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  • Review count
    155
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    64
  • First review
    April 26, 2014
  • Last review
    March 26, 2024
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gwtbike's Reviews
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Great for the Money!
on March 26, 2024
Posted by: gwtbike
These earbuds provide great sound quality and a comfortable and secure fit at a very decent price.

In terms of comfort, these are extremely comfortable with a small earbud that sits nicely inside the ear with no pressure at all, at least in my ears. I’ve been able to listen with these for hours on end with no ear fatigue. I’m a huge fan of how these fit. They also include multiple sizes of eartips to customize the fit to your liking.
I’ve always liked the sound quality from Jabra earbuds and these don’t disappoint providing very decent sound quality for the money with a balanced, crisp, and very clean sound profile. They have a customizable EQ where you can manually adjust the sound profile to your liking. They also have presets to enhance voices, bass, as well as treble. I tend to like their “Energize” preset which elevates both bass and treble while lowering the mid range.
These earbuds also can get quite loud and they still sound quite good at higher volumes. Some earbuds can have distortion at higher volumes but these stay clean throughout where the low end doesn’t sound muddled. Great for all of us who like to listen at higher volumes.
Noise cancellation is decent - seems to do a good job in most environments eliminating voices, white noise, as well as traffic. It doesn’t do well with louder sounds though.
The “Hearthrough” transparency mode…while it works, it also sounds a bit fake and synthetic. They allow you to adjust the level of transparency which I very much appreciate but don’t find it to sound natural.
Each earbud has a button on the outside where you can play, pause, skip tracks, and answer/decline calls. The amount of pressure is just right on the buttons where with each press, it doesn’t feel like you’re pushing the earbud further into your ear but not too soft where you experience accidental presses. The placement is also ideal where you can find the button easily.
When it comes to using these for sports, these were secure enough for me for running and the gym but they can shift with more jarring activities. They also don’t have the highest water resistance rating so that’s something to be aware of if you’re a heavy sweater. They’re “active” series of earbuds may be a better option if you do a lot of sports.
There’s no shortage of earbuds to choose from these days but these earbuds strike a nice balance in terms of features, quality, and price.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Host high-quality watch parties on a bigger screen that everyone can enjoy. The Insignia NS-PC5CH6B24 6’ 8K Ultra HD USB-C to HDMI 2.1 Braided Cable extends or mirrors the screen of your USB-C laptop, tablet, smartphone and more to an HDMI-capable display. Compatible with Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, iPadOS, iOS and Android systems, the 6 ft. cable transmits reliable video and audio signals for an unmatched viewing experience. In addition, it supports resolutions of up to 8K @ 60 Hz, allowing you to watch movies, videos and more with a quality image that will further impress your viewers. Share your display to comfortably view your favorite shows and movies on a full-size screen.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Superb Quality!
on March 26, 2024
Posted by: gwtbike
Superb Quality!
This high quality cable has been an incredibly versatile solution not only for connecting my computer to a monitor but also comes in handy to connect my iPad to my TV.
The quality of this cable is top notch with very solid plugs on each end protected by rubber gaskets at the cable connection which prevents potential damage.
The cable itself took me by surprise being a very high quality, braided cable. In combination with the sturdy plugs and connectors, I have no worries regarding durability.
It was plug and play using it with my MacBook Pro and Samsung monitor as well as my iPad Pro to my Sony TV outputting a 4K/60 stream. It’s supposed to support resolutions all the way up to 8K which I couldn’t test but I appreciate that it should be future-proof whenever I get an 8K TV. It appears they also have a non-8K version for $7 less but just spring for this 8K version which makes it worry-proof for the future.
My only complaint is that the HDMI plug is very long making it stick out quite a bit from the monitor or TV.
For the money, this is a fantastic, versatile, high-quality cable!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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5 out of 5
5
Clean Design, Easy Setup, Great Picture Quality
on December 16, 2023
Posted by: gwtbike
The picture quality from this monitor is outstanding with a very crisp image with plenty of contrast, vibrant colors, and deep blacks. The 100Hz refresh rate works great for everyday use as well as gaming where I found it to be a solid performer with a smooth and responsive gaming experience.
This monitor can also be viewed quite easily at off angles where you can easily see from 30+ degrees off center and there’s little to no glare from the glass.
