Category Archives: Tech News

Sony XBA-1 – In ear headphones – review 

Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News,

Welcome to my review of the Sony XBA-1 in ear headphones. 

  

The Key Specifications 

– Type Closed, Balanced Armature
– Driver Unit Balanced Armature

– Sensitivity 108dB (150mV)

– Power Handling Capacity 100mW

– Impedance 24ohms at 1kHz

– Frequency Response 5-25,000Hz

– Cord OFC litz cord neck-chain

– Cord Length 1.2m

 – Plug Gold-plated L-shaped stereo mini plug

– Weight (Without Cord) Approx. 3g

– Supplied Accessories Hybrid silicone rubber earbuds* (SSx2, Sx2, Mx2, Lx2), Noise isolation earbuds** (Sx2, Mx2, Lx2), Cord Adjuster (winds cord up to 50cm) x 1, Carrying Pouch x 1

* Hybrid silicone rubber earbuds (SS (Red) x 2, S (Orange) x 2, M (Green – attached to the unit) x 2, L (Light Blue) x 2)

** Noise isolation earbuds (S (Orange) x 2, M (Green) x 2, L (Light Blue) x 2)

The Audio Quality & Experience 

The Sony XBA-1 in ear headphones are known to lack bass. That statement is definitely true if you don’t use a £300-£500 DAC/Amp as a minimum to drive them. If you plug these into your smartphone directly they sound fairly neutral and lacking bass. I really didn’t enjoy the sound from these from the start. 

However after plugging these into the Pioneer XDP-100R Digital Audio Player these headphones came alive. They suddenly have the ability to deliver loads of bass but strictly only when the bass is present on the track. The mids and especially the treble are able to reproduce some fairly clear sounds with a splash of warm in their sound signature. The soundstage is not expansive. This is likely due to the closed headphone design.

Due to EC regulations new headphones sold in the Europe have the maximum volume level capped to protect your ears. I bought these from a Sony Centre who were clearing old stock for about £45. As these headphones were made prior to the changes you can reach decent volumes. 

Conclusion

These sound signature of these headphones will not be welcome by many and probably because they are not being driven by decent hardware. With the correct quality hardware powering these they truly are splendid to listen too. Not recommended for general use.

Info on Sony XBA full range of headphones

At Long Last – Android Pay is coming to the UK – details

Android, Tech News, ,

The Telegraph has reported that Android Pay, Google’s equivalent payment system to Apple Pay, has got the green light and is going live in the UK later this month.

Android Pay will start to accelerate mobile payments from smartphones and remove Apple’s exclusivity with its Apple Pay. Samsung has also stated that its own mobile payments version is to launch in the UK sometime in 2016.

The whole idea of a mobile payment system is simplicity but it looks like everyone will want a slice of the action, so expect more companies to start to want to offer their own take on mobile payments.

Now if you have an android phone, you will need Android 4.3 as a minimum and NFC. Sadly NFC is excluded from many Chinese phones (not all) so it is worth checking if you have the minimum requirements. If you think you won’t be interested in using your phone to pay for goods, you will find this true at first. But 6 months later after using Apple Pay as often as possible, there is no way I would buy a phone that couldn’t support a mobile payment system.

Reviews Galore

Tech News

Over this weekend I am hoping to finish the Netatmo Welcome camera review to be published tomorrow. 

I also have a few portable DAC/Amps to review which will be used to compare alongside the new LG G5 HiFi DAC module. 

The DACS/Amps being reviewed are the Fiio Q1 and iBasso D-Zero MK2. 

Headphones in the pipeline to be reviewed are 

– Dunu Titan 5  in ear headphones 

– Sony XBA-A3 in ear headphones

– Sennheiser HD598SE headphones 
Then there is a selection of smartphone camera accessories including the Shoulderpod R1 Pro. 

Of course there is also a selection of secret stuff under NDA’s. 

And coming around the corner  the following phones are being reviewed – 

– Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

– LG G5 plus modules

– Xiaomi Mi 5 

– more secret phones 

If there is anything you would like me to review please let me know. 

One of my favourite casual iOS Games – Pako Car Chase Simulator 

Apple, Tech News

  
Sometimes you just fancy a quick game to play and one of my favourite casual games to play on iOS is Pako Car Chase Simulator .

There are several reasons why I like this game. Firstly there are no in app purchases which makes a change. And no adverts as well. 

Secondly you’re in control of a selection of vehicles in a closed area and have to survive for as long as possible. There are a choice of 15 different locations each of which has its own vehicle, most of which are so different from the previous location. Locations include trailers park, airport, the moon, suburbia and vehicles can be anything from a limo to a camper van. 

Online leaderboards for each locations are available as well as many achievements to unlock. If you feel so inclined you can tweet or Facebook your scores. 

And when you crash and it’s game over, you can restart the next game instantly. In terms of compatibility Pako is optimised for iPhones from the iPhone 5. It is also a universal app and playable on the new Apple TV!! 

