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Soul ST-XS2 true wireless earphones review

REVIEW – It’s been a while since I’ve been acquainted with Soul Electronics. Back in 2013, I reviewed the (no longer made) Soul SL150CB headphone and found them to be surprising in a good way. Forward to 2019 and things have changed for Soul. They’ve added a few true wireless earphones to their mix of headphones, earphones and portable speakers. The question is if Soul can continue to surprise with the new ST-XS2 true wireless earphone.

What is it?

The Soul ST-XS2 true wireless earphones are an update to the popular ST-XS earphones—which I have not heard. They feature improved water/sweat proofing, double battery life, USB-C connectivity, ear hooks, Bluetooth 5.0 and a transparency mode for the ability to hear surrounding sound.

Specs

  • Weight: 5g
  • Dimensions: 21W x 15H x 17D (mm)
  • Bluetooth: 5.0
  • Speaker diameter: 6mm
  • Battery Life (Talk or Music time): Up to 5 hrs X 5 (Up to 25 hours On-The-Go. Varies by volume level and content)
  • Bluetooth Range: 33ft
  • Driver Type: Dynamic

In the box

  • Ear tips
  • Portable charging case
  • USB Type-C charging cable
  • Carabiner
  • Ergonomic C-shaped ear hooks

Design and features

The Soul ST-XS2 true wireless earphones are small (of course), come in four colors: black, white, blue, and pink, and are quite comfortable. Inserting and removing is quick and easy. Because of their comfort, they can be worn until the battery needs charging (about 5 hours) without issues. Soul sent me the white version which looks pretty classy, especially with its aluminum logo band embedded into the lid of the case.

The case is relatively small—although larger than Apple’s AirPods case. It will charge the ST-XS2 earphones five times equaling a total battery life of  25 hours. Not too shabby! There’s a single light on the case to indicate if it’s charging the earphones or not. Each earphone has a built-in light to indicate its individual charging status. Also, an iPhone will show how much battery life is left in its Batteries widget.

The case is made of a cheap-feeling plastic. It doesn’t feel as substantial in the hands as the Apple AirPods’ case. There’s a logo tag attached to the case’s exterior for attaching to a belt-loop or other similar item with a supplied aluminum carabiner. 

The ST-XS2 earphones magnetically attach to the interior of the case. This helps them snap into place for proper a charging connection and prevents them from falling out. The case charges via faster USB-C, which is quickly becoming the standard for charging.

Much of the comfort of the ST-XS2 earphones comes from included C-shaped ear hooks. These soft silicone hooks help the earphones stay in place making it almost impossible to shake loose from the ear. They come in two sizes plus one without the hook.

The ST-XS2 earphones are totally wireless. This simply means that there are NO wires, like some so-called wireless earphones that are connected to each other by a … wire. Keep in mind that totally wireless earphones are much easier to lose.

The ST-XS2 earphones have what Soul calls “Transparent Audio Mode.” This allows you to hear outside noises while listening to music, making it safer to walk on a busy street and still remain aware of your surroundings. Note that the ST-XS earphones are not noise canceling, so some exterior noise will always creep in, but transparent audio mode enhances that.

Bluetooth connection is quick and rock solid, but that’s not the cool part. What’s nice is that when pulled from the case and put in your ear, the ST-XS2 earphones connect faster than any other wireless earphone I’ve yet tried—with the exception of Apple’s own AirPods, which connect ridiculously fast. That’s impressive from an earphone that strictly relies on Bluetooth.

What’s not so impressive is phone call quality. People I talked with said it sounded like I was talking through a speakerphone. I was easily understood and I could hear the other party fine, it just didn’t sound natural. Note that I have never had call quality as good as AirPods no matter how much the earphones or headphones cost.

If this sounds like I’m comparing the Soul ST-XS2 earphones to AirPods, I’m not. It’s just that—like it or not—AirPods are the de-facto standard for wireless iPhone users.

Another (somewhat) disappointment is audio quality. I say somewhat because it’s an ear tips issue. Even the largest ear tips supplied by Soul do not provide a seal that allows decent bass—and I don’t have a large ear canal. When listening to music, bass is seriously lacking in both tone and presence. I could only get enough bass when pressing and holding the ST-XS2 earphones deeper into my ears. I imagine people with smaller ears won’t have this problem.

