Turn up the energy with BRAVIA Theater System 6 all-in-one 5.1ch system. Featuring 10 total speakers, including a subwoofer and rear speakers, and with support for Dolby Atmos® and DTS:X®, movies will explode with powerful, immersive surround sound. Ready to entertain? Energize your next party with room-filling multi-stereo sound.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
In the Box: The system arrived in an odd-looking, unwieldy, connected pair of boxes, with a fat/squat cubed box containing the 25lb subwoofer adjoined to a tall box containing the soundbar, amp, rear speakers, power cords, cabling, & remote. The FedEx driver had a heckuva time getting it off the truck & up to the driveway ‘til I rushed out to help her. Packaging: To our delight, all the minimalist matte black components were logically arranged & expertly packed in a tight array of dedicated, formfitting, recessed molds to keep each piece locked down in transit. Kudos to Sony for their attention to detail in designing custom shipping materials ensuring every system component arrives in pristine condition. Sony immediately validates their customers for choosing quality. Installation/Setup: I scanned the QR code to D/L the Bravia Connect app from the Google Play store. I followed the simple paint-by-number instructions for setup, operation & initial settings config. Using the incl. cables, I connected the TV to the subwoofer & the subwoofer to the soundbar. (A wireless signal is then sent to the rear amp to which the L&R rear speakers are wired.) The app eventually confirmed the system had properly read our TV via HDMI/eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) & we were able to control power & volume w/our TV’s remote. After pairing, the app guided us thru the process of customizing the surround sound (‘SS’) system to fit our unique home environment, incl. our seated listening position relative to the speakers & our listening preferences. It was as close to ‘plug & play’ as we’ve seen w/an SS setup. Taking a relaxed, methodical approach, it took just a ½-hr from box opening to install. At the end of the process, the app confirmed our speaker system setup had been completed.
App: The app offers deeper settings control than the system’s dedicated remote; so, we connect via the app to rebalance components or finetune settings. Speaker Test: We performed a speaker check using the Test Tone app feature. The app displays & highlights each individual speaker image as it emits an audible synchronized hiss until every speaker has been tested & the full loop is complete. Speaker Positioning/Volume Level Settings: Our setup didn’t require any tools other than a tape measure to check the distance between the sofa & subwoofer & soundbar, & the distance between the sofa & rear speakers. We entered this data in the pulldown menus w/in the Sound Sub-Settings. This data helps optimize the system’s performance when SS is enabled via the default Sound Field setting for max listening enjoyment. The volume level settings for the subwoofer & L&R rear speakers are adjustable (Presets can be adjusted from -6dB to +6dB). We leave these settings at a neutral 0dB for all our OTA TV channels. Sound Field Setting: You can toggle among 3 different Sound Field Types or Virtual Surround Modes, incl.: Sony’s own Vertical Surround Engine, Dolby’s Speaker Virtualizer, & DTS’s Neural:X. Sony’s engine allows the soundbar to ‘position’ sound in vertical space so we can experience virtual 3D audio, ostensibly w/o need for ceiling or up-firing speakers. We liked all 3 ‘virtualizers’ but gave the edge to Sony. To our ears it seemed to offer more pronounced vertical sound placement ‘images’ that add ‘height’ channels to the traditional SS format. Sony uses 360 Spatial Sound Mapping which they combine w/Sound Field Optimization to provide listeners w/optimal sound immersion, surrounding them from all directions, incl. from above. DSEE: You can toggle on/off the Digital Sound Enhancement Engine. Audio info is often lost in the higher frequencies in file compression. But Sony’s DSEE tech analyzes compressed audio files & uses algorithms/AI to recreate this missing info. This restoration is meant to bring the sound closer to high-res audio & contribute to a richer, more natural sound. Audio DRC: This tech compresses the dynamic range of Dolby True HD encoded audio signals so we can hear soft sounds & dialogue more easily. We’ve toggled this on at times to try & avoid resorting to closed captioning. A/V Sync: Depending on the streaming source, we’ve occasionally noticed some separation. You can delay audio to reduce audio-visual mismatch w/a slider that offers a 0-to-120-millisecond delay. We’ve played w/this slider to try & compensate. Advanced Auto Volume: Sony’s tech minimizes volume changes due to changing input signals w/the aim of creating a more consistent listening experience & preventing abrupt changes in volume. It specifically considers the center channel, which often carries dialogue, to make more accurate adjustments. We keep this feature toggled on to prevent loud volume shocks at the start of commercial breaks. Bass: The dedicated subwoofer offers a deep, impactful bass that can reverberate under your feet w/great intensity or be minimized to simply balance out your overall audio’s mids & highs w/o drawing attention to the bass at all. Voice/Dialogue: If you’re being forced to use headphones or earbuds or enable closed captioning because the dialogue is being trampled by an overbearing soundtrack or the studio has cut corners on audio capture or sound engineering, then you can lower the bass & enhance the dedicated center speaker’s voice channel w/Voice Mode via the app or remote. This enhances vocal clarity by boosting mid-range frequencies for clearer voice reproduction in dialogue-heavy scenes. Sony’s unique Sound Optimizer Signal Processing Tech suppresses distortion & lets each speaker produce voice & treble simultaneously w/little-to-no distortion for clearer dialogue. Multi-Stereo Mode: This setting plays the same full audio from all speakers simultaneously. It provides a consistent room-filling sound throughout the space & is appropriate for background music, easy listening, social gatherings, & parties. Night Mode: This mode provides subtle boosts in soft sounds at lower volumes, enhancing dialogue clarity, while lowering the intensity of louder sounds like booms & crashes. It allows late-night TV watching w/o disturbing other family members. Upmixer: Sony’s unique upmixer can upgrade the playback of you older or lower quality content if it wasn’t recorded in Dolby Atmos or DTS:X. This tech restores acoustic details using algorithms/AI to help produce a richer 3D sound closer to what you would enjoy w/content recorded in today’s premium formats. Test Drive: We 1st tested the System 6 by playing a few YouTube 5.1 Dolby Atmos demo clips. Then we streamed a few favs on Pandora (you can also stream music via BT from your phone), watched a few scenes from our favorite movies on Blu-ray, & streamed a few movie scenes on Netflix.
Power Cord Length: Both the subwoofer power cord & the rear speaker amp should be at least 1ft longer. With our newer model 77” OLED TV all connecting ports are on the back L side. I had to rearrange everything above & below my TV stand/media console just to make this setup work w/only 1” of cord to spare. Audio Volume Indicator: The small unobtrusive numerical volume indicator that used to appear on my TV screen when I increased/decreased the volume via my TV’s remote control has disappeared ever since I installed the Theatre System 6 & initialized the Sony Bravia Connect app. Now, this volume indicator is displayed only in the app. But I don’t want to access the app screen in the dark just to see the volume setting. I’ve checked my TV settings & manual & there’s no option to reenable the numerical volume display on my TV screen w/this new setup. Can Sony remedy this w/an update? Clunky Firmware Updates: After the Bravia Connect app confirmed it had the latest software v. installed, I visited Sony’s website to D/L a pdf instruction manual & discovered the new Sony speaker system needed a new firmware update. Unfortunately, this speaker system isn’t equipped w/Wi-Fi or an ethernet port; so, the update had to be performed manually, using my laptop & a USB drive. This is a bit archaic compared to my other home theater components which offer direct internet connectivity. I can D/L firmware updates to our spare 11-yr.-old Sony Bravia 4k TV & our 7-yr.-old Sony 4k Ultra Blu-ray Player, as both devices are equipped w/ethernet ports. But w/this new speaker system, I’m forced to jump thru some rather convoluted instructions & annoying hoops to update the firmware which was anything but a smooth process.
