I have been using the Sony Xperia X Performance, Sony’s current flagship phone for several days now. Its design is similar to the Xperia Z series as you can see from the photos. My thanks to Clove Technology .
As this is Sony’s flagship phone it comes with a decent selection of specs as follows –
– 64 bit quad-core processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
– 3Gb RAM
– Android 6.0.1
– 23MP rear camera with Predictive Hybrid Autofocus – Lossless 5x Clear Zoom and <0.1 second autofocus
– 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
– LTE Cat 9 support
– 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
– IP65/IP68
Within the specs above are some bold claims about the camera and its audio system. I will cover both of these areas off in a lot more detail in my full review coming soon.
In the meantime, have a look at the below camera samples from the Sony Xperia X Performance. All shot in superior auto at 8mp unless stated otherwise.
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 thought the shots were okay but nothing spectacular. What do you think?
Just to throw in a comparison photo using the Samsung Galaxy S7 , see below.
Welcome to my review of the iBasso D14 Bushmaster High-Performance Stereo DAC & Headphones Amplifier. The iBasso D14 Bushmaster is ideal for connecting to your iPhone, Android phone, computer or MAC via the lightning, optical, USB or analogue line in port to substantially improve the sound of your headphones.
Key Features and Specifications
– Sabre32 ES9018K2M DAC chip with XMOS USB receiver for superb sound conversion
– Up to 32bit/384kHz PCM signal and native DSD up to 256x directly from computers/mac
– Asynchronous USB transfer
– Works as a DAC for Android smart phones via a USB OTG.
– With Apple Camera Connection Cable works as a DAC with iOS devices
– Built in battery lasts 13 hours as a DAC+AMP combo or 25 hours as just an AMP.
– Other than the USB input the D14 can take up to 24bit/192kHz optical input coaxial input and analogue line in.
– Amp uses an OPAMP based high output headphone amplifier which can output up to 400mW into a 32ohm load.
– Frequency Response 17hz – 20khz DAC, 17hz to 100khz AMP
– Weight 149g
– Dimensions 60mm x 104mm x 20mm
– Recommended Headphones 8 to 300ohm
Audio Quality
iBasso provide many extras with the D14. These include a protective pouch, OTG Mini USB to MicroUSB, Mini USB to USB A,3.5mm analog cable and a 3.5mm SPDIF cable. These are all short length cables. You also get the mini USB cable for recharging. The D14 is fairly neutral sounding with speed and plenty of detail. The mid range and vocals are superb. The D14 has a deep and wide soundstage.
The D14 sound quality improved during the course of its burn in which was around 50 hours. During playback it gets slightly warm but this has absolutely no impact on its performance, quite the opposite actually. iBasso have included many different ways of connecting to the D14 making it fairly versatile.
At its price point of around £175 nothing sounds quite as good. But if you have the budget I would recommend the Oppo HA-2 which costs £259 and is far more smartphone friendly. See my review – Click HERE.
Conclusion
A little bit larger than most portable headphone/DACs and still using mini USB, but well worth the extra bulk as its powers your headphones in a way to reproduce beautiful tunes.
For more info and the latest pricing on Amazon UK – Click HERE.
As part of any phone review, I always test the camera. The latest phone undergoing the knife is the current flagship smartphone from Sony, the Sony Xperia X Performance.
This phone achieved the top score in the DxOMark Camera test. So will it live up to this reputation? And what other tricks does the Sony Xperia X Performance include?
Welcome to my review of the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 2.0 Bluetooth headphones.
The Key Features
The Sennheiser Momentum Over Ear headphones are a premium bluetooth headphone that come with many features as below. With the rise in popularity of bluetooth headphones and the next iPhone not having a 3.5mm headphone jack, these are one of the best bluetooth headphones for sound quality.
