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Xcentz xDynamo 5-port Charger review

REVIEW – How many of us look behind desks and dressers and nightstands and see a warty jumble of wall plugs? Your watch, phone, tablet, and earphones all want their own outlet and wall connector. What if you could plug all those different types of cables into just a single box? And it wasn’t limited to sticking into the wall outlet directly? Well, that’s the promise held out by the Xcentz xDynamo 5-port charger. I was sent one to test and I’m here with the inside story.

What is it?

The Xcentz xDynamo is a simple cube that sits on a surface and provides 5 outlets of USB goodness in various forms. You supply the cables, it supplies the proper power levels.

What’s in the box?

  • xDynamo
  • 4-foot power cord
  • Owner’s guide

Hardware specs

From product website
  • Power for All – Quick charge 3.0, type C charge & 3 USB charging ports charge multiple devices simultaneously at the highest speed possible.
  • Superior Safety – Advanced Smart xPower by Xcentz, provide safe charge for your devices.
  • Advanced Charging Speed – Save up to 1 hour with Quick Charge 3.0 or type C charging.
  • Premium Design – Compact cube design, keeps your desktop organized.
  • Universal Compatibility – Compatible with all Micro USB and Type C charging port devices from smartphones to tablets.
  • Worry-Free – Our products are built to last, which is why we offer an industry-leading 18-month warranty, no-questions-asked. Please feel free to contact us and we will give a satisfied solution within 24 hours.

Specifications

  • Ports: 1* Quick charge 3.0, 1* Type-C Port, 3* USB-A Ports
  • Input: 100-240V~1.5A 50-60Hz
  • QC3.0 Output: 3.6-6.5V=3A; 6.5-9V=2A; 9-12V=1.5A
    Type-C+3USB-A Output: 5V=6A (3A Max for Type-C, 2.4A Max Per USB-A Port)
  • Power Cord: 1.2m / 4ft
  • Size: 2.2×2.5×2.5 inches
  • Weight: 7.7 ounces

Design and features

The xDynamo is a white smooth rounded 2.5″ cube (Well, it’s only 2.” high, but let’s not quibble.) that sits on a surface with a rubberized base ring. There are 5 outlets for various flavors of USB: one 3A Max USB-C in the center, three “regular” 2.4 A USB-A ports, and one Quick Charge (QC) 3.0 Max smart charging port with a green insert. Each of the corner ports has a green LED lamp for when it’s connected to power, which helps you find it, but isn’t like the aircraft landing lights some chargers have. The clean, modern styling means it can sit in a CEO’s office, the front reception desk, or the mailroom. With the detachable power cord, it’s also easy to pack for those trips when you and your companion both need to charge phones, tablets, and power banks and there’s only 2 outlets to spare in the B&B.

It could also find it’s way to your family room, where kids do homework on iPads, parents charge their wireless TV headphones for after the kids are asleep, Mom’s updating her presentation for a sales meeting tomorrow on her iPad, and Dad’s checking the sports scores or the weather report for his cycle ride this weekend while topping up his phone. Plug it in and set it on a table next to chairs in a remote corner of your office. Toss some charging cables into a nearby drawer, and you’ve got the digital equivalent of a cup of water in the desert.

What I like

  • Covers all main types of USB charging
  • Not too big
  • No power supply box

What needs to be improved

  • Could have an AC plug on one side – jus’ sayin’

Final thoughts

One can never have too many chargers. This is possibly the most typed sentence in our work Slack channel, (other than “I want doughnuts!”) – “Does anyone have a charger I can borrow?” With this on your desk, the answer is always, “Sure.” I love that it only requires the cable, so you can leave the bulky individual chargers at home.

Price: $27.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Xcentz.

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Xcentz xDynamo 5-port Charger review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 5, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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Audeze Mobius 3D gaming headphone review

REVIEW – Let me first state something about this review: I don’t play computer games—period. I’ve never liked them and I think they are a waste of time. Now that that’s out of the way, this review is about a new gaming headphone—so why on earth am I reviewing it? Simple—the Audeze Mobius is one of the best-sounding headphones I’ve heard in recent memory. 

