StephenS's stats
- Review count101
- Helpfulness votes532
- First reviewNovember 22, 2010
- Last reviewMarch 14, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.3
- Review comment count5
- Helpfulness votes16
- First review commentJune 6, 2016
- Last review commentMay 17, 2017
- Featured review comments0
Questions
- Question count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First questionNone
- Last questionNone
- Featured questions0
- Answer count5
- Helpfulness votes0
- First answerApril 5, 2016
- Last answerOctober 27, 2016
- Featured answers0
- Best answers0
Relax and listen with these Master & Dynamic wireless over-ear headphones. The 45mm neodymium drivers blast sound straight into your ears for up to 16 hours, yet they remain comfortable thanks to the padded ear cups. Connect these Master & Dynamic wireless over-ear headphones to your compatible smartphone or laptop via Bluetooth 4.1 to enjoy easy streaming.
Customer Rating
5
Ear candy
on May 19, 2017
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City
I got my silver-brown MW60 and took them out of their box earlier today. I plugged them up to charge right away and the charge light went green within just a few minutes. Then I paired them with my phone and commenced to put them through a trial of my favorite music from a wide array of genres, from classical to metal. The fit, comfort, and sound are impressively immersive and balanced across genres -- and what a fantastic feel and build quality! And despite being solid and compact they're very comfortable to wear and much less bulky than I expected them to be for an over-the-ear design.
I like that the MW60s support Bluetooth and that may well be how I end up using them most of each day but I am also pleased they included an audio cable for wired connections, and a 1/4" adapter when needed. This is great because now I can use the MW60s with my phone casually, conveniently, and wirelessly; but I am also a musician and can keep right on using them with the cable and adapter to connect to my keyboard when I'm making my own music. It's a small trick but a nice touch and one that helps the MW60 play a role as a legitimately flexible companion and tool in my audio world.
Color me an impressed and proud new fan of M&D.
My Best Buy number: 2520172014
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+2points
4of 6voted this as helpful.
Take your tunes anywhere with this LifeProof AQUAPHONICS speaker. This floating waterproof device is submersible in up to 1m of water for 30 minutes, and it deflects damage from snow, ice and dirt. Pair this LifeProof AQUAPHONICS speaker with up to eight Bluetooth devices, and use the included dry box for storing keys and cards.
Customer Rating
2
Underwhelming
on May 16, 2017
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City
I have owned and used many Bluetooth speakers and I was initially excited to get the AQ10, but my expectations were dashed pretty quickly.
* The sound and balance is pretty good at low to moderate volumes, but if you crank it up for situations that need volume the AQ10 audio gets out of balance and too heavy on the ear piercing treble side of things, and the AQ10 offers no equalizer options to tailor the sound.
* Aspects of the design seem poorly thought out and implemented. The water-tight compartment for example has a USB port and an audio aux-in -- but 1) the aux-in port is so close to the fixed wall side of the compartment that many aux-cables cannot be inserted because all but smallest cable shroud will make it too large, and 2) the compartment is so small that I couldn't find any audio device that actually fit inside of it when closed to allow either of the internal ports to be useful. Maybe an iPod shuffle or nano would fit, but I don't have either of those, and then you'd also need to be able to fit an aux cable and maybe a USB cable as well. The water-box is fine for cards, ID, and a key or two, but on the AQ10 the compartment is just too small to make the water-box USB and aux-in port all that useful except in "just right" use cases. It doesn't hurt to have them there, so not really a minus except that it's one of several evidences that the AQ10 wasn't really thought out all that well.
* The charger is not USB, it's proprietary. Every other Bluetooth speaker I've ever used, including some larger and more powerful than the AQ10, have made their charging port a USB cable of some sort which is fantastic for a portable speaker that may need to be charged in a variety of locations -- in the car, at the beach, or wherever else you have a USB port but not a convenient wall outlet. But the AQ10 deviates from that convenient standard and forces you to use a proprietary charger that can only be charged from a wall outlet. 10 years ago that might have been OK, but with virtually every other Bluetooth speaker using USB charging it's a remarkable design oversight for something designed to be portable to be dependent on something so decidedly not portable-friendly.
The AQ10's one-and-only compelling feature is that it floats and is ruggedized. So if that's your main need then the AQ10 just might be the Bluetooth speaker you're looking for. But for everybody else you can easily do much better for the same $ or less.
My Best Buy number: 2520172014
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Share this review:
+5points
6of 7voted this as helpful.
Meet your large household’s high-bandwidth requirements with this tri-band Linksys Max-Stream Wi-Fi router. It performs at up to 4 Gbps for high-speed Internet access, and its MU-MIMO technology lets everyone at home enjoy smooth, simultaneous gaming and media streaming on multiple devices. This Linksys Max-Stream Wi-Fi router has six adjustable external antennas for maximum area coverage
Customer Rating
5
Capable Router
on May 15, 2017
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City
I have a 1Gbps Internet connection so I'm always on the lookout for routers that can help me take full advantage of every "bit" of it (see what I did there?) even with my wireless devices. I have many routers already ranging from those running OpenWRT to the EA9300's bigger brother, the EA9500 on stock They each serve their niche and the EA9300 is no exception.
The interface on the EA9300 is similar to Linksys's other current offerings and includes the ability, once setup, to be managed remotely online through the Linksys SmarWiFi cloud system using a web page or the corresponding app for IOS or Android. This can be very convenient if you have a network and attached devices that frequently change or need to be actively managed, including controlling guest access, etc.
In raw speed the EA9300 didn't disappoint and I was consistently pushing and pulling 900+ Mbps consistently through any wired or WiFi device capable of doing so.
I was also pretty happy with the transfer speed of an attached USB 128GB SSD. Using the EA9300 to host a Windows-esque SMB/CIFS share, I could transfer large multi-GB.ISO files @ 300Mbits/s sustained. Not enterprise-class but adequate for periodic transfers of files I want to keep localized and centralized.
