Welcome to my review of the Lindy CROMO IEM-75 Dual Driver in ear monitor headphones.
Key Specifications
Driver Diameter: 15 and 7mm (dual driver)
• Frequency Response: 8-20kHz
• Impedance: 26 Ohm
• Sensitivity (S.P.L.): 105dB ±3dB(@1kHz with 1mW input)
• Nominal THD: <3% (@1kHz with 1mW input)
• Max. Power Input: 50mW
• Cable Length: 1.2m (0.85m to split, 0.35m from split to each earpiece)
• Connector: 3.5mm stereo
• Weight: 16g
Main Review
The Lindy CROMO IEM-75 dual driver design has been developed to deliver a more spacious and defined sound. Each earpiece contains a 15mm driver for bass and midrange and a 7mm driver for high frequencies, which are then tuned within the acoustic chamber to deliver high quality and accurate sound. The housing is a black chrome aluminium enclosure, which offers rigidity for the drivers when playing music. What is impressive is the price. Just £69.98.
In the box there are 3 sizes of super-soft ear tips. The CROMO IEM-75 comes with an attached 1.2 m cable, which is terminated with a 3.5 mm gold-plated stereo jack plug. Also included within the box is a carry pouch to protect the CROMO IEM- 75’s when not in use. The headphone cable is thin and not user replaceable.
I tested the Lindy in ear headphones using my Samsung Galaxy S7 and also using a headphone amplifier – the Oppo HA-2 and iBasso D14 Bushmaster. The good news is these in-ear monitors are relatively easy to drive straight from my Samsung Galaxy S7, but like all headphones using a dedicated amplifier adds extra control, finesse and drama. Lindy classify these as in ear monitors with a dual driver setup. One driver for the mid and bass, and the other for the treble. Listening to a range of genres, the CROMO IEM-75 have a distinctive characteristic that allows for the mid and treble to flourish without the bass killing the music. These are tonally accurate and at times feel like a little bass light. However, not everyone wants over processed thumping bass. With modern pop, rock, classical, jazz and blues the Lindy headphones were engaging, with nuances coming out in the tracks that I had not heard before. The sound stage was reasonable too. I enjoyed listening to these for hours on end.
The Lindy CROMO IEM-75 add to Lindy’s affordable headphone range, offering good value and sounding headphones. These are recommended for those that desire in-ear monitor sound and not an over processed bass heavy headphone.
Welcome to my review of the B & O H5 Wireless headphones. B & O also call these headphones the Beoplay H5.
Key Specifications
– DIMENSIONS Earphones: 39 x 28 x 23.5 mm
– Cable length attaching earbuds: 52 cm
– Charging Cube: 28.8 x 28.8 x 29.2 mm
– WEIGHT 18 g
– MATERIALS – Aluminium/Textile/Rubber/Polymer/Foam/Silicone/Nylon
– LOUDSPEAKER – Electro-dynamic, 6.4 mm diameter
– FREQUENCY 20 – 20,000 Hz
– COLOURS Black/Dusty Rose
– DESIGNER- Jakob Wagner
– MICROPHONE Omnidirectional
– BATTERY Two rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries (one in each earpiece)
– Capacity: 2 x 50mAh each
– Up to 5 hours playtime at moderate level
– Charging time: approximately 2 hours
– CONNECTIVITY Bluetooth 4.2
– Supports aptX, aptX-LL and AAC codecs
– BEOPLAY APP Compatible with Beoplay App which will enhance your B&O PLAY experience.
– INCLUDED IN THE BOX Beoplay H5 earphones, USB charging cube,Comply™ Sport ear tips with SweatGuard™ (S, M, L),Silicone ear tips (XS, S, M, L),Cable clip (3 pcs),Carrying pouch,Quick start guide
The Main Review
The Beoplay H5 wireless headphones are superb sounding in ear headphones. They include the AAC and APT-X codecs making them excellent for new iPhone and other Apple devices as well as android phones. The Beoplay app also allows you to change the sound signature with a range of presets and also update the firmware. I didn’t alter the sound signature.
If you own an Apple Watch, you can change the sound profile directly from your Apple Watch.
B & O included a wide choice of ear tips including Comply™ Sport that have a membrane to prevent moisture interfering with the electronics. These rugged and breathable tips create a near perfect, protective grip in the ear canal that is ideal for exercise or life on the go. And for relaxing with your favourite tunes, four pairs of silicone tips provide a relaxed, comfortable fit. However, I did find that during any exercise they would fall out. Also when the cable rubbed against by clothes the sound got picked up which was annoying.
