Category Archives: Tech News

Sony WH-1000XM2 Wireless Noise Cancellation Headphones Review + Comparison with Beats & Bose

Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News,

Welcome to my review of the Sony WH-1000XM2 headphones. These are the brand new killer flagship headphones from Sony.

The Key Features

– Digital Noise Cancelling lets you listen without distractions
– Personal Noise Cancelling Optimizing and Atmospheric Pressure Optimizing
– Wireless freedom with BLUETOOTH® technology and NFC
– Smart Listening by Adaptive Sound Control automatically adjusts ambient sound to your activity
– High-quality audio with DSEE HX™, S-Master HX ™ and LDAC, APT-X, AAC, APT-X HD
– Driver Unit 40mm, dome type (CCAW Voice Coil)
– Frequency response wired 4Hz-40,000Hz
– Frequency response (BLUETOOTH® COMMUNICATION) 20Hz – 20,000Hz (44.1kHz Sampling) / 20Hz – 40,000Hz (LDAC 96kHz Sampling, 990kbps)
– Impedance – 46 ohm (1kHz) (when connecting via the headphone cable with the unit turned on) , 14 ohm (1kHz) (when connecting via the headphone cable with the unit turned off)
– Sensitivities (DB/MW) 103dB / mW (1kHz) (when connecting via the headphone cable with the unit turned on) , 98dB / mW (1kHz) (when connecting via the headphone cable with the unit turned off)
– Charge time – 4 hours
– Battery life – 30 hours NC on, 38 hours with NC off
– Line of sight range 10m

Main Review

The Sony WH-1000XM2 are a technological masterpiece from Sony. With the Sony Headphone Connect app you can fine tune the sound quality options, adjust the noise cancellation and ambient sound, as well as adjust for atmospheric pressure. You will need to watch the video to see this all in action. Over bluetooth it has the ability to use AAC, SBC, APT-X, APT-X HD or LDAC as well as its own upscaling audio DSEE HX. The choice of codecs available will depend on what device you are using and what options your device can deliver. The headphone app also allows various surround sound options and placement of audio.

As an all rounder the sound quality of these headphones is excellent along with the noise cancellation. The noise cancellation was really powerful.

Colour. The gold version do not look gold. More grey and this is disappointing. Comfort wise these should be fantastic, but in my usage I found there is not enough cushioning in the headphone band and cups. See video for what I mean and a comparison with others brands.

Video Review and Comparison between the Beats Studio 3 with Apple W1 Chip and Bose Quietcomfort 35 II with Google Assistant

Conclusion

The best wireless and noise cancellation headphone available but with caution on the comfort due to inadequate padding.

Useful Links

More info and the latest pricing on Amazon UK – Click HERE.

Bose Quietcomfort 35 II vs Beats Studio 3 Wireless with Apple W1 vs Sennheiser HD 4.30

Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News

The big headphone shootout. Bose Quietcomfort 35 II with Google Assistant vs Beats Studio 3 Wireless with Apple W1 Chip vs Sennheiser HD 4.30 Wired headphones.

Let’s summarise again the key features –

Bose Quietcomfort 35 II

– QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II are engineered with world-class noise cancellation.
– With the Google Assistant built in, you can play music, receive texts and get answers without glancing at your phone.
– If you’re not a Google user, don’t worry. You can use the Action button to adjust your level of noise cancellation between three settings.
– You can still use Siri or Bixby via the traditional control button on the other headphone cup.
– 20 hours battery life.
– 15 min charge gives 2.5 hours use.
– Voice prompts
– Clear Calls
– Volume optimised EQ

Beats Studio 3 Wireless with Apple W1 Chip and Pure ANC

– Pure Adaptive Noise Cancelling (Pure ANC) actively blocks external noise.
– Real-time audio calibration preserves a premium listening experience.
– Up to 22 hours of battery life enables fully-featured all-day wireless playback.
– Apple W1 chip for Class 1 Wireless Bluetooth® connectivity and battery efficiency.
– With Fast Fuel, a 10-minute charge gives 3 hours of play when battery is low.
– Pure ANC-off for low power mode provides up to 40 hours of battery life.
– Take calls, control music and activate Siri with multifunction on-ear controls.
– Soft over-ear cushions for extended comfort and added noise isolation.

