23 Aug
Blog

When the Fittest Among Us Get Covid-19

Amanda Thebe is a fitness and women's health professional. She is a force of nature for women who experience menopause hell and want to feel healthy and fit in their 40s and beyond. You can pre-order her upcoming book Menopocalypse on her Fit & Chips website.

Amanda contracted coronavirus in March 2020. Hoping for a speedy recovery, Amanda continues to grapple with the long-term effects of this debilitating virus. In this podcast, Amanda and I talk about what it means for an active fitness professional to be defeated by Covid-19.

By the time I had the chance to speak to Amanda, I had come across only one story on BBC Sport: I was a fitness trainer, someone who was also a successful Olympic weightlifter, fit and healthy, in my twenties, and talked about how three months later, the fact that they still haven't recovered.

I also know from personal experience that a client who was confirmed to be virus positive also had asthma and continued to have real problems. He has a garage gym, just a short walk from his house of course, but even that short walk can get him out and force him to sit on a bench and take ten minutes to relax before leaving can move again.

So this is an important topic because, as Amanda says on the podcast, beyond people recovery or death, little is said in the press or other conversations about the long-term suffering of a large group of people diagnosed with Covid -19.

Like everyone else, Amanda watched celebrities like Tom Hanks and Idris Elba deal with their own coronavirus attacks. As she watched her very public recoveries, she felt discouraged by her own long-term symptoms and continued suffering.

She discovered a Facebook group, Covid-19 Survivor Corps, one of many that she found there were thousands of people like her suffering from persistent effects with high levels of suffering and harm weeks and weeks after being diagnosed .

One of the most important things Amanda made about her experience is the way she's changed the way she approached exercise. Obviously, she was a very active, very fit, professional trainer who had to adjust to the limitations of her performance, which is very difficult for a person with such a background.

Amanda couldn't train for four months, which made her very weak. So we can talk about how she has adapted and what that means for anyone who has to return from trauma or injury or some other situation where they are unable to return to an exercise program at full throttle.

I usually do podcasts about building muscle and boosting your personal development, but this has been a fascinating glimpse into something that affects everyone in the world and it will surely open your eyes to topics that don't prevail in discussions about Covid-19 as We help each other understand how happy we are when we have the luxury of going to the gym, lifting weights, exercising, and doing the things we enjoy.

It is very true that if you are not healthy you don't have much. Fortunately, Amanda is evolving on her journey from Covid-19 and I hope she is 100% back as soon as possible.

Find all of our podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean

23 Aug
Blog

JBL/UA Sport Wireless Train Review: Well-aged Sound

JBL Wireless Sport Train headphones

JBL / Under Armor Sport radio train

"The audio quality of the Sport Wireless Train has withstood the test of time."

  • Simple controls

  • IPX4 weatherproof

  • Exceptional sound quality

  • Tight fit

  • Mediocre battery life

Tech versus time is a war that goes on forever, though one on the other side is almost inevitably unharmed. It takes a special product to keep the clock from going out, and in the fast-paced world of portable audio, these products are increasingly difficult to come by.

Take the JBL / Under Armor Sports Train wireless headphones, which retailed for $ 200 when it was released in 2018 and have since dropped to $ 130. Sure, they seemed solid at the time, but how do they hold up against the unforgiving power of 2020? Let's find out.

Out of the box

The packaging of the Wireless Train is dark black and matches the headphones. After removing the first cover, you will see a rectangular tote bag with the famous Under Armor logo on the front. Inside, the headphones as well as a charging cable, an additional audio cable and a quick guide are waiting.

JBL Wireless Sport Train headphonesNick Woodard / Digital Trends

Starting the Wireless Train for the first time is a bit weird, at least if you're like me and adamantly refuse to read the fine print before trying out your new headphones. The power switch is a toggle switch that must be held down for two seconds before turning on. From there, however, the headphones will automatically go into pairing mode, so you can follow the standard procedure to pair your mobile device through the Bluetooth settings.

I'm not thrilled with the Wireless Train, which only supports Bluetooth 4.1 technology, as connectivity and range are not comparable to devices that support the newer, better Bluetooth 5 standard. This raises an important caveat about the wireless train: at the time of this review, they are already two years old. In technical time, that's about a century. After reviewing the Adidas RPT-01, I looked for the best comparison I could find. The wireless train was the straight answer given its price and design. Unfortunately, these headphones are being rated for modern standards instead of their heyday in 2018.

That's not to say the wireless train can't yet be capable headphones – they can. However, it will be an uphill battle for these JBL cans against a comparatively brand new product.

design

For a slightly older product, the Wireless Train offers a more modern design for on-ear headphones with a sports focus. In fact, there aren't many differences between these headphones and the newer Adidas, other than aesthetic choices like the shape of the ear cups and the logos that appear on each pair of headphones.

JBL Wireless Sport Train headphonesNick Woodard / Digital Trends

A key difference here is weight. The Adidas came onto the market with 209 grams, the Wireless Train with 240 grams. It is not noticeable that every headphone distributes the weight well. However, if you are trying to keep your headphones as light as possible, this is one thing to keep in mind.

One unfortunate resemblance between these headphones: the inescapable tightness that comes with on-ear headphones designed to stay in place during intense workouts. If I were to wear them for a quick trip to the gym, I could probably handle the pressure on my skull with no problem. But when I wear them for long periods of time like I did for testing, the wireless train almost causes a headache when it gets stuck on your head. I experienced the same feeling with Adidas – it's a generally uncomfortable feeling.

The ear pads of the Wireless Train are made of "UA breathing material", as JBL calls it, and are washable. This is the key to headphones that you will inevitably sweat anywhere. The button controls on the ear cups next to these pillows are easy to use, so you can control the volume and switch songs between repeats. I train at home these days for obvious reasons, but I have had no problem using these buttons to execute commands on the go.

The button controls on the ear cups next to these pillows are easy to use, so you can control the volume and switch songs between repeats.

properties

The wireless train really shows its age in this category. They have the same IPX4 weather resistance as the Adidas, which frankly is the minimum level of protection these headphones should come with. Even so, it's a fair rating for the exercise rats of the world as it protects against sweat and splashes.

JBL Sport Wireless Train headphonesNick Woodard / Digital Trends

However, the wireless train has a maximum of 16 hours of playback per charge. The Adidas allows you to get up to 40 hours of battery life before needing to be recharged. Maybe 16 hours of battery for headphones was a solid two years ago. From a 2020 perspective, however, this is far from acceptable when comparable models offer more than twice the battery life.

Despite the battery-related deficiencies, I really appreciated the multifunctional TalkThru button integrated in the Wireless Train. When you press the Under Armor logo on the right ear cup, the music volume is lowered and the surrounding sounds are played. This allows you to have a quick conversation without having to remove the headphones when necessary.

To be clear, these headphones are not active noise-canceling headphones and have decent passive noise isolation at best. Even then, it has proven valuable to me. If you have not already found yourself in this situation, you may not understand how nice it is not to put headphones on your head after talking to a passerby for several seconds on a walk. It's a near impossible maneuver when you're holding the reins of a small pack of dogs, and luckily I didn't have to get by on the wireless train.

Pressing the Under Armor logo on the right auricle lowers the music volume and plays the ambient noise.

Audio quality

Let's throw away the mostly outdated features of the Wireless Train for a second and consider what is still one of the most important aspects of headphones, or at least what should be – how do they actually sound?

JBL Wireless Sport Train headphonesNick Woodard / Digital Trends

Because of my intensive listening to both headphones, I have the feeling that the Wireless Train has a clear sound advantage over the Adidas. The RPT-01 featured bass-heavy tracks, but otherwise sounded average when it came to more balanced genres. The included app and equalizer helped solve the problem to some extent, but it was difficult to work around anyway.

The wireless train might not have gotten as deep into the low end as the Adidas could, but they still had solid, refined bass. More importantly, they just filled in the rest of the frequency spectrum better. The wireless train has 40mm drivers with a frequency range of 16-20,000 Hz and is just as powerful as these specifications suggest.

Songs like Dierks Bentley's Burning Man or Red Hot Chili Peppers' By The Way suggested that the Wireless Train could avoid getting muddy or tight. There are better sounding headphones – many of them even – but they were more than adequate for exercise doses.