After listening to your music, the earbuds attach magnetically together, meaning they shouldn’t fall off your neck. This also powers them off. See video below. The connecting chord appears fairly tough and should last a while. B & O also mention that these are dust and water resistant but they do not mention to what level in their technical specifications.
Being wireless headphones the battery life is limited to just 5 hours. To recharge them you have to use the cool looking but bespoke charger. The sound signature of these headphones is one of a decent level of bass, good treble and mid range. A crowd pleasing sound! I tried a range of genres and all sounded really good.
Don’t forget to watch the video review which reveals even more information and the rest of the review.
Conclusion
A high quality in ear music wireless headphone, that reproduces a lovely bass rich sound. Great with iOS devices (iPad/iPhone) and android phones with APT-X. The 5 hour battery life is the shortcoming along with a bespoke charger. However, these sound so lovely that they are now my default in ear wireless headphones. These are not recommended for running or the gym as they have a habit of falling out of your ears.
For more info and the latest pricing on Amazon – Click HERE.
Welcome to my review of the Lindy Lightning Cable Protector kit.
Lindy have released the Lightning Cable Connector Protector Kit, which is aimed at saving money on expensive Lightning Cables for Apple products. The Protector Kit provides a tough, rugged shell to protect existing cables thereby prolonging the life of Apple Lightning Cables at a fraction of the cost of any replacements. The Lindy Lightning Cable Protector kit is currently £3.49 on Amazon UK.
So what do you get with the kit? The Protection kit features a two-piece design and a silicone centre, the compact kit simply snaps together to shield the weakest part of the cable. The kit also contains a protector for the USB Type A connection.
The silicone centre is fluorescent to make it easier to see at night. The Protection kit is available in 3 colours, blue, green and pink.
Conclusion
The Lindy Lightning Cable Protector Kit is a simple idea and solution. Recommended.
For more information and the latest pricing on Amazon – Click HERE.
Welcome to my review of the Sony Xperia X Performance. This is Sony’s current flagship phone. Its design is similar to the Xperia Z series as you can see from the photos. My thanks to Clove Technology .
The Key Specifications
– 64 bit quad-core processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
– 3Gb RAM
– Android 6.0.1
– 23MP 1/2.3 rear camera with Predictive Hybrid Autofocus – Lossless 5x Clear Zoom and <0.1 second autofocus
– 13MP front camera 1/3
– Low-light photography: ISO 12800/3200, SteadyShot with Intelligent Active Mode – video stabilisation, Superior Auto Mode, Full HD 1080p Video Recording, Pulse LED Flash
– 5.0″ Inch 1080 x 1920p Full HD display, 441ppi
– LTE Cat 9 support
– WiFi 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n
– Bluetooth 4.2 with apt-x, A2DP
– NFC
– 32GB storage & micro SD support up to 200GB
– Sony 3D Surround Sound technology (VPT), Clear Audio – Sound improvement software, xLoud™ Experience, DSEE HX, High-res audio
– Fingerprint sensor
– PS4 Remote Play
– Battery 2,700mAh
– IP65/IP68
– Dimensions 143.7 x 70.5 x 8.6 mm
– Weight 165g
Phone Basics
Call quality was good. Cellular, bluetooth and WiFi all worked well and the Sony X Performance maintained a good signal strength compared to my Samsung S7. Screen viewing angles were good and visibility in sunlight was average. Battery life was excellent with a day and a half achievable and 5 hours screen on time, despite its 2,700mAh battery. If I had used some of Sony’s power saving modes, a longer battery life could have been obtained. As an example at 71% battery the estimated time remaining is 101 hours. in ultra stamina mode this increases to 240 hours.
The display is adjustable with an option in the settings for image enhancement, X-Reality for mobile or super vivid mode. The white balance is also adjustable. You can also choose which system icons to display in the status bar.
Sony UI is a fairly light skin with the options of themes too. However, Sony does install a number of apps that could be considered bloatware like Facebook, Amazon Shopping, AVG Protection, Kobo eBooks and Spotify. Others might find it useful that Facebook has been pre installed! Within the settings Sony has included options for pressing power button twice to launch camera, tap to wake and glove mode.
The fingerprint sensor/power button was simply excellent. I never once had a failed reading.
Camera
The camera UI is fully shown in my video review, so please check this out. See below. In the meantime,
here are a range of photos from the Sony X Performance.