Sennheiser HD 4.30 Wired

– Closed-back design and ergonomic earpads reduce background noise and provide immersive detail
– Integrated 3-button smart remote with in-line microphone for controlling calls and music
– Handy single-sided tangle free cable
– Soft, comfortable ear pads for enhanced comfort- you will forget that you are wearing them!
– Robust foldable headbands for easy storage on the go
– Frequency Response – 18 – 22,000 kHz
– Sound Pressure Level 120db
– Impedance – 18 ohms

The Shootout

Useful Links

More info on the Bose Quietcomfort 35 IIand latest pricing on Amazon UK – Click HERE.

More info on the Beats Studio 3 Wireless and the latest pricing – Click HERE.

More info on the Sennheiser HD 4.30 and the latest pricing from Amazon UK – Click HERE.

Beats Studio 3 Wireless Headphones Review – With the new Apple W1 Chip and Pure ANC

Apple, Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News, ,

Welcome to my review of the new Beats 3 Studio Wireless Headphones. These feature the new Apple W1 chip and Pure ANC.

Key Features –

– Pure Adaptive Noise Cancelling (Pure ANC) actively blocks external noise.
– Real-time audio calibration preserves a premium listening experience.
– Up to 22 hours of battery life enables fully-featured all-day wireless playback.
– Apple W1 chip for Class 1 Wireless Bluetooth® connectivity and battery efficiency.
– With Fast Fuel, a 10-minute charge gives 3 hours of play when battery is low.
– Pure ANC-off for low power mode provides up to 40 hours of battery life.
– Take calls, control music and activate Siri with multifunction on-ear controls.
– Soft over-ear cushions for extended comfort and added noise isolation.
– In the box – Beats Studio3 Wireless headphones,Carrying case,3.5mm RemoteTalk cable, Universal USB charging cable (USB-A to USB Micro-B),Quick Start Guide ,Warranty Card
– Over Ear Design
– Weight 260 g
The Beats 3 Wireless are the upgraded version of the original Beats over the ear headphones. In the update, Beats have improved the headphones by including the Apple W1 chip and upgrading the active noise cancellation. I like the fact you can turn the ANC off whilst connected to your device. I tested the headphones with my Apple iPad Pro 10.5 and Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Excellent results and superb range from both devices. I could walk around my entire house without the connection breaking. The noise cancellation is good, not as good as the Bose QC35, but these do sound better with music. They do not have lip sync issues with YouTube videos. Calls were clear too. Battery life is excellent too.

Pairing to an iPhone or iPad is a breeze, see video below, but it is as simple as turning them on. Then a pop up appears on screen with a pic of the headphones. Hit the connect button and that is it. They are now paired to all your Apple devices using iCloud.

The Beats 3 Wireless do have a slight bass focus, but nowhere as near as previous versions. Mid and treble is reasonable too. Overall the balance between music and noise cancellation is good.

Now lets take a look at the video review.

Video Review

Conclusion

Highly recommended especially for anyone using Apple devices due to the extended range and easy pairing.

More info and the latest pricing – Click HERE.

PS. Coming up soon, a 3 way comparison between the new Beats Quietcomfort 35 II and new Sennheiser headphones.

Bose Quietcomfort 35 II Wireless Headphones Review – The new headphones from Bose with Google Assistant

Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News

Welcome to my review of the Bose Quietcomfort 35 II headphones.

These are the new flagship headphones from Bose which feature Google Assistant.

