26 Aug
Blog

Acer Swift X Review: Top-notch Performance For Cheap?

The Acer Swift X sits on a desk.

Acer Swift X review: content creation cheap?

RRP $ 1,100.00

"The Acer Swift X is a powerful laptop that many students and creatives appreciate."

advantages

  • Outstanding performance

  • Very good battery life

  • Excellent keyboard and touchpad

  • Solid entry-level gaming

  • Thin and light frame given the strength inside

disadvantage

  • Build quality could be better

  • Display is not sufficient for the target market

Creative professionals need more than anything in a great laptop. First, they need power, and lots of it – preferably both a fast CPU and a fast GPU. Second, they need a display with wide and accurate colors and lots of contrast and brightness. Acer's Swift X is aimed at these developers, though it does offer configurations starting at $ 1,100. Is that possible at this price?

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U, the RTX 3050 Ti and the 14-inch display of the Acer Swift X certainly seem up to the task. After putting it through its paces, the Swift X is far from a perfect machine – but its fantastic performance and value for money set it apart from its competitors.

draft

The Acer Swift X has an all-aluminum chassis that was a bit flexible in the lid and suffered from a slight flexing of the keyboard. It's nothing monstrous. but Asus, Dell, and HP laptops tend to have stiffer builds. The MSI Prestige 14 Evo, Dell XPS 13, and HP Specter x360 14 are three laptops that feel more solid in the hand. The Swift X's hinge is capable of almost one-handed opening and holds the display firmly in place while you work. If the Swift X were more expensive, I'd have more of a build quality issue. However, we are only just on the edge of the premium class for a well configured machine, so I like to overlook a bit of flexibility.

The Acer Swift X sits on a desk.

Aesthetically, the Swift X is a conservative laptop that only encompasses a few angles, including along the back of the case to make some difference. It's available in three creatively titled colors, Safari Gold (my test device), Steam Blue, and Prodigy Pink. The XPS 13 and Specter x360 13 are more outstanding laptops in terms of looks, with the Dell leaning towards business-like elegance and the HP offering a bold, gem-cut design. But there's plenty of room for a more traditional design that doesn't attract too much attention, and that is the Swift X.

I'll be faulting it for its plastic display bezels that spoil the overall look. They're not particularly small either, with a screen-to-body ratio of 85.73% – to be considered truly modern, that number should exceed 90% and the display should be made entirely of glass. The display's 16: 9 aspect ratio is also old-fashioned, with competing laptops using higher ratios like 16:10 and 3: 2.

Compared to some other 14-inch laptops, the Swift X is a reasonable size. For example, it's a bit wider than the HP Envy 14, while it's thinner due to the HP's tall 16:10 display. The Swift X is 0.70 inches thick compared to the Envy 14's 0.71 inches and weighs 3.06 pounds, while the Envy 14 is slightly heavier at 3.3 pounds. The MSI Prestige 14 Evo is closer in width and depth, while it's thinner at 0.63 inches and lighter at 2.85 pounds. The Specter x360 14 is even narrower, but slightly deeper, with its 13.5-inch 3: 2 display, and it's just 0.67 inches thick and 2.95 pounds. It might not be the thinnest or lightest laptop, but the Swift X is still comfortable enough to carry around – especially considering how much power you're packing in.

The Swift X offers ample connectivity with a proprietary power connector, a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, a full-size HDMI 1.0 port, and a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port on the left to connect to another USB A 3.2. go to Gen 1 port and 3.5mm audio adapter on the right. Unfortunately there is no SD card reader or, given the AMD chipset, Thunderbolt support. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 offer wireless connectivity.

power

As mentioned earlier, the Ryzen 7 5800U is a fast, thin, and light laptop processor that by far beats the Intel equivalent for CPU-intensive tasks. If we just compare the processors, we should expect AMD's offering to be much faster for things like encoding videos and processing large images. Throw in a separate GPU, even the entry-level Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, and you get additional support for applications that can use the GPU to speed up certain tasks, such as: B. Adobe's suite of creative applications. The Acer therefore promises to be a powerhouse in a thin and light package.

You probably won't find a faster, thin, and light laptop in this price range.

According to our benchmarks, Acer did just that – for the most part. In our Handbrake test, which encodes a 420MB video in H.265, the Swift X led our comparison group, including several other laptops with Ryzen chips. It even (barely) beat the Asus ROG Flow X13 with the faster Ryzen 9 5900HS processor. In fact, the Swift X is one of the fastest laptops we tested in Handbrake, and even outperforms some machines with Intel 45-watt CPUs. The Swift X also did exceptionally well in the Cinebench R23 benchmark and even took the lead by a clear margin with the Ryzen 9 in the mix. Both benchmark results show that the Swift X delivers when you have to perform tedious tasks like encoding video that are CPU draining.

