow.
8 years, 7 months ago
by
BeingHonest
   austin, tx