Key Features

– QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II are engineered with world-class noise cancellation.
– With the Google Assistant built in, you can play music, receive texts and get answers without glancing at your phone.
– If you’re not a Google user, don’t worry. You can use the Action button to adjust your level of noise cancellation between three settings.
– You can still use Siri or Bixby via the traditional control button on the other headphone cup.
– 20 hours battery life.
– 15 min charge gives 2.5 hours use.
– Voice prompts
– Clear Calls
– Volume optimised EQ

The are one of the first headphones to feature Google Assistant built-in. With a dedicated action button you can literally control your phone without ever looking at the screen. I tested this extensively and it worked well. A WhatsApp message arrived. A voice inside the headphones announces a new WhatsApp message. You then have the option to hear the message read out, and then have the option to reply. Your dictated reply is read out to you. You confirm its ok to send.

Now if you are on iOS, you can change the action button to control the 3 levels of noise cancellation. High, low or off. You can also change this setting in the Bose Connect app. The Bose Connect app also updates the firmware, and gives you access to the instructions, Google Assistant setup and other options.

The noise cancellation is phenomenal. The best. I really like the easy to use controls on the headphone cups. The music quality is good too. Voices are clear in calls. Just one negative. I noticed on YouTube videos the lips were marginally out of sync with the audio. This issue didn’t impact other services I tried like Netflix, BBC iPlayer and Now TV. 

These are mega comfortable to wear too.

Video Review

Conclusion

Another quality product from Bose. Recommended.

More info and latest pricing on Amazon UK – Click HERE.

PS. I have the new Beats 3 Wireless headphones review coming next along with the new Sennheiser HD 4.30, and then a 3 way comparison.

Aftershokz Trekz Titanium Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headphones Review by Martyn

Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News

The Aftershohz Trekz Titanium Bone Conduction Bluetooth Sports Headphones with Microphone review by Martyn Dix.

I have been a keen weekend cyclist for around 10 years now and for all of that time I have used BT ‘in ear’ earphones of different makes.

However this is (quite rightly) frowned upon by most as you cannot hear all that is going on around you. I had a near miss a week or so back, and although it wasn’t my fault, it wasn’t helped by the fact I wasn’t fully aware of my suroundings.

Then after a buying trip to my local Bike shop, I found they were selling ‘Bone Conductive Headphones’. The make they had in stock was the Aftershokx Trekz Titanium although there are a few other brands available too.

Key Features

– Bone conduction technology delivers music through your cheekbones, ensuring ears remain completely open to hear ambient sounds
– Titanium wraparound headband is lightweight and flexible for durability and portability
– OpenFit™ design ensures maximum situational awareness and comfort during long-term wear
– PremiumPitch+™ guarantees a premium audio experience, including wide dynamic range and rich bass
– Wireless Bluetooth® 4.1 connectivity and convenient multipoint pairing
– LeakSlayer™ technology significantly reduces natural sound leakage
– IP55 certified to repel sweat, dust and moisture, from workouts to wicked weather
– Enjoy six hours of continuous music + calls on a single charge
– EQ presets boost bass and reduce vibration on the go
– Dual noise canceling microphones exclude surrounding noise, effectively enhancing speech
– Audrey Says™ voice prompts guide users through power, pair, play and talk
– Frequency response: 20Hz~20KHz
– Sensitivity: 100 ± 3dB
– Microphone: -40dB ± 3dB
– Bluetooth version: v4.1
– Compatible profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP
– Wireless range: 33 ft (10m)
– Battery: rechargeable lithium ion, Continuous play: 6 hours,Standby time: 10 days
– Charge in: 1.5 hours
– Weight: 1.27 oz (36g)

Research seemed to say that this make was the best, so I paid the £110 which seems to be the average price.

One week on and the odd feeling of being able to hear Podcasts AND the normal sounds around me has become normal. It did take me a few hours to get used to the feeling of the headset being worn as it sort of clamps around the back of the head with the bone condutive speaker part sitting just forward of the ear.

BT pairing was as easy as any other headphone I have used, and so far I have not had any drop outs or disconnections in one weeks heavy use.

Battery life is well up to what is claimed of 6 hours Music + Calls.
There is the usual BT controls for taking calls and skipping music etc via the button on the left speaker.

Volume controls are by two buttons on the underside of the right battery case. They too have extra control functions if pressed in different ways.