The monitor has a tilt adjustment where you can angle it to about 20 degrees upward to about negative 5-10 degrees downward. There isn't height adjustment but I don’t think that’s something that’s typical seen at this budget price.
The borderless design on 3 sides makes it super clean where there’s no big bezel on the top or sides. The bottom has a bezel with the LG logo but they kept the logo subdued with a darker grey color so it’s not distracting at all.
Setup was easy where all I had to do was attach the arm to the base with a thumb screw and then the arm just snaps into place on the monitor. Plug in the power, HDMI cable or VGA, turn it on and it automatically detected my computer.
Overall, a very solid-performing monitor for the money!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Whether you are on the go or at home, make messy cables a thing of the past. Best Buy essentials BE-MWCHG24 Portable Apple MagSafe & Watch Charger Organizer protects and stores your cable while you enjoy wireless charging. You can easily integrate your Apple MagSafe and Watch chargers into the organizer, keeping them securely in place while folding the organizer. Store the excess charging cable to reduce clutter and keep your workspace tidy. Durable silicone protects chargers from drops of up to 3.94 ft. (1.2 m). This organizer not only enhances the durability of the cable—it also adds a touch of style and elegance to your charging setup. Keep things neat with this silicone charger organizer that’s backed by Best Buy.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Not just for traveling!
on December 5, 2023
Posted by: gwtbike
This charging case was initially appealing to me as a solution to keep my cables tidy while traveling but I can even use it as a desk or nightstand charging station at home. It’s incredibly versatile.
To keep cables tidy, all you have to do is just insert the magnetic portion of each charger into its slot and then wrap the cable inside the case. The USB-C (or USB-A) portion of the charging cable just tucks in and stays in place. Super simple and it just works.
But the other advantage to this case is that it’s also a functional and good-looking charging station where I can use it on my desk or nightstand whether that’s at home or on the road.
It may not be apparent looking at the photos is that this isn’t made of hard plastic - rather it’s made of a silicone/rubber material so it’s flexible. I wasn’t necessarily expecting this but actually have come to like it as something plastic could get scratched easier if it were tossed in a backpack with other objects.
The only thing I noticed was that it may require you to detach one side of your watch band to have a secure charging contact depending on your band and how it angles off the watch case. With the Series 9 shown in the photo with the sport loop, the angle of the band made it so it didn’t fit completely flat on the charger but another photo shows the Ultra with the trail loop and that works just fine.
It’s a great little solution for cable organization at a great price!
I would recommend this to a friend!
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
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Enhance your smart home security with the Essential Indoor Camera. It has an Automated Privacy Shield that is designed to protect your privacy by giving you the control to open or close it from the Arlo Secure App. You can also view details with crystal-clear video in 2K resolution and you don’t need to turn on the light to check in on your home, kids, and pets with Night Vision. If you see something suspicious, you can use the Integrated Siren to ward off intruders. Zoom in 12X to see details, receive notifications, and watch live video on your phone when motion is detected. The Essential Indoor Camera sets up in minutes by connecting directly to Wi-Fi via the app. An Arlo Secure plan trial is included. After trial, a paid plan is required to keep premium features like 30 days of video cloud storage, People, Package, Vehicle Detection, 24/7 Emergency Response, and more.¹
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Amazing image quality with a confusing app
on November 15, 2023
Posted by: gwtbike
Summary: A small, inexpensive, and powerful indoor camera with great image quality, the convenience of USB C, but a disorganized new app.
I’ve been using Arlo cameras for over 5 years and am heavily invested in the ecosystem with multiple wireless cameras outside and was looking for an indoor addition. I wanted something small, with good image quality, and also wired so I wouldn’t have to worry about recharging batteries and this fits the bill.
The image quality from the 2K camera is astoundingly good - there’s really no need for 4K where there’s tons of detail. It also handles low light situations very well and the night vision mode is crazy-good where you can easily make out facial details even in a completely dark room.
Motion detection is also very good where you can have it set to be extremely sensitive where it will detect even tiny changes in light. You can set it to be much less sensitive too where it only detects larger movements like humans or animals moving across the frame. I set the detection sensitivity to around 30-40% to prevent an over abundance of alerts for non-important events.
The camera is mounted on a small base so it can be easily placed in smaller locations. The angle of the camera is also adjustable and it comes with a baseplate that can be screwed into a wall for a more permanent fixture.
