Category Archives: Reviews

The new Honor 6A – My Review – A lot of phone for under £150

Amazon, Reviews, Tech News, ,


Welcome to my review of the Honor 6A. As smartphones creep up in price, it is refreshing to see a new phone being released for under £200. In fact the Honor 6A is currently available for £144.90 on Vmall UK , £139.99 on Pay as You Go with a £10 top up from Three UK or on contract and also from Amazon UK for under £140.

The Key Features / Specifications

– 5.0 inch HD (1280×720) IPS, 2.5D glass front
– Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 Octa-Core (4x 1.2 GHz + 4x 1.0 GHz)
– 2GB RAM, 16 GB ROM + microSD card up to 128 GB
– Android 7 (Nougat) + EMUI 5.1, July security update
– 13 MP main camera and 5 MP front camera
– 3.020 mAh battery
– Bluetooth 4.1
– LTE FDD:Cat4
– VoLTE
– Dual Nano SIM or Nano SIM + microSD
– FM Radio
– Headphone Jack

The Honor 6A also features a metal body, a 13mp rear camera that focuses in 0.5s using phase detection, selfie beauty options, eye comfort, a superb photo editor for enhancing your photos (more in my review on this) but it doesn’t have NFC or a fingerprint sensor. It also still uses a micro usb connection for charging and not the newer USB Type C. However, at this price most people will probably still be using Micro USB cables. EMUI 5.1 provides lots of extra options too, from themes, screen colour adjustments and more, all of which I have detailed below in my review.

Camera

The camera is one area where Honor shines. The auto mode is reliable and quick. All my dog action shots were in focus and the overall colour balance was impressive. Also the Honor camera app includes a superb front selfie mode with the ability to create your own custom beautify setting. Pro modes are available for photos and videos. In addition to the comprehensive camera app, Honor include a great photo editing app with more features than many paid photography apps. I have explained all the options in my video review below along with many other aspects of the Honor 6A. 

Camera Samples


George was running at high speed. Snapped in auto mode. 


George has a really long tongue. 


Fury, she’s looking happy. All 3 shots have captured the scenes really well, with accurate colour and contrast. 

Video Review including Detailed Camera Review & Showcase

Conclusion

With phones forever increasing in price, it is good to see an option available for under £150, that has a strong focus on photography with decent battery life. Recommended.   

Available from Vmall and Three UK and also on Amazon UK for under £140.

LG V20 vs ZTE Axon 7 – Audio Comparison – With guest Steve Litchfield 

Android, Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News


Earlier today, Steve Litchfield from The Phones Show compared the audio quality from the ZTE Axon 7 and LG V20. 

So without further ado, see what we both had to say about the audio centric phones. 

Video Review

You can find links to all of Steve’s websites and , podcasts and YouTube channel, by clicking HERE.

Vodafone Smart N8 Review – Camera & Audio Review – The £85 PAYG marvel from Vodafone

Android, Reviews, Tech News,

Welcome to my review of the Vodafone Smart N8 which is a budget phone from Vodafone available for £85 on Pay as You Go or on pay monthly plans from £17 per month.

Key Features and Specifications

– Weight 151g, 8.6mm thickness
– NFC and Fingerprint Sensor, Android Pay
– FM Radio
– Android v7.0
– Chipset Mediatek MT6737, CPU Quad-core, GPU Mali-T720 MP2
– Internal storage 16GB, RAM 1.5GB
– microSD, up to 32GB
– Battery 2,400mAh
– Primary 13MP with flash, Secondary 5MP, Video 720p @ 30fps
– 5 inch IPS 720p screen

Camera Samples

The below shots are from the Vodafone Smart N8. Can you believe the amazing quality!

I must admit I was rather surprised at just how good the rear camera photos were from the Vodafone Smart N8. My main review below, has more samples and video clips from the front and rear cameras, along with more information on the whole phone its strengths and weaknesses.

Video Review including Audio and Camera Analysis

Conclusion

The Vodafone Smart N8 is a superb budget phone. It has weaknesses but it pulls off a decent overall experience for £85.