Comfort is fine. They do take some getting used to but after the 1st few hours I had a job to remember they were on my head esspecialy as you dont loose all sounds around you.

Sound quality is obviously not HiFi but for voice calls and listening to podcasts they are fine. I spend long hours taking and making voice calls and no one said they knoticed a great difference in hearing me.

Music is ‘okay’ not fantasic but fine for back ground listening while out and about. If they are at full volume there is a thump thump on the bones in your head that they sit on. This is rather annoying and a discomfort. There are two equalising settings which are there to allow for adjusting the sound should you wish to use them in an area such as a plane or train and earplugs are supplied for you to use. This effectivly turns them into ‘in ear’ type listening headphones. This is not something I would personaly use them for but the option is offered.

The box comes with a usb to mini usb charge lead and full easy to understand instructions. So if you work in an office, run, cycle or require to be able to hear whats going on around you then these are great.

They are not a gimic and need to be tried out properly before dismissing them. Helpfully most stockists have a purpose demo display where you can try wearing them out.

I would definitely recommend them and at £110 they are a bit pricey for some, but they are very well made with a serious quality feel to them. They come in two sizes Adult and Child. As the unit is flexable it should always fit.

Go and try them out. I found them for sale at a Motorway services phone accesories shop for the same price which I guess is because you are no longer allowed to use ‘in ear’ phones while driving.If anyone wishes to ask me any questions then contact Gavin to pass on.

——————

My thanks to Martyn Dix for his review on the Aftershokz Trekz Titanium Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headphones.

For more information and the latest pricing on Amazon – click HERE.

Source -Images

Optoma NuForce BE2 Wireless Earphones Review – IPX5 and with patented SpinFit Eartips

Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News

Optoma NuForce BE2 Wireless Earphones Review. These are the latest earphones from Optoma that feature patented SpinFit eartips and are IPX5.

Key Features

– 10 hour continuous playback
– Charge time 2.5 hours
– IPX5 – weather resistant, ensuring protection from rain and sweat
– Bluetooth magnetic headphones
– Patented Spinfit Twin Blade ear pads for better support and quality
– AAC support for iPhone, iPad and Mac
– Built in mic – for calls, Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant

The Optoma NuForce BE2 is everything you would want in a wireless earphone. Lightweight, comfortable and ideal for using whilst working out. The cable is great as it is slightly weighted to stop it bouncing all over the place during workouts. The SpinFit eartips stay in your ears. I even tried shaking my head and they stayed in place.

The biggest surprise was the sound quality. The BE2’s are not bass heavy, in fact they are slightly bass light but in a good way as the midrange and treble shine with these. They had good clarity in the mid and treble range and with a reasonable amount of separation. The BE2’s are really enjoyable to listen to your music.

All the other controls worked as expected and being IPX5 adds to the attraction and usefulness.

Video Review

Conclusion

The Optoma NuForce BE2 is a great sounding, IPX5 wireless earphone that are highly recommended. Available from Amazon

Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro Review – Samsung’s new Fitness Tracker with GPS and more

Reviews, Tech News, Wearables

Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro review. This is the latest fitness tracker from Samsung that introduces a few new changes that make it a decent fitness device.

Key Features

– Super AMOLED Curved and Capacitive Screen
– Compatible Androïd 4.4 and more, and IOS 9.0 and more
– Waterproof: 5 ATM, waterproof up to 50m according to ISO Standard 22810: 2010
– GPS, Accelerometer, Heart Rate Monitor, Gyro, Altimeter Barometer
– Notifications: social networks, SMS, calls, calendar, reminder, weather, “do not disturb”
– 4gb storage, Bluetooth 4.2
– Weight 34g
– Battery 200mAh

The Gear Fit 2 Pro strap is water resistant up to 5 ATM. It also has a slightly smaller 1.5 inch screen the original Gear Fit 2, which enables it to curve slightly better around your wrist. The strap has been improved to a more traditional system that can’t pop off by accident.

You can now swim in the pool or the ocean, using the inbuilt the Speedo application developed for Gear Fit2 Pro. This tracks your statistics and presents them in easy-to-read summaries.