Overall a nice router with a slightly smaller footprint than my EA9500. In my case, just because I have multiple routers and the luxury of doing so, I have decided to dedicate the EA9300 to its own network segment used for guest devices and computers I work on (I'm a computer tech) that may be infected. For me it serves as a nice logical division. But if I didn't have the geeky luxury of multiple routers and truly distinct networks the EA9300 is more affordable and could easily handle being my main router of a busy network with lots of wired and wireless devices. The band-steering function helps to make sure the devices are balanced across frequency bands for optimal use without you needing to personally micromanage each connection.
My Best Buy number: 2520172014
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+5points
12of 19voted this as helpful.
Bring bold color to your gaming hobby with this Razer Kraken analog headset. Thick padding and a lightweight construction make it ideal for extended wear, and the fully retractable microphone lets you adjust the device to meet your needs. This Razer Kraken analog headset has a long cable that provides flexibility of movement as you play.
Customer Rating
4
Good sound and decent "getaway" sound isolation
on March 27, 2017
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City
First, I am not a hardcore gamer. I'm just a casual guy who games sometimes with my kids. But I constantly work with audio as part of my job and wanted to upgrade from using earbuds and an older headset, both of which I have been using for several years.
The fit: The first couple days of wearing them, parts of my ears would start hurting just an hour or 2 later and that surprised me. I fiddled with the fit and various positions and finally found my "sweet spot". Once I did that I can wear them for hours at a time and develop only minimal discomfort so take some time to get used to them.
The design: I like the design overall, but one part of it I found myself struggling against was the inline volume control. I have used and owned many headsets with inline volume controls but never do I recall inline controls so susceptible to accidental volume changes. With these, this easily happens several times a day and seems to mostly occur when I do things with my left arm, which is nearest where the inline controls are. The inline control, in my case, happens to be placed such that my left arm frequently brushes it while doing completely mundane and natural things -- like lifting my arm to take a drink or even reaching across to tap a key on the right-ish side of my keyboard (F12, backspace, etc.) while keeping my right hand on the mouse -- and way more often than once incidentally caused the volume dial to turn up or down. It's not a major problem, but I'm a big believer in inline controls and have never had this issue with any other headset so it’s worth mentioning.
The mic: The retractable mic is brilliant and picks up my voice decently even if I forget and leave it retracted, but when I pull it out like I should then the sound is noticeably crisp and directional as it should be, doing a respectable job keeping out background sounds around me. Then, when the gaming is done and it's time to kick back with just some music, the mic pushes right back in and out of the way. Brilliant.
The sound: I wouldn't rate the sound as awesome but it is good, solid, and immersing. The drivers provide powerful thuds, thumps, and concussion on the low end and are decent all-around in mids to highs. The large ear cups are pretty good at creating some “getaway” isolation from ambient sounds as well, but not so much that you are completely out of touch with what’s going on around you. Whether that’s a pro or a con is really a matter of taste. Personally, I found it just right as I could get easily lost in the audio of whatever game or music I was playing even when in the living room surrounded by people talking and watching TV, but I could still hear if someone actually called my name at more than a talking volume.
My Best Buy number: 2520172014
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Enhance your 4G LTE or 3G signal with this weBoost eqo 4G, which is ideal for one to two rooms. This compact antenna covers up to 1500 square feet and works for multiple cellular devices at once, regardless of carrier. Make your signal up to 32 times stronger and get more done with this weBoost eqo 4G antenna kit.
Customer Rating
4
Good increase for a small area
on March 21, 2017
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City
I got this for use at our house where family from all over often comes together or Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. It’s a fairly remote house though and getting reliable mobile phone signal is a constant struggle. We have over the years identified a few “good spots” that work for most providers and have managed to get by. When I saw the weBoost EQO I jumped at the chance to see if it would allow us to corral the signal from one of these good locations and channel it a short distance to the living/dining room where we and guests spend most of our time together -- it’s easily the most heavily trafficked room that would benefit the most people if signal to it could be improved. My short and sweet review is that the weBoost EQO, when properly and thoughtfully installed where it had a decent signal to start with, definitely succeeded in improving the signal to the area in question. It wasn’t perfect, but it was noticeably better. If you’d like to know more, read on.
The weBoost EQO comes in basically two pieces:
1) A booster unit that gets placed where you get at least some signal already. This model also comes with an optional antenna paddle on a 6 foot cable that can help the booster unit reach outside a window for even better signal potential.
2) An antenna unit that gets placed facing into the area where you want the signal improved.
1) A booster unit that gets placed where you get at least some signal already. This model also comes with an optional antenna paddle on a 6 foot cable that can help the booster unit reach outside a window for even better signal potential.
2) An antenna unit that gets placed facing into the area where you want the signal improved.
Working with signal boosters can be counterintuitive though, and the adage “only as strong as the weakest link” is a good principle to keep in mind. In other words, the booster unit can only relay a signal to the antenna unit that’s as fundamentally useful as the one the booster unit itself gets to the provider’s tower. For this reason, thoughtful placement of the booster unit is absolutely critical. This is easily the part that took the most time as it involved patiently walking from area to area with a phone, preferably in dBm signal meter mode, and making note of which area provides the best overall signal for the booster to start with. Once you find your spot, setup of the units is very easy, just keep in mind that you are limited to about a 25 foot cable to interconnect them.
The final setup can lead to some counterintuitive observations though and there are some things worth keeping in mind. For example, if you place the booster unit in an area that reliably gets a weak -110dBm, your phone near the antenna unit may indicate an excellent -90dBm (considerably better signal) you are still only going to get a connection that’s as reliable as the weakest link, -110dBm in this example. For the more casual user, who often thinks in terms of bars of signal, this means that if your booster unit is in an area that gets 1 bar, but your phone shows 4 bars when it’s near the antenna unit, your connection is still really only as reliable as the 1 bar the booster unit receives even though your phone thinks otherwise. This is because, when using a booster kit, your phone bars and dBm signal meter show the strength of its signal to the antenna unit a few feet away -- although that may show a strong 4-5 bars, you still may not have much/any improved overall performance if the booster unit relaying the signal for your phone is placed where it barely manages a 1 bar connection with the tower -- the weakest link will always dictate the overall quality of the connection. For this reason, it’s more meaningful to look at real world results such as call stability and data throughput than to make much of whether your “signal bars increased”. As I’ve tried to convey above, a signal bar increase as shown on the phone can be misleading and isn’t a reliable metric, especially when a booster like this is in the mix.
