05Jun/18

Review: PITAKA MagCase Pro for iPhone X (sale)

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The MagCase Pro is PITAKA’s latest product in there Mag line.  This line of products focuses around the ability to quickly and easily mount your phone or wallet using magnets.  They have products for the home and car to mount them.  The MagCase Pro is the more robust version of their phone case and features the same aramid fiber as their orther products.  aramid not only looks great, but is also light and very strong.  Their previous cases were geared towards people looking for a lightweight and minimal case while the Pro version somewhat keeps this approcach but does not hold back when it comes to protection.  The MagCase Pro utilizes numerous techniques to achieve this.  As mentioned before it is partially made of aramid which makes the case rigid while keeping its weight down.  The sides are made of a firm rubber like material that holds its shape but also provides cushion.  All corners feature nice bumpers and air pockets internally to absorb impact.  The back of the case is lined in felt to protect the phone.  Everything about this case screams protection and quality.  Please refer to the pictures below comparing it to the MagCase for the iPhone X. If you are interested in purchasing this case and would like to receive up to 15% off until June 10th, you can do so here.

01Dec/17

Review: Isincer LED Lights

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Off road lights for vehicles are a little out of the norm as far as what I typically review, but these lights by Isincer do use the latest in LED technology.  They are constructed of aluminum with glass lenses which will hold up much better than the competing lights that are plastic.  They include mounting hardware and unfortunately do not include any directions.  If you have ever installed any vehicle lights this will not be an issue though.  The mounting mechanism provides plenty of adjust ability and should accommodate just about any situation.

These lights only draw 72W of power which is very minimal given the light output.  I would estimate the light from these are around 6000K or pure white with just a very slight hint of blue.  This color is very pleasing to the eye and does a great job of reflecting off of objects.  I am currently using these lights as fog lights which is working great.  I had to angle them down some to keep light out of oncoming traffic but the lights still manage to throw light 60+ feet to the left and right of the car, making them awesome for night driving on back roads.

Only time will tell if these lights will last, but so far I am very impressed but their build quality and light output, especially given their low price.

If you are interested in purchasing these lights, they can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075NYLFJD.

26Sep/17

Review: Ikos Bluetooth Headphones

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The Ikos Bluetooth Headphones are neckband style and include two different size ear tips, a short charging cable, and a brief user manual.  They are extremely light at just under one ounce which helps they remain comfortable.  They are also very flexible which makes storage simple.  The headphones utilize Bluetooth version 4.2 which helps extend the range out to 30 feet which in my test held true for line of sight.  Overall range was slightly above average.  Battery life is rated at five hours and I was actually able to squeeze almost six hours out of them on numerous occasions.

Using the Ikos headphones as a headset worked great throughout my experience and I had no complaints from people on the other end of the call.  The headphones get plenty loud and sound quality is decent with a slight bump in bass and a roll off in the upper frequencies.

Overall this is a nice set of Bluetooth headphones.  They are comfortable, durable, have good range, and sound decent, all at an affordable price.

If you are interested in these headphones, they can be found here.

26Jul/17

Review: Leophile Zero Headphones

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The Leophile Zero is Leophile’s latest offering and they come packed with features to compete with the big boys.  They are an around the neck style headphone with their highlight feature being Active Noise Canceling or ANC.  They feature Bluetooth 4.1, wired audio mode, vibration alerts, and boast up to a 20 hour battery life.  Included with them are three different size ear tips, charging cable, wired audio cable, manual, and leather carrying case. The headphones are mostly plastic but have a very nice leather wrapped around the neck band.  Overall they are lightweight but feel very well made.

 

When it comes to ANC the biggest players in the game are the Bose QuietComfort 35, Sony MDR-1000X, and Sennheiser PXC 550, all of which are at least three times the cost of the Leophile Zero headphones but why not compare them to the best.  When it comes to constant noises like fans, motors, engines, wind, etc., the Zero’s are on par with the others.  When it comes to random noises like people laughing, typing, etc., the Zero’s do not fair as well as the others.  After hours of comparison I would say the Zero’s are easily 85% as good as the top contenders, again at a third of the price.

When it comes ot sound the Zero’s have no problem getting loud.  The sound quality is exactly what you would expect at this price, great.  The highs are smooth with no harshness, mids are clear with no signs of being muddy, and the bass is nice and tight.  I could not notice and equalization going on at all which is a good thing.  For the most part they remained fairly flat and if anything, slightly on the bright side.

Overall the Leophile Zero’s are my new favorite around the neck style headphone.  They easily get me through two entire work days, sound awesome, and have great ANC.  The included leather travel pouch is both nice looking and convenient.  My only complaint about them is that I wish there was some way they held the ear buds when not in use so they didn’t just dangle.  This is far from a deal breaker, but maybe the next revision will have some magnets like many of the LG Tone models.

If you are interested in purchasing the Leophile Zero headphones they can be found here.

