Blue is Me

Tag: Tech

  • June 2023 Gadget update

    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/6QrZO_6Za4o

     

    Asus Zenbook Pro 15 – replaces 2021 Alienware m15 R5, 2020 Alienware m15 R2, 2016 Alienware 15 R3

    Unfortunately my Alienware m15 R5 had lots of issues, the battery doesn’t work anymore and it overheats, so I was forced to get another gaming laptop and settled on the Asus Zenbook Pro 15 which although not meant for gaming, is very capable of it thanks to a decent RTX 3050 Ti in it, but the main reason why I got it over the ROG Strix or Zephyrus is due to its gorgeous 1080p OLED display.

    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/vr_Hp1mPa-Y

    Custom Lian Li case gaming PC – replaces 2019 Cyberpower Syber C Xtreme, 2015 Asus ROG G751, 2016 ThinkPad P70

    Parts: 
    Case: Cyberpower Syber C case -> Lian Li TU150 case
    Mobo: ASrock Z390M -> Asus ROG Strix B550-i
    CPU: Intel Core i5 9600k -> AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
    GPU: 8GB Nvidia RTX 2070
    RAM: 32GB Corsair Vengeance
    Storage: 1TB Intel 660P PCIE + 1TB Samsung 970 Evo PCIE + 3TB Seagate Barracuda Hybrid HDD
    PSU: Corsair 600 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/yaS3UvtRF8o

    Tablets/Phones

    Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 (2022) – replaces 2021 Galaxy Z Fold 2, 2020 MS Surface Duo

    I like the Fold4 as it’s a vast improvement over the Fold2 with a bigger front display, better camera and lighter weight, which were my three main concerns with the Fold2. In addition it has water and dust resistance so overall it’s a massive upgrade over my Fold2 and serves as my main everyday phone now. It’s so nice to be able to just unfold into a bigger display for looking at maps, reading webpages and watching videos.

    https://youtu.be/kyKA9katLGk

    Sony Xperia 5 IV (2023) – replaces 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

    Going back to a Sony as my main phone after all these years. It has everything that I want in a phone, the old school headphone jack, 2 day battery life, microSD, stereo front facing speakers, water resistance, and even the camera is impressive given that Sony has historically had below average cameras.

    https://youtu.be/4gOXo0vPvBo

    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/zJNHskpBPjI

    Master & Dynamic MW08 (2022) – replaces 2021 Nura NuraTrue, 2019 Sony WF-1000XM3

    The MW earbuds are a decent set of wireless earbuds. They’re not going to compete with my IEMs but for something convenient to use with my Motorola Razr Fold or my Macbook Air or my iPad Pro it works fine. Just need something that’s decent sounding and smaller size than the Sony WF-1000XM3s. Would have kept the Nura Buds but they need a specific app in order to work correctly (Which means they have to be used with a phone).

    https://youtu.be/lgGnRa5fu7k

    Bowers&Wilkins Px7 S2 (2023) – replaces 2018 Sony WH-1000XM3, 2017 Sony MDR-1000X

    These are my main over ear wireless headphones now, I did a headphone shootout with a few other over ear wireless headphones, and these won. They have great sound, noise cancelling, are comfortable and look great to boot.

    https://youtu.be/n_Y85Kai3sc

    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/H2ucbveCKbA

     

    Monitor Audio Bronze 50 + Rotel A12 Integrated Amp + REL Tzero Mk3 – replaces 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 did ALOT of speaker comparisons these past few years. And I’ve decided to focus on MA Bronze 50s. I also have tried out the Neat Ministras, DALI Oberon 1s, PMC DB1 Golds, Triangle BRO2s and Klipsch R40Ms and found the MA Bronze 50s the best price/performance for me.

    https://youtu.be/ZOsF0BEMuYg

    Neat Acoustics Ministra / MartinLogan 8i / 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/Qpw2rwBV92Q

    Ruark R1 Deluxe Mark IV – replaces 2017 Yamaha Clock Radio

    The Ruark R1 Deluxe replaces my Yamaha Clock Radio/Alarm

    https://youtu.be/JOtU23Juoxc

    Cameras

    DJI Osmo Action 3 (2022) – replaces 2021 DJI Pocket 2, 2016 Sony HDR-AS300

    The Osmo Action 3 is a great action camera that replaces my Pocket 2 because it’s smaller than the Pocket 2 and has built in water resistance and cold resistance without using extra accessories. That makes it a lot more convenient and the mics are great too! This is definitely more of a straight up replacement for my older 2016 Sony AS300s. 