The camera has a built-in power cable with the other end being USB C so you don’t have to use a proprietary wall plug but they do actually provide a USB C wall plug which is nice.
If you’re an existing Arlo owner, the new app will take some getting used to and I certainly prefer the previous app. You will be forced to update to the new app to use this camera. The main issue is that settings are strewn about the app in illogical places. There are settings such video and audio identification settings for individual cameras such as motion alerts and audio alerts that are located in your “Home” settings under your profile, not in the individual camera settings that are accessed by tapping on the camera in your device list tab. And as a mother reviewer noted, the setting to turn off the indicator LED is hard to find (it’s in Device Settings, tap on the camera name, and it’s in Device info).
I found connecting to the live camera feed to be intermittent. Sometimes it connects instantly and sometimes it doesn’t connect at all. When I first started writing this review it wouldn’t connect, now that I’m wrapping up this review a day later it’s connecting just fine. I had similar issues with some of my wireless cameras initially but don’t experience those issues anymore, so it could be resolved with an software update.
For the price, it’s a fantastic addition to an existing Arlo system and thankfully most of the frustrations can likely be resolved with app and software updates.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Don’t let power surges damage your valuable electronics. Protect connected devices with the Best Buy essentials BE-H206 6-Outlet 1,080 Joules Surge Protector. Its 1,080-joule rating helps keep equipment in your home or office safe from harmful power surges. Safely connect up to six wall chargers at the same time. The 2 ft. power cord offers flexible placement options, and an LED indicator shows when your surge protector is on. This Best Buy essentials Surge Protector is just what you need to keep your connected electronics safe.
 
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Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Great price and does the job!
on November 7, 2023
Posted by: gwtbike
This is a simple and effective surge protector that does exactly what it needs to do providing additional outlets as well as surge protection at a great price.
The outlets themselves on the surge protector portion are on top of each other vs side-by-side which allows for multiple wider plugs to be used at the same time. For instance you could use most USB adaptors at the same time without any issues. The outlet orientation doesn’t necessarily allow for “brick” style plugs to be used though but you can get super short extension cords that can solve this issue for each plug.
The surge protector also has mounting holes on the back so you can mount it to a wall both vertically as well as horizontally.
The cord is about 26 inches long so It’s long enough that the main portion will sit flat on the ground when plugged into an outlet. Just note that the plug that goes into the wall isn't a flat mount plug.
If you’re looking for an inexpensive surge protector, not sure how you could go wrong!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a versatile laptop for creativity and entertainment, combining cutting-edge design with incredible performance to power the most demanding apps.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
A Great Update…Except 1 Small Thing
on November 3, 2023
Posted by: gwtbike
Having used the original Surface Laptop Studio for well over a year I was very excited to check out this new update. The original Surface Laptop Studio is easily THE best PC laptop I’ve ever used. For some perspective, I primarily use a Mac but use PCs about 1/3rd of the time and I actually prefer to use this while traveling due to its versatility. It’s a great on-the-go content creation tool for writing, photo editing, as well as video editing.
Here’s what I love about the Surface Laptop Studio (both the original as well as this second gen):
- Versatility: That’s really what it’s all about. I use it as a laptop primarily but having the ability to use it as a tablet is the reason I use this on the road where I only have to bring one device that can serve double duty as a tablet. In fact triple duty with the stage mode which I find to be useful while on an airplane.
- Touchscreen: A very predictable touchscreen where taps and swipes all work well and it has a great deal of precision.
- Touchpad: The touchpad on the MacBook Pro is easily the best on the market. Having used numerous PCs over the years there’s nothing that comes close…except for this one. It’s predictable, all taps and touches are smooth, and it just works.
- Surface Pen: Super useful in tablet mode where it can automatically transcribe my handwriting into text with OneNote and it does it with quite good accuracy, especially considering my handwriting resembles abstract art. Also being able to sketch out ideas or diagrams adds a lot more context to my notes. I just wish that it came with the Laptop Studio and wasn't an additional accessory.
- Build quality: Incredibly solid all around from the hinges, the ports, keyboard, trackpad, etc…
- Amazing display: the 120hz display is phenomenal. It gets quite bright, colors pop, there’s tons of contrast, and you can view it easily from off-angles.
- Battery Life: I’m usually able to get around 8 hours or so of use as long as I am not doing continuous, heavy video editing tasks where that can drop it by about 10-15%.
