vrs99's stats
- Review count209
- Helpfulness votes1,293
- First reviewOctober 30, 2013
- Last reviewJuly 4, 2025
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.6
- Review comment count6
- Helpfulness votes6
- First review commentSeptember 3, 2014
- Last review commentJuly 18, 2017
- Featured review comments0
Questions
- Question count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First questionNone
- Last questionNone
- Featured questions0
- Answer count45
- Helpfulness votes47
- First answerDecember 31, 2013
- Last answerJanuary 17, 2022
- Featured answers0
- Best answers1
Go wireless with the JLab Gravity Neckband with Bluetooth compatibility. The comfortable neckband sits easily above your shoulders and connects wirelessly to your device for effortless enjoyment. Compatible with any earbud, any brand, the JLab Gravity Neckband features a microphone and button controls for taking and controlling calls and music.
Customer Rating
4
Music on the move
on July 5, 2017
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
The J-Lab Gravity Bluetooth neckband Rocks, 10 hours of non-stop listening on a full charge. The the J-Lab neckband has a built-in microphone with crystal clear speech.
The neckband also comes with its own customizable earbuds. If you don’t love the earbuds included, then you can switch then out for your own! Though their earbuds are extremely comfortable with excellent sound.
You can switch between tracks, change the volume, and even answer and hang up calls with a touch of a button.
With Bluetooth, there are no messy wires that restrict your movement while playing sports, and another great feature of Bluetooth is that you can listen to music a long way away from your connected device.
What I would like to see is complete understandable instructions included in the box. That is where too many companies are dropping the ball.
J-Lab Gravity Bluetooth neckband is an excellent choice for music in the go.
J-Lab Gravity Bluetooth neckband is an excellent choice for music in the go.
My Best Buy number: 2002595546
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Take your favorite music anywhere with this Nyne Rock boom box. It has two midrange speakers, two tweeters and a subwoofer, and its rechargeable lithium-ion battery lets you play tunes for up to 8 hours. This Nyne Rock boom box is Bluetooth 4.0 compatible and connects to a mobile device via NFC one-touch technology.
Customer Rating
5
ROCK ROCK ROCK!
on June 29, 2017
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
Had bought a Bluetooth speaker before this one, The Nyne Rock makes it look and sound like a matchbox. This system has a woofer, two mid-range and two tweeters in a box almost two feet wide, ready to grab and go, purposely built-in handle that is quite convenient.
Listening to some smooth jazz (Flower Child by Eric Marienthal from Just Around the Corner) on Pandora now, not enough oh’s in Smooth. May not emerge from my Playroom for days now that the music has picked up the beat, pun intended.
Listening to some smooth jazz (Flower Child by Eric Marienthal from Just Around the Corner) on Pandora now, not enough oh’s in Smooth. May not emerge from my Playroom for days now that the music has picked up the beat, pun intended.
DO not gush often, but this is a one excellent Bluetooth Speaker System. Sounds are crystal clear, spatial “feel” of the sounds are just where you want to be.
Bluetooth connected easily with PC as well as my quite old Windows Phone 8, which is using an archaic version of Bluetooth. Distance, my Rock could pick up the Bluetooth signal from my PC on the far side room in my home, completely through the home and several walls out on my side deck. Impressive.
Cool feature that there is a handy Cell Phone charger built in to the access panel, that could come in handy.
When I received the Speaker it was 50% charged, surprisingly it fully charged in less than half an hour. Then I played music from Pandora for approximately SIX hours and the system was still half charged. Very Cool. This included blasting Rock n Roll for close to an hour and then on to the Smooth Jazz. The Rock n Roll was not rocking my boat as much as the Jazz Tunes in terms of Quality, but that could be it was early genre and may not have the same quality of recording.
I am picky about Speakers and Quality of Sound, and the Rock Hits the Sweet Spot. A great design that will go where you want to go or rest nicely in your playroom.
I am picky about Speakers and Quality of Sound, and the Rock Hits the Sweet Spot. A great design that will go where you want to go or rest nicely in your playroom.
Almost forgot, this machine is Rocking with 65W of power, that will light up the night.
Wish list, would like the option to dial up the Bass on the unit. If running from computer or tablet you can use software to manage the sound.
Do I like the Rock, YES! Have looked at many options for Bluetooth and this is the one that Rocks my Boat.
My Best Buy number: 2002595546
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Add stability to your home network with the Amped Wireless HELIOS-EX Wi-Fi Extender. With DirectLink technology, it avoids signal loss by adding another 5GHz Wi-Fi channel to the standard setup, which it then uses strictly for receiving signal from the source. This Amped Wireless HELIOS-EX Wi-Fi Extender covers an area of up to 12,000 sq. ft. and includes four Gigabit network ports.
Customer Rating
2
Solid Signal - Tough to Start
on June 15, 2017
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
Good news, it has a good solid Wi-Fi signal which has remained stable.
When I started to setup the unit the first time I was feeling ecstatic that it appeared the setup was going smoothly and tremendously easy. After that first few minutes of delight at how the setup appeared to be going smoothly I hit a wall. Have worked through Windows 10 and Android following seemingly simple easy setup procedures. For me it was a bugger to get going.
When I started to setup the unit the first time I was feeling ecstatic that it appeared the setup was going smoothly and tremendously easy. After that first few minutes of delight at how the setup appeared to be going smoothly I hit a wall. Have worked through Windows 10 and Android following seemingly simple easy setup procedures. For me it was a bugger to get going.
Once it was up and running it does a good job, as advertised.
Will not lay the difficulty of the setup in my experience at the feet of the box, as it good very well be connecting the extender to my network is a challenge for the extender. My network is extensive sporting two subnets along with a MESH system.