    https://youtu.be/icHcnM4p4LI

    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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0CN_TWXLss

    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 OLED – Asus Zenbook Pro 15 – AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Geforce RTX 3050 Ti, 4.4lbs – main gaming laptop

    Main Phone collection
    6.1″ 1080×2520 (2023) – Sony Xperia 5 IV, Snapdragon SM8450, 8GB RAM, 128GB Flash, Android 12, 12MP F/1.7 – main phone
    7.6″ 1812×2176 OLED – Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 (2021) – Snapdragon 865, 12GB RAM, 256GB Flash, Android 12, 50MP F/1.8 – main tablet / 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, GPD Win 2, Nvidia Shield Portable, PSP Go, Razer Phone 2, GPD Win 4, Steam Deck, AyaNeo Air Pro, Asus ROG Ally

    UMPCs: GPD Micro, Toshiba Libretto W100, Vulcan Flipstart, Sony Vaio UX280, Sharp Netwalker, OpenPandora, Fujitsu UH900, Fujitsu U820, OQO Model 2, Samsung Q1, King Jim Portabook, Astro Slide, 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), Alienware m15 R5

    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), Raymond Weil Beatles (dress), Corniche Heritage Bleu Ardoise (everyday), Atowake Ettore Lite (everyday), Casio Oceanus OCW-4000 (everyday), Orient Star RK-AT00015L (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

    Flip Phones: Samsung Galaxy Folder 2, Samsung Alias 2, Motorola Razr Fold

    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, TMobile Sidekick Slide, Planet Computers Astro Slide

    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), LG Nexus 5 (Ubuntu Touch), Essential Phone (LineageOS)

    Displays: LG C9 OLED TV (main TV), Acer Predator XB271HU  (gaming monitor), LG 29WK600 (ultrawide work monitor), Gaems Sentinel Pro XP (portable monitor), Royole Moon (HMD), Oculus Quest 2 (VR), Viture XR Glasses

    Cameras: DJI Osmo Action 3, Sony ZV-1

    Headphones: Monster Gratitude (earphone), ThieAudio Monarch MKII (IEM), Master & Dynamic MW08 (wireless earbuds), Razer Hammerhead TW Pro (wireless earbuds), Final Audio ZE3000 (wireless earbuds), Bowers&Wilkins Px7 S2 (wireless/NC/closed), Razer Anzu (smart glasses), Beyerdynamic T1 2nd gen (open back), DCA Aeon Closed X (closed back)

    Speakers: Monitor Audio Bronze 50 + DALI Oberon 1 + REL Tzero Mk3 (desktop), Neat Ministra + MartinLogan Motion 8i + MartinLogan Motion 2i + MartinLogan Dynamo 400 (home theater), MartinLogan 15 (bedroom), Klipsch the Three II (living room), Ruark Audio R1 mk4 (alarm), Google Home Hub (picture frame/assistant), PreSonus Eris (monitors), Bose Soundlink Revolve (portable)

    Misc Audio Electronics: Rotel A12 (integrated amp/dac), Creative X3 (headphone amp/dac), Behringer Xenyx Q502 (Mixer), Rega P3 w/ Hana SL cart (turntable), Marantz Cinema 60 (receiver), FiiO K7 (desktop dac/amp), Shanling UA2 (phone DAC), Leak Stereo 130 (turntable), Focusrite Scarlett Solo (USB interface)

    Microphones: Shure SM48 (dynamic), MXL50 (condenser), Blue Yeti Nano (USB)

    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), Logitech MX Mechanical Mini (work), Lenovo Wireless Keyboard (Lenovo Flex), Mini Keyboard (Nvidia Shield)

    Mice: Logitech MX Master 3 (work mouse), Logitech MX Anywhere 2S (travel), Corsair Dark Core (travel/gaming), Logitech G502 (desktop), Lenovo Wireless Mouse (Lenovo Flex)

    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)

    Guitar Amps: Milkman 1W+ (main), Vox Mini5 (travel/busking), Positive Grid Spark Mini (travel)