Here’s what I love about the updates with the second gen:
- More Ports! There’s now an additional USB-A port as well as a micro-SD slot which provides more flexibility with accessories.
- Faster: With a new processor I can tell that it’s notably faster than the previous generation (with similar memory). The previous generation was already a solid performer for me when it came to my video editing tasks where it can handle 4K footage well in Premiere Pro with very little lag while scrubbing the timeline and exports were also reasonable. With this new update the performance is even better. Not earth-shattering but certainly noticeable.
Here’s what I’m not so in love with:
- It’s slightly bigger and slightly heavier than the previous generation. That was one of the reasons I really liked the Surface Laptop Studio in the first place was that it had tons of versatility while being somewhat svelte for what it offered. This new version is a bit thicker where it feels more laptop-sized now. The weight probably won’t be super noticeable though unless you’re comparing it directly to the original.
- The micro-SD card slot: I’m not sure where to start with this. While I appreciate the added slot which can be helpful for a content creator like myself, I find the choice of micro SD card slot vs a normal SD card slot to be BEYOND confusing. This makes it really only useable for content captured on action cameras and drones and leaves all of us with mirrorless cameras looking for yet another dongle. Who actually made this decision?! The only reason I can come up with is that they’ll include it with the 3rd gen Laptop Studio which would make it a reason to upgrade.
There are so many great things going for this convertible laptop like the incredible touchscreen display, the fantastic touchpad, the versatility in different configurations, as well as the build quality which is top-notch. But it’s hard to ignore the lack of a full-size SD card slot which makes it much less usable for a creator on the go.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Enjoy the vibrant sound of vinyl records with the Victrola Hi-Res Onyx turntable. Go wireless with the best-in-class aptX Adaptive Bluetooth connectivity or wired with switchable preamp standard RCA outs (RCA cables included), allowing you to listen to your favorite records with stunning clarity. The sleek aesthetic, simple setup, and quality construction result from a purpose-built design focused on the listener experience. The Hi-Res Onyx includes an Audio Technica AT -VM95E cartridge, metal components, and an aluminum tonearm featuring a custom-designed, removable headshell. With the Victrola Hi-Res Onyx, you can effortlessly lower the tonearm and enjoy listening to your records with exceptional quality; Connect wirelessly to any Bluetooth oraptX enabled speakers ,headphones, or wired to your favorite amplifier or powered speakers.
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Stunning looks with modern conveniences
on October 28, 2023
Posted by: gwtbike
I’ve been looking to revive my dad’s record collection that’s been sitting in a basement for years and this stylish turntable with modern conveniences helped put them to good use.
First off the looks - it’s an absolute stunner with a super clean, modern design that blends in perfectly with other modern components. The construction is also fantastic where the player itself is robust and it’s easy to tell that it's high quality.
This turntable has both analog outputs (RCA) as well as bluetooth, offering flexible connectivity options but I was particularly interested in bluetooth connectivity with both headphones as well as speakers. Pairing is an easy process of toggling the player into Bluetooth mode with a single press of the control button and then placing your bluetooth headphone/speaker of choice into pairing mode. I tried this with a pair of Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones, Jabra Elite earbuds, a UE handheld speaker, and others. All worked great.
It doesn't have volume adjustment on the turntable itself but you will be able to adjust the volume if your bluetooth headphone or speaker has those controls. Another review I saw mentioned that they could not adjust volume but that was not the case in my testing with numerous devices - I was able to adjust volume on the paired bluetooth device.
The player will also remember your previously paired devices so all you have to do is turn on the player, turn on your headphones or speaker, and start playing after the initial pairing. However, what I discovered is that if you unplug your player it will forget the previously paired devices and you'll have to do the pairing process again. A minor thing that likely won’t come up but thought I’d mention it.
I found the sound quality to be absolutely excellent when used with either bluetooth devices or the analog outputs. As expected, the higher the quality of your speakers the better, where with a pair of Sony WH-1000XM3s and Definitive Technology speakers I was able to hear all the subtle nuances that you come to expect. Couldn’t be happier with the sound it delivers.
Setup was straight forward for the most part where you’ll place the platter down on the turntable, stretch the belt over the motor spindle, place the slipmat on top, insert the cartridge and counterweight and you’re basically ready to go. One note though is that the setup video on their website skips over the step of actually stretching the belt over the motor spindle - it mentions the silk thread used to do this but doesn’t actually demonstrate the procedure so if you’re following the video for exact instructions, that portion isn’t shown however it is shown in the quick start guide pamphlet.
