Category: #Reviews

Review – Urbanista Milan Fluffy Cloud earphons with ANC #Urbanistalife #Earphones

The earphones design looks trendy and fashionable, with a flexible design to bend around as required. The most striking feature on this headset in the weight at 34g. they are balanced in a way, it’s easy to forget you are wearing them. The Packaging looks great with all the features you would expect in a high-end earphone including ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) feature.

 

Features:

  • Bluetooth: 4.2
  • Speaker size: φ10mm
  • Sensitivity: 99±3dB
  • Impedance: 16Ω±15%
  • Frequency range: 20Hz-20kHz +1/-3dB
  • Hands-free with microphone and volume control
  • Stand-by time: 700h
  • Play time: 15h (ANC off, BT on) 7h (ANC on, BT on)
  • Charging: Micro USB, about 2,5h charging time
  • Compatible with Android, iOS and Windows
  • Weight: 34 g
  • Weight including packaging: 240 g
  • Package size: 160x42x193mm

 The Brand:

Urbanista was founded in Stockholm, 2010. Their Specialties include product development, audio, brand development, Urban lifestyle, earphones, headphones, music, and Lifestyle.  Urbanista have distribution covering over 80 markets. Their products are sold by over 10 000 retailers around the globe, like Harrods, Selfridges, Nordstrom and Urban Outfitters amongst others. This is a brand you can have confidence in.

 Warranty:

Urbanista one-year limited warranty

 

ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) feature:

This feature when switch on (by a press of a button.)  is indicated by a green light. The battery life is nearly halved when this feature is turned on. The. ANC filters external surrounding sounds resulting in a high-quality audio without the hum of background noise. The only fault I have with this feature is, “I would have set this as the default setting to on’’ the audio quality removing most external noise (up to 25 dB) is a feature when used for a few hours is very hard to go back to and use the earphones without this feature turned on. When the ANC is off they work as most earphones do, but why have an amazing feature defaulted to off. With the ANC off, you get better battery life, but at 7 hours playtime on, this would work for most people use. The ANC when in use required a comparison with other earphones to show the real difference for real music lovers. This is an impressive feature on these earphones.

 

Setup & Use:

The setup is standard, connect to Bluetooth as standard on a phone (compatible with Android, iOS & Windows), There is left & right-side earphones. The earphones built in microphone can take and make calls. The call quality for both was excellent via an android phone. The weight of the earphones which are not the lightest used but balanced in such a way they become forgotten when wearing. The material is flexible allowing the earphones to be folded away as required, this is great when used indoors or outdoors.

 

The Urbanista Milan comes with a choice of earphone connectors allowing a variety of sizes used. The audio quality from a variety of sources gave a reduced sensitivity to external electrical noise, this was noticeable when used the ANC features.  The control buttons were easy to use, whether changing the volume or asking Siri questions. The battery life is excellent even when using the ANC feature. The Urbanista Milan is a high-end product, the active noise cancelling technology is a must when out and about. They are stylish, practical, hit a few of the right notes, the earphones are exceptionally comfortable to wear for long periods at a time. The Urbanista Milan Fluffy Cloud is a delight to use, practical & quality.

BUY HERE 

Review – The Lomo’Instant Square camera. #camera #photography #Lomography #tech

The first impression is the retro look and feel of the unit with its foldable bellows design, with a lot of the features you would expect on a traditional camera. WOW. The analogue takes Instax Square Film. The unit folds up when not in use and is the first Analogue dual format glass-lens automatic instant camera. This camera caught the attention of the younger generation which are used to everything now!