I fixed the problem by using some larger ear tips from my collection of various tips from previously reviewed earphones. However, I shouldn’t have to do that. The good news is that the ST-XS2 earphones will still charge in the case with my larger, borrowed tips. Why Soul doesn’t provide larger tips than they do is a mystery to me.

With the borrowed tips, the ST-XS2 earphones sound quite good. Being able to hear bass makes all the difference. The sound signature is “V” shaped. This means that bass and treble are slightly enhanced while the middle frequencies (where vocals lie) are slightly recessed. This aural setting is more commonly used for rock and modern music, so most people should be quite pleased.

What I like

Most people will also be pleased with the price. True, the ST-XS2 earphones aren’t as convenient or as quick to connect as AirPods, but they cost much less. They also sound good, depending on that all-important bass seal.

What needs to be improved

Soul needs to supply larger sizes of ear tips. 

Final thoughts

For the price, the Soul ST-XS2 earphones are a decent totally wireless contender in an overcrowded market. Add their ability to connect almost as fast as Apple’s own AirPods and they become one of the best you can get—as long as the tips provide a proper fit.

Price: $99.99 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this product was provided by Soul.

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Soul ST-XS2 true wireless earphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 17, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker Pro review

REVIEW – I have wanted to try sous vide cooking for years. We have several friends and coworkers who swear by it. I understood the science and thermodynamics of how it works but I was always a little skeptical. While I have been tempted, I have been procrastinating more than anything…never pulling the trigger on actually buying one. So, when Julie offered the professional grade Anova Precision Cooker Pro to review, I was like Ooo, Ooo, Ooo pick me (think Arnold Horshack).

For those who do not know, Sous vide  (pronounced sue-veed and means “under vacuum” in French) is a cooking technique that involves vacuum-sealing food in a bag then submersing it in a water bath allowing for precise temperature control giving you consistent, high quality, near perfect results.

What is it?

The Anova Precision Cooker Pro is a professional grade sous vide cooker engineered to operate full-time in the busiest of kitchens. Designed for long hours of non-stop cooking main courses to perfection.

What’s in the box?

The box is big and well done, nicely presented. The only thing in the box is the sous vide cooker and instruction manual.

  • Anova Precision (Sous Vide) Cooker Pro
  • Manual

Hardware specs

Performance
  • Power: 1200 Watts
  • Flow Rate: 12 Liters/min
  • Max Cook Size: 100 Liters with lid
  • Voltage: 120 Volts
Durability
  • Aluminum – Teflon coated & stainless steel
  • IPX7 water and splash resistant
Precision
  • Temperature Accuracy: +/- 0.05 ̊ C
  • Temperature Range: 0 ̊ – 92 ̊ C
Usability
  • Manual time and temperature controls
  • Capacitive touch screen
  • High fidelity speaker tones
  • Adjustable & Detachable clamp
  • Removable skirt
Size
  • 88mm D x 60mm W x 350mm H / 3.5in x 2.4in x 13.8in
  • 1.29 kg / 2.85 lbs
Container Size
  • Min Water Level: 62 mm / 2.4 in
  • Max Water Level: 170mm / 6.7 in
Connectivity
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz
  • iOS and Android app coming soon

Design and features

The Anova Precision Cooker Pro is a restaurant/professional grade sous vide cooker engineered for serious work and the long-haul. When you pull the Anova Pro from its packaging it definitely gives off an air of high quality. It’s extremely well made, precision-machined, made from metal and stainless steel parts. While I wouldn’t suggest testing this but according to Anova, it is submersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes…crazy.

Setup

Setup is quick and easy. Take the Precision Cooker Pro out of the box, plug it in, and you’re more or less good to go. It’s going to take you longer to finding the right sided/shaped pot and fill it with water. As a beginner in the sous vide world, selecting a recipe is the toughest part of the battle. For whatever type of meat you’re wanting to cook, there are many different variants of basically the same recipe. But the recipes’ cooking times and temperature settings are all pretty close. So, I just picked those with a 4-5 stars rating and went for it.

Currently the Anova app does not talk to the Precision Cooker Pro but should sometime this summer. You can still use the app to find and save recipes.