I caught my breath long enough between workouts to make a few calls on the wireless train. While they weren't exactly meant to throw that part of the experience out of the park, they were fine in terms of maintaining an acceptable level of clarity on both ends of the calls. It could have been better, but as I recently discovered when testing other doses, it could have been far worse.

Our opinion

The UA Sport Wireless Train is far outdated in terms of equipment. That said, the audio quality of these cans has stood the test of time, and that could earn them the occasional spot on the lineup as battle-hardened veterans.

Are there any better alternatives?

I preferred the sound of the Wireless Train, but there is no question that the Adidas RPT-01 has great features, with the battery life being a highlight. For high-quality headphones outside of the sports category, the $ 200 Razer Opus are a personal favorite because of their mix of price, features, and sound quality.

How long will they last?

With a one-year warranty and a seemingly protective carrying case, you don't have to worry about knocking these headphones off after just a few workouts. Keep them charged and they should be everyday fitness equipment.

Should you buy it?

Not at their $ 200 retail price. The Adidas RPT-01 is $ 30 less and is a more valuable purchase for the money. At its current $ 130 discount, I would consider the UA Sport Wireless Train for its exceptional sound quality – if you can live with features that are decidedly out of date.

Editor's recommendations




22 Aug
Blog

Acer Aspire 5 (2020) Review: An Old-School Budget Laptop

acer aspire 5 2020 review 03

"The Acer Aspire 5 is an ultra-cheap laptop and it feels like one."

  • Comfortable keyboard and touchpad

  • Thin and light

  • Good choice of ports

  • The battery life is poor

  • Feels cheap and pliable

Windows laptops under $ 500 are usually sad, low-performing devices. But the Acer Aspire 5 has always been an exception.

Last year's model, which was just $ 400, combined impressive performance, battery life, and build quality to make it the best budget laptop you could buy.

Acer has a new model this year, but this time I'm testing a more expensive $ 550 version. The configuration includes a Core i5-1035G1 instead of a Core i3, 8 GB of RAM versus 4 GB, and a 256 GB solid-state drive (SSD) instead of just 128 GB. The same $ 400 configuration is still available, as is an option for AMD's Ryzen 4000 CPUs.

Time did not stand still. I've been reviewing some excellent budget laptops lately and the pressure on the Aspire 5 has increased. Does the new model keep its high status or has it fallen behind?

design

As before, the Acer Aspire 5 is mainly made of plastic. The aluminum lid supposedly adds stiffness, but there's still a lot of room for improvement. The lid is still very flexible and can easily be bent in the middle with light pressure. The keyboard deck has some yields that aren't that outrageous, and the bottom of the case also yields to light pressure. It's not uncommon to see laptops at this price point, like the all-plastic Dell Inspiron 14 5000 I recently reviewed for $ 650.

However, other devices like the Lenovo Yoga C640, Lenovo Flex 5 14, and Acer Swift 3 all cost the same price as the Aspire 5 I'm reviewing – although they are 13- and 14-inch laptops, and we don't have them seen a superior 15-inch budget laptop – but they offer much better build quality. With the Aspire 5 starting price at $ 400, that's not that big of a deal, but with only about $ 50 separating the models, the difference in build quality becomes a bigger issue.

(

There's no bling to speak of, which is good on a plastic laptop.

The aesthetics of the Acer Aspire 5 are okay for the price, at least in the silver color I tested. There's no bling to speak of, though that's not a bad thing on a plastic laptop. Too much counterfeit chrome can make a laptop look cheap if there are no authentic materials to secure it. The Aspire 5 is also available in red and black, which are more visually appealing and offer a little more interest.

One advantage of the Asprie 5, however, is its size. It's not thick for a budget 15-inch 0.71-inch laptop. At 3.97 pounds, it's not overly heavy either. That's in his favor. The display bezels may be narrow on the sides, but the top bezel is quite large by modern standards and the chin is just big, period. That gives the laptop more width and depth than more premium laptops – no surprise, but it has to be said.

Connectivity is a strength. You get a USB-C Gen 1 port (not Thunderbolt 3, which is unsurprising at this price point), two USB-A 3.1 ports, a USB-A 2.0 port, an HDMI 2.0 port with HDCP support, and an RJ-45 Ethernet connector. With the Aspire 5, you don't need many dongles.

The wireless connectivity is up to date with Wi-Fi 6 on board and Bluetooth 5.0.

performance

The Core i5-1035G1 in my review unit is a mediocre performer and is best for basic productivity, web browsing, multimedia consumption, and the like. They are the latest quad-core processors from Intel and are standard on portable laptops like this one. However, as I ran the Aspire 5 through our benchmark suite, it became clear that Acer's implementation is a bit slower than average here.

In Geekbench 5, for example, the Aspire 5 achieved 1.1129 points in the single-core test and 2.899 points in the multi-core test. This is a step behind the 1,169 and 3,197 points found on the Dell Inspiron 14 5000, and even further behind the 1,215 and 3,615 points managed by the Intel-based Acer Swift 3. Note that the Lenovo Flex 5 14 for $ 600 with an AMD Ryzen 5 4500U CPU scored 1,096 and 4,543 points, demonstrating AMD's new dominance in this price range. That's what you get with two additional cores and four threads.

It's not a speed demon, but the Aspire 5 is fast enough for its intended purpose.

The same was true for our more realistic test, which used Handbrake to encode a 420MB video as H.265. The Aspire 5 took a little more than five minutes to complete the test, while the Inspiron 14 finished almost 30 seconds earlier and the Spin 3 was almost a minute faster. The AMD-powered Flex 5 14 finished in less than three minutes and blew the rest of the field.

The Aspire 5 is fast enough for its intended purpose and certainly faster than the previous year's model with a dual-core Core i3. It's not a speed demon, however, and that's why you'll want to keep your expectations in check.

It also uses Intel's lowest UHD graphics so all but the lightest games are out of the question. Other laptops with 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processors have faster Iris Plus graphics, but Acer went for the cheaper option. If you want a faster (and more expensive) laptop but otherwise like the Aspire 5, consider the AMD Ryzen 4000 versions – you get much better performance.

display

I called last year's Aspire 5 display "better than budget". Nowadays that description feels less appropriate.

The 2020 Aspire 5 has a very similar touchless display to the last one. The brightness was 243 nits versus 238 nits, and the color gamut was equally narrow at 64% sRGB (versus 62%) and 47% AdobeRGB (versus 46%). Color accuracy was also close to 2.49 versus 2.42, and gamma was almost equally dark at 2.6 versus 2.7 (2.2 is perfect). The only significant difference was in contrast where the 2020 Aspire 5 only managed 720: 1 while the earlier model got a much better 890: 1.

This is still a fairly common finding for budget laptops, especially in terms of color gamut. However, we see that some budget devices do much better. For example, the Lenovo Yoga C640 achieved 96% sRGB and 73% AdobeRGB with a color accuracy of 1.07 (1.0 and less are considered excellent). This is the field of premium laptops, and while there are still few such devices around at this price point, there is a real possibility that the displays will gradually improve.

I can't fault this ad too much though. The panels offered by the Lenovo Flex 5 or the Dell Inspiron 14 5000 are just as inconspicuous. And in everyday use, it's good enough for productivity work and internet surfing – although the gamma is too dark for pleasant Netflix bingeing.

The audio remained a strength, with plenty of volume that wouldn't distort when turned up loud, and a bit of bass to match solid mids and highs. You can watch your Netflix binge and YouTube videos without headphones or bluetooth speakers, although the latter has been recommended as usual if you want to listen to your music.

Keyboard and touchpad

The Aspire 5's typical backlit keyboard offers a lot of clearance, although the keycaps are a bit small. The mechanism is on the crunch side, however, which is a plus. Button presses are registered without too much pressure, and there is a comfortable floor movement that helps with precision. I had no problem typing at full speed.

Like many inexpensive 15-inch laptops, the Aspire 5 also has a number pad on the right. This is useful for some, but the touchpad moves uncomfortably to the left.

The touchpad uses Microsoft Precision drivers and has a smooth surface with just enough grip to make swiping and scrolling comfortable. Multi-touch gestures are triggered exactly as they should. This doesn't always apply to the touchpads on budget laptops. I'll count this in favor of the Aspire 5. You don't get the glass touchpad of a premium laptop, but for the price, the Aspire 5 does the cut.