The Swift X wasn't that dominant in Geekbench 5, but I'd like to note here that Acer includes a utility to change performance modes. The utility didn't make much of a difference when I switched to performance mode in most tests, and the results in the table reflect standard mode. However, Geekbench 5 was a test where the performance mode made a difference – the Swift X scored 1,406 single-core and 8,030 multi-core in that mode, taking first place in the multi-core test. The Swift X also took first place in the PCMark 10 Complete Score (the performance mode made hardly any difference here) and did well in the Essentials, Productivity and Content Creation scores.

Acer Swift X sits on a desk.

I also ran the PugetBench benchmark, which uses Adobe Premiere Pro to perform various viewing and encoding tasks. The benchmark shows the effect of a discrete GPU, as the Swift X scores 333 points in the benchmark. Interestingly, this is not as high as I expected and ended up behind the HP Envy 14, for example, which uses an Intel Core i5-1135G7 and an Nvidia GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q and scored 432 points. The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 with an Intel Core i7-1165G7 and integrated Iris-Xe graphics scored 241 points, while the Asus ZenBook 13 OLED with a Ryzen 7 5800U and integrated Radeon graphics scored 180 points. These results show that Intel has built in some optimizations that give its chips a better result here in the benchmark. The benchmark is broken down into several sections including Export, Playback, and GPU, and the Intel machines did worse on Export and GPU, but much better on playback, which likely bloated their results.

Despite the confusing PugetBench results, the Swift X is a great machine for anyone who needs a lot of CPU power and a GPU that can speed up intensive tasks. It's also extremely fast as a productivity laptop and tears up everything I threw on it during the review process. You are unlikely to find another thin and light laptop that is faster in this price range.

Geekbench (single / multiple) Handbrake
(Seconds)		 Cinebench R23 (single / multiple) PCMark 10 3DMark time spy
Acer Swift X (Ryzen7 5800U) 1287/6663 99 1437/10135 6247 4073
HP Pavilion Aero 13
(Ryzen7 5800U)		 1373/6430 112 1381/8304 5756 1212
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED
(Ryzen7 5800U)		 1423/6758 124 1171/7824 6034 1342
Asus ROG Flow X13
(Ryzen9 5900HS)		 1415/7592 102 1420/9701 5756 4503
Dell XPS 13 (Core i7-1185G7) 1549/5431 204 1399/4585 n / A 1380
HP Specter x360 14 (Core i7-1165G7) 1214/4117 236 1389/3941 4728 1457
Razer Book 13 (Core i7-1165G7) 1548/5374 210 1508/4519 4878 1776
MacBook Pro 13 (M1) 1707/7337 n / A 1487/7547 n / A n / A

Gaming was good for a laptop that wasn't specifically designed for gaming, with the Swift X doing well in the 3DMark Time Spy test (but behind the game-centric Asus ROG Flow X13). It reached 116 frames per second (fps) in Civilization VI at 1080p and medium graphics and 66 fps with ultra graphics switched on. That's actually a few fps faster than the ROG Flow X13, which surprised me. In Fortnite, the Swift X achieved 64 fps at 1080p and high graphics performance compared to the ROG Flow X13 at 67 fps and 43 fps with epic graphics compared to 47 fps with the ROG. The Swift X is a good entry-level gaming device that can handle modern titles with the right resolutions and graphical details.

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Close up on the Acer Swift X screen.

From a performance perspective, the Swift X is designed for creative professionals. As we've seen, it has the speed that a very portable workstation can handle for editing videos and photos on the go. However, an important part of that equation is the display – does it offer wide and accurate colors, lots of brightness, and high contrast for creative work? In short, the answer is unfortunately no for the 14-inch IPS Full HD display (1,920 x 1,080) of the Swift X in 16: 9 format. The subjective viewing experience during my tests was a mixed picture, with colors that seemed accurate and pleasant, and with just enough brightness to accommodate the lighting in my house. Blacks on white backgrounds didn't show up, however, which made copy-writing a less pleasant experience than I'd like.

So I turned to my familiar colorimeter for a more objective perspective. The results didn't surprise me at all. Initially, the color width was 72% of AdobeRGB and 96% of sRGB, which is the average of premium laptops, but falls far short of the displays required for creative work. Color accuracy was good with a DeltaE of 1.63 (1.0 or less is considered excellent), so that's a plus.