 

Package includes:

  • Lomo’Instant Square Camera Black
  • Remote control shutter release
  • Four colour Gel Flash Filters
  • Paper frames to display your instant photos
  • Magnet stickers to display your instant photos
  • Glue dots to stick your instant pictures
  • Photo clips to build structures out of your instant snaps

 

Features:

  • Square Format
    Works with Fujifilm Instax Square Film to give you a perfectly balanced frame with a scale of 1:1 — the iconic format that made instant photography what it is today. It dares you to make your subject the centre of the universe, and leaves plenty of space for creative composition.
  • Auto Mode
    Automatically adjusts shutter speed, aperture and flash output; and makes sure that your shots are perfectly exposed — no matter where you’re exploring or what you’re discovering.
  • Foldable Bellows Design
    Looks super cool and lets you reduce the Lomo’Instant Square to a third of its size.
  • Self-Timer
    Gives you time to run, jump, grab your best friend and strike a pose.
  • Remote Control Shutter Release
    Snaps your shutter from afar so that you can focus on diving into the good madness.
  • Multiple Exposure Mode
    Lets you layer up the loco by exposing one frame as many times as you like.
  • Long Exposure Mode
    Keeps your shutter open for as long as 30 seconds so that you can unleash your creativity in crazy light paintings.
  • Exposure Compensation:
    Lightens or darkens your frame so that you can be master of your own destiny.
  • Built-In Flash & Flash Off Mode
    Lets you decide just how much light you want to shine on your shenanigans.
  • Colour Gel Flash Filters
    Slide over your flash to tint your squares a whole new colour — everything you need to ride the rainbow!
  • Extras
    Photo clips, photo stands, glue dots and magnet stickers to display your super square frames.
  • Shooting Tip Cards
    25 ways to keep the inspiration rolling. Give them a try and then see what else you can come up with!

 

Accessories:

These are the only minor gripes with this camera. The camera comes with no batteries for the remote  CR2025 (3V) like your car key fob battery, or the main unit which requires 2 x CR2 batteries (6V), these are not standard batteries and not available in local supermarkets. The accessories supplied, remote & filters have the potential to get lost as the camera is not supplied with a carry case or strap. These would be the first recommendation to consider a case and strap to protect the camera and avoid the rain.

 

Observations of uses:

The Lomo’Instant Square is more about learning to take good quality well planned photos. The kit supplied came with an instruction book which allows you to read the manual & cross reference the number to the camera. There are many instruction manuals supplied with products which are never read. This manual should be read including the tips to get the most out of the camera. The Learn instant cards supplied give you the option to look at a photo and use the same setting as used by the professional. This is a great option to learn new techniques for photos.

The accessories filters are supplied gives a new dimension to the photo but after trail and error, these work best in a dark environment. The zoom option, normal, infinity closeup works, but you can’t tell from the viewfinder the settings, rather look at the setting on the front. The flash can be turned off & on as required (this is not available in many budget instant cameras)

The light on the side of the camera gave a clear visually indication how much paper was left which is handy to be aware of when you need to change paper. The paper comes in packs of 10 sheets.  Printing to develop the picture can take 10 / 15 minutes to develop, this is a great time to, watch and see how the photo is coming out.

There is a variety of features which are handy and unexpected on a retro style unit, the remote control, auto power off after 5 minutes use, tripod option, flash option and timer option.

 

The 25 tips for taking photo are great, you look at a picture on a card, if taking a similar picture, this advised what setting are required to get maximum results. This is a great way to learn & experiment with the camera. The innovation with the option to stick all the photo together with a plastic frame gave an enchanting collage collection.

 

Photo quality:

The quality of the photo does not do justice to them from the attached photos taken with a digital camera. The photos come out, a fades colour in a positive way. They stand out from your traditional photo.

 

Evaluation:

The use of this camera encapsulates the priorities of the artistic nature of the end image art. This has the flamboyance over the precedence of practicality and the attention to the details often forgotten by the trend to snap everything inside without viewing the full pictures. The Nostalgic style gave the impression of minimum functionality but was packed with a punch of abundant features.

This is not a child toy, expensive and takes a knack / hang of to get used to it, there is no speed photo as done with your smart phone rather the photo takes consideration and an eye for ascetic appreciation of the images.  The unit while not inexpensive would not be the main decision-making choice for the camera while the paper adds additional cost to the use on the camera.