Overall: I assumed this rather compact mid-tier SS system would improve our movie viewing-enjoyment, but I didn’t think it would make THAT BIG of a difference. As it turns out, I underestimated the impact & power of 3D SS tech combined w/rear speakers & the technical prowess of Sony/Dolby Atmos to deliver it. I won’t say it’s like switching from B&W to color TV but the difference in sound does rise to the level of ‘gamechanger’ in terms of the overall immersive experience. This system provides a ‘you are there’ feeling of authenticity & reality as it places you at the center of the storyteller’s cinematic journey. I’ve been a lifelong fan of Sony’s patented sound processing techs. This well-balanced system provides a theater-like experience w/its 10 total speakers (incl. dedicated tweeters) & delivers quality spatial audio. And it doesn’t hurt that all this tech comes in a beautiful, understated, compact, well-engineered, classic Sony quality build. We’ve always looked forward to movie nights, & now, even more so. You don’t have to spend a fortune on complex, expensive hardware anymore to realize the sound you get w/this compact SS system. Best of all, you can easily & quickly install this simple, compact system all by yourself.
Only from Roomba, the 205 DustCompactor Vac Robot raises the cleaning bar with the industry's first-ever mechanical debris compactor right onboard. Dirt and dust are suctioned up, continuously compacted, and contained inside the robot for up to 60 days at a time. The 3-stage Vacuuming System combines 70X more* power-lifting suction, a rubber brush that grabs all kinds of debris from crumbs in the kitchen to sandy footprints in the entry, and a corner brush that reaches into tight spaces and pulls up dust-bunnies wherever they gather. ClearView LiDAR ensures fast mapping, navigation & complete room coverage, while safely avoiding obstacles. With its first-of-a-kind mechanical compacting system, there's no need for a separate self-emptying dock to clutter up your beautiful floors.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
We’ve had an iRobot Roomba i3+ for a few years now & we’ve been happy with it. Other than basic maintenance & occasionally replacing the sweeper brush, it’s been a reliable unit. But we needed another robot vac for a smaller space; so this 205, sans the large disposal bin looked like a good choice.
Initial setup was simple. After removing all the stickers & foam, we downloaded the new Roomba Home App. One of the first things we discovered is that the new app doesn’t work with our older Roomba i3+ vac, nor does the older iRobot Classic App work with the new Roomba 205 vac. So, we need a dedicated app downloaded to our phone for each Roomba vac. Anyway, the new 205 vac paired quickly with the new App, which was an improvement right off the bat, as the old App sometimes has trouble connecting w/the older i3+. There are no instructions in the box, so I don’t think we would ship this to my elderly parents to set up on their own. They’re old school & probably wouldn’t find the minimalistic pictures printed on the box, directing them to scan a QR code for the App, to be terribly helpful. We’d like to see iRobot begin including a manual with setup & operating instructions for older customers as the elderly are a growing market for robot vacs.
The LiDAR technology feature is a big improvement. After an initial mapping, the first cleaning run was comprehensive, & the path of overall navigation was more efficient than the older i3+. The new 205 cleans our hardwood floors well, even if the suction power appears to be about the same as the i3+. But it doesn’t seem to clean the corners of the room quite as thoroughly as we’d hoped. Thankfully, its low profile does allow the vac to slip under some of the furniture & cabinets, & it hasn’t gotten stuck on anything like our other robot vacs have in the past. It’s also noticeably quieter than our previous robot vacs. After using it for a week, I checked the large dust collection bin, & the compactor is doing a good job so far. The only downside with this 205 is that it doesn’t include the mopping feature that many of the other new models have, which is a disappointment at this price point.
Overall, this is a good choice as a space saving robot vac. I don’t think it’s the best choice for carpet, but it does a solid job on our hardwood floors. There’s room for improvement on corner cleaning, but I look forward to the time I’ll save by not having to empty the debris cup after each cleaning.
Samsung's 27" S3 FHD 100Hz Curved Monitor with Speakers provides an immersive viewing experience. The 1800R Curved Screen enhances depth perception and minimizes peripheral distractions, enabling greater focus. The 100Hz Refresh Rate reduces lag and motion blur when playing games, watching videos, or working on creative projects. Game Mode with optimizable settings allows color and image contrast to be instantly adjusted, filling the screen with every detail in view. Built-in Speakers free up desk space, minimize connections, and create a more efficient working environment for listening with ease. Eye Saver Mode with TÜV-certified eye comfort technology reduces irritating screen flicker and minimizes excessive blue light, even during long sessions. Multiple Connectivity enables devices to be plugged straight into the monitor for a more convenient computing environment.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
INITIAL IMPRESSION: I selected this 27” S3 curved model to replace my existing 27” flat screen display for my primary home office desktop PC. While I was immediately impressed with the vivid display, I soon realized that the curved design wasn’t the best fit for my particular home office setup. Even after using it for a full week, I haven’t acclimated to the curved design when using my standard MS Office suite of apps, including when writing, reading, & editing Word docs, building & editing Excel spreadsheets, & reading & writing emails in Outlook. So, I decided to pair this new monitor with another PC that we use primarily for entertainment, media, video editing, & gaming.
STAND: Some of the things that I’m not crazy about include the stand. The light plastic stand has an awkward 3-legged base with a rear center leg that extends away from the user, in the 12 o’clock position, towards the back of my desk & touching the wall behind my desk. The stand’s poor design effectively shoves the monitor forward towards the center of my desk so that, rather than allowing the monitor to be pushed back as far as possible & almost flush w/the wall behind it, the monitor instead protrudes about 7” away from the rear wall towards the user. This reduces the minimum required distance between my eyes & the front of the display screen, bringing the monitor 3” closer to my face than my previous 27” flat panel monitor. Unfortunately, the stand’s limited tilt adjustment doesn’t allow me to resolve the reduced separation, resulting in immediate & sustained eye strain. Thus, I made the decision to move this monitor to a deeper desk where I can realize more distance between the curved display & my eyes. This is something to keep in mind if you have a shallow desk like mine, w/a depth of only 24”. Admittedly, if my home office desk dimensions included a minimum 30” depth, then this complaint would be a non-issue.
ON/OFF: I don’t like that I can’t just press the power button to turn off the monitor & leave my desk. Instead, I’m required to press the universal control button on the backside of the monitor at bottom right, toggle to the power icon, & then press the button again to power off the display. On the upside, I do like the toggle for accessing the menu of display adjustments.
SPEAKERS: If I didn’t already have external speakers, I suppose the super-tinny speakers might be better than nothing. But the resident speakers are so inadequate that perhaps Samsung should’ve invested in a more substantial, higher quality, flush-mount stand & just nixed the speakers altogether. Either the speakers should be enhanced or users should be made aware that they’ll need external PC speakers or headphones to experience quality audio output. DISPLAY: Now for the good stuff. Once I moved this monitor to my other PC, I was able to better enjoy the more immersive feel of the curved design. The 100Hz refresh rate vs. my previous 60Hz is a welcome upgrade. It’s most noticeable when gaming, but also slightly smoother when just moving the mouse around. I noticed less distortion around the edges, fewer artifacts, & less eye strain without jittery/jerky frames. The Game Mode feature is nice. It’s easily switched on/off with the universal toggle on the back. It also has an Eye Saver Mode. I didn’t care for the high or low options as they seemed to distort the color. Instead, I preferred to just manually fine-tune the color, brightness, & contrast. The FHD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution is adequate, but not impressive. I do like the black & gray bezel which blends nicely with my keyboard, mouse, & surrounding office furniture & accessories. Overall, this is a decent monitor for this price point. The curved design is conducive for greater immersion in gaming & media content. But the specs & overall performance don’t rise to the level of a dedicated or true gaming or multimedia monitor. On the other hand, I wouldn’t cite this monitor as ideal for standard office or business use either. It’s a monitor that sort of falls in that drab, mushy middle of what some might call “no-man’s land.” It’s functional, but not special. It’s workman-like, but it doesn’t stand out or offer much to highlight. It’s practical but doesn’t really shine in any area. But if you’re budget-minded & looking for a value-based, competitive, price-pt. monitor, this might fit that niche.
