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.

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

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Your (anatomically correct) heart is a perfect gift for your favorite scientist

NEWS – Wondering what to give your favorite scientist for Christmas this year?  No matter if they are chemists, biologists, engineers, or mathematicians, you’ll find something in their field at the Boutique Academia website.  As a mathematician herself, Maile Urbancic, founder and CEO of Boutique Academia, says this about her jewelry:

“When I started my business, Boutique Academia, I was determined to fight against stereotype threat and the subtle bias that suggests that math is for boys. I decided to do this by deliberately combining traditionally feminine objects (jewelry) with images, messages, and symbols from STEM disciplines. My goal has been to create wearable art that both inspires the wearer and sends the visual message that femininity and STEM are completely compatible.”  Read her entire article here. And you’ll probably be interested to know that her company supports many causes related to STEM education, with fundraisers and donations of product to school auctions and STEM club fundraisers.

You’ll be able to find an appropriate gift for your scientist, regardless of her field.  Oh, and men may like her pieces, too.  You’ll find necklaces, tie bars, earrings, keychain fobs.  Designs include molecules, Avogadro’s Constant (above), the Fibonacci sequence, a bacteriophage (below), and much more.  Metals include sterling silver, brass, and pewter.

Find the perfect gift for your friend in the STEM field at Boutique Academia.

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Your (anatomically correct) heart is a perfect gift for your favorite scientist originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 14, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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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.

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

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Nomad’s Rugged Case gives your AirPods a classic, yet bold new look

NEWS – Nomad already makes Rugged Horween leather iPhone cases and Apple Watchbands. Now they’ve added a new case that adds style and protection to your Apple AirPods.

This Rugged Case has a minimalist two-piece construction designed to tightly fit your AirPods this keeps your AirPods thin, allowing them to retain their compact nature. It also provides additional drop and scratch protection.

The bottom of the case has a cutout for the AirPods lightning port that makes it easy for you to charge your AirPods.

Like the other pieces in the Rugged collection, it’s built using genuine Horween leather so it will develop a patina over time. Giving your AirPods a look that is uniquely yours.

The Nomad Rugged AirPod case sells for $29.95. The brown leather version is currently back-ordered on Nomad’s website with shipping on November 28th.

If you prefer black leather, you can pre-ordered it now with shipping on November 15th.

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Nomad’s Rugged Case gives your AirPods a classic, yet bold new look originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 14, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Funcl wireless headphones are for music lovers on a budget – Notable crowdfunding campaign

NEWS – If you’ve been paying attention to our review lately, you’ve noticed that we’ve been doing a lot of wireless earbud reviews. That’s because Julian and I have been on a quest to find our next favorite pair. There are a ton of different earbuds on the market, but today Funcl launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for their W1 and A1 wireless headphones.

What is it?

The Funcl W1 and A1 wireless headphones are Bluetooth 5.0 completely wireless earbuds that feature water resistance, touch controls, aptX Hi-Fi sound (A1), and very affordable pricing. The W1s are only $19 and the A1s are $49 if you use the special link at the end of this article.




Why is it cool?

Funcl sent me a pair of the W1 and A1 wireless headphones to test drive and I have been impressed by their W1 pair of $19 wireless earbuds sound like, how well they fit in my ears, 4.5hr play time per charge and they come with a little charging case that provides up to 18hrs of playback time.

The A1’s sound even better because they have aptX. They are lightweight and comfortable and can play for up to 6.5 hrs per charge and the small case that comes with them will recharge them for up to 24 hrs total playback time. Another feature of the A1s is the low latency so you don’t have to worry about audio and video syncing issues if you enjoy watching video on your mobile devices.

Where can I find more info?

The Funcl wireless headphones campaign which started today and ends in a month and they have already hit 75% of their funding goal of $50,000. You can pre-order a pair of Funcl wireless headphones starting at $19 for the W1 and $49 instead of $54 for the A1’s if you use the secret perk link below. After the Funcl wireless headphones, rewards are estimated to start shipping in December 2018. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.

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Funcl wireless headphones are for music lovers on a budget – Notable crowdfunding campaign originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 13, 2018 at 5:12 pm.

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