The brightness was a bit low at 283 nits, below our 300-nit threshold, and the contrast was 730: 1, well below our preferred 1,000: 1 ratio for premium laptops. On another recently tested 14-inch laptop, the Lenovo ThinkPad Carbon X1 Gen 9 (certainly a more expensive device), we see similar colors at 76% AdobeRGB and 96% sRGB, better color accuracy at 0.99, and higher brightness at 306 nits. The contrast of the ThinkPad was still below our threshold at 970: 1, which you could see from the black text. The Dell XPS 13 Full HD + display achieved 75% AdobeRGB and 98% sRGB with a color accuracy of 1,21,458 nits of brightness and a contrast ratio of 1,350: 1.

That's a lot of numbers, but the conclusion is simple. The Swift X allows creatives to get their work done on the go at some speed, but they don't want to use the laptop for final production. Productivity workers will be more satisfied with the display, but even then the low contrast ratio will be disappointing and the old school 16: 9 contrast ratio cannot be compared to today's higher panels. It's a shame that Acer doesn't offer a higher quality display with wider colors and better contrast for the Swift X. That would really make the laptop a highly portable creative production machine.

In terms of audio technology, the two downward-facing speakers weren't exactly great. The maximum volume was on the low side, enough for system sounds and a YouTube video, but not nearly enough for music or Netflix bingeing. The mids and highs were clear, but there was no bass (not surprising for a laptop) and there was no distortion when turned all the way up. You need headphones or a bluetooth speaker.

Keyboard and touchpad

The Acer Swift-X keyboard.

The Swift X has a keyboard with nice-sized silver keycaps and full-size spacing. The key switches are light and clicky, with a comfortable floor motion that provides a precise feel. I still prefer the HP Specter keyboard, which offers a touch more feedback, but the Swift X keyboard comes with the best that Windows 10 has to offer. It's backlit, of course, but I found that the light shining through the gay letters was distorted and difficult to read. However, this is a minor matter. Most touch typists will love this keyboard.

The touchpad takes up most of the available palm rest space, but the top of the keyboard deck is pushed back by an extension that houses the hinge and rear ventilation. That means the touchpad is a bit smaller than it could be. However, it has a comfortable interface and Microsoft Precision touchpad drivers, so using Windows 10 multi-touch gestures is efficient and precise. There is no touch display option, which is disappointing.

A fingerprint reader in the upper right corner of the palm rest offers Windows 10 Hello password-free support. It worked quickly and responsively during my tests, which has become the norm with modern laptops.

Battery life

Acer packed 59 watt hours of battery into the Swift X, a decent – but not great – amount for a 14-inch laptop with such powerful components. The Full HD display would help, I expected, but I wasn't expecting great battery life.

I was surprised. In our web browser test, the Swift X lasted for almost 12 hours, which is a strong score. The MSI Prestige 14 Evo achieved a little more than seven hours in this test, while the HP Envy 14 was better than both with just over 12.5 hours. In our video test, which repeats a local Full HD Avengers trailer, the Swift X reached 12.75 hours, well below the 16.3 hours of the Prestige 14 Evo and 14.5 hours of the HP Envy. I've noticed that Ryzen laptops don't have the same increase from the web browsing test to the video test, which shows that Intel machines are more efficient at playing videos.

In the battery benchmark PCMark 10 Applications, the best indicator for the longevity of productivity, the Swift X does well with just over 12 hours. The Prestige 14 Evo did not quite manage 10.5 hours in this test, while the HP Envy 14 would not complete the benchmark. In the PCMark 10 gaming battery test, the Swift X shut down after just under 1.5 hours, which is the lowest result we have ever seen. The Prestige 14 Evo lasted just 10 minutes longer, while the HP Envy 14 is the other laptop to score the Swift X's. This test seems to show how much a laptop is throttled on battery power, which means that the Swift X works hard when turned off and therefore burns its battery up pretty quickly.

Overall, these results suggest that the Swift X will last you a full day of work with a few hours to spare. If you drive the CPU and GPU hard enough, you will get a lot less battery life, but that's to be expected. If you encode video on the go, take your power adapter with you.

Our opinion

The Acer Swift X does what it promises to pack a lot of power into a thin and light frame. It's one of the fastest 14-inch laptops we've tested, and it's a great choice for creative professionals who need power on the go. Battery life was also a strength, which makes this notebook a great productivity laptop for on the go.

