Every 6 months I do an update on the state of my gadgets and what I use.
Computers
HP Dragonfly Elite G3 (2020) – replaces 2020 HP Dragonfly Elite, 2017 Google Pixelbook, 2017 Porsche Design Book One
My old HP Dragonfly Elite had heating issues, so I was finally forced to replace it after almost 3 years of service with.. what else other than another Dragonfly Elite? The G3 has some enhancements, better speakers, a 3:2 display, quieter keyboard and more powerful processor, but loses the convertible hinge.
https://youtu.be/MTRtpe9zckA
Alienware m15 Ryzen – replaces 2020 Alienware m15 R2, 2016 Alienware 15 R3
I’m back to my Alienware m15 Ryzen as my main gaming laptop, the issue of overheating was fixed by having a notebook cooler constantly running with it, but regardless,
it’s a very capable gaming machine due to the RTX 3060 GPU and also having a low profile cherry mx mechanical keyboard too!
https://youtu.be/gyvQBAHtO6s
Macbook Air M2 (2022) – replaces 2020 Macbook Air M1, 2016 Macbook Pro 13
Just overall a very convenient laptop to use. It’s got a smaller footprint than the M1 Macbook Air (almost as small as the HP Dragonfly Elite in fact), weighs only 2.7lbs, increased the RAM to 16GB so its snappier, and has a faster processor and new increased display size 13.6″ and upgraded design to boot.
https://youtu.be/aCgPLRuQPcw
Custom Lian Li case gaming PC – replaces 2019 Cyberpower Syber C Xtreme, 2015 Asus ROG G751, 2016 ThinkPad P70
Parts:
Case: Cyberpower Syber C -> Lian Li TU150
Mobo: ASrock Z390M -> Asus ROG Strix B550i -> Asus ROG B760i
CPU: Intel Core i5 9600k -> AMD Ryzen 7 5800X -> Intel Core i7 12700K
GPU: 8GB Zotac RTX 2070 -> 8GB Asus RTX 4060Ti
RAM: 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4 -> 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR5
Storage: 1TB Intel 660P PCIE + 1TB Samsung 970 Evo PCIE + 3TB Seagate Barracuda Hybrid HDD -> 1TB Crucial P3 Plus M2 + 1TB Samsung 970 EVO M2 + 4TB Sandisk SATA III
PSU: Corsair 600 80 PLUS Gold SFW -> Corsair 850 80 PLUS Gold SFW
CPU Cooler: Zalmann CNPS8900 -> Noctua U12A
Fans: -> Cooler Master Sickle Flow x3
Decided to move to the AMD AM4 chipset to upgrade my performance, going from 6 cores with no hyperthreading on the Intel to a massive 8 cores 16 threads on the Ryzen 7 3800X. This is mainly to speed up things like video editing which I do a lot of. I also added some more storage, changed the CPU cooler to something a bit more high end and changed out the case to be the Lian Li TU150 as I think it’s the perfect balance between portability (aluminum so it only weighs 3.6kg), size (its not the smallest case but it supports a lot of configurations and has good thermals), affordability (only $100 USD), and appearance (very minimalistic). Also looked at ITX cases by FormD, NCase, Cooler Master, NZXT, Fractal Design, BeQuiet, Razer, Corsair, Thermaltake etc but Lian Li had the best balance for me.
https://youtu.be/8HlR8bw0STg
Tablets/Phones
Asus Zenfone 10 (2024) – replaces 2022 Galaxy Fold4, 2021 Galaxy Z Fold 2, 2020 MS Surface Duo
My Samsung Galaxy Fold4 hinge died, forcing me to buy a new replacement phone. The Zenfone 10 is probably the best ‘small’ phone out there in terms of specs so it’s a no brainer replacement.
https://youtu.be/Q3mt_xmnQOQ
Sony Xperia 5 V (2024) – replaces 2023 Xperia 5 IV, 2021 Galaxy Z Flip 3, 2021 Google Pixel 4, 2020 iPhone 12 mini, 2019 iPhone 11 Pro, 2017 Google Pixel 2, 2016 iPhone SE, 2014 Sony Xperia Z3C
My Xperia 5 IV died because of water damage – so I had to replace it with (of course) the newer version, the Xperia 5 V, which actually has a bit better build quality and a better camera, while keeping the great battery life, camera shutter button, stereo speakers, microSd and headphone jack!
https://youtu.be/IOzYSx_vwWc
Music
ThieAudio Monarch MKII (2022) – replaces 2021 Noble Audio Khan, 2021 AK Solaris X
After lots of experimentation with different IEMs last year from the $600 Tansio Mirai LANDs to the $1200 AK/Campfire Solaris X to the $2000 Noble Audio Khans, I decided to settle with the $1000 ThieAudio Monarch MkIIs which are fantastic for the price, not quite as perfect as the Khans, but it comes close enough at half the cost of the Khans.
