Dragonhunter281's stats
- Review count57
- Helpfulness votes1,648
- First reviewApril 19, 2014
- Last reviewMarch 13, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.6
- Review comment count1
- Helpfulness votes4
- First review commentOctober 31, 2016
- Last review commentOctober 31, 2016
- Featured review comments0
Questions
- Question count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First questionNone
- Last questionNone
- Featured questions0
- Answer count3
- Helpfulness votes6
- First answerSeptember 20, 2016
- Last answerAugust 24, 2017
- Featured answers0
- Best answers1
Enjoy your favorite music with this Klipsch Reference Premiere speakers. Their vented tweeter design provides enhanced detail and clarity for vocals, and the 6.5-inch Cerametallic cone woofer creates punchy low frequencies with minimal distortion. These Klipsch Reference Premiere speakers have a compressed molded silicon face for a smooth frequency response and natural-sounding audio.
Customer Rating
5
Stunning Klipsch Bookshelf Speakers
on November 1, 2018
Posted by: Dragonhunter281
Despite their small appearance, bookshelf speakers can often provide many substantial benefits for any home theater or audio system. For example, they can be used as front speakers or as surround speakers. In dedicated audio systems, they can be used to power standalone CD players or record players. The newest bookshelf speaker from Klipsch, the RP-600M, is designed to give you the absolute best sound experience, though at relatively high cost. Similar to the RP-8000, the new RP-600M features a new tweeter design, but in an elegant and compact design. Thus, I was excited to test a couple of scenarios to see how the new RP-600M performs.
Once you receive the box, the first thing you will notice is that for bookshelf speakers, the RP-600M are quite heavy. The packaging was also of worthy praise and seemingly protected the RP-600M quite well. Each speaker was wrapped twice, first with a soft cloth cover and then an additional plastic cover over that. After removal, the RP-600M treats you to an absolute gorgeous high quality glossy finish. The craftsmanship is of the utmost highest quality, with a deep dark black color and a reflective coating that just captivates you. The corners transition perfectly with all sides of the speaker and are smooth to the touch. Any picture will not be able to capture just how good the RP-600M looks in person. It is simply jaw dropping. If you are on the fence on which variant to pick (Ebony, Walnut, Piano Black), I would strongly suggest the piano black variant, if of course your budget allows for the extra cost. Moving on, located on the back, you will notice two pairs of speaker terminals allowing you to Bi-Amp the speakers. Physically, the RP-600M are still quite large for bookshelf speakers. With a height of 15 inches and a depth of 11.8 inches, there might be some issues fitting them in dedicated bookshelf spaces on some furniture. Weight wise, they clock in at roughly 16 pounds, yet are of good sturdy quality. Lastly, the front grill cover does not snap in place but rather magnetically clips on and aligns with the front. Overall, I do believe the RP-600M has set a standard here. The RP-600M displays impeccable craftsmanship, combined with an absolute elegant piano black finish that just begs more attention. I think most people will not complain here.
For my audio test, I wanted to see how the RP-600 performs in two different scenarios. The first will be using it as a surround speaker in a standard 5.1 channel setup. Next, I would like to shift to a standard 2.0 channel setup and focus solely on the performance of the RP-600M as the two main front channels. For the 5.1 configuration, I will test movies and for the 2.0 I will focus solely on music. The receiver I used was a Pioneer Elite VSX-LX303 to power the speakers, tied together using Audioquest 14 AWG X2 speaker wire that was manually cut from a 100ft spool. The VSX-LX303 receiver was also plugged up to the wall using an Audioquest NRG-Y3 AC cable. Additionally, I did not Bi-Amp the speakers and only used one set of terminals (bottom set). For playback of movies and music, I used my Sony Ultra Bluray UBP-X800 player.
For my 5.1 surround sound test, I decided to fire up a few of my favorite movies to see how the RP-600M performs. Before I started, I ran the speaker calibration to make sure each speaker was working correctly and noted that the surround channels were slightly drowned out by the other speakers. I made a slight adjustment of +3.0dB on either RP-600M to bring it up a bit with the other speakers. Granted, your results will be different here and I am not sure exactly what caused this (possible loose cable or receiver related) but I am more than positive it is not related to the speaker. Moving on, I fired up Gladiator (2000), and immediately the surround sounds were in action. Providing a nice layer of supporting sound that was also heard from the front speakers (RP-8000), the RP-600M were also able to reproduce incredible highs such as whistles of arrows traveling through the air or sharp frequencies of swords striking other swords during fight scenes. When one of the swords hit the tree in the opening battle, the RP-600M shrieked in excitement. In addition, in the arena the RP-600M did a fabulous job of capturing small subtle details such as sounds from fights that were off to the left and right side of the main characters. Additionally, I also heard more swords cling loudly in the background. Overall, the RP-600M did an amazing job, providing a complete surround sound experience. Highs and middle frequencies were absolutely stellar, encompassing the room for the full home theater experience. In the Patriot(2000), the results were equally stunning, providing a rich layer of supplementary sounds to the rest of the system. Yells and commands from soldiers are heard in rich detail, as muskets and cannon fire was clear and punctual. Once again highs and middles were extremely pronounced here. Perhaps the biggest improvement I heard was the fight in the woods in which musket fire would explode in each speaker with a sharp and devastating effect. It was an absolute blast! Overall, I believe most will extremely pleased with the results.
As for my music test, performance throughout was quite consistent. Classical music was exceptionally bright and warm with absolute stunning clarity; each performer and instrument was easily heard. Highs and middles once again dazzled the senses. Acoustic rock, as well as ambient instrumental tracks, also performed well. As one would assume, low frequencies in more Rap or Dance/Trance oriented tracks did not show up as well, but nonetheless, it still produce an acceptable amount. It was definitely able to reproduce some of it and you clearly knew where low frequencies were in the particular song. For a bookshelf speaker, most will be pleased. Rock and metal also sounded excellent, providing nice clarity in the middle and upper frequencies. Symbols were crisp and loud, while the drums and guitars remain separated and punchy. Despite over compression on some recordings, I was quite happy that it did not sound muddy or hollow; nor did any part echoed or sound flat. Overall, I am confident that, given its compact size, the RP-600M will stand out among all bookshelf speakers.
In conclusion, the RP-600M provides an excellent solution for any audiophile's desire to purchase quality compact speakers. Though expensive, it can be confidently used as a surround speaker in a home theater or as main speakers. They will also perform exceptionally well if used with a standalone home stereo or record player. The piano black finish is sure to dazzle just as much as its sound that it is capable of reproducing. Sound quality expectations were unequivocally met. With a strong soundstage and physically attractive design, the RP-600M comes highly recommended.
In conclusion, the RP-600M provides an excellent solution for any audiophile's desire to purchase quality compact speakers. Though expensive, it can be confidently used as a surround speaker in a home theater or as main speakers. They will also perform exceptionally well if used with a standalone home stereo or record player. The piano black finish is sure to dazzle just as much as its sound that it is capable of reproducing. Sound quality expectations were unequivocally met. With a strong soundstage and physically attractive design, the RP-600M comes highly recommended.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+22points
29of 36voted this as helpful.
The R-115SW subwoofer is the perfect combination of power, sophisticated and heart-pounding bass. Packing a serious punch, the R-115SW will not only wake your neighbors, it'll piss them off. The way only Klipsch can.
Customer Rating
5
Roaring Klipsch Bass!!
on October 30, 2018
Posted by: Dragonhunter281
When it comes to choosing a complimentary piece of any home theater system, the subwoofer is a critical piece that has great influence on the overall sound of the whole system. Therefore, choosing the right one is imperative. At the top of the Klipsch line, sits the behemoth R-115SW Subwoofer that is designed for those who want nothing but the best possible sound experience for their home theater. I can safely say the R-115SW exceeds expectations with an earth shattering stomp, despite the price that will no doubt be difficult for some to swallow. Nonetheless, the R-115SW is prepared to be the last subwoofer you may ever need to buy, so naturally I was excited to give it a couple of test scenarios to see how it performs.
From the minute you first lay eyes on the box, it is clear that the R-115SW is an absolute monster! Upon inspecting the box, I was quite relived to see that it was packaged very well. There were three pieces of cardboard for corner support as well as Styrofoam on top. On top of that, the front grill cover was packaged in a separate box. Due to its size, I strongly recommend for someone to help you carry the box as well as help with the removal of the R-115SW. I found it easiest to turn it on its side and have someone help you wiggle it out of the box, though be sure to watch the switches on the back of the subwoofer! With a depth 22.3 inches and a height of 21.5, it is one massive piece of equipment! Once removed, the R-115SW sits covered in plastic and is ready to shake some floors! Physically, the R-115SW is the biggest subwoofer I have seen personally. Clocking in at 75 pounds, it is extremely heavy and sturdy. The built quality is phenomenal. The outside finish was also of high quality as well. The black brushed veneer finish had as slight buffed pattern etched into its surface, yet was quite smooth to touch. On the front, you will notice the holes where the front grill snaps in as well as an LED light for power. Turning to the back of the unit, you will note several connections. The first is a pair of RCA connections, with the left plug labeled LFE for those who have a dedicated subwoofer pre-out jack on the back of their receiver. Next, you will notice two knobs: a crossover knob and one for gain (volume). Furthermore, there is an on and off switch as well as a phase switch. Lastly, there is a WA-2 port which will allow you to operate the subwoofer wirelessly should you decided on the optional Klipsch Wireless Kit (not included).
Once setup was completed, I wanted to see how the R-115SW responded to both music and movies. For my tests, I will be using a Pioneer Elite VSX-LX303 receiver for my tests with the Pure Direct mode enabled. This will prevent any additional processing to the audio signal. In addition, the R-115SW is connected via an Irish Red Subwoofer Cable from Audioquest. Crossover frequency was set to 50Hz, per recommendation from the Klipsch manual where it states for larger floor standings speakers should be set to 50-90Hz. Naturally, how your receiver implements this setting will differ and I strongly recommend you tinker with different settings as you may find one better that would suit your preference. On the VSX-LX303 receiver, crossover frequency could only be set if I changed the front speaker type to small. In addition, the placement of the subwoofer also has drastic affect on the perception of the sound. My test will be somewhat of a worst case scenario in that I had it between two recliners about 2 feet away from the back wall (12ft x 12ft room). I strongly recommend that you try several different placement points in your room to enhance the sound to your liking.
From the minute you first lay eyes on the box, it is clear that the R-115SW is an absolute monster! Upon inspecting the box, I was quite relived to see that it was packaged very well. There were three pieces of cardboard for corner support as well as Styrofoam on top. On top of that, the front grill cover was packaged in a separate box. Due to its size, I strongly recommend for someone to help you carry the box as well as help with the removal of the R-115SW. I found it easiest to turn it on its side and have someone help you wiggle it out of the box, though be sure to watch the switches on the back of the subwoofer! With a depth 22.3 inches and a height of 21.5, it is one massive piece of equipment! Once removed, the R-115SW sits covered in plastic and is ready to shake some floors! Physically, the R-115SW is the biggest subwoofer I have seen personally. Clocking in at 75 pounds, it is extremely heavy and sturdy. The built quality is phenomenal. The outside finish was also of high quality as well. The black brushed veneer finish had as slight buffed pattern etched into its surface, yet was quite smooth to touch. On the front, you will notice the holes where the front grill snaps in as well as an LED light for power. Turning to the back of the unit, you will note several connections. The first is a pair of RCA connections, with the left plug labeled LFE for those who have a dedicated subwoofer pre-out jack on the back of their receiver. Next, you will notice two knobs: a crossover knob and one for gain (volume). Furthermore, there is an on and off switch as well as a phase switch. Lastly, there is a WA-2 port which will allow you to operate the subwoofer wirelessly should you decided on the optional Klipsch Wireless Kit (not included).
Once setup was completed, I wanted to see how the R-115SW responded to both music and movies. For my tests, I will be using a Pioneer Elite VSX-LX303 receiver for my tests with the Pure Direct mode enabled. This will prevent any additional processing to the audio signal. In addition, the R-115SW is connected via an Irish Red Subwoofer Cable from Audioquest. Crossover frequency was set to 50Hz, per recommendation from the Klipsch manual where it states for larger floor standings speakers should be set to 50-90Hz. Naturally, how your receiver implements this setting will differ and I strongly recommend you tinker with different settings as you may find one better that would suit your preference. On the VSX-LX303 receiver, crossover frequency could only be set if I changed the front speaker type to small. In addition, the placement of the subwoofer also has drastic affect on the perception of the sound. My test will be somewhat of a worst case scenario in that I had it between two recliners about 2 feet away from the back wall (12ft x 12ft room). I strongly recommend that you try several different placement points in your room to enhance the sound to your liking.