What is it?

The Audeze Mobius headphone is primarily designed for gaming, but excels with music as well. Due to some digital signal processing (DSP) magic called “Waves Nx head-tracking technology,” Audeze calls Mobius  “More than a headphone, it’s an experience.” That’s not hyperbole, folks.

Specs

  • Style: Over-ear
  • Planar transducer
  • Ultra-thin diaphragm
  • Neodymium magnet
  • Audeze Cipher DSP
  • Built-in balanced amplifier
  • Frequency response: 10Hz – 50kHz
  • Ear pads
  • Contoured memory foam, faux leather ear pads
  • Detachable microphone with separate volume control
  • Lithium-polymer battery
  • Bluetooth (SBC, AAC, LDAC)
  • USB-C, USB-A, 3.5mm analog audio
  • Weight: 350g (including battery)

What’s in the box

  • Mobius headphone
  • Detachable boom mic
  • USB-USB-C cord
  • USB-C-USB-C cord
  • 3.5 mm mini plug cord
  • Soft pouch
  • Downloadable app (Windows only)

Design and features

When does a headphone cease to be a headphone? Once you’ve heard Mobius, that won’t seem like a weird question. Let me explain. Audeze is known for its expensive to uber-expensive headphones—all planar magnetic speaker-based. Planar speakers are a different animal in headphone design and it’s only been in the last few years that this type of speaker has been shrunk to headphone (and also earphone) sizes. What is a planar magnetic speaker and why should you care?

Here’s an over-simplified, layman’s explanation (warning—nerdy, geek-talk ahead): Most headphones have what is called a dynamic cone. It looks and acts much like a traditional speaker. Dynamic speakers are made up of many parts that have to work in tandem to sound their best. Age and use can upset that balance over time. Planar technology was originally developed at NASA for space use. Audeze (and other headphone makers) have adapted this technology for audio use. Audeze’s planar speaker diaphragms are thinner than a human hair helping create accurate music reproduction. The diaphragms can help music sound more alive and make listening a more personal experience. Anytime music (and gaming sound effects) can sound more realistic, it’s a win for everyone.

Audeze uses planar technology in the new reasonably priced (for Audeze) Mobius headphone. But sound quality is only part of the picture, so to speak. Audeze has also incorporated surround-sound functionality into Mobius using Waves Nx technology. Waves is a separate company that is a developer of digital signal processing. DSP is used in countless movies, music and gaming. DSP helps make possible 3D audio by utilizing three technologies: Sound localization, head-tracking and room emulation.

Sound localization allows whatever you are hearing to remain fixed in space. For instance, when wearing headphones—as you turn your head, the sound moves with you, giving music an in-your-head feeling. With sound-location, whatever you hear stays in place, so as you turn your head to the right, a singer’s vocals will shift to your left ear—much like real life. Turn to the left and sound shifts to your right ear. Turn around and music sounds like it’s behind you. To say it’s eerie is an understatement. It sounds like you are in a room and not wearing headphones at all. 

Sound localization is made possible by the two other technologies mentioned earlier—head tracking and room emulation. Head-tracking measures the tiniest of head movements 1000 times-per-second. This is fed into some kind of algorithm making the location of sound possible. Room emulation is a tool that gives a sense of space and sound reflection and this is what makes the Mobius headphones so cool. 

Note: there is a customizable HQ application for Windows users. Since I’m a die-hard Apple fan-boy, I haven’t been able to try it out. Audeze promises a Mac version someday. I’ll believe it when I see it.

There’s a lot of other magical things going on, but this is already getting too technical, so I’ll stop. If you want to read more about this, you can click here and geek out.