The fingerprint scanner in the upper right corner of the touchpad didn't impress me. It worked well enough for Windows 10 login without a password, but the location is distracting.

Battery life

Thanks to its energy-saving Core i3 CPU, the Aspire 5 received great praise last year for its long battery life. This year's Core i5 model has the same battery capacity of 48 watt hours and is nowhere near the performance of the previous version.

In our demanding Basemark web benchmark test, the 2020 Aspire 5 lasted just under three hours, compared to the previous year's model, which lasted four hours. The Lenovo Flex 5 with its Ryzen CPU also lasted almost an hour longer.

The 2020 Aspire 5 managed a little over four hours when switching to web surfing, a very disappointing score that is less than half of the 2019 model's nine hours. The Flex 5 outperformed again at eight hours, and the Acer Swift 3 with the same CPU lasted seven hours.

The battery life went from a strength to a weakness.

The 2020 Aspire 5 performed slightly better in the video loop test, which runs through a Full HD Avengers trailer, until the battery is empty. Here it took about 9.5 hours compared to the Aspire 5 2019 after 13 hours and the Flex 5 after 11 hours.

The bottom line is that battery life has gone from a strength to a weakness and it's not much better than the Dell Inspiron 14 5000 which had an even worse battery life. The Aspire 5 might get you through much of a day of typical productivity tasks, but you'll want to take your charger with you just in case. While I haven't tested it myself, the Core i3 model could get closer to last year's results.

Our opinion

The Acer Aspire 5 is much more attractive at $ 400 for a Core i3, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. This pricing is still tough to compete with. At $ 550, however, we expect more. Better build quality, better performance, better battery life, and better displays are becoming the norm even at low prices.

Is there a better alternative?

I haven't tested a better 15-inch Windows laptop than the Aspire 5, but there are plenty of powerful Chromebook options out there.

On the Windows side, the Lenovo Flex 5 14 with its AMD Ryzen CPU is a good choice. It has a slightly smaller display but is much faster, has better battery life, and more robust build quality. It's a 2-in-1 game too, which makes it a more flexible option for just $ 50 more.

Acer & # 39; s Swift 3 Ryzen is another great option if you have $ 100 more to spend. It's also faster, looks better, has better battery life, and improved build quality.

Finally, if size isn't important at all, you can resort to a 13-inch model and get the Lenovo Yoga C640. The all-metal construction is superior and the battery life is much better. Performance will lag a bit thanks to the Core i3 CPU, but again, it's a very functional 2-in-1 for just $ 50 more.

How long it will take?

Despite the cheap chassis, the Acer Aspire 5 is built well enough to last a few years, there's no doubt about that. Apart from the fact that it lacks Thunderbolt 3, it has the latest components, including Wi-Fi 6. We always want more than the one-year warranty, however.

Should you buy it?

No. The cheaper configuration offers more attractive value, but there are cheaper laptops available.

Editor's recommendations




22 Aug
Blog

When the Fittest Among Us Get Covid-19

Amanda Thebe is a fitness and women's health professional. She is a force of nature for women who experience menopause hell and want to feel healthy and fit in their 40s and beyond. You can pre-order her upcoming book Menopocalypse on her Fit & Chips website. Amanda contracted coronavirus in March 2020. Hoping for a speedy recovery, Amanda continues to grapple with the long-term effects of this debilitating virus. In this podcast, Amanda and I talk about what it means for an active fitness professional to be defeated by Covid-19.

By the time I had the chance to speak to Amanda, I had come across only one story on BBC Sport: I was a fitness trainer, someone who was also a successful Olympic weightlifter, fit and healthy, in my twenties, and talked about how three months later, the fact that they still haven't recovered. I also know from personal experience that a client who was confirmed to be virus positive also had asthma and continued to have real problems. He has a garage gym, just a short walk from his house of course, but even that short walk can get him out and force him to sit on a bench and take ten minutes to relax before leaving can move again. So this is an important topic because, as Amanda says on the podcast, beyond people recovery or death, little is said in the press or other conversations about the long-term suffering of a large group of people diagnosed with Covid -19.

Like everyone else, Amanda watched celebrities like Tom Hanks and Idris Elba deal with their own coronavirus attacks. As she watched her very public recoveries, she felt discouraged by her own long-term symptoms and continued suffering. She discovered a Facebook group, Covid-19 Survivor Corps, one of many that she found there were thousands of people like her suffering from persistent effects with high levels of suffering and harm weeks and weeks after being diagnosed .

One of the most important things Amanda made about her experience is the way she's changed the way she approached exercise. Obviously, she was a very active, very fit, professional trainer who had to adjust to the limitations of her performance, which is very difficult for a person with such a background. Amanda couldn't train for four months, which made her very weak. So we can talk about how she has adapted and what that means for anyone who has to return from trauma or injury or some other situation where they are unable to return to an exercise program at full throttle.

I usually do podcasts about building muscle and boosting your personal development, but this has been a fascinating glimpse into something that affects everyone in the world and it will surely open your eyes to topics that don't prevail in discussions about Covid-19 as We help each other understand how happy we are when we have the luxury of going to the gym, lifting weights, exercising, and doing the things we enjoy. It is very true that if you are not healthy you don't have much. Fortunately, Amanda is evolving on her journey from Covid-19 and I hope she is 100% back as soon as possible.

21 Aug
Blog

HP Envy 15 (2020) Review: Insanely Fast, Incredible Price

HP Neid 15 2020 review 04

"The HP Envy 15 delivers great performance at a great price."

  • Incredibly strong performance

  • Beautiful and color-accurate AMOLED display

  • Solid build quality

  • Excellent keyboard and touchpad

  • The display supports touch and pen

  • A little stronger than rivals

  • No full size SD card slot

Dell has had great success with its XPS 15 – a sleek, professional laptop with surprisingly high performance. HP has never had its own MacBook Pro 16-inch competitor – at least not in terms of performance.

The HP Envy 15 fills this gap and offers a discount compared to Dell and Apple. My test device is priced at HP.com for $ 1,600, as configured, with a 10th generation Intel Core i7-10750H CPU, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB of solid state drive (SSD) storage, 4K AMOLED display, and RTX 2060 Max-Q GPU. A similarly configured XPS 15 will cost you well over $ 2,000 in comparison, and you'll have to upgrade to the even more expensive XPS 17 if you want to customize the graphics.

There has to be a catch, right? After all, it takes more than just performance per dollar to compete against its high-end competitors. I've searched hard for compromises, and while the Envy 15 isn't perfect, HP hasn't cut corners with the Envy 15.

design

Compared to the gemstone-cut HP Specter x360 15 with a tiny bezel, the Envy 15 is a pretty conservatively designed laptop. On its own, the Envy 15 is a pretty attractive 15-inch laptop. Its silver color scheme adorns an aluminum housing that is very robust – cannot bend or bend anywhere. The Envy 15 has just enough chiseled parts to make it unique – like the small indentation between the keyboard deck and the palm rest. It adds some pizzazz, but not so much that it outperforms the Specter for its looks alone. Let's not forget that the Envy 15 is technically a "midrange" laptop, which makes the build quality and size even more impressive.

The Envy isn't a petite laptop. It's a bit big and heavy as you'd expect on a 15-inch all-metal machine, 0.73 "thick (actually not bad for a 15-inch laptop, actually) and 4.75 pounds. The Dell XPS 15 is 0.71 inches thick and 4.5 pounds by comparison.

The Dell XPS 15 also has a slimmer profile, largely thanks to the smaller bezels. The Envy 15's screen-to-body ratio of 82% is a bit lower, partly due to a fairly large chin. Since the XPS 15 uses a display with an aspect ratio of 16:10, the two laptops are similar in size. It's just that the XPS 15 intelligently fills the space with a display instead of a bezel.

While the Envy 15 has some of its own design tricks up its sleeve, the focus is more on performance. It includes hidden rear vents that effectively move air without affecting the look of the back of the laptop. The Envy 15 also has a large pair of feet on the floor that set it off the table more than the competition for extra airflow.

Connectivity is a strength of the Envy 15. You get two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support, plus a full-size HDMI 2.0 port (updated from HDMI 1.4 on the previous model) so you can connect three displays to the device without a dock . You also get two USB-A 3.1 ports and a microSD card reader. However, HP made a mistake by not including a full-size reader. The target group for the Envy 15 are those who want to quickly transport data directly from their cameras.