There is ample artistic features, modes, and controls for practical use. This is a feature rich camera, analogue compact camera with a nostalgic feel that has a wow factor with people asking you about it. The retro style will not suite all, but if you’re into something different with a keen eye for photography this will allow you to catch the mood and visual characteristics, and your friends imagination.

 

https://shop.lomography.com/en/cameras/lomo-instant-square-camera/lomo-instant-square-camera-black      €199.00

Review – The Sudio Tre wireless earphones. #tech #sudio #sudiosweden #earphones

This is our second item from the folks at Sudio Sweden and the previous cans we checked out are still going strong and popular here with family and friends testing them out they are really comfortable and have agreat punch from them.

See our Sudio Regent Headphones review

Next up is the Sudio Tre earphones which come in an array of colours and offer 9 hours playback with 10 days standby time and has a 15 metre range so all in all enough for the average user,not only that you get a leather carry pouch to keep the goods intact which is a nice extra along with the wing tips.

Presentation again is great here as was before which comes in a nice neat box with detailed information on the back,a magnetic lock on the box and presented well on opening,this I like, Presentation for me is a kep factor on a product and mostly works for potential buyers,the pass on this with flying colours.

Fit and comfort – Not being a huge fans of earphones have come to like them more over the last year these fit rather well and stay put with the correct wing tips installed which is a simple process to swap out if they don’t suit your ears, They stayed in whilst walking or jogging and out and about and after a few minutes they felt like they were not there which was good, they can rest around your neck when not in use and are counterbalanced by a block of plastic matching the one with all the controls.

Controls – These are simple and effective and good looking with their gold accent. Given the buttons are flush with the unit itself they are easy to find after a few minutes use and work well though those with big fingers may take a bit longer to navigate blindly but overall they are responsive and do what they are supposed to do which is what you would expect like skipping tracks play,pause and pairing,on/off. Also we have the micro usb charge port here which allows a quick charge or full charge which takes some 120 minutes.

DRIVER

  • Type: 15,2 mm dynamic speaker
  • Sensitivity: 103 ± 3dB SPL @ 1 kHz 178mV
  • Impedance: 32 Ohm ± 15% @ 1kHz
  • Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz

GET A 15% DISCOUNT WITH THE CODE “TECHBUZZIRELAND15” AT THE TILL

Pairing – It is simple as expected the centre button on the control panel is what you use to pair to your chosen device. There is no indicator on the earphones themselves but a little indicator light which turns blue when connected and red when powered on. Again there is no charge level indicator here but when connected to a device you do get your charge status.

Sound – Sound is actually better than I would have thought for earphones with thin wing tips due to noise but the is actually great overall knocking out all lows,mids and highs quite well with a decent bass level which can also adjust from your phone if you are not happy,at the standard setting alone from my phone the sound was near perfect and loud which is something I prefer,by no means are these low sounding earphones but great quality overall I was impressed.

Build Quality – These are built well and are ideal for the active person be it any sport with nice rubber texture throughout and will last some time and easily take plenty of knocks,the main cable is also flat which takes away the worries of getting knots which is traditional with rounded cable and overall the package is small and not to forget they come with a leather pouch to boot for travel and storage purposes. The gold buttons complement the cappings at the end of earphone too and give them a nice clean look which is similar to the Regent and all complements each other well.

Overall Thoughts – I was expecting something good here from Sudio having really liked their Regent headphones and I got what i expected overall,with the great sound build quality and looks they are ideal for most people but ideal for active folk.

SPECS

  • Housing: Composite, Aluminum
  • Finish: High polished metal parts
  • Model: Earbud, Bluetooth 4.1
  • Weight: 35 g
  • Range: 15 meters
  • Battery time: 9 hours (active), 10 days (standby)
  • Charging time: 10 minutes (quick), 120 minutes (full)
  • Microphone: Built-in mic

BUY HERE

Review – The Jabra Wireless Elite Sport. #earbuds #sport #tech

On opening these I thought they would not fit in my ears as I am typically anti-ear buds but some do work/fit fine and these did too with their clever design and extra wings,gels and tips to pick from which changed the game for me but they are on the larger side but its more an aesthetic look more so than how they actually fit in your ears.