    Guitars: Fender Stratocaster w/Rumpelstiltskin pickups (secondary electric), Martin OMJM (main acoustic), Lava ME 2 (travel acoustic/electric), Duesenberg Alliance Joe Walsh (main electric), G&L ASAT Special (secondary electric)

    Pedals: Boss TU3W (tuner), Catalinbread Epoch Boost (preamp/boost), Tubesteader Lightkeeper (Boost/OD), Fender Marine Layer Reverb (reverb), BBE Wah (Wah), G-Town Holy Grail (D type OD), Xotic Compressor (Compressor), Wampler Tumnus (K type OD), Boss RC5 (Looper), Maxon AD9 (delay)

    https://youtu.be/0pVHHdiEtyY

    https://youtu.be/f7Ke8BxfVtg

    https://youtu.be/YTo-9vM7pLY

    https://youtu.be/KhkzK42-shY

  • What is your favorite piece of audio equipment?

    I’m going based on design (because I don’t have the financial means to own all these except the BT ones). I think all of these are very beautifully designed.

    Network streamers

    Naim Uniti Atom

    Cambridge Audio EVO150

    Linn Klimax DSM

    SimAudio Moon Ace

    Aurender W20SE

    Amplifiers

    Accuphase E-5000

    McIntosh MC901

    Luxman SQ-N150

    Lyngdorf TDAI-3400

    Cyrus i9-XR

    Speakers

    Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX

    Bowers and Wilkins Nautilus

    Meridian Audio DSP8000XE

    MartinLogan Neolith

    Burmester BC350

    Headphones

    Grado GS3000e

    Sennheiser HE-1

    Audeze CRBN

    Focal Utopia

    Meze Empyrean

    Turntables

    Technics SL1000

    Rega Planar 10

    Roksan Xerxes 20 Plus

    Mark Levinson 5105

    Yamaha GT-5000

    DAPs

    Luxury&Precision LP6

    Caiyin N8ii

    Astell&Kern SP2000T

    IEMs

    64Audio Nio

    Shure KSE1500

    Empire Ears Odin

    Bluetooth speakers

    Klipsch the Three II

    Bang and Olufsen Beosound 2

    Ruark Audio R5

    Devialet Phantom

    Marshall Stanmore II

    Thats alot of Hi-Fi porn right there for me.. haha

  • Jun 2022 Gadget update

    Every 6 months I do an update on the state of my gadgets and what I use.

    Computers

    HP Dragonfly Elite (2020) – replaces 2017 Google Pixelbook, 2017 Porsche Design Book One

    The HP Dragonfly Elite is the lightest convertible laptop on the market, and replaces both my Porsche Design (much heavier) and Google Pixelbook (runs ChromeOS, less ports), and compared to the PD Book One I lose the detachable capability and microSD, compared to the Pixelbook I lose the 3:2 aspect ratio, compared to the HP Spectre X360 I would be losing the 4K OLED display, the better Ice Lake GPU and microSD slot, but in return I have the lightest convertible on the market which is very well built with very good battery life and a very good keyboard, and a lovely blue (my fav) color. Plus I got it for $1k which is actually cheaper than the Spectre and $800 off the MRSP, so I’m ok with that.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZnGoVPBGVI

     

    Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen (2021) – replaces 2020 Alienware m15 R2, 2016 Alienware 15 R3

    I’ve decided to go back to Alienware once again for my main gaming laptop – this time I got the slightly cheaper Ryzen edition with a better processor, RTX 3060 GPU (which should be fairly futureproof), the return of RAM sockets (yay) and a mechanical keyboard (co-designed with Cherry) which is probably the best I’ve ever used on a laptop. 

    https://youtu.be/gMoW_5moZIQ

    Custom Lian Li case gaming PC – replaces 2019 Cyberpower Syber C Xtreme, 2015 Asus ROG G751, 2016 ThinkPad P70

    Parts: 
    Case: Cyberpower Syber C case -> Lian Li TU150 case
    Mobo: ASrock Z390M -> Asus ROG Strix B550-i
    CPU: Intel Core i5 9600k -> AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
    GPU: 8GB Nvidia RTX 2070
    RAM: 32GB Corsair Vengeance
    Storage: 1TB Intel 660P PCIE + 1TB Samsung 970 Evo PCIE + 3TB Seagate Barracuda Hybrid HDD
    PSU: Corsair 600 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/yaS3UvtRF8o