As for performance goes, the first immediate difference was you could instantly feel the sound at your feet. The R-115SW grumbles and takes its sheer aggression out on your room! For me personally, I have only had experience with an older Pioneer subwoofer; the R-115SW is a night and day difference. As a music enthusiast, I tested the lossless playback of several different genres. The biggest difference I could hear came from Rap and Trance/Dance oriented tracks, as well as those that relied on prolonged loud low frequencies. The bass was extremely tight and organic; there are periods where depending on where you sit, the pressure in your ear changes. It is truly life altering bass! There was also no indication that the R-115SW struggled in any form, such as buzzing or weakness in the sound. Switching to rock music, I could definitely tell it was still enhancing the sound; there was a certain enhancement effect that once you flipped the subwoofer off, you immediately noticed something was missing. To me, that was definitely a highlight of the experience. For more ambient or instrumental tracks, where bass beats are delegated to a couple of seconds as opposed to a consistent prolonged nature, the R-115SW did a fabulous job, with a strong "oomph" and then it would ease up until the next subsequent beat. Furthermore, when the R-115SW was in between beats, I could still feel vibrations once I placed my hands on either side. The low frequency reproduction is absolutely ridiculous! The bass was an absolute revelation to experience and I have no doubt everyone will be extremely pleased with its performance.
As for movies, I decided to fire up some of my favorite action sequences and instantly the R-115SW let you know it was there. In The Patriot (2000), the battle sequences were especially powerful when the you would hear the drums of soldiers as they approached. You would feel the R-115SW thump to the beats as the impending battle begin; once the cannon was lit, my whole room went with it! It was the best bass that I have personally heard. It was loud and exciting, and yet at the same time I was afraid neighbors would hear it! In addition to the battle sequences, the R115SW also enhanced some of the ambient bass sounds that I did not notice before; in particular, in the woods you will notice several rumbles that were not tied to any explosion or musket shot. It really felt like a brand new movie! Moving on, I also listened to Gladiator (2000), and the results were just as expected. The opening battle sequences were immensely loud; bass would rumble and shake as the impending battle grew. The R-115SW instantly picked up on the horse gallops and shook the room accordingly. In the arena, the subwoofer flexed its muscles as the chariots rumbled and roared on screen. Much like the previous movie, I heard quite a few instances where there would be loud periods of ambient bass that I never knew existed. Overall, I believe the R-115SW might be the last subwoofer you ever need. Thus, most should be extremely happy with the results.
As for movies, I decided to fire up some of my favorite action sequences and instantly the R-115SW let you know it was there. In The Patriot (2000), the battle sequences were especially powerful when the you would hear the drums of soldiers as they approached. You would feel the R-115SW thump to the beats as the impending battle begin; once the cannon was lit, my whole room went with it! It was the best bass that I have personally heard. It was loud and exciting, and yet at the same time I was afraid neighbors would hear it! In addition to the battle sequences, the R115SW also enhanced some of the ambient bass sounds that I did not notice before; in particular, in the woods you will notice several rumbles that were not tied to any explosion or musket shot. It really felt like a brand new movie! Moving on, I also listened to Gladiator (2000), and the results were just as expected. The opening battle sequences were immensely loud; bass would rumble and shake as the impending battle grew. The R-115SW instantly picked up on the horse gallops and shook the room accordingly. In the arena, the subwoofer flexed its muscles as the chariots rumbled and roared on screen. Much like the previous movie, I heard quite a few instances where there would be loud periods of ambient bass that I never knew existed. Overall, I believe the R-115SW might be the last subwoofer you ever need. Thus, most should be extremely happy with the results.
In conclusion, the R-115SW represents the highest tier of Klipsch subwoofers designed for those who desire nothing but the best. However, it comes at a price that most would find difficult to part with. Nonetheless, the R-115SW was built to last, showcasing top notch craftsmanship and design. Physically, it is large and obtrusive in weight, yet earth shattering in all its glory! Music and movies scream and roar like they never did before, adding new life and dimension to all of your favorites. Bass was crisp, smooth, and natural and never once did it seem stressed. In the end, the R-115SW is an exceptional subwoofer, one that will provide that missing component to any audiophile's home theater. This beast cannot be tamed, should you decide on one! The R-115SW comes highly recommended.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+6points
9of 12voted this as helpful.
Feel incredible movie sound effects with this Klipsch Reference Premiere tower speaker. Dual 8-inch Cerametallic cone woofers and a 1-inch Tractrix horn-loaded titanium tweeter provide a frequency range of 32hz - 25kHz for realistic sound reproduction. Reconfigure your home theater audio via a bi-amping or bi-wiring arrangement with this 150W Klipsch Reference Premiere tower speaker.
Customer Rating
5
Superior Klipsch Sound
on October 29, 2018
Posted by: Dragonhunter281
The Kilpsch RP-8000 floor standing speakers is next entry in the highly praised reference premier line of audiophile home theater speakers, joining the current, and perhaps, replacing the RP-280 model. With an all new tweeter design, the RP-8000 is no doubt poised to target those who do not want to compromise sound quality and demand nothing but the best. I can safely say the RP-8000 exceeds expectations with flying colors. As such, because our perceptions of sound differ, as well as other variables such as equipment settings and room acoustics, I could not wait to test the RP-8000 thoroughly with different playback scenarios!
Upon inspection of the RP-8000 speakers, I was pleased to note that they were packaged extremely well. The speaker was completely enclosed with a soft cloth cover, with a second set of plastic on top of that. Additionally, the RP-8000 is supported by three Styrofoam blocks. I would also strongly suggest you have another person help you remove the speaker from the box, as the large box was rather awkward for one person. I found it easiest to lay it down and have someone pull box away from you as you gently pull. Once opened, you are treated to one of the most beautiful piano black appearances you will ever see. To the touch, the speakers are extremely smooth and rounded perfectly on all sides. The gloss is just impeccable and is absolutely gorgeous. In addition, the piano black finish surprisingly did a fabulous job of concealing the fingerprints, though you will notice them up close. The included cloth easily wipes them away. Nonetheless, the speakers are absolutely stunning to see in person; no picture will be able capture the full elegance of the glossy finish. If you are on the fence on which variant to pick (Ebony, Walnut, Piano Black), I would strongly suggest the piano black variant, if of course your budget allows for the extra cost. Physically, the speakers are quite heavy, coming in at roughly 60 pounds, but were actually pretty easy to maneuver. Additionally, at 43 inches, depending the size of your TV and your entertainment furniture, they might come close to being flush with the top of the TV. On the back of the speakers, the RP-8000 are Bi-Amp ready with two pairs of speaker terminals (one set each for low and high frequency respectively). Lastly, the protective grill magnetically sticks to the front of the speaker. Overall, the RP-8000 are sure to impress and were fairly easy to setup!
For testing purposes, I used a Pioneer Elite VSX-LX303 receiver to power the speakers, tied together using Audioquest 14 AWG X2 speaker wire that was manually cut from a 100ft spool. The VSX-LX303 receiver was also plugged up to the wall using an Audioquest NRG-Y3 AC cable. Additionally, I did not Bi-Amp the speakers and only used one set of terminals (bottom set). For playback of movies and music, I used my Sony Ultra Bluray UBP-X800 player. For my first test, I listened thoroughly to my collection of lossless music in a 2.0 channel configuration, as I wanted to specifically focus solely on the audio capabilities of the RP-8000. The LX303 receiver was set to Pure Direct mode, which disabled any additional processing so that the source passes unaltered to the speakers. Connectively, I next wanted to shift my attention to movie playback, with first testing the RP-8000 speakers by themselves (2.0) and then subsequently move to a standard home theater test using a standard 5.1 setup.
Upon inspection of the RP-8000 speakers, I was pleased to note that they were packaged extremely well. The speaker was completely enclosed with a soft cloth cover, with a second set of plastic on top of that. Additionally, the RP-8000 is supported by three Styrofoam blocks. I would also strongly suggest you have another person help you remove the speaker from the box, as the large box was rather awkward for one person. I found it easiest to lay it down and have someone pull box away from you as you gently pull. Once opened, you are treated to one of the most beautiful piano black appearances you will ever see. To the touch, the speakers are extremely smooth and rounded perfectly on all sides. The gloss is just impeccable and is absolutely gorgeous. In addition, the piano black finish surprisingly did a fabulous job of concealing the fingerprints, though you will notice them up close. The included cloth easily wipes them away. Nonetheless, the speakers are absolutely stunning to see in person; no picture will be able capture the full elegance of the glossy finish. If you are on the fence on which variant to pick (Ebony, Walnut, Piano Black), I would strongly suggest the piano black variant, if of course your budget allows for the extra cost. Physically, the speakers are quite heavy, coming in at roughly 60 pounds, but were actually pretty easy to maneuver. Additionally, at 43 inches, depending the size of your TV and your entertainment furniture, they might come close to being flush with the top of the TV. On the back of the speakers, the RP-8000 are Bi-Amp ready with two pairs of speaker terminals (one set each for low and high frequency respectively). Lastly, the protective grill magnetically sticks to the front of the speaker. Overall, the RP-8000 are sure to impress and were fairly easy to setup!
For testing purposes, I used a Pioneer Elite VSX-LX303 receiver to power the speakers, tied together using Audioquest 14 AWG X2 speaker wire that was manually cut from a 100ft spool. The VSX-LX303 receiver was also plugged up to the wall using an Audioquest NRG-Y3 AC cable. Additionally, I did not Bi-Amp the speakers and only used one set of terminals (bottom set). For playback of movies and music, I used my Sony Ultra Bluray UBP-X800 player. For my first test, I listened thoroughly to my collection of lossless music in a 2.0 channel configuration, as I wanted to specifically focus solely on the audio capabilities of the RP-8000. The LX303 receiver was set to Pure Direct mode, which disabled any additional processing so that the source passes unaltered to the speakers. Connectively, I next wanted to shift my attention to movie playback, with first testing the RP-8000 speakers by themselves (2.0) and then subsequently move to a standard home theater test using a standard 5.1 setup.
During music playback, the first genre I ran through was some of my favorite classical pieces. I played through a high resolution copy Schumann's String Quartet (192 KHz/24 Bit/2 Channel PCM) that was encoded on a Bluray audio disc. The first thing I noticed was the instrument separation of the quartet was extremely prevalent, with high and middles frequencies extremely clear and pronounced. There was an intimate warmness to the sound that just grabs you! An almost surreal moment was that I could easily isolate each performer during the performance, yet still be able to experience the whole encompassing soundstage. It is definitely one of those moments where you just smile, especially when you have the lack of words to describe what you are hearing. In addition, you can sometimes hear other nuisances such as the inadvertent sound of the string when pressed against the wooden fingerboard or inhales of the performers. I was actually able to keep the receiver at roughly -50db in volume (LX-303 decreases and increases in -0.5 dB increments) and I did not feel the need to turn it up! For rock and metal genres, the RP-8000 actually did an amazing job! The sound quite vibrant. In addition, I did not notice any muddiness or hollowness that I sometimes hear when rock music is crushed during the mastering process. Symbols and drums were clear and punctual as well as the guitars. The middle and higher frequencies seemingly breathed as much as it could, despite the over use of compression that plagues modern rock music. It was refreshing, nonetheless, that the RP-8000 handled rock and metal as well as it did. For more bass orientated tracks, such as Rap and Trance music, the RP-8000 did an amazing job with the lower frequencies. It was punchy and clear, and yet it did not struggle to reproduce a low sound. In addition, where rumbling would occur had a subwoofer been present, the RP-8000 did an exceptional job of clear distinguishing the drops in low frequencies. With 32 Hz on the low end of its frequency response, this was pretty amazing and even more so given a two channel configuration! Granted, keep in mind the RP-8000 can only do so much until you add a subwoofer to handoff what it cannot reproduce. On more Hip-Hop instrumental tracks, and especially those with some Jazz influence, the lows, middles, and highs were all distinctly heard similar to my classical music. Switching to World genres and movie soundtracks, again the RP-8000 demonstrated extremely clear and punctual highs and middles. The lower frequencies were handled quite well once again. Over the course of several listening sessions that lasted several hours, spread out over multiple days, the RP-8000 continued to dazzle with amazing sound. The warmth and clarity was a real treat to hear!
With exceptional music playback performance, I next want to focus my attention to movie playback. As with music, I set the receiver to Pure Direct mode. During my 2.0 channel test, the RP-8000 was able to maintain extremely clear dialogue, while simultaneously providing nice depth to action sequences. In the opening battle sequence of Gladiator (DTS-MA 48 KHz/24 Bit/5.1 source), I could easily hear battle dialogue as well as the background soundtrack. The soundstage was full and breathed new life into the movie; keeping the volume at a constant -40.0 dB, it was loud enough to completely fill downstairs. Furthermore, subtle sounds in the background, such as weapon clings and horse cries, were heard as well. In dialogue heavy scenes, the RP-8000 did an exceptional job with maintaining crystal clear dialogue, almost as if I had a center channel installed. Moving on, I switched to The Patriot to see how the RP-8000 would handle an uncompressed PCM track (48 KHz/16 Bit/5.1 source). It sure did not disappoint! I noted similar results as I had in Gladiator during battle sequences; drums of each army as they are lining in formation were crisp and sharp as well as the musket fire. The soundtrack, once again, was clear and vibrant. Switching to a full 5.1 setup, for both movies, the RP-8000 switched to more of an accompanying role with the dialog now pushed to the center speaker. The soundtracks of both movies still maintain excellent clarity. During the battle scenes, the center channel and the RP-8000 simultaneously worked back and forth off of each other fairly well. Once someone would finish talking, the RP-8000, while still playing the soundtrack in the background, would pick up the complimentary sound in the action scene. As soon as you heard musket fire on the RP-8000, it was followed immediately by rumbling of the handed off lows of the subwoofer. Additionally, debris and off side battles between movie extras were heard in the two surround speakers. The sound completely bewildered me, completely engulfing the room as well as downstairs. In Gladiator, the RP-8000 once again dazzled with sharp high frequencies of sword blows and ambient battle sounds. Suffice to say, with the RP-8000, all you can do is grin with excitement. Overall, I think most will be completely blown away by the sound.
