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Master & Dynamic MA770 Wireless Speaker review

It’s no secret that Master & Dynamic make some of my favorite headphones. Not only do the MH40, MW50 and MW60 sound great, they are also quite comfortable and have a retro look that’s simply stunning. Even so, M&D continue to innovate, both aesthetically and sonically with earphones and now a desktop speaker. I use the word desktop carefully because the MA770 Wireless Speaker is a 36.4 lb. concrete monster—in a good way.

What is it?

The Master & Dynamic MA770 Wireless is a concrete (yes, concrete) Bluetooth speaker with a built-in pedigree that sets it apart from almost any other speaker, Bluetooth or not.

Specs

  • Dimensions: 14.5”(H) x 18”(W) x 9.5”(D)
  • Speakers:
    1.5” Titanium dome tweeter
    Dual 4″ Woven Kevlar Long Throw Woofers
  • 100W Class D 3 Discrete Channel amplifier
  • Weight: 36.4lbs
  • Ported cabinet materials:
  • Proprietary grey concrete composite, stainless steel and anodized aluminum
  • Wireless Connectivity:
    Dual band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1 with BLE
    Chromecast built-in, Bluetooth 4.1 with BLE, 3.5mm Auxiliary Analog, TOSLINK Optical Audio
  • Streaming Services:
    Chromecast enabled applications including: Spotify, Tidal, Pandora, Soundcloud, Deezer and more

Design and features

A lot of work went into the design of the MA770. Master & Dynamic had an architect design the speaker—and not just any architect. Tanzania born Sir David Adjaye is the architect of the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington D.C. His eye for unusual design is plainly evident in the MA770 speaker. He formed its unusual triangular-themed shape from concrete. He said, “This speaker is not about the traditional idea of making boxes, but about a directional form. We created a new geometry for this speaker.” Whether this geometry benefits the audio or not, I can’t say—it certainly doesn’t hurt it.

The MA770 is a singular speaker with no stereo separation. For that matter, there’s hardly any stereo in other Bluetooth speakers large or small, so it’s hard to fault the MA770 for that. However, you can pair two of them for true left/right stereo—if you have the money.

The front panel on the MA770 consists of four buttons, but it looks like five: Volume down, Volume up, Pause and Source buttons. The Source button handles 4 modes that are listed on what looks just like a fifth button: Cast (Chromecast), BT (Bluetooth), AUX and OPT (optical). These buttons are an example of design over function. First, the small, white letters against brushed aluminum are hard to see unless the lighting is just right. Secondly, the Source button must be pressed to switch between the four sources listed on the fifth button that isn’t a button. I found myself pressing this “button” wondering why it wouldn’t work. It’s not intuitive.

The MA770 Wireless Speaker is heavy in both weight and sound. One of the reasons that concrete—mixed with M&D developed polymers—was used is to increase damping and reduce resonance—their words. What this means is more detailed audio with less unwanted vibrations that can cause distortion. It has dual 4 in. kevlar long throw woofers with a single 1.5 in. titanium tweeter that sits slightly above and between them. Lift off its magnetically held aluminum grill and it doesn’t look like an impressive array of speakers. Don’t let it fool you. Due to its 100-watt class D amplifier, the MA770 can rock loud and shake things with its low end.

Besides wireless Bluetooth and built-in Chromecast, there are two wired methods for connecting the MA770 to a music source: Standard AUX and optical (Toslink). Optical is good for any PC that has an optical out port (like an earlier iMac) or stereo receiver. Optical (and Bluetooth) make use of the built-in digital audio converter (DAC) which can handle any digital music file up to 24bit/96kHz—a higher resolution than most people will ever use. M&D did not pack AUX and optical cords with the MA770. In this price range, they should have been included.

Speaking of Chromecast—in previous reviews, I’ve had my issues with this wireless protocol but many people use it and like it, so the more speakers that incorporate alternatives to Bluetooth, the better. Chromecast also supports enabled applications such as Spotify, Tidal, Pandora, Soundcloud and more.