The packaging also excellent as normally is with Jabra is great and the little charging box is cool and robust to boot. This also gives you additional power on the go which is a bonus for heavy users and its not bulky either and fits nicely in any pocket and will be an ideal companion for those who would use these for long periods of time especially on a long commute. With a heart rate monitor and Hear Through feature this is only a few things they have on offer and they also switch on automatically when you take them out of the box.

UNBOXING

Build quality

These are well-built and IP67 rated which is what many would like to hear,they are solid overall would take plenty of knocks and sealed quite well too. IP67 is dust and waterproof up to One Meter so they can be worn in the rain and you can also get a three-year warranty against sweat which would be more so the worry I would have over the rain this would depend on the person.

The case they come in too is robust and this houses the two ear buds and charges them via induction,they just pop into the box and that’s it,the box will charge via Micro USB and will give you two charges per full charge of the box on top of the 3- 4 hours on the unit itself and these also fast charge too so all is good in this department.

There is wing tips,gels and foam buds and I would suggest the buds for more noise isolation but thats my view they have a better seal than the gel tips but are a bit uncomfortable at first and can hurt your ears when pressing the keys but they do settle down after some usage.

Controls 

Once paired to your phone which was simple thanks to the instructions and voice assisted commands as Jabra has in most of its headphones you are good to go, the lady that calls out the voice assisted commands now sounds even better and not so robotic. The raised buttons are small enough on these and as I said can hurt a bit when using fresh foam tips,after a while you will be custom as to where the keys are and will be able to navigate them quickly all features for calls and music you would expect to find are here and simple.

One side is the power on/off and the other skips tracks and pause,the usual array of controls you would expect to find. Also worth noting there is a charge status on your phone to keep you aware of battery life which is excellent to know and keep tabs but don’t forget you have the back up of the storage box which doubles as more power,two more full charges in fact. Another nice thing is you do not need to have both of these in your ears and can use the one for calls if you like which is handy and is great for the office or when driving to give to examples.

Sound quality

Calls and music here are great but from my point of view you would be better off with the foam tips over the gels as they isolate exterior noise much better though they can hurt when pressing the buttons but soften up after some use,calls where crisp and clear as was music in all formats and volumes though not the loudest I have heard from Jabra but that’s just my impression,in a quite room for example you will get the best results for clarity as opposed to outdoors where they have a handy Hear Through feature that allows you to hear whats going on around you which would be useful in certain circumstances be it jogging or walking on dark mornings and evenings for example,its good because you need to keep your wits about you these days.

Sports Life APP

This app is a must have for the fitness gurus, Being unwell during testing I did not use it that much but checked out the features, Setting up was odd as I had to pair the ear buds yet again despite me being already paired to my device which was Nokia 8,this might have been a bug but no app update arrived during testing, Getting set up required me to get my heart rate going and jogging on the spot for 15 seconds to calibrate but this took several attempts but I got there in the end, The app has alot to offer which we covered before but Jabra elite, some extra pieces,here is some app screenshots.

1 / 6

Overall this first attempt at the total wireless experience with ear buds is a great execution with what is on offer though some may find them uncomfortable and they may not stay in,this depends on the person, I thought they would constantly fall out but they did not drop out once,they do fill your ears fully and feel cumbersome to start but you soon get over this feeling and will be able to work your way around the small keys as mentioned before,they are not cheap but considered whats on offer and the build quality they really are a great piece of kit and one I tend to wear more so than others now given I prefer headphones.ie overears. I look forward to their next installment which was announced recently and their other products coming soon.