All Mobius controls are built into the left ear cup. First, there’s a button that controls the 3D effect. There is an AUX port for the included removable microphone for gaming and phone calls. There’s a sliding on/off mic switch at the top of the ear cup. A USB-C port is for charging the internal battery and for 5.1 and 7.1 surround. An AUX port is for analog audio input. There are two volume wheels—one for the mic and one for general headphone volume. Both wheels can be pressed to perform different functions whether its play/pause or equalizer settings. These functions have a bit of a learning curve to use without looking. Lastly, there’s an on/off/pairing/take call button. 

When 3D is switched on (and it can be turned off), it’s kinda magical. Sure, it’s a gimmick, but who cares? Headphones sound a bit flat after listening to Mobius for a while. A long press on the 3D button will set either Manual, Auto or No 3D effect. A short press establishes the “Center’. What this means is that the center is facing front. In Manual mode, setting Center locks in what is directly in front of you. Auto will re-set Center when you stare in any specific direction for a few seconds. I learned quickly that Manual is the best setting—just set and forget.

Note that Mobius headphones will play true 5.1 and 7.1 surround but it is dependent on the source. In other words, Mobius has to be plugged into a 5.1 or 7.1 via USB to work. Of course, we are talking only two speakers inside Mobius, but the effect sounds real. You cannot hear 5.1 or 7.1 when wireless—however the emulated 3D effect is still pretty cool. 

After going on and on about how great the 3D aspect is, it’s the audio quality of Mobius headphones that’s most important. Audeze has a record of truly excellent-sounding headphones and they’ve incorporated much trickle-down tech into Mobius, making the planar magnetic speakers sound amazing. The ability of the planar diaphragm to recover from frequency transients allows music to sound crisp, detailed and more lively than any sloppier-sounding speaker could ever hope. 

This means that Mobius can handle any genre of music with ease. Even though Mobius is not designed to be heavy on bass, it’s still impactful and hard hitting when called for. That’s exactly how bass should be. The middle frequencies (where most vocals are) are a delight. Singers are intimate-sounding as if they are in the room—no doubt helped by the 3D effect. I appreciate that the high frequencies are not sibilant or harsh. There’s a balance to the audio that makes the Mobius headphones easy to listen to for hours.

Build quality is pretty good. I wouldn’t say Mobius headphone are the sturdiest phones I’ve reviewed. They are mostly plastic, so I would not overly twist them—although they can be spread a bit to make them looser-fitting on the head if desired. I would compare them to the feel of Bose or Sony headphones. The replaceable ear cups have a cushy memory foam that’s quite comfortable.

Mobius comes in two color choices: Audeze calls them Team Blue and Team Copper. Gotta love the gaming metaphor. However, my review version must be Team Non-descript Black, because it’s neither Copper or Blue—just black. Bummer.

Now that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Mobius headphones for music listening, will they make me rethink gaming? Not a chance.

What I like 

  • The 3D effect is amazing
  • Sound quality is amazing
  • They’re such fun to use

What needs to be improved

  • A bit less plastic would be welcome
  • Expensive—but reasonable for Audeze
  • Hard case not included

Final Thoughts

I know this review sounds a bit giddy at times, but it’s seldom that a piece of tech can end up being so much fun! Even with all of its 3D gimmicks, Audeze’s Mobius headphone is one terrific sounding headphone in its own right. But whoever said that great audio had to always sound so serious? 

Price: $399 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this product was provided by Audeze.

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Audeze Mobius 3D gaming headphone review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 5, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Edifier TWS2 truly wireless stereo earbuds review

REVIEW – TWS (truly wireless stereo) earbuds are the latest advancement in Bluetooth earbuds. With this new feature, you can use either earbud individually or together and with Bluetooth 5.0, they have a longer range with the paired device allowing you to leave your phone in one part of the house while you’re enjoying your favorite tunes in another part. The latest TWS earbuds that I’ll be telling you about today are the Edifier TWS2 earbuds. Let’s check them out.

What is it?