Will not lay the difficulty of the setup in my experience at the feet of the box, as it good very well be connecting the extender to my network is a challenge for the extender. My network is extensive sporting two subnets along with a MESH system.
Other Good News, they have a good technical support staff, who are patient and quite helpful. That today is very good news.
The instructions and software interface need work, seriously. When they marry that with the box it will be a good performer.
My Best Buy number: 2002595546
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Meet your large household’s high-bandwidth requirements with this tri-band Linksys Max-Stream Wi-Fi router. It performs at up to 4 Gbps for high-speed Internet access, and its MU-MIMO technology lets everyone at home enjoy smooth, simultaneous gaming and media streaming on multiple devices. This Linksys Max-Stream Wi-Fi router has six adjustable external antennas for maximum area coverage
Customer Rating
5
Tremendous Range – 4K Streaming– Priced Right
on May 23, 2017
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
Our home has enough networking, wired/wireless to light up a small village, Yet! I found room to add this excellent EA9300 box to our system.
Love the design of the EA9300, same great look as the EA9500 in a smaller footprint, that I like.
It is a powerful package sporting a New 1.8 GHz Quad-Core CPU, it is smoking hot at processing data, especially in a home with Heavy Network users. This router is built for Very Large Homes, we have exceptional coverage throughout every corner of our house.
The EA9300 is packed with Leading Edge Technology, there is not a feature I cannot think of that Linksys has not poured into this great looking package.
This router is sitting elegantly to the corner of our large screen TV in the Living-room handling our Entertainment Center Networking and providing heart pounding Wireless to the family in the room.
Need speed, range in a good-looking package then check this newest addition to the Linksys family of routers, it is a winner!
My Best Buy number: 2002595546
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.
Customer Rating
4
Excellent Sound - Comfort - Right on the Money
on April 15, 2017
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
What is really cool about the Kraken Headset is 365-degree Surround Sound and a wonderfully comfortable fit. No setup is required, the mic is clear and crisp and the Kid loves that the headset lights up! Love the retractable mic which is well made, makes so much sense to be able to make the mic disappear when not in use.
Razer has delivered some of the nicest headsets I have seen at a Great Price. Have tried several much more expensive sets, but for my money the Kraken hits the sweet spot and delivers everything that I want in a headset.
Would have liked to have seen an in-line volume control.
The Kraken delivers on amazing Game sound, and surprisingly for a gaming headset it works just as well with music with several pre-sets.
The Kraken delivers on amazing Game sound, and surprisingly for a gaming headset it works just as well with music with several pre-sets.
Get in the game and get Kraken!
My Best Buy number: 2002595546
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Head from hardwood to carpet for quick-and-easy full-house cleanups with this Dyson V7 Motorhead vacuum in hand. The direct-drive cleaner head dives deep into your rugs, getting up dirt from even hard-to-reach spaces. Disconnect the handle of this Dyson V7 Motorhead vacuum, and you've got a cordless handheld vac for simple sweep-ups of spills.
Customer Rating
5
Brilliantly Designed Vacuum with Power to Spare.
on March 27, 2017
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
The Dyson V7 Motorhead is amazingly powerful where it counts most, where the Brush Bar meets the Carpet and robust in build. A brilliantly built appliance that is surprisingly stout in a light cordless vacuum that hands down out cleans my corded upright.
The main traffic area in our home was due a vacuuming when the Dyson V7 arrived so we tested it against our upright. First, we gave the high traffic area a thorough cleaning with our corded upright which deposited a good deal in the canister.
Second, we vacuumed over the same area with the Dyson V7 and was instantly sold, the Dyson quickly collected a substantial quantity of debris in the canister immediately after using our trusty corded vacuum cleaner.
Advantages and conveniences:
It is Light as a feather.
Quiet, have never heard a quiet vacuum. That is very nice and does not drive my Beagle nuts.
The design is outstanding for getting to the hard to reach spaces, like Under the Bed. Along with the lightness and the agility it makes cleaning under the bed a snap. Vacuuming corners of the ceiling, shelves, widow sills, you name it and the Dyson V7 makes short work of the job.
Looks cool enough that your kid may want to do the vacuuming, at least for a while.
Believe our battery held up longer than the advertised 30 minutes and we completed our Living-room, office, and hallway on one charge. Impressive.
The Docking Station is a big plus for vacuum and accessory storage and charging. Fits out of sight easily in a corner in the utility room.
Thumbs up all around.
My Best Buy number: 2002595546
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Enhance footage and create professional-looking video montages with Adobe Premiere Elements 15. Access the software’s de-haze feature on your traditional computer or touchscreen device to reduce mist and fog for a bright, clear result. Features like enhanced search, which help you sort and label videos appropriately, make Adobe Premiere Elements 15 an essential for any budding videographer.
Customer Rating
4
Fun, Easy to Use - Great Price
on February 2, 2017
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
First let my ten year of age son use the program, no instructions from me, and in literally no time he was turning out a very cool video with effects, sound, narration, and more. Very cool. Layout of tools is quite intuitive.
Have used an advanced video editor for making home videos to share with family and the fact is I would be just as pleased to have used Adobe Premier Elements.
Have used an advanced video editor for making home videos to share with family and the fact is I would be just as pleased to have used Adobe Premier Elements.
Lots of editing tools and VERY well priced.
Solid program, easy to use, and it is quite a lot of fun to make videos.
Solid program, easy to use, and it is quite a lot of fun to make videos.
My Best Buy number: 2002595546
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Make your home an internet haven with this versatile Linksys Velop wireless Wi-Fi system. Three identical tri-band dual-stream AC2200 routers, each equipped with a quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor, deliver lightning-fast internet. Equipped with Bluetooth 4.0/LE, this Linksys Velop wireless Wi-Fi system is simple to set up and pairs easily with computers, tablets and smart devices.