Introducing next level closeness from Philips Norelco, the world’s #1 electric shaving brand. Achieve lasting 0.00mm skin-level closeness and ultimate skin comfort. Day-long close shave, even on hardest-to-shave areas. New 360° Precision Flexing Heads for 20% more precision in hardest to reach areas vs predecessor. Efficient in every pass even on 1-3-7-day beard. Intelligently senses, adapts and customizes to your skin with Sense IQ technology.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
PERSPECTIVE: I’ve been a lifelong Norelco (North American [Philips] Electrical Co.) shaving customer as was my father, whose 1st Norelco was a 2-headed shaver before he moved up to Norelco’s 1st 3-headed shaver. Over the years, I’ve purchased multiple Norelco triple-head shavers, even though I’ve often sat on the sidelines during Philips’ periods of proliferating model releases, which have often included only minor iterative changes. But whenever Norelco has released a major upgrade or a bundle of small but notable improvements in a single new model, I’ve always bitten. Enter the new i9000 Prestige Ultra shaver which includes multiple enhancements/accessories that showcase/highlight some of the more recent developments from Philips’ Personal Health division. My review, however, is of the NON-Ultra Prestige shaver, which is the base model in the current i9000 line although, given the price pt. of this non-Ultra model, I’m frankly surprised that it doesn’t include the extra features/accessories included w/the Ultra model. Nevertheless, the core features of this more limited non-Ultra shaver are worth examining.
1ST IMPRESSION/OPENING THE BOX: I’ve become accustomed to the sleek, understated, close-fitting, matte black aesthetic of the custom boxes/packaging in which many of today’s smart devices arrive. But the packaging for this shaver was unimpressive & even dated. Inside this ‘90s-style box was a flimsy black cardboard divider w/a form cutout for the thin canvas travel case. What happened to Norelco’s classy, padded leather/leatherette travel cases? And the tiny user guide offers only marginally helpful images as a substitute for a multi-language detailed printed instructions pamphlet. This wouldn’t be a bad idea IF the graphics were better illustrated & easier to follow.
CHARGING: At the 1st charging, I was disappointed to discover that Philips doesn’t include a simple wall outlet power adapter. Instead, this ‘Prestige’ shaver comes w/a plastic charging stand w/a USB-A charging cable. Upon placing the narrow/pointy end of the shaver into the well of the charging base, it doesn’t seat w/a confirming click-in for stability. Standing the shaver on end makes it top-heavy & a bit wobbly in the well. I’m also disappointed that I can’t plug in a power cord from the wall to the razor to grab a quick shave when the lithium-ion battery is depleted & I’m in a hurry. Add to that, there’s no option for wireless charging & the corded charging time-to-runtime ratio is slow & inefficient. It takes a full hr. of charging to get 1 hr. of runtime for just 20 3-min. shaves. Philips must remember their target market here. While those of us who gravitate towards higher-end electric shavers want quality shaves, we also seek convenience & time savings, hoping to ‘shave off’ a min. or 2 from our daily routines where possible. With a limited 1:1 battery charging/runtime ratio, I’m not sure the juice is worth the squeeze.
PHONE APP: After downloading the Philips ‘GroomTribe’ app, I had difficulty achieving a successful initial BT pairing between my Samsung Galaxy Ultra smartphone & the shaver. Then, I discovered that turning the shaver “on” does NOT mean just pressing the unit’s navigation button on the face of the shaver which illuminates a small LED display screen allowing the user to scroll thru its 4 menu options: 1. Battery: remaining charge %; 2. Travel Lock/Unlock; 3. Light Ring On/Off; 4. Shaver Paired/Unpair. Instead, the shaver must be RUNNING, i.e., BLADES TURNING, to achieve the initial pairing. This is thankfully unnecessary when simply ‘reconnecting’ the shaver to your smartphone via BT after the shaver has been paired initially. The App’s Device Health screen displays helpful stats about the shaver, incl.: 1. Battery status; 2. Shaving Heads status w/a blade wear indicator based on your cumulative usage (Philips recommends replacing the SH91 shaving heads after 24 mos. although your mileage may vary based on how often you shave, the duration of your shaving sessions, & how thick/coarse your beard is); 3. Daily Usage stats for the week, incl.: Pressure, Motion, & Duration data.
USAGE: DRY/WET SHAVER: Although I tried this cordless shaver in the shower & had satisfactory results, my personal preference w/this razor is dry shaving in front of a well-lit mirror. This method consistently affords me better visibility & a closer shave w/o the hassles of trying to maneuver a wet shaver in the shower while continually squinting into a fogging mirror w/o my Rx glasses. But if you’re a wet shaver guy, 1 nice feature of this cordless razor is that it includes an ergonomic grip w/raised rubberized traction ridges on the upper sides of the handle to prevent the razor from slipping through wet hands in the shower.
TRIPLE-HEAD SHAVING SYSTEM: At certain angles, the curved yet angular triple-action rotary shaving heads almost look like a section of a small spherical geodesic dome w/its pentagonal polyhedron design. ‘Skin IQ’ technology: the 3 compact, 360º rotating Flex heads include what Philips calls ‘skin stretching patterns’ that dynamically adapt to facial curves. The apertures atop the 3 heads allow the 72 self-sharpening nanotech DualSteel precision blades (24 blades/head), which are spinning underneath at approx. 2,100 RPM, to perform 150k cutting actions/motions/min. These blades lift-&-cut tiny facial & neck hairs, in any direction & so closely that the shaver can achieve a flush, 0.0 mm ‘skin-level close’ shave of your face/neck w/o nicking/irritating your skin, all while catching & cutting more hairs/stroke. This AI-powered shaver adapts to the user for a personalized/custom shave. It’s been dermatologically tested & described as ‘ultra-gentle.’ LIGHT RING: The Light Ring is the ‘sizzle’ in the steak & the biggest draw for purchasing the i9000 Prestige. Behind it are advanced sensors that activate the Light Ring & a BT-connected app which captures detailed data on every shaving session, providing relevant tips on how to improve your next shaving session. The Light Ring is part of the ‘Active Pressure & Motion Guidance System’ which provides real-time feedback to help you apply: 1. the optimal PRESSURE to your face/neck; 2. the optimal circular MOTION technique; 3. the optimal DURATION for each shaving session. This smart shaver helps you to better manage/control these 3 critical inputs to maximize the razor’s capabilities for the optimal shave. To unpack this, the Pressure Guard reads the amt. of pressure you’re applying against your skin via the shaving heads & provides real-time feedback through the Light Ring & the app’s data capture, allowing the user to adjust. In effect, this system integrates your human inputs w/the smart shaver’s design engineering to produce a cleaner, closer shave. Too little pressure = a blue light ring; just the right pressure = a green light ring; too much pressure = an orange warning light ring. Your goal, of course, is to keep the Light Ring in the green zone to achieve the ideal shave. Frankly, I was surprised by the shaver’s post-shave analysis of my 1st 3-min. shave when it revealed that I’d spent only 32% of my shaving session in the green zone. To my dismay, I spent 38% of my shave in the orange zone, pressing too hard as I was trying to get my shave in quickly while thinking about a pending work deadline that morning. With my excess force, I was not only shaving inefficiently; I was dulling my new shaver’s blades & irritating my skin. The other surprise was that I spent 30% of my shave in the blue zone. I think this was because I was a little hesitant at 1st to apply more pressure around my sensitive ‘gotcha’ zones between my upper lip & nose & around the neck below/behind my earlobes. In other words, I was every inconsistent! So, it was both disappointing & eye opening to discover that I was spending fully 2/3 of my shave applying anything but optimal pressure to my beard. Even the best, highest-tech, most expensive shaver can’t provide a close shave if the user is unknowingly & alternately applying too little or too much pressure. Sporadic inputs produce sporadic outputs, making the shaver much less effective, which in turn leads to excessive passes over the same areas of skin to cut missed whiskers, which ultimately leads to irritated skin that makes us look less than our best. So, if at 1st glance, you think the Light Ring appears a bit gimmicky, as I 1st did, you may want to reconsider. After I looked at the color graphics, raw numbers, & %’s in my App’s data log, following my 1st shave, I began to watch the Light Ring very closely in the mirror each time I shaved over the next few mornings. I started to leverage the Light Ring as a tool to help me spend more time in the optimal green zone, which resulted in a closer shave w/less skin irritation. In fact, the App’s 1st feedback msg. back to me openly encouraged me to strive for getting my green zone time above 60%. The good news is that, as I increased my time spent in the green zone, the duration of my individual shaving sessions began to drop from too much ‘overtime,’ as the app refers to it, to a place where I began to clock shaves right around the recommended 3-min. shave time. Happily, I was already scoring high on my circular Motion, the technique that Philips says catches & cuts the maximum # of whiskers & creates the least irritation. In summary, the i9000 Prestige has clearly helped me to improve & refine my shaving mechanics which has increased the overall effectiveness/value of the shaver for me. And this conclusion is supported by my improving metrics as measured by the shaver’s advanced sensors & recorded in the app data over the last 5 shaving days. Funny how that works: use your tools as they were designed to be used & you’ll get better results. And all this time I thought I was shaving correctly. Who knew?