– Closed Circumaural design featuring Bluetooth wireless technology
– 18 ohm high-end transducers to produce high quality audio
– NoiseGuard hybrid active noise cancellation with dual built-in microphones dynamically cancel out external noise for better speech intelligibility
– NFC for quick pairing to smart devices
– Attachable audio cable, in case Bluetooth connectivity is not permitted
– Leather covered memory foam cushions provide higher comfort for long listening sessions
– Folding headband for storage in to the included carry case
– Connect up to two devices simultaneously (phones and computers) and up to eight devices in the pairing list
– 22 hour battery life with Bluetooth and NoiseRad activated
Key Specifications
– Impedance passive 18 ohms, active 480 ohms
– Frequency Range – 16 Hz – 22000 Hz
– Dual omni-directional microphone
– Bluetooth 4.0 + EDR – A2DP + AVRCP + HSP + HFP
– APT-X
– Weight 260g
– In the box – 1.4m audio cable with 3.5mm low-profile angled plug, USB Charging cable,Inflight adapter, Manuals, Carrying case
Sound Quality
I recently reviewed the new flagship bluetooth headphone from Bose, the Bose Quietcomfort 35. Click HERE to read the review. The Bose QC35 cost £100 less than the Sennheiser Momentum headphones and offer better noise cancellation. In fact the noise cancellation on the Bose QC35 is nothing short of miraculous. So I wondered how Sennheiser’s flagship bluetooth headphone would compare.
For starters the Sennheiser Momentums offer a hybrid noise cancellation system. It works but you can still hear noise outside as its not as powerful as that from the Bose QC35. The Sennheiser Momentum cost £100 more than the Bose QC35, costing £379. That is a lot of money! So what extra do you achieve and are they worth £379?
The Sennheiser Momentum are luxuriously built bluetooth headphones with leather pads filled with memory foam, providing superb comfort when worn. APT-X is included for devices that support this standard. The key aspects is the audio quality and the Sennheiser Momentums do not fail to disappoint. They possess superb high quality audio reproduction via bluetooth. As closed back headphones, the music stays within your ears. Bass is fast, deep and punchy. Mids and treble are fantastic.
Connect the supplied audio cable and the sound is even better. I then used an iBasso D14 Headphone amp/dac with these and reproduced even better audio quality. Call quality is excellent. Personally, I have not heard any better sounding bluetooth headphones. But are they worth £379. No I think Sennheiser has been a little greedy. These should be nearer the £300 mark. However, at the moment there is no other option if you want the best audio quality.
Conclusion
The Sennheiser Momentum are expensive bluetooth headphones with noise cancellation. However, they are one of the best sounding headphones and extremely comfortable.
For more info and the latest pricing on Amazon UK – Click HERE.
Welcome to my review of the Groov-e Fusion headphones.
The Key features –
– 40mm drivers.
– Super Bass sound
– Impedance 32 ohm
– Frequency 20Hz-20Khz
– Sensitivity 98dB+/-3dB
– Microphone Sensitivity -58dB
– Connect via Bluetooth or via the included removable 3.5mm audio cable.
– Built in microphone so you can receive calls on the go
– 10-12 hours of audio playback
– Swivel soft ear cups offer ease of adjusting headphones. They fold too, making it convenient for travelling.
– Colours – black, gold, silver
The Design
The groov-e fusion headphones are the new headphones from groov-e. With the soon to be released new iPhone which will not have a 3.5mm headphone jack, bluetooth headphones are going to explode in popularity. groov-e believes they have the solution with their new fusion headphones, which will of course work with any phone, device or computer that either has bluetooth audio or a 3.5mm headphone jack. The headphones are made from a lightweight plastic, with swivel folding cups. The cups have soft pads too. The headphones allow for basic controls from play/pause, answer/end call, reject call, skip/rewind tracks, last number dialled and volume up/down.
