Home Reviews

KNZ SoundFlux dual driver wireless headphones review


REVIEW – Here we go again as I continue my enjoyable challenge of finding the “perfect” earbuds for my taste. So far, I have enjoyed some beautiful contenders, but I still think that somewhere out there are earbuds that will “wow” me beyond my imagination. The SoundFlux Earbuds by KNZ Technology are the next contestants. Let’s see how they do!

What is it?

The SoundFlux Earbuds by KNZ Technology are a pair of small and lightweight earbuds that like all others are designed for listening to music and conducting phone calls. As with most earbuds, they should be compatible with most Bluetooth equipped mobile devices.

What’s in the box


1 x Pair of SoundFlux Earbuds
3 x Pairs of Ear Tips
1 x Charging Case
1 x Micro USB Cable
1 x Instruction Manual
1 x KNZ Sticker

Design and features

SoundPass Mode:

The SoundPass mode allows you to be aware of your surroundings and engage with the environment without pausing your music or taking off your earpiece. You can turn it on to talk to people, noticing traffic; or turn it off to enjoy your own world.

Specifications:

Operating Instructions:

These earbuds are small and sleek and angled to fit easily and perfectly in your ears.


On the surface of each earbud, there is a sleek silver control button, and above it is a status LED.


On the front of the case is the KNZ branding and on the inside, there are the 2 charging slots and connectors.


At the back of the charging case, there is an on/off charging button, a micro USB charging port and a status LED.

Performance:

The KNZ wireless earbuds are very attractive and comfortable despite what first appears to be an odd shape.


When I placed them in my ears it was obvious that a lot of thought was put into the design because they fit in a way that makes them very secure and they nicely match to the contour of your ears. They are also very easy to set up. Once you charge them and take them out of the charging case, they go into pairing mode and you just need to select them in your mobile device Bluetooth settings. These are the first earbuds that have managed to take my listening to an entirely new level where earbuds are concerned. In my opinion, these earbuds have managed to cross the line into entry-level audiophile category. The lows, mids, and highs are beautifully separated and smoothly co-exist so that every audio characteristic is nicely present.

The maximum volume is as such that there is no distortion and the low frequency is also void of distortion. They do a great job of reproducing the pure musical genres of jazz and classical music as well as my other favorites, like easy listening, ballads, the classics, and gospel, and the reproduction is very detailed.
For phone use, they work very well and I did not experience any issues on either side of the conversation. The noise canceling works well, and the Bluetooth connectivity is rock solid.  I did not experience even one involuntary disconnection.

The only issue I encounter is that when I power off the charging case with the earbuds in it, or whenever it automatically powers off after charging the earbuds, if my phone is close, the earbuds automatically connect to my phone. In many cases when I cannot figure out why I am not able to hear a call I answer or make, or listen to audio directly from my phone, I realize that the earbuds have reconnected. The connection is very strong and the functional distance quite long, so this constantly happens when I am walking around my home. My current “fix”. is to physically power them off via their MFB button.

What I like

  • The build quality
  • The design
  • The great sound
  • Great value for the price

What can be improved

  • For its price range and quality, I can’t think of anything that can be improved

Final thoughts

For as long as I have been on this earbuds quest, I had my expectations set at a self-determined level primarily because I always believed that earbuds have many limitations that keep them from even scratching the surface of the audiophile category, which so far for me has been dominated by large over-the-ear headphones. These KNZ earbuds have redefined my expectations and made it harder for any future earbud contestants to claim supremacy. For now, KNZ owns the #1 position. Two thumbs up and well done!!!

Price: $74 (Intro price)
Where to buy: Pre-order via the KNZ Technology website
Source: The sample for this review was provided by KNZ Technology

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

KNZ SoundFlux dual driver wireless headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 15, 2018 at 10:04 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Monowear Nylon Band and Perforated Apple Watch Leather Band review

REVIEW – The Apple Watch is clearly a success and multiple generations later, an easy device to spot on the wrists of strangers and acquaintances alike. Thanks to the interchangeable band interface, they are very easy to swap out for a new look. If you’re looking to customize your watch, or maybe someone else’s (holidays are close at hand after all), Monowear has some great options to make a watch a little more unique. I recently received two of their bands to review, so it’s time (watch pun) to look closer.