Performance

The Anova Precision Cooker Pro is engineered with performance in mind: 1200 watts of heating power, 12 liters/min flow rate, and max cooking volume of 100 liters (26 gallons) with lid. In addition to serious horsepower, the Anova Pro uses components made for the long haul: a powerful dual bearing brushless DC motor and double-core insulated heater. According to Anova, the Precision Cooker Pro can operate continuously for a minimum of 10,000 hours without having to shut down.

Inside the stainless steel protective housing is quite the array of heating, monitoring, and circulating hardware. These components combine to not only heat the water quickly and effectively but keep it at a very precise temperature set-point. The integrated temperature probe is accurate to +/- 0.05 ̊ C in water volume up to 26 gallons (100 liters).

The Anova Pro has a temperature range of 0 ̊ – 92 ̊ C  / 32 – 198 ̊ F . The heating coil quickly and efficiently heats the water bath to the desired temperature then keeps it locked onto that set point throughout cooking.

The powerful circulation pump brings in water from above, flows through the heating coil, then the heated water is forced out the base of the Anova Pro.

The Anova Precision Cooker Pro has a capacitive touch screen to set your temperature, time, and monitor progress. Funny thing is… the screen is what initially impressed me the most. As I stated above, the entire unit is very well made but the screen is what made me think “wow, this is pretty sweet.” Using the touchscreen to set the time & temperature is easy and intuitive.

The Anova Pro has an adjustable and detachable clamp that enables the sous vide cooker to be raised or lowered based on the shape/size of the cooking vessel. It can also be twisted in the mount for a better view/management of the Pro’s touchscreen. The clamp is just as well made as the rest of the Anova Precision Cooker Pro from hard plastic with knurled, PVD coated metal tightening knobs.

What I like

  • Extremely well made from aluminum, teflon, & stainless steel
  • Very precise temperature control
  • Strong powerful brushless motor
  • Extremely long operational period
  • Can heat large volumes of water
  • Excellent touchscreen
  • 2-year warranty

What needs to be improved

  • Smartphone app not compatible from the beginning
  • Expensive

Final thoughts

As I stated at the beginning, this isn’t a review of sous vide cooking in general but for anyone who hasn’t tried it, I highly recommend it. I have cooked steak, chicken, burgers, and pork with the Anova Precision Cooker Pro and every meal turned out perfectly. It removes any of the guess work and stress of juggling variables of temperature, flame, time, doneness, etc. Anova’s Precision Cooker Pro is a professional grade sous vide cooker engineered for serious duty and is a bit of overkill for my kitchen. But what an excellent cooking tool that has been added to my arsenal of creating delectable meals for family and friends. If you can afford or need it, I suggest going for the Cadillac of sous vide cookers…you won’t be disappointed.

Price: $399
Where to buy: anovaculinary.com.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Anova.

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Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker Pro review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 17, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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Grand Trunk Trunktech Hammock review

REVIEW – Can a hammock be on an EDC list? I would have said no, but the Trunktech Hammock by Grand Trunk might just find a spot in your pack if hanging around is in your list of daily activities.

What is it?

It’s a hammock that aims to change your preconceptions of the category by packing small, weighing little and surprising you with its versatility.

What’s in the box?

  • Trunktech hammock
  • 2 carabiners
  • Quick instruction card

Hardware specs

  • Material: Proprietary 40D 1.1 oz Diamond Ripstop Nylon
  • Capacity: 500 lbs
  • Weight: 11.7 oz
  • Unfolded Dimensions: 11′ x 4’10”
  • They also make a double: 15.5 oz | 11′ x 6’6″

Design and features

It’s clear when you pick this up for the first time that this is not your grandfather’s hammock. It’s crazy light and stuffs into a storage bag that’s permanently attached meaning you can’t lose it.

There’s a webbing handle across the bottom of the bag that you can use to lash it to the outside of your pack should there not be enough room inside (unlikely). There’s also plenty of room with the hammock fully stored anyway so you can fit the additional ropes you’ll want for hanging around.

The hanging ends show that the hammock is actually a rectangle with the webbing running through a channel that bunches each of the ends up in a way that lets the hammock really form that pocket for your body. For strength, the channel is triple-stitched and the webbing is box stitched.