The Sound Quality
At an official retail price of £34.99 you are not going to get audiophile grade of headphones. What you do get is a fun sound, with the emphasis on bass. Consequently the mids and treble are somewhat recessed at times. I am not aware that these headphones include APT-X codec either. Despite the recessed mids and treble, I did enjoy listening to my music with the headphones especially the sub bass effects when present in the tracks and I can imagine the average consumer would enjoy listening to these too.
I have included a video review of the groov-e fusion headphones below.
Conclusion
The groov-e provide a fun sound, with added sub bass when listening to music. For call quality they offer average call quality. They are not audiophile grade headphones, hence why they cost a modest £34.99.
The official retail price is £34.99 although Amazon currently have the headphones on offer at under £30 in various colours.
Welcome to my review of the groov-e Dual Power Bank.
The Key features –
– 12,000 mAh battery
– Portable Battery Charger for Smartphones, Tablets, e-Readers, GPS, Cameras
– Intelligent Charging with Auto Safety Cut-Off
– Pre-Charged & Ready To Use. Also includes a Travel Pouch.
– Device charging time 1.5-2 hours
– 2 x USB Charging ports – charge two devices at the same time.
– Input 4.5V-5.8V/1A
– Output 5V/1A or 5V/2.4A (dual USB ports)
– Recharging time via USB 12 hours
– Device charging time 1.5-2 hours
– Stylish
– In the box – Charging cable plus tips for Micro USB, Mini USB, Nokia,Travel Pouch
– Torch Light
The groov-e dual power bank is a stylish looking power bank, yet functional with a large battery. It can recharge two devices at the same time and has a built in torch light. For the full review see video below.
The official retail price is £59.99 although it is currently on offer at £30.44, which is a bit more realistic.
Welcome to my review of the Acer Aspire R11 laptop.
The Key Features –
The Aspire R11 is a compact convertible notebook that can adapt to any environment. Whether at home or in a crowded area, it gives you four distinct modes to choose from – Notebook, Display, Tent or Tablet – giving you the flexibility to use it comfortably anywhere. With its 360° dual-torque hinge, you can flip its screen all the way around and everything in between. It lets you enjoy smooth transitions between its four modes, while also offering you a wobble-free screen for a steady touch control experience. The screen is covered with damage-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass, giving you peace of mind whilst on the go, and the Zero Air Gap display improves contrast and image clarity, even under sunlight.
To explain more about the Acer convertible laptop, if full specs and features, I created a video a video review of the Acer R11 below.
If you want anymore information and see the latest deals, head over to Amazon Click HERE.
Nothing in life will prepare you for the Sony MDR-XB950BT headphones. Nothing!
The Sony headphones arrived about 3 days ago and I have been putting them through the paces in both Bluetooth and wired mode.
Some basic specs –
– Bluetooth with NFC
– 20 hours battery life
– Bass Boost button
– Foldable cups
– Sensitivty 102 db/mW
– 40mm dynamic driver
– Frequency range 3 – 28,000 hz with headphones cable, 20 -20,000 hz Bluetooth mode
The very first thing I wanted to do when I received these headphones was pair them to my Samsung Galaxy S7 and listen to the bass these headphones are meant to be able to produce. I think I swore when I first heard them. I then thought the bass boost button was left on, so I pressed it, and OMFG. The bass and sub bass was so extreme my teeth felt like they could rattle. I’ll be honest I don’t use the bass boost button as these headphones produce plenty without it. I do however press it and listen for a few minutes just to bring a smile to my face a few times a day.
Now you can also connect these via the supplied audio cable. Bluetooth turns off. So does the use of the bass boost button. But in wired mode these operate at a gut drawing level of 3 – 28,000 hz. They also sound better too in wired mode. And there is still epic levels of bass.
Now the cons. I have listened to every genre. Some tracks collapse with the bass levels and sound wrong. But the majority are fine. In fact, in some cases having the extra bass or I should say sub bass adds a whole fun listening level. Some jazz and classical tracks really worked well with these. Some just got swamped with too much bass as the mids got lost. For example Michael Buble, Feeling Good has lots of depth and didn’t get ruined by the extra bass. With dance , rap or electronic music these are like being at a rave or club, and even better if you switch on the bass boost button!