In conclusion, the RP-8000 is an exceptional piece for any audiophile's home theater system or as an upgrade to existing system. Physically, the built quality was top notch and the quality is just staggering. Furthermore, the reflective glossy black piano finish absolutely blew me away. Detail is exquisite with smooth rounded corners to provide a seamless and detailed transition on either side of the speaker. Performance wise, the RP-8000 handled my vast music collection with ease and I was able to enjoy a wide variety of genres. For me personally, the soundstage and overall clarity on the RP-8000 is best that I have personally heard from a speaker. Additionally, movies performed similarly, providing rich detail and an incredible soundstage that you have to hear to believe. In the end, for those who demand an exceptional audio experience, the RP-8000 might be the solution, provided of course that price is not of concern. With that said, the RP-8000 comes highly recommended.
In conclusion, the RP-8000 is an exceptional piece for any audiophile's home theater system or as an upgrade to existing system. Physically, the built quality was top notch and the quality is just staggering. Furthermore, the reflective glossy black piano finish absolutely blew me away. Detail is exquisite with smooth rounded corners to provide a seamless and detailed transition on either side of the speaker. Performance wise, the RP-8000 handled my vast music collection with ease and I was able to enjoy a wide variety of genres. For me personally, the soundstage and overall clarity on the RP-8000 is best that I have personally heard from a speaker. Additionally, movies performed similarly, providing rich detail and an incredible soundstage that you have to hear to believe. In the end, for those who demand an exceptional audio experience, the RP-8000 might be the solution, provided of course that price is not of concern. With that said, the RP-8000 comes highly recommended.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+30points
43of 56voted this as helpful.
Enjoy an authentic sound with these Sony 1AM2 headphones. Their 40mm HD drivers provide clear, precise sound across all frequencies, and their separate left and right channels reduce crosstalk for balanced audio. These Sony 1AM2 headphones are lightweight, with pressure-relieving cushioned earpads for comfortable all-day wear.
Customer Rating
5
Sony Hi-Res!!!
on June 2, 2018
Posted by: Dragonhunter281
The Sony 1AM2 headphones are an exciting entry in Sony's long dedication to high resolution audio, catering to those of us who prefer music quality over lacking convenience. Thus, the 1AM2 is uniquely positioned to satisfy the needs of audiophiles, yet without the typical excruciating price tag. Despite some initial reserves that I had, I can affirm that the 1AM2 performs exceptionally well and should be considered for your next headphone purchase.
Perhaps the most immediate reaction upon opening the box was that the 1AM2 is extremely compact and considerably smaller than I was expecting, despite its rather large box and misleading stock images. Physically, they are roughly the same size as Sony's WH-CH700N as opposed to some of the larger noise cancelling headphones. They are also extremely lightweight, which helped facilitate comfort considerably during extensive listening sessions. Nonetheless, if you are expecting large or bulky headphones, you will not find that here, quite the contrary actually. For me personally, however, I was extremely impressed with how comfortable they were. Construction wise, the 1AM2 felt strong and sturdy. The headphone adjustment is extremely responsive and the frame that it retracts over is perhaps the strongest that I have felt on any pair of headphones. It did not bend at all. Towards the top of the headphones, the frame gets thinner as it is replaced by a large amount of cushioning on the inner portion. Simply put, it feels amazing and of high quality. The external side of the ear cups are smooth and have a nice texture to it. On the inside, the synthetic leather cups almost feel foam like to the touch and are extremely soft. In addition, on either side of the headphones, the cups are able to swivel so they can be positioned flat. Lastly, the 1AM2 comes with a standard headphone cable with remote and microphone. The cables also felt slightly thicker than standard cables, yet seem of high quality. In addition to the standard 3.5mm, It also comes with the larger balanced cable that will work with any compatible device or with digital Walkman players. It also comes with a nice carrying case. Overall, I have no complaints with the 1AM2.
With any choice of headphones, sound quality often takes precedent when choosing which particular model to buy. I am confident that most will be extremely pleased with the sound quality of the 1AM2. As a music enthusiast of various genres, I was quite excited to hear how the 1AM2 sounded. For my sound test, all the music that I used came from my personal physical collection. All files that I listened to were encoded to FLAC, and were additionally scanned with a spectrogram and frequency analysis to verify that they are indeed of proper lossless quality. While not the best of playback equipment, I used my Sony Xperia Z3+ as well as directly plugging the headphones into my computer's Soundblaster ZXr. For software, I used MusicBee 2.4 with player output set to WASAPI. Overall, I think most will be extremely satisfied with the sound quality. Immediately, I was pleasantly surprised that on my phone I did not have to turn it up near full volume, especially on highly dynamic rock music. The clarity was strong as I was able to clearly hear the middles and highs. The sound presence was fleshed out towards me as opposed to sounding thin or further back in the headphones. In addition, the 1AM2 even did an exceptional job on severely dynamically compressed rock songs. The music was not as muddy or drowned out as you would typically expect. The clarity was definitely staggering! Furthermore, I swapped to my WH-CH700N that I mentioned earlier and you can definitely tell a difference between the two. On the same volume level, the 1AM2 are definitely louder. Vocals were especially crisp and were noticeably stronger in sound clarity. Comparatively, on the WH-CH700N, rock music was muddy and seemed to have a more hollow sound as opposed to the 1AM2. I definitely was not expecting such a drastic difference, but I clearly prefer the 1AM2. Switching genres, I also tried more bass oriented tracks such as rap and electronic music. Overall, I was pleased with the results. The bass was there and punchy, but not so much to where it rattles your ear to death. For me personally, I do not like earth shattering bass to where it starts to eat through the middle and higher frequencies. Thankfully, the 1AM2 does a fabulous job with the bass and yet still manages to maintain a sense of clarity. The separation was amazing. Thus, for those who do prefer headphones that emphasizes more bass, I caution you to keep your expectations reasonable. The 1AM2 are not DJ headphones or a subwoofer replacement! However, I believe most will be pleased with the results. In addition to rap and electronic music, I also tried classical and jazz. The 1AM2 really shines here and does an incredible job with the soundstage. Each instrument section of the orchestra was clearly heard, even during solo performances. Conclusively, I think the 1AM2 does an exceptional job across a multitude of genres, especially softer songs with their dynamics intact. The 1AM2 was clear and crisp in all the music I listened to. Moreover, on my Xperia Z3+, I did not have to vigorously max out the volume; at roughly half volume, the 1AM2 was loud and punchy. Lastly, during my listening session of five hours, I did not once experience any discomfort or pain while wearing the 1AM2, nor did I feel like I was even wearing them. They also rarely worked themselves loose even if I would try to shake them off. Personally, these are easily one of the most comfortable headphones that I have ever used. Overall, I think the 1AM2 does an exceptional job all around.
In conclusion, the 1AM2 are an excellent choice for anyone who prefers to have high quality wired headphones without the traditional high cost that inevitably accompanies such models. With its compact and lightweight design, the 1AM2 are extremely comfortable, easily allowing you hours without any discomfort. In addition, the 1AM2 provided excellent clarity and depth to all of the various genres that I listened to. Connectively, while sound quality does differ from person to person, I would strongly suggest to keep your expectations within reason. However, I feel extremely confident that as an all around high quality headphone solution, most will be pleased with the performance of the 1AM2. For the price, the 1AM2 comes highly recommended.
In conclusion, the 1AM2 are an excellent choice for anyone who prefers to have high quality wired headphones without the traditional high cost that inevitably accompanies such models. With its compact and lightweight design, the 1AM2 are extremely comfortable, easily allowing you hours without any discomfort. In addition, the 1AM2 provided excellent clarity and depth to all of the various genres that I listened to. Connectively, while sound quality does differ from person to person, I would strongly suggest to keep your expectations within reason. However, I feel extremely confident that as an all around high quality headphone solution, most will be pleased with the performance of the 1AM2. For the price, the 1AM2 comes highly recommended.
My Best Buy number: 0962567900
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+30points
30of 30voted this as helpful.
Only at Best BuyEnter the RPG arena with this Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop. It has 1TB of storage, and its NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card loads dynamic in-game visuals and Full HD movies smoothly. The quad-core Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of DDR4 RAM let this Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop perform efficiently.
Customer Rating
5
Nitro 5: Affordable Mobile Gaming!!
on May 5, 2018
Posted by: Dragonhunter281
The Acer Nitro 5, recently updated with the new i5-8300H, is an excellent gaming laptop that is competitively priced, yet does not sacrifice gaming performance. With 8 GB DDR4-2666 memory, a 1 TB hard drive, and an Nvidia Geforce GTX 1050 4 GB, it has plenty of horsepower to run all your favorite games. Furthermore, the Nitro 5 is able to pack all of this performance in an impressive sleek and stylish package that will sure to attract gamers.
Physically, the Nitro 5 screams quality. At fifteen inches, the Nitro 5 is the perfect size for gaming on the go. Dimension wise, the Nitro 5 is impressively thin at 1.05 inches and only 10.47 inches in depth. On the top of the laptop, there is a glossy brushed aluminum appearance that also encompasses the keyboard. It is enhanced further by the red backlit LED on the keyboard. Overall, the theme of the Nitro 5 looks stunning. Lastly, it shifts to a plastic finish on the sides of the laptop. Weight wise, the Nitro 5 feels considerably lighter than it looks despite Acer listing it at just under six pounds. Nonetheless, the Nitro 5 still has some weight to it but it is not excessive as with some gaming laptops. In addition to weight, you will also note the Nitro 5 has a relative large heat exhaust that is located directly underneath the display. The heat exhaust slit does not go all the way across the front, but instead stops about half way. Lastly, underneath the display, there is an engraved smooth red bar where the display pivots. Overall, it is definitely a stylish package.
For connectivity, the Nitro 5 offers plenty of options. On the right hand side, you will note two USB 2.0 ports, perfect for a gaming mouse or an external optical drive. There is also a combo 3.5mm jack that will work with either a microphone or headphones (there are two microphones built in to the top near the webcam). Connectively, on the left, there is one USB 3.0 Type- A port and one USB 3.1 Type-C (Gen 1). There is also an Ethernet RJ-45 connection and an SD card slot to fully complement your needs. Additionally, the power button for the laptop is actually a button on the keyboard as opposed to an actual button on the side. Lastly, there is one HDMI connection for an external monitor. Strangely, Acer did not include an LED for hard drive activity. Overall, the Nitro 5 has plenty of connections that should suit your needs. Naturally, I wish Acer would have somewhat remedied the 3.5mm combo jack by splitting it into two separate 3.5mm as some headsets have two analog connections. Although it isn't too much of an issue, as there are two microphones built into the Nitro 5, I cannot use my headset's microphone if I plug in the headphone portion of the 3.5mm and vice versa. Additionally, while some people may complain at the lack of the USB 3.0 Type-A ports, the good news is that with the 2.0 ports you can connect a mouse and/or use a USB gaming headset at the same time if using the integrated microphone proves to be an issue.
As configured, the Nitro 5 was one of the least cluttered laptops that I have used. The hard drive came as a single partition with approximately 30 GB used. Surprisingly, once you enter the windows environment the laptop was not starved of resources. The memory was around 20% used and the hard drive wasn't pegged by any particular executable (surprising as Norton Internet Security came bundled). However, the hard drive was fragmented pretty bad initially at 10%. Of the software that was installed, there were only four that were Acer branded installations. Lastly, Acer included Nitrosense, which allows you to control the fans for your CPU and GPU and monitor their temperatures.
For my gaming tests, I tried to keep my changes to a minimum to give you an idea on how the Nitro 5 performs directly out of the box. In particular, I defragmented the hard drive, changed the power options to high performance, prevented both the display and hard drive from going to sleep, and prevented OneDrive from starting up with Windows. Additionally, I disabled hibernation and ran all tests while connected to the wall adapter. Lastly, I did not update any drivers. For monitoring, I used HW Monitor 1.35, Core Temp 1.11, and Fraps 3.59. I set the Nitrosense fan setting to max (6000 RPM).