What is it?

The Nylon Band and Perforated Leather Band are two of eight different bands that Monowear currently has available for the Apple Watch. I chose these two specifically as options that visually strayed a little further away from stock bands.

Shared Options
2 Adapter sizes – 38/40mm or 42/44mm
5 Adapter colors – Space Grey Aluminum, Silver Aluminum, Gold (Series 1/2), Gold (Series 3/4), Silver Stainless Steel

Nylon Band
4 Band color options – Olive, Red, Black, Royal Blue & Yellow

Perforated Leather Band
4 Band color options – Chestnut, Grey, Black, Burgundy

What’s in the box?

Each box has just the watch band as it’s all you really need. I chose the Olive Nylon and Grey Perforated Leather bands.

Design and features

The Nylon Band is a double layer of… wait for it… nylon. Out of the box, it’s already nice and flexible. The design visually follows the traditional NATO/G10 look of the buckle and two additional rings from the outside, but without the nylon layer under the watch, as it would prevent any of the sensors from working. A tonal stitch around the perimeter keeps it all together. The nylon has a soft surface finish with plenty of support to prevent stretching while allowing it to wrap around your wrist easily.

The Perforated Leather Band is as it sounds. The top surface is leather with small perforations that are purely for aesthetics as the leather on the inside does not have the corresponding holes if the intent was for breathability. That inner layer is medium camel color on all four color options. Other notable design elements are a small amount of padding used between the layers to give the band some substance and a contrast stitch around the perimeter. The first band keeper is sandwiched into the construction whereas the second is free floating to handle larger overlaps when worn on smaller wrists.

If you’re interested in either of these bands (or other Monowear bands), their site allows you to choose your watch color so you can see exactly how your watch will look with each band color. Here’s a look at Burgundy Perforated band on the different watch body colors.

Setup

Installing either band involves following the process any Apple Watch owner should be familiar with at this point. On the underside of the watch, press the small, flush oval button with your thumbnail and while holding the button down, slide the installed band to either side. To install the new band align the adapter with the slot and slide into place. I prefer to have the digital crown of my watch face away from my wrist as it’s more comfortable for me and I can then use my thumb for the button and scroll functions.

Performance

Both bands have worked great throughout this review period. As you can see from the initial photos, I was still running my original launch watch (Series 0) when I received the bands. I’ve since upgraded to the Series 4 and the bands fit just as well.

Both of these bands use traditional buckles which I favor. It provides a secure and repeatably sized fit. Speaking of sizing, the bands come in one size fits most.  I use the 4th hole on the Nylon and the 3rd hole on the Leather band. The only fit annoyance I’ve encountered is the second keeper loop on the Leather band sliding out of place during wear.

How have they fared over the month I’ve been using them? Pretty darn well. There’s almost no visible wear on either of them save for the inside of the Leather band. The lighter camel color makes it hard to avoid water and sweat stains. This is definitely not unexpected and is one of the consistencies of light leathers.

The last detail I want to mention has to do with the adapter that fits into the watch. The fit is perfect and easy to install and remove. When it comes to ‘Space Grey’ however, I take issue. Here’s a pic of the Gen 0 and Gen 4 watches side by side. Color is very subjective and Apple’s Space Grey has shifted a bit over the years as the most recent Space Grey has a bit more red in it.

When you look at Monowear’s ‘Space Grey’, it’s hard to see anything but black. Again, the fit is great, but be aware that this specific color of the adapter will not match your Space Grey watch.

What I like

  • Quality
  • Comfort
  • Price
  • Band color options

What needs to be improved

  • Space Grey color matching

Final thoughts

Monowear has done a great job with both of the bands here. I have bought a number of ‘bargain’ watch bands for my Apple watch and many of them failed quickly. That is definitely not the case here and I would venture a guess that Monowear’s other bands have similar build quality making any of them a great buy given their affordable prices.