Having said all that, here are my real world results. They aren’t perfect or even what I had hoped for, but they do indicate that the booster was fundamentally doing its part. The limiting factor in my own case is very much “the weakest” link factor as I’m far enough remote that I didn’t have great signal to start with.
Call stability: So long as I stayed within the cone of coverage provided by the antenna unit, call stability increased and allowed for pretty much free roaming in the intended area. If I walked outside the cone of coverage, calls rapidly deteriorated or dropped. This isn’t the boosters fault, and if anything it confirms that the booster was doing exactly what it was supposed to do and was providing enhanced coverage to most of the living area. It also shows that, for a small booster like the weBoost EQO, you can and should expect the signal benefit to drop off pretty sharply if you stray very far at all from the antenna unit.
Data: Before adding the weBoost the best data we typically saw from anywhere inside the house was about 5Mbps download, and a paltry .5Mbps up. While looking for a good signal location, I found an area on the deck of the house where I could get -100dBm and 20+Mbps down and 2Mbps up while just holding my phone and this is where I ultimately decided to set up the EQO. I attached the antenna paddle to a window, connected it to the booster unit just inside that same window, and then ran the 25’ cable to the antenna unit which I had faced into our living/dining area. The results weren’t as consistent as I’d have liked but were nevertheless appreciably better than having no booster at all. Before setting up the booster I would routinely lose voice and data completely in this living area, with the booster I never lost connection entirely and achieved downloads and uploads comparable to what I was getting on the deck, and that’s pretty much exactly what you should expect if it’s all setup properly.
My one dislike with this kit is that I found the 25’ cable to be pretty limiting for a clean final install in my scenario, but because longer cables will inherently degrade the signal being relayed between the units you really should stay within that recommended length. If you need more length than that, or if you intend to cover an entire home or even just a larger part of one, you should consider a more powerful model like the weBoost 470103.
My Best Buy number: 2520172014
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Wake up to a delicious cup of java with this Ninja Coffee Bar glass carafe system. The 10-cup pitcher holds 50 oz. of coffee when entertaining or brews a single cup at a time, prepared at the infusion level of your choice. This Ninja Coffee Bar glass carafe system has a built-in frother for hot and cold drink creations.
Customer Rating
5
"Bartender" coffee making
on January 13, 2017
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City
I've been slogging along with an old coffee maker for years. It was functional but I was actually a little embarrassed to get it out for coffee when we had company. My old coffee maker was boring and frankly just didn't make a very good cup of coffee. I had been entertaining the idea of a new coffee maker for quite a while then when I came across the Ninja CF091 Coffee Bar. Holy Smokes! A few days later I'm a coffee-bartender making great looking frothed-topped coffees and specialty drinks like a pro and I can't wait to have people over who want coffee!
First though, when you first set it up, you are supposed to run it through two cleaning cycles before you put anything through it you actually drink. Heads-up -- each cleaning cycle takes about an hour. The Quick Start guide mentions running an initial clean cycle, but doesn't mention how long it will take. Neither does it mention or explain the "flush" cycle that follows. For those specifics you'll have to read the cleaning section of the full manual. None of it's hard to do, but I do wish the Quick Start had even mentioned the 2nd-stage flush cycle and how long the initial clean was going to take because I was eager to make coffee and thought at first that I was doing something wrong because "it was just sitting there". No marks down for this, the end result is worth the wait, but it's worth noting if your idea of "clean" was to run a few coffee pot cycles of just water with maybe some white vinegar the first time through.
Initial setup aside, the final product was an enormous improvement over my previous coffee maker. I bought several types of coffee grounds -- Colombian, Kona, Sumatra, etc -- to try it out on. The Classic button did indeed make a pretty classic tasting cup of coffee, but I quickly became a fan of the Rich Brew button. It makes the same amount of coffee overall as Classic but takes a little longer. The manual says Rich Brew "... flavor that stands up to milk, cream, or flavoring." and I completely concur. I have a pretty standard Orange/Mocha drink that I really love (and used to pay $5 a cup for before I could make it myself with my Ninja Coffee Bar) and I can easily taste the coffee flavor coming through when I make it using Rich Brew vs Classic Brew. Make no mistake, I think both Classic and Rich produce an excellent cup of coffee, it's just a matter of taste, but if you want some more punch from the exact same amount of grounds, Rich Brew might just be the coffee drinking buddy you've been looking for.
The frother attachment is simple, easy to clean, and way more fun than I thought it would be! I'm an experimenter though and like to "wing it" so the first time I used it I ended up with about 6 inches of froth on top of what was supposed to be a basic Cafe Au Lait! I quickly learned to use just enough milk/cream to get the desired result though, but it's fun to experiment and I encourage you to have fun with it!
The reusable filter is adequate and nice in principal but I found that a small amount of grounds got through and into every cup of coffee I've made using pre-ground beans. If you grind your own or just use coarser grounds though I think that might not even be an issue.
There are many more options, but suffice to say that I'm happy... my wife is happy... my kids are happy. This thing is flexible coffee-fun and definitely NOT something I'm embarrassed to serve guests with.
My Best Buy number: 2520172014
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+57points
69of 81voted this as helpful.
Keep unwanted hair to a minimum with this Philips grooming tool. The waterproof design lets you use it in the shower, and eight attachments make this trimmer perfect for grooming different sections of the face. This Philips grooming tool has a turbo setting to increase cutting speed, and it charges in just one hour to reduce wait time.
Customer Rating
5
Handy. Could completely replace your razor
on November 18, 2016
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City
I knew I was going to get this, and for several weeks beforehand I didn't shave anything anywhere and just let my hair, beard, earss, etc, just grow unchecked -- much to my wife's chagrin. But, to thoroughly evaluate a trimmer I knew I'd have to have plenty of hair to try it out on so... I took one for the team.
First, I normally shave my head bald and for years I've used everything from a regular razor to a full-size corded barber trimmer.
The razor always shaved the closest and could be done in the shower, but it also took the most time and constantly shaving my head, in addition to normal shaving, could go through razors pretty quickly and was relatively costly.