BUY HERE 

Review – Amazon Echo 2nd Gen. #Amazon #Alexa #IoT

Amazon have tried once with a smart phone and failed badly but here is where I think they could do better second time around considered the products they now offer which are very popular here in Ireland but of course we are left waiting and users having to import the devices but this is not just with Amazon to be fair,their products are good and winning the battle when it comes to voice assistants placed in our homes and they are affordable too, We look at the Echo 2 and share our thoughts but there is not much more on offer compared to their first gen offering.

 

The presentation is simple here with the product with a simple cardboard box giving you some details of whats in store but users of old will be well in tune on whats on offer and what to expect with the Echo 2nd Gen.

Here is where you can draw a line with what you want to do with it, either a smart hub or use it for information which is what I used it for, currently we are refining our house more IoT style which in time this will be ideal for a smart hub giving you options to do plenty and with the products now available in Ireland it opens doors for developers to give users the options they want in time, Most of us today have little or nothing connected apart from bulbs,light switches and perhaps a few more things.

 

 

The Echo is not big and can be placed anywhere in the house so depending on the user and for what they will use it for it will vary,its smaller than the previous model not that it matters that much because its not something that can get in the way really.

Controls and I/Os are simple for anyone new to this, On the top we have lights that surround the lip and change colour when setting up etc,you can see the videos and Instagram clips for more on that,when it starts up you get a good thump and it sounds good too. The buttons on top are simply laid out,You get and action key,plus and minus volume keys and you can turn the mic off when not in use or just plug it out. On the bottom on the back we have our power and aux I/Os.

 

 

 

 

You then need to download the app this is where I ran into problems setting up with my home wi-fi which I could probably blame as its brutal most of the time but I got there in the end, You will need to put information into the app to get going as Alexa learns as time goes on,the app is simple enough to use and has a nice UI. Tip. The more info you put in the more you will get out.

Alexa is fun though and throwing some random questions is where it’s at other than the normal ones people might ask. My daughter had a great time asking questions and ended up sat there having conversations with her which kept her occupied which was a good thing but the constant calling of Alexa does get annoying and I even feel a bit silly talking to a tube myself but this is the way forward and no different from asking Google something on your phone which I do not really do much anyway.

 

 

The things it can do are good and the possibilities will be endless soon enough as this is the direction we are going if we like it or not, The thing I like most on the fly is news and we have RTE and the independent here for that information and we can also check the weather,you will need to enter details for this on setting up the app but with privacy being an issue you do not have to be precise with what you tell Alexa or in the app set up.

THE APP

Best placed in the centre of a room or perhaps a table is the best place for it to be to experience the sound from it,its pretty good and loud but if stuck in a corner you will lose out on quality,This picks up your voice pretty much anywhere in the house which is good and if you have speakers about you can connect via bluetooth which makes it much better overall.

The Echo in my view is an ideal way to get into the whole IoT game and having fun in the process, It may not answer everything you throw at her but I love her voice it’s really cool, There is plenty here to keep you occupied and time will tell all if you like it or not,people to fear privacy with gadgets like this but this is the way forward and perhaps some might think it’s a lazy way of doing things but its the era we are in now and that’s it.

Having the option to voice control things at home speaking to a box might seem far-fetched to some but it’s a reality and its also cool but this product offers easy ways to do things such as make calls and play music and the sound is great.

 

There is much to do with Alexa and for those with connected gadgets in the house will love it,aside the basic functions like asking questions,setting timers,shopping lists and getting the latest news on the fly I think its a great products being my first, i would like in time to have an ecosystem of Amazon products in the house eventually, For now this is good as a speaker in the house and getting some things done but over time the Echo and future products will be where it’s at and where i intend to be going forward.

 

Review – The NETGEAR Orbi AC2200 RBK40 #Netgear #WiFi #tech

The NETGEAR Orbi AC2200 RBK40 is described as a solution to cover a large area using a Tri-band Wi-Fi to deliver faster internet speed as devices connect. This also has the option to add additional units to expand this range. The units are less industrial looking than many technology office-based equipment, this can fit in with the decor of a family home.