Price: $35 (Nylon Band), $52 (Perforated Leather Band)
Where to buy: Monowear
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Monowear

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

Monowear Nylon Band and Perforated Apple Watch Leather Band review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 15, 2018 at 8:05 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Wicked Audio Enix Wireless Bluetooth headphone review

REVIEW – This wasn’t the first pair of Bluetooth headphones I’ve ever reviewed, but it was the first time I’d put my hands (and ears) on a pair of Wicked Audio headphones. Were the Enix Wireless Bluetooth headphones a heavenly win or an infernal disappointment?

What are these?

The Wicked Audio Enix are Bluetooth-enabled, over the ears style headphones that feature both wireless and wired functionality.

Hardware specs

  • Driver: 40mm Neodymium
  • Sensitivity: 103 dB
  • Frequency: 20-20,000Hz
  • Impedance: 32 Ohms
  • Cord Length: 4ft

What’s in the box?

  • Enix Wireless Bluetooth Fullsize Headphone
  • Instruction Booklet
  • Micro USB to USB Charging Cord
  • Aux Cord

Design and Features

At first glance, Wicked Audio’s Enix headphones are about as unassuming as you can get for a pair of over-the-ear type headphones. They don’t go crazy in the looks department, but sometimes that’s a good thing. Flashy cans like those expensive Beats headphones scream style but are also an easy target for theft. These headphones would fit right in with the design aesthetic of Amazon Basics. But in a good way.

A peek inside the headphones. Red as the devil’s behind.

The Enix headphones sport a dual Bluetooth/wired input that I don’t believe I’ve seen on a pair of headphones. Essentially, you can use them with any Bluetooth-enabled device or any device that has a headphone jack. I will say it’s a nice touch to see that sort of compatibility with older devices. Heck, even the Nintendo Switch doesn’t have Bluetooth headphone support, so I wish more wireless headsets had this option.

Features:

  • Wireless Bluetooth
  • Listen up to 32ft away from your device
  • Mic and Track control right on the headphone
  • Wide range, high fidelity, and enhanced bass
  • 8-9 Hour Battery Life
  • Rechargeable batteries with included charging cable
  • Security with Wicked Audio’s Triple Battery Protection
  • Triple Battery Protection (follow that link to see what they mean)
  • Collapsible, folds flat

I like how compact these headphones are, and they fold up to a decent portable size. The earphones themselves aren’t too clunky or heavy (actually they’re deceivingly lightweight, more on that later) but still deliver a pretty good amount of volume and bass.

Easy-access controls.

There are a couple of control buttons on one side, play/pause/answer, and a slightly confusing volume/forward/back rocker. You have to hold down the volume button in order to raise or lower the volume, and a quick press skips or restarts the track. Most other headphone controls I’ve come across work the opposite, but that’s a minor complaint.

A decent size, and lightweight. But a weird fit.

The headphones paired very quickly with my phone, and they connect almost instantly.

However, I’m afraid those are about the only positive things I could say about this particular headset.

They feel absolutely cheap. The plastic they used seems brittle and a little too lightweight. Every corner on the extensions and pivot points is viciously sharp. The vinyl material used on the ear pads is extremely squeaky … every movement makes a little frrrp sound directly into your ear canal. And that material felt instantly hot against my skin.

These need a warning label.

The fit of the headband was tight enough, but in the wrong places. It felt as if the tension was against my temples instead of spread out evenly against my ears, and left an uncomfortable looseness at the bottom near my earlobes. Maybe my head’s just oddly shaped.

I accidentally pinched one of the ear pads when I was opening them from a folded state and it came halfway off! I was able to somehow finagle it back on, but not before I snapped a picture of the inside. That explains a lot about the sound, honestly.

It’s a feature, not a bug! Or no. Wait. This isn’t supposed to happen.

The headphones had a punchy bass, but the mids and treble were virtually nonexistent, sort of like listening to your upstairs neighbor’s music through the ceiling, or if you’d cover a speaker with a blanket. The detail and crispness is completely muddied.

Overall, I had a really hard time with these headphones, in both wearing them and listening to them for more than 30 minutes at a time.