For more Vodafone handsets from as little as £19.99, view the range available on Amazon UK.

Audio-GD NFB 11.28 TXCO Amanero USB DAC & Headphone AMP Unboxing – Epic Pro Audio – Great with a MacBook Pro or Windows 10 PC

Audio, Reviews, Tech News


Audio-GD NFB 11.28 TXCO Single ended Pre & Headphones Amp Amanero USB DAC. 

The gold standard of audio from China. Hand built. Incredible components for the price. 

Just look at the unit with the top removed and the key features!



The Key Features 

– S/N Ratio 118db 

– Output Level Headphone output : 10V RMS  / Variable output : 5V Max /Fixed output: 2.5V RMS

– Output power (Only for headphone) 

     3500mW/25 ohm
     1800mW/50 ohm

      900mW/100 ohm

      300mW/300 ohm
      150mW/600 ohm

The specifications noted above are pretty epic!! In terms of sound quality and performance this device only reaches its full potential after using it for 150 hours. Now that may sound crazy but for this type of product it does make a difference. 

So I literally unboxed the Audio-gd, connected it and had an immediate listen. Since the unboxing the next change up in sound quality came at around 10 hours usage. Before I write my final review, I will have used it for 150 hours and tested it with as many varieties of headphones as feasibly possible, across as many different genres. 

For now I’m nicknaming mine “The Beast”. And I’m sure I’m going to get asked this, so let’s kill this question off now. “Is this better than the LG V20 or LG G6 Quad DAC?”  ANSWER. Do pigs fly! Output power with a pair of 25 ohm headphones is 3,500mW. 1,800 mW at 50 ohms. So most portable headphones are either 16 ohms or 32 ohms which equates to around 4,000 mW and 3,000 mW respectively. 

As a comparison, the gorgeous Oppo HA-2 SE portable headphone amp dac that I reviewed knocks out 300 mW at 16 ohms, 220 mW at 32 ohms and 30 mW at 300 ohms. If you happen to have a LG V20 you can connect it to the Audio-gd via USB and use the V20 as a digital transport device. You can also use the digital out options on the iPhone.  Connecting the Audio-gd to your mac or windows pc will provide the best experience.  In my final review I will report back on the pros and cons of each option. 

The Beast will set you back  around £400. 

Unboxing & First Impressions

Available from Magna HiFi.


VE Monk Plus Headphones Review – Audiophile Grade for less than £10

Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News, ,

Welcome to my review of the VE Monk Plus Headphones. The Monk Plus headphones cost currently on Amazon just £8.49. 

Yet these are causing a stir amongst audiophiles due to their incredible audio quality versus unbelievable price. They are 64 ohms and have a sensitivity of 116db. So these will work well from an iPhone, Samsung or other android phone to a dedicated DAP. 

So are these truly unbelievable or is this a load of nonsense. Find out below in my review. 

Video Review 


The Best Headphones to use with the LG V30, LG V20 & LG G6 Quad DAC Smartphones 

Android, Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News

So what are the best headphones  to use with the LG V20 and LG G6 Quad DAC that don’t cost a fortune?

Well check out my video below for more insights. 

Video Review 




More information on all the headphones discussed along with the latest deals –

Sennheiser Momentum In Ear – http://amzn.to/2wcj56O

Sony MDR-100 AAP – http://amzn.to/2vcpHot

Sennheiser HD598 – http://amzn.to/2uOBDuc

Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250 ohm – http://amzn.to/2wchLk2

Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 250 ohm – http://amzn.to/2wc7JQb

Aukey Portable Pocket Bluetooth Speaker Review – for iPhone, Samsung, iPad & Tablets

accessories, Audio, Reviews, Tech News,


The Aukey Portable Pocket Bluetooth Speaker Review. 

Key Features 

– Compact, easy-to-grip aluminum Bluetooth speaker bar with dual 3W drivers and subwoofer. Small enough to fit in your pocket. 
– Minimalist small sized design with one button to turn on the speaker and instantly initiate pairing. 