The biggest downside to the Swift X is the display. Getting rid of it entirely by creative professionals isn't bad enough, but they should have a better external display in the office to complete their work. Acer would have been smart about offering a higher quality display for those who want it the most.

Are there alternatives?

There aren't many laptops that combine a fast Ryzen CPU with a discrete GPU. One that has recently become available is the Asus ROG Flow 13, which is a smaller machine but almost as fast. Aside from the Asus' gaming aesthetic, it's a great alternative for anyone who needs portable performance.

The HP Envy 14 is an option for someone who can live with an Intel Core CPU to work with separate graphics, and it has performed well in Adobe applications. It also suffers from a smaller display, but offers good performance and better build quality.

How long it will take?

The Swift X is so well built you can expect it to hold up on high-performance computing for years. The components are modern and should keep up with the times, demanding users should get their money's worth. As always, the industry standard one-year warranty is disappointing.

Should you buy it?

Yes, for performance and battery life. Just make sure you can live with the display before pulling out your credit card.

Editor's recommendations



31 Mar
Blog

iiRcade Review: A Top-Notch Home Arcade With a Caveat

iiRcade

iiRcade Bartop arcade game

"The iiRcade is a high quality home arcade with a bright future, but it will take a few more games to justify the price."

  • Versatile setup

  • High quality

  • Excellent controls

  • Ingenious digital shop

  • Expensive

  • Game library needs more

You've probably never heard of iiRcade, but the home arcade machine company came up with a really interesting concept. Instead of offering nostalgia-focused reproductions of classic cabinets, a modern approach is chosen. The machine is integrated into a digital storefront where players can buy games à la carte and download them to their machine immediately. It's an arcade machine with an app store.

It's a smart business model, and fans of home arcade machines seemed to agree. The company launched a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $ 600,000. Now that it's been on the market for a few months, we have a clearer picture of how the service works and whether or not it is realizing its full potential.

We found iiRcade to deliver a premium home arcade experience with great build quality. The high price and currently limited selection of games may understandably make gamers skeptical, but it is a strong foundation that creates a bright future.

High price, high quality

Let's get the biggest roadblock out of the way first: the iiRcade isn't cheap. A tabletop version of the machine costs $ 600, and adding a suitable cabinet stand gives buyers an additional $ 150. That will probably sound gross when compared to a machine from Arcade1Up, which is half the cost.

iiRcade

That is certainly a hurdle, but it should be noted that here you get what you pay for. The processing quality is first class. Some cheaper home cabinets feel more like novel toys, but iiRcade is designed for the long haul, which is important given its unique business model.

Both the stand and table components are easy to assemble. After slitting together sturdy pieces of wood for about three hours, I was ready to go without further tinkering. All in all, it's a pretty slim closet too. It has a sleek design that makes it less bulky than retro cabinets that try to fully replicate original machines.

The iiRcade is designed for the long term, which is important given its unique business model.

For those who don't have room for a full 61-inch setup, the standalone tabletop version is a perfect alternative. The nice thing is that the stand and table top can be easily combined or separated. You're not tied to one thing or the other, so there is some flexibility in the way you play. The tabletop mode is still big enough that you can't take it to someone's home to show it off. However, it makes it easier to find a place in your house.

A well built machine

The components themselves are where this machine really does its thing. On the visual side, the entire machine is powered by a 1.8 GHz hexa-core CPU. That's enough juice to run modern indie games with relative ease. There are some notable frame drops when you jump into top-tier games like Dead Cells, but the fact that the machine can do them in the first place is impressive.

If the idea is to create the only arcade cabinet you'll ever need, iiRcade puts its money where it has its mouth when it comes to tech.

It has a 19-inch (1280 x 1024) screen that feels like the right size for the job. While split-screen multiplayer games can feel a bit cramped, it's especially good for two-player games like Double Dragon of Windjammers, where players share a view. It provides a clear, sharp image with no retro blur.

On the audio front of the case are two 100 watt stereo speakers that get surprisingly loud. Even turning it halfway felt like overkill.

iiRcade

The main question with any cabinet is of course the control panel. This shows the superior quality of iiRcade. The eight-way joystick rotates smoothly for precise actions. In addition to the standard buttons like pause and player select, there are six main buttons, all of which are pressed with a satisfactory click. There is also a full set of two player controls, which makes it particularly suitable for 2D fighting games.

There are so many little details beyond these big points. It's bluetooth enabled, has Wi-Fi support, and has a headphone jack, and much more. If the idea is to create the only arcade cabinet you'll ever need, iiRcade puts its money where it has its mouth when it comes to tech.