What I like

  • can be used with a wired or wireless connection
  • fairly loud and bassy

What needs to be improved

  • very lacking and muddy sound on the highs and mids
  • cheap materials
  • fit doesn’t feel very good

Final thoughts

Not knowing how the company’s other products rate, it would feel like a cheap shot to liken these headphones to their Wicked namesake. But these were honestly the most underwhelming set of cans I’ve ever used, especially for the asking price.

Very wicked, indeed!

Price: $59.99
Where to buy: The Wicked Audio Enix headphones can be purchased online their website or from Amazon, but not necessarily should be.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Wicked Audio. You can find out more about this and their full line of products on their website.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

Wicked Audio Enix Wireless Bluetooth headphone review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 14, 2018 at 11:08 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Azulle Access3 stick PC review


REVIEW – When the chance to review the Azulle Access3 mini PC stick computer came along, I hesitated and thought that this was either going to be a real punishing review or something that surprised me – and I decided to take a chance with it.

What is it?

The Azulle Access3 is a fanless mini PC stick that connects to any HDMI compatible display. Simply add a keyboard and mouse and you have a full-blown PC in a package that measures just 5.2″x2″x.75″!

I used a Logitech K400 plus keyboard with a built-in trackpad so I could easily use it from across the room.

Hardware specs

  • Gemini Lake N4100 (1.1GHz Quad-Core Processor)
  • 4 GB DDR4 RAM
  • 32 GB storage (15.3 GB free after setup)
  • Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
  • 2 USB 3.0 ports
  • MicroSDXC card slot up to 256 GB
  • 1 Gigabit Ethernet port
  • 3.5mm Headphone jack
  • Dual Band 2.4Ghz.5.0Ghz Wifi
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • Video: up to 4K @30fps

What’s in the box?

  • Azulle Access3
  • Power cable
  • 12″ HDMI extender cable
  • Quick Start Guide
  • $10 off next purchase coupon


 


Design and features

I’ve had a couple of smart TV’s, but I never really liked the user experience on them. They were either slow or had other things that I didn’t like. The apps on them weren’t as good as using a computer. I also don’t really trust their security. I also found myself needing or wanting some other app that only runs on Windows.

I’ve wanted a PC to connect to my TV, but I didn’t have any extra PC’s that I wanted to run all the time just for an occasional video or browsing session. When the review offer for the Azulle Access3 mini PC stick came along I thought that maybe this could be the solution I needed.

I must say that this thing really impressed me.



The Azulle Access3 mini PC stick felt like running any other medium powered Windows 10 laptop. In fact, when it comes to just browsing the web and watching YouTube videos, there wasn’t really any difference between it and my regular quad-core PC.

One of the things that I like is that I can travel with this device. Whether it’s taking it to a friends house or to a hotel when traveling, I can simply toss it in my bag and go. When I get there, I have all my internet bookmarks and all my pre-installed apps ready to go.

I often travel with my Surface tablet and sometimes I like to watch YouTube videos while browsing the web. This will be the perfect device for that. The device has no moving parts, which makes it much more durable to travel with.

There are many use cases for a device such as this. The two USB 3.0 ports provide a great way to connect an external drive – which for me will come in handy for backing up photos while out on the road.

Although the device is slightly limited by the internal storage capacity, that is offset by the ability to use a MicroSD card (up to 256BG) and devices connected via the USB 3.0 ports such as external drives and memory sticks.

The device can plug directly into an HDMI input or you can use the provided 12 inch HDMI extension cable if your inputs aren’t configured well enough to provide enough room for the device to plug in directly. My 32″ TV (1920×1080) did not have enough space for it to plug into a couple of the inputs, and when plugged into the side input it stuck out past the side of the TV. The extension cord kept the device neatly hidden behind the TV.

I really like the fact that Azulle included a 1-gigabit ethernet port in this device. I usually run ethernet cables to various places around my house so I have the best network connection.

The Access3 also boots very quickly, from power on to login screen was about 15 seconds.

I also connected it to my AOC 39″ 4K computer monitor that I use as my primary monitor on my main PC. Not only did it work, but it looked great! The 4K YouTube video looked great and played well. I’m really impressed that it’s able to do 4K video without a full-sized graphics card. This really makes me want to get a 4K TV for my living room now!