Contents:

  • One (1) Orbi Router (RBR40)
  • One (1) Orbi Satellite (RBS40)
  • One (1) 2m Ethernet cable
  • Two (2) 12V/2.5A power adapters
  • Quick start guide

Features:

  • Fast whole home Wi-Fi system – covers up to 250 M squared with high performance Wi-Fi; kit includes Wi-Fi router and satellites
  • Tri-Band technology – unlike other Wi-Fi sets that lose speed as you add devices, Orbi routers maintain data flow for your connected devices using a dedicated backhaul connection
  • Quick and easy setup – no need to create new accounts; just download the Orbi app, plug in your system and follow the instructions on your PC, Mac or mobile device to get your house on the net
  • Guest network – easily set up a separate and secure Wi-Fi network for visitors and guests to use; an ideal web gear combo for movie streaming and gaming sessions with friends and family
  • Compatible with Amazon Echo/Alexa – control your home network using voice commands

Tech specifications:

  • Combined WiFi speed 2,200 Mbps (400 + 866 + 866Mbps)
  • Coverage 250 M squared
  • Dedicated Backhaul 2×2 (866 Mbps)
  • WiFi Technology Tri-band
  • Memory 4GB flash and 512MB RAM
  • MU-MIMO Capable Yes
  • Antennas Four (4) high-performance antennas
  • Dimensions 6.4 x 3.1 x 8.0in (Router), 6.4 x 3.1 x 8.0in (Satellite)
  • Weight 1.65lb (Router), 1.65lb (Satellite)
  • Gigabit Ethernet ports (Router) 1 WAN and 3 LAN
  • Gigabit Ethernet Port (per Satellite) 4 LAN
  • Beamforming Yes
  • Works with Orbi OS Yes
  • Orbi App Yes
  • Guest WiFi network Yes
  • WPA/PSK2 support Yes
  • Works with Amazon Alexa & the Google Assistant Yes

Note: If you have an old brick house with thick walls or allot of tinfoil plasterboard to improve your installation, older type cordless phone, or a mirror at the back your current router, you may experience low Wi-Fi range.

Setup:

The setup required minimum technical knowledge and straightforward. Connect a network cable from the Netgear Orbi to your router, plug in the unit & watch as the light change colour until they become a solid colour. The satellite is recommended to be placed in the centre of the property and plugged in, leaving for under 2 minutes to get a connection to the Orbi router. The light then changes to a blue colour to indicate a strong connection, (amber indicted a poorer signal meaning the unit should be placed closer to the Orbi router). The phone / tablet/ laptops etc connect as normal using the Wifi code on the unit. Registration of the unit is done on line with the usual questions and backup security question

Setup video: The range can be further extended by using additional satellite units a daisy chain or star network topologies. The daisy chain networking allows you to connect either to the router or to the satellite increasing the range. Those of a technical nature can delve into other network functionality.

NETGEAR Orbi App:

This has Installs 50,000 – 100,000 with a rating of 4.1 out of 5, the installs app dashboard gives an overview of the network status.

  • Settings. Manage your Orbi router and its WiFi settings.
  • Device List. View a list of devices connected to your network with the ability to pause and resume WiFi for each.
  • Guest WiFi. Create a guest WiFi network and securely share your network details with friends and family.
  • Parental Controls. Enable Circle with Disney Smart Parental Controls on your Orbi System.
  • Traffic Meter. Monitor data usage over time.
  • Speed Test. Test the Internet speed of your service provider.
  • Support. Access Orbi system information and the community forum.

Note: If you have poor internet coming to your business / home the NETGEAR Orbi will not speed it up, rather distribute WiFi evenly around your property.

What’s the warranty on my Orbi WiFi System?

NETGEAR products have a quality brand name, quality reputation and work well. The warranty should be a selling factor for this product, but unfortunately Netgear appear to hide behind bureaucracy of paperwork to advise on what’s not covered, returns or damaged etc . Throughout 5 separate worldwide sites, they fail to address a simple question, how long is the warranty for a NETGEAR Orbi product. Netgear leave you hanging like a Hitchcock movie, never answering the simple question.

http://www.netgear.com/about/warranty/ advise you to look on https://kb.netgear.com/31036/What-s-the-warranty-on-my-Orbi-system which in turn refers you back to the original site . This is my number 1 dislike of this great product, lack of clear information on the warranty period.