    Tablets/Phones

    Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 (2021) – replaces 2020 MS Surface Duo

    The Fold 2 is just an amazing phone. It just enhances the user experience using any app. Whether it be maps, or video, or reading a webpage or looking at pictures, the bigger sized display is just a godsend and you can’t go back to a regular phone after using it. The specs are good although not flagship, it’s still good enough, and it easily replaces the MS Surface Duo which I barely even used last year. 

    https://youtu.be/2HUQTIU-9tk

    Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 (2021) – replaces 2020 iPhone 12 Mini, 2020 Google Pixel 4

    The Z Flip 3 was a phone I never intended to get (since I already had a vertical folding phone in the Moto Razr) but once I saw the Project Fi compatibility, I had to get it. And just like that it replaced my Pixel 4 (which was getting very buggy) and my iPhone 12 mini (which I liked for the small form factor, but the Z Flip 3 folds into an even smaller footprint). The iPhone 12 Mini still has the better camera, and I would still use it as my main camera phone, but in all other ways my Z Flip 3, which has decent specs and camera, has replaced my main two phones just like that.

    https://youtu.be/GA3Roh3YqTY

    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/zJNHskpBPjI

    Sony WH-1000XM3 (2018) – Replaces 2017 Sony MDR-1000X
    These are my main closed back wireless/noise cancelling headphones which replaces my Denon MM400 (which were stolen at work) and my Bose Quietcomfort 25s (which broke) and Sony MDR-1000X (my previous NC cans). Compared to the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless and Bose Quietcomfort 35s, The sound quality is comparable to the Sennheisers but the noise cancellation is better. The noise cancellation is on par with the Bose and the sound quality is better, and its a lot more comfortable than the 1st gen MDR-1000X. It’s simply put one of the best wireless NC cans on the market right now.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oDPrwlKCfg

    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/H2ucbveCKbA

    Bose Soundlink Revolve (2017) – Replaces 2015 Creative Soundblaster Roar 2

    This is my portable bluetooth speaker, replacing my Creative Soundblaster Roar 2. It is smaller than the Roar 2, although it lacks alot of the Soundblaster features it makes up for it by looking and being very simple, playing 360 degree audio and being quite loud for its size.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3H79aK3dGM

    PMC DB1 Gold + Rotel A12 Integrated Amp + REL Tzero Mk3 – replaces 2019 Klipsch R-41PM, 2017 Creative SoundblasterX Katana, 2017 Klipsch the Three, Cambridge Audio Solo Preamp

    After much research, I’ve decided to go with the PMC DB1 Golds as my main desktop speaker as they are light, portable and produce very detailed sound for the size. The other choices I considered were the Monitor Audio Gold 100s, KEF R3s, Dynaudio Evoke 20s, Harbeth P3ESRs, B&W 706 S2, Focal Aria 906s, but the PMCs I got at a discount and won out in the end. Combined with the power of the Rotel A12s (also considered PeachTree Nova150, Arcam SA10, NAD C658, Marantz PM8006 and Cambridge Audio CXA81s) and the REL Tzero MkIIIs, this is definitely a killer desktop system.

    https://youtu.be/ml7z-_DGJoY

    MartinLogan 15i / MartinLogan 8i / MartinLogan 2i / MartinLogan Dynamo 400 + Marantz NR1510 – replaces 2019 LG SL10YG + SPK8, MartinLogan Motion 2i, MartinLogan Motion 6i

    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/FJ1Bd8NEKVU

    Google Home Hub (2018) – replaces 2017 Yamaha Clock Radio

    The Google Home Hub replaces my Yamaha Clock Radio as a smart alarm clock + digital photo frame.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clzL9rzfqsc

    Cameras

    DJI Pocket 2 (2021) – replaces 2016 Sony HDR-AS300

    Yes! I finally replaced my 5 year old Sony action camera with something! It’s not quite a direct replacement since it isn’t as small, but it’s got better picture quality and it’s a gimbal so it’s more stable than the OIS on the AS300. Essentially it’s a miniaturized DJI Osmo – which is pretty cool.

    https://youtu.be/xVMrdCkkVLI

    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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0CN_TWXLss