A growing game library

The high quality is nice, but games will make or break an arcade cabinet. Here the machine is currently something of a mixed bag. The business model promises that more games will be added to the system over time. Hence, players have to take iiRcade at its word, and hope that it will earn some worthwhile titles.

The iiRcade is still growing a lot and a little patience is required.

The future looks bright, but it's still difficult to get the full picture. There are 11 games preinstalled on the system, none of which are particularly exciting. I ended up spending most of my time with Maniac Square, a simple match-3 puzzler, but the rest of the freebies are a bit tame. If you want to get the most out of the machine, you have to buy some additional titles in the shop.

Hit Indie Roguelite Dead Cells is the obvious cream of the crop right now. Playing a modern retro game of this quality on an arcade machine is almost surreal. There are a few other highlights in the shop too, like Oddmar and Riptide GP: Renegade, although they are certainly more in the hidden gem store.

The prices for individual games can also be a little daunting. While the prices for more modern games seem reasonable, older games feel a bit expensive. Is someone really going to pay $ 10 for Hoops 96?

The truth is iiRcade is still growing a lot and a little patience is required. This type of service is new to a home arcade system, and it feels like the company is still figuring it out. However, there are good reasons to be optimistic. Dead Cells is a huge addition that shows that iiRcade is targeting the right games. If it can add to that momentum and incorporate modern retro games from publishers like Devolver Digital, this machine could really fill a niche.

We don't know exactly how profitable an investment in the machine will ultimately be. But for those just looking for a closet that isn't limited to a few games, iiRcade already offers more options than anything other than hacking a machine with a Raspberry Pi. There is simply not much competition for this business model, so iiRcade can rule undisputedly for the time being.

Our opinion

The iiRcade is a sophisticated home arcade system that feels future-proof alongside other machines. The high build quality takes it well above the point of novelty and makes it a sturdy investment for hardcore enthusiasts. The game library is still growing, so it's hard to tell if it's still fully worth the high price tag. Even with this major caveat, there is nothing like it on the market, so you really get what you pay for here.

Is there a better alternative?

If you want to play a specific game, Arcade1Up has cheaper boxes with a more targeted selection of games. However, iiRcade's choice is much larger than that of an average machine.

How long it will take?

In theory, quite a while. It is a robust machine with excellent controls. With long term plans to add more games, this is a machine that could last for years.

Should you buy it?

Yes, but with some restrictions. It's an expensive machine that is just beginning to build its game selection. It's a no-brainer for the enthusiast, but the casual gamer may want to keep an eye on what games are being added in the next few months before fully committing.

Editor's recommendations




20 Jul
Blog

Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Review: A Top-Notch Telephoto for Sony

Tamron 70 180 mm f28 di iii rating 200 mm product 2

Tamron 70-180 mm f / 2.8 Di III

"The Tamron 70-180mm is a simple recommendation for almost every photographer."

  • Light, compact design

  • Very sharp

  • 1: 2 macro mode

  • Fast, quiet auto focus

  • Solid build quality

  • Soft edges at 70 mm and 1: 2.8

  • Low transmission at 180 mm and 1: 2.8

The Tamron 70-180 mm f / 2.8 Di III is a new version of a professional telephoto zoom with constant aperture. The focal length is slightly shorter than the typical 70-200mm, but Tamron's goal was to develop a balanced lens for mirrorless full-frame cameras that draws the company's attention to reduced size and weight. The Tamron for $ 1,199 is currently available for the Sony E-mount and costs less than half the price and slightly more than half the weight of the FE 70-200mm f / 2.8 from Sony.

So it doesn't have to be good, does it?

Not correct. I don't know how witchcraft did it, but the 70-180mm are just great. This is by no means a typical budget lens. Tamron made a few sacrifices – cut 20mm from the telephoto end and forego optical image stabilization – to gain weight, but I would argue that these were wise decisions and it was worth it. The optical performance is first class. When I was connected to a Sony A7R IV borrowed from Lensrentals for this test, I was very impressed with the details that the 70-180mm gave me – at least under the right conditions.

But can an inexpensive third-party lens keep up with the best from Sony? The answer is, as always, it depends – but I don't think it is really necessary. The Tamron 70-180 mm f / 2.8 is more than an alternative. It is a lifeline for photographers who would not have considered the Sony lens at all for cost reasons.