These headphones aren’t for everyone, but I love them. They go against all the rules I believe in, but they add swagger to a lot of my music across many genres that for the times the bass becomes overpowering, I just skip to the next track or lower the bass in the equaliser settings. These are my first impressions, and I will evaluate these for a longer period and report back accordingly.
The question to ask yourself, are you brave enough to own a pair 🙂
Welcome to my review of the Netatmo Welcome Indoor Camera.
The Netatmo Welcome Indoor camera unique selling point is its ability to recognise faces and then send you notifications to your phone.
See video from Netatmo below showing this in action.
The Key Specifications
– Dimensions – 45x45x155mm
– In the Box – 1 x Welcome camera, 1 x USB cable, 1 x power adapter, 1 x 8GB micro SD card
– Build – Single piece of durable aluminium shell, Matte black plastic piece infrared transparent.
– Hardware Requirements – High-speed Internet connection needed, Public hotspots not supported.
– Connectivity Specifications – Ethernet RJ-45 port: 10/100 Mbits, Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4G)
– Camera – Video sensor: 4MP, Resolution: Up to 1920×1080
– Minimum iOS 8 for iPhone / iPad, Android 4.3 minimum
– Browser Support – Webapp available for the two latest versions of: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer
– Monthly Costs – Nil, Free to Use, App available on the App Store / Google Play.Free access to your camera online.
– Data Storage – MicroSD card up to 32GB (8GB class 10 MicroSD card included)
– Faces – Max 16 faces
The Hardware
The Netatmo Welcome camera is a lovely piece of hardware and doesn’t look like a typical camera. This means it gets blended into your environment without people gets paranoid they are being “watched”. In fact, you forget its actually there. On the rear there is an ethernet port, micro SD card slot and micro USB port. The front is minimalistic.
Background Notes for Review
Notes – I originally reviewed this after 3 weeks. Further down is my update after 4 months following a significant firmware update that added lots of new features which are documented along with a tip if you have dogs.
I have been using the Netatmo Welcome for 3 weeks now and overall have been pleased with its operation and results and intend to keep this indefinitely as my home connected security indoor camera. I also have several IP Cameras which were a total nightmare to setup and configure as remote access involved changing my home router configuration. I have now retired these. In terms of other connected devices, I have a Netatmo Urban Weather station which is coming up to 2 years old and a range of lights that are controlled from my iPhone and or Apple Watch. Due to protecting my own privacy, screen shots of the app in operation have been edited to remove views of my home.
The Initial Setup
Netatmo have made the first setup as simply as possible. I setup my Netatmo Welcome camera using my iPhone 6S Plus. I downloaded the Netatmo Welcome app from the Apple App Store and then followed the on screen setup instructions provided by the app. The app asks permissions to share Wi-Fi setup from your iPhone to the Welcome camera and literally within 5 minutes the camera is connected. Points to note. The Welcome camera only operates at 2.4G . Over the next 24 hours a new firmware arrived and got installed on the camera and the app showed me faces and asked me to identify who the respective people were. For each member of your house, a face profile gets created.
The Operation
The concept of the Netatmo Welcome camera is simple. It learns all the faces of people who live in your home/flat and then notifies you when somebody comes home and tells you who they are and also if somebody arrives who is not recognised. When movement is detected, it records a clip onto the micro SD card which can be streamed back on to your phone and or downloaded remotely to your phone as well. When at home you can also play back the recorded video clips.
Other options include a range of privacy and advanced security options. For example if your Netatmo password gets changed, or someone logs into your account you can receive an email. Netatmo will also block your account if there are too many failed attempts occur. In terms of learning faces, you can go into the app settings and speed up the learning process. You can also tell the system when the house is empty and adjust other settings as shown below.