The MA770’s unique shape directs lower frequency air out the back through an open port while the woofers handle the bass notes with ease. Robert Palmer’s song, “Johnny and Mary” has super low bass notes thrown into the middle of the song. They appear out of nowhere and can easily buzz lesser speakers. Not these. If anything, the bass was tamed a bit too much for my taste, but what the MA770 played was tight without a hint of muddiness. The same is true of Brian Eno’s “Written, Forgotten” with its pulsing, relentless bass rhythm. Note that I had both of these songs turned up all the way—maxing out both the iMac and the MA770. No distortion at all—and that’s using Bluetooth.

It’s not just bassy songs that the MA770 handles well. The speaker sounds musical, meaning that it sounds great whether being played loudly or at low volume for background music.

The MA770 is not a portable speaker. Once set in place, you’ll want to leave it there. I had to move it around for photos and became paranoid that I would accidentally drop it. Not only is it heavy, but its unusual shape makes it difficult to grasp. It’s highly recommended that two people move it when necessary. Sending the speaker back after this review will not be an easy task.

Even though the MA770 sounds good for serious listening—especially if it can be paired with another—it excels at setting the mood while playing in the background. There is probably no better music made to be aural wallpaper than albums by Steve Roach and Brian Eno. Roach’s 28-minute opus, “Structures from Silence” sounds perfect when played at low volume during dinner and conversation. Many speakers stop sounding substantial when played low—the bass drops off—but the MA770 still can command an audience whether you’re paying attention or not.

Does the MA770 sound better than other less expensive speakers? Sometimes, but not always. I’ve reviewed less expensive speakers that sound better. But that’s not the purpose of the MA770 speaker. The MA770 makes a statement about design, art and sound and how they can relate to each other. Few people will appreciate that or even be able to afford it (me included). But some will and have the means to act on it.

What I like

The unique shape of the MA770 can be polarizing, but the more I used it, the more I like its unusual shape. The sound is commanding, but the MA770 works even better as a room background speaker, while not losing any presence.

What needs to be improved

For some reason, the volume-up key does not work on my Apple keyboard when used with the MA770 speaker. I have to get up and turn up the volume on the speaker itself—there is no remote. This has never happened with other speakers. It takes two paired speakers to become serious about listening in true stereo—which doubles the price.

Final Thoughts

To say the Master & Dynamic MA770 Wireless Speaker is unique is an understatement. It manages to make the equally unusual Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin speaker look tame by comparison. The MA770 is breathtakingly expensive. But if you are a rare individual who can afford such luxuries, go for it. The MA770 will please you in both sight and sound.

Price: $1,800 US
Where to buy: Master & Dynamic
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Master & Dynamic and will be returned after the review is posted.

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Master & Dynamic MA770 Wireless Speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 25, 2018 at 9:30 am.

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Sumo Solace review

We here at the Gadgeteer are not afraid to tackle anything that could remotely be considered a gadget – even a piece of non-traditional furniture. Such is the subject of today’s review, the Sumo Solace, a beanbag-type chair that adjusts to the user’s body. I was sent one in a deep red wide-wale corduroy to test. I have given it a full battery of tests, from reading, napping, and just sitting while chatting with others to playing guitar and trying to type.

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.

What is it?

In 1968, the Italian Modernist movement in it’s transition to post-Modernism, released the Sacco chair, a loose sack stuffed with polystyrene beads. Due to the post-war manufacturing machinery of the time, the design was easily copied, slightly modified, and took over dens, dorm rooms, and TV rooms of most of the families I knew at the time. It was tough to go to a house where there wasn’t one lurking in a corner, usually in a slick vinyl, and in some pop-art color like buttercup yellow, fire engine red, or Mr. Yuk green. Sometime in the late 1970’s however, structure returned to furniture and we got overstuffed couches, but at least you could get out of them with ease.

Let’s go to Wikipedia:

A bean bag chair is a large fabric bag, filled with polystyrene beads, dried beans, or a similar substance. The product is an example of an anatomic chair. The shape of the object is set by the user.

Hardware specs

As best as I could for a flexible seat, here are the measurements I took:

  • 25 in. X 25 in. seat
  • 16 inches high on the front
  • 30 inches high in the back
  • 41 inches deep overall

What’s in the box?

Just the bag, in a plastic bag.

Design and features

The Solace is roughly L-shaped. The back is fairly thick but doesn’t force you to sit up straight like a structured chair does. Instead, it conforms to your back’s natural shape. The texture of the fabric is lush and inviting. When you push your hand into it, it gives for a long way before offering support. There is a single pocket on the right side as you’re sitting in it, which would hold the remote for an AppleTV or a smartphone. I don’t think a normal cable system remote would go in without stretching or ripping the fabric out – it’s pretty tight, especially once you sit down in it.