    Main Computer collection
    Lian Li Custom Desktop (2021) – AMD Ryzen 5800X, 32GB RAM, 5TB SSD+HDD, Geforce RTX 2070, 20lbs – main gaming pc
    13.3″ 1920×1080 – HP Dragonfly Elite (2020) – Intel Core i7 8565U, 16GB, 256GB SSD, 2.4lbs – main portable laptop
    14.0″ 1920×1080 + 12.65″ 1920×515 – Asus Zenbook Duo UX482EG (2021) – Intel Core i7 1165G7, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Geforce MX450, 3.6lbs – secondary gaming / multitasking laptop
    13.3″ 2560×1440 – Apple Macbook Air M1 (2020) – Apple M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, 2.8lbs – secondary portable laptop
    15.6″ 1920×1080 165hz – Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen (2021) – AMD Ryzen 5800H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Geforce RTX 3060, 5.6lbs – main gaming laptop

    Main Phone collection
    5.4″ 1808×2340 OLED – iPhone 12 mini (2020) – Apple A14 Bionic, 4GB RAM, 64GB Flash, iOS 14, 12MP F/1.6, Lightning – secondary phone
    7.6″ 1768×2208 OLED – Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 (2021) – Snapdragon 865, 12GB RAM, 256GB Flash, Android 11, 12MP F/1.8, USBC – main tablet / secondary phone
    6.7″ 1080×2640 OLED – Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 (2021) – Snapdragon 888, 8GB RAM, 128GB Flash, Android 11, 12MP F/1.8, USBC – main 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, GPD Win 2, Nvidia Shield Portable, PSP Go, Razer Phone 2, GPD Win 3, Steam Deck

    UMPCs: Onemix Yoga 3, GPD Micro, Toshiba Libretto W100, Vulcan Flipstart, Sony Vaio UX280, Sharp Netwalker, OpenPandora, Fujitsu UH900, Fujitsu U820, OQO Model 2, Samsung Q1, King Jim Portabook, Astro Slide, GPD Pocket 3

    Backup Laptops:  Google Pixelbook (light use laptop), ThinkPad TP25 (business laptop), Onkyo DX (dual screen netbook), HP Dragonfly Elite (travel laptop), ThinkPad X240 (Win 7), Thinkpad X61 (Win XP), Dell Latitude D600 (Win 98), Google Pixelbook (ChromeOS)

    Watches: Nomos Tetra 406 (dress), Junghans Meister Calendar (everyday), Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase (dress/everyday), Oris GMT (travel), Pebble Time Steel, Fossil Abacus, Casio DBC32 DataBank, Motorola Moto 360 3rd gen, Apple Watch Series 3, Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2, Nixoid Nixie Tube watch, Tutima Fleiger Automatic (everyday), Raymond Weil Beatles (dress), Atowak Ettoire Drift Lite (everyday), Corniche Heritage Bleu Ardoise (everyday)

    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

    Flip Phones: Samsung Galaxy Folder 2, Samsung Alias 2, Motorola Razr Fold

    Vertical Sliders: Sony Ericsson W995, Nokia N95, Samsung Exclaim, Blackberry Priv

    Horizontal Sliders: HTC Dream (Tmobile G1), Nokia N900, Sony Xperia Play, Samsung Exclaim, TMobile Sidekick 3, TMobile Sidekick Slide

    Unique form factor: HTC Universal, Motorola Flipout, Nokia E70, HTC Advantage X7500, Nokia E90, LG EnvTouch, Unihertz Jelly 2, Palm phone, Nokia XpressMusic 3250, Nokia N-gage, Nokia E72, Motorola V70, Sony Ericsson P990, Toshiba G910, Nokia N93i, Neptune Pine, Blackberry Key2, Unihertz Titan Pocket

    PDAs: Palm TX, Sharp Zaurus, Sony UX50, Zipit Z2, Casio BE300, 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), LG Nexus 5 (Ubuntu Touch), PinePhone (Manjaro Linux), Essential Phone (LineageOS)

    Displays: LG C9 OLED TV (main TV), Acer Predator XB271HU  (gaming monitor), LG 29WK600 (ultrawide work monitor), MMT FHD Monitor2Go (portable monitor), Royole Moon (HMD), Oculus Quest 2 (VR)