30Jun/17

Review: Lasmex C45 Headphones

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In the electronic world you often see brands that you may not recognize and often those products are average or sometimes even no good at all. On occasion you will find a product the goes beyond all expectations. In this case the Lasmex C45 headphones are far better than I expected. First off, the included case is very well made and compact. The included manual is thorough and easy to follow. The headphones include a cable with built in mic and controls and a straight cable with no controls or mic. Both cables are very high quality with metal connectors. The headphones themselves have aluminum ear cups with plush leatherette padding as well as a padded headband that is not only comfortable but very flexible and durable. In fact the headband is almost as flexible as my Bose QC35 headphones which is mind blowing.

As for sound these headphones shine. Sound output is average for on ear headphones while the sound remains mostly flat with just a slight bump in the higher frequencies. Sound remains smooth and precise even at high volumes. These headphones easily put many other more expensive pairs to shame as far as sound quality. For fun, I connected these to a small CMoy BB headphone amp which made them sound even better.

Overall I am highly impressed with the build quality, accessories, and most importantly sound quality of these headphones. I can not recommend these enough.

20Jun/17

Review: Anker SoundCore Boost

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The SoundCore Boost is one of Anker’s latest Bluetooth speakers which combines all of their previous technologies with some new.  The speaker is rated IPX5 water resistant and is finished in a soft touch rubber and cloth.  The appearance is simple and elegant.  It is average sized for a Bluetooth speaker and will easily slip into a bag to carry with you.  Across the top you will find the usual Power/Pairing, minus, Plus, and Play/Pause buttons along with one Labeled UP, more on that later.  Also on top are four LED battery lights and a labeled NFC receiver to make for easy Bluetooth pairing with compatible devices.  On the left side is flap that opens to reveal a 1/8″ auxiliary input, a micro-USB charging port, and a USB type A port to charge your phone or other device.  This USB port provides 5200mAh of juice and utilizes Anker’s Power IQ technology to charge your device as fast as possible regardless of what it is.  The front, back, and right side are covered in black cloth and the bottom is bare other than some small rubber feet and product information.

Turning the speaker on and paring my phone to it was extremely easy and worked just as most other Bluetooth devices do.  Once paired, the first thing I did was load my favorite playlist on my phone and cranked it to max, because why not hear all 20W it has to offer.  Surprisingly the speaker got very loud with absolutely no distortion.  To accomplish this magic, Anker has incorporated some dynamic equalization.  Most noticeable is a slight reduction in bass and high frequencies at high volume or the use of compression to boost sounds that are not as hard on the drivers.  This results in sound that is still fairly good but crystal clear where other speakers would be screaming for mercy.  This is not overdone like on other speakers I have tested such as the Bose SoundLink Mini II which has almost zero bass at max volume.  Since we are talking about bass, this where that UP button from earlier comes into play.  All my bass lovers out there, you will love this speaker and that UP button.  At low volumes the BassUp technology from Anker makes the speaker sound much more full and larger than it really is.  At mid volume bass lovers will rejoice at how much this little speaker can thump.  As the volume approaches max, the dynamic equalization starts to kick in and the bass slowly fades which is to be expected.  Overall sound is full and flat in a good way.  I would expect this quality from a speaker costing much more.

Thanks to the BassUp technology the SoundCore Boost is hands down the best sounding low volume Bluetooth speaker I have heard to date.  At mid volumes with BassUp off the sound quality is among the best and pressing that UP button makes it jump far ahead of all others in its class in the bass department.  At high volumes it gets crazy loud and is one of the clearest Bluetooth speakers I have tested.  On top if this great sound the battery consistently lasts over 12 hours and the Bluetooth range that is rated at 66ft is just crazy good.  Prior to this speaker the Bose SoundLink Mini II had the best range in my real world test in my house, the SoundCore Boost beats it by about 5 feet.  It also comes with an 18 month warranty.  Thanks to all these positive attributes it is now my favorite Bluetooth speaker of the over 50 I have tested, pushing the Specter AQSTIX (See my review here) into second place which is a more expensive speaker.  Needless to say Anker has hit a home run with the SoundCore Boost and will have a tough time beating it.

If you are interested in purchasing the Anker SoundCore Boost it can be found here.

08Jun/17

Review: Pitaka Samsung Galaxy S8+ Case

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The Pitaka case is a slim, minimalistic case made of Arimid fiber.  Arimid is similar to Carbon Fiber except that it is more flexible and does not block wireless frequencies like Carbon Fiber does.  Installing this case is a breeze as it just snaps on.  It fits the contoured edges of the S8+ perfectly and does not block the very edge of the screen like some cases do for this device.  The dimple around the camera, flash, and fingerprint sensor on the rear actually makes the fingerprint sensor easier to find.

I have been using a Pitaka case on my iPhone 6S Plus for a few weeks now and it still looks like the day I received it even after a few drops.  The S8+ case now features integrated metal strips to work with their car mount so their will be no need to stick a plate to your phone or case to mount it.

Overall this case is made very well, fits perfect, and should take a beating.  If you are looking for a thin case to protect your phone, I highly recommend it.

If you are interested in purchasing this case it can be found here.