Wireless connectivity is up to date thanks to an Intel Wi-Fi 6 chipset and Bluetooth 5.0.

HP also added a nice bonus in the form of a second SSD slot that allows either a RAID configuration or additional storage. When you add a few two terabytes (2 TB) of SSDs, you suddenly have an unusually large amount of storage space, which is especially useful for the creative types.

display

The Envy 15's 4K AMOLED 16: 9 display is spectacular, according to my colorimeter – although you can save some money by resorting to a Full HD option. The AMOLED panel is bright at 404 nits (and the anti-glare function makes it appear even brighter), has an incredible contrast at 404,410: 1 (the best IPS displays come in at around 1500: 1) and its gamma is just right at 2.2. That makes it a dream machine for productivity and multimedia watchers. Turn on HDR and you've got one of the best Netflix experiences out there with black text on a white background. As a writer, I just love this role. These results are on par with the best you can find, including the Dell XPS 15 and MacBook Pro 16-inch. Their IPS displays are similarly bright, but cannot come close in terms of contrast.

The Envy 15's display is also great for developers who HP is targeting with all this performance. The color gamut is very large with 100% of sRGB and 97% of AdobeRGB. The XPS 15 does a little better with exactly 100% of both color spaces in the color gamut. The Envy 15 also has an excellent color accuracy of 0.73 (the human eye can't see anything below 1.0), again just slightly behind the 0.37 of the XPS 17 and 0.65 of the XPS 15.

Most importantly, for the first time ever, HP has a machine that has both the power and the display to compete with the world's best creative laptops. There's no such thing as an HP Specter laptop with 45-watt CPUs, powerful GPUs, and color-calibrated displays. The Envy 15 is the first consumer laptop from HP that puts it all together into a truly competitive package.

The display is also touch and pen enabled, which is an added bonus. Writing on a clamshell laptop display isn't easy, but the feature is there when you need it.

I'll note here that the Envy 15's HDR support is also better than the 2019 Specter x360 15 with AMOLED (I didn't get a chance to test the 2020 version). For the best HDR performance in Netflix, turn on HDR in display settings. Unlike the Specter, this doesn't completely change the overall quality of the display. There's a small drop in color saturation, but it's not dramatic, and Netflix HDR looks great with "true" HDR enabled. This is a benefit of HP's current AMOLED – it supports VESA DisplayHDR and Windows 10 seems to handle it better than before. It's still not as good as the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme's Dolby Vision HDR, which in my experience is the best HDR you'll find on a laptop.

Audio is provided by two upward-facing speakers on either side of the keyboard. The volume wasn't impressively loud, but very clear and without distortion. There was more bass than you would expect and the mids and highs were pleasant. You could watch Netflix on the Envy 15 and not crave headphones as long as you just listen. It still may not match what Apple achieved with its MacBooks, but the Envy 15's speakers aren't bad.

performance

The Envy 15 is HP's shot over laptops like the XPS 15 and 17 that is also aimed at creative people. Therefore the laptop has to be fast.

The problem is that the Envy 15 uses a slower processor than the XPS 15 and XPS 17 – at least based on the units we tested. The Core i7-10750H has two fewer cores and four fewer threads than the Core i7-10875H in the Dells, which puts the Envy 15 at a disadvantage in many content creation applications.

This disadvantage is most evident in Geekbench 5 and Cinebench R20, where the multi-core performance was only tested 27% behind the XPS 15. The XPS 17 is of course even faster. The Envy 15 naturally handles the processor it has chosen quite well, just like other Core i7-10750H laptops we tested.

However, it comes down to performance in practice. That's why I switched to the Handbrake video coding application. Limited to the CPU only, I converted a 420MB video to H.265 and the Envy 15 was ready in a little under two and a half minutes. This is comparable to the XPS 15 in just over two minutes and the XPS 17 in just under two minutes. The ROG Strix G15 with the i7-10750H lasted three seconds longer than the Envy 15.

Finally, I ran our Premiere Pro video rendering test which exported a two minute 4K project to ProRes 422. During this process, both the CPU and the GPU can be used together, allowing a graphics card like the RTX 2060 Max-Q to be bent. It took the Envy 15 just five minutes and a second to complete the test in standard mode. Compare that to the XPS 17, which lasted three minutes and 38 seconds – that's a faster score than recorded in our XPS 17 test because that test used the latest and much faster version of Premiere Pro. Given the price difference and the fact that the XPS 17 uses a faster processor, this is an impressive feat for the Envy 15.

I also tested the HP Command Center software, which has different performance modes. By default, the company sets the Envy 15 to be relatively quiet and run relatively cool. This is how I did all of the above tests. When you really need to get the best possible performance out of the system, performance mode makes a big difference. Other laptops have similar utilities, but I've found HPs to be particularly aggressive. The setting didn't affect performance on synthetic benchmarks, but it did increase Handbrake and Premiere performance on the XPS 17. Given the price difference, this is an impressive result.

Play

HP doesn't advertise the Envy 15 as a gaming laptop, but if you have an RTX 2060 Max-Q inside, there's no reason not to use it. And in our series of gaming reviews, it quickly became clear that the Envy 15 is a good mid-range slot machine.

I ran our tests at 1080p and 4K as 1440p wasn't an option in this driver set. And that's probably fine since 1080p is probably where you want to play your games.

Starting with the synthetic 3DMark benchmark, the Envy 15 achieved 5,123 points in the most demanding Time Spy test, which is slightly behind the 5,801 of the XPS 17 with its RTX 2060. As we'll see, these two machines are pretty evenly matched in terms of performance to run today's modern titles, with the XPS 17 having a slight edge.

In Civilization VI, the Envy 15 achieved 121 frames per second (fps) at 1080p and medium graphics, compared to the XPS 17 at 143 fps and the XPS 15 with its GTX 1650 Ti at 114 fps. Interestingly, the Envy 15 managed 100 fps in ultra graphics compared to the XPS 17 with 90 fps and the XPS 15 with 64 fps. The Envy 15 also beat the XPS 17 and 15 when gaming in 4K resolution.

In Assassin's Creed Odyssey, the Envy 15 hit the sweet spot at 60 fps at 1080p and high graphics, compared to the XPS 17 at 61 fps and the XPS 15 at 47 fps. Finally, the Envy 15 was able to play Fortnite at 1080p and Epic at 84 fps, while the XPS 17 hit 82 fps. This allows both laptops to maintain a solid 60 fps in Fortnite unless you jump up to 4KB with both dropping to around 30 fps.

Of course, none of these frame rates above 60 fps are of any use to you, as the Envy 15's screen is locked with a refresh rate of 60 Hz. It also doesn't include anti-screen-tearing technology like G-Sync or FreeSync. As with many of these productivity-oriented computers, casual gaming is fine, but a suitable gaming laptop with a higher refresh rate provides a far smoother gaming experience.

Keyboard and touchpad

Apple's Magic Keyboard on the latest MacBooks is the best laptop keyboard out there. Still, the HP keyboard, which has moved from the Specter to the Envy range, is my second favorite. There's a lot of traveling and just the right balance between a light touch and a snappy feeling with a confident ground movement. The mechanism is perfect for me so that I can instantly update myself and type for hours without getting tired.

I like the keyboard on the XPS 15 and some other laptops (I'm thinking of the Lenovo ThinkPad range), but I prefer the HP version over any other Windows 10 laptop. I'm delighted to see that HP isn't reserving the keyboard for the Specter range, and I'll find that you can get the same for the HP Envy x360 13, which is well under $ 1,000.

Interestingly, the Envy 15's touchpad is better than that of the Specter x360 15. It's not the same widescreen version, which means it's bigger and takes up a lot more palm-rest space. It's glass-covered and very convenient to scroll and swipe. It also supports Microsoft's Precision touchpad drivers and all Windows 10 multi-touch gestures. It's as good as a touchpad on a Windows 10 laptop.

As mentioned earlier, the display is touch sensitive and as precise as ever. If you want to use HP's active pen with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, you have this option too. The passwordless login for Windows 10 Hello takes place via a fingerprint scanner, which is located in the keyboard next to the arrow keys – and works quickly and without errors.