Customer Rating
4
Wi-Fi POWER with STYLE
on January 24, 2017
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
Tough to pick a start pointing on the review, so will start with my first impression, which was the packaging!
The Linksys Velop came packaged unlike any tech product I have ever opened, it was impressive. You can see in the packaging how serious Linksys is about delivering a State of the Art Chic (elegantly and stylishly fashionable) Network system.
On style, it hit the spot immediately when I set the Network Nodes on my dining room table. As the adage goes, it was just what the doctor ordered. Had been using a Linksys WRT 3200ACS router in Bridge mode in my kitchen from my EA9500 base router to expand the Wi-Fi, which was doing a terrific job.
The WRT 3200ACS was just a bit out of place in the kitchen, not what you can call Art-Deco.
The design, style of Velop in fact thrilled me, which may sound comical when speaking of tech equipment. That was a first. The point is, the Velop is close to a work of art with a touch of High Tech. Excellent.
The Linksys Velop came packaged unlike any tech product I have ever opened, it was impressive. You can see in the packaging how serious Linksys is about delivering a State of the Art Chic (elegantly and stylishly fashionable) Network system.
On style, it hit the spot immediately when I set the Network Nodes on my dining room table. As the adage goes, it was just what the doctor ordered. Had been using a Linksys WRT 3200ACS router in Bridge mode in my kitchen from my EA9500 base router to expand the Wi-Fi, which was doing a terrific job.
The WRT 3200ACS was just a bit out of place in the kitchen, not what you can call Art-Deco.
The design, style of Velop in fact thrilled me, which may sound comical when speaking of tech equipment. That was a first. The point is, the Velop is close to a work of art with a touch of High Tech. Excellent.
My setup includes three nodes, one in the Office, the Kitchen and one located in the Detached Garage.
The base Velop node in the office is wired to an AT&T router providing 50 Mbps.
The base Velop node has a Linksys 8-port Switch connected to the second RJ-45 jack which hardwires a Livingroom Linksys 4-port Switch for the Entertainment Center as well as two Weather Station Systems stationed in our front and back yard.
The base Velop node has a Linksys 8-port Switch connected to the second RJ-45 jack which hardwires a Livingroom Linksys 4-port Switch for the Entertainment Center as well as two Weather Station Systems stationed in our front and back yard.
The first jump from office base node to kitchen node, which is connected on Wi-Fi, is approximately 48 ft. through three walls and two rooms in between. The tested Wi-Fi speed was 48.52 Mbps download and 5.71 Mbps upload in the Kitchen. You would never see speed from a repeater anywhere near that mark.
The Velop node in the Detached Garage, which is approximately 90-100 ft. and much farther from the base node in the office and travels through three walls. The tested speed in the Garage was 24.88 Mbps download and 5.51 Mbps download.
Have walked to the end of my drive way with my mobile (which does receive as well as a laptop) and still had usable signal.
Have walked to the end of my drive way with my mobile (which does receive as well as a laptop) and still had usable signal.
Those are Excellent Wi-Fi Speeds and Performance for those Distances and Obstacles.
The system comes with a simple 3 step setup, which will get you running.
There is further documentation on their web-site under Support.
What the system truly needs is the ability to put the Velop in Bridge Mode, turn off the DHCP, and set the IP address allowing the Velop system to run on Sub-Nets. Have read that some people have set the Velop in Bridge Mode with the DHCP turned off, but I was advised by Linksys Support not to attempt putting the Velop into Bridge mode. It has not been tested by Linksys. Add the expanded capabilities and it is a Strong Five-Star. Hopefully in the future updates.
Do I like the Velop, YES! It is a Great System with immense potential and a Leap Forward in Networking.
Most importantly the whole family is happy with smooth steady Wi-Fi throughout the home and beyond.
My Best Buy number: 2002595546
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Whip up healthy drinks with the Nutri Ninja BlendMax blender. Its Total Crushing blade technology and 1600W of power grind vegetables and frozen fruits, letting you create luscious smoothies, purees and fresh juices. The Nutri Ninja BlendMax blender comes with two interchangeable pitchers, letting you mix up to 88 oz. of ingredients or extract nutritious vitamins.
Customer Rating
5
Stylish Powerful Beast of a Blender
on January 8, 2017
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
First impression was, WOW. The Ninja BlendMax Duo was not like any other blender I had ever seen, it is High Tech Stylish Beast of a blender.
After reading through the instruction manual and Recipe Inspiration Guide we got right into our first production, Cherry Snow Cones as suggested by a young family member. So, with the weather at a balmy 20 degrees we whipped up our first concoction.
Do read the Instructions carefully as you are dealing with a powerful bladed appliance. When washing the blades the instructions suggest washing with a brush rather than by hand, highly recommended.
So, after washing and drying we began.
Filled the large container, The Total Crushing Pitcher which holds up to 88oz. There are also two smaller Tritan Ninja Cups which hold 24oz and 18oz respectively which work with the Pro Extractor Blades.
Hands full of ice cubes went into the pitcher, followed the instructions and in a few punches of buttons the Beast wound up and in moments turned our pile of ice cubes into some mighty fine snow cone ice. Topped with cherry juice, delicious. Plus, easy to clean by simply rinsing the ice out and drying.
Next up was a lovely soup from the recipe book, which is delicious as well as healthy. Again, after prep it was a whiz to blend the ingredients.
Next up was a lovely soup from the recipe book, which is delicious as well as healthy. Again, after prep it was a whiz to blend the ingredients.
If you are looking for a blender that does it all, and has the “Power” to get the job done take a serious look at the Ninja.