Edifier TWS2 earbuds are earbuds that feature TWS technology and Bluetooth 5.0.

Hardware Specs

Bluetooth version: Bluetooth V5.0
Bluetooth profiles: HSP, HFP, A2DP, AVRCP
Effective distance: 10m
Playback time: Approx. 12 hours (3hrs earbuds + 9hrs charging case)
Charging time: Approx. 1.5 hours
Input: DC5.0V 60mA (earbuds) DC5.0V 500mA (docking case)
Frequency response: 20Hz-20KHz
Sensitivity: 94dB
Impedance: 32Ω

What’s in the box?

  • Edifier TWS2 earbuds
  • 3 sizes of ear tips
  • Charging case
  • micro USB cable for charging
  • Quick start guide

Design and features

Available in black, white, and red, I was obviously sent the red version of the earbuds which as you can see come in a matching charging case. Although it’s tough to see in the image above, there are 3 status LEDs in the black strip below the lid. When you open the lid, the LEDs will light up in white to give you an idea of how much battery life is left in the charging case’s built-in battery.

Unfortunately, the case charges with micro USB instead of USB-C. Come on guys, it’s 2019 for crying out loud!

The lid of the case flips open to reveal the TWS2 earbuds which are held magnetically in individual charging chambers.

Each earbud has a physical button on the outside, a microphone, and a status LED. The buttons function as:

• Single Press (Left/Right) – Play/Pause/Answer/End Calls
• Double Press – Next (Right Button) and Previous (Left Button)
• Triple Press (Left/Right) – Command Siri
• Press-hold 2 Seconds (Left/Right) – Disconnect
• Press-hold 5 Seconds (Left/Right) – Turn off

The status LED is on the side and blue indicates that it’s connected to the paired device, red shows low in battery, blinking blue and red means they are in pairing mode.

The inside surface has two electrical contacts for charging and what I believe is a 2nd microphone which you can barely see to the left of the L mark in the image above.

The earbuds have a hard slick plastic outer shell that makes it a little hard to get them out of the case if you have dry fingers like I do.

Fit and comfort

The Edifier TWS2 earbuds come with 3 different sized pairs of eartips so you can customize the fit. Once inserted into your ears, the earbuds stick out a little bit as you can see above. The red earbuds really stick out as far as the way they look. It looks like I have hearing protection earplugs in my ears.

As far as comfort goes, the TWS2s felt pretty decent. They fit snuggly in my ears and didn’t fall out if I was chewing food, walking, or jumping. Of course, you might not have the same experience as I did because it depends on the shape of your ears as to whether any earbud will fit well for you. But for me personally, the Edifier earbuds were surprisingly comfortable and fit well.

Sound quality listening to music and video

I tested the Edifier TWS2 earbuds with my Pixel 2 XL and with a Dell laptop at my day job. I tested by using Amazon Prime streaming music, Spotify, YouTube, and Netflix.

The TWS2s sounded better than other wireless earbuds that I’ve tested in their same price range. They have surprisingly good bass and crisp highs. I enjoyed all the types of music that I listened to while wearing them.

I was also happy that I could use the earbuds while watching streaming video on YouTube and Netflix. The audio and video synced very well with no noticeable delay which is awesome because my current favorites have a slight audio/video syncing delay problem.

Sound quality in calls

There weren’t any issues using the TWS2 buds for phone calls. Volume on the TWS2 side was ample and the opposite side of the calls said I sounded fine but they could tell that I was using a Bluetooth headset.

What I like

  • Nice price
  • Comfortable
  • Pairs quick when you take them out of the case

What needs to be improved

  • Can’t use each earbud by itself
  • IPX4 is only splash resistant, so not a good choice for people who sweat a lot when they workout
  • 3hr playback time out of the case seems short
  • Can’t adjust volume directly through the earbuds

Final thoughts

The only thing they don’t offer is the ability to pair each earbud individually so that you can use the right earbud without first pulling the left earbud out of the charging case. Also, if you have both earbuds in your ears and put the left earbud back in the charging case, it will cause the right earbud to turn off. If that lack of functionality doesn’t bother you, the TWS2 earbuds from Edifier offer a good audio experience and a good value for shoppers on a budget.