The PowerDetect NeverTouch robot vacuum and mop system is designed to capture more, reach farther, and need you less (vs. Shark Matrix 2-in-1). Its five powerful cleaning technologies help to target hidden debris, stuck-on stains, edges and to optimize cleaning for every floor type, handling the toughest cleaning challenges. Whether vacuuming or mopping, the PowerDetect robot does the dirty work, so you don't have to. It deep-cleans and mops your floors, while the NeverTouch Base means you don’t have to worry about cleanup or maintenance for weeks at a time. After every cleaning run, the robot will return to the base to empty dry debris, refill the water tank, and dry the mopping pad so it’s always ready for its next clean. With NeverStuck Technology, the robot lifts itself over obstacles and across thresholds to avoid getting stuck. When mopping, it keeps the pad above carpets to prevent wet messes and deliver whole-home coverage. While the robot handles your cleaning chores for you, the bagless base with Anti-Allergen Complete Seal captures and traps 99.97% of dust and allergens (down to .3 microns, allergens refers to non-living matter).
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
They had me at NeverTouch! I thought we’d hit the jackpot with self-emptying robovacs, but this new self-emptying, self-cleaning, self-refilling vac takes the welcome concepts of “autopilot,” “maintenance-free,” & “hands-off” to a whole new level.
We’re using this robovac at our rental house with tenants who have 2 medium-sized short-haired dogs. It’s replacing our prior Shark AI Robot Vac AV2001 which expired after only 27 months on station. I’d no idea just how much those 2 dogs shed on a daily basis. I’m hopeful that this upgraded model can handle the challenge. After a full week of initial use, my expectation is that this new unit will have a longer life.
Like all Shark products we’ve used, setup is very simple & straightforward with a paint-by-number setup guide that includes pictures. After removing the plastic wrapping & stickers, the only assembly required is to snap on the side brush, attach the ramp to the base, fill the water tank, & insert the odor neutralizer. Downloading the SharkClean App is a must. Total time took under 15 minutes.
SharkClean App: We were already comfortable using the App from our experience with the previous Shark vac. After pairing with the new model, which was quick & easy, it first ran a test to explore & map the house. Then we made a few custom edits, including labeling all the rooms & setting up a couple of “no-go” & “high-traffic” zones. The unit is also compatible with Amazon’s Alexa & Google Assistant.
Cleaning: I was a little skeptical when I noticed that this model includes only one side brush (our old Shark robovac had 2) but, surprisingly, this unit actually did a better job cleaning, especially in the corners. 90% of the house’s flooring has dark faux wood. With the tenants’ pets shedding white dog hair, it’s very easy to see whether the Shark is getting the job done or not. This Pro unit clearly vacuums better & more thoroughly than the previous unit. One of the most noticeable improvements is the PowerDetect feature. The unit’s sensors detect when it rolls over a high-debris area--automatically boosting suction power just for that spot, & then returning to normal power. The Pro also provides more effective cleaning along the edges of the baseboards. As it drives along the edge, dog hair is blown & brushed away from the edge & then suctioned up. Another noticeable improvement in the new vs. old unit: after running the Pro several times during the first week, it never got stuck anywhere. The old unit would occasionally get stuck on the feet of bookcases or workout equipment, which annoyingly required us to pick up the robovac & re-position it. But this Pro version rolled along & never needed to be touched or helped. The mop function also impressed as it scrubbed effectively, covering edges & even hard-to-reach corners, but without leaving too much water on the floor.
Self-Empty/Refill: Now, for the best part. No cleanup! Once the vacuuming is completed, the unit evacuates its contents into the base. And it’s much quieter than our other high-end brand which sounds like a rocket launch. The sound of this Pro is more like a low roar, & it doesn’t terrify the dogs. It also automatically refills the mop tank as needed.
Overall, we’re super impressed with this Shark NeverTouch 2-in-1. We just hope it offers better durability with a longer life cycle than our last Shark robovac.
The Ninja Flip Toaster Oven & Air Fryer is a convection oven, air fryer, and toaster that crisps and flips up and away. Get extra-large capacity without sacrificing counter space with its unique design that allows you to flip it up against your backsplash when not in use so you can save 50% more space on your countertop. OvenCrisp Technology combines infrared heat with rapid, circulating hot air all around your food for quick, edge-to-edge even cooking providing you with optimum cooking results. The Ninja Flip includes 8 functions so no matter what you’re craving, you can make it all in this countertop appliance—air fry, roast, broil, bake, pizza, toast, bagel, dehydrate all in one.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Our family has been through many toaster ovens over the years. We’ve relied on them daily for everything from basic toasting to use as a full oven backup. But now that we maintain a low-carb lifestyle, we thought we could go without a multi-function oven after our last 5-year old toaster oven died just a couple of months ago. Wrong! It took only a few days for us to realize just how dependent we’d grown on the convenient countertop appliance. Enter this Ninja Flip Oven. After putting it through its paces, our family agrees: it’s the best yet.
Design/Flip Up: We’re used to the standard, boxy, rectangular shape of the typical toaster oven. So, this low-profile design took a little getting used to. Our previous ovens were 9-to-10” in height, but this sleek little Ninja sits just 7.68” high. Unless you’re roasting full chickens or tall beef roasts, the reduced height really makes no difference. And the flip-up option (standing the unit on its back when not in use) converts it into a real space-saver. We must admit, however, that when the unit is stood on its back & the bottom of the oven becomes the face, it no longer offers an aesthetically pleasing look, especially with the bottom feet protruding towards the viewer. This is really the only negative we’ve found with the unit. Otherwise, it’s amazing. The control buttons are simple & intuitive, so much so that we never even needed to consult the instruction manual to use any of the 8 functions. The oven is very easy to program with logical buttons placed from left to right. Just select the Mode, Temp, Time, & Start. It will also display the word “Flip” once the unit has fully cooled down to confirm that it’s safe to flip up & out of the way.