The transition between the 25”x 25” seat is a stitched seam, and the side panels make a dramatic upward angle at that point. This is the point where your hips will naturally fall. The less-than 90º angle of the chair gives you some of the benefits of sitting (you can eat and drink and see others in the room) and some of the benefits of lying down (your back is fully supported, your pelvis is not forced into a right angle). This could be a good angle for watching TV or playing a video game. I tried it with a stand for my iPad with the keyboard on my lap. Since I still have to look at the keyboard on occasion, it’s not optimal.


The biggest irritation I noticed when sitting in it is that everything required effort to hold up on the chair. Books had to be held tightly, along with holding your arms up. (Note that the whole Solace is only 25” wide, so there is little space to hold your arms on the back or seat area.) Gravity wants you to have your arms flop to the floor. Plates required constant attention because your thighs are slanted back, which makes for easy spillage. If you want to nap, your arms will flop at an unnatural angle, unless you put them in your pockets or hook them into a belt loop. Using a blanket helps, but you have to almost swaddle yourself.

If there is an animal in the house, your face is at a perfect vantage point for attention, which may or may not be to your liking. I didn’t use this in a house with toddlers, but that may be another thing to consider.

Since it’s low (25” from the floor), it requires surrendering to gravity when sitting. You don’t sit on it so much as approach it with a controlled collapse. (Forget trying this in a short skirt or with your kilt on, unless you’re among intimate friends!)

Unless your shins are very short (or you’re under 3’ tall), you’re not going to be able to plant your feet on the ground and lift yourself out with just your legs, since your legs are at a ~65º angle, and you can’t place your feet far enough behind your knees to do a kip-up. (Well, I guess you could slide forward into one, but it’s gonna be tough.) There are no arms or anything else to use to boost your body up, so you’re at the mercy of someone to help you, or rolling onto your knees to hoist yourself up. If you have a drink, iPad, guitar, or another item, you’re further compromised, since there’s nowhere to put these items.

Setup

I suggest you move the shipping containe, or at least the inner bag, as close as possible to where you want to use the Solace because releasing it from that bag is almost like pulling the string on a self-inflating life raft. It’s going to expand – quickly – and be larger than you thought. It can be moved around, but it is larger than the box it comes in and requires a bit of wrestling to move far.

Performance

The Solace performs as expected: it’s soft, enveloping, and comfortable. It’s also impossible to get out of gracefully.

What I Like

  • Comfortable and enveloping
  • Self-contained
  • Washable cover and replaceable filling

What needs to be improved

  • The product as is functions nicely

Final thoughts

I’ve been using the Solace in my living room, and while comfortable, the arm-flop aspect is a huge negative for me. I will probably build, find, or improvise some sort of frame/table to place next to it to provide structure for drinks or other items, as well as assistance getting into and out of it. I could see this being used in my office or an enclosed porch as a relaxation/casual seating piece, but it’s not something I would use regularly for gaming or reading.

Price: Usually $299.00 – currently on sale for $249.00
Where to buy: Sumo Lounge
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Sumo Lounge.

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Sumo Solace review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 24, 2018 at 11:30 am.

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Audew Vehicle Vacuum Cleaner Review

I have always been a fan of a well-kept vehicle.   Ever since my first car at 16 (Yay! Because of H.S. band and I had to be there before the bus) I have had what you call OCD about keeping it clean and looking good.  That is why I was excited to get a chance to review the Audew portable vehicle vacuum cleaner.

What is it?

The Audew vehicle vacuum cleaner is a completely portable vacuum cleaner that runs off the 12-volt socket in your automobile.  It comes with a very long power cord and multiple attachments to make cleaning your car easy and fast.  It will handle wet and dry tasks and when finished it all goes nice and neat into a storage bag.

What’s in the box?

You get a nice collection of cleaning tools with the Audew.  These include:

  • The vacuum cleaner itself with an attached 15 ft power cable that plugs into the cigarette lighter.
  • EVA stretch soft long hose
  • Detachable crevice head
  • Detachable soft brush head
  • Extra fuse
  • Storage bag
  • User Manual

Specifications

  • The vacuum is rated at 4500 – 4800pa
  • They recommend not using it over 20 minutes at a time
  • 15 ft power cable with a nice Velcro wrap attached
  • Stainless Steel HEPA filter – it can be removed and washed
  • LED light that can be turned on and off with a button
  • Can work with both wet and dry items.