On Rise Of The Tomb Raider (2016), the opening sequence is an intensive test for any GPU. For my test, I set the preset to high, turned off V-Sync, and set the anti-aliasing to FXAA. I also turned off shadows, film grain, and motion blur. With these settings, the game was completely playable and looked stunning. Walking across the mountain, the frame rate varied from the low to middle 50s to upper 40s. Once the weather effects kicked in, I dropped to around 42-46 FPS. As the mountain gave way, I dropped to my lowest observed point at 41 FPS. Additionally, the frame rate quickly rebounded once you start climbing the ice. When you get it inside the cave, it increases to the low 50s. Exiting the cave, the weather effects pushed the frame rate down but it quickly rebounded once you emerge. I would like to strongly emphasize that you should tinker with all the settings as you may find certain combinations work better. Turning down some settings to medium may allow you to bump another to high, thus possibly improving your frame rate. Nonetheless, the Nitro 5 performs exceptionally. Furthermore, the GTX 1050 held consistently around 60 Celsius during the test. Switching gears, I fired up the latest Doom (2016) and wanted to test a fast paced multiplayer match. Surprisingly, Doom held a more consistent rate as oppose to Tomb Raider. I ran everything on High preset and enabled FXAA. I disabled film grain, player self shadow, and chromatic aberration. During my multiplayer match, the game play was extremely smooth. The FPS held consistently between 60-75 FPS, with the lowest dip touching 54 FPS. The in-game metric graphs displayed solid green bars and average FPS numbers were highlighted in green for majority of the match. Periodically, you will see periods where the in-game FPS counter would briefly turn yellow and red, however I did not experience any lag at all. Latency between frames remained green and I did not see anything greater than 13 milliseconds. Furthermore, disabling FXAA seemed to slightly increase the minimum FPS and seemed to steady the latency counter during intensive periods of action. Doom looked gorgeous and the Nitro 5 did not break a sweat! Conclusively, I strongly advise to keep your expectations reasonable. Do NOT expect to maximize every graphical setting for every game. You will need to experiment with different settings, but with what I have listed here, I have no doubt that most will be extremely satisfied.
In addition to gaming performance, I also wanted to test the multithread and single thread capabilities of the i5-8300H. With a listed base frequency of 2.3 GHz and a max turbo frequency of 4.0 GHz, I was extremely curious to see how it performs. For a multithreaded test, I ran a video encode of a 91 minute 1080p video file. Using Handbrake 1.1.0, I used the Fast 1080p30 preset. I changed the frame rate to match the source and I also removed chapters and subtitles. The audio was set to equal the source's DTS-MA 5.1 audio track. Once again, the fan was set to max. For comparison, I included my custom built computer's CPU. My results are as follows:
Physically, the Nitro 5 screams quality. At fifteen inches, the Nitro 5 is the perfect size for gaming on the go. Dimension wise, the Nitro 5 is impressively thin at 1.05 inches and only 10.47 inches in depth. On the top of the laptop, there is a glossy brushed aluminum appearance that also encompasses the keyboard. It is enhanced further by the red backlit LED on the keyboard. Overall, the theme of the Nitro 5 looks stunning. Lastly, it shifts to a plastic finish on the sides of the laptop. Weight wise, the Nitro 5 feels considerably lighter than it looks despite Acer listing it at just under six pounds. Nonetheless, the Nitro 5 still has some weight to it but it is not excessive as with some gaming laptops. In addition to weight, you will also note the Nitro 5 has a relative large heat exhaust that is located directly underneath the display. The heat exhaust slit does not go all the way across the front, but instead stops about half way. Lastly, underneath the display, there is an engraved smooth red bar where the display pivots. Overall, it is definitely a stylish package.
For connectivity, the Nitro 5 offers plenty of options. On the right hand side, you will note two USB 2.0 ports, perfect for a gaming mouse or an external optical drive. There is also a combo 3.5mm jack that will work with either a microphone or headphones (there are two microphones built in to the top near the webcam). Connectively, on the left, there is one USB 3.0 Type- A port and one USB 3.1 Type-C (Gen 1). There is also an Ethernet RJ-45 connection and an SD card slot to fully complement your needs. Additionally, the power button for the laptop is actually a button on the keyboard as opposed to an actual button on the side. Lastly, there is one HDMI connection for an external monitor. Strangely, Acer did not include an LED for hard drive activity. Overall, the Nitro 5 has plenty of connections that should suit your needs. Naturally, I wish Acer would have somewhat remedied the 3.5mm combo jack by splitting it into two separate 3.5mm as some headsets have two analog connections. Although it isn't too much of an issue, as there are two microphones built into the Nitro 5, I cannot use my headset's microphone if I plug in the headphone portion of the 3.5mm and vice versa. Additionally, while some people may complain at the lack of the USB 3.0 Type-A ports, the good news is that with the 2.0 ports you can connect a mouse and/or use a USB gaming headset at the same time if using the integrated microphone proves to be an issue.
As configured, the Nitro 5 was one of the least cluttered laptops that I have used. The hard drive came as a single partition with approximately 30 GB used. Surprisingly, once you enter the windows environment the laptop was not starved of resources. The memory was around 20% used and the hard drive wasn't pegged by any particular executable (surprising as Norton Internet Security came bundled). However, the hard drive was fragmented pretty bad initially at 10%. Of the software that was installed, there were only four that were Acer branded installations. Lastly, Acer included Nitrosense, which allows you to control the fans for your CPU and GPU and monitor their temperatures.
For my gaming tests, I tried to keep my changes to a minimum to give you an idea on how the Nitro 5 performs directly out of the box. In particular, I defragmented the hard drive, changed the power options to high performance, prevented both the display and hard drive from going to sleep, and prevented OneDrive from starting up with Windows. Additionally, I disabled hibernation and ran all tests while connected to the wall adapter. Lastly, I did not update any drivers. For monitoring, I used HW Monitor 1.35, Core Temp 1.11, and Fraps 3.59. I set the Nitrosense fan setting to max (6000 RPM).
On Rise Of The Tomb Raider (2016), the opening sequence is an intensive test for any GPU. For my test, I set the preset to high, turned off V-Sync, and set the anti-aliasing to FXAA. I also turned off shadows, film grain, and motion blur. With these settings, the game was completely playable and looked stunning. Walking across the mountain, the frame rate varied from the low to middle 50s to upper 40s. Once the weather effects kicked in, I dropped to around 42-46 FPS. As the mountain gave way, I dropped to my lowest observed point at 41 FPS. Additionally, the frame rate quickly rebounded once you start climbing the ice. When you get it inside the cave, it increases to the low 50s. Exiting the cave, the weather effects pushed the frame rate down but it quickly rebounded once you emerge. I would like to strongly emphasize that you should tinker with all the settings as you may find certain combinations work better. Turning down some settings to medium may allow you to bump another to high, thus possibly improving your frame rate. Nonetheless, the Nitro 5 performs exceptionally. Furthermore, the GTX 1050 held consistently around 60 Celsius during the test. Switching gears, I fired up the latest Doom (2016) and wanted to test a fast paced multiplayer match. Surprisingly, Doom held a more consistent rate as oppose to Tomb Raider. I ran everything on High preset and enabled FXAA. I disabled film grain, player self shadow, and chromatic aberration. During my multiplayer match, the game play was extremely smooth. The FPS held consistently between 60-75 FPS, with the lowest dip touching 54 FPS. The in-game metric graphs displayed solid green bars and average FPS numbers were highlighted in green for majority of the match. Periodically, you will see periods where the in-game FPS counter would briefly turn yellow and red, however I did not experience any lag at all. Latency between frames remained green and I did not see anything greater than 13 milliseconds. Furthermore, disabling FXAA seemed to slightly increase the minimum FPS and seemed to steady the latency counter during intensive periods of action. Doom looked gorgeous and the Nitro 5 did not break a sweat! Conclusively, I strongly advise to keep your expectations reasonable. Do NOT expect to maximize every graphical setting for every game. You will need to experiment with different settings, but with what I have listed here, I have no doubt that most will be extremely satisfied.
In addition to gaming performance, I also wanted to test the multithread and single thread capabilities of the i5-8300H. With a listed base frequency of 2.3 GHz and a max turbo frequency of 4.0 GHz, I was extremely curious to see how it performs. For a multithreaded test, I ran a video encode of a 91 minute 1080p video file. Using Handbrake 1.1.0, I used the Fast 1080p30 preset. I changed the frame rate to match the source and I also removed chapters and subtitles. The audio was set to equal the source's DTS-MA 5.1 audio track. Once again, the fan was set to max. For comparison, I included my custom built computer's CPU. My results are as follows:
i5-8300H: 1 Hour 2 Minutes & 1 Second (35.5 FPS)
i7- 3770K: 1 Hour 7 Minutes & 43 seconds (32.5 FPS)
Impressive! The Nitro 5 not only managed to beat my desktop, but was also within a respectable temperature range. During the encode, I noted the CPU package held fairly constant around 68 Celsius, though each of the cores did vary slightly. The cores would range anywhere from 55-69 Celsius, where Core #0 and #3 registered slightly cooler. For most of the encode, the i5-8300H was held under 70 Celsius, though a few cores did touch it briefly. HW Monitor and Core Temp reported the power consumption around 45 watts. With all four cores on full load, the i5-8300H's 4 core turbo frequency varied between 3.2-3.4 GHz. Simultaneously, my i7-3770K ran its encode at 3.9 GHz, but still lost to the slower the i5-8300H.
For a single threaded test, I used MusicBee 2.4 to convert a 24 minute WAV file to MP3 using the Lame 3.99 encoder. I set the encoder to use a constant bit rate of 320 Kbps and the internal algorithm was set to 0 for high quality (-q command). Lastly, MusicBee's maximum number of threads for encoding was set to 1. I ran three instances on each CPU and added the i5-7500 desktop CPU to the mix:
i5-8300H: 1 Minute 36 Seconds/1 Minute 36 Seconds/1 Minute 36 Seconds
For a single threaded test, I used MusicBee 2.4 to convert a 24 minute WAV file to MP3 using the Lame 3.99 encoder. I set the encoder to use a constant bit rate of 320 Kbps and the internal algorithm was set to 0 for high quality (-q command). Lastly, MusicBee's maximum number of threads for encoding was set to 1. I ran three instances on each CPU and added the i5-7500 desktop CPU to the mix:
i5-8300H: 1 Minute 36 Seconds/1 Minute 36 Seconds/1 Minute 36 Seconds
I5-7500: 1 Minute 49 Seconds/1 Minute 47 Seconds/1 Minute 47 Seconds
i7-3770K: 2 Minutes 6 Seconds/2 Minutes 6 Seconds/2 Minutes 6 Seconds
With the i5-8300H able to reach its maximum turbo frequency of 4.0 GHz, it is clear to see why it was able to edge out even the i5-7500. Additionally, my i7-3770K is starting to show its age, though is still respectable considering it is nearly six years old. The i5-8300H is definitely a workhorse! Concluding my benchmarks, I would like to include my results for 3D Mark Skydive benchmark using the basic version of 3D Mark. The results are as follows:
i5-8300H/GTX 1050 - Overall: 17,880/Graphics: 20,391 (93.04 FPS/93.19 FPS)/Physics: 10,502
In conclusion, the Nitro 5 is a stylish combination of stellar performance and mobility. Furthermore, the Nitro 5 takes mobile gaming even further beyond expectations. The Nitro 5 dazzled with consistent temperatures, a clean Windows installation, a solid and sleek design, and a strong and efficient debut for the Coffee Lake i5-8300H. In addition, the GTX 1050 provided enough performance that should allow you to play games with a combination of medium and high settings. With an extremely competitive price, the Nitro 5 comes highly recommended!
My Best Buy number: 0962567900
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+174points
195of 216voted this as helpful.
Take gaming to the next level with this stunning CORSAIR keyboard. The RGB back-lighting allows for virtually unlimited customization, and the CHERRY MX key switches lets you play outdoors or indoors thanks to the IP32 water and dust resistance. This CORSAIR keyboard has program macro keys and multimedia controls to keep you in the game.
Customer Rating
5
Precise Corsair Quality!!!!
on April 22, 2018
Posted by: Dragonhunter281
The Corsair K68 RGB keyboard is another fabulous entry in Corsair's line of quality PC gaming accessories. While sporting somewhat of a smaller footprint than other gaming keyboards, the K68 offers razor sharp performance with extensive customization options using Corsair's Utility Engine software (CUE). Connectively, I was excited to test the K68's capabilities to the fullest including how it performs in games as well as how it compares to my Razor Chroma and the Alienware AW-768.
Once opened, the K68 screamed quality and had a sturdy feel to it nor did it feel cheap. Appearance wise, the K68 is quite compact and appealing. It has a slick and simplistic look that matches my other Corsair accessories. Additionally, I think the K68 would even appeal to non-gamers as the customizable RGB is a real treat to behold once it is seen in person! Towards the top of the keyboard, there is a toggle for the RGB brightness as well as Windows button lock. You can also disable the lights completely by pressing the brightness button four times (assuming default rainbow spiral effect; other patterns differ). Physically, the K68 is not as bulky as I was expecting, and is shorter in length than both my Razor and Alienware AW-768. As for the weight, the K68 was the lightest of the three that I have used, but it is still fairly heavy. The Razor was definitely the heaviest of the bunch. As for key strokes, I was pleasantly surprised with the response of the keys, as well as their smooth texture. Pressing them felt really good and precise. Additionally, while typing, the keys were not overly loud like some gaming keyboards. The keys on my Alienware AW-768 sounded a bit more spring-like than the K68, which seemed to have a more duller sound. I think most people will be fairly happy here. In addition to the key response, one of my other favorite features of the K68 was that the multimedia controls were located above the number pad. Thus, you do not have to press and hold a function key to pause or change your music as found typically on some keyboards. Furthermore, while my music was set to max volume, I was able to quickly decrease the volume by holding the button down. The response was lighting quick. In addition to the button response, one last thing I did notice on the K68 was that the feet are a bit short compared to my other keyboards. As such, the keyboard raised is not as angled towards you as you might be accustomed to and appears somewhat flat. Thus, the K68 will require some adjustment, especially if your current keyboard has larger feet like mine did. However, the K68 does include an armrest that may facilitate the adjustment period. Overall, I think most will be pleased with the K68.