Battery life

Pack that much power into a laptop and equip it with a low-power AMOLED display (which can be aided by using a dark color scheme since AMOLED uses the least power when the screen is high in black), and you won't going to expect a lot of longevity. This also applies to a battery capacity of 83 watt hours.

According to our standard benchmark tests, that's exactly what we saw. In our most demanding Basemark web benchmark test, the Envy 15 lasted almost exactly three hours. That's not terrible for such a powerful laptop, but it does mean that if you're really putting a strain on the CPU and GPU, you'll likely run out of battery life well before lunch. Interestingly, the XPS 15 with 86 watt hours of battery and the XPS 17 with 97 watt hours did not do better. The XPS 17 lasted six minutes less and the XPS 15 16 minutes longer.

The 4K screen means you need to have the charger close at hand.

In our web browser test, which is the best indicator of productivity, the Envy 15 lasted around 6.75 hours, which is not particularly long. Once again, the XPS 15 and 17 were close together, with the XPS 17 running 19 minutes less and the XPS 15 happening 19 minutes longer. Finally, I looped the laptop through our Full HD Avengers test trailer and it took about eight hours. And you guessed it – the XPS 15 was close again with 30 minutes less. The XPS 17 did it more than an hour longer.

The bottom line is that these powerful, creative laptops with low-power displays probably won't keep you actually working for an entire day. You want to carry your charger around with you. This is quite a task as they are pretty large power bricks. But that's the price you pay for fast laptops with beautiful displays.

Our opinion

The HP Envy 15 is the company's fastest consumer laptop and the one that best meets the needs of creative professionals with high work demands. Really, it's not even close – if you want similar or greater performance, you'll have to switch to HP's commercial line, especially the workstations. And the Envy 15 does its job well – it's fast, it can be configured with even faster components if you are looking to spend more, and it offers the type of display that fits all creative needs.

The Specter line is great for productivity users and those who value good looks and a smaller case. But it's the Envy 15 that makes power users happy – for hundreds of dollars less than they spend on competitive laptops.

Are there alternatives?

The Dell XPS 15 and Dell XPS 17 both offer the same or better performance with great displays and are equally good for creative workflows. But you'll be spending a lot more money, getting a little more class, and a more useful 16:10 display, but not much more.

If you're not a creative professional and want a 15-inch laptop with more flexibility and panache, the HP Specter x360 15 is a good alternative. You'll spend similar money and have an option for an equally great AMOLED display, but you won't get anywhere near the performance.

Don't forget the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme and the MacBook Pro 16-inch. These, too, can be configured with the same powerful components, and both provide superior displays. However, as with the XPS options, be prepared to spend a lot more money.

How long it will take?

The Envy 15 is well built and should last for years. However, we would like the guarantee to be longer than a year.

Should you buy it?

Absolutely. If you're looking for a laptop that can handle demanding creative tasks at a cheaper price, the Envy 15 is the one for you.

Editor's recommendations




21 Aug
Blog

The Double Cleansing Method, Explained

Everyone knows that they should wash their face before going to bed. What few people know is that they should wash their face twice. The Secret Strategy for Healthy, Youthful Skin and Double Cleansing involves two key steps in the legendary 10-step Korean skincare routine. "Cleansing your skin is important as it helps remove surface contaminants like dirt, oil, makeup, grime and grime, and it also reduces the appearance of aging," he says Alana Henrikson, Eminence Organics Product Support Representative. If you skip cleansing a little too often, you run the risk of clogged pores, irritation, dryness, and breakouts. This will prevent your skin from renewing itself overnight or properly absorbing skin care products.

The double cleaning method

However, double cleansing doesn't mean you have to wash your face twice. Rather, the routine is very specific. Here are our recommended steps:

  • Apply a small amount of an oil cleanser to the skin. If desired, emulsify with water
  • Use your fingertips to massage the face and neck area in circular movements, concentrating in particular on removing make-up residues
  • Rinse thoroughly
  • Follow the same steps again with the cleanser of your choice before drying your face and resuming your skincare routine

Double cleaning in depth

The science is in the oil cleaner. While traditional water-based cleansers deal with impurities by breaking down their oil components, oil cleansers draw oil from makeup, sunscreen lotion, sweat, and just the general layer of pollutants that builds up on the skin's surface above the skin and pull it out by day. It is also effective in pulling out the oily sebum overproduced by acne because it is a Washington DC-based dermatologist Ellinor Quay Coyne puts it this way: "Like dissolves like."

Start with an oil liquid or balsamic cleanser like grape seed, sesame, or almond on your skin. For a balm, massage it in your hands until it dissolves in an oil. Massage the oil gently in circular motions on the face and neck to remove any impurities. If you wish, you can emulsify with water during the massage before rinsing it clean with lukewarm water. Don't forget your eye area and hairline.

Repeat the cleansing while your face is still damp, but this time with a conventional gel or cream cleaner. This second cleaning cleanly removes any remaining contaminants and penetrates the pores to clog them. This prevents acne and enlarged pores. It also keeps your skin moist, soft, and fresh, and thoroughly removes the dull layer of oil and city grime. Your skin is now prepared and ready for the next steps in your skin care routine.

How to clean twice: perfect pairings

We recommend avoiding detergents with harsh sulfates, which remove your natural skin barrier, and staying away from irritating ingredients like fragrances or alcohol.

Which two cleaning products should you use together when pairing? We recommend avoiding detergents with harsh sulfates, which remove your natural skin barrier, and staying away from irritating ingredients like fragrances or alcohol. After all, the ideal pairing also depends on your skin type. Here are our two-step recommendations:

Normal skin

Stone Crop Cleansing Oil + Stone Crop Gel Wash

Our Stone Crop Cleansing Oil is enriched with sunflower and jojoba oils as well as nourishing microgreens and is the perfect deep cleanser for the first step. Then use the naturally oil-free Stone Crop Gel Wash.

Product selection

Eminence Organics Stone Crop Cleansing Oil

Stone fruit cleaning oil

VIEW PRODUCT

Eminence Organics Stone Crop Gel Wash

Stone Crop Gel Wash

VIEW PRODUCT

Oily skin

Acne Advanced Cleansing Foam + Probiotic Cleaner for Clear Skin

Formulated with encapsulated time-release salicylic acid and a natural blend of herbs, Acne Advanced Cleansing Foam opens pores and stops breakouts in people with acne-prone skin. It prepares the skin for our Clear Skin Probiotic Cleanser, which uses cucumber, tea tree oil, sweet almond milk, and yogurt for a gentle, balancing effect.

Stone Crop Cleansing Oil + Citrus Peeling Wash

Another good cleansing regimen for oily skin is to start with our Stone Crop Cleansing Oil and end with the Citrus Exfoliating Wash, which is formulated with grapefruit seeds, silica, and fresh lime juice.

Product selection

Eminence Organics Acne Advanced Cleansing Foam

Acne Advanced Cleansing Foam

VIEW PRODUCT

Eminence Organics Probiotic cleanser for clear skin

Probiotic cleanser for clear skin

VIEW PRODUCT

Also note this product: Citrus peeling wash

Combination skin

Stone Crop Cleansing Oil + Mangosteen Daily Resurfacing Cleanser

If your skin is suffering from both excessive oiliness and dryness, start with our Stone Crop Cleansing Oil, rinse it off and move on to the soothing, milky gel foam of our Mangosteen Daily Resurfacing Cleanser.

Product selection

Eminence Organics Mangosteen Daily Resurfacing Cleanser

Mangosteen Daily Resurfacing Cleanser

VIEW PRODUCT

Dry skin

Wildflower Cleansing Balm + Coconut Milk Cleaner

Our Wildflower Cleansing Balm is gently massaged into your skin and turns into either a natural vegetable oil cleanser or an emulsifying milk when mixed with water. Rinse off and finish with the rich, luscious coconut milk cleanser for a moist, fresh complexion.

Product selection

Eminence Organics Wildflower Cleansing Balm

Wildflower Cleansing Balm

VIEW PRODUCT

Eminence Organics coconut milk cleaner

Coconut milk cleaner

VIEW PRODUCT

Is double cleaning = overcleaning?

Does the double cleaning exaggerate things a little? Possibly when you use products that are not suitable for your skin. Or when it's winter and your skin is already dry. The tell-tale signs of overcleaning are tension after the skin has dried. Overcleaning not only removes the top layer of dead skin cells, but also lipids that can cause an imbalance in your skin. Stick to the right combination of double cleansing products for your skin type and you will likely avoid the risk of overcleaning your skin.