Setup

Grand Trunk has made the setup as simple as it gets. Un-cinch the back and un-stuff the hammock which already has the carabiners attached. From there, you’re looking for the right pair of trees or anchor points. The only thing to provide beyond that is your own cord/rope for anchoring to trees/branches. We cut a pair of 6′ ropes which also fit into the storage bag.

If you want some hanging solutions that are pre-thought out for the purpose, Grand Trunk (I’ll refer to them as GT going forward) also makes a few of those including straps and tree protector slings.

Performance

What are the key metrics in determining a good hammock? It likely depends on the hammock as well as what you wanted a hammock for in the first place. Would this one work on a hammock stand in your back yard? Sure, but that would definitely sell this one short, and big hammocks designed for a solitary location probably have some upsides as a result.

The fact that this GT hammock is not designed to be stationary is the point. The fabric is a ripstop nylon that’s buttery soft and super durable as well as breathable which just makes for good lounging. GT has designed the hammock to support up to 500 lbs which goes to show just how strong this material is. Keep in mind that weight limit assumes you’re using quality ropes or webbing to hang it.

I tossed the hammock to my son halfway through his final exam week of senior year in high school. I got these photos back that afternoon following an AP Calc test. Definitely a good way to kick back.

You can see that based on the available trees, he chose to suspend from the horizontal branches which made for a more U-shaped hang. You’d definitely want to string around trunks horizontally for a more laid out position.

The Trunktech shines when it comes to packing. It just stuffs back into the attached storage pouch, and is smaller than a typical reusable water bottle and would easily double as a pillow should the need arise.

As for colors and options, we received the Teal/Turquoise in their single size. There’s also a double size and 5 additional colors to choose from not to mention plenty of other hammocks, products and accessories on GT’s site.

What I like

  • Ultra light and small
  • Easy to deploy and store
  • Comfortable strong fabric

What needs to be improved

  • Nothing

Final thoughts

So if you’re looking for an EDC hammock, you’ve found it. Light, small, soft and strong. It’ll fit in your pack or even lash to your belt for those impromptu hangs that you know you want to take. It’s definitely in my son’s pack for the summer.

Price: $59.95 ($69.95 for Double)
Where to buy: Grand Trunk and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Grand Trunk.

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Grand Trunk Trunktech Hammock review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 16, 2019 at 9:31 am.

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ORICO 4 Port Clip-Type USB 3.0 Hub review

REVIEW – Our family has a shared Mac Mini tucked behind a monitor. Unfortunately, plugging in USB accessories can be a little tricky when you hide the CPU, but the ORICO 4 Port USB 3.0 Clip-Type hub could solve just that.

What is it?

The ORICO 4-Port USB 3.0 Clip-Type hub does just what it says, allowing you to add four USB ports to the edge of a monitor or the edge of a desk.

What’s in the box?

  • USB hub
  • USB-A to USB-A cable

Hardware specs

  • Four USB 3.0 ports
  • Clamp opens between 10 mm to 33 mm

Design and features

The hub’s exterior construction appears to be aluminum. A tiny hole on the front panel hides a blue LED. On the rear is the USB port that connects to your computer, and the set screw.

Setup

There’s not a whole lot to it: Simply unpack and plug in the provided cable…

…and clamp to the edge of a monitor. Here’s the product under a 20″ LCD monitor.

If you look closely you can see the blue LED on the front panel. Doesn’t quite cover the DELL logo, but that’s OK.

What I like

  • Sturdy, sleek design
  • LED isn’t too bright

What needs to be improved

  • I wish it came in black as an option.
  • Not powered (see note below)

Final thoughts

Despite the color mismatch, the ORICO 4 Port USB 3.0 Clip-Type Hub installed easily. A powered version is also available.

Price: $21.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by ORICO.

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ORICO 4 Port Clip-Type USB 3.0 Hub review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 16, 2019 at 8:30 am.

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Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing office chair review

REVIEW – We keep hearing that sitting is the new smoking when it comes to activities that can be damaging/fatal to your health. I can’t really disagree that sitting all day is bad for me, but I’ve tried several standing desks over the years and can’t seem to work as well as I can while sitting at a desk.

If I’m going to sit, I want to sit on a chair that doesn’t contribute even more problems to the activity of sitting. I don’t want the chair to make my posture worse, back pain worse, etc. So with that in mind, let’s check out the Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing Chair.