Price: $79.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Edifier.

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Edifier TWS2 truly wireless stereo earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 4, 2019 at 12:13 pm.

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Ravean Men’s Down X Heated Jacket review


REVIEW – Perhaps one of the hardest things about living in a northern region like Michigan is the constant battle of staying warm in the winter. The Ravean Men’s Down X Heated Jacket aims to make that a bit easier to handle.

What is it?

The Ravean Men’s Down X Heated Jacket features RDS (certified to the Responsible Down Standard) down fill and a heating system that heats the back, chest, and pockets of the jacket.

What’s in the box?



Design and features

Winter can be tough here, there’s a constant battle to stay warm when you go outside. There’s also the battle of being comfortable at the same time. Often a really warm jacket is great, but after your car warms up, it’s just too much. Taking off your jacket in the car is difficult, and you certainly want to put it back on before getting out of the car.

Winter is starting to wrap up here in Michigan, but there’s still ice on the lake and cool winds despite the sun shining brightly. I’m sure I’ll still have two more months of enjoying this jacket before the warm weather comes.

The Ravean Men’s Down X Heated Jacket is very lightweight (150 grams / 5.3 ounces), and it’s also not bulky at all. This makes leaving it on much more comfortable. The jacket is rated for use down to -10° F (-23° C) when on high mode. The light, breathable, water-resistant material is also soft to the touch. There is a durable water repellant coating added to fabrics at the factory to make them water-resistant (or hydrophobic). The jacket is also 100% washable, making it easy to clean. The fill is 90% hydrophobic duck down and 10% feathers.

The signature feature of the jacket is its built-in heating system. Powered by a 10,050mAh 12 volt battery, the jacket provides up to 6.5 hours of heating in the back, chest, and pocket areas. (High 2.4 hours, Medium 3.5 hours, Low 6.5 hours)



A push button switch on the inside near the left collar allows you to turn it on and off, as well as set the high/medium/low heat setting. The switch also lights up indicating pre-heat (pulsing red LED), high (red LED), medium (white LED), or low (blue LED). Pressing the button cycles through the different heat levels, and pressing and holding it for 1-2 seconds will turn it on or off.

Convenient on/off switch

The battery also features a 5v/2A USB charging port that can be used to charge your mobile devices. The battery also has a flashlight built into the end which could be useful in an emergency, but probably wouldn’t be something you would regularly use. The battery is also curved, so it fits snugly alongside the body. The battery charges in 90 minutes and has five LED’s that indicate its charge level.

The jacket itself is fairly warm on its own, with a fill power rating of 750, I found the jacket to be surprisingly warm even without the warming feature turned on. The hood is removable via zipper and has drawstrings for both the front and the back of the hood to adjust it just the way you like. I really like how the hood attaches to the front of the collar, with the hook and loop (aka velcro) attaching under a flap.

The collar was very impressive. I know, it sounds corny, but many of the jackets I have seem to strangle me when they are zipped all the way up. This jacket not only does not strangle me but has plenty of room for a scarf or facemask.

Zipped all the way up, no choking!

Pockets on the sides, chest, and right arm provide ample space for storing whatever you choose. The arm pocket measures about 8″x5.5″ – plenty large enough for an iPhone 7 plus. The side pockets are approximately 7.5″x12″ with a 6″ zipper opening. The chest pocket is about 6″x9″ with a 6.5″ zipper opening, and it almost disappears when zipped.

On the inside, there is a pocket for the battery that includes a cord passthrough to the side pocket for charging your mobile device. There’s also a similar pocket on the right side for another charger (not included) that features a passthrough also. There are also two mesh pockets on the inside that aren’t zippered.