If you want to keep your complexion completely cleansed and prepared for the rest of your skincare routine, a double hit on the cleansing step is the best method for fresh, smooth, blemished skin. Which perfect pairing is best for your skin type? Let us know in the comments below or on social media. To learn more about what double cleansing can do for you and your skin, contact your Eminence Organics preferred spa partner.

20 Aug
Blog

Pioneer DJ HDJ-CUE1BT-R Headphones Review: Solid Sound

Pioneer dj hdj cue1bt r headphones review 1

Pioneer DJ HDJ-CUE1BT-R Headphones Review: Solid Sound, Customizable Style

"With a comfortable fit and multiple color options to make a style statement, Pioneer gets this right most of the time for $ 100."

  • Good audio reproduction

  • Multiple color options and adjustments

  • Cable and Bluetooth operation

  • Comfortable, comfortable fit

  • Feel cheap to build

  • Adjustments are expensive

It's hard to say what to expect from a $ 100 bluetooth on-ear headphone. Top tier features or even Active Noise Canceling (ANC) aren't options for cost reasons, but price should mean better build quality and strong audio performance go without saying. If these are my parameters, the Pioneer DJ HDJ-CUE1BT-R headphones – let's just call them CUE1 for simplicity – seem to be just the thing for you.

The CUE1 is designed for Pioneer DJs who are “beginner DJs and music enthusiasts alike”. He tries to balance style and performance for a very affordable price. Let's talk about whether they are successful or not.

What's in the box?

The CUE1 are simply packaged with the headphones and include an optional 3.5mm coiled cord that plugs into an extruded plastic tub insert. There is a plastic bag behind the tub with the relevant documents and instructions.

Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

There is a lot of plastic in this packaging. Aside from the tub, which should be recyclable in most places, there is a lot of soft plastics on and around the headphones. If you have the option to recycle soft plastics through your local grocery store, that's great! However, this is not the norm in most places, so much of this packaging will end up in a landfill. We don't like to see that.

We'll get into the build quality of the CUE1 headphones shortly, but as a spoiler, I think they need a carry case, and unfortunately, Pioneer doesn't come with one.

Design and build quality

I really like the color options for the CUE1. For this review I chose red because it's my favorite color, but they are also available in black or white. I was pretty torn when it came to choosing the color because another selling point of the CUE1 is that Pioneer DJ has a range of bespoke ear cups and a coiled cord that come in five additional colors – orange, yellow, Green, blue or purple – and none of them go particularly well with red.

I'm not particularly impressed with the materials.

The customization kits with the product name HC-CP08 cost an additional $ 30, which feels a bit high. The cups cannot be attached in a special way, but rely on the tension of the material to hold them to the plastic cans. For example, if the cups were magnetic or had a bayonet lock, maybe I could see the value. Unfortunately, this type of mug is cumbersome to put on or take off and feels like something I would pass on as a buyer. I wish Pioneer had thought a little more about this feature that I usually like.

Pioneer dj hdj cue1bt r headphones rating 6 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn2.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/pioneer-dj-hdj-cue1bt-r - headphones-review-6-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAJaron Schneider / Digital Trends

Pioneer dj hdj cue1bt r headphones rating 7 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn3.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/pioneer-dj-hdj-cue1bt-r - headphones-review-7-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAJaron Schneider / Digital Trends

The CUE1 looks pretty good when worn. They have a matte color that goes with pretty much anything, and the red will be especially eye-catching.

Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

I mentioned earlier that build quality really dictates the use of a case, and that's because I'm not particularly impressed with the materials. This actually reflects our opinion on the high-end Pioneer DJ HDJ-X5 headphones. So it's not particularly surprising to see her here. Although there is metal in the adjustment strap that is held together by screws, the rest of the product is made from a tough plastic that feels like it would tear easily if dropped or made rough contact with my backpack.

I know Pioneer needed to cut costs somewhere, and that clearly came into play with the materials used here. That's why I'm going to loosen them up a bit, since the drivers in the cups are exactly what you find in the aforementioned Pioneer DJ HDJ-X5 headphones. More on what these are bringing to the table soon.

Control, convenience and connections

All controls, connections and a single microphone are located in the left auricle. There are a number of buttons for volume control and below that a single button that handles power, pause / play / skip, answer and end calls, and bluetooth connectivity. It seems to put a lot in a button, but it works well enough. The connection for the supplied spiral cable is located under this button. Below is the microphone.

Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

I'll say the included 3.5mm jack cable gets everything right. Not only does it stick to the headset via a rotatable bayonet lock, but the other side of the cable also has an L-shape that keeps the profile slim against a computer or mixer and reduces the chance of knocking cables out or damaging them. The cable is of high quality and the design is just right for the intended use.

Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

The ear cups both rotate to the side independently for use with one ear, real DJ style. However, they do not rotate so that they can rest comfortably on your collarbones when not in use. The cups only spin away from you and not towards you for some reason, which is disappointing. As a result, they are not particularly comfortable when you are not wearing them.

The CUE1 should stay firmly attached to you even during exercise if this is your traffic jam.

However, when you wear them they are comfortable enough. On-ear headphones tend to put a lot of pressure on my ears to cling to my head and this is no exception. While this pressure creates some wear and tear fatigue over time, it also ensures that they don't fall off during activities and that they have pretty good noise isolation as well. This is in contrast to the Jabra Elite 45H, which sounds great but struggles to stay on the listener's head during activities. The CUE1 are definitely better at it and should stay firmly connected to you during training if that's your traffic jam.

The bluetooth connection on these is solid and allows me to travel far away from my yard while leaving my phone on my kitchen counter.

The CUE1 offers a battery life of 30 hours, which is a matter of course for headphones without ANC. You can't touch the 50-hour runtime of the Jabra Elite 45H, but nobody can.

Sound quality

I mentioned earlier that the Pioneer DJ CUE1 uses the same drivers as the company's HDJ-X5 headphones that we praised for their quality, and I'm happy to say that the CUE1 does indeed sound great.

The highs, mids and lows are all well represented and balanced.

The highs, mids and lows are all well represented and balanced. For headphones that don't have app support to set the EQ, it's important that they sound fantastic straight away, especially for those bass-heavy beats that DJs want to hear clearly. The bass isn't overwhelming, but you definitely won't miss it in pop and EDM songs.

Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

I'll say that while the sound of the CUE1 is warm and approachable, it isn't particularly clear, especially in the higher registers. They do a great job of not confusing any of the tones with each other, which makes them very good for monitoring music like a DJ would, but on top of the ambiguity they certainly push the warmth beyond what I think it is would qualify real studio monitors. We had similar references to the HDJ-X5 in our review, and so I think Pioneer did a good job migrating those drivers to these headphones at a $ 50 discount.

How do they compare to another $ 100 set? It's near. The Jabra 45H can actually have a little more punch behind its bass output if you adjust its EQ in the app. Overall, the audio display is very tight between the two, but I'll nod the Jabra 45H for a little better clarity.

Call quality

While the Pioneer DJ CUE1 is sufficient for phone calls, they don't do a great job with them. My voice sounded to me like I was in a closed pantry and wasn't very clear. In the end, the voice quality was great, and while I wasn't as clear as my listener wanted, we had an uninterrupted 20 minute conversation while I watered my garden.

Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

Our opinion

The Pioneer DJ HDJ-CUE1BT-R are good $ 100 headphones that offer a stylistic angle that few other headphones offer, especially at this price point. The finish of the interchangeable color options could have been better, but we still love to see it. They sound as good as their more expensive brother, the HDJ-X5, but they also have the same problems with durability and the lack of a carrying case. But for $ 100 they do enough right.

Is there a better alternative?

The Jabra Elite 45H headphones offer very similar audio quality as well as significantly better battery life and Bluetooth multi-point capability. The thing is, you get these features at the expense of the Pioneer DJ CUE1's better noise isolation, secure fit, and attachable cord. You should also consider the Audio BT-1 status or, thanks to the stronger bass, the Sony WH-XB700.

How long will they last?