What I like

  • Quick Setup
  • Windows 10 Pro
  • 4K capable
  • Micro SD card slot
  • USB 3
  • Ethernet port

What needs to be improved

A little more default internal storage would be nice, although there is a 64GB version available.

Final thoughts

Considering the price of the Access3 mini PC stick, this device really delivers quite the value. Not only did it run like a regular PC, but it also did it well.

Price: $149-$339 ($219 as tested)
Where to buy: Azulle and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Azulle.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

Azulle Access3 stick PC review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 14, 2018 at 9:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Kensington Expert Mouse review


REVIEW – Each day, I spend a lot of time in front of a computer and apart from daily work at my job and from just surfing the net, I spend hours at a time editing photos and/or videos. Over the years, I have opted to use a trackball mouse and I am always looking for one that is better than the one I am using at that time. When I got the opportunity to try the Kensington Expert Mouse, I was delighted. Here we go!!

What is it?

The Kensington Expert Mouse is a wireless trackball mouse that is designed to connect via Bluetooth or via the included wireless dongle. It performs all expected mouse functions.

What’s in the box



1 x Kensington Expert Mouse
2 x AA Batteries
1 x Palm Rest
1 x Instruction Manual
1 x Wireless Dongle

Design and features

Features:

    • Wireless connection via Bluetooth 4.0 LE or USB nano receiver
    • TrackballWorks software lets you customize all 4 buttons, adjust cursor speed
    • DiamondEye optical tracking technology for premium cursor control and accuracy
    • Scroll Ring to scan up and down pages with ease
    • Large ball designed as a perfect sphere to provide exceptional precision
    • Detachable wrist rest supports hand and wrist for ergonomic comfort
    • Ambidextrous design works equally well for both right-handed and left-handed users
    • Auto-sleep helps conserve AA battery life

Specifications:

  • Compatibility: Chrome OS 44 and above, macOS 10.8, macOS 10.9, macOS X 10.10 or above, macOS X 10.11, macOS Sierra 10.12, macOS 10.13 or above, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10
  • Controls: Customizable Buttons, Scroll ring
  • Sensor: Optical
  • Trackball Diameter: 55(mm)
  • USB Receiver Size: Nano
  • Wireless Type: 2.4Ghz, Bluetooth 4.0 LE
  • Period of Warranty: 3 years

This trackball mouse has a nice large ball, and inside of the base, there are strategically placed contacts for fluid movement. The red ball and the finish of the base are both attractive. The entire mouse is lightweight but well built.



At the bottom of the base of the mouse, there is a battery compartment and 2 selection buttons.


The selection button on the left is for power on/off and the one on the right toggles the connection preference between the included wireless dongle and Bluetooth. At the right side of the battery is a slot for storing the dongle.



The picture below shows the trackball with the palm rest connected.

Performance

This trackball mouse performs very well, with easy Bluetooth pairing or the dongle, and is very easy to use. Since I am a fan of the trackball type mouse, I really enjoy using it. The large ball makes navigation very easy, and the removable palm rest makes using the mouse for a long time very comfortable. The TrackballWorks software makes customization very simple.
Here are some screenshots from the software:




For more information on the software customization, click here.

What I like

  • The easy setup
  • The size of the trackball
  • The nice overall performance
  • The option for use via Bluetooth or the dongle
  • The palm rest

What can be improved

  • For what the muse is designed to do and how it is designed to work, I can’t think of anything that can be improved, at least in my opinion and for my workflow.

Final thoughts

As I mentioned earlier in this review, I was already a fan of the trackball mouse prior to trying this model. While this mouse does come in a wired and wireless model, the wireless model is my preference. This mouse does everything that I want and need in a trackball mouse including the requirement of being comfortable to use for long periods of time when I am editing photos or videos. Kensington gets two thumbs up from me for the Expert Mouse.

Price: $70.89
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: This sample was provided by Kensington.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

Kensington Expert Mouse review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 13, 2018 at 11:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.