The tonearm lift lever provides a smooth operation allowing you gently raise/lower the cartridge onto your records but I found it to be positioned a bit too close to the tonearm itself where I found I needed to be careful not to touch the tonearm itself while using the lever.
The cover for the entire unit while not in use feels out of place for this price tag. It’s a simple, black plastic cover that’s molded to fit over the components but it simply doesn’t match the elegance of the player itself. I actually like the fact that it’s not a hinged lid like what’s found on most players (so that I could place it inside a shelf and still use it) but would have loved something that matched the aesthetic better.
One last thing I wanted to mention is that when you first plug it in, it seems to take a few minutes to “boot up” before you can actually turn on the unit. So give it 2-3 minutes after first plugging it in before pressing the control button to power it on (it turns on immediately with a short press of the control button as long as it remains plugged in).
Overall I’m very happy with this turntable. The quality is fantastic. I also love the aesthetic with exception to the dust cover. It’s a fantastic blend of old school and new school.
I would recommend this to a friend!
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
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Meet the Google Pixel Watch 2 (Wi-Fi), engineered by Google with the best of Fitbit.¹ Understand your health and fitness with Fitbit’s most accurate heart rate tracking.² See the best of Google at a glance, including Gmail and Calendar, and get peace of mind from personal safety features.³ And keep going with even longer battery life.⁴ Works with most phones running on Android 9.0 or newer.⁵
 
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Best Android Fitness Smartwatch (needs to larger)
on October 17, 2023
Posted by: gwtbike
I've tried Samsung watches, Garmins, Amazfits, and Ticwatches and this is by far the best blend of smartwatch features and fitness features out of the bunch...but I wish they would offer a larger size option.
Being a Pixel 7 Pro owner, the Pixel Watch offers the best smartwatch experience where it runs WearOS 4 and has all the tight smartwatch/smartphone integration where I can use Google Assistant, send texts, use voice dictation, take calls using the microphone and speaker (via my phone since I have a wifi version), there’s Google Maps integration, and countless other features that make sense for a Google Pixel phone user to take full advantage of the ecosystem.
And being in to health and fitness, having Fitbit functionality built in is amazing where I can track my steps, calories, and workouts - and it’s nice that it’s actually a part of the watch and not just like an add-on. I've had Fitbits and they always lacked on the smartwatch side of things - this is completely different where you get the best of both worlds.
I also love the look - it’s smooth, sleek, and looks different than many other smartwatches out there. I just wish it was larger. I had high hopes for Google coming out with a larger size this year with their second version since I have a 7 inch wrist. It’s comfortable but just would love something more appropriate for my wrist size.
Even so it's still the best option for an Android phone owner for a fitness smartwatch as long as you are OK with the size and charging your watch every day.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Don’t let your device’s battery die as you work throughout the day. The Insignia NS-MW3130C1W24 30W Foldable Compact USB-C Wall Charger for iPhone 15/14/13/12 SERIES, Samsung Smartphones, Tablets and More has a 30-watt output to quickly charge all your UCB-C devices. Its compact and durable body with a foldable plug easily fits into a purse or pocket, ready for when you need it. Finally, a simple white design pairs well with your other accessories. Keep your devices working as hard as you do with this easy-to-carry charger.
 
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5 out of 5
5
More power for less money
on October 12, 2023
Posted by: gwtbike
Now that I transitioned to an iPhone 15 and AirPods Pro with USB C (or maybe now that Apple finally transitioned away from Lightning), I can finally ditch those lightning cables and carry around just one cable around to charge both my phone and my earbuds but also be able to charge other devices I have that use USB C.
The new iPhone 15s and AirPods Pro don’t come with a power adaptor though - only the cable and that's where this was perfect for me.
The official charging block costs just a bit more than this Insignia power adaptor but the official one only provides 20 watts where this Insignia provides a bit more with 30 watts. We all want faster charging so this is a great thing.
When it comes to convenience, it’s also slightly smaller than the official charging adaptor and it’s also foldable and you can actually put it in your pocket to bring with you.
Not really sure how you could wrong - it's a great power adaptor that does exactly what it's supposed to do with more power at a slightly cheaper price.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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