Cooking Power: Pre-heating is extremely fast at just under 1 minute. After our old toaster oven had died, we tried to roast vegetables in our large gas oven. But we never could achieve that crispy, crunchy finish we were after. So, we resorted to steaming our cauliflower, broccoli, & squash, etc. Yuck! Nobody in our family was jazzed about eating those near tasteless, steamed veggie sides. But we’ve since tried all 3 veggies in the Ninja, and they’ve all turned out scrumptious! Air Roasting helps create amazing flavors. Even a boring tray of broccoli tossed in salt, pepper, & oil & air-roasted for 15 mins., comes to life like a gourmet side dish--crispy on the outside & tender in the middle. We’ve tried every function except dehydrating, & they all cook fast & perfectly. We can’t wait to try making our own beef jerky. We even like how the internal light comes on when the cycle ends to give an additional alert to the user, along w/the pleasant low chime.
This Ninja toaster oven can do it all, which is why we’re giving it a big ‘thumbs up’. It’s a great choice whether you’re single & living in an apartment or dorm or you’re part of a small or large family.
Experience unparalleled audio with the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 True Wireless Earbuds, featuring a true 24-bit connection and Qualcomm chipset with aptX Lossless technology for high-resolution sound that dynamically adjusts to optimize performance. Equipped with 12mm carbon cone drive units, adapted from our Px8 headphones, these earbuds reduce distortion and enhance high-frequency detail for lifelike clarity. The Pi8 offers bespoke active noise cancelation and TrueWireless Mirroring, with three mics enhancing call clarity. The noise cancelation adjusts to your surroundings, ensuring uninterrupted sound. Designed with premium materials, the ergonomic design and intuitive single-button control ensure comfort and ease of use, supporting multiple functions. Stay connected all day with quick charge support, providing 2 hours of use from a 15-minute charge and up to 8 hours of earbud life. The smart charging case offers additional battery life and includes a retransmission feature to connect directly to your favorite audio source. Use the Bowers & Wilkins Music App, compatible with iOS and Android, to stream music from services like TIDAL, Pandora, Qobuz, Deezer, and SoundCloud. Enjoy easy transitions between your devices by pairing two devices simultaneously, ensuring your music, movies, and conversations follow you wherever you go.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
I’ve enjoyed several pairs of top quality earbuds in recent years, but these Pi8’s are in a league of their own. From the moment I popped them effortlessly into my ears & selected my favorite “testing music”, I was stunned. I’m amazed that 2 little earbuds are able to put out the high sound quality that you would only expect from full over-the-ear superior headphones.
Out of the box, I topped them off with a 30 minute charge. I downloaded the Bowers & Wilkins Music App. It requires that you create an account using your email (Most Apps don’t require this, so it’s an extra burden to add yet another code to my password manager). Pairing was fast & easy with my Android phone and I’ve had no connectivity issues.
- Comfortable fit. The out-of-the-box eartips were the perfect size, but 3 additional sizes (L, S, XS) are included if those are not a good fit. They look very sleek, sit almost flush with the ear & barely stick out. The new design of the Pi8’s is a major improvement over the Pi7’s. They’re very comfortable & I never have to adjust them or push them in like some of my others. I also don’t have to twist or screw them in to get a better fit.
- Sound quality is off the charts rich, full, balanced & clean! I feel fully immersed in the music with these buds unlike any other. I can hear strings with clarity that I’m never able to detect on my other high-end buds. And finally, these Pi8’s put out the warm full bass that I’ve been looking for, for years.
- B&W App - Although the App is not mandatory, I would definitely recommend downloading & creating an account to use it. It’s not full of features, but it gives you the needed basics to truly enjoy your buds like: Battery charge %, Noise Cancellation options, touch control customization & most importantly…the equalizer.
Overall, I would definitely recommend these Pi8’s for true music enjoyment. They offer the best sound quality of any buds I’ve ever owned.
The SharkPOWERDETECT upright vacuum has the most powerful suction and the most advanced cleaning technology to deliver the best overall cleaning of any vacuum*. It features Shark’s most advanced cleaning technologies in the new DuoClean Detect nozzle which includes a network of proprietary Intelli-Sense sensors that automatically sense and react to hidden dirt by boosting suction and brushroll speed when you need it most across floor type, corners, edges, and it even detects direction for powerful suction in forward and reverse to grip-& capture- dirt, debris & hair. Large piles, fine dust, and & pet hair are no match for DuoClean Detect. For above-floor cleaning, you can Lift Away the detachable pod and take your cleaning to stairs, furniture, windowsills, and more. In addition, when you lift away the pod, you transform your vacuum into a stick, for easy motorized cleaning under furniture. Shark’s Odor Neutralizer Technology guards against bad odors inside your vacuum to help freshen your home. Plus, Anti-Allergen Complete Seal with HEPA filtration seals and traps 99.99%** of dust, dander, and allergens inside of the vacuum, and out of the air you breathe. *Based on a geomean of combined tests -IEC62885-2 Sec 5.3 FWD, IEC62885-2 Sec 5.3 REV, IEC62885-2 Sec 5.5 FWD, IEC62885 Sec 5.5 REV vs. upright market. **Based on ASTM F1977, down to .3 microns. Allergens refers to non-living matters.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
This is our 3rd Shark vac, but their first upright model that we’ve tried. I prefer using an upright on our upstairs carpeting, vs. using our robot vac or our older competing-brand upright which was beginning to show its age. We’ve been very pleased with our other 2 Shark vacs, and this PowerDetect model doesn’t disappoint.
Here are a few things I like so far after using the PowerDetect for a week:
- Out of the box: It’s very easy to set up. No tools needed. Just a half dozen-or-so steps to click components into place, and it’s ready to use. I also like the deep purple (eggplant) color with black & light green accents. - Low noise: This was the biggest surprise. It actually has an easy-on-the-ears, low-frequency roar vs. the annoying high-pitched whine of our high-end, expensive, famous-brand upright. Not having to insert earplugs or wear noise-canceling headphones while vacuuming was a refreshing change. Even when this Shark revs up into “boost” mode, it’s not too loud. - Lighting: There are bright white LED lights on the front of the vac that stay illuminated. In addition, when you approach a wall, the side lights turn on until you move away. There’s also a light on the handle that illuminates when you remove the wand from the base. - Maneuvering: My older upright ball-roller vac was light & easy to maneuver, so I wasn’t sure if this heavier Shark would be as easy to wield. This Shark weighs in at about 17.5 lbs., but to my delight it has a bit of self-propulsion action, not unlike my mower. So, it requires very little effort to push with just a bit more effort to pull back towards you, making it much easier to handle than I’d anticipated. Since vacuuming is a chore that I often procrastinate over, at least I can expend less energy accomplishing the task now. - Suction Power: Excellent! This vac has more suction power than any vac we’ve ever had. We had just vacuumed a few days earlier with our old upright. We were shocked to see how much more dust & debris this Shark picked up on its first pass. - Sensors galore: This machine is amazing. It changes suction power when it detects that you’re moving from carpet to hard flooring or tile. It also senses when it’s rolling over heavier debris which triggers a power boost. It senses when you approach an edge or wall & activates both additional suction power as well as helpful side-lighting. It also senses the direction in which you’re vacuuming & automatically changes the suction direction to forward or reverse for maximum pull.