This shot is to highlight an indoor lighting situation. The glass in the door is quite a bit overexposed.
Above is a close up of another green plant leaves.
From the same plant, but with different sunlight and shadows.
A local church. I wasn’t too happy with this overall shot as it is not quite in focus.
The above shot in Newquay beach.
Slightly better shot of the church.
The above shot is in manual mode, using HDR. 8mp.
The above shot is another 8mp manual mode, without HDR. HDR in manual mode has to be switched on.
And the last photo, manual mode, no HDR but at the full 23mp. Overall, I was not blown away by the image quality due to issues with Sony’s camera app and software. The actual camera sensor showed that it was capable of taking good shots, of not over exposing, being able to deliver good colours and more. This is why DxOMark gave it the number one scoring, due to the brilliant sensor. But the sensor is not the only part of the camera system. My bugbear was that so many shots were not in focus. The camera app had a mind of its own sometimes. I found issues with focusing at infinity and macro. But when the focus was correct, the actual result could be very good. The camera app does include many modes and options but the Sony X Performance does lag behind the competition as the software is too complex and does not get the basics correct. The manual mode only offered white balance and exposure. ISO could only be manually adjusted if you selected the 8mp photo file size.
In terms of video, I used the Sony X Performance to record 2 reviews. See links below. The audio from the video was ok but the video stabilisation did not help smooth out the footage. Selfies from the 13MP front camera were ok. The main problem is the Samsung Galaxy S7 camera outperforms the X Performance by a fair margin due to its good software and hardware working in unison. I also felt the video linked below was a bit jerky in a few spots despite the phone being on a tripod.
This is the highlight of the Sony X Performance. It has stereo speakers which due to the water resistance only reach 78db. Plug in wired headphones or use bluetooth headphones and Sony provide a top notch audio nirvana with loads of options to improve your recorded tracks. See video review for more information.
Conclusion
The camera is the disappointment on this phone. However, there is still plenty to like about the Sony X Performance. It is comfortable to hold and easy to use one handed. It has good battery life and superb audio via headphones and bluetooth audio. Its main problem is its competition which for similar or less money, offer a more compelling phone.
Welcome to my review of the Samsung Gear Fit 2. This is Samsung’s updated fitness tracker from the original Gear Fit which I reviewed along with 18 other devices. Click HERE to re read any of the previous reviews.
Key Specifications
– Display 1.5” Touch Curved sAMOLED 216 x 432
– Memory RAM: 512MB / Storage: 4GB
– Battery 200mAh / Typical usage time : 3~4 days /Standby time : Up to 5 days /GPS battery time : Up to 9 hours
– Sensor GPS, HR, Accelerometer, Gyro, Barometer
– AP Dual-core (1GHz Dual)
– Compatibility Android 4.4/ 1.5GB RAM
– Water Resistant IP68
– Small Size fits wrists – 125 – 170mm
– Large Size fits wrists – 155 – 210mm
– Weight 29g
Main Review
The Gear Fit 2 includes a built-in GPS so that you track your running route, distance and speed in real time. It also has a built in heart rate sensor so whether your running, walking, cycling or elliptical training the Gear Fit 2 has you covered. Check out the video review to see all the different exercise options. The 1.5 inch display is excellent and shows all your stats needed as you workout. The Gear Fit 2 comes with a number of different watch faces, some are customisable too. The Gear Fit 2 comes in black, pink and blue. I have a black Gear Fit 2 in large. I would recommend large for most people. Samsung have added a feature called Together, which is one on one comparison with another person. S Health app is needed for this too. You can also connect a pair of bluetooth headphones and stream music from the Gear Fit 2.
Overall the Gear Fit 2 is really polished affair.
Now check out the video review, which reveals more information from the app and fitness tracker, watch faces, options and lot’s more.
Conclusion
Samsung have excelled themselves with the Gear Fit 2. It is ultra comfortable to wear and is easy to understand and operate. It also is accurate and works really well. Recommended.
I will start with my review by saying that the Samsung Gear IconX is the best product I have reviewed in a long time. It is simply genius but also not without faults.
The IconX is totally wire free. There are no wires between the ear buds. The ear buds comes with 3 different size ear tips and wing tips. This means that once fitted in to your ears, they do not fall out. I tried everything to shake these out of my ears but to no avail. Then I did a really sweaty workout to see if sweat would phase them or make them fall out. It didn’t.