As for the Corsair software, I will not go into extensive detail of all the features as it is pretty extensive, however, I would like to mention a few of the basics. Once installed, at the top of the window, you will note all your Corsair attached accessories along with their respective options. Additionally, I was able to connect my Corsair ST100 Headphone Stand and my Corsair Polaris MM800 mouse pad to go along with the K68. Once you select the K68, you will note the lighting effects tab on the left that includes all of the preset RGB patterns as well as the ability to create your own or modify existing ones. Furthermore, under the performance tab, you can disable certain key combinations while your win lock button is enabled such as disabling ALT+TAB or ALT+F4. Under the actions tab, this will allow you to create your own macros. Lastly, if you click on the gear symbol near the device selection, it will take you to the global settings where you can change the brightness of the RGB backlight as well as the polling rate of the K68; default was set at 1,000Hz at 1millisecond. I thought this feature was extremely useful. Overall, the software is fairly straight forward and easy to learn.
As for game performance, I wanted to see how it felt while actually playing a game. I fired up the latest Doom (2016) and ran through a few multiplayer matches. Other than getting use to the more flat nature of the K68 as mentioned previously, I did not have any complaints. My movements and melee felt extremely responsive. Barely pressing the key, perhaps maybe a quarter of an inch down, I was able to register in game movements. After playing for a couple of hours, my hands were not sore and I had adjusted quite easily with no issue. It was easily one of the most comfortable experiences I have had with keyboards. Overall, I think gamers will be excited with the in game performance.
Once opened, the K68 screamed quality and had a sturdy feel to it nor did it feel cheap. Appearance wise, the K68 is quite compact and appealing. It has a slick and simplistic look that matches my other Corsair accessories. Additionally, I think the K68 would even appeal to non-gamers as the customizable RGB is a real treat to behold once it is seen in person! Towards the top of the keyboard, there is a toggle for the RGB brightness as well as Windows button lock. You can also disable the lights completely by pressing the brightness button four times (assuming default rainbow spiral effect; other patterns differ). Physically, the K68 is not as bulky as I was expecting, and is shorter in length than both my Razor and Alienware AW-768. As for the weight, the K68 was the lightest of the three that I have used, but it is still fairly heavy. The Razor was definitely the heaviest of the bunch. As for key strokes, I was pleasantly surprised with the response of the keys, as well as their smooth texture. Pressing them felt really good and precise. Additionally, while typing, the keys were not overly loud like some gaming keyboards. The keys on my Alienware AW-768 sounded a bit more spring-like than the K68, which seemed to have a more duller sound. I think most people will be fairly happy here. In addition to the key response, one of my other favorite features of the K68 was that the multimedia controls were located above the number pad. Thus, you do not have to press and hold a function key to pause or change your music as found typically on some keyboards. Furthermore, while my music was set to max volume, I was able to quickly decrease the volume by holding the button down. The response was lighting quick. In addition to the button response, one last thing I did notice on the K68 was that the feet are a bit short compared to my other keyboards. As such, the keyboard raised is not as angled towards you as you might be accustomed to and appears somewhat flat. Thus, the K68 will require some adjustment, especially if your current keyboard has larger feet like mine did. However, the K68 does include an armrest that may facilitate the adjustment period. Overall, I think most will be pleased with the K68.
As for the Corsair software, I will not go into extensive detail of all the features as it is pretty extensive, however, I would like to mention a few of the basics. Once installed, at the top of the window, you will note all your Corsair attached accessories along with their respective options. Additionally, I was able to connect my Corsair ST100 Headphone Stand and my Corsair Polaris MM800 mouse pad to go along with the K68. Once you select the K68, you will note the lighting effects tab on the left that includes all of the preset RGB patterns as well as the ability to create your own or modify existing ones. Furthermore, under the performance tab, you can disable certain key combinations while your win lock button is enabled such as disabling ALT+TAB or ALT+F4. Under the actions tab, this will allow you to create your own macros. Lastly, if you click on the gear symbol near the device selection, it will take you to the global settings where you can change the brightness of the RGB backlight as well as the polling rate of the K68; default was set at 1,000Hz at 1millisecond. I thought this feature was extremely useful. Overall, the software is fairly straight forward and easy to learn.
As for game performance, I wanted to see how it felt while actually playing a game. I fired up the latest Doom (2016) and ran through a few multiplayer matches. Other than getting use to the more flat nature of the K68 as mentioned previously, I did not have any complaints. My movements and melee felt extremely responsive. Barely pressing the key, perhaps maybe a quarter of an inch down, I was able to register in game movements. After playing for a couple of hours, my hands were not sore and I had adjusted quite easily with no issue. It was easily one of the most comfortable experiences I have had with keyboards. Overall, I think gamers will be excited with the in game performance.
In conclusion, the K68 represents another quality product that you have come expect from Corsair. As someone who has used both their computer accessories and hardware, I have no doubt that the K68 will perform exactly as gamers demand, all the while adding a bit of flair to your gaming setup. In addition, the K68 was compact, precise and easy to setup and is atheistically pleasing to look at. Furthermore, I was able to customize the RGB lighting using the Corsair software and hop into a game with little effort. Key strokes while playing games was extremely responsive. Despite the minor adjustment to the flatter orientation of the K68, I had a fairly comfortable experience all around. Conclusively, the K68 clocks in at a reasonable price point and offers stellar performance as well as an impressive and extensive list of RGB customizations. In addition, the Corsair software was fairly easy to use. I am confident that gamers will enjoy the K68 and have no doubt that it will perform to expectations. Highly recommended!
My Best Buy number: 0962567900
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+10points
15of 20voted this as helpful.
Add music to your day with these Sony wireless headphones. Their noise cancelling technology uses artificial intelligence to adapt to your environment and reduce background sounds for enjoyable listening. The Quick Charging battery on these over-ear Sony wireless headphones provides up to 35 hours of playback for convenience.
Customer Rating
5
Sony Comfort and Quality!!!
on March 28, 2018
Posted by: Dragonhunter281
The Sony WH-CH700N is an exceptional entry to the already established line of quality Sony headphones that provides both an excellent listening experience as well as being an affordable wireless and wired option. At its price point, it offers competitive sound quality, noise cancelling, voice control as well as hands free calling. It also supports several codecs for wireless operation including SBC, AAC, APTX and APTX HD. Furthermore, the WH-CH700N is extremely compact and lightweight, making them a perfect choice for traveling and prolonged use. Completing the feature rich packaging, the WH-CH700N also includes a micro USB cable for charging as well as a 3.5mm cable for wired operation.
Opening the box for the first time, I was surprised to see how small and compact they were. Stored with the cups facing flat down, the left and right sides are able to partially swivel (roughly a little more than 90 degrees). Initially, I thought this might be bothersome but it is actually quite helpful as it allows you to position them accordingly to maximize comfort. Connectively, the cups can be slightly adjusted upwards or inwards towards your ears. As someone who listens to music on a regular basis, these are extremely comfortable and I was able to easily listen for a few hours without any discomfort. In addition, they fit relatively secure and did not fall off nor was I able work them loose. This was impressive as it is quite rare to find something comfortable yet snug so they will not fall off. As for the construction, the external portion of the headphone cups are plastic, though it felt solid and sturdy, but it did not feel cheap. Additionally, the black model has a slight granite appearance on the outside of the cups that enhances the aesthetic. The internal leather cups were soft and durable and provided quite a bit of cushion, including the top inside of the headphones. The adjustable band on both the left and right side was seemingly sturdy and with some force, I still could not bend the frame. At the top of the headband, however, there was some slight weakness, but overall the construction was solid. As for the operation controls, you will note familiar territory. On the bottom left cup resides the power button, the micro USB port for charging, the headphone jack, and lastly the noise cancellation button. Connectively, on the bottom right hand side, you will find the pause/play and track buttons as well as volume control for Bluetooth only (wired mode requires you to control volume on the specific device you use). Paring the headphones was quite simple and both my Xperia Z3+ and my Xperia Z4 tablet connected without any issue.
As somewhat of a music enthusiast, I listen to a wide variety of music genres including Classical, World, Metal, Rock, Rap, Jazz, Latin, R&B, Trance, so naturally I was quite excited to test the WH-CH700N and see how it performs across multiple genres. All my files that I played are lossless FLAC files that I have made from my personal collection. They all have been aggressively analyzed with various audio software and spectrograms to verify that they are indeed in proper quality. Lastly, all sound altering settings were turned off and I tested both wired and wireless connections using my Xperia Z3+ as well as connecting it directly to my computer's SoundBlaster XZr. For software playback, I used MusicBee 2.4 using WASAPI mode for output. Overall, the WH-CH700N handed every genre relatively even, aside from perhaps some slight muddy places in some of my metal tracks. However, the longer I used them the sound seemingly improve; connectively, my ears adjusted to the sound as well. In addition, on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and Metallica's "Enter Sandman", I thought the headphones were consistent in reproducing a nice warm vocal clarity as well as instrument separation. As for more bass oriented genres such as Trance and some Rap, the bass was quite punchy and definitely rumbled more than I was expecting. On Eminem's "Stan", I was quite pleased with the bass reproduction. I do want to stress though to keep your bass expectations reasonable as this is not going to shatter windows, but nonetheless you should at least be able to feel it depending on the song. During more dynamic Hi-Res tracks (96 KHz/24 Bit), such as Sonny Rollin's "St. Thomas" or Schumann's "String Quartet In A Minor, Op 41" the middle and high sounds were clear and pronounced. I could easily make out each instrument of the quartet. The results were quite intimate. While testing in wired mode, I did notice that the headphones were able to work either with the headphones on or off. When they are on, the sound is amplified as noise cancelling headphones of what I assume is the AINC (Artificial Intelligence Noise Cancelling) feature. However, by holding down the noise cancelling button, the headphones chimed to notify it was off, but after a few seconds it would seemingly reactivate itself automatically as the music increased drastically in volume. I could not get it to stay off. This occurred on my computer as well as my phone, and it affected both wired and wireless modes. Nonetheless, it is not an issue or a complaint, as most will undoubtedly leave the AINC on, but merely an observation that one should be aware of. As for wireless operation, the sound results were excellent. For my wireless test, I left the codec to APTX to maximize the wireless transmission (despite it not being technically/mathematically full lossless) and left all sound enhancing features off. During wireless playback, I was pleasantly surprised about the volume level; at roughly half volume on my Xperia Z3+ everything was loud and clear. This is a huge plus as typically on some Bluetooth devices you usually end of having to max out the outgoing volume; definitely not the case here as I was thoroughly impressed. Musically, everything sounded clear and punchy as it had with wired mode; highs were reproduced quite well. For my personal listening experience, I usually always prefer a wired connection. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the ability to use the headphones as either wired or wireless. It is definitely a great advantage to have as you can switch back and forth depending on your needs. Overall, as far as sound goes, I am confident that almost everyone will be pleased with the results. Once again to reiterate, as a bit of caution since sound quality, generally speaking, is quite subjective from person to person, I strongly recommend to keep your expectations within reason. No complaints here.
For a noise cancelling test, I wanted to see if I could detect a difference depending on the environment. While listening indoors, the WH-CH700N did a fairly decent job of isolating out the noise from several TVs as well as conversations without even turning the noise cancelling on. Moving outside, while the wind was quite breezy, I still could not fully distinguish between toggling manual noise cancelling on or off. During a hands free call outside, my conversation was clear and I could hear the other person without any issue nor could they hear the wind. As part of a worst case scenario, while in the passenger seat of our car with the window rolled down, I again tried to see I could discern any differences between the noise cancelling but to no avail. I still heard the wind whipping around me on both settings, but it never distracted me from the music. Overall, I do not have any complaints as I thought it did a decent job, despite still hearing the wind from the car test. For most environments, they are more than adequate.