I didn’t mention all the features but, overall, this is the best upright vac we’ve ever owned. Kudos to Shark! They really thought of almost everything with this PowerDetect model.
The Pixel Tablet is designed to be helpful at home and with work. Control your smart home, and say “Hey Google” for hands-free help, ¹. It’s powered by the Google Tensor G2 chip, and it’s the perfect companion to your Pixel phone.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Our family enjoys the use of multiple PCs, laptops, & smartphones, but we’ve been missing a key tool to fill a much-needed gap among the array of devices we utilize daily. Enter the Pixel Tablet, which has the potential to be a good fit to bridge that gap. Over the last 5 days, we’ve discovered how useful it is to have a free-floating tablet in the downstairs kitchen & family room as an added convenience for multiple users.
Out-of-the-Box: This sleek, smooth, minimalist tablet is so light that I’m tempted to use an anthropomorphic term & call it “svelte.” In fact, I like the physical feel of this tablet so much that I wanted to know more about what materials were used in its manufacture. When I read the specs & learned that it was built with a strong, durable aluminum frame but finished with an “AED/nano-ceramic coating,” I was compelled to drill down a little further to find out what that really means. I learned that “AED” stands for “Anodic Electrodeposition.” Technically, an anodic coating material utilizes anodizing to provide increased thickness, color, & corrosion protection to aluminum or any type of substrate. All I know is that this tablet weighs in at a mere 17½ oz., or about 1 lb. It’s light as a feather & yet it still feels elegant & well-made when I hold it in my hands. In fact, it’s only 6 oz. heavier than my large screen Android smartphone in its protective case.
Color: I like the “Hazel” color w/its black bezel vs. the other 2 color options of Porcelain & Rose which both include a white bezel. In a perfect world, my preference would be for a 4th color in black. Both at home & at work, we’ve always chosen classic/basic business black for all our electronic devices when given the option.
Setup: Although I gave it a quick charge, the Pixel arrived almost fully charged. There’s a recessed power button on the top right frame of the tablet. Also included is a fingerprint sensor for authentication which will allow you to create up to 8 profiles for family/extended family. With the pre-charge, I was able to log in with my Google account & get started with setting up the device without delay. The tablet comes preloaded with all the basic Google Apps we need. I went ahead & updated the Apps, & it was ready to go in about 10 mins. So, right out of the box, this tablet proved itself easy to use with a quick & simple setup. Of course, you must have a Google account. If not, then you’ll need to create one, which is easy enough & only takes a few mins. Happily, the startup screen guided me through all the setup options as a new user. If you’re already an Android or Pixel user, then this process will feel familiar & comfortable. It’s pretty much paint-by-number, which builds your confidence from the get-go. As mentioned earlier, this tablet allows for up to 8 users. Each person can have his own profile settings. There are parental controls including a ‘Kids Space’ profile that you can create to ensure age-appropriate content for the youngsters. You can manage their apps & limit screen time, etc.
Little Niceties: As part of the minimalist look, the recessed power button & toggle volume tab are a nice touch. The 2 rubber grip pads on the bottom of the frame (in landscape mode) are another small, but thoughtful & helpful feature. When I’m working in the kitchen, I usually prop up my smartphone against a nearby object or fixture while listening to a podcast through a pair of Bluetooth-connected earbuds. But annoyingly, my phone often slides & falls flat on our slick granite countertops. So, the convenient rubber grip pads at the bottom of the tablet allow me to easily position the tablet & lean it against any object without having to worry about it eventually falling over.
Screen: This 11” screen with a 2560 x 1600 resolution provides sharp, clear images with beautiful color for movies, TV shows, & photos. Although I would’ve preferred a tablet with a Super AMOLED/OLED display & a 120Hz refresh rate vs. this model’s slower, dated 60Hz screen, I’m trying to make allowances for Google’s reentry into the Android tablet space. But at this price point for a mid-range tablet, Google will need to level up their hardware & software if they hope to compete in this space going forward. The next iteration of this model line will reveal a lot about whether Google plans to make a serious run at the tablet market.
Speakers: The 4 speakers sound surprisingly good in the higher frequencies when I listen to Johan Johansson’s “Arrival of the Birds,” performed by the Cinematic Orchestra. But there’s strikingly little bass, which I’m guessing would be corrected/rebalanced if I were to pair the tablet with its speaker dock. Nevertheless, with the ability to pair the tablet with multiple listening devices, we’ve enjoyed listening to music & podcasts with our Bluetooth-connected earbuds. I do feel that the quad speaker array could be improved/repositioned so that our standard hand placement while holding the tablet doesn’t cover up or muffle the speaker output.
Apps: The tablet comes pre-loaded with about 60 apps, but you can always download more apps from the Google Play Store. Although I like the ability to view Android smartphone apps that are optimized for the larger screen of the Pixel Tablet, & I enjoy the efficiencies inherit in the Pixel’s adjustable split screen capabilities, there are still far too many popular 3rd-party apps that aren’t optimized for the Pixel Tablet display. Although I’m an Android guy, I can see how & why the fanboys loyal to the other half of the duopoly (in the U.S.’s current portable digital divide) continue to advocate so vehemently for their chosen platform/ecosystem.
Summary: For the Google/Android/Pixel user, this device checks a lot of boxes as a multi-use tablet. With the ability to share content w/nearby phones & apps, copy-&-paste content across our own devices, automatically switch which device our Pixel Buds are connected to (from tablet to incoming phone calls & back again), cast content from our tablet to our TV, get hands-free help with Google Assistant, control all our connected compatible smart home devices with just 1 app, play games, utilize Google Meet for HD video calls, watch videos, take & edit photos, view 2 webpages at once w/split screen, utilize voice recognition software to type, edit, & send messages, etc.--to say that this tablet is a powerful, versatile, little lightweight laptop-substitute is an understatement. But on the downside, the slower G2 processor, the number of still un-optimized apps adaptable to the larger tablet display, the latency of a slower 60Hz refresh rate, the rather average screen, speakers, & cameras, the lack of a microSD card slot for more storage, the limited battery life when streaming HD video & playing graphic-intensive video games, & the lack of a stylus pen, etc., all combine to take off 2 stars. There are just too many other great tablets out there with better hardware at the same or lower price pt. for this tablet to be a serious contender. Perhaps later this summer, we’ll buy the Charger Speaker Dock to try & gain a better perspective of this tablet’s full potential as a 2-in-1 device with smart home hub capabilities.
Immerse yourself in outstanding all-day audio with the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus Wireless. No matter where you listen, be ready to go thanks to the fast charge feature that gives you 5 hours of playtime in 10 minutes, and the 50-hour battery life means non-stop sound for days. The acoustic design of ACCENTUM Plus Wireless recreates the exhilaration of being immersed in music. Developed and manufactured in-house by Sennheiser, the high-quality transducer system is subtly angled into the ear to create a wider soundstage that richly brings details to life. Define your audio journey to match your mindset and musical preferences. Discover your sound profile with the expert-developed Sound Personalization feature or manually tailor the sound experience using the built-in 5-band equalizer. Adaptive features, designed to keep up with an active lifestyle, enable you to hear the world on your terms. Hybrid Adaptive ANC adjusts to changing noise levels dynamically to let you enjoy distraction-free listening even in busy environments. Transparency Mode lets you hear external sounds at a touch to stay aware of your surroundings. The lightweight, comfortable design gives you effortless freedom with intuitive touch controls and clever features such as Smart Pause that anticipate your needs.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
History: I’m not new to Sennheiser’s quality design & technically refined German audio engineering. I remember my 1st hand-me-down headphones from my dad—an old classic pr. of Sennheiser HD 414 headphones w/a light gray plastic headband & colorful foam earpads. I used those headphones for thousands of hrs. while learning to play the drum set to my favorite rock bands. Over the last 3 yrs. I’ve been enjoying my Sennheiser CX200TW1 True Wireless In-Ear Earbuds to listen to my current music playlists & subscription podcasts. So, after a long history of good experiences w/Sennheiser’s sonic devices, I was eager to try these new Accentum+ feature-laden, high-tech circum-aural headphones.