Using a full-sized corded trimmer, like what you'd see in a barber shop, was cleaner and more convenient on the one hand, but on the other hand it didn't shave as close, I couldn't take it into the shower, and I was always tied to a power outlet.
Finally, the weakness of both of these is that they were just one tool of several needed for complete grooming.
Enter the Norelco Multigroom 7400 -- The convenience of shaving in the shower plus the convenience and freedom of not having a cord. In fact, the Multigroom 7400 won't work at if it's still plugged in. And, the convenience of one tool that can pretty much handle any personal grooming task thrown at it.
The basic attachment easily shaved several weeks of hair off my head down pretty close to the scalp. I could have stopped there and it would have been as short as what I normally got with my legacy corded trimmer. But I wanted to see how close I could get, so I then swapped out for the body shaver attachment, which very much resembles a classic electric shaver head, I was able to get my head shaved to just barely longer than having taken a razor to it. I was very pleased with that result.
The detail trimmer worked very well for shaping my goatee and the body shaver attachment worked well for a general shave on my face. The end result was not as smooth as a razor, but it was plenty close for normal daily shaving and much more convenient, but I'd keep a razor around for those times when you want a truly close shave.
It's not the elegant side of grooming, but the Multigroom 7400 nose and ear trimming attachments did their job as well. I've had previous such trimmers that were so loud when in my ear it was almost painful. This wasn't a whisper by any means, but the in-ear volume was acceptable and more along the line of what I'd consider "normal".
Finally, although it was billed as wet/dry trimmer, I was skeptical about how well it would work when my hair was wet. I was truly surprised at just how well it did. If you don't ever need or desire a down-to-the-skin close shave this could possibly replace your need for a razor entirely. For me it has been great, and my wife has been very pleased with how well it cleaned me up after a few weeks of shagginess!
My Best Buy number: 2520172014
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Enhance footage and create professional-looking video montages with Adobe Premiere Elements 15. Access the software’s de-haze feature on your traditional computer or touchscreen device to reduce mist and fog for a bright, clear result. Features like enhanced search, which help you sort and label videos appropriately, make Adobe Premiere Elements 15 an essential for any budding videographer.
Customer Rating
4
Good balance of power and ease of use
on November 9, 2016
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City
I work with grade school youth, and kids love seeing themselves in action! So, I take a lot of video and am constantly putting together a new montage of something-or-other. For years, like many of us I suppose, I have gotten by with free video editing software like Movie Maker or whatever video editing bundle came with my latest video camera. Over the last year though I have become acquainted with using Adobe Premiere Pro for church. Then I saw this product, Premiere Elements, and thought I’d finally “up my game” and take the plunge into trying a paid product for even my own personal use.
To get right to it then -- coming from both a Windows Movie Maker and Premiere Pro background, there was definitely still a learning curve to figure out how to get similar tasks done in Premiere Elements. I expected Elements to be different than Movie Maker but I was also surprised at how foreign Elements felt compared to its big-brother, Premiere Pro. I wouldn’t mark Elements down any stars for that, it’s just an observation to anyone, like me, who has exposure to both Adobe products.
Given that my experience with Premiere Pro didn’t seem to be as directly applicable as I had expected it to be, I decided to just be patient and use one of Elements’ features -- the guided edits -- to get up to speed with how Elements was laid out. It was awkward at first because my instinct was to think I could just dive-in, but the patience of following the basic guided edits soon paid-off and had me up-to-snuff editing videos pretty intuitively again within an hour.
After completing the guides, I immediately dumped all of last summer’s youth camp videos into Elements and went to work producing my first full-length montage from my own footage. Elements made it easy and I had a complete video compilation done in record time, and I didn’t even use any of its pre-made time-saving templates or wizards -- I just hummed along in “expert” mode and found that to be a pretty comfortable place to get my work done.
Features I personally used most were 1) the audio-gain feature to help normalize volume across clips, 2) transitions, and 3) the color-pop effect. The color-pop effect was especially nice because it lets you choose more than just one color to “pop”, and at our summer camps there is a day when the kids wear a different colored shirt to match their grade and the color-pop effect to simultaneously bring out just those shirt colors at times made for some cool looking clips.
The one thing I found myself rubbing up against in Elements is that it’s laborious to use transitions that are less than one second in length. Because my videos of kids, at least sections of them, are often pretty rapid-fire clip-after-clip I like to use very fast dissolves or cross-fades of only about a quarter-second -- just enough to cover the rough edge of the cut -- but the shortest Elements lets you easily set a transition to is one-full-second. That doesn’t sound like much, but when you have a segment of short back-to-back clips, a series of one-full-second transitions between each and every clip can significantly de-energize the overall feel of the video . Now, you CAN go into each transition after it’s been added and manually drag the ends to be shorter than one second, but that can be pretty tedious when editing a video with a lot of such transitions. It’s perplexing that Elements doesn’t let you simply set a less-than-one-second transition time directly in the transition property.
There are a lot of features I didn’t even scratch the surface of yet, but suffice to say that Elements has earned itself a spot as a staple in the editing of my high-energy youth and family videos.
My Best Buy number: 2520172014
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Play games or program tech solutions on the wide 23-inch screen of this HP LED HD monitor. The antiglare flatscreen offers views from any angle, and the 1920 x 1080 display offers super-sharp images. This HP LED HD monitor has HDMI and VGA inputs, letting you connect a variety of peripherals and devices.
Customer Rating
4
Affordable, Effective, Thin HD Display
on October 27, 2016
Posted by: StephenS
from Kansas City
The HP 23es monitor is an affordable and clear display. I knew it was thin but when I first saw it after taking it out of the box I was still surprised at just how thin and light it is.
At this size and price point it isn't unexpected or even a negative, but it's worth mentioning that this is not a 4K display, it's "just" regular HD @ 1920x1080. In practical use though I found 1920x1080 to be very usable. And even though it's "only" 23 inches, for regular-range computing I found that large enough, and was often large enough to keep two fully-functional application windows open side-by-side.