    Cameras: DJI Pocket 2, Sony ZV-1

    Headphones: Monster Gratitude (earphone), ThieAudio Monarch MKII (IEM), Nura Buds (wireless earbuds), Sony WF-1000XM3 (backup wireless earbuds), Sony WH-1000XM3 (wireless/NC/closed), Razer Anzu (smart glasses)

    Speakers: PMC DB1 Gold + REL Tzero Mk3 (desktop + turntable), MartinLogan Motion 15i + MartinLogan Motion 8i + MartinLogan Motion 2i + MartinLogan Dynamo 400 (home theater), Ruark Audio R1 mk4 (alarm), Google Home Hub (picture frame/assistant), PreSonus Eris (monitors), Bose Soundlink Revolve (portable)

    Misc Audio Electronics: Rotel A12 (integrated amp/dac), Creative X3 (PC amp/dac), Behringer Xenyx Q502 (Mixer), Fluance RT85 w/Ortofon Blue cartridge (turntable), Marantz NR1510 (receiver), Shanling UA2 (phone DAC)

    Microphones: Shure SM58 (dynamic), MXL50 (condenser), Razer Anzu (glasses), Blue Yeti Nano (USB)

    Storage: 1x Synology DS220+, 1x Synology DS412+, 2x Synology DS416j, 1x Synology DS418j, 2x Synology DS416slim, 1x Synology DS419slim, 3x Patriot Memory USB sticks, 1x Porsche Design LaCIE external HDD

    Keyboards: Roccat Vulcan 121 (desktop), Corsair K63 wireless (backup), Ducky 2 SF Blue (work), Logitech G610 (backup), Lenovo Wireless Keyboard (Lenovo Flex), Mini Keyboard (Nvidia Shield)

    Mice: Logitech MX Master 3 (work mouse), Corsair Dark Core (gaming), Logitech G502 (desktop), Logitech MX Anywhere 2S (travel), Lenovo Wireless Mouse (Lenovo Flex)

    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, PC emulation, Switch), Hori Arcade Pro Stick (PC emulation, Switch)

    Guitar Amps: Milkman 1W+ (main), Vox Mini5 (travel/busking)

    Guitars: Fender Stratocaster w/Rumpelstiltskin pickups (secondary electric), Martin OMJM (main acoustic), Gretsch G502 (travel acoustic), Duesenberg Alliance Joe Walsh (main electric), G&L ASAT Special (secondary electric), Fender Villager 12-string (12 string acoustic)

    Pedals: Boss TU3W (tuner), Catalinbread Epoch Boost (preamp/boost), MXR Timmy (Boost/OD), Boss DM2W (delay), BBE Wah (Wah), Maxon TOD9 (TS type OD), Wampler Euphoria (D type OD), Xotic Compressor (Compressor), Keeley Omni Reverb (Reverb), Wampler Tumnus (K type OD), Boss RC5 (Looper), BBE Sonic Stomp Mini (EQ)

    https://youtu.be/f7Ke8BxfVtg

    https://youtu.be/QVmiykbxW3U

    https://youtu.be/YTo-9vM7pLY

  • What’s the most underrated tech brand?

    The most underrated tech brand is Sony.

    Many people have this image of Sony as being a company that was once innovative, but has since fallen from grace and is now mostly known for gaming (Playstation), Music (Sony Music) and Movies (Columbia Pictures), the latter two not particularly related to tech.

    Let me explain why Sony is still innovative in fact, at a higher level than Apple or Samsung or most other tech companies right now.

    Firstly, Sony has been one of the most innovative tech companies of all time. The list of their accomplishments cannot be understated:

    -They released the TR-55 one of their first products as the first transistor radio available in Japan

    -They released the TC-50 a compact cassette recorder that was equipped with every NASA astronaut

    -They released the VP-1100 the world’s first videocassette recorder

    -They release the first color video camera, the XC-1

    -The first commercial lithium ion battery was released by Sony in joint collaboration with Asahi Kasei

    –Trinitron – Wikipedia televisions, whose superior design ( the single-gun three-cathode picture tube, and the vertically aligned aperture grill) made it reign supreme as one of the best color televisions on the market for over 20 years

    -the Betamax – Wikipedia video format in the 1970s

    -the first portable music player, the Walkman – Wikipedia in the late 70s

    -SDDS format, a competitor to the Dolby surround sound format

    –S/PDIF – Wikipedia interface (the S stands for Sony)