https://youtu.be/_huvlaC05WU
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX (2024) – replaces 2022 Master & Dynamic MW08, 2021 Nura NuraTrue, 2019 Sony WF-1000XM3
Very good sounding pair of wireless earbuds that I use in tandem with my Audio-Technica TWX9 as my main two wireless earbuds now.
https://youtu.be/FP-KJp8e7yk
Bowers&Wilkins PX8 McLaren (2023) – replaces 2018 Sony WH-1000XM3, 2017 Sony MDR-1000X
These are my main over ear wireless headphones now, it’s an improved Px7S2 which were previously my favorites. They have great sound, noise cancelling, made of premium materials, are comfortable and look great to boot.
https://youtu.be/vUgCFRVt83M
Hiby RS6 (2021) – replaces 2021 Astell&Kern SE100, 2020 Motorola Razr Fold
This is my main DAP now.. after a comparison vs the AK SE100, it was a hard choice because although the HiBys used a unique and interesting R2R architecture, the SE100 with the Dual ESS9038Pro was also a solid performer as well. the sound quality of both were very similar, the SE100 had a better click wheel, but in the end the HiBy’s more ‘fun’ sound and (much) faster UI won me over and I kept the RS6 over the SE100.
https://youtu.be/yfMZZuwLzBk
Aperion Audio Verus V5B + Rotel A12 Integrated Amp + REL Tzero Mk3 + xDuoo XA10 – replaces 2022 Monitor Audio Bronze 50, 2022 DALI Oberon 1, 2021 Neat Acoustics Ministra, 2021 PMC DB1 Gold, 2019 Klipsch R-41PM, 2017 Creative SoundblasterX Katana, 2017 Klipsch the Three, Cambridge Audio Solo Preamp
I got a really good deal on the Aperion Audio Verus 5B and it’s a well regarded speaker from a lesser known but stellar American audio company so decided to try them out. It has now replaced my combination of the Monitor Audio Bronze 50 + DALI Oberon 1s which I had before.
https://youtu.be/o9kicgHi_KM
Neat Acoustics Ministra + MartinLogan 30i + MartinLogan 2i + MartinLogan Dynamo 400 + Marantz Cinema 60 – replaces 2020 MartinLogan 15i / Marantz NR1510, 2019 LG SL10YG + SPK8
I decided to turn in my soundbar for a dedicated 5.1 + receiver setup, and yes the audio does sound better! It’s a tradeoff though. The setup is more expensive, takes up more space, and more wires of course. In return for better sound quality.
https://youtu.be/W3rt5eIpJcc
Ruark R1 Deluxe Mark IV – replaces 2017 Yamaha Clock Radio
The Ruark R1 Deluxe replaces my Yamaha Clock Radio/Alarm
https://youtu.be/cuJs3DB4sWY
MartinLogan 15 + Yamaha WXA50 + xDuoo MP01 + Thorens TD 102A – replaces 2023 Klipsch the Fives, 2023 Kanto TUK, 2023 Fluance RT85N, 2023 Rega Planar 3, 2023 Leak Stereo 130, 2023 Cambridge Audio Alva Duo, 2022 Klipsch R40M, 2022 Fosi Box X4, 2021 Klipsch R41PM, 2020 Cambridge Audio Alva Solo, 2019 Fluance RT85, 2017 Klipsch the Three
After many many iterations of combinations of speakers, turntables, amps and phono preamps, I’ve decided to settle on the combination of the automatic Thorens TD 102A with the xDuoo MP01 tube phono preamp into the Yamaha WXA-50 streaming amp powering a pair of MartinLogan 15s. I just hope this is enough to satisfy me for the time being.
https://youtu.be/ft_5rzszhUE
Cameras
DJI Pocket 3 (2024) – replaces 2022 DJI Osmo Action 3, 2021 DJI Pocket 2, 2016 Sony HDR-AS300
The Pocket 3 is great, it has a much larger display than the Pocket 2 did and a better camera, and for all cases except for water activities and biking (I still use the Action 3 for that), it’s been my main vlogging camera.
https://youtu.be/–hf8J5hMCQ
Sony ZV-1 (2020) – replaces Sony A6000, DJI Osmo+
The best camera for Youtube videos and Vlogs, it’s such a good value for the quality as it comes with a lens very similar to the 24mm Zeiss 1.8 prime I had before except this one is a 24-70mm zoom, making this one a great all around camera for everything, especially paired with a Zhiyun M2 for moving stability, plus 4K and HLG (HDR) capability so it’s a strict upgrade over my old Sony and DJI Osmo (with the Zhiyun). Also, the microphone is great, so I don’t need to use a dedicated Sony X/Y mic or my Shures anymore.