It also only has two inputs -- 1 venerable VGA and 1 HDMI. I do a lot of work doing tech support, and restoring old-ish computers for non-profit organizations, and having the VGA input is nice considering how long VGA was the standard video connector. Many may not use it anymore, but I for one am glad to have it as an option.
I marked down one star because mine had a slight flicker in the top-right corner. I don't know if that's normal for the model but I can only review what I received. Most of the time I couldn't even see it -- it only became evident when I was displaying something dark in that corner, and then there was a minor but noticeable persistent flicker in just that top-right corner.
For watching movies while on my PC it was large enough to be immersive without having to sit too far back.
Finally, I'm not sure how useful it is, but I found it interesting that when you bring up the information screen with the on-monitor buttons (below the bottom-right edge) there is an "hour" count that lets you know how many hours the display has been on.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Enjoy powerful performance with this compact HP Pavilion Wave computer. The Intel i3 processor provides fast data handling, while the 1TB hard drive lets you store plenty of files. This HP Pavilion Wave computer has 8GB of RAM to run the latest applications and four USB ports for connecting multiple accessories.
Customer Rating
4
Clever and attractive compact desktop PC
on October 20, 2016
Posted by: StephenS
The desktop is dead, long live the desktop! With the Wave, HP does a laudable job putting a new spin on a stationary/desktop PC. With 8GB of RAM, a 3.2GHz i3-6100T CPU, and embedded B&O audio -- the HP Wave looks good on your desk, in your office, and maybe even your living room.
Though not a slouch by any means, the main sell of the HP Wave is not its performance, but is its non-standard attractive physical design. Wrapped in audio-fabric, It looks almost exactly like a small-ish speaker and could easily be mistaken for one. The only giveaway is the USB port and Headphone jack on the front-bottom-center. All the other controls and ports, including the power button, are on the back -- out of sight from at least the perspective of the user in most cases.
The i3-6100T 3.2GHz model is not a runaway performer, but with it's 8GB of RAM a 1TB 7200RPM hard drive it's a solid and capable workhorse for day-to-day computing and looks good while doing it.
What stands out:
USB-C: As the owner a phone that has a USB-C connector, having a native USB-C port on the back of the HP Wave is a welcome sight. that I can only hope becomes more common. I was pleased as well to see that it's a full-power USB-C port and that my phone indicates "Charging rapidly" when connected to it.
USB-C: As the owner a phone that has a USB-C connector, having a native USB-C port on the back of the HP Wave is a welcome sight. that I can only hope becomes more common. I was pleased as well to see that it's a full-power USB-C port and that my phone indicates "Charging rapidly" when connected to it.
B&O Audio: This is one area in which was a little disappointed. I'm a musician and audio hobbyist so my standards are pretty high. I wasn't expecting the built-in audio to shake the windows, but I was expecting more than what this delivers. The overall volume is fine but I found the bass to be disappointing thin relative to the size of the unit. And even if I turned up the bass with the included B&O audio equalizer, the result was more that the audio became muddy. To compare, and to eliminate that it was acoustics of the room, I hooked the Wave up to my small single-speaker Bose SoundLink Color II speaker; All else being equal, the SLCII (not a big speaker by any stretch) produced much richer sound at the same volume in the same environment -- the B&O audio is, frankly, just kind of weak. This is my second exposure to embedded B&O audio in an HP computer and both times I have been left wanting. It's a functional and clean audio setup though, and if you just want a hassle-free setup and basic audio at moderate volume it'll be fine. But if you think the B&O audio in the HP Wave could be the center of your living room or SOHO audio, think again. The biggest benefit I perceive of the integrated B&O audio is that it's "good enough" and helps reduce cable clutter -- the entire basic setup has just 3 cables; Power to the HP Wave, power to a monitor, and a video cable to connect them.
Quiet: One of the best design elements is the ventilation, which quietly ventilates through the same opening as the integrated audio "umbrella" on top. The Wave was whisper quiet when running -- the only sound I heard was the sound of the hard drive seeking as I opened apps, etc. Other than that it was a stealth-ninja and I didn't hear a thing.
Wireless keyboard and mouse: The Wave includes a pre-paired wireless keyboard and mouse. No USB dongle is required, they are factory-paired with the system and "just work". The keyboard is a bit compact and takes some getting used to in order to not hit the wrong key when, say, trying to pick out certain keys -- home, pgup, pgdn, end, and the arrows in particular. This is often the nature of compact keyboards though so no marks down for this, just informational -- and if you don't like it you can just use a different keyboard. The included mouse on the other hand looked good but was, in my experience, clunky and uncomfortable and failed to redeem itself after making a full work-day of effort to get used to it.
Despite weaker B&O audio then expected and the clunky mouse I enjoy the Wave. It's a streamlined, affordable, attractive, and even very portable setup -- and more than powerful enough for SOHO and light gaming.
My Best Buy number: 2520172014
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+10points
13of 16voted this as helpful.
StephenS's Review Comments
Only at Best BuyChoose this HP Spectre 13 notebook for its crisp 1080p display and 13.3-inch screen. It comes with a sixth-generation Intel processor and 8GB of onboard RAM for efficient multitasking, and its solid state drive ensure that programs load quickly. The slim design on this HP Spectre 13 notebook provide enhanced versatility.
Overall
1 out of 5
1 out of 5Buyer Beware! Proprietary USB-C Ports!
By jiffer
from Minnesota
I've done a lot of reviewing on this ultrabook and I do have to say its a Apple Macbook/Pro/Air contender for super thin and lite notebooks. Great battery life, larger screen, 13.3 compared to Apples 12inch Macbook. Resolution wise this HP is only 1080p compared to Macbook retina screen, and Apple also has about 300 more ppi then HP. In my opinion 1080p is just fine for these small laptops, but if your more into larger screen realestase MacBook is going to be the one for you as you can change your resolution in mac OSX. Configuration options allow you a replaceable M.2 SSH up to 500GB you can install yourself latter if you need more space. Ram is built on the board so no upgrading it. HP has a way better CPU then Apples M (mobile processor) However when you push the i5/i7 CPU it will throttle and a loss of performance will happen. Also the fans will make noise, this is the biggest difference from the MacBook and HP is MacBook uses a core M (mobile processor) so there is no cooling needed, HP uses a duel core i7 and i5 CPU which does need cooling.