    -the Super Audio CD – Wikipedia (Super Audio CD), still used today in some high end audiophile systems

    -Sony released the first CD player the CDP-101

    -Sony and Philips also jointly developed the Compact disc – Wikipedia

    -Sony introduced the 3.5″ floppy disk, which lasted for a good 2 decades after their introduction

    -the Blu-ray – Wikipedia format, was primarily spearheaded by Sony and still used today

    -Other more forgotten physical media formats (all proprietary to Sony): UMD, MiniDisc, Memory stick, PS Vita memory etc

    -the first popular CD based video game console, the Playstation (yes the Sega CD and Turbographx CD came before, but it was the PSOne that popularized the format for video games)

    -the best selling video game console of all time (and most people’s first DVD player), the PlayStation 2 – Wikipedia

    -the Vaio – Wikipedia line of laptops which amongst other innovations introduced the first LED backlit displays (became standard on all laptops after that), chiclet style keyboards (way before Apple and others did), thin and light designs (years before the MacBook Air), and switchable graphics (now standard on entry level gaming laptops)

    -the first consumer OLED TV (the Sony XEL-1 – Wikipedia)

    -the first popular robotic companions (AIBO – Wikipedia) and oddities such as the Sony Rolly – Wikipedia

    -the first truly immersive head mounted displays (Sony Glasstron, HMZ-T1 – Wikipedia, T2, and T3) – its designs are still being used today by smaller companies in the HMD niche

    -The first handheld gaming console to use exclusively digital games and no physical releases (PSP Go – way ahead of its time)

    -The Sony Tablet P – Sony Tablet – Wikipedia – was the first android device to use dual displays – this was 9 years before the Microsoft Surface Duo would bring back this design! Again, Sony was way ahead of their time.

    -The first handheld gaming console with an OLED display (PlayStation Vita – Wikipedia)

    -the LDAC (codec) – Wikipedia high res wireless audio codec

    -the 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced connector now used by most DAPs (portable audio players)

    That’s a heck of a lot of innovations for any tech company. But most people think Sony’s innovations have come and gone, and just like post Steve Jobs Apple, their products have languished since – and they couldn’t be more wrong! Sony is still innovating, they just have been very low key in marketing their more cooler products.

    Let’s take a look at Sony’s current tech portfolio now, shall we? Some things may surprise you

    -Sony’s most well known product right now is the PlayStation 4 – Wikipedia, and its the best selling console of its generation

    -Sony’s Mirrorless Sony α – Wikipedia Cameras have completely upended the DSLR market and as a result forced Canon and Nikon and other camera makers to move to mirrorless as well

    -Sony’s OLED TVs (like the A9F and A9G) have the speaker built into the display itself; no other television maker has done this

    -Sony’s Quantum Dot TVs using Triluminous technology – came out WAY before Samsung’s QLED TVs did. Samsung would have you believe they invented it – but it was Sony.

    -Sony’s Sony Xperia – Wikipedia phones are perennially underrated; they were one of the first smartphones to have water resistance (IP67+) and support high res audio and currently are the only smartphones on the market with a 21:9 cinema aspect ratio display. Also, they made the Xperia Pro-I, the first smartphone with a 1 inch camera sensor (the same sensor they have in their RX100 small size cameras)

    -Sony’s high end Walkmans and Headphones (like the WM1Z and Z1R) compete with the best of the best from other high end audio, each costing over $2k+ – as a high end audio brand, Sony is as respected as any other company which is impressive for a company who dabbles in basically every price range. Sony SA-Z1 Hi-Res Near Field Powered Speaker System Signature Series their latest speaker, an unheard of design that projects near-field sound to the listener, retails for over $6k.

    -Sony makes electric cars too

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-vaJv_WF8Q

    -Sony collaborates with Carl Zeiss to release their own lenses

    -Sony is a leader in the production space with the Sony Vegas production software and their pro cameras like the HDC-5500 that competes with Arri and RED, used in Hollywood films.

    -Sony is also a leader in the home audio space.

    https://electronics.sony.com/tv-video/tv-video-home-theater-sound-bars/soundbars/p/hta9

    is an example of a very cool 360 spatial sound mapping design incorporated into home speakers.

    https://electronics.sony.com/more/wearable-speaker/p/srsws1

    is a wearable speaker – only Bose makes something else like this.