My Best Buy number: 2002595546
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Keep unwanted hair to a minimum with this Philips grooming tool. The waterproof design lets you use it in the shower, and eight attachments make this trimmer perfect for grooming different sections of the face. This Philips grooming tool has a turbo setting to increase cutting speed, and it charges in just one hour to reduce wait time.
Customer Rating
4
Excellent for Hair Removal
on December 14, 2016
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
Have been using the Norelco 7400 very several weeks now and after a lukewarm first reaction to the product have found that I indeed like this product and use it frequently.
My first take was it was not efficient but once I got the hang of find the it works remarkably well in keeping facial hair at bay.
Do not have a moustache or beard and my main use is for nose and ear hair removal, which if you trim on a regular basis is quite quick. Point being if you allow the hair to grow you will take a bit more time cleaning up.
Personally, I get hair growth in the external auditory area, the outer part of the ear canal opening, and not sure if it is recommended for use in this area. I do clear the hair there but leaves my ears with a bit of buzz from the high pitch hum of the device, though clears quickly.
The Turbo mode comes in very handy as it makes quick work of your trimming.
Like the design, easy to handle and looks good on my sink counter next to electric shaver, if you are in to aesthetics.
My first take was it was not efficient but once I got the hang of find the it works remarkably well in keeping facial hair at bay.
Do not have a moustache or beard and my main use is for nose and ear hair removal, which if you trim on a regular basis is quite quick. Point being if you allow the hair to grow you will take a bit more time cleaning up.
Personally, I get hair growth in the external auditory area, the outer part of the ear canal opening, and not sure if it is recommended for use in this area. I do clear the hair there but leaves my ears with a bit of buzz from the high pitch hum of the device, though clears quickly.
The Turbo mode comes in very handy as it makes quick work of your trimming.
Like the design, easy to handle and looks good on my sink counter next to electric shaver, if you are in to aesthetics.
My Best Buy number: 2002595546
I would recommend this to a friend!
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vrs99's Review Comments
Utilizing 4 high-performance antennas and power amplifiers, this Linksys Smart Wi-Fi WRT1900AC dual-band Wireless-AC router offers optimal wireless strength and signal coverage, so you can easily connect devices throughout your home or office.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Rock Solid
By vrs99
from TN
Replaced my Linksys EA 6700 router with the WRT1900ac on my home network. The EA 6700 is a good router but it is not in the same class as the WRT1900ac.
The signal is outstanding, solid and fast throughout the whole house and outside too boot.
Setup is smooth and easy, especially if you are familiar with latest versions of the Linksys software. The router has plenty of features and added a few more since the last router versions.
Has the best Network Map I have seen, informative and quickly shows where your bandwidth is being used.
If you need/want a powerful router that is flexible and expandable (according to Linksys) in the future take a hard look at the WRT1900ac.
vrs99
TN
Plan on using eSATA? MUST READ - be Forewarned
September 3, 2014
One of my main decisions in purchasing the WRT1900ac was to attach my NetGear NAS on the eSATA port for easier access across my network.
No such luck.
Spent time with Linksys tech and neither my eSATA NAS from NetGear nor my external eSATA drive will work with the WRT1900ac.
Linksys does have a compatibility chart - somewhere - but not in their spec listings of what works with their router.
If you want to use eSATA do your homework and see if your device is compatible.
Tough Luck if your device is not on the list.
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Upgrade your laptop's storage with this Samsung 850 PRO MZ-7KE512BW internal SATA III solid state drive, which offers a generous 512GB capacity for digital data. SED (Self-Encrypting Drive) technology controls access to private information.
Overall
1 out of 5
1 out of 5Crashed and Burned after 44 Days - Good Luck
By vrs99
Fast SSD - and Extra Fast to Crash in just 44 days. Of course it was on a Friday evening and cannot speak to Samsung until Monday. Cannot Chat with them as they do not offer Chat for SSD's.
Luckily it crashed two weeks after the 30 day return period to Best Buy. Guess it is a good thing they offer 10 year warranty? But have heard they will return a refurbished unit, which will not be good on 44 day old product. Must be living on the bleeding edge, should have stuck with the Toshiba, which I can't see a real life difference in speed.
vrs99
TN
After a Day of Wrestling with the SSD
July 11, 2015
After pulling every rabbit out of my hat I finally got the SSD going again. Have to completely reload OS, etc. starting at Windows 8. Not fun.
But I am "somewhat" happy that I was able to get the drive working. Not sure what happen to the drive, but have some suspicion of a setting in Magician (software system for the 850 Pro) which boosts speed?
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Only at Best BuyUpdate your portable technology kit with this HP Omen 17-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine combines a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor with 12GB of DDR4 RAM for ultra-fast performance on the go. An island-style backlit keyboard equipped with dedicated macro keys makes this HP Omen 17-inch laptop easy to use in the dark.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Hp omen gaming laptop
By Martinezjorge7
I recently bought the 16 omen laptop and I was able to return mine and be able to upgrade the the newest one it has a better graphic card and an new design with a better cooling vent with a 1 tb hard drive
vrs99
TN
NO DVD
July 12, 2017
There is no DVD built, you would have to use external.
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HP OMEN by HP Laptop: Power through the virtual landscape with this versatile HP Omen 15-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine packs a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX video card for superior graphics performance. The 1TB hard drive inside this HP Omen 15-inch laptop provides plenty for space for gaming profiles and other multimedia files.
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5Excellent laptop, but not the best value
By Xephyroth
from Colorado Springs, CO
This HP Omen is the 3rd gaming laptop I've ever owned, and it's undoubtedly the best one I've had the pleasure of using. However, this product isn't perfect out of the box.