One thing thats is sweet but is very poor, Macbook has 1 USB-C port, which a lot of people complain about...... HOWEVER
HP MADE THEIR 3 USB-C ports "Proprietary" That means you can't really use anything other then HP cables or adapters... HP charges like $90.00 per cable. This is absolutely ridiculous and brings this 5 star laptop to a 1 star in my opinion. Who cares if this has 100 USB-C ports if your going to lock us down on your own gear. Apple the one company that is publicly known for locking its consumers down to their products ALLOWS you to use any USB-C cable you want!!!!!!
WTF HP?
Because of this PROPRIETARY USB-C ports I have returned the unit and I don't recommend it to others.
StephenS
Kansas City
Works on my Nexus 6P
June 6, 2016
You piqued my curiosity but I don't believe this is accurate. I just plugged my Nexus 6P directly into each one of the USB C ports using a standard USB C cable and it worked natively with all three ports, both for charging my Nexus 6P and for transferring files.
Kind regards
+11points
11of 11voted this comment as helpful.
Only at Best BuyChoose this HP Spectre 13 notebook for its crisp 1080p display and 13.3-inch screen. It comes with a sixth-generation Intel processor and 8GB of onboard RAM for efficient multitasking, and its solid state drive ensure that programs load quickly. The slim design on this HP Spectre 13 notebook provide enhanced versatility.
Overall2 out of 5
2 out of 5After 20 Years of HP, This One Made me Buy the Mac
By Major7
I owned this PC for precisely three hours last weekend. I've owned HP laptops in general for over 15 years, and used one since the very first Compaq Portable 386 (which was at the time not HP). I know HP.
I really wanted to love this PC. Small, slick, PC based (my comfort zone), powerful, reasonably priced. But that's where it ended.
After I got it home, it was one aggravation after the other. Loud as as an Airbus A320 on the tarmac. Track pad made a ticking sound with all but the lightest taps. The final straw was it would not install iTunes. Really?? Google: 'Windows 10 won't install iTunes' and you'll know what I'm talking about.
I had enough. I turned it back in that day, bought a 13" Macbook Pro, and I can promise you it is worth the hype. I feel like I'm free now, and I'm not looking back.
StephenS
Kansas City
iTunes works fine
July 1, 2016
iTunes installs just fine on this computer. I didn't jump through any hoops or do anything special -- I just downloaded the latest iTunes, installed, and it's running now playing some music while I write this. I'm not sure what problem you're having, but it's definitely not the Spectre itself that is getting in the way.
Kind regars
+2points
2of 2voted this comment as helpful.
Wake up to a delicious cup of java with this Ninja Coffee Bar glass carafe system. The 10-cup pitcher holds 50 oz. of coffee when entertaining or brews a single cup at a time, prepared at the infusion level of your choice. This Ninja Coffee Bar glass carafe system has a built-in frother for hot and cold drink creations.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Am I ready to ditch my Keurig?
By Snarltoof
from Minneapolis, MN
I couldn't wait to get this set up at home and run it through its paces! However, I followed the instructions and ran it through two cleaning cycles before using it. Cleaning cycles, wow! Very impressive. And it takes an hour to run through cleaning. I am kinda eager to see how effective cleaning is after I've had a chance to muck it up with hard water.
So -- one major advantage I noticed right away compared to my Keurig -- hot water!!! I can simply remove the filter and make a cup of hot water for tea or whatever.
Also -- I can make a whole pot of coffee!
This produces way less waste than the Keurig does; no more of those environmentally-irresponsible pods to deal with. Now if only someone would come up with single-serve filter packets, like what you get in hotel rooms, that would be awesome. It would be great to be able to brew a cup of coffee and just toss the pod in your compost bin.
Single-cup brewing -- it is much slower than the Keurig and then I have to deal with cleaning up the grounds, but eventually I think I'll switch to it.
I'm relieved that the machine fits on my counter below the wall cabinets. The Keurig fits there, but there's not enough clearance to load a pod. It would be awesome if the water reservoir pulled off sideways instead of up so that it wouldn't have any low clearance issues.
The real bonus with this rig is the frother! Wow, now I can make my own lattes and cappuccinos. It's easy to use, and it removes for easy cleaning.
I'm very happy with this!
When there is a really quick and easy way to do single-cups, or if I just get a bit less lazy, that Keurig will be history.
So -- one major advantage I noticed right away compared to my Keurig -- hot water!!! I can simply remove the filter and make a cup of hot water for tea or whatever.
Also -- I can make a whole pot of coffee!
This produces way less waste than the Keurig does; no more of those environmentally-irresponsible pods to deal with. Now if only someone would come up with single-serve filter packets, like what you get in hotel rooms, that would be awesome. It would be great to be able to brew a cup of coffee and just toss the pod in your compost bin.
Single-cup brewing -- it is much slower than the Keurig and then I have to deal with cleaning up the grounds, but eventually I think I'll switch to it.
I'm relieved that the machine fits on my counter below the wall cabinets. The Keurig fits there, but there's not enough clearance to load a pod. It would be awesome if the water reservoir pulled off sideways instead of up so that it wouldn't have any low clearance issues.
The real bonus with this rig is the frother! Wow, now I can make my own lattes and cappuccinos. It's easy to use, and it removes for easy cleaning.
I'm very happy with this!
When there is a really quick and easy way to do single-cups, or if I just get a bit less lazy, that Keurig will be history.
StephenS
Kansas City
You can use Senseo pods as single serve packets
January 13, 2017
Hey, I think just like you and wanted the convenience of pods without the waste of the K-cups, so I tried using some Senseo pods (which are just coffee inside of little filters, like you describe -- you can compost the whole thing) and they work pretty good without the mess that sometimes comes from using grounds. I typically use two senseo pods to make a normal cup of coffee, you might be able to get away using one with a Rich Brew cycle. Anyway, sounds like something you may want to at least check into. Cheers!
+2points
2of 2voted this comment as helpful.
Take your tunes anywhere with this LifeProof AQUAPHONICS speaker. This floating waterproof device is submersible in up to 1m of water for 30 minutes, and it deflects damage from snow, ice and dirt. Pair this LifeProof AQUAPHONICS speaker with up to eight Bluetooth devices, and use the included dry box for storing keys and cards.