As somewhat of a music enthusiast, I listen to a wide variety of music genres including Classical, World, Metal, Rock, Rap, Jazz, Latin, R&B, Trance, so naturally I was quite excited to test the WH-CH700N and see how it performs across multiple genres. All my files that I played are lossless FLAC files that I have made from my personal collection. They all have been aggressively analyzed with various audio software and spectrograms to verify that they are indeed in proper quality. Lastly, all sound altering settings were turned off and I tested both wired and wireless connections using my Xperia Z3+ as well as connecting it directly to my computer's SoundBlaster XZr. For software playback, I used MusicBee 2.4 using WASAPI mode for output. Overall, the WH-CH700N handed every genre relatively even, aside from perhaps some slight muddy places in some of my metal tracks. However, the longer I used them the sound seemingly improve; connectively, my ears adjusted to the sound as well. In addition, on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and Metallica's "Enter Sandman", I thought the headphones were consistent in reproducing a nice warm vocal clarity as well as instrument separation. As for more bass oriented genres such as Trance and some Rap, the bass was quite punchy and definitely rumbled more than I was expecting. On Eminem's "Stan", I was quite pleased with the bass reproduction. I do want to stress though to keep your bass expectations reasonable as this is not going to shatter windows, but nonetheless you should at least be able to feel it depending on the song. During more dynamic Hi-Res tracks (96 KHz/24 Bit), such as Sonny Rollin's "St. Thomas" or Schumann's "String Quartet In A Minor, Op 41" the middle and high sounds were clear and pronounced. I could easily make out each instrument of the quartet. The results were quite intimate. While testing in wired mode, I did notice that the headphones were able to work either with the headphones on or off. When they are on, the sound is amplified as noise cancelling headphones of what I assume is the AINC (Artificial Intelligence Noise Cancelling) feature. However, by holding down the noise cancelling button, the headphones chimed to notify it was off, but after a few seconds it would seemingly reactivate itself automatically as the music increased drastically in volume. I could not get it to stay off. This occurred on my computer as well as my phone, and it affected both wired and wireless modes. Nonetheless, it is not an issue or a complaint, as most will undoubtedly leave the AINC on, but merely an observation that one should be aware of. As for wireless operation, the sound results were excellent. For my wireless test, I left the codec to APTX to maximize the wireless transmission (despite it not being technically/mathematically full lossless) and left all sound enhancing features off. During wireless playback, I was pleasantly surprised about the volume level; at roughly half volume on my Xperia Z3+ everything was loud and clear. This is a huge plus as typically on some Bluetooth devices you usually end of having to max out the outgoing volume; definitely not the case here as I was thoroughly impressed. Musically, everything sounded clear and punchy as it had with wired mode; highs were reproduced quite well. For my personal listening experience, I usually always prefer a wired connection. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the ability to use the headphones as either wired or wireless. It is definitely a great advantage to have as you can switch back and forth depending on your needs. Overall, as far as sound goes, I am confident that almost everyone will be pleased with the results. Once again to reiterate, as a bit of caution since sound quality, generally speaking, is quite subjective from person to person, I strongly recommend to keep your expectations within reason. No complaints here.
For a noise cancelling test, I wanted to see if I could detect a difference depending on the environment. While listening indoors, the WH-CH700N did a fairly decent job of isolating out the noise from several TVs as well as conversations without even turning the noise cancelling on. Moving outside, while the wind was quite breezy, I still could not fully distinguish between toggling manual noise cancelling on or off. During a hands free call outside, my conversation was clear and I could hear the other person without any issue nor could they hear the wind. As part of a worst case scenario, while in the passenger seat of our car with the window rolled down, I again tried to see I could discern any differences between the noise cancelling but to no avail. I still heard the wind whipping around me on both settings, but it never distracted me from the music. Overall, I do not have any complaints as I thought it did a decent job, despite still hearing the wind from the car test. For most environments, they are more than adequate.
Lastly, I would like to mention some features of the Sony Headphones connect application as there are several features worth noting. First and foremost, the application allows you monitor the Bluetooth battery which I found quite helpful. It also shows next to the battery symbol which current codec you are currently using. Furthermore, you can also change the codec setting by preferring quality (APTX) or prioritize the connection (SBC). Strangely, for some reason, Sony's LDAC codec is not supported on these headphones. In addition to codecs, you can change the sound altering features that I mentioned earlier such as the equalizer or the Virtualphones technology (VPT) for different effects. However, both the equalizer and VPT effects can only be used as long as the prioritize connection is selected (SBC). Lastly, the equalizer has 11 different presets including the familiar treble and bass booster or vocal and custom settings. The VPT has 4 different ones including arena, club, outdoor stage, or concert hall. You can also toggle the DSSE setting on or off, which is supposed to dynamically restore missing sound that is erased with lossy encoded music.
In conclusion, the WH-CH700N noise canceling headphones provided an excellent listening experience, enhanced by both its ability to be used either wired or wireless. While I am disappointed in Sony's decision not to include their LDAC codec, the WH-CH700N nonetheless still supports a wide range of codec choices for wireless operation. Furthermore, other features such as noise cancelling and hands free calling, in combination with its sleek and sturdy construction, solidifies its value and overall performance. At a relative reasonable price point, the sound quality was excellent and they were extremely comfortable. Given Sony's audio reputation over the decades, I have no doubt that most will be pleased with the WH-CH700N. It is definitely worth a listen. Highly Recommended.
In conclusion, the WH-CH700N noise canceling headphones provided an excellent listening experience, enhanced by both its ability to be used either wired or wireless. While I am disappointed in Sony's decision not to include their LDAC codec, the WH-CH700N nonetheless still supports a wide range of codec choices for wireless operation. Furthermore, other features such as noise cancelling and hands free calling, in combination with its sleek and sturdy construction, solidifies its value and overall performance. At a relative reasonable price point, the sound quality was excellent and they were extremely comfortable. Given Sony's audio reputation over the decades, I have no doubt that most will be pleased with the WH-CH700N. It is definitely worth a listen. Highly Recommended.
My Best Buy number: 0962567900
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+236points
319of 402voted this as helpful.
Optimize your productivity and entertainment experience with this 15.6-inch HP Envy convertible laptop. Its AMD Ryzen 5 processor and 8GB of RAM provide smooth performance, and its AMD Radeon graphics loads stunning gaming visuals. This HP Envy convertible laptop has 1TB of storage, and its Windows Ink feature lets you work with a digital pen. Learn more.
Customer Rating
5
Mobile Ryzen Flexes Efficiency and Speed!!!
on December 12, 2017
Posted by: Dragonhunter281
Coming off an immensely successful launch on the desktop, the Ryzen architecture has thoroughly dazzled with impressive multithreaded performance coupled with an affordable price tag. Having personally used the Ryzen 7 1700, I could not wait to see what Ryzen had in store for mobile devices. With the HP Envy X360, the Ryzen 5 2500U makes an impressive mobile debut, combining both efficiency and performance to power an outstanding laptop from HP. Once unboxed, the laptop itself has a gorgeous brushed finish and has a nice weight to it that added to its quality. Furthermore, it was actually a bit heavier than I expected, however, it is still the lightest laptop I have used personally. In addition, the display easily bended back without any resistance; no sound could be heard at the pivots of the display. Dimensions wise, the X360 sports a razor thin 0.8 inch frame that is sure to impress even with the laptop off. The craftsmanship is definitely top notch and atheistically it is amazingly sleek. As for connectivity, there are two USB 3.1 (Gen1) ports as well as one USB 3.1 (Gen 1) Type-C port. Additionally, there is one HDMI 2.0b, an SD slot, and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. In addition, I appreciated that they included an LED light for both the HDD activity and battery status. On the right hand side, there is a volume control button that I thought was quite handy. In addition, the included power adapter is extremely compact, especially given its square shape appearance. It definitely accompanies the sleekness of the laptop. Lastly, for upgrades as others have mentioned, there are two RAM slots that you can access as well as an M.2 slot for an SSD upgrade. However, I caution that you only attempt upgrades as long as you have the experience to do so.
For my benchmarks, I wanted to focus directly on an out of box experience. Thus, I wanted to keep any modifications of the laptop to a minimum, though I did have to make a few. I disabled all the non-Microsoft services and turned off OneDrive from starting up. I uninstalled the McAfee Internet Security (more details later), defragmented the hard drive, set the page file to its recommended size, and then cleaned the registry with CC Cleaner. Lastly, I changed the power plan to high performance and disabled all power saving features. I also changed the minimum and maximum processor state to 1% to 100% respectively. All benchmarks were executed while the laptop was connected to the power adapter. For CPU benchmarks, I used our only laptop that houses an i3-7100U as well as two of my custom built desktops that houses an older i7-3770K and lastly a more recent i5-7500. During all benchmarks, I monitored the thermals using HW Monitor.
For a multithreaded benchmark, I wanted to see how both the Ryzen 2500U and Vega 8 performed in relation to Intel's offering. Using 3D Mark, I ran the Cloud Gate Benchmark on a laptop that houses a i3-7100U as well as the HD 620 integrated graphics. In addition, I ran the same test on a desktop that houses an i5-7500 and the HD 630.
Ryzen/Vega 8 - Overall: 12,017/Graphics: 16,626 (74.08 FPS/70.58 FPS)/Physics: 6,100 (19.37 FPS)
For my benchmarks, I wanted to focus directly on an out of box experience. Thus, I wanted to keep any modifications of the laptop to a minimum, though I did have to make a few. I disabled all the non-Microsoft services and turned off OneDrive from starting up. I uninstalled the McAfee Internet Security (more details later), defragmented the hard drive, set the page file to its recommended size, and then cleaned the registry with CC Cleaner. Lastly, I changed the power plan to high performance and disabled all power saving features. I also changed the minimum and maximum processor state to 1% to 100% respectively. All benchmarks were executed while the laptop was connected to the power adapter. For CPU benchmarks, I used our only laptop that houses an i3-7100U as well as two of my custom built desktops that houses an older i7-3770K and lastly a more recent i5-7500. During all benchmarks, I monitored the thermals using HW Monitor.
For a multithreaded benchmark, I wanted to see how both the Ryzen 2500U and Vega 8 performed in relation to Intel's offering. Using 3D Mark, I ran the Cloud Gate Benchmark on a laptop that houses a i3-7100U as well as the HD 620 integrated graphics. In addition, I ran the same test on a desktop that houses an i5-7500 and the HD 630.
Ryzen/Vega 8 - Overall: 12,017/Graphics: 16,626 (74.08 FPS/70.58 FPS)/Physics: 6,100 (19.37 FPS)
i5-7500/HD 630 - Overall: 8,787/Graphics: 10,332 (46.02 FPS/43.80)/Physics: 5,780 (18.35 FPS)
i3-7100U/HD 620 - Overall: 5,681/Graphics: 8,000 (36.02 FPS/33.63 FPS)/Physics: 2,821 (8.96 FPS)
Immediately it is clear that the Ryzen 2500U and Vega 8 obliterates the competition. It performed well over expectations. The results are staggering! Temperatures hovered round 60-70 Celsius. Power consumption never exceeded 11 Watts and was well under its 15 Watt rated TDP. Comparatively, the i5-7500 consumed between 32-36 watts! Amazing! I would like affirm though that this test was specifically designed for laptops and mobile solutions. I caution that while you may be able to render some games playable on low settings, or even run older games, the Vega 8 GPU is still an integrated solution. Newer games will be difficult to run so keep your expectations reasonable. However, for what it is, the Vega 8 is a beast and really shines as an efficient mobile GPU solution.
For the second multithreaded benchmark, I decided to run an aggressive video encode using Handbrake 1.07. For my test, I encoded a 91 minute movie using the very fast 1080p preset. I set both the frame rate and audio equal to the source video. I ran the test on both our laptops.
For the second multithreaded benchmark, I decided to run an aggressive video encode using Handbrake 1.07. For my test, I encoded a 91 minute movie using the very fast 1080p preset. I set both the frame rate and audio equal to the source video. I ran the test on both our laptops.
Ryzen 2500U: 1 Hour 20 Minutes 6 Seconds (28.0 FPS)
i3: 7100U: 2 Hour 35 Minutes 0 Seconds (14.2 FPS)
As you can see, the Ryzen wins without trouble. During the test, the i3's power consumption hovered around 8 watts while the Ryzen never exceeded 11 watts. Although, while the i3 is only a dual core CPU (4 threads), it still gives you an idea where Ryzen will aggressively challenge other CPUs. It should directly challenge most of Intel's current i5 and i7 mobile offerings.
For a single threaded test, I used MusicBee 2.4 and LAME 3.99 to encode a 24 minute WAV file to MP3. The encoder was set to a constant bit rate of 320 and the internal algorithm was set to 0 for the highest quality (-q command). The test was ran three times per CPU. MusicBee's maximum encoding thread setting was set to one. In addition, I added my older i7-3770K to the test.
I5-7500: 1 Minute 49 Seconds/1 Minute 47 Seconds/1 Minute 47 Seconds
Ryzen 2500: 2 Minutes 0 Seconds/2 Minutes 1 Second/2 Minutes 0 Seconds
i7-3770K: 2 Minutes 6 Seconds/2 Minutes 6 Seconds/2 Minutes 6 Seconds
The results are quite staggering as the Ryzen 2500U managed to beat my older i7-3770K and comes relatively close to the more recent Kaby Lake i5-7500! It is completely unheard of to retain this much performance from a single mobile CPU, let alone actually beating my desktop's i7.
One of the main complaints of the X360 Envy is that HP included a 1 TB HGST 7200 RPM mechanical hard drive with the computer. However, the drive itself is not slow, but it is overworked by HP's cluttered windows installation on startup. On top of this, the hard drive is extremely fragmented (15%) right out of the box. Monitoring task manager, I noted that McAfee (ESET is a fabulous alternative) was one of a few processes that was holding the hard drive hostage at nearly 100% by reading/writing anywhere from a few hundred kilobytes up to 2- 5 megabytes. Once uninstalled, the laptop was immediately much more responsive. I even freed up about 12% of the RAM while doing so. Afterwards, you should notice a much lower and consistent drive usage. Periodically, there will be some hard usage spikes so I strongly recommend to keep an eye on task manager. To verify my results, I ran the drive using CrystalDisk Mark 6.0.