Battery Life: Initially, I gave them a full overnight charge & the next morn, I began logging the # of hrs. I used my headphones each day & was thrilled to get even more playback time from the Li-ion battery than the already stellar specs claiming a 50-hr. battery life. Working from home, I used the headphones to make & receive phone calls throughout the week. Voice quality was good on my end &, according to all the callers I surveyed, my voice clarity was good on their end. At night, I listened to my fav music playlists & podcasts while making dinner. During & after dinner, I streamed movies each night & was surprised to find little-to-no latency in my BT 5.2 connection to my OLED TV. Until then, I’d been using my old competing brand of RF headphones for movie streaming due to the noticeable audio lag I’d experienced w/my last pair of BT headphones. But the audio playback w/these headphones & their aptX Adaptive codec provides a minimal delay of <90ms that’s now next-to-unnoticeable. Anyway, I got more than 53 hrs. from just 1 full charge, even w/ANC engaged (sometimes in Regular mode w/the slider, & sometimes in Adaptive mode). After that 1st battery cycle, I then tried 2 different quick charge cycles & was pleased to get a smidge over 4hr from just 5min of charging & a little more than 5 hrs. from 10 mins. of charging on the next cycle. Next, I charged the headphones at my desktop PC using the included USB-A-to-USB-C charging cable, only this time I clocked how long it took to fully charge the pr. (3.5 hrs.) vs. the initial untimed overnight charge. In summary, battery life has been well beyond what I’ve experienced w/any other circum-aural wireless headphones.
Hybrid Active/Adaptive Noise Canceling (ANC): During my 1st week w/these headphones, I was given an unusual opportunity to assess them in multiple real-world scenarios. Day 1: We had a strong storm roll through that produced a couple of hrs. of sustained thunder. Thankfully, we didn’t lose power, but what a racket! At the 1st rumblings, I engaged the Adaptive Noise Canceling & was pleasantly surprised by the degree to which the thunder was muffled while I continued to work at my computer. I then tried the Regular/Std. ANC mode & set the slider 1st to the L towards max ANC (max noise canceling), then towards the middle (blended), & last towards the R or min. noise canceling w/max “Transparency”—allowing in the most outside noise. Of course, ANC headphones work best at reducing constant background noise, not sudden transient noises. So, the loudest claps of thunder from the closest cloud-to-ground lightning strikes were still apparent in both the Adaptive & manual slider modes. In this case, the most significant attenuation occurred in the max ANC fixed setting in that it blocked out much of the sustained rolling thunder throughout the storm & was marginally effective w/the louder, closer, more acute strikes. Day 2: Some of the kids who play outside in our neighborhood are young & have very high-pitched voices. It’s common for them to scream & yell constantly while they’re riding their bikes, playing ball, & jumping on their trampolines. So, it can be quite challenging to focus on work projects while grinding from home on my computer in the early evenings, especially after we switched back to Daylight Savings Time. That’s when I became a fan of these headphones! What a difference it makes to be able to block out all that distracting outside noise! Day 3Chores: I used them while working in my washer/dryer room. When those 2 high-efficiency machines are working at full tilt simultaneously, even w/the door closed, they’re quite noisy. So, the ability to block out the repetition of those annoying machine sounds is more satisfying than I’d imagined it would be. Likewise, I use a loud cyclonic vac on the upstairs carpet. In the past, I used spongy earplugs to try & protect my ears from the high-pitched whine of the motor. With these circum-aural headphones, I can vacuum the entire upstairs w/far less noise. In summary, I prefer the Adaptive ANC which I can “set & forget,” as it dynamically adjusts to my ambient noise environment—muting lower frequency noise & at least suppressing some higher frequency sounds. This is especially important to me as many of my podcasts are technical in nature, & I need to listen to them in a distraction-free environment. ANC is critical for my concentration & comprehension, especially when I’m trying to learn new material. Thankfully, these affordable midrange cans do a decent job w/ANC.
Comfort: My initial reaction to the overall clamping force was that it’s a bit stronger/tighter than I’d anticipated. But in wearing these cans several times for several hrs. at a time, I began to find the combo of the soft leather-like cushions of the earpads & headband, along w/the flexible, adjustable slide-inside-the-headband frame, to be comfortable/wearable. These cans stay in place & conform nicely to my head & ears even w/my daily wear glasses on. Some may say that these fit too ‘snugly,’ but I would say that they fit ‘securely,’ which is desirable, especially at times when I may be moving about. I’ve come to appreciate the lightweight construction when I wear them for sessions lasting longer than an hr.
Intuitive Touch Controls: 1st, there’s 1 small, dedicated, active, physical control button on the lower R edge of the earcup that serves as an on/off power button, a device pairing button for your smartphone & Sennheiser Smart Control app, & a digital asst. button to give you access to Google Asst./Apple’s Siri. Aside from this lone multi-function button, all other features are managed via gestures through capacitive touch controls found on the outer panel of the R earcup. I like this interface because it’s higher tech & cleaner, meaning I don’t have to search through lots of buttons or wade through menu trees to execute common/repetitive functions. With long holds, swipes, & taps on the earcup, I can control all phone calls, music tracks, podcasts, & movie/TV streaming playback & pausing, & volume. Back in the app’s settings menu, you can enable on-head detection. When the headphones detect you aren't wearing them via the ear-detection sensor, they hold calls & go into power-saving mode. Similarly, Smart Pause pauses your music when your headphones are off & resumes playback when you put them back on. There’s also an adjustable sidetone feature that allows you to hear a small amt. of your voice in your ear when speaking into the mic. Hearing your own voice in your ear lets you adjust your volume & check sound quality to ensure others can hear you well.
Smart Control App: This visual UI handles BT connection mgmt., offers a 5-band EQ, & provides the ability to adjust ANC settings, set up Personalized Sound, & define user Sound Zones. You can set up your own rules for Sound Zones & ANC settings so that you don’t have to continually open your app to change your settings as you move from 1 area to another.
Codecs: These headphones run on BT 5.2 & support AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, & SBC. Where the newer aptX Adaptive codec shines isn’t just in hi-res audio quality but in experiencing lower latency. When I paired these headphones w/my OLED TV & was able to stream movies at 24fps w/o experiencing any noticeable audio lag, I had to smile.
Sound Quality: These headphones contain angled dynamic transducers/37 mm drivers to create a little wider soundstage w/better instrument separation & overall acoustics. The 5-band EQ lets you adjust frequencies & choose from 7 presets. There are customized settings to tweak sound, including a Bass Boost preset & a Podcast preset for impressive speech clarity. (One drawback: when I boosted the bass, I felt like there was a pronounced volume loss.)
Sound Personalization (SP): I’ve always favored devices & audio tech that allow me the option to customize my personal listening preferences. And these headphones thankfully have preset sound modes as well as a resident 5-band EQ.
Tech Specs: Headphone sensitivity: 106dB. Multi-pt. connectivity allows you to pr. these headphones w/2 devices simultaneously & seamlessly switch the active wireless connection from 1 BT device to another w/o having to re-pair.