FIRST IMPRESSION / UNBOXING:
Out of the box, the first thing that I noticed is that this laptop has impressive build quality. The sand-blasted brushing brings a pleasant aesthetic while also bringing solid weight and durability. It's not incredibly flashy, so it doesn't scream "gamer" like a lot of other laptops, but it definitely brings a touch of the "gamer" aesthetic without being overzealous. The notebook is also much thinner than I expected, as I've been used to much thicker gaming laptops, but I suppose the lack of an optical drive attributes to that. The power brick is fairly small and compact for a machine that's capable of entry/mid-level gaming.
Out of the box, the first thing that I noticed is that this laptop has impressive build quality. The sand-blasted brushing brings a pleasant aesthetic while also bringing solid weight and durability. It's not incredibly flashy, so it doesn't scream "gamer" like a lot of other laptops, but it definitely brings a touch of the "gamer" aesthetic without being overzealous. The notebook is also much thinner than I expected, as I've been used to much thicker gaming laptops, but I suppose the lack of an optical drive attributes to that. The power brick is fairly small and compact for a machine that's capable of entry/mid-level gaming.
DISPLAY:
Turning the display on, the 1080p IPS matte display is nice and bright, and viewing angles are decent without too much color shifting. Bezels aren't too large, and it's not something I noticed until just now while writing this review. While I'm used to Quad-HD and 4K resolutions, I was not displeased with this display in any fashion. The webcam is above the display and can record at 720p/30fps. Not the best, but not the worst webcam I've seen.
Turning the display on, the 1080p IPS matte display is nice and bright, and viewing angles are decent without too much color shifting. Bezels aren't too large, and it's not something I noticed until just now while writing this review. While I'm used to Quad-HD and 4K resolutions, I was not displeased with this display in any fashion. The webcam is above the display and can record at 720p/30fps. Not the best, but not the worst webcam I've seen.
KEYBOARD:
Typing on the keyboard is pleasant with the chiclet-style keys. It didn't take me too long to get used to the keyboard, having come from mechanical keyboards and MacBook Pro keyboards. The addition of the num-pad is certainly nice, as well. The keyboard is backlit red (as you'd expect with the Omen), but settings are very simplistic compared to other gaming laptops. The backlighting has 3 states: fully on, WASD on, or fully off. No, there are no fancy effects, and I wouldn't expect any at this price. I do find it a little bit surprising that you can't dim the backlighting, but I rarely dim the backlight on my keyboards, anyway, so it'd be a useless feature for me.
Typing on the keyboard is pleasant with the chiclet-style keys. It didn't take me too long to get used to the keyboard, having come from mechanical keyboards and MacBook Pro keyboards. The addition of the num-pad is certainly nice, as well. The keyboard is backlit red (as you'd expect with the Omen), but settings are very simplistic compared to other gaming laptops. The backlighting has 3 states: fully on, WASD on, or fully off. No, there are no fancy effects, and I wouldn't expect any at this price. I do find it a little bit surprising that you can't dim the backlighting, but I rarely dim the backlight on my keyboards, anyway, so it'd be a useless feature for me.
TRACKPAD:
Out of the box, the trackpad sensitivity was incredibly low for my personal taste. After making some adjustments to the Touchpad Settings in Windows 10, I found a sensitivity that worked well for me. The touchpad does not physically click, but there are left/right trackpad buttons. Initially, I did find the buttons to be awkwardly placed, but I actually got used to them fairly quickly. While the touchpad isn't the best I've ever used, it is pretty good, in my opinion. 2 and 3 finger gestures work, as well.
Out of the box, the trackpad sensitivity was incredibly low for my personal taste. After making some adjustments to the Touchpad Settings in Windows 10, I found a sensitivity that worked well for me. The touchpad does not physically click, but there are left/right trackpad buttons. Initially, I did find the buttons to be awkwardly placed, but I actually got used to them fairly quickly. While the touchpad isn't the best I've ever used, it is pretty good, in my opinion. 2 and 3 finger gestures work, as well.
SOUND:
The Bang & Olufsen speakers surprised me. They have good volume and a pleasant sound signature. However, they're bottom-firing, so when you put the laptop on your lap, the frequencies dampen and you lose a bit of treble/mid-range impact. Keep in mind, this is with the "B & O Play Experience" toggled on from the "Omen Audio" application. You'll definitely want to leave that on if you're using the speakers, or else the bass will disappear and will sound really anemic. I did notice some clipping at max volume when bass-heavy music was involved. Headphone jack works well as you'd expect, but doesn't promise anything fancy, so don't bother trying to drive headphones with high impedance. The built-in microphone array is good for video/voice chat session, but don't expect it to compete with a USB desktop microphone in terms of sound quality. For all casual purposes, it does just fine.
The Bang & Olufsen speakers surprised me. They have good volume and a pleasant sound signature. However, they're bottom-firing, so when you put the laptop on your lap, the frequencies dampen and you lose a bit of treble/mid-range impact. Keep in mind, this is with the "B & O Play Experience" toggled on from the "Omen Audio" application. You'll definitely want to leave that on if you're using the speakers, or else the bass will disappear and will sound really anemic. I did notice some clipping at max volume when bass-heavy music was involved. Headphone jack works well as you'd expect, but doesn't promise anything fancy, so don't bother trying to drive headphones with high impedance. The built-in microphone array is good for video/voice chat session, but don't expect it to compete with a USB desktop microphone in terms of sound quality. For all casual purposes, it does just fine.