Overall2 out of 5
2 out of 5Speaker sound OK-some quirks/defects
By hokie00
from MD
The speaker sounds good, and has a good volume range getting loud enough for outside noise.
It has a good range on Bluetooth 70 feet or more in an office around walls for controls and volume adjustment.
It is a good size, a little heavy but feels sturdy for outside/beach/park type use. It's approximately 3"x3"x9". There is a compartment on the bottom for storage/plugs, and the charger/additional plug are located on one end. The opposite end has the power/lock buttons.
Controls are as follows:
End-Power and lock out toggle (to lock controls from accidental touch)
Other end-USB plug/charger for device/phone, DC Power charger for speaker, .8mm headphone jack audio in for device/phone play
Top-Bluetooth sync, skip back, play/pause, volume up, volume down, skip forward, change input (from Bluetooth to either jack)
Bottom-inside 4.7"x2"x0.5" closable storage compartment 2nd USB charger, 2nd .8mm headphone jack audio in for play.
The speaker comes with the user manual and the DC plug for charging.
Bluetooth sync worked easily.
The lock/unlock function is a nice feature to avoid unwanted song/volume/etc. changes
It has a good range on Bluetooth 70 feet or more in an office around walls for controls and volume adjustment.
It is a good size, a little heavy but feels sturdy for outside/beach/park type use. It's approximately 3"x3"x9". There is a compartment on the bottom for storage/plugs, and the charger/additional plug are located on one end. The opposite end has the power/lock buttons.
Controls are as follows:
End-Power and lock out toggle (to lock controls from accidental touch)
Other end-USB plug/charger for device/phone, DC Power charger for speaker, .8mm headphone jack audio in for device/phone play
Top-Bluetooth sync, skip back, play/pause, volume up, volume down, skip forward, change input (from Bluetooth to either jack)
Bottom-inside 4.7"x2"x0.5" closable storage compartment 2nd USB charger, 2nd .8mm headphone jack audio in for play.
The speaker comes with the user manual and the DC plug for charging.
Bluetooth sync worked easily.
The lock/unlock function is a nice feature to avoid unwanted song/volume/etc. changes
Issues I had with the speaker below.
The first thing I noticed is the compartment is very small, not large enough for most phones to keep inside (4.7x2x0.5) and won't fit an iPhone 5s w/o case. Also if you use the plugs in the compartment you have to leave it open and either on it's side/upside down making access to the top controls difficult. It looks like this is to store a very small wallet/money clip or license/credit cards/cash and not a phone or ipod.
The USB plugs are out only and used to charge, not play the device. So if you want to plug in your phone to charge you will have to also use the .8mm jack or Bluetooth in order to play (jack would be a problem, Bluetooth is fine)
The 2nd USB plug inside the compartment did not work to charge my phone, I assume this is just a defect in the model I received. I was unable to test the .8mm jacks since I don't have one and one was not provided. I'll assume they work and the function toggle turned off the Bluetooth so that seems to confirm it.
The outside USB charger works to charge but is not fast either with the speaker on battery or plugged in. It is probably just a little better than holding a charge while playing music or using your phone. My Pixel XL went from 66% to 72% in about 10-15 minutes while plugged in.
The speaker has a front/back speaker but only one of mine worked. I thought initially it was a stereo issue based on the music I was playing but I tried multiple sources for audio and it still only played through the one speaker. Again I'll assume this is isolated to the unit I received and not the way it is supposed to work. (I will contact the manufacturer about this issue and see how it is supposed to function. I will add/comment to this review with any update.)
Last issue is with the DC plug and only a minor compatibility issue and a suggestion for future models. The DC plug to charge the speaker is the small round type with a pin in the middle and not compatible with many other devices. It would be helpful if this was a micro-USB or USB-C, or Apple Lightning or other frequently used adapter type. The plug was provided so there's no issue using it, but it would be helpful if it was a type of plug/cord I already own in case of loss of damage.
The first thing I noticed is the compartment is very small, not large enough for most phones to keep inside (4.7x2x0.5) and won't fit an iPhone 5s w/o case. Also if you use the plugs in the compartment you have to leave it open and either on it's side/upside down making access to the top controls difficult. It looks like this is to store a very small wallet/money clip or license/credit cards/cash and not a phone or ipod.
The USB plugs are out only and used to charge, not play the device. So if you want to plug in your phone to charge you will have to also use the .8mm jack or Bluetooth in order to play (jack would be a problem, Bluetooth is fine)
The 2nd USB plug inside the compartment did not work to charge my phone, I assume this is just a defect in the model I received. I was unable to test the .8mm jacks since I don't have one and one was not provided. I'll assume they work and the function toggle turned off the Bluetooth so that seems to confirm it.
The outside USB charger works to charge but is not fast either with the speaker on battery or plugged in. It is probably just a little better than holding a charge while playing music or using your phone. My Pixel XL went from 66% to 72% in about 10-15 minutes while plugged in.
The speaker has a front/back speaker but only one of mine worked. I thought initially it was a stereo issue based on the music I was playing but I tried multiple sources for audio and it still only played through the one speaker. Again I'll assume this is isolated to the unit I received and not the way it is supposed to work. (I will contact the manufacturer about this issue and see how it is supposed to function. I will add/comment to this review with any update.)
Last issue is with the DC plug and only a minor compatibility issue and a suggestion for future models. The DC plug to charge the speaker is the small round type with a pin in the middle and not compatible with many other devices. It would be helpful if this was a micro-USB or USB-C, or Apple Lightning or other frequently used adapter type. The plug was provided so there's no issue using it, but it would be helpful if it was a type of plug/cord I already own in case of loss of damage.
All in all an okay speaker for sound quality, the compartment should be larger to handle a smart phone. The multiple plugs for charge/play are a nice feature but the plugs inside the compartment seem awkward to use.