Evaluation:

This unit was setup in the house, the data on the smart phone was turned off, only connected it via WiFi (without the NETGEAR Orbi) connected.   A YouTube video was watched while slowly walking away from the router. This resulted in a drop-in signal of YouTube video just outside the front door. Again, the same exercise, but connected the NETGEAR Orbi, the range and quality increased while sitting in the car outside the house. The range increase was very noticeable and speed test improved with the use of the NETGEAR Orbi.

When the unit was used with 4 Laptops all watching a YouTube video, again the Wi-Fi signal seemed solid with the usual buffering or dropout previously experienced diminished. Various software apps were used as tests but the practically of real life viewing a video gave clear concrete confirmation of the range increase and sharing of bandwidth.

The Netgear Orbi provided fast, reliable internet around the home with minimum setup required. If you suffer from poor signal / drop out areas weather due to distance or apartment living with interference from other routers close by, Then the Netgear Orbi would provide a first-rate solution. 

Available from

https://www.amazon.co.uk/NETGEAR-Coverage-Tri-Band-Network-Satellite/dp/B071D8SWGd      Price:            £219.99

Review – Urbanista San Franciso Green Camo earphones. #tech #earphones #urbanistalife

The Urbanista San Francisco earphones are multi-functional earphones for everyday use. This colour would not suit everyone but could be a dream earphone for some. The flat cable looks strong and is designed to be tangle free. The remote allows you to take calls and control your music.

 Box Contains:

Urbanista San Francisco In-Ear Headphones – Green Camo

Features:

  • The earpieces are perfectly shaped for an ergonomic fit
  • Tangle-free flat cable is as practical as it is stylish
  • The remote allows you to take calls, pause and play your tunes or skip between tracks
  • Whether you’re listening to your favourite music or chatting with a friend on the phone, the San Francisco set gives you an enjoyable audio experience with crisp highs and a rich sound.

 

Specification:

Speaker size: φ14.2mm

 95dB ±3dB SPL @1KHz

Impedance: 32ohms ±15% @1KHz

Frequency: 20-20.000Hz

Hands-free with microphone

Compatible with Android, iOS and Windows

Weight: 16g (without packaging)

Weight including packaging: 61g

 Packaging size: 50x30x120mm

 

Warranty:

Urbanista One Year Limited Warranty

 

Colours:

There is a variety of colours available to match your style to name a few, San Francisco Blue Petroleum, Pink Paradise, Sunset Boulevard, Lucky Rainbow, Coral Island, Dark Clown, Crispy Apple, and Fluffy Cloud

 

Overview:

One on the advantages (double edge sword) of these earphones is the earphone themselves, they don’t have the option to inset a larger or smaller gel to fit the size of your ears, one size fits all approach. This works great if they fit comfortable, however some of the more expensive may include a gel type earpiece that can often get lost / fall off a continuous wear. The flat cable is a bonus to prevent tangles to the cable even after been folded into a pocket.

The audio quality is respectable for the price range while when the volume was turned up to max, this could be heard by another person sitting beside you. The remote allows you to take calls, pause and play your tunes or skip between tracks. San Francisco is compatible with Android, iOS and Windows. This worked perfectly when connected to a laptop and iPhone.

BUY HERE

Review – Jabra Stealth Wireless Bluetooth Headset – Black/Orange #Jabra #JabraStealth

The Jabra Stealth Bluetooth Headset design (colours) may or may not be to all taste, however this is a solid build quality. The design is simplistic, necessitating the need for a variety of buttons to clutter the functionality on the headset. There are no volume buttons and the front of the unit has the answer and end-call buttons on the front of the headset in easy reach with the voice control button on the bottom of the headset.