PERFORMANCE:
This laptop comes with a 4-core / 8-thread Intel Core i7 processor. For most basic tasks, this is actually overkill. But for gamers, this is great, as more games are utilizing more threads. The GTX 1050 can play any older game at very high settings, and can still play many modern titles at medium / high settings at 1080p. 8GB of RAM is enough for most people, but individuals who multi-task with a lot of resource-intensive chrome tabs and extensions may find themselves wanting more. While the 1TB hard drive is rated for 7200RPM, I still find it unacceptable to not have the operating system installed on a Solid State Drive (SSD) for a machine at this price point. You will not be unlocking the full potential of this machine while your OS runs on a slow drive like this. Thankfully, the upgrade process is fairly simple. After consulting the service manual found on HP's support website, I unscrewed the 10 screws from the bottom of the laptop and removed the bottom panel by starting with the side closest to the display hinge. From there, you'll have access to the SATA drive bay, the M.2 SSD slot (unoccupied, but does support NVMe drives), and 2 RAM slots (with only 1 occupied). I suspect that each RAM slot supports up to 8GB, but I could not find any confirmation in any of the documents available on HP's support website.
This laptop comes with a 4-core / 8-thread Intel Core i7 processor. For most basic tasks, this is actually overkill. But for gamers, this is great, as more games are utilizing more threads. The GTX 1050 can play any older game at very high settings, and can still play many modern titles at medium / high settings at 1080p. 8GB of RAM is enough for most people, but individuals who multi-task with a lot of resource-intensive chrome tabs and extensions may find themselves wanting more. While the 1TB hard drive is rated for 7200RPM, I still find it unacceptable to not have the operating system installed on a Solid State Drive (SSD) for a machine at this price point. You will not be unlocking the full potential of this machine while your OS runs on a slow drive like this. Thankfully, the upgrade process is fairly simple. After consulting the service manual found on HP's support website, I unscrewed the 10 screws from the bottom of the laptop and removed the bottom panel by starting with the side closest to the display hinge. From there, you'll have access to the SATA drive bay, the M.2 SSD slot (unoccupied, but does support NVMe drives), and 2 RAM slots (with only 1 occupied). I suspect that each RAM slot supports up to 8GB, but I could not find any confirmation in any of the documents available on HP's support website.
I happened to have an unused SATA-based SSD, so I swapped that with the 1TB HDD and used the software that came with my SSD to transfer the OS from the HDD to the SSD. After this process, my HP Omen was substantially faster with booting the OS and running applications—a night & day difference.
BATTERY:
I haven't tested the battery life to an enormous extent, but enabling a battery estimation feature in the BIOS allows Windows 10 to report the estimated time (not just %) on battery. Depending on your brightness, power profile and workload, HP estimates 9 hours of mixed usage, and almost 7 hours of video playback. So far, I think that claim is accurate.
I haven't tested the battery life to an enormous extent, but enabling a battery estimation feature in the BIOS allows Windows 10 to report the estimated time (not just %) on battery. Depending on your brightness, power profile and workload, HP estimates 9 hours of mixed usage, and almost 7 hours of video playback. So far, I think that claim is accurate.
I/O:
The HP Omen doesn't support Thunderbolt 3, but all the USB ports support USB 3.1 (1 Type-C, 3 Type-A. There's also a gigabit ethernet jack, HDMI (HDCP 2.2, 4k@60Hz), and Mini DisplayPort. It also supports a full-size SD card which can be fully inserted into the laptop without sticking out. As mentioned before, it also sports a headphone and microphone jack.
The HP Omen doesn't support Thunderbolt 3, but all the USB ports support USB 3.1 (1 Type-C, 3 Type-A. There's also a gigabit ethernet jack, HDMI (HDCP 2.2, 4k@60Hz), and Mini DisplayPort. It also supports a full-size SD card which can be fully inserted into the laptop without sticking out. As mentioned before, it also sports a headphone and microphone jack.
CONCLUSION:
The HP Omen is a great laptop. It provides great features while also having room for a few upgrade. However, I do feel that an SSD should be included at this price—even a cheaper SATA-based M.2 or 2.5" drive would be fine. For a performance-oriented machine like this, skimping on the SSD is a poor decision on HP's part—especially at this price-point. I have seen competitor's laptops with the i7-7700HQ, GTX 1060, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD go on sale for cheaper. So in that regard, I do feel the HP Omen isn't providing as good a value, but it is objectively a good laptop—perhaps, just not as good a value when compared to other options around the same price.
The HP Omen is a great laptop. It provides great features while also having room for a few upgrade. However, I do feel that an SSD should be included at this price—even a cheaper SATA-based M.2 or 2.5" drive would be fine. For a performance-oriented machine like this, skimping on the SSD is a poor decision on HP's part—especially at this price-point. I have seen competitor's laptops with the i7-7700HQ, GTX 1060, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD go on sale for cheaper. So in that regard, I do feel the HP Omen isn't providing as good a value, but it is objectively a good laptop—perhaps, just not as good a value when compared to other options around the same price.
vrs99
TN
Support Manual web site?
July 14, 2017
Do you have the link to the HP Support Site that has the Support Manual?
Have been looking and must be in the wrong place - Thanks
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
HP OMEN by HP Laptop: Power through the virtual landscape with this versatile HP Omen 15-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine packs a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX video card for superior graphics performance. The 1TB hard drive inside this HP Omen 15-inch laptop provides plenty for space for gaming profiles and other multimedia files.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Zoom Zoom Zoom – Game On
By vrs99
from TN
This machine looks like it is going fast sitting on the desktop. The exhaust system vents on the back edges of the laptop brings to mind the tailpipes a supercar might be sporting. When it is cranking through benchmarking the cooling system and exhaust ports are doing a job, pushing volumes of hot air away from the machine.