Setup and Use

I loaded everything into the bag right away to see if the bag was big enough to hold all of the items.  It held everything nicely as you can see in the picture above.

I then zipped up the bag and it was all ready for me to carry out to my ready and waiting truck.  Now I have to mention that I have been detailing cars and trucks for a while.  I normally use a really nice wall hanging shop vac in my garage for all of my vacuuming needs.  I will admit that it is a pain to have to pull the vehicle into the garage in order to get my vehicle close enough for the hose to reach the car.  I am hoping this handy dandy portable vacuum will eliminate the need for moving the vehicle.

In the pictures above you can see my driver’s side and passenger side floor mats.  The driver’s side will be in my opinion the tricky one to clean.  I have a dog with long fur and I swear it just likes to embed itself in the carpet.  The driver’s side also contains a lot of very small particles.  The passenger side has some larger leaf particles and rock pieces.  This truck is not quite a year old and the carpets are still pretty full and thick.  I am now going to include some videos of me actually vacuuming the carpet.

This video shows me trying to vacuum the driver’s side floor mat.  As you can see it simply pushes the dog hair around and does not really pick it up with the brush.  I will admit the dog hair even gives the shop vac some difficulty.  The suction power of this vacuum is much less than that of the shop vac and it has an even harder time with the dog hair.

The video above is showing the vacuuming of the passenger side.  The vacuum had an easier time of it picking up the larger particles.  There was one stubborn piece that was giving me some issues, but otherwise, it seemed to do a decent job.

Finally, I have a picture of the HEPA filter after the cleaning.  It is very easy to pull out of the vacuum cleaner.  I simply ran water from the other side forcing the particles out the way they came.  You then let the filter air dry and it is ready for the next use.  I was not going to sacrifice my truck for this review and pour water on the floor mats to test the wet capabilities of the vacuum.  I did, however, try suctioning up water off the floor and it did an OK job of getting most of it off.   If the water were embedded in carpet I am not sure it would get much of it out.  The suction power is just not there.

What I like

  • Nice storage bag – I am all about stuff going into bags and being easy to keep
  • You can clean the air filter yourself.  It reminds me of a K&N type filter you would use on your car except that it does not need to be oiled.
  • Inexpensive
  • Nice long power cord.  You could easily reach the back of a suburban with this cord.
  • Runs off the car cigarette lighter
  • Nice attachments

What needs to be improved

  • Suction power – using the brush head the area trying to get suction is almost too wide for the amount of pull the vacuum has.  This means little to nothing gets picked up with that head.

Final Thoughts

I would recommend this vacuum to the minivan owner with little kids.  I know how the kids like to drop food in the car and I think this vacuum would do a good job of picking up those messes.   You can be anywhere and whip out this vacuum cleaner from the back of the van and quickly clean up messes.   I would not recommend it for someone who has dogs or cats and loves to take them for car rides all the time.  It just does not have the suction power to pull embedded fur out of carpets.

Price: $32.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Audew.

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Audew Vehicle Vacuum Cleaner Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 23, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Verb Caffeinated Energy Bar review

What is it?

Verb Bars are chewy, chocolatey, and enriched with the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. The caffeine comes from organic green tea, which entails no spike, no crash, and higher levels of focus than caffeine from other sources due to an amino-acid called L-Theanine.

What’s in the box?

For the price of $20, you receive 10 energy bars in a recyclable box. You can purchase in wholesale, at thousands of bars per purchase with a discount if you contact them through professional email and they always offer free shipping through their website: https://www.verbenergybar.com/#!/cart

Design and Features

Verb bars are petite and convenient to carry around for on-the-go energy. Verb Bars have 8 natural, non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan ingredients which are: rolled oats, almond butter, organic puffed brown rice, organic agave nectar, organic unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract, organic brown sugar, and caffeine from organic green tea. Each bar contains 190 calories, 100mg of caffeine, 5g of protein, and 12g of sugar.