One of the main complaints of the X360 Envy is that HP included a 1 TB HGST 7200 RPM mechanical hard drive with the computer. However, the drive itself is not slow, but it is overworked by HP's cluttered windows installation on startup. On top of this, the hard drive is extremely fragmented (15%) right out of the box. Monitoring task manager, I noted that McAfee (ESET is a fabulous alternative) was one of a few processes that was holding the hard drive hostage at nearly 100% by reading/writing anywhere from a few hundred kilobytes up to 2- 5 megabytes. Once uninstalled, the laptop was immediately much more responsive. I even freed up about 12% of the RAM while doing so. Afterwards, you should notice a much lower and consistent drive usage. Periodically, there will be some hard usage spikes so I strongly recommend to keep an eye on task manager. To verify my results, I ran the drive using CrystalDisk Mark 6.0.
Sequential Read/Write - 116.8 MB/s & 109.8 MB/s
4KQ1 Read/Write - 0.385 MB/s & 0.617 MB/s
4KQ1 Read/Write - 0.385 MB/s & 0.617 MB/s
While the 4KQ1 numbers are alright for a laptop drive, it is easy to see why the drive was easily overwhelmed by the small reads and writes by the startup executables. Lastly, a quick copy test using my SanDisk Extreme Pro USB 3.0 flash drive, I was able to copy a 28.3 GB M2TS file averaging around 90-110 MB/s. Overall, I am pleased with the drive performance and its fairly quiet operation. In the future, a possible SSD upgrade is always a good option to have, but by no means is it absolutely necessary.
As for the battery, I wanted to see it how performs given a worst case scenario. I left all the power settings on high performance, along with the display brightness set to max and the keyboard backlight turned on. I started a 90 minute movie and maximized it to full screen. After 30 minutes, the battery was at 81%. At little over the hour mark, I noted that the battery was at 62%. At the end of the movie, it was at 46%. Overall, most will see a longer battery life, but this should give you an idea of the minimum battery life you should expect.
As somewhat of a music enthusiast, the sound quality of the laptop was actually quite good. I played my FLAC collection over both the speakers and headphones. Instruments and vocals are crisp and clear as well as dialogue during the videos that I watched. At 50% volume, the laptop is really loud. For once, it was quite refreshing to have laptop that does not lack in sound. Granted, I would caution to keep your sound expectations reasonable as this will not produce earth shattering bass or replace your home theater. However, for laptop sound, most should be content with the sound.
The X360 IPS display was also a pleasant surprise while I was watching videos and managing my photos. The colors are fairly vibrant and had a decent contrast to it. During web browsing sessions, I found that text was sharp and legible, even more so than previous laptops. At first, I though the whites were a little washed out but my eyes quickly adjusted. As for the touch screen, during tablet mode, I found it responsive and extremely accurate even though I did not have a stylus for it. However, I do wish that HP would have included one. I also would have liked if HP would have included some sort of cover for the keyboard so that when you flip the unit over the keys are protected while using it as a tablet. Nonetheless, I do enjoy the ability to flip it over into a tablet.
In conclusion, the X360 has almost everything going for it and at its price point, I think almost everyone will be pleased. With the Ryzen 2500U and 8 GB of RAM, it has more than enough power to chew through all your demanding computational needs all the while remaining efficient with both its usage and power consumption. The CPU is a real winner. Although somewhat held back by HP's windows installation, it is easily fixable and afterwards my experience was both fast and smooth. Additionally, the display has gorgeous contrast and text was sharp. The touch screen was both responsive and the sound was both crisp and enjoyable. Overall, its premium feel and sleek aesthetics complete this highly recommended package.
My Best Buy number: 0962567900
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+126points
142of 158voted this as helpful.
Pull out this Shark DuoClean Slim upright vacuum for jobs large and small. The included dusting brush and crevice and upholstery tools make it a powerhouse for cleaning furniture and out-of-the-way corners. This Shark DuoClean Slim upright vacuum is lightweight, making it easy to transport up flights of stairs on cleaning day.
Customer Rating
5
Exceptional Compact Vacuum Cleaner
on September 25, 2017
Posted by: Dragonhunter281
The NV201 Slim Duo vacuum cleaner offers many features at the convenience of a smaller body and manageable weight for maximum compatibility to facilitate cleaning duties. Typically, one would assume that smaller vacuum cleaners would sacrifice suction power, however, that is not the case with the Slim Duo. In fact, it felt that it had enough power to equal the suction of our larger vacuum cleaner. Once opened, the NV201 is quite impressive. Construction wise, it is quite sturdy and though lighter than our larger vacuum cleaner, it is a bit heavier than it looks. Nonetheless, it is still quite light and maneuvering the cleaner was quite easy. In the box, there are several accessories that should be familiar: a crevice tool, two dusting brushes with one larger allowing a different angle to facilitate cleaning, and lastly a wide cleaning tool.
In addition to the accessories, there are a couple features that I would like to mention. Perhaps its best feature is its ability to detach the base unit and allow you to carry while you clean. This is extremely useful when you are using the suction hose. Most vacuum cleaners force you to carry the whole unit and can be a pain when cleaning blinds for example. In addition, it cuts down on the weight that you have to carry. The next feature that is worth mentioning is the hose has a suction switch that allows you to restrict or increase the airflow. The difference on the lowest and highest setting was quite drastic. The suction is extremely powerful for such a small vacuum. Lastly, there are two different modes when you are vacuuming normally. Carpet mode, as indicated by a green LED, is the fastest mode as both rollers are used. The second setting, Hard floor mode, is used for bare floors or rugs that do not require as much power. The rollers are slower and this mode is indicated with no LED light. In addition, regardless of which mode is selected, once the vacuum cleaner is returned to its upright position, all the rollers are shut off to prevent the burning of carpet. There is also a carpet roller LED indicator on the base unit.
In our household of four cats, one would imagine we have to clean and vacuum on a regular basis. As such, it is a perfect test for the NV201 Slim Duo. Using our stairs as my first major test, I ran through each stair with the crevice tool with maximum suction. All the stairs had been cleaned previously with our larger Bissell cleaner so I was not expecting much in the dirt compartment. Ironically, I was wrong and was quite pleased that the Slim Duo picked up so much. It nearly filled about half of it with just the crevice tool along each individual stair and the baseboards. Once I finished using the hose, I went ahead and cleaned the rest normally with the carpet base rollers on. The swivel action of the vacuum cleaner is also quite handy in some places. The Slim Duo moved very well and it had a decent amount of resistance on the carpet while vacuuming. In addition, the width of the base was perfect for each stair and it covered most of it in one motion. Overall, I think most will be quite excited with the results. With its ability to clean using the hose without needing the base rollers, cleaning the staircase will not be as stressful as it had previously. In addition, I cleaned our entry way rug with the hard floor setting. As such, there was less traction as oppose with the carpet setting as I expected but it cleaned very well and lifted quite a bit of debris.
In our household of four cats, one would imagine we have to clean and vacuum on a regular basis. As such, it is a perfect test for the NV201 Slim Duo. Using our stairs as my first major test, I ran through each stair with the crevice tool with maximum suction. All the stairs had been cleaned previously with our larger Bissell cleaner so I was not expecting much in the dirt compartment. Ironically, I was wrong and was quite pleased that the Slim Duo picked up so much. It nearly filled about half of it with just the crevice tool along each individual stair and the baseboards. Once I finished using the hose, I went ahead and cleaned the rest normally with the carpet base rollers on. The swivel action of the vacuum cleaner is also quite handy in some places. The Slim Duo moved very well and it had a decent amount of resistance on the carpet while vacuuming. In addition, the width of the base was perfect for each stair and it covered most of it in one motion. Overall, I think most will be quite excited with the results. With its ability to clean using the hose without needing the base rollers, cleaning the staircase will not be as stressful as it had previously. In addition, I cleaned our entry way rug with the hard floor setting. As such, there was less traction as oppose with the carpet setting as I expected but it cleaned very well and lifted quite a bit of debris.
Lastly, I would like to list a couple of observations that I noted throughout my testing of the NV201 Slim Duo vacuum cleaner. The first thing I would like to mention is that while most vacuum cleaners allow you to store all the tools on the unit itself, the Slim Duo only allows two of them. Naturally, this is a tradeoff for its compact size so this is not too much of a hassle. Furthermore, this naturally reduces the size of the dirt compartment as the cut off line seemed a bit short but again this is not an issue as you will be have to dump its contents anyway. The last thing I would like to emphasize is that the Slim duo does not have any carpet height adjustments on the base of the unit as you would normally see on larger cleaners. It only has two cleaning modes as mentioned previously: Carpet Mode and Hard Floor. Overall, these are not complaints with the Slim Duo as it is definitely the best compact vacuum cleaner I have personally used. However, these are merely necessary observations to keep in mind when choosing a vacuum cleaner for your needs.
In conclusion, the NV201 represents the upper tier of compatibility and light weight vacuum cleaners. For what it was designed to do, it works exceptionally well. By allowing you to detach the base while using the hose, it facilitates cleaning so much so that now staircases and window blinds are no longer stressful. In addition, it provides great suction power for such a small unit and acts as a perfect companion to any other normal vacuum cleaner. As for its price, while cheaper alternatives are available, it does an exceptional job at what it was designed to do and I think most will be pleased at the results. With that said, the Slim Duo is ready for your cleaning chores. Recommended.
Features:
*Carpet rollers detach for portability while using the hose to clean; less weight and you do not have to carry the whole vacuum cleaner (Lift-Away Mode) .
*Strong suction power for such a small size; perhaps even stronger than our larger cleaner.
* Operates quieter than our other cleaner; lighter and easier to maneuver with exceptional cleaning performance.
Observations:
*Can only store two accessories due to its compact size.
*Two modes of cleaning: one for carpet and the other for bare floors or low carpet.
*Smaller dirt compartment area than what it appears it could hold/tradeoff for its compact size.
My Best Buy number: 0962567900
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+12points
12of 12voted this as helpful.
Load high-resolution game graphics with this 25-inch Dell Alienware gaming monitor. Its 240Hz refresh rate and 1 ms response time handle high definition game titles smoothly, and its NVIDIA G-Sync technology is compatible with GeForce GTX graphics cards. Customize preset game modes with the easy-to-use dashboard of this Dell Alienware gaming monitor.
Customer Rating
4
Excellent G-Sync Monitor
on September 2, 2017
Posted by: Dragonhunter281
The Alienware AW251H is actually the first monitor specifically designed for gaming that I have personally used so I was quite eager to compare it with my current monitor (HP 2511x). At 240 Hz and a 1 millisecond response time, this monitor is sure to grab the attention of most gamers looking for high specifications. With the addition of G-Sync, the monitor should be free from any ghosting or tearing that would otherwise distract during gaming sessions. From a design perspective, I was actually quite surprised at how heavy and sturdy the stand was. The style of the stand was actually quite innovative, with two legs branching out and seemed secure and sturdy. On the back, the silver had a nice brushed finished and, while plastic, it did not feel cheap. In addition, there was a stylish alien logo in the back. Once the stand is installed, the monitor can be rotated to the left or right, as well as up or down depending on how high you want it. Lastly, the monitor can pivot around in 90-degree increments to fit your needs. At eye level, the monitor looked amazing and was actually more comfortable than the current viewing angle on my monitor. In the back of the monitor, you will note one HDMI 1.4 port and a Display Port 1.2 connection; a Display Port cable is included along with a bracket to cover up the cables once they are rerouted through the hole in the stand. There are two USB 3.0 ports and a audio jack directly underneath the Alienware logo. A USB 3.0 cable is included as well.
In addition to the technical specifics, I would like to differentiate this G-Sync model (AW251H) with the Free-Sync (AW251HF) model as they do vary quite a bit. Image quality and performance during games remains the same and both are free from any ghosting or tearing. The first noticeable difference is that on the G-Sync model, the monitor has 3 LED lights on the back for a cool effect. They can be customized to various colors as well as different effects. In addition, the Alienware logo also illuminates corresponding to whichever color you set. Sadly, the Free-Sync model does not have this feature. The second variance on the G-Sync model is that you MUST use the Display Port to achieve the 240 Hz refresh rate. The HDMI is limited by its 1.4 revision, therefore, it is capped at 60 Hz. Conversely, not only does the Free-Sync model have an extra HDMI port, but both ports are version 2.0 and can both support the 240 Hz refresh rate. Both monitors have the same 1.2 revision of the Display Port. The last difference between the two monitors is that there are a few extra settings on the Free-Sync version including a Display menu to change the aspect ratio, color input (RGB/YPbPr), and dynamic contrast. Under the Game menu, the Free Sync version also has Hue and Saturation settings that are absent from the G-Sync version.