Pioneer DJ offers a one-year warranty and we expect these to last longer with longer treatment. The thing is, you should buy a bag when you pick up these headphones to make sure they don't have excessive wear and tear while traveling.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The option to mix personalized colors into your headphones and get solid sound performance for $ 100 is a combination of options that leaves the Pioneer DJ CUE1 all but alone. They are definitely worth a visit.

Editor's recommendations




20 Aug
Blog

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20 Aug
Blog

Jabra Elite 45h Review: The Best $100 Headphones You Can Buy

Jabra Elite 45h headphones

"Great sound, convenience, and battery life set a new standard for $ 100 headphones."

  • Very convenient

  • Very good sound quality

  • Incredible battery life

  • Pairing multiple devices

  • No analog input

  • Shifts easily with head movement

Shopping for $ 100 worth of wireless headphones is a near-impossible task. There are so many models to choose from, and so many styles and functions, that it is a wonder more people are not giving up on mere election paralysis.

The good news is that all of these choices result in fierce competition between companies with buyers who are ultimately the winners.

While you might see the launch of another model – in this case, Jabra's $ 100 on-ear Elite 100h – as something that will make that choice even more difficult, after reading our full review, you should still check out if you can still do.

Let's get into that.

What's in the box?

Jabra Elite 45h headphonesSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra has been getting minimal with its packaging (I think it's like "Jumbo Shrimp") and the Elite 45h comes in a simple box with an even simpler cardboard sleeve. The only reference to plastic is the small shelf hanging loop.

Inside is the Elite 45h, which is protected by the thin but stretchy carrying case supplied and accompanied by a single accessory: a short USB-C charging cable.

design

Up until the Elite 45h, Jabra's cheapest wireless headphones were the $ 99 Move-Style Edition – a highly respected on-ear model. The Elite 45h may have taken the price of the Move, but its style and design elements are as much influenced by Jabra's flagship Elite 85h noise-canceling headphones as they are by the Move.

Regardless of which of the five color schemes you choose, these are really good looking on-ear cans.

With its ultra-clear lines and tasteful accents, the Elite 45h has a premium look that reminds me of Denmark's other major audio brands: Bang and Olufsen.

However, all traces of fabric have been removed so that the Elite 45h is completely covered with plastic, silicone rubber and synthetic leather. This could have resulted in a drab, sterile atmosphere, except that Jabra uses anodized aluminum for the one-piece sliders and ear pegs.

Regardless of which of the five color schemes you choose (titanium black, gold beige, copper black, black, or navy), these are really good looking on-ear tins.

The Elite 45h doesn't have flip hinges like the Beats headphones, but the earcups fold flat, making them easier to stow in a backpack, especially if you're already using a flat device like a tablet or laptop. Oddly enough, the ear pads point up when worn around the neck rather than down when laid flat.

Perhaps the most distinctive element of the Elite 45h design, however, is the continuous ear pad surface. In contrast to practically all other on-ear headphones that look like miniature versions of their larger over-ear siblings, the ear cushions of the Elite 45h have no defined edge – the synthetic leather cover simply moves all the way over. Only interrupted by circular perforations to let the sound through.

Why did Jabra choose this approach? Aside from the clear continuity they offer for the overall look of the Elite 45h, there are also comfort and sound benefits, which I will discuss below.

I can only find one flaw in the design of the Elite 45h: it lacks an analog headphone input. This may sound like a deal breaker, but as you'll see in a moment, I doubt you mind.

Convenience, control and connections

Jabra Elite 45h headphonesSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Elite 45h weigh a little more than the Move Style Edition (160 grams versus 150 grams), but you will hardly notice any weight once on your head.

Their mass is very well distributed and the clamping force of the headband prevents the somewhat tight contact point with the top of your head from feeling tired.

The continuous surface of the ear pads shouldn't make much of a difference in how they feel. After all, beneath this surface are the same oval cushions that you find on all on-ear headphones. And yet they distribute the clamping pressure further, like a set of miniature trampolines for your ears. Once you've positioned them, they're incredibly comfortable.

With the exceptional running time of the Elite 45h of 50 hours between charging processes, fear of range should now be a thing of the past.

However, this wonderful pressure distribution has a disadvantage. Because the ear pads no longer have a defined comb, they can no longer grip your ears as well as a more traditional design. Because of this (and the narrow contact ridge of the headband), they shift more easily when you move your head.

While it's not a problem when you're at a desk or on your daily commute, it's less than ideal for jogging or activities where impact or rapid head movements are part of the routine.

The Elite 45h has four physical button controls as well as a power / bluetooth switch, all of which are located on the right ear cup. Unlike many wireless headphones, including the Jabra Move, the four main buttons are located high on the outer edge of the auricle, near the slider.

This encourages you to grip the rim with your thumb and middle / ring finger while pressing down on the controls with your index finger.

Play / pause, volume up / down, answer / end call and skip tracks forward / backward are behind the slider, while the dedicated voice assistant button is in the front.

Now that I've gotten used to it, I'm a fan of the layout. I've found that not only is my index finger better at handling fine movements than my thumb (which is usually tasked with pressing headphone buttons), it is also more sensitive to small shapes and edges.

Pairing via Bluetooth is a breeze. Just follow the now familiar steps to turn on the headphones when you take them out of the box and find their name in your Bluetooth settings menu.

The real main attraction, however, is the Bluetooth multipoint function, which allows you to pair two devices at the same time. It's not a feature that you often find on headphones at this price point (Sony just added it to their $ 350 WH-1000XM4), and it's very handy for those who don't worry about switching between one Phone and a laptop or a phone and a TV – it just works with Bluetooth Multipoint.

The Elite 45h offer excellent sound quality with a balanced EQ.

The Elite 45h doesn't give you a long wireless range – just 30m under ideal conditions – but just like Jabra's other products, it's a stable, reliable connection that never falters.

Battery life

Jabra Elite 45h headphonesSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Do you remember when I said I didn't think you would mind that the Elite 45h doesn't have an analog headphone jack? That's because wired connections through wireless headphones really only exist to soothe the range anxiety of people who worry about the battery running out.

With the exceptional 50 hours running time of the Elite 45h between charging processes, this fear should now be a thing of the past.

Let's say you somehow manage to drain the Elite 45h's battery – although a pleasant voice will tell you the battery status every time you turn it on and they can automatically turn off when not in use – don't panic. If you can save 15 minutes on a quick charge, you'll be rewarded with an additional 10 hours of listening time.

Not only are these statistics good, they are also true for world-class wireless headphones.

Sound quality

Jabra Elite 45h headphonesSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Elite 45h offer excellent sound quality with a balanced EQ.

Jabra likes to boast about the size of the drivers in these cans, but at 40mm, not only are they similar to many other models in this price range, but they're also the same size as Jabra's own Move Style Edition.

What matters a lot more than size is the design, materials and tuning of the riders, and luckily Jabra did a great job.

Unlike some other Jabra products like the true Elite 75t wireless earbuds, which put a heavy load on the bass, the Elite 45h targets the sweet spot where all frequencies coexist harmoniously.

As on-ear headphones you don't get the immersiveness of an over-ear set, but the unusual ear pad design of the Elite 45h gives these cans a small advantage: they offer better passive noise isolation than I'm used to.

This gives the sound a better sense of intimacy and helps keep details clear that might otherwise drown out – not bad for $ 100 headphones with no active noise cancellation (ANC).

Find a quiet place to listen and the Elite 45h comes into its own. Whether it's the deep groove notes that Linkin Park's new track She Couldn & # 39; t perform, or Adele's signature, soaring vocals, these cans have managed to put a smile on my face.

I think they pretty much hit the mark, but if you disagree then that's fine. Thanks to the free Jabra Sound + app for iOS and Android, you can tweak the Elite 45h the way you want with a decent collection of EQ presets and the ability to save your own.

Call quality

Jabra Elite 45h headphonesSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra is rightly proud of its call quality – its products have long been excellent for wireless calls in and out of the office.

The Elite 45h largely continues this tradition and offers a good mix of general speech quality and suppression of background noise. I wouldn't describe it as the kind of experience you would get with high-end headphones from Bose or Sony (that would be a miracle given the five or more microphones these fancy cans have), but for their price are you & # 39; I am very good.

What the Elite 45h lacks in most other headphones in this price range is a side tone option that can be set and turned on and off via the Sound + app.

When the side tone is on, you can more or less hear your own voice during a call. That way, there is a little less shouting and calls to sound like you are holding a phone to one ear.