UA RECORD: View your activity, sleep and workout statistics in a dashboard and learn about your health and fitness levels.

MapMyRun: Plan and follow your itineraries with real-time maps and capture each race, walk up and walk.

MyFitnessPal: Eat smarter and achieve your health goals by monitoring the calories you consume and burn.

Endomondo: Join a global fitness enthusiast community when you achieve your racing goals with personal training plans.

I really like the auto detection. So whether you’re playing tennis, basketball or even dance moves, the Gear Fit 2 Pro will automatically detect and save the activity. It also measures your heart rate continuously throughout the day, indicating heart rate zones, to help you make better fitness decisions.

There are more than 3,000 apps and watch faces to choose from, including Spotify. These are available from the Galaxy App. However, I doubt you will ever need to download more than 3 extra apps.

The Samsung Gear Application and Samsung S Health are fantastic piece of software which have improved considerably over the years, as well as opening up to tons of third party fitness and health services.

Amazon at the time of writing were selling the Gear Fit 2 Pro lower than Samsung’s own website. Click HERE.

Video Review

Conclusion

Highly recommended tracking device which is a breeze to use and has all the features you could possibly want in a fitness tracker.

Apple iPhone 8 Plus – First Impressions 

Apple, Tech News, , ,

Apple iPhone 8 Plus. First Impressions and initial thoughts. 

Judging by the lack of queues at all the main Apple stores it seems many people are clearly waiting for the newer iPhone X. 

But from my initial use of the new iPhone 8 Plus I have come away with a different view. The expression a wolf in sheep’s clothing is quite appropriate. It’s actually its more like a bland lion in sheep’s clothing. 

The A11 Bionic processor is a beast. What it does for the whole phone experience is badass. 

First my views on the 3 finishes. I didn’t like space grey. The gold is ok. But I loved the white and silver finish. 

Screen. The true tone screen looks too good to be true at times. It’s the ultimate in IPS technology. But it’s not light years ahead of the 7 Plus. But it’s still better. 

Operation. The A11 processor must contribute to the overall smoothness of the phone. Really felt like gliding through menus and apps. 

Camera. There’s no HDR option. It’s on by default. The camera felt fast to take shots and there was low noise in the indoor photos. Portrait lightning was fun to use but I did notice some errors on the edges. It is in beta though. The standout feature of the camera was the video. 4K at 60fps is freaking unbelievably amazing. So life like and real to view footage back on the screen. Stabilisation looked good too. 

Speakers. Louder than before. That’s a good thing. Wireless charging worked as expected. 

I started by saying it’s a bland lion in sheep’s clothing. And that is how I feel. It looks like every other iPhone for the last 4 or so years. Except it performs like the King of the Jungle. 

I can see this being quite popular on contract upgrade plans and for people that still want the convenience of Touch ID. It is however not a design I want to see in my hand. I’m more interested in the upcoming iPhone X!

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 – Review 1 Week Later + Camera Showcase 

Android, Reviews, Tech News, ,

After one week with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, this is my detailed review so far with a few tips and a camera showcase. Also I have embedded a few other photos above and below from the Note 8. 


The above shot was edited on the Note 8 using a Bixby voice assistant. I asked Bixby to apply the vignette filter. 


The bokeh is superb. Live Focus was not used for this shot. Auto all the way. 

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 – High Speed Camera Action Shots featuring Sophie

Android, Tech News,

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has many camera modes, including its own portrait type mode, called Live Focus. But sometimes you just want to take a quick photo as you suddenly see some incredible action.

Fortunately, a double press of the power button, and holding down the on screen shutter button is a really quick procedure. The Note 8 burst mode, holding shutter button down, is blazingly fast. Here a 4 shots from about 25 that got captured in the burst of my Labrador Sophie running on Dartmoor.

The Note 8 is able to capture the motion so well, and more importantly with ease.

Sophie is an extremely fast runner, sometimes I wonder if she doesn’t have lurcher or greyhound in her genes!