The HP Omen is the most bang for the buck that I have ever seen in a laptop, this box is loaded with edgy technology. Not going through a list of specs, those are easy enough to find, what is impressive is that all techs are up to date, not last year’s stuff. Too many times have seen corners cut to save a dollar. Not here. Not one USB 2.0 in sight, which is surprising seeing that we just built beast of a desktop a month ago with the latest Z270 Kaby Lake i7 7700K, USB 2.0 ports still in use on an advanced motherboard. Kudos to HP.
Take a close look at the specs, you will find 802.11ac with a solid 866.7 Mbps connection. “Dual Force functionality splits traffic across two data streams, sending gaming traffic over the fastest connection available (typically wired), and all other traffic over WiFi.”
Other ports of interest (not a complete listing check the spec sheet):
1 USB 3.1 Type C
3 USB 3.1
Mini DisplayPort
3 USB 3.1
Mini DisplayPort
What I love is the fact you can purchase a HDD Omen model and then add your M.2 NVMe drive of choice, that is cool. If you are not yet familiar with M.2 NVMe you should take a look. In a word (or more) they are fast, about seven times that of a standard SSD.
What is interesting is that with the HDD the system boots up in 9 seconds, that is fully populated with my programs/anti-virus and all my files. Impressive. Being spoiled by SSD’s I must tip my hat to HP; this machine runs tremendously smooth with the 7200 RPM Hitachi HDD.
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 (4 GB GDDR5 dedicated memory) discrete GPU ran through the Unigine Heaven Benchmark smoothly turning good numbers while the cooling system kept the GPU at a respectable 68 degrees. Notable, that with all the heavy iron under the hood the system manages the temp easily.
Ran my favorite game, Civilization VI through its paces today set on the highest graphic settings and it ran like a champ.
Looks, it has the looks, brushed aluminum case with an excellent finish. Nice touches all-around.
Know it is a way cool machine as my kid, the gamer in the house is explaining all the great and subtle reasons why it would be better for him to hang onto the machine. Yeah right!
What I am getting use to is the keyboard offset, a bit to the left to make room for the full size numeric pad, which is a nice touch. Keyboard is fine and well suited for heavy accurate work, or gaming for that matter.
Want a blistering rig in your hands at an excellent price point, one that can kick it at games and can be easily expanded, check out The Omen.
vrs99
TN
Maintenance and Service - Upgrade Manual
July 15, 2017
If you purchase the Omen and wish to upgrade memory or add M.2 SSD you can find the manual here:
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c05533785
+3points
3of 3voted this comment as helpful.
HP OMEN by HP Laptop: Power through the virtual landscape with this versatile HP Omen 15-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine packs a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX video card for superior graphics performance. The 1TB hard drive inside this HP Omen 15-inch laptop provides plenty for space for gaming profiles and other multimedia files.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Zoom Zoom Zoom – Game On
By vrs99
from TN
This machine looks like it is going fast sitting on the desktop. The exhaust system vents on the back edges of the laptop brings to mind the tailpipes a supercar might be sporting. When it is cranking through benchmarking the cooling system and exhaust ports are doing a job, pushing volumes of hot air away from the machine.
The HP Omen is the most bang for the buck that I have ever seen in a laptop, this box is loaded with edgy technology. Not going through a list of specs, those are easy enough to find, what is impressive is that all techs are up to date, not last year’s stuff. Too many times have seen corners cut to save a dollar. Not here. Not one USB 2.0 in sight, which is surprising seeing that we just built beast of a desktop a month ago with the latest Z270 Kaby Lake i7 7700K, USB 2.0 ports still in use on an advanced motherboard. Kudos to HP.
Take a close look at the specs, you will find 802.11ac with a solid 866.7 Mbps connection. “Dual Force functionality splits traffic across two data streams, sending gaming traffic over the fastest connection available (typically wired), and all other traffic over WiFi.”
Other ports of interest (not a complete listing check the spec sheet):
1 USB 3.1 Type C
3 USB 3.1
Mini DisplayPort
3 USB 3.1
Mini DisplayPort
What I love is the fact you can purchase a HDD Omen model and then add your M.2 NVMe drive of choice, that is cool. If you are not yet familiar with M.2 NVMe you should take a look. In a word (or more) they are fast, about seven times that of a standard SSD.
What is interesting is that with the HDD the system boots up in 9 seconds, that is fully populated with my programs/anti-virus and all my files. Impressive. Being spoiled by SSD’s I must tip my hat to HP; this machine runs tremendously smooth with the 7200 RPM Hitachi HDD.
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 (4 GB GDDR5 dedicated memory) discrete GPU ran through the Unigine Heaven Benchmark smoothly turning good numbers while the cooling system kept the GPU at a respectable 68 degrees. Notable, that with all the heavy iron under the hood the system manages the temp easily.
Ran my favorite game, Civilization VI through its paces today set on the highest graphic settings and it ran like a champ.
Looks, it has the looks, brushed aluminum case with an excellent finish. Nice touches all-around.
Know it is a way cool machine as my kid, the gamer in the house is explaining all the great and subtle reasons why it would be better for him to hang onto the machine. Yeah right!
What I am getting use to is the keyboard offset, a bit to the left to make room for the full size numeric pad, which is a nice touch. Keyboard is fine and well suited for heavy accurate work, or gaming for that matter.
Want a blistering rig in your hands at an excellent price point, one that can kick it at games and can be easily expanded, check out The Omen.
vrs99
TN
Adding M.2 SSD
July 18, 2017
Added a M.2 SSD to the Omen and nuked all the partitions on the HDD and added it back to the system. Day and Night performance. That is one aspect I like about this model is that it does not come with an installed M.2 drive, you can pick your own SSD ads capacity.
Screams with the new M.2 and have an additionally terabyte of storage on the HDD, whcih I use to sync my files to frequently before syncing with the NAS.
