Category: Editorials

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Six Things Sony NEEDS to NOT do to Their Next Headphones! WH-1000XM5 Success?

I certainly have a reputation for being the CABLED audio nerd. I genuinely believe in cabled audio as the best solution for quality and consistency. That does NOT mean I don’t enjoy some Bluetooth solutions for convenience and noise reduction. I’m not about to take my really fancy open-back cans on a road trip or flight.

The headphones I’ve been using the most over the last two years took a dive onto tile, and unfortunately did not survive. My Wife took pity on me, and for my birthday, she hooked me up with a pair of Sony WH-1000XM4s!

In a fancy blue color no less.

Using them for a couple days now, I’m as impressed as I was when I got to test drive some XM3’s, and I already have some thoughts on what Sony might do for the XM5’s.

Let’s nerd out on some GOOD travel audio! Continue reading “Six Things Sony NEEDS to NOT do to Their Next Headphones! WH-1000XM5 Success?”

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Apple Music Lossless, Amazon Music HD, Spotify Premium, Tidal Masters – But Your Phone Doesn’t Have a Headphone Jack? DAC Buying Guide!

It’s been one of the most frustrating trends in tech over the last several years.

Instead of improving the built-in headphone jacks on premium phones, manufacturers removed them to encourage more accessory sales. Bluetooth audio only became more popular when cabled audio was made more difficult to use.

Recently however, consumers have shown more interest in higher quality streaming. Despite all the tech reviewers claiming you “can’t even hear a difference”, or downplaying the audiophile community, it seems enough folks out there ARE interested in better audio and the gear to play that audio properly.

We know this market is real when Apple offers a streaming solution that their own phones can’t properly support.

Apple worked aggressively to make cabled audio a pain point, other manufacturers followed to make more sales, LG left the smartphone market, so now it’s up to us!

Here’s a (not so) quick primer on some different solutions for hooking up some headphones to a smartphone! Better music! Better movies! Better gaming!

Your ears will thank you! Continue reading “Apple Music Lossless, Amazon Music HD, Spotify Premium, Tidal Masters – But Your Phone Doesn’t Have a Headphone Jack? DAC Buying Guide!”

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Did you buy a Surface Duo on a CRAZY Sale? Welcome to the Dual Display Club!

Easily one of my favorite gadgets of 2020.

The Surface Duo helped change my mind on using Android for tablets. It hasn’t been all roses, but this extremely ambitious folding tablet was a refreshing change of pace from the rest of the gadget lineup last year.

It’s so good, it makes me a little concerned for a Duo 2…

Continue reading “Did you buy a Surface Duo on a CRAZY Sale? Welcome to the Dual Display Club!”

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Where we can finally admit the Samsung Galaxy S21 is just a dog?

Hot takes! Samsung stories get all that tasty SEO traffic! OUTRAGE HEADLINE!

Sales figures are in, and the Galaxy S21 is selling poorly. Expectations were high on this line of phones, but even with price drops, Samsung’s premium offerings are failing to impress consumers.

Galaxy S21 sales are down about 20% over last year’s S20, and SIGNIFICANTLY lower than the S10 from two years ago. We’re seeing roughly a 45% drop from the S10, which has to be concerning for Samsung. That two-year period is often prime for consumers looking to upgrade.

There are obviously numerous issues facing technology manufacturers right now. We’re still in the middle of a global pandemic. Component shortages are affecting distribution. Consumers are wisely budgeting more conservatively for big purchases like electronics.

However, if the Galaxy S line is supposed to be a premium tier, where purchases are often as emotional as they are practical, Samsung’s 2021 phones aren’t inspiring consumers to part with their cash. Continue reading “Where we can finally admit the Samsung Galaxy S21 is just a dog?”

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Is it time to make Earbuds for Girls? #2020Hearing

If your earbuds don’t fit properly, they’re going to sound terrible. A significant portion of the population has trouble finding a comfortable fit for inner-aural buds and IEMs, and it’s increasingly difficult to ignore that more petite individuals are left out of many earbud conversations.

What other options might those consumers have for shopping convenient, portable headphones?

#2020Hearing Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGxxivKnLJI&list=PLKInbsfU_xjkp0bvIO3muFIAzsPqyuBbP Continue reading “Is it time to make Earbuds for Girls? #2020Hearing”

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Shutter Speed vs Frame Rate EXPLAINED: Smartphone Video Tutorial

What is shutter speed? How is that different than your video frame rate? What makes video LOOK cinematic? How can you control the brightness of your video?

Let’s chat about your phone camera, and how to get the most out of it! Continue reading “Shutter Speed vs Frame Rate EXPLAINED: Smartphone Video Tutorial”

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Fake Reviewers and YouTube Drama

I feel I need to clear the air a bit.

We’re going through another round of Tech YouTuber drama. Some folks throwing accusations. Some people getting defensive. I know I play a part in the tone of some of these conversations.

When these drama cycles occur, it’s a good time to take a step back and talk about WHY we make the content the way we do.

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Is the OnePlus 9 Camera “Crippled”? No OIS? Let’s Compare!

Crippled is a STRONG word to use on a modern phone camera, but a handful of techies have declared the OP9 “crippled” for its lack of OIS. The thing about a bold claim like “crippled” we should be able to see some evidence of that pretty easily.

“Crippled” compared to what?

Let’s compare against a similarly priced phone WITH OIS, and see if we can tell the difference! Continue reading “Is the OnePlus 9 Camera “Crippled”? No OIS? Let’s Compare!”

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