Design and handling

Daven Mathies | Digital trends

If you have ever recorded a full screen f / 2.8 with 70 to 200 mm, be it for DSLRs or mirrorless cameras, you will be immediately surprised by the appearance of the Tamron 70 to 180 mm. It feels like it's in a completely different class, weighing just 1.8 pounds, an almost incredible difference to the 3.3-pound Sony 70-200mm.

Unlike most 70-200mm lenses, including Sony's, the Tamron doesn't use an internal zoom mechanism, so the barrel expands as you zoom in. This makes it feel less "professional" than its counterpart from first-party suppliers, but it also means that the lens measures almost 6 inches long – 2 inches shorter than the Sony when retracted. And even with the extendable zoom tube, it remains weatherproof.

The shorter length and lower weight make a tripod ring superfluous, which keeps the profile as slim as it is. The very wide rubberized grip gives your hand a solid buy for the zoom ring, and I really like that it's in front of the manual focus ring (compared to Sony lenses), because this placement provides a comfortable, balanced hold. The focus ring feels very smooth and offers a satisfactory manual focus experience, although it is not mechanically connected to the focus elements.

And yes, you actually want to use this manual focus ring. The Tamron 70-180mm has a unique 1: 2 macro mode, but only works with manual focus and at 70mm. The difference in the minimum focus distance between automatic and manual focus is large and the extreme close-ups that are possible in macro mode are different from any other 1: 2.8 telephoto zoom that I know of.

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Except for the lock switch, which keeps the barrel at 70mm when the lens is not in use, the exterior is sparse. While the Sony 70-200mm is littered with switches to control focus and stabilization behavior, the Tamron 70-180mm is empty. The lack of stabilization explains part of it, but I would have preferred an automatic / manual focus switch, especially since manual focus is actually supposed to be used for this lens for the above macro mode. To activate manual focus, you have to run it from the camera menu instead, which is a bit annoying.

picture quality

If the Tamron 70-180mm f / 2.8 had just reduced the cost and size of a popular lens type, that would have been enough. That's exactly what I would have expected from old Tamron. But this is the new Tamron, and the new Tamron isn't content with being a third-string player in lens play.

Daven Mathies | Digital trends

The 70-180 mm f / 2.8 has six elements with low dispersion, three aspherical elements and nine blades with a rounded aperture. This is not the type of optical formula I would expect from such an affordable lens, although the total number of elements is lower compared to Sony at 19 vs. 23 (Sony also uses an 11-sheet aperture).

Of course, the number of high-end elements does not always correspond to high performance, but in this case Tamron delivered. Although I will note some limitations, this lens is remarkably sharp. My test photos delivered excellent results and revealed details in textures that I had never seen before. Of course, this was supported by the Sony A7R IV's 62 megapixel sensor, and I believe that this lens almost reveals the potential of this sensor. Further megapixels show imperfections in the lens. The fact that the Tamron shines on the A7R IV is proof of its quality.

Daven Mathies | Digital trends

Open wide, you can expect very good sharpness in the middle of the frame. At 70 mm, however, the sharpness drops noticeably in the direction of the edges. This is far less problematic at 180 mm. At 1: 5.6, the image is extremely sharp from edge to edge at every focal length. Vignetting is minimal and essentially gone by 1: 4, although the total transmission at the telephoto end at 1: 2.8 is about 1/3 stop lower than at the broad end, since the "vignette" seems to crawl over the entire frame.

In order to really use the sharpness of this lens consistently, you need to use a high shutter speed, a tripod or both. Many of my hand shots became slightly soft due to motion blur, even when the camera was stabilized in the body. Additional objective-based stabilization would have helped here. For some photographers, especially weddings and even shooters who work in low light and need to use slow shutter speeds, this could be a deal breaker.

However, the A7R IV shows flaws like no other full-frame camera and is incredibly unforgiving. With a lower resolution case like the A7 III, the motion blur is not as noticeable, but I would still recommend a tripod (and 1: 4 or smaller) if you want to guarantee the best results.

Our opinion

Color impressed me – even amazed. I think it's absolutely great that Tamron has decided to compete as a premium brand. The 70-180 mm f / 2.8 Di III offers the perfect balance between quality, size and price. This is a rare example of a lens that I can recommend to almost everyone, from amateurs to enthusiasts to professionals.

I was a little disappointed that so many of my handheld shots weren't perfectly sharp, but I could probably have solved this by increasing the ISO and shutter speed many times over. As much as I would like lens-based stabilization, I also appreciate how light and affordable the 70-180 mm are. Again, I think Tamron made the right sacrifices.

Is there a better alternative?