Great machine.
+1point
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.
vrs99's Questions
vrs99 has not submitted any questions.
Train like a pro with this 44mm Fossil Carlyle HR smartwatch. Bluetooth functionality enables syncing with your smartphone, while the internal storage lets you work out with your favorite tunes. This swimproof Fossil Carlyle HR smartwatch features GPS to track your activity outdoors, and the heart monitor keeps tabs on your cardiac rate.
Can you make and receive phone calls on this watch?
Set up a gaming station with this LG 24-inch Full HD monitor. AMD Radeon FreeSync technology eliminates screen tearing and stuttering, letting you play AAA titles smoothly, while the IPS display with a wide viewing angle delivers bright, vivid visuals from almost any direction. This LG 24-inch Full HD monitor has an antiglare coating for minimizing reflections.
How do you adjust the viewing angle on this monitor. Assembled according to directions it simply sits upright. The descriptions say it can be viewed by multiple angles, but I don't see where you can do it.
"178° horizontal and vertical viewing angles
Allow you to view the screen from a wide range of angles."
This refers to the ability to see the screen clearly from wider angles from side to side and above if you wish.
Hope this helps.
Allow you to view the screen from a wide range of angles."
This refers to the ability to see the screen clearly from wider angles from side to side and above if you wish.
Hope this helps.
5 years, 8 months ago
by
vrs99
Capture up to 1440p video with this Nextbase 522GW dash camera. Alexa enables hands-free control through voice commands, and Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi technologies sync with compatible smartphones for quick access to important footage. This Nextbase 522GW dash camera has ports for connecting compatible camera modules for easy expansion.
This specs states that it has GPS. Does it record GPS location and speed on the viewed camera footage? There is a GPS powered mount that is available for these types of cameras. Are these extra mounts needed to record GPS and speed on the footage?
It records GPS, speed, date & time by default on the video. All of which can be turned off selectively.
5 years, 11 months ago
by
vrs99
Safeguard your home with this Arlo security camera system. Its 4K resolution provides maximum clarity so you don't miss a single detail, and a siren is integrated so you can fend off intruders either remotely or while at home. This Arlo security camera system is weather-resistant, so it's functional rain or shine.
Can you pair Arlo pro 2 cameras with this system as well? We have 2 arlo pro 2 cameras we would like to utilize on the new system if possible.
Yes they work fine, have two connected to the new hub.
6 years, 3 months ago
by
vrs99
Make sure your wireless connection reaches every room in your home with this ASUS ROG Rapture gaming router. Speeds of up to 11000 Mbps deliver interruption-free connectivity throughout intense games and binge-watching sessions. Built-in network security defends against potential breaches, and the 4X capacity makes this ASUS ROG Rapture gaming router ideal for households running multiple devices.
is this router for streaming
Certainly. Fastest router I have ever had my hands on....
6 years, 4 months ago
by
vrs99
Make sure your wireless connection reaches every room in your home with this ASUS ROG Rapture gaming router. Speeds of up to 11000 Mbps deliver interruption-free connectivity throughout intense games and binge-watching sessions. Built-in network security defends against potential breaches, and the 4X capacity makes this ASUS ROG Rapture gaming router ideal for households running multiple devices.
Is this router really complicated to setup cause if everything you can do and change and mess with?
It has a 5 page Quick Setup Guide, that is quite easy to follow. If you get it up and running you can save your settings under the Administration before you start having Fun and experimenting! The nif you blow it up you can always reload your saved settings.
They have a Full manual which guides your through the whole system if do want to get into the router deeply.
ASUS is also easy to contact, they tend to answer their phones quickly and know what they are doing. They will actually walk you through the complete setup. Their support phone numbers are also very easy to find on their web-site.
Happy Hunting
They have a Full manual which guides your through the whole system if do want to get into the router deeply.
ASUS is also easy to contact, they tend to answer their phones quickly and know what they are doing. They will actually walk you through the complete setup. Their support phone numbers are also very easy to find on their web-site.
Happy Hunting
6 years, 4 months ago
by
vrs99
Take your smart home to the next level with this ASUS router. Boosted Wi-Fi speeds and intelligent signals streaming directly to each of your devices will keep your busy wireless network running smoothly, just the way you want.
Will this work with a bonded dsl line?
Should work fine like any router, just plug into your DSL router.
6 years, 4 months ago
by
vrs99
Enjoy room-filling audio in any living space with this LG Hi-Fi shelf system. Its two 150W speakers produce loud, detailed sound, and it streams music via Bluetooth when you pair it with an Android device. This LG Hi-Fi shelf system has an EQ function that optimizes the audio based on the music you're listening to.
Is This A Wireless Speaker ?
Enjoy room-filling audio in any living space with this LG Hi-Fi shelf system. Its two 150W speakers produce loud, detailed sound, and it streams music via Bluetooth when you pair it with an Android device. This LG Hi-Fi shelf system has an EQ function that optimizes the audio based on the music you're listening to.
I want to run audio from my DirecTV Genie mini using digital coax to this system. Does this system have digital coax input? I’m surprised this isn’t listed in the specs.
Enjoy room-filling audio in any living space with this LG Hi-Fi shelf system. Its two 150W speakers produce loud, detailed sound, and it streams music via Bluetooth when you pair it with an Android device. This LG Hi-Fi shelf system has an EQ function that optimizes the audio based on the music you're listening to.
Can this be connected to tv
Yes to a LG Sound Sync/Bluetooth. easily.
Suspect it will connect to any current version of Bluetooth enabled TVs.
If not Best Buy has generous return policy.
Suspect it will connect to any current version of Bluetooth enabled TVs.
If not Best Buy has generous return policy.
6 years, 10 months ago
by
vrs99