Areas for Improvement: Bulky, clunky, heavy devices are the business traveler’s enemy. Conversely, high-functioning, space-saving, lightweight, reduceable, collapsable, compact devices are highly valued. So, the next iteration of this model should be redesigned not only to fold flat, as these do w/their swivel cups, but also to fold up so that they ball up into a smaller footprint w/a smaller cubic displacement in my carryon bag. Next, I couldn’t find an IP (Ingress Protection) rating. I don’t always stow my headphones in their protective case when I’m at home, as I’m prone to quickly removing them & picking them up again as needed. So, knowing that my cans are waterproof, or at least water- or moisture-resistant, is important to me as I attempt to protect & preserve my electronic devices for long-term use. Hopefully, Sennheiser will evaluate for this in the future & post their results for the benefit of prospective buyers.
Set your imagination free on the most powerful Surface Laptop, designed to light up the best of Windows 11. Boundary-pushing design lets you flex your creative muscle on the sleek 14.4“⁴ touchscreen, making seamless transitions from laptop to entertainment-ready stage to portable creative canvas, complete with built-in storage and charging for Surface Slim Pen 2* under the keyboard. Enjoy smooth gameplay, and draw, sketch and take notes like you would on paper on the bright, vibrant 120Hz display. Run intensive applications and get things done anywhere with all-day battery life, and get inspired with graphics power that exceeds your expectations. Elevate your entertainment with Quad Omnisonic speakers, featuring large bass and immersive Dolby Atmos. Stay in the flow, be inspired and get closer to what you love.
Does the Surface Laptop Studio have USB ports? If so, how many and of what type?
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e delivers the fastest speeds, 500-sheet paper capacity, and up to 2x faster scan speeds. It includes the optional HP+ Smart Printing System that keeps itself up to date, secure, and ready to print from virtually anywhere at any time. Optional HP+ system requires an HP account, internet connection, and use of only Original HP Ink for the life of the printer. This product has been refurbished.
Can it print wireless from a Samsung Galaxy Book S
As long as your device can download the HP Smart App, you should be fine. The App will let you know if the device is incompatible. I tried it on an old Samsung Note 3 and it let me know the device was too old. Hope that helps.
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e delivers the fastest speeds, 500-sheet paper capacity, and up to 2x faster scan speeds. It includes the optional HP+ Smart Printing System that keeps itself up to date, secure, and ready to print from virtually anywhere at any time. Optional HP+ system requires an HP account, internet connection, and use of only Original HP Ink for the life of the printer. This product has been refurbished.
Protection for every home and family. Capture the details in full 1080p HD video for a clearer picture, day or night. Spend less time recharging with 6 months of battery life*. Connects directly to Wi-Fi without the clutter of extra gear. The Arlo Essential is wire-free and weather-resistant to deliver fast, easy installation and flexibility to get the perfect camera view. With the integrated spotlight, see important features like faces and licenses plates in full color, at night with color night vision. Ward off unwanted guests by triggering the siren or integrated spotlight automictically or manually from the Arlo App. Receive smarter alerts for people, vehicles and packages and take quicker action like sound the siren, call a friend or dial emergency services with the included trial of Arlo Secure**. Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit*** and Samsung SmartThings.
Protection for every home and family. Capture the details in full 1080p HD video for a clearer picture, day or night. Spend less time recharging with 6 months of battery life*. Connects directly to Wi-Fi without the clutter of extra gear. The Arlo Essential is wire-free and weather-resistant to deliver fast, easy installation and flexibility to get the perfect camera view. With the integrated spotlight, see important features like faces and licenses plates in full color, at night with color night vision. Ward off unwanted guests by triggering the siren or integrated spotlight automictically or manually from the Arlo App. Receive smarter alerts for people, vehicles and packages and take quicker action like sound the siren, call a friend or dial emergency services with the included trial of Arlo Secure**. Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit*** and Samsung SmartThings.
Can you add an Arlo Pro 3 camera to an Arlo essential camera set up?
Bose Sleepbuds II deliver relaxing sounds that help you fall asleep, and use Bose noise-masking technology so you stay asleep. Tiny, wireless Sleepbuds II are designed for comfort with sleep technology clinically proven to help you fall asleep faster. Sleepbuds II play content only from the Bose Sleep app, which gives you full control of the Sound Library and helps you personalize features. Discover tranquil tones and soothing sounds from nature. Or, use Bose noise-masking sounds to cover unwanted nighttime noise. Download your favorite sounds directly to Sleepbuds II, control volume, and set a personal wake-up alarm. Sleepbuds II feature proprietary eartips made of soft silicone for a comfortable, secure fit. Sleep on your back or side, or rollover during the night, they’ll stay put. Get up to ten hours of battery life from a single charge, enough for a full night’s sleep — and three additional charges from the portable case.
I live in an apartment with the loudest bunch of people above me,Do you think it might mask a dog's bark?Or loud thuds? Thanks!
I have loud screaming children & mowers nearby on a regular basis. These definitely help mask those sounds enough to sleep & study through. Not sure what you can do about the loud thuds though as that's something you usually feel as well as hear. Hope that helps :-)
Bose Sleepbuds II deliver relaxing sounds that help you fall asleep, and use Bose noise-masking technology so you stay asleep. Tiny, wireless Sleepbuds II are designed for comfort with sleep technology clinically proven to help you fall asleep faster. Sleepbuds II play content only from the Bose Sleep app, which gives you full control of the Sound Library and helps you personalize features. Discover tranquil tones and soothing sounds from nature. Or, use Bose noise-masking sounds to cover unwanted nighttime noise. Download your favorite sounds directly to Sleepbuds II, control volume, and set a personal wake-up alarm. Sleepbuds II feature proprietary eartips made of soft silicone for a comfortable, secure fit. Sleep on your back or side, or rollover during the night, they’ll stay put. Get up to ten hours of battery life from a single charge, enough for a full night’s sleep — and three additional charges from the portable case.
They don't play music that's stored in your device. You can select sounds & study-type music from a library available within the free App. Hope that helps :-)
MX Master 3 is instant precision and infinite potential. Designed for designers and engineered for coders, it’s our most advanced Master Series mouse yet. App-specific button customizations speed up your workflow in the apps you use most and the electromagnetic MagSpeed wheel enables fast noiseless scrolling. Your hand rests perfectly on the sculpted form and allows you to work comfortably for hours across multiple computers and operating systems in one fluid workflow. Ready for video calls - predefined settings for Microsoft Teams and Zoom let you instantly mute and Start/Stop your video call. With MX Master 3, you can truly master what you make.
Bluetooth is turned off on our work computers. Will this operate as a wired mouse with the USB cable attached or is it strictly for charging
Introducing MX Keys, an advanced wireless illuminated keyboard crafted for efficiency, stability, and precision. Perfect Stroke keys are shaped for your fingertips and increased key stability reduces noise while optimizing responsiveness. Tactile reference for hand positioning makes it easy to stay oriented and in your flow. The backlit keys light up the moment your hands approach, and automatically adjust to suit changing lighting conditions. With MX Keys you can truly master what you make.
Sleep better. Cover unwanted noise with soothing sounds. Bose noise-masking sleepbuds™ are uniquely designed for sleep. They don’t stream music or have acoustic noise cancellation. Instead, these tiny, wireless earbuds use pre-loaded, soothing sounds to cover up unwanted noises, so you can get to sleep — and stay asleep. Plus, unlike traditional earplugs, they’re super comfortable and made to stay in place all night long, even if you sleep on your side. 1. Choose your sound, 2. Set an alarm, 3. Fall asleep without unwanted noise.
How will these work against Smoke Detectors etc in case of emergencies?
The sound volume is customizable, so you could test them against any noise you want to be aware of. However, even with the volume up, I've had no trouble hearing loud sounds. Hope that helps.