What I like

What I like about the bar is that it’s a combination of multiple health benefits into such a simple serving, using a small number of natural ingredients. I especially adore that the box says “recycle me” on it and that the color scheme of the logo matches the earthy vibes that the energy bars have. I also like that you can subscribe to Verb and get boxes delivered to you based on your consumption, and you don’t need to log on and reorder every single time.

What needs to be improved

I think the claim, “as much caffeine as a cup of coffee” needs to be reevaluated… I am not a coffee or soda drinker, so I have almost no tolerance for caffeine and I did not feel a very prominent energy kick from these bars. The flavor was also not what I was expecting… I think adding more flavor options would be beneficial. These bars are also very filling and would be best marketed toward bodybuilders who want the extra calories for bulking up; not people who are trying to remain thin.

Final thoughts

My final thoughts on this product are sincerely optimistic. I personally would not purchase the product again, but I definitely think there is an established foundation here for a very successful company and desired products. The creators behind this product have their minds and hearts aligned in perfect synchronization with the mother nature, and I know they have our Earth’s health, as well as the health of humanity, in mind.

Price: $20.00 for 10 bars
Where to buy: Verb Energy and Amazon
Source: https: The sample for this review was provided by Verb Energy

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Verb Caffeinated Energy Bar review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 22, 2018 at 4:00 pm.

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HyperX Cloud Revolver Gunmetal gaming headset review

Although not the most prominent of the sensory functions, hearing plays an important role in our lives. Those of us who enjoy music also enjoy it more with a high-quality audio delivery. Those old tunes from your teenage years can take you back to those days like nothing else can. Even more for us that enjoy ’80’s rock and roll. That made reviewing the HyperX Cloud Revolver Gunmetal gaming headset even more enjoyable.

What is it?

The HyperX Cloud Revolver Gunmetal gaming headset is a premium-grade headset that aims to meet the demands of both the PC or Console gamer. Utilizing 50mm directional drivers and a removable microphone, the Revolver series headsets deliver precise, crisp audio in a durable, high-quality package.

What’s in the box?

  • HyperX Cloud Revolver headset with fixed 3.5 ft cord.
  • Audio control box with 3.5mm plugs with 6.75 ft cord.
  • Detachable Microphone.



Design and features

The Cloud Revolver headset makes great use of design when it comes to the structure of the headset. The steel frame is a one-piece design that encompasses the speakers, making it difficult to break. One of the things that really caught my attention was how flexible the braided cord was, unlike some of the braided phone charging cords that I’ve had.

The headset features a self-adjusting headband, which I felt was a little too giving in its springiness, making the earpieces sit a little low on my head. That might not be an issue if you have a fair amount of hair on your head.

The earpieces are memory foam and remained comfortable for quite a few hours at a time. They also did not interfere with my glasses. The fairly closed-back design kept almost all sound from escaping, which comes in handy if you don’t want to annoy other people in the room.

The audio control box has a convenient sliding mute switch, volume wheel, and a clip to keep it in place. The cord connected to the control box plus the headset cord gives you over 10 ft of freedom of movement.



The headset is truly multi-platform compatible, operating on Windows, Mac, or gaming system, as well as being compatible with Teamspeak, Discord, Skype, Ventrilo, mumble, and Raidcall.

The removable microphone is a nice touch. It features a 3.5mm plug and bendable boom. I did a video conference call and the other person said I sounded great.

Nothing beats great headphones when it comes to gaming. The extra edge you get from being able to hear the little audio queues like someone walking up on you really is exciting. The immersive experience is so much better than just speakers. The noise-canceling microphone really helps, and other players said the audio sounded great.

What I like

  • Flexible cords
  • Full metal frame that encircles the earpieces
  • Detachable, flexible, noise-canceling microphone
  • Closed-back ear cups don’t allow much sound to escape and annoy other people
  • Ear pads work fine with glasses

What needs to be improved

  • The self-adjusting headband is a little to loose for my liking
  • The frame is hard mounted to the ear cups, which means any touching of the frame transmits quite a bit of sound through to your ears

Final thoughts

This headset not only sounds great but feels like it is rugged enough to last for many years. Whether gaming or just listening to audio, this headset provides a comfortable and precise audio experience.
Price: $119.99
Where to buy: HyperX or Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by HyperX

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HyperX Cloud Revolver Gunmetal gaming headset review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 22, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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