https://youtu.be/9Me4r2TIaq4
Main Computer collection
Lian Li Custom Desktop (2021) – AMD Ryzen 5800X, 32GB RAM, 5TB SSD+HDD, Geforce RTX 2070, 20lbs – main gaming pc
13.5″ 1920×1280 – HP Dragonfly Elite G3 (2023) – Intel Core i7 1265U, 16GB, 256GB SSD, 2.4lbs – main portable laptop
13.6″ 2560×1440 – Apple Macbook Air M2 (2020) – Apple M2, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, 2.7lbs – secondary portable laptop
15.6″ 1920×1080 – Alienware m15 Ryzen – AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Geforce 3060, 5.5lbs – main gaming laptop
14.5″ 1920×1080 – Asus Zenbook Pro Duo – Core i7 12700H, 16GB, 1TB SSD, Geforce RTX 3050 Ti, 4.6lbs – secondary gaming laptop
Main Phone collection
5.9″ 1080×2400 (2024) – Asus Zenfone 10, Snapdragon SM8550, 8GB RAM, 128GB Flash, Android 13, 50MP F/1.9 – main phone
6.1″ 1080×2520 (2023) – Sony Xperia 5 V, Snapdragon SM8550, 8GB RAM, 128GB Flash, Android 12, 48MP F/1.9 – secondary phone
Other devices
Video game systems: PS3, PS4 Pro, PS5, PSTV, Nvidia Shield Pro, Cybiko Xtreme, Nokia Ngage, PS Vita, New Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch OLED, Nvidia Shield Portable, PSP Go, Razer Edge, GPD Win 4, Steam Deck OLED, AyaNeo Air Pro, Lenovo Legion Go, GPD Win Mini, Anbernic RG40XXV, Playdate, Kinhank Super Console X5 Pro
UMPCs: GPD Micro, Toshiba Libretto W100, Vulcan Flipstart, Sony Vaio UX280, Sony Vaio P, Sharp Netwalker, OpenPandora, Fujitsu UH900, Fujitsu U820, OQO Model 2, Samsung Q1, King Jim Portabook, Cosmo Communicator, Onemix Yoga 3, GPD Pocket 3
Backup Laptops: Google Pixelbook (light use laptop), ThinkPad TP25 (business laptop), Onkyo DX (dual screen netbook), ThinkPad X240 (Win 7), Thinkpad X61 (Win XP), Dell Latitude D600 (Win 98)
Watches: Nomos Tetra 406 (dress/casual), Junghans Meister Calendar (everyday), Farer Burbridge Moonphase (dress/everyday), Oris GMT (travel), Pebble Time Steel, Fossil Abacus, Casio DataBank, Motorola Moto 360 3rd gen, Apple Watch Series 3, Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2, Nixoid Nixie Tube watch, Seiko Presage SPB399 (dress/everyday), Corniche Heritage Bleu Ardoise (everyday), Hamilton Ventura Elvis80 Skeleton (everyday), Orient Star Mechanical Moonphase (dress)
Tablets: iPad Pro 10.5, Sony Tablet P, iPad Air, Lenovo Flex 20
PMPs: Philips PMC, iPod Nano, MS Zune, Creative Zen vision m, Archos 7, Cowon V5W, Hiby RS6, Cayin N3 Ultra
Flip Phones: Samsung Alias 2, Motorola Razr Fold 2020
Vertical Sliders: Sony Ericsson W995, Nokia N95, Samsung Exclaim
Horizontal Sliders: HTC Dream (Tmobile G1), Nokia N900, Sony Xperia Play, Samsung Exclaim, TMobile Sidekick 3, Planet Computers Cosmo Communicator
Unique form factor: HTC Universal, Motorola Flipout, Nokia E70, HTC Advantage X7500, Nokia E90, Unihertz Jelly 2, Palm phone, Nokia 3250, Nokia N-gage, Motorola V70, Sony Ericsson P990, Toshiba G910, Neptune Pine, Blackberry Key2, Unihertz Titan Pocket, LG Wing
PDAs: Palm TX, Sharp Zaurus, Sony UX50, Zipit Z2, HP iPAQ 210, Psion 5MX, HP Jornada 720, MS Kin 2, Sony Mylo 2
Unique OS: Amazon Fire Phone (FireOS), ZTE Open C (FirefoxOS), Samsung Z1 (TizenOS), HP Pre 3 (WebOS), Blackberry Porsche 9981 (BB 7 OS), Blackberry Passport (BB 10 OS), Nokia N810 (Maemo), Nokia E7 (Symbian 3), HP Elite X3 (Win 10), Palm Treo 700p (PalmOS), Sony Xperia XA2 (Sailfish X), FxTec Pro1X (Ubuntu Touch), Essential Phone (LineageOS)