No. If you absolutely need lens-based stabilization, or can't do without the extra 20mm range – and have $ 2,599 at your disposal – the Sony FE 70-200mm f / 2.8 is a great option. For the price, the Tamron 70-180mm f / 2.8 is really unbeatable.

And of course, if you don't have a Sony e-mount camera, you'll have to look elsewhere.

How long it will take?

Although it doesn't feel as robust as 70-200mm lenses with internal zooms, the 70-180mm lens is still well built and should last for many years.

Should you buy it

You already know what I'm going to say. Yes of course.

Editor's recommendations




04 Jul
Blog

Bose Soundbar 700 Review: Sleek Design Meets Top-Notch Sound

Bose Soundbar 700

"Bose gives this soundbar an excellent appearance, excellent sound and numerous functions."

  • Fascinating surround sound

  • Beautiful design

  • Choice of Alexa or Google Assistant

  • Private listening option

  • Intelligent universal remote control

  • AirPlay 2

  • Not the best value

  • Some music services are not supported

  • No Chromecast option for Android

  • No HDMI inputs

Sound bars just started. Their mission was to deliver the best possible sound through a single speaker so people could forget about wiring problems and just enjoy their TV and music. While this still applies to some soundbar models, the industry has quickly shifted back to more speakers and less simplicity.

The $ 800 Bose Soundbar 700 is in some ways a return to the original soundbar concept, but some of its sleek exterior hides some thoroughly modern features.

Is it the right audio companion for your media room? Let's try it out.

design

Bose Soundbar 700Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

If you need to watch a soundbar from time to time, it should be the Bose Soundbar 700.

I claim that soundbars should do their utmost to get out of sight. If you want a speaker to be the highlight of your TV room, invest in the biggest ones you can find.

But let's face it: if you don't hide a soundbar in a wall – which would affect both sound and simplicity – you'll see it. So if you need to watch a soundbar from time to time, it should be the Bose Soundbar 700.

With its sleek lines, perfectly smooth glass top, and amazingly small and flat stature, the Soundbar 700 is one of those rare technologies that can improve your decor instead of compromising it. Available in black or white, you can choose whether it fits seamlessly into the background or makes a statement. Aesthetically speaking, it's quite an orator.

With a width of 38.5 inches and a height of only 2.25 inches, it is narrow and short enough to fit between the legs of almost all televisions that are at least 50 inches tall and slide directly underneath. If you want to mount it on the wall, an optional (and remarkably affordable) bracket is available for $ 40.

You won't find a single physical button anywhere on the Soundbar 700. The glass plate has a single touch-sensitive area near the front left corner to mute the built-in microphone. However, I recommend using it sparingly – as beautiful as the glass is, it is also a fingerprint magnet. Good thing Bose contains a microfiber cleaning cloth.

The only flat note in an otherwise stunning design is the included universal remote, a bulky, rubberized stone that doesn't match the sleek, minimalist lines of the Soundbar 700. More on that later.

configuration

Bose Soundbar 700Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Although it's a soundbar, the Soundbar 700 is also a powerful wireless smart speaker. Therefore, the setup process is led by Bose's music app (free for iOS and Android). It's tempting to assume that virtually everyone has a phone or tablet that can run the music app. However, if you're one of the few who doesn't have one, or you're considering buying the Soundbar 700 for a friend or relative who doesn't have one, you might not be making the right choice.

As long as you have a compatible device, setting up the speaker is easy thanks to the intuitive Bose app, which guides you through the process with easy-to-follow steps and lots of helpful feedback.

Part of this setup is to tune the Soundbar 700 to the acoustics of your room using the included Adaptiq microphone, a wired plastic headband that you wear like headphones. All you have to do is choose your five favorite places to watch TV and the app does the rest. It's not as elegant a solution as Sonos' TruePlay system, which uses the microphone of an iOS device to get the same result achieve. However, it does have the advantage of being compatible with all smart devices.

You'll also be quickly guided through the process of adding your home theater devices to the universal remote control, and you can choose between Alexa and Google Assistant if you want to use the speaker's voice control features. I strongly recommend that you do this.

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Bose Soundbar 700 Bose Soundbar 700

The Soundbar 700 can be connected to your TV via HDMI ARC or an optical cable. Since the speaker is limited to Dolby Digital and DTS audio signals, the choice of sound quality does not offer an advantage when choosing a speaker. However, the universal remote control is more effective when you use HDMI ARC because it can send some commands to connected devices via the CEC protocol (one way to send commands via HDMI).