When you run with the Gear IconX, you get an in-ear voice guide to help you reach your vigorous-intensity zone. The voice guide is recorded by real human beings in 15 different languages. After a working out you can sync with your smartphone and check your stats and monitor progress on the S Health app.
Whether walking or running, the IconX is smart enough to track your activity and give updates on essential data from speed, distance and duration to heart rate and calories burnt via a dedicated voice guide.
If you are walking or running on the streets and want to hear the sound around you for safety reasons, you can turn on ambient sound in the Gear app on your phone, or by using the touch pad on the IconX.
The battery life is the IconX’s weak point. If you stream music from your phone you will get exactly 90 mins. If you play music directly from the earbuds the battery life increases to 2.5 hours. However, the protective case is also a battery pack and recharges the IconX earbuds 4 times in about an hour. So if you did 4 workouts a week, you would in reality only need to charge the case once. I did also experience a couple of drop outs when streaming music from my phone, and once the left earbud stopped playing music. All I had to do was restart the track.
The controls are simple to use. You select which side earbud you want to use as the control piece. Then with various numbers of taps you can start playing music, skip or rewind tracks, change the volume and even start a workout. You can also turn on ambient mode directly from the earbud or turn it off.
These play music so what do the sound like. Really good to be honest. Natural in their sound reproduction and plenty of volume too. Bass was accurate too. Whilst using these for phone calls, I had no issue hearing the caller and nor did the caller have any issue hearing me.
Do check out the video review as this shows the Gear IconX application and a lot more too!
Conclusion
Once you have used these headphones / fitness tracker, no other product gets close. Despite a few flaws, I highly recommend these big time. Simply an amazing product.
For more info and the latest pricing on Amazon – http://amzn.to/2aHVaFN
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is the latest smartphone from Samsung. This year they have adapted the S View Cover and called it S View Standing Cover due to its extra functionality.
So let’s take a closer look at my unboxing and review.
If you need any accessories for your Note 7, check out the latest deals on Amazon – Click HERE.
Welcome to my review of the Pioneer SE-MHR5 Hi-Res headphones.
As you can see from my photos, the Pioneer SE-MHR5 look really cool. The can be connected in either normal or balanced mode too and come with a carry case/pouch.
The Key Features
– Fully enclosed dynamic headphones
– Large, 40mm driver
– 45 ohm
– Sensitivity – 102 db
– Weight 240g without cables
– 7 Hz – 50,000 Hz frequency response
– Soft memory foam ear pads and headband ensure comfort during long periods of use
– Comes with two cable options 1) 1.2m cable 3.5mm and 2) 1.2m balanced cable with a 2.5mm super mini plug
– Folds into a compact size for easy storage into the included carry case
Sound Quality
I spent a considerable amount of time listening to these headphones. I initially connected them to my smartphone and they sounded ok but as soon as I added an external headphone amplifier the SE-MHR5 started to show their colours. Based on my results I would recommend getting a small portable headphone amplifier like the Oppo HA-2. Obviously, using a balanced amplifier improves the performance even more.
Genres. What I did discover with these headphones is their preference to several genres over others. Rock was one area where the headphones could get a bit muddied. But move over to classical or jazz and the music reproduction was beautiful. Full of energy, attack and reasonable sound staging. I loved listening to female singers with these headphones too.
Conclusion
The Pioneer SE-MHR5 are a comfortable to wear headphone that suit classical, jazz, blues, modern and vocal genres really well and have a mesmerising engaging sound especially with classical and jazz. Recommended.
For more information and the latest pricing on Amazon – Click HERE.
It is not very often that a product comes along that costs so little, and yet is so useful. Choetech make some nifty electrical accessories and now have come along with a USB-C to Micro USB Adapter Convert Connector with keyring. The adapter features –
– USB-C to Micro USB Adapter allows you to connect your USB Type-C phone or tablet with your standard Micro-USB cable to achieve charging, sync and transfer data
– Compatible with tablets and smartphones with a USB Type-C connector
– Charge & Sync: High-speed Micro USB charging and fast data transfer (480 Mbps).
– Built-in 56KΩ pull-up resistor for safety and reliability
– Easy to Use: Minimalist design without any installation required, just simply plug and play
– What You Get: 2 x CHOETECH USB-C to Micro USB Adapter
I bought a few of these adapters after discovering them, and now have extra functionality with my old micro USB cables.
Video Review
More details and latest deal on Amazon Click HERE.
More info on the full range of Choetech products – Click HERE.
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