It's a great feature, but you have to be careful with how much side tone you use. I found that more than 25% produced a noticeable high-frequency buzzing sound – presumably the result of two on-board microphones trying to amplify my voice without amplifying all the noise around me at the same time.

I would also like to be able to activate the background noise when you are not on the phone. However, this may be fixed in a future software update.

Our opinion

In the crowded $ 100 wireless headphone market, few models sound as good as the Jabra Elite 45h, and none that can do it with the Elite's combination of style and battery life.

Is there a better alternative?

I'm not sure if you'll find anything better than the Elite 45h for $ 100, but there are definitely other options. The 100 dollars Status audio BT-1They're great for sound and convenience, for example, and have an analog input that the Elite doesn't have. For a bigger bass-oriented sound, The $ 120 WH-XB700 from Sony are also good choices and often sell for $ 100.

How long will they last?

Jabra products are some of the best-built you will find. The Elite 45h comes with a two-year manufacturer's warranty against dust and rain, although Jabra does not claim an explicit IP rating for these headphones.

You can expect the ear pads to occasionally need replacing, but they are inexpensive and can be ordered through Jabra itself or one of its retail partners.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Elite 45h is a good buy unless you need it for jogging or other high impact, high movement activities.

Editor's recommendations




19 Aug
Blog

Arlo Essential Review: Affordable, but Not so Essential

Arlo Essential full shot

"Arlo's first camera without a hub is cheaper, but is it worth it?"

  • Color night vision

  • Inexpensive monthly subscription

  • Glitchy app

  • Blurry faces in the video

  • Bad battery performance

The Arlo Essential was designed to be the answer to crappy surveillance cameras that can't "see" clearly in the dark. To achieve this, Arlo added a headlight and colored night vision to the Essential. With night time being the main time for security filming, this was a good idea and we are surprised that more outdoor video surveillance cameras are not focusing on it. It's also the company's first hub-free camera, which is especially handy for those who don't have additional Ethernet ports on their routers. Did Arlo's hub-free, night vision-oriented camera come out on top? I found the following:

installation

Because the Arlo Essential is a wireless camera, installation is quick and can be done by even the least mechanically gifted person. The app guides you through the setup step by step. You simply attach the base with three screws in the place where you want to place the camera. Flip the camera onto the base and you're done. It didn't take more than 10 minutes. Since there's no hub to connect to, you can skip this step altogether, which streamlines things a bit.

Video

The camera records with a resolution of 1080p and has a field of view of 130 degrees. This is a step back from the Arlo Pro 3, one of our most popular outdoor surveillance cameras that records 2K video (with a maximum resolution of 2560 × 1440). and the field of view (how much the lens can "see") is slightly wider at 160 degrees.

Arlo Essential night vision video screenshots

Essentials has a nice clear video during the day. The colors are vivid and there is very little distortion. The edges of the image are slightly curved but not enough to affect the clarity. However, the camera struggles to focus on faces. I noticed that they looked a bit grainy, especially further away. The camera has a 12x digital zoom so you can see unfamiliar faces better at a greater distance. However, zooming in will degrade the quality of the image even further, so it doesn't help much. The sweet spot seems to be just a foot or two from the camera for the sharpest picture. This isn't particularly helpful when you need the essential to do more than just monitor your porch.

The faces were so blurry that it is difficult to pick out features.

The biggest innovation in Arlo Essential is the built-in spotlight that allows you to watch color video at night. Is this innovative leap making waves? Not really. I found that the video quality was still not great. Just like when shooting daily footage, faces were a problem, but even more extreme. The faces were so blurry that it is difficult to pick out features. The colors and contrast looked fine, but the camera didn't seem to focus on people.

properties

What is essential is a bit of a boneless, which probably explains the name. However, there is a siren and two-way conversation. The 80dB siren can be set to go off when motion is detected, or you can set it to go off only when you manually press the alarm button. Unfortunately, 80dB isn't very loud and it's one of the quietest sirens we've seen on outdoor surveillance cameras.

Arlo Essential front shotAlina Bradford / Digital Trends

The two-way audio allows you to speak to people who are near your security camera. They can hear them and they can hear you – at least that's how the camera should work. I found that the Essential's two-way talk was quite loud when you're the listener outside. I could only hear mutilated sound through the app. The app stopped and buffered when I tried to use it too, which made the process even more frustrating.

An important missing feature on other Arlo cameras is the privacy setting: this feature allows you to control which areas of your garden the camera can record. For example, with the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight camera, if you don't want to capture part of your garden, the camera will zoom in to avoid it. This feature is useful when, for example, you don't want to record your hot tub area or when your kids are playing.

Battery life

One of my biggest complaints about the Arlo Essential was the battery. In less than a week the load was full. One of the main reasons for this is that there are two very limited ways to regulate the sensitivity of the motion detector. The constantly triggered sensors mean the camera is recording all the time – and wasting the battery.

In less than a week the load was full.

One way is to set up an activity area through the app, a point that the motion sensors focus on so that the camera doesn't detect activity on a busy sidewalk, for example. Another way to reduce the number of triggered sensors is to focus them only on detecting people or boxes and not animals or vehicles. Other cameras may reduce the sensitivity and / or the area in which the sensors can detect movement.

On a slow day, the battery used around 11% of its charge. If the sensors only trigger occasionally, you will still need to charge the camera every nine or ten days. This is not very long and would be a pain in the end.

Down from Arlo EssentialAlina Bradford / Digital Trends

Worse still, the camera doesn't have a removable battery like the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight does. This means you have to take the camera off its mount (you have to unscrew it, which takes a minute) and then put it in to charge. You can buy a solar panel attachment for the camera to solve the problem of it constantly charging. However, I am concerned that the Essential is using more energy than the solar panel could produce.

App

Although the Arlo app is easy to navigate, I've found it to be quite buggy. For example, it froze when trying to set up the activity zone function. If this was a one-off fritz, no problem, but I kept having these moments trying to use the app. If you tap on the full screen view from the mini screen in the dashboard, the app is also buffered for a few seconds. This can be frustrating when trying to use the two way feature to communicate with a person at your door, or just want to take a closer look at one person. At times, I found that the app was even buffering just trying to display live video on the miniscreen.

The app isn't all bad, however. One useful feature that you won't find in most cameras is lock screen notifications, which you can get here. So you can see who is at your door without opening the app. That can save you time! Just look at your phone and you will know exactly how to do it.

Arlo Essential app

There are two security features that I also like. By connecting your carbon monoxide detector or fire alarm to Arlo Essential, you can be notified when these alarms go off. Tapping the 911 button on the app will call 911 (as long as you live in the US) and automatically show the location of your home.

While you don't need a subscription to use Arlo Essential and its app, the camera is almost unusable without one. The A.I. The subscription-based service Arlo Smart gives you access to activity zones, e911 services, 30 days of cloud storage and advanced object recognition that allow you to tell the difference between a person, a vehicle, an animal and a package. You get a three month trial which then costs $ 3 per month, which is really affordable. This price is for one camera. However, if you have more, there's a package that covers up to five cameras for $ 10.

Our opinion

The Arlo Essential just doesn't hit the mark in terms of video clarity, features, or the app. There are outdoor surveillance cameras with much better video quality for less than $ 130 and apps that work far better. I expected more from Arlo because the company's other cameras are rated highly here at Digital Trends. It's possible that Arlo hasn't fully perfected the camera without a hub and needs to resolve the issues.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. Our list of the best security cameras has some really good options, models that are cheaper and work better – although they may not have a built-in light. If you want a good floodlight camera, go for the Arlo Pro 3 floodlight: the light is brighter, the siren is louder, and it has a lot more features for around $ 120 more. On the other end of the spectrum, the Wyze outdoor camera offers a whole host of features for much less – this camera is only $ 50!

Will it take?

The camera seems sturdy and well made, but I have serious concerns. Since you have to unscrew it from the mount every time you need to charge the Essential, I'm concerned that the threads will come off quickly and you will no longer be able to mount the camera. The hardware has a limited one-year warranty and operates in temperatures from minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit to 113 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 degrees Celsius to 45 degrees Celsius). However, these are real concerns.

Should you buy it?

No. There are just too many other inexpensive outdoor surveillance cameras on the market that work better and have more features.

Editor's recommendations




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