Using the app on your phone is really easy. It shows a live view snapshot when you open the app. You can then hit the play icon to stream live video. Turning your phone landscape provides full screen playback and streaming. Scrolling the screen reveals details of who is at home and or when they were last seen. Scrolling the screen the other way reveals a list of when movement was detected. Tap on one notifications and you can watch or download the recorded movement. Now if your home is broken into and someone steals your camera, you will get a notification that Welcome was switched off. The person cannot access your data and videos without your Netatmo account details. However, this also means if the camera is never recovered, you cannot view the videos stored on the camera either. However, if you sign into My Netatmo on the web you will be able to see a screen shot of each video before it started the recording of the motion.
The video quality is excellent and the camera switches to night mode which provides clear images and video as well.
As I have mentioned I have had the Netatmo Welcome indoor camera for 3 weeks now. In that time, the camera has come offline about 4 times for no apparent reasons and then reconnected a few hours later. I don’t know if its my broadband dropping although that wouldn’t surprise me as the connection does vanish occasionally. I have only had to pull the power cord out and replug back in to restart the camera just once when it became unresponsive. In terms of recognising faces this is now 90% accurate. I have relocated the camera several times to get a better position. To be honest, positioning is crucial. If the camera is recording motion to the micro SD card, it is not possible to see a live view until this has finished.
UPDATE – 4 months later, Netatmo released a major firmware update. This improved its performance and reliability but also added Dropbox support and tags. With Dropbox you can now upload video clips to the cloud instead of using the micro SD card.
Tags are waterproof sensors for doors and windows. Photo above is one of my tags. The Netatmo tags are superb as they detect the motion before the intrusion occurs. That is because they detect vibrations. The Tags’ have an integrated open/closed state sensor, so you can choose to be alerted if you have accidentally left a window or the garage door open. And then you can check directly on your smartphone if all windows are closed.
Tips – I have 3 labradors and the Welcome camera was recognising my dogs faces. So instead of telling the Welcome camera they were not faces, I did the opposite. So now it recognises my 3 labradors and that means I don’t get any false notifications about an unknown face.
The Special Stuff
The Netatmo Welcome camera supports third apps and that extends to IFTTT. This opens up a whole world of different sequences that can be achieved. See screen shot below.
You can also add Welcome tags to the system, sensors for doors and windows. The other aspect I like about the Netatmo Welcome Indoor camera is once bought, there are no other costs. Its free and it has no monthly charges either.
As I mentioned already, Netatmo allow you to sign into to your camera via a web browser which uses their web app. Using a web browser, if you have other Netatmo products, you can access all the different connected devices in one go.
Conclusion
The Netatmo Welcome Indoor camera recommended retail price is £199, although if you click the link below it is available for a lot less. It provides piece of mind with its face recognition and notifications with zero ongoing costs once purchased. Add to the fact it supports third party app integration and it becomes a decent investment. It also doesn’t look like a typical camera so blends into the home environment.
And now after using it for over 4 months the added new features of tags and Dropbox integration really add to its value.
I have been using the Samsung Gear 360 a fair bit. Unfortunately, not outdoors due to the terrible weather. The indoor footage is private so cannot be shared, but needless to say I now have a 360 degree video of a special occasion that truly is superb to have as a memory.
Anyway, I wondered how the Gear 360 would work upside down.
So here it is, attached upside down and gently swaying in the wind.
Below is a 360 degree photo. To get this into 360 degree mode, you will need to click on the photo and ensure you view the Flickr upload via a web browser and NOT the flickr app. Once viewing via a web browser it should load in 360 mode. If it doesn’t go to desktop mode on your phone, select full size. It should work.
Below is a shot just using one of the lenses in 180 degrees, and shooting into the sun.
And now the 360 degree video filmed in 4K. Hopefully these are all showing the correct way up!.
Another aspect I really like about the 360 is being able to control it without a phone. The physical buttons and little screen work perfectly.
Gavin's Gadgets & Photography 