    -Sony’s action cameras (AS300, X3000 etc) were the first on the market with optical image stabilization (OIS) – its competitors like GoPro were still using EIS (Electronic image stabilization)

    -They have a line of very successful noise cancelling wireless headphones (WH-1000XM3) as well as the first ever noise cancelling wireless earbuds (WF-1000X) as well. The fact that they caught up to Bose in noise cancellation technology is astonishing considering that Bose specialized in that technology for years while Sony has their hands in every industry.

    -Just other generally cool stuff that other companies do not care to try; Sony Glass Sound Speaker a glass speaker that doubles as a lamp? Sure.
    How about a projector that can project touch surfaces onto any area? Xperia Touch Official Website – Sony Mobile (Global English) this is astonishing technology, and I can just imagine if Apple made something like this it would grab headlines everywhere. But Sony as usual, keeps their cool stuff low key.

    -And lets not forget, they are still making aibo robots as well (again, which other company is doing this???).

    Sony should be getting much more appreciation for their innovation. They are still one of the most innovative companies on the market yet people always forget about them. It’s very rare that a company does so many things so well, and for so long. That’s why Sony tends to charge a premium for their devices.

    One thing I really wish Sony would do better is, name their products better and market better. That’s the advantage Apple and Bose have over them.

    https://youtu.be/7YF-jJXx8zQ

  • Why do Audiophiles hate Bose?

    What Audiophiles like might not be what normal people like. Usually, Audiophiles prefer a flat frequency response – no unnatural boosts in any frequency. Bose products usually smooth out the frequency to make it sound more pleasant to people’s ears. Bose products generally sound very good, so that old line of No Highs No Lows Must be Bose doesn’t really apply at least not for me, I think Bose’s Soundlink speakers and Quietcomfort headphones do indeed have decent highs and lows. It’s the unnatural frequency boost that audiophiles ie. purists don’t like because its not what the original recording intended.

    But at least Bose boosts the frequencies evenly, unlike Beats for example which boosts the lows just wayyy too much.

    Also, don’t necessarily trust audiophiles, if they claim to hear such minute differences as the difference between 99.99% oxygen free copper cables and pure silver cables, balanced headphones and non balanced headphones, the extra frequencies vinyl and hi res audio have over CD, or they have a $5k electro-static headphones paired with a $1k DAC and $1k tube headphone amp or a $50k speaker setup with professional sound proofing or whatever, then good for them. For the majority of us humans who have just normal hearing not superhuman hearing, Bose is usually good enough.

  • What would Steve Jobs think about the current state of innovation at Apple?

    Well I think Apple has become a very iterative company instead of innovative. the 4S was the last device released in Steve’s lifetime. Apple is generally a trendsetter in the industry. The Macbook Retina (2012) and iPhone 5S (2013) spurred the adoption of high res displays on laptops and fingerprint sensors on phones after they were introduced. But I’d say after 2013ish it started to go downhill, and the innovation turned to iteration trying to catch up to Samsung and others.

    Look at this…
    iPad Pro and iPad Mini were released after Jobs died. I doubt he would’ve approved of having 3 different kinds of iPads available at once. He was a proponent of simplicity and giving the consumer only a few choices.
    At the same time we had the Macbook 12 inch, two different sizes of iPhones, Macbook Air somehow still available, and the three worst offenders lately have been: Apple Watch – no matter what I don’t think Jobs could have justified the purpose of having a smartwatch. And especially one priced at $10k.
    iPhone 7 – this completely divided consumers with the removal of the headphone jack. As an avid analog music listener I doubt Jobs would have been happy about that either.
    2016 Macbook Pro – eliminate all legacy ports and replace them with USBC. No Jobs wouldn’t have done this either. He would have left at least one USBA port in there. Yes the earlier Macbooks removed the optical drives before anyone else did, but at that time everything was shifting to digital downloads. We have not shifted to world where everything uses USBC yet. And yeah the touch bar – totally useless. Just like Force Touch.

    IMO the last great product Apple released was the iPhone 5S. After that they are just playing catchup to Samsung. (disclaimer: I own an iPhone SE)