Displays: LG C9 OLED TV (main TV), Alienware AW2725DF (gaming monitor), LG 29WK600 (ultrawide work monitor), LG 27LQ625S (secondary TV), Gaems Sentinel Pro XP (portable monitor), Goovis G3 Max (HMD), Meta Quest 3 (VR), Viture Pro (video glasses)
Cameras: DJI Osmo Pocket 3, DJI Osmo Action 3, Sony ZV-1
Headphones: Final VR3000 (earphone), ThieAudio Monarch MKII (IEM), Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX (wireless earbuds), Technics AZ80 (wireless earbuds), Koss Porta Pro (backup headphones), Monster Gratitude (backup earphones), Bowers&Wilkins PX8 (wireless/NC/closed), Razer Anzu (smart glasses), Hifiman Arya Stealth (open back), Audio-Technica AWAS (closed back), Dan Clark Noire X (closed back), Shure SRH940 (closed back), Beyerdynamic MX330 Pro (gaming)
Speakers: Aperion Audio V5B + REL Tzero Mk3 (desktop), Neat Ministra + MartinLogan Motion 30i + MartinLogan Motion 2i + MartinLogan Dynamo 400 (home theater), MartinLogan Motion 15 + Kanto Sub8 (bedroom), Klipsch the Three w/ Google Assistant (living room), Ruark Audio R1 mk4 (alarm), Google Nest Hub Max (picture frame/assistant), PreSonus Eris (monitors), Bose Soundlink Revolve (portable)
Misc Audio Electronics: Rotel A12 (integrated amp/dac), xDuoo XA10 (headphone amp/dac), xDuoo MP10 (headphone amp / phono preamp), UA Volt 276 (recording interface), Thorens TD102A (turntable), Marantz Cinema 60 (receiver), FiiO KA5 (phone DAC), Yamaha WXA50 (turntable), Denon DCD50 (CD player)
Microphones: Shure SM58 (dynamic), Audio-Technica AT2020 (condenser), Rode PodMicUSB (USB), DJI Mic 2 (wireless)
Storage: 1x Synology DS420j, 1x Synology DS220+, 1x Synology DS412+, 2x Synology DS416j, 1x Synology DS418j, 2x Synology DS416slim, 1x Synology DS419slim, 3x Patriot Memory USB sticks, 3x Lexar memory USB sticks, 1x Porsche Design LaCIE external HDD, 2x Toshiba Canvio external HDD
Keyboards: Roccat Vulcan 121 (desktop), Ducky 2 SF Blue (backup), KeyChron Q1 Pro (work)
Mice: Logitech MX Master 3 (work mouse), Logitech MX Anywhere 2S (travel), Corsair Nightsword (desktop), Logitech G502X (backup), Razer Deathadder V3 (backup)
Controllers: Nvidia Shield controller (Shield), Nintendo Switch Joycons (Switch), Nintendo Switch Pro Controller (Switch), Sony PS3 Controller x2 (PS3), Sony PS4 controller x2 (PS4), Sony PS5 controller x2 (PS5), Sony PS4 controller (PSTV), Razer Wolverine Ultimate (PC), Hori Fighting Commander (Nvidia Shield, Switch), Hori Arcade Pro Stick (PC, Switch), Hori Split Pad Compact (Switch), 8Bitdo controller (backup), Gamesir controller (backup)
Guitar Amps: Supro Keeley 12 (main), Fishman Loudbox Micro (acoustic / karaoke), Positive Grid Spark Mini (travel)
Guitars: Fender Stratocaster w/Rumpelstiltskin pickups (secondary electric), Takamine CP7MO (main acoustic), Lava ME Air (travel acoustic), Duesenberg Alliance Joe Walsh (main electric), G&L ASAT Special (secondary electric), Yamaha Revstar Professional w/ TV Jones Zoomtron pickups (secondary electric)
Pedals: Boss TU3W (tuner), MXR Timmy (overdrive), Snouse Blackbox 2 (overdrive), Tubesteader Lightkeeper (Boost/OD), Fender Marine Layer Reverb (reverb), BBE Wah (Wah), Xotic Compressor (Compressor), Wampler Tumnus (K type OD), Boss RC5 (Looper), Hermida EPH3(delay)
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