What is it?

The Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing Chair is an office chair that has been designed to make the action of sitting better for your body by improving posture and comfort.

What’s in the box?

  • All the parts needed to assemble the Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing Chair
  • Hardware screws, washers, and 2 Allen wrenches
  • Assembly instructions

Assembly

Assembling the Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing Chair is not difficult and you will not need any extra tools as they are included with the hardware. You will need about 30 minutes to go through the steps which are clearly outlined in the included instructions.

The first step has you put the wheels/castors into the heavy metal (not ACDC) chair base. I always find this part the most difficult part of any chair assembly because you have to press the wheels into slots which takes more hand strength than I usually have. Having said that, I was able to seat each wheel in place with fewer swear words than normal.

After the wheels have been attached, the next step is to set the hydraulic piston thingy in the center of the base. This step takes no effort at all.

Then you have to place the seat on the piston. With this step, it is helpful to have someone hold the base while you place the chair on top. I didn’t have anyone to help me on the day I assembled the chair so it did take a little effort but it wasn’t too hard.

After the seat is seated, the back of the chair is positioned so that you can attach it to the seat with 4 screws that require the included Allen wrench to tighten them. Again, this isn’t difficult to do alone, but having another person around to hold things while you try to get the screws lined up helps a lot. Another thing that would help a lot would be longer Allen wrenches. The back of the armrests get in the way so that you can’t tighten the screws without reseating the wrench multiple times.

After the back of the chair is attached to the seat, there is a plastic piece that has to be attached to cover the screws.

Then the adjustable headrest is attached with 2 more screws and you’re done!

The Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing office chair is attractive with the black leather material on the padded back and seat cushion. But as you can see, the backrest of my chair is slightly deformed in the center due to having rested over the chair’s wheelbase while packaged in the shipping box. I thought this “dent” would eventually go away on its own, but after a week, it is still there. I’m hoping it will disappear after some time.

Design and features

The Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing Chair has quite a few adjustment points. First of all, the back of the chair has 3 depth positions that can be changed by twisting the oval knob on each side. Doing so will move the back of the chair towards the front of the seat cushion or back of the seat cushion by 2 inches in either direction.



The armrests can be raised, lowered 2 inches, slid forwards or backward 2 inches, and pivoted outwards, and inwards.

The padded headrest can also be raised and lowered 2 inches and pivoted forwards and backward. The whole chair can also be raised and lowered using the piston. At the lowest height, the seat cushion is 18 inches from the floor and at the highest height, it can be 21 inches from the floor. I’m 5’6″ tall and even at the highest seat height, my feet can still be placed flat on the floor so I’m not sure how a really tall person would feel about this chair.

All of the settings/adjustments that I’ve told you about so far can be found on most office chairs. But where the Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing office chair is different is that the backrest and the seat cushion swing independently. Check out this 20-second video to see what I mean.

Is it comfortable?

You betcha! The leather covering is soft, smooth, and feels great. The seat cushion is firm but comfortable, as is the chair back. I like that it has built-in lumbar support which is important if you have lower back issues.

The independent pivot of the back and seat felt weird when I first started using the chair, but now I really like it.

According to Eureka Ergonomic:

This chair is the only chair in the world where the center of rotation (CR-1) of the chair is approximate to that of natural human seated posture. This provides natural human motion when you are seated, allowing you to work in comfort, while reducing the stress on your back, neck, legs, and hips.

What I like

  • Comfortable
  • Easy to assemble
  • 30-day money back guarantee
  • 3-year warranty

What needs to be improved

  • Armrests are too easy to slide forward and backward
  • Seat may not raise high enough for tall people

Final thoughts

The Executive Swing office chair from Eureka Ergonomic Is the nicest office chair that I’ve reviewed in my over 2 decades reviewing products. I can’t tell if it’s improving my posture, but I can say that it is comfortable to sit in for long review writing sessions. If I can be productive without my bum, my back, or my legs bothering me, then that’s all I care about.

Price: $499.00 for the leather version reviewed here and $399.00 for the cloth version
Where to buy: Eureka Ergonomics and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Eureka Ergonomics.

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Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing office chair review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 15, 2019 at 12:45 pm.

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