Different ways to help Gavin’s Gadgets towards the running costs & coffee

Tech News

This is a slightly different call of help. Gavin’s Gadgets is now in its 4th Year and is about to breach the allocated space barrier provided by WordPress. The solution is always simple. Pay more money to WordPress (again) 🙂

So if you enjoy visiting Gavin’s Gadgets and appreciate the near lack of advertising, which is rather unique in today’s world, then please think about helping in one or two different ways.

The easiest if you’re living in the UK, is to visit Amazon UK via my affiliate link below. That way I earn a few pennies every time you need to buy something without it costing you anything extra. You need to go through my affiliate link every time you want to buy something as it doesn’t remember previous visits.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT AMAZON UK

If you don’t like Amazon, or aren’t in the UK, the only other method is a small donation via PayPal. I don’t mind if you want to give a little more either 🙂 Every donation is massively helpful and appreciated. To donate via paypal please use email – gavinfabl at gmail dot com.

Thanks in advance.

Save the Date – 21st March 2016 – Apple set to behold new hardware and software

Apple, Tech News, ,

In the world of technology, Apple Keynotes are big events watched by millions around the world. It is a time when Apple woo us with new hardware and software with the added incentive that you can order everything you see straight away.

So what are we expecting in a few weeks?

On the hardware front the rumours are suggesting a new iPhone. Actually it will be the shape and size of the original iPhone 5, with the new model likely to be called the iPhone 5se. So Apple will bring back the 4 inch screen iPhone again, but with bumped up internals. Expect to see a faster processor and Apple Pay too.

A new iPad is also expected. The latest rumours suggest that it won’t be called the iPad Air 3. Instead it will be called the iPad Pro 9.7 inch complete with Apple Pencil support and its own smart keyboard. If this rumour is true, I would be very excited to see this iPad, but sadly expect a high price.

Another rumour is regarding the Apple Watch. Some are suggesting this will receive a slight hardware improvement along with new Apple Watch straps. I would be surprised if Apple update the watch internals but you never know they might surprise us all.

In addition, the latest versions of all its iOS and MAC software will receive software updates and some new features.

Fascinating statistics from Mobile World Congress – The Top 10 Brands & Trends on Twitter?

Tech News

@GadgetsBoy on twitter retweeted details of information provided by Hotwire PR as to which phone was most popular on twitter along with the associated tweets.

So are you surprised ? I thought Samsung would be number one, but somehow LG stole the top place.

However, when it came to trends, Samsung just squeezed passed LG to claim top spot. I am amazed how far down VR and Windows features too.

So are there any surprises that you noticed?

Shot on an iPhone – An awesome 73.29 second exposure

Apple, Tech News, ,

Dramatic view of Sharpitor, Dartmoor #iphone6splus #LongExposure

The above photo taken last night on my iPhone 6S Plus ranks as my favourite photo so far of 2016. If you click on the photo you will be able to see the full size version too. The photo was a cool 73.29 seconds long exposure, using Nightcap Pro app.

The photo is of Sharpitor, Dartmoor. Sharpitor is one of a number of tors that feature on Dartmoor. A tor, which is also known by geomorphologists as either a castle koppie or kopje, is a large, free-standing rock outcrop that rises abruptly from the surrounding smooth and gentle slopes of a rounded hill summit or ridge crest. In the South West of England, the term is commonly also used for the hills themselves – particularly the high points of Dartmoor in Devon and Bodmin Moor in Cornwall.

It just goes to show that when software and hardware work in harmony nearly anything is possible. I really love this photo!

Source for Tors definition – Wikipedia

Apple versus the FBI – 1st March Court Date – Others Join the Battle – Updated

Android, Apple, Tech News,

Apple vs FBI – The iPhone unlocking case is gathering pace with a hearing date set for 1st March 2016.

Now for the first time, other tech giants have stepped into the ring to officially say the will be supporting Apple and submitting legal briefs/documents to the courts in support of Apple.

The current companies who will legally be supporting Apple are –

– Microsoft
– Facebook
– Google
– Twitter

And I am sure more will follow. This is such an emotive case and yet at the same time a legal precedent too.

Updated – BlackBerry and Verizon have joined to support Apple.

Apple iPhone 6S and Siri – My Favourite and Most Useful Commands for Siri

Apple, Tech News, ,

Today, I thought I would share one of my favourite voice commands that I use all the time with Siri. If you have the iPhone 6S or 6S Plus you can have “Hey Siri” set to be always on (listening) for your voice. This is my preferred choice.

Your hands are wet as you’ve just had a shower. So say “Hey Siri”, then ask Siri, what time is it. Siri will respond dutifully with the time.

Next you’re cooking and need to set a timer. Just say “Hey Siri”, “Set timer 10 mins” or once “Timer 10 mins”.

But my all time favourite which I use a lot when in the car driving is “Hey Siri” , “Notifications” . I use to have to say “Any notifications”, but now Siri understands me to say just “Notifications”. After this command, Siri will read off all the notifications from all your different apps that you have showing in the notification centre, plus the short line of text revealed by each notification.

So these are my top 3, what are yours?