StephenS
Kansas City
2 speakers
May 17, 2017
A helpful and thoughtful review, I agree it's pretty lackluster overall. One comment about the speakers though -- it does have two speakers but they aren't front/back, they are left/right on the front grill that has the "Lifeproof" on it. If you play a sound with distinct left/right channels, and don't have your playback device set to mono itself, you can hear the two channels separated left/right. Thanks!
+1point
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.
Take your tunes anywhere with this LifeProof AQUAPHONICS speaker. This floating waterproof device is submersible in up to 1m of water for 30 minutes, and it deflects damage from snow, ice and dirt. Pair this LifeProof AQUAPHONICS speaker with up to eight Bluetooth devices, and use the included dry box for storing keys and cards.
Overall
3 out of 5
3 out of 5Good idea, decent features, mediocre sound quality
By Chadwick
So I liked the idea of a waterproof speaker to use around the pool and my prior experiences with Lifeproof made this speaker a top contender. First the good:
1. The design aesthetic is very nice. Large, easy to use backlit buttons, built-in "handles" for ease of grabbing and moving around especially when holding other items, and rugged, all-weather look.
2. Lock-out switch for the buttons to keep prying hands (i.e. kids and annoying neighbors) from fiddling with the controls.
3. It's waterproof and it floats. I tried it by tossing in the pool and the speaker kept right on playing.
4. Long battery life means no need to be tethered to a power supply or risk running out of music before the party is over.
5. It has a power-out USB port so you can charge your phone/tablet/whatever if need be.
6. The dry box is a novelty for me as it's not large enough for a phone or wallet. Might come in handy if you're headed to a public place and want to stash a few bucks or a credit card in there.
7. Double sided speakers means you can set this thing down and not have to be concerned about getting the "front" facing a certain direction...less "dead spots" in the music.
1. The design aesthetic is very nice. Large, easy to use backlit buttons, built-in "handles" for ease of grabbing and moving around especially when holding other items, and rugged, all-weather look.
2. Lock-out switch for the buttons to keep prying hands (i.e. kids and annoying neighbors) from fiddling with the controls.
3. It's waterproof and it floats. I tried it by tossing in the pool and the speaker kept right on playing.
4. Long battery life means no need to be tethered to a power supply or risk running out of music before the party is over.
5. It has a power-out USB port so you can charge your phone/tablet/whatever if need be.
6. The dry box is a novelty for me as it's not large enough for a phone or wallet. Might come in handy if you're headed to a public place and want to stash a few bucks or a credit card in there.
7. Double sided speakers means you can set this thing down and not have to be concerned about getting the "front" facing a certain direction...less "dead spots" in the music.
Now the bad:
1. The sound quality is mediocre, at best. It can crank up fairly loud, but there is absolutely zero bottom end and the highs get muddy at higher volumes. Far below the sound quality from lesser-priced rivals in the portable speaker market.
1. The sound quality is mediocre, at best. It can crank up fairly loud, but there is absolutely zero bottom end and the highs get muddy at higher volumes. Far below the sound quality from lesser-priced rivals in the portable speaker market.
Although there seem to be many more pros than cons, the lack of decent sound quality far outweighs all those potential positives. Bottom line, if you are looking for a waterproof speaker that puts out some noise, this would be perfect. If you care at all about making that noise sound like music, look elsewhere.
StephenS
Kansas City
Not double-sided speakers
May 17, 2017
Hello. Just wanted to point out that the speaker does have two speakers but they are positioned for left/right stereo, not front/back both are behind the front speaker grill with "Lifeproof" on it. The other side, the rear, is a false-grill for consistent appearance but neither speaker driver outputs through that grill.
Good overall review though, thanks for it.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
StephenS's Questions
StephenS has not submitted any questions.
StephenS's Answers
Play games or program tech solutions on the wide 23-inch screen of this HP LED HD monitor. The antiglare flatscreen offers views from any angle, and the 1920 x 1080 display offers super-sharp images. This HP LED HD monitor has HDMI and VGA inputs, letting you connect a variety of peripherals and devices.
Is this compatibil with dell desktop
Hi Bob, it's compatible with anything that uses either VGA or HDMI. It will even work with a computer that has DVI connector, but you'll need to have an adapter that converts DVI to either VGA or HDMI. Hope that helps, thanks!
7 years, 6 months ago
by
StephenS
Only at Best BuyChoose this HP Spectre 13 notebook for its crisp 1080p display and 13.3-inch screen. It comes with a sixth-generation Intel processor and 8GB of onboard RAM for efficient multitasking, and its solid state drive ensure that programs load quickly. The slim design on this HP Spectre 13 notebook provide enhanced versatility.
How much drive space is available for the 256GB SSD?
After first booting mine up out of the box it showed 201GB of available space.
7 years, 11 months ago
by
StephenS
This Dynex™ DX-10MC cable features charge-and-sync capability, allowing you to power and transfer media stored on your micro USB-enabled device. The 3' cable length gives flexible placement options.
Transferring files
Would this be able to work for my Dell Venue 8 Pro tablet to be able to transfer files to the desktop computer?
Unless you have a bad cable, yes. I use these cables all the time for both power and data.
8 years, 1 month ago
by
StephenS
This Dynex™ DX-10MC cable features charge-and-sync capability, allowing you to power and transfer media stored on your micro USB-enabled device. The 3' cable length gives flexible placement options.
Transferring Data
Will this cable allow me to transfer pictures from my cell phone, to my PC? My cable only lets me charge, and I need a better way to get my Pics from my phone to my computer, than trying to send them in Emails.
I use these cables to charge and transfer data from several Android devices and they do it just fine. You might want to make sure though that your device is not set to "charge only", which is an option for some devices. If your device is set to "charge only" then it won't transfer data no matter what cable you're using. I don't know if your device has that mode or not so I'm just mentioning it as something to consider and at least check.
8 years, 1 month ago
by
StephenS
This Dynex™ DX-10MC cable features charge-and-sync capability, allowing you to power and transfer media stored on your micro USB-enabled device. The 3' cable length gives flexible placement options.
Transferring files
Would this be able to work for my Dell Venue 8 Pro tablet to be able to transfer files to the desktop computer?
I have had no issues charging and syncing my own Venue 8 with this line of cables so unless you get a bad cable it should work just fine.
8 years, 1 month ago
by
StephenS