On the monitor, there are several modes that are worth mentioning. First, there are several presets based on which type of game you are playing such as FPS, RPG, and RTS. Standard is default and implies both 75% brightness and contrast. On max contrast, the colors are actually quite vibrant especially for an anti-glare monitor. Additionally, max brightness was actually fairly bright especially at its rated 400 nits. Another feature that is worth noting is the dark mode, which improves viewing on dark images. However, I noticed it almost sharpens the image too much if your game is not extremely dark or your game's brightness is too high. In addition to those above, you will also find three custom game presets as well as warm, cool, comfort view, and custom color. Custom allows you to only adjust the standard red, blue, and green colors. However, on the three custom game presets you have additional color control over yellow, magenta, and cyan.
As for image quality, overall I think most will be pleased with the image, provided that you know what to expect from an anti-glare monitor. For me personally, as my last 3 monitors have all had a glossy screen finish, the color reproduction can be somewhat of an adjustment. Thus, I was actually surprised that on standard preset, the color is crisp and was not as dull as I was expecting. Whites were a bit muddy at first but after adjusting the settings, it improved. In addition, with a screen size of 25'', it was perfect for viewing 1080p content. At this resolution, I typically avoid anything higher than 25'' as it tends to look washed out to me. Additionally, the pixel pitch is listed at 0.2832mm by 0.2802mm. Usually, pixel pitch is listed with one number but I would assume the first number would be for the horizontal portion of the display (1920) though I could be wrong. In addition, I viewed and set several different wallpapers as backgrounds to view the color. The blacks were actually handled fairly decent, though understand they aren't the deepest or as rich as some of the IPS panels. Greens looked fairly deep as well. I also looked at some backgrounds with more orange and red and the color seemed fairly accurate. Dell also lists this as 90 pixels per inch. With these specs, text and color seemed perfectly adequate and everything was sharp and concise.
As for game performance, all of the games played fluid and smooth and obviously, there was no evidence of ghosting. One feature I would like to mention is that the monitor has a built in frame rate display so while playing games I had that enabled as well as fraps. When you have the monitor's frame rate overlay enabled, it would seem that it only works while G-Sync is enabled. For my tests, I used my GTX 670 as it is the only card I have that supports G-Sync. First and foremost, at no fault to the monitor, my card could only see this monitor as 200 Hz instead of the 240 even though it has the proper Display Port on the back. Additionally, I tried different driver revisions to no avail and even created a custom resolution with the correct refresh rate, but it still only reported 200 Hz. Most should not have this problem as it looks like it was an isolated issue with my card since I successfully verified the monitor's 240 Hz on a different computer. Aside from this, I continued the test at 200hz. While playing the newest Doom with G-Sync, Fraps, and the monitor's FPS overlay enabled, I noticed that the monitor's rate matched the Fraps overlay counter. Conversely, when you have the G-Sync disabled, it would just display the monitor's 200 Hz refresh rate and never moved while Fraps moved accordingly. With all the graphics turned to low, Doom ran between 40-90 during multiplayer matches, and even during dips upper 40s, everything was still quite smooth. As for G-Sync itself, just like its Free Sync counterpart, I could not detect a noticeable difference even when it was disabled. Both tests were quite smooth. The feature, nonetheless, is great to have as it does seem to work while it was on, as evident by the monitor's frame rate overlay matching the Fraps counter. Still, the G-Sync feature is great to have and complements the monitor's high refresh rate wonderfully.
In conclusion, I would recommend this monitor for those who are looking for a high performance gaming monitor that are not afraid of the price tag. Personally, while I have had always preferred monitors with glossy screens, this monitor surprised me more than I thought it would. Its image isn't as washed out as some others tend to be and the brightness is actually better than my current monitor. With that said, you will need adjust the image to your liking and I caution those especially who are coming from either gloss finish monitors or even IPS ones that it may take some time to get used to it. Perhaps the best feature for me was that ability to adjust and pivot the monitor to my needs. Playing at eye level is actually comfortable rather than having to look down at a monitor. At 240 Hz and a 1 millisecond response time, it offers everything that those who play games would require of such a monitor. Games were smooth and pictures looked as they should. As such, I think it would fulfill the needs of gamers at a price that most are willing to pay. Recommended.
As for game performance, all of the games played fluid and smooth and obviously, there was no evidence of ghosting. One feature I would like to mention is that the monitor has a built in frame rate display so while playing games I had that enabled as well as fraps. When you have the monitor's frame rate overlay enabled, it would seem that it only works while G-Sync is enabled. For my tests, I used my GTX 670 as it is the only card I have that supports G-Sync. First and foremost, at no fault to the monitor, my card could only see this monitor as 200 Hz instead of the 240 even though it has the proper Display Port on the back. Additionally, I tried different driver revisions to no avail and even created a custom resolution with the correct refresh rate, but it still only reported 200 Hz. Most should not have this problem as it looks like it was an isolated issue with my card since I successfully verified the monitor's 240 Hz on a different computer. Aside from this, I continued the test at 200hz. While playing the newest Doom with G-Sync, Fraps, and the monitor's FPS overlay enabled, I noticed that the monitor's rate matched the Fraps overlay counter. Conversely, when you have the G-Sync disabled, it would just display the monitor's 200 Hz refresh rate and never moved while Fraps moved accordingly. With all the graphics turned to low, Doom ran between 40-90 during multiplayer matches, and even during dips upper 40s, everything was still quite smooth. As for G-Sync itself, just like its Free Sync counterpart, I could not detect a noticeable difference even when it was disabled. Both tests were quite smooth. The feature, nonetheless, is great to have as it does seem to work while it was on, as evident by the monitor's frame rate overlay matching the Fraps counter. Still, the G-Sync feature is great to have and complements the monitor's high refresh rate wonderfully.
In conclusion, I would recommend this monitor for those who are looking for a high performance gaming monitor that are not afraid of the price tag. Personally, while I have had always preferred monitors with glossy screens, this monitor surprised me more than I thought it would. Its image isn't as washed out as some others tend to be and the brightness is actually better than my current monitor. With that said, you will need adjust the image to your liking and I caution those especially who are coming from either gloss finish monitors or even IPS ones that it may take some time to get used to it. Perhaps the best feature for me was that ability to adjust and pivot the monitor to my needs. Playing at eye level is actually comfortable rather than having to look down at a monitor. At 240 Hz and a 1 millisecond response time, it offers everything that those who play games would require of such a monitor. Games were smooth and pictures looked as they should. As such, I think it would fulfill the needs of gamers at a price that most are willing to pay. Recommended.
My Best Buy number: 0962567900
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+41points
47of 53voted this as helpful.
Dragonhunter281's Review Comments
Share no-filter moments with this Sony Xperia XZ smartphone. Its 23-megapixel camera has triple image sensing technology to enhance the focus and balance of objects despite movement, distance and low-light conditions for sharper, brighter results. This water-resistant Sony Xperia XZ smartphone has 3GB of memory and 32GB of storage to let you save 4K recorded videos and download apps.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Great, Unique Phone
By Jstar
This review turned out a lot longer than originally thought but this is a big purchase so I did not want to miss anything and wanted to share my experience with you. I know I would appreciate what I have to say below :)
I bought this phone to replace my 4.5 year-old lg optimus that had grown outdated but still was in great working condition. As I have an iPhone for work and do not care for it much, I researched phones heavily this past year and narrowed it down to making the tough choice between the Xperia XZ and the Galaxy s7 Edge. Since I was finally getting a new phone I did not just want to get the one everyone said was the 'best', I wanted to put my money towards the phone that would provide me with a unique experience with top of the line specs and I am very happy I went with the Xperia XZ.
First off the phone is beautiful. Many online reviews said this phone was not particularly attractive to non-Sony Phone buyers and after having the phone for a few weeks I respectfully disagree. Maybe it is just the Forest Blue color, but I have repeatedly been asked what kind of phone I had while at work or in-line in stores by people who think the phone is "really cool" or in another case "super cute". It is a design/color that seems to appeal to a lot of people. I thought I would have a problem with the increase in screen size from my old phone, but I am a tall guy with big hands and have no problem reaching the entire screen with my thumb while holding it in one hand. My girlfriend uses two hands but she does so with her iPhone as well so I would not hold that against the Xperia but just thought I would note it because the one hand use was important to me.
As for the phone itself I have no complaints. Again I note the age of my old phone, so any phone would probably be a nice change in speed and such, but it was very easy to transfer my old data to the XZ and it is incredibly quick and responsive when using apps. The display is stunning with excellent color contrast. The camera takes excellent pictures, haven't tried too many selfies but scenes look great and capture motion very well. I am a big fan of the camera shutter button and notification light, quick charge is nice. The battery goes a day of occasionally gaming and internet browsing once you fine-tune the settings. I was initially upset about the lack of the fingerprint scanner but I saw the hardware for it is on the US version and you can enable with a little software work around, but it will void the warranty so I have not gotten around to trying that yet. But honestly with the smart-lock and security settings, the phone is unlocked whenever it is near me so it is really not a big deal at all. The Lifelog and Xperia Lounge apps are cool and provide great exercise feedback and free perks respectively. I am also happy to report the water proofing does work to at least some degree as the first thing I did when I received the phone was run it under the sink for a while and it worked no problem.
I am a big Sony fan so I was very interested to see how it faired remote playing my ps4. Once I paired my controller with my phone it was smooth sailing and playing Dark Souls was far easier than I expected it would be. I did not try playing online multiplayer through remote play yet but even with my Vita that can be very leggy so I expect it would be similar with the XZ.
In conclusion, I love my other Sony products and am happy to have the Xperia XZ join that list of awesome products. I disagree with the professional reviews about the phones appearance design wise as well as their BIG issue with lack of fingerprint reader. It's design seems to draw lots of appeal in my experience and is a welcome change to the similarly designed Galaxy, iPhone, and Pixel. The phone is definitely not cheap, but if you are looking to upgrade your old phone and want to put your money towards a phone that is at the very least equivalent to if not better than the other flagship phones out there in addition to catching peoples attention and providing a more unique experience, than the Xperia XZ is the perfect choice. As I said my old phone was outdated and I am a big Sony fan so I may be bias, but comparing this to my friends new galaxy and my girlfriends iPhone 6s, I know I made the right choice going with the Xperia XZ.
As an added note, I will say finding special cases will be hard for the XZ as it is not a very common phone, but if you get the Forest Blue I would recommend a clear color because the phone looks great as is.
Dragonhunter281
October 31, 2016
Thank you for review. I never understood why the "professional" reviews always trashed Sony. Their designs had always been different and for once where innovation could be actually used appropriately, they are criticized for it. If you look at user reviews of this phone elsewhere, you will see how rampant this is as they just repeat the same complaints reviews have. The fingerprint scanner is extremely overrated and glad you mentioned this because it really isn't a needed feature as the media makes it out to be. If swiping is hard to unlock the phone, then people have really lost it. Anyways, glad to see a fair review and hopefully I can try this phone out if I decide to replace my Z3+, although so far I have had zero issues with it.
+4points
4of 4voted this comment as helpful.
Dragonhunter281's Questions
Dragonhunter281 has not submitted any questions.
Dragonhunter281's Answers
Conquer virtual enemies with this Dell Inspiron desktop. It has an AMD Radeon graphics card with 8GB of dedicated video memory for fast image rendering, and its powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor and 16GB of DDR4 RAM run multiple programs, games and browsers simultaneously. This Dell Inspiron desktop has a 1TB hard drive for plenty of long-term game storage.
This Desktop Says, It doesnt have a mouse included, Can you please recommend me a mouse for this? Also How many watts for the psu? And is it a 80+ Psu atleast?
The desktop does come with a basic USB mouse and keyboard. The power supply is total 460 watts and there is no 80 plus certification logo on the power supply itself. As for a mouse, I currently use the Razer Taipan 8200 DPI mouse and its pretty comfortable.
6 years, 8 months ago
by
Dragonhunter281
Conquer virtual enemies with this Dell Inspiron desktop. It has an AMD Radeon graphics card with 8GB of dedicated video memory for fast image rendering, and its powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor and 16GB of DDR4 RAM run multiple programs, games and browsers simultaneously. This Dell Inspiron desktop has a 1TB hard drive for plenty of long-term game storage.
What is the power supply for this pc
The power supply of this particular unit is total 460 watts.
6 years, 8 months ago
by
Dragonhunter281
Nothing puts a vacuum to the test quite like a home with pets. That's why the BISSELL® Pet Hair Eraser® was developed from the ground up by pet parents for pet parents. Whether it's shedding season for your dog or your cat tracks kitty litter all over the house, this revolutionary vacuum is designed to make cleaning up after pets and the people who love them a breeze—from beginning to end. Say goodbye to hair wrap with its Tangle-Free Brush Roll, remove embedded hair everywhere with specialized pet tools, help capture allergens and eliminate odors with the SmartSeal™ Allergen System, and when you're finished cleaning, enjoy a hands-free tank empty with our patented Cyclonic Spooling System™.BR>
Does this unit have an off/on switch for the roller bar? Bissell's website says yes, but Best Buy & Lowes websites say no.
Yes, the vacuum cleaner does have an on/off switch for the roller bar. It also shuts off when it is shifted back to upright position.
Hope this helps !
Hope this helps !
7 years, 7 months ago
by
Dragonhunter281