– One piece of carefully crafted aluminum with crisscross-cut speaker grill and soft rubber ends. 

– Looks cool. 

– Technology: BT 3.0, A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP

– Charging Time: 2 hours
– Play Time: 4 hours

– Standby Time: Up to 80 hours

– Operating Range: Up to 10m / 33ft

– Battery Type: Li-Polymer (600mAh)

– Package Contents: AUKEY SK-M29 Pocket Wireless Speaker, Micro-USB Cable, User Manual, 24-Month Warranty Card

Available from Amazon UK.

Video Review 

LG V20 B&O Edition – The Ultimate Phone – My REVIEW 

Android, Reviews, Tech News,

LG V20 B&O Quad DAC Edition Review. The ultimate phone for audiophiles and photographers. 
So before we delve deeper into the phone review let’s check out the key features. 

Key Features 

– Dual nano sim + separate slot for a micro SD card.
– MIL STD 810G Certified Drop Resistant.
– 5.7 inch QHD IPS display. 513 ppi. Secondary display 160 x 1040 pixels. Gorilla Glass 4. 
– Android 7, Snapdragon 820. Adreno 530. 
– Rear Dual Cameras. 16mp f/1.8 1/2.6, 29mm / 8mp f/2.4 1/3.2, 12mm / laser autofocus, OIS, LED flash.
– Front 5mp f/1.9.
– Video 24 bit/192hz stereo recording.
– Manual video and photo controls.
– Sound – Headphone jack, 32 bit 192khz Quad DAC, B & O Certified, 24 bit/48khz audio recording, active noise cancellation with dedicated mic. APTX and APTX HD. 
– FM Radio with RDS. Infra Red Blaster. 
– WIFI a/b/g/n/ac Dual Band, usb type c, fast charging 3
– Removable battery

Video Review 

Available on Amazon UK.

Aukey Flexible Mini Tripod Review – With Phone Mount & GoPro Stand

accessories, Photography, Reviews, Tech News, ,


The Aukey Mini Flexible Tripod is just £12.99 and yet is a full featured tripod. 

Key Features 

– Extremely flexible and versatile tripod for amazing images with an extensive range of phones and cameras.

– Total freedom to capture super-steady shots and videos anytime, anywhere. Fix your phone or camera to tree branches, railings, furniture, and more. Stable standing on sloping and uneven surfaces

– Get the perfect position. Highly adjustable tripod with tilting & rotating ball mount, pivoting legs, and twenty-seven full flex leg parts

– Fits phones up to 5.7″ screen size and a diverse range of cameras from DSLR to compact to GoPro. Also suitable for other devices with 1/4″ screw mounting point. If your phone is larger you just need to use a different phone mount. 

– Maximum Load: 800g 

– Phone Mount Width: 55-70mm 

– Leg Length: 210mm 

– Folded Length: 270mm 

– Weight: 207g 

– Package Contents: AUKEY CP-T03 Flexible Tripod, Phone Mount, GoPro Camera Mount, Two 1/4″ Mounts, 24-Month Warranty Card

Available from Amazon UK.

Video Review 

Belkin Classic Leather Apple Watch Strap review vs Nike Sport Band

accessories, Apple, Reviews, Tech News, Wearables, , ,


Welcome to my review of the Belkin Classic Leather Apple Watch Strap with a comparison with the Nike Sport Band. 

Key Features 

– The classic Apple watch strap is made from genuine high grade Italian leather

– Custom designed fittings ensure a secure fit and easy band exchange. That is black metal to match the Apple Sports Watch frame!

– 3 mm thick band and extra holes for maximum comfort and fit for your wrist

– Fits 42 mm Apple watch, Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch Edition, Apple Watch Nike+, Apple Watch Hermès, series 1 and 2

– Available in three different colours black, tan brown and grey

– A lot cheaper that the Apple Leather Strap. 

Available from Amazon UK.

Video Review