Features:

  • Approx. 2 hours to recharge the headset
  • Micro USB hidden under the port protector
  • Different sized ear gels to fit your ears
  • Can be worn on the left or the right ear
  • Great battery life
  • Lightweight
  • 3 buttons and a single lead
  • Android NFC option to pair the unit
  • Noise isolation

App: Jabra Assist is a smartphone app that enables GPS tracking of the headset, pairing assistance, and headset battery status. Android download – Google Play, iOS download – App Store.

Warranty: A limited one-year warranty applies to all Jabra mobile products purchased from an authorised reseller.

Connect to phone:

The connection to a smart phone is standard; Press and hold (3 secs) the Answer/End button until the Bluetooth indicator flashes blue, and pairing mode is announced in the headset. The voice-guided pairing instructions are then followed. Near-field communication (NFC) in a smart phone can also be used by enabling the NFC, then slowly slide the NFC zone of the headset against the NFC zone of the mobile device until a connection is confirmed.

One advantage of the mono earpiece is the awareness of the surroundings when on a call or listening to music, (watch someone unfamiliar singing or talking very loudly when they have two earphones plugged in). The Jabra Stealth headset is secure and comfortable when in use while also has the requirement you would expect from Jabra i.e. good audio quality and noise cancelling technology.

Available from: https://www.jabra.co.uk/bluetooth-headsets/jabra-stealth £69.99

Review – The Roth Sub Zero III TV soundbar. #tech #audio #roth

I have a good main TV in the house and having said that the sound at times is not the best depending on what you are viewing and what you have connected to your TV, Soundbars are getting popular and having tested this one out I can see why and to begin with it has some bass, so bass fans will love it.

The build quality to begin with is excellent given its white it’s not for grubby hands though but it can be easily cleaned with a damp cloth, Ours almost blended in with the wall and mantlepiece which is where I placed it right under my TV which could replace a sub-woofer easily which I have a system already in place with one included but it will not fill the entire room with sound which was my only fault I could have with it as it is not overly loud with a 30 MAX setting, It could have been louder but overall the sound is excellent.The best mode of the limited choice is Music Mode but if using your phone as a source you can change the sound experience.

The SubZero III can be either placed under your tv depending on your set up or wall mounted so you are not stuck for choice and nobody is saying stick it under your TV because you can also use it to play music from your phone Via Bluetooth if you like or whatever is on your TV or what you might be streaming via your laptop.. There is a 90 degree HDMI adapter which is hand for tight spaces or set up restrictions.

IT ALSO COMES IN BLACK

There is 4 pods underneath so you can place it on the floor or cabinet this will vary per ones set-up at home and which room they might put it into,smaller rooms would reap the benefits more so than a large room but you will be still impressed with its punch for the price you pay.

Main Features / Specification:

    • Design:
    • 4x 2.75-inch 4 Ohm Ferrite Drivers
    • 2x Passive Radiator Bass Drivers
    • Thick Wall 3.6L Reinforced Polymer Case
    • Cloth Grill
    • Wall Mount Capable
    • LED Display with Auto Dimming
    • Performance:
    • Wide Frequency Response 40-20,000Hz
    • High Power Class D Amplifiers
    • 90 Watts Peak Output Power
    • Inputs:
    • HDMI x2, plus 1x HDMI output (ARC)
    • 3.5mm Analogue Stereo Connection
    • Optical SPDIF Format (Toslink compatible) – Stereo
    • Bluetooth aptX A2DP Audio
    • Power Input: AC 230-240V, 50 Hz
  • Dimensions:
  • 85cm X 8cm (D) X 8.8cm (H)

Whats on the soundbar

2 / 10

Overall this speaker looks great and does a good job however it will not blow the ears off you considered its size but as a companion piece for your TV it has better output and plays all music and more extremely well,also for set up it could not be easier either with a simple I/O layout on the rear tucked away nicely in a grooved out space,though depending on your setup at home you may need that 90 degree adaptor which is quite handy.

BUY HERE