The jacket also has an armpit gusset of stretch material that helps with arm mobility without any extra bulk. That’s one of the things I noticed when I first put it on and outstretched my arms.

When given the opportunity to review this product, I consulted the sizing guide on the Ravean website and chose the XL which was specified for a 38-40 inch waist since I wear a size 38 pant (loosely). I found that the jack was a bit smaller in girth than I expected, but it does still fit nicely. If you’re the type like me that has a little bit of extra “winter weight”, you might want to go up one size.

The arm length was fantastic, and the jacket includes cuffs with thumbholes to keep the arms down and to fill that space between the jacket and a glove.

I quite liked the length of the jacket. It’s a little longer than some of the other jackets I have, which helps to keep it from riding up when squatting or bending over.



I found the heating system to be outstanding. Even on the high setting, the jacket provided a nice warmth without feeling hot. The switch for changing modes was easy to operate and the curved battery really made a difference in the way the jack fits.

What I like

  • Zips all the way up without choking you
  • Additional battery pocket with passthrough
  • Just the right amount of heating

What needs to be improved

  • Sizing is slightly small

Final thoughts

I found the jacket to be warm even when not using the heating system and the lightweight construction also made for a great under-layer when pairing it up with another outer layer during heavy wind conditions down at the lake. The ability to charge my mobile device is quite nice. Overall, I’m very pleased with this jacket.

Price: $199.99
Where to buy: Ravean
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Ravean.

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Ravean Men’s Down X Heated Jacket review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 4, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Gosund Mini Smart Plug review

REVIEW – If you live in an older home that doesn’t have a bunch of smart home features built into it, you can find all sorts of products that will help you update your home to be smarter. One way to do it on the cheap is to add smart adapters to your existing wall outlets. Today I’m going to show you the Gosund Mini Smart Plug. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

The Gosund Mini Smart Plug is a small 3-prong adapter that goes between the wall outlet and the device’s power cord. Once connected and configured, you have full control of the outlet when you are home or even when you’re not.

What’s in the box?

  • Gosund smart power socket
  • Instructions

Design and features


The Gosund smart plug has a white plastic housing with a power button on the side that has a built-in LED that shows the status of the adapter. When it’s red, it’s powered on and when it’s off, it’s powered off. 🙂

The smart plug is small enough that it will not block the other outlet.

What can it control?

The Gosund plug works great with lamps, a crock pot, fans, Christmas lights, and other small devices. It is not suitable for the appliances whose power is more than 1100 watts (eg: air conditioner, microwave oven, induction cooker etc.).

The Go Smart app

To use the smart plug, you have to have a 2.5GHz wireless network and you need to set up each smart plug using the Go Smart app on your iOS or Android device.


The pairing/setup process is quick and easy. Once completed, you will see a listing of adapters and their status. From this home screen, you can tap the power button to toggle the status of the adapter.

You can also go into the settings of each adapter to set up timers and schedules for the Gosund adapters to automatically turn on and off.




If you want to get even more complex, you can set up scenes of multiple Gosund adapters. For example, if you have 3 adapters in your kitchen, you can make a kitchen scene and assign an automation to it to trigger based on a condition like weather or time.


In addition to setting up triggers, you can also control the Mini Smart Plug with your voice using Alexa or Google Assistant.

I tested the smart plugs with a lamp and it worked perfectly.

What I like

  • Does not require a hub
  • Easy to set up
  • App allows for a variety of automation

What needs to be improved

  • Only works on 2.4GHz wireless network

Final thoughts

The Gosund Mini Smart Plug is an easy way to get started making your home smarter. Configuring the plugs takes only a few minutes and the app is straight forward and easy to understand. Although this is a basic device, it does offer advanced features such as compatibility with voice control and automation triggers. If you haven’t wanted to spend a lot of money on a system that requires a hub and complicated setup, these smart plugs are an easy way to get started.

Price: $9.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Gosund.

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Gosund Mini Smart Plug review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 3, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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