As long as all your devices can be controlled via infrared (IR), I think an optical connection makes more sense. Why should you forego a valuable HDMI connection on your TV, especially since the Soundbar 700 has no HDMI inputs to compensate for this loss?

The HDMI ARC and the optical connections on the back of the bar also include Ethernet (as a more robust option for Wi-Fi) and several dedicated connections for the Adaptiq microphone, a wired bass module (subwoofer) and an optional IR repeater and one for "data" (we're still not quite sure what it does).

You can use it as a Bluetooth source for wireless headphones for private listening – it works fine.

Unfortunately, the connector for cabling a subwoofer is a proprietary Bose connector, so there is no way to use it with a subwoofer from another company. Even stranger, although it is possible to connect a wired Bose subwoofer to the Soundbar 700, both subwoofers sold by Bose (the $ 400 bass module 500 and the $ 700 bass module 700) connect wirelessly to the soundbar.

Wi-Fi is the best choice to stream music to the soundbar. However, it also supports the AirPlay 2 streaming protocol from Apple and Bluetooth. If you are an Android user, this may be your best bet. We'll discuss this a little later.

Speaking of Bluetooth: The Soundbar 700 has a nice function: You can use it with the SimpleSync technology from Bose as a Bluetooth source for wireless headphones for private listening. It works with any Bluetooth speaker, but you can better sync with the on-screen dialog if you're using one of the Bose headphones. The volume of each Bluetooth device can be controlled independently. I tried Bowers and Wilkins PX7 headphones and it worked perfectly – it even stopped my Netflix video when I pressed the play / pause button on the headphones.

Sound quality

Bose Soundbar 700Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Bose Soundbar 700 sounds great and, unlike several other soundbars we tested, handles TV soundtrack audio and music streaming equally well.

Behind the grille are a number of midrange tweeters and a tweeter, which provide most of the direct sound you hear, including a very clear dialogue. However, Bose's PhaseGuide arrays are on the sides of the bar. These cleverly shaped tunnels project sound onto the sides of the soundbar and give the impression that there are invisible speakers above your television and even a few to the side – if your viewing area has walls on both sides.

In short, it triggers the magic trick that we all consciously or subconsciously expect from a soundbar, and that means we get impressive home theater sound without all the cables and speakers.

One limitation that needs to be mentioned – especially since the Soundbar 700 is a significant investment – is Dolby Atmos and DTS: X. These object-based surround formats are the latest and greatest. When a compatible soundbar is combined with a Dolby Atmos or DTS: X soundtrack, the results can be exciting and include sounds that feel like they fully match the on-screen action. The Soundbar 700 is not one of these speakers. It's still great at what it does, but it can't make you future-proof if you think these new technologies are something you want to explore someday.

If you are not yet familiar with soundbars as a whole, I should make one thing clear: as good as the Soundbar 700 provides a feeling of depth and breadth, it alone does not create such a deep feeling of low-end bass for a complete home theater system. Because of its small proportions, there is no way.

I was ready to fall in love with his music less, but it went against my expectations.

That doesn't mean there is no bass – it actually does an admirable job – it just can't compete with systems that come with their own subwoofer.

As mentioned earlier, you can add an optional Bose bass module, but this increases the price.

It can't shake the furniture with low-end bass, but boy can this thing get loud. I would bet that the Soundbar 700 cannot fill any space in your house, even if your home is in palatial proportions.

Dialogue playback is another outstanding element of this speaker. It is clear and easy to separate from background noise – even before you use the available dialog enhancement mode. If for some reason you find it insufficient, you can only increase the volume of the center channel in the Bose Music app and make adjustments for treble, bass and synchronization / delay if necessary.

At $ 800, I had fully expected the Soundbar 700 to be a powerful TV speaker, but I was also less willing to get excited about their music. But it exceeded my expectations very much. Thoroughly modern studio mixes like Beck's Hyperspace album benefit most from the bar's ability to project sound in space, but older tracks like The Who & # 39; s classic Pinball Wizard also get new life from the depths of the Soundbar 700.

On a whim and because the Tidal app advertised it, I tried Buju Banton's The Upside Down 2020 Experience. I couldn't have chosen a better track to find out what the Soundbar 700 can do with the right material. Banton's voice comes through as if he were on stage in front of you, while his background singers, strings and occasional saxophone spread outwards and envelop you in a rich mix of tones. "It all comes from this one speaker?" my son asked. Yes yes it is.

The Soundbar 700 only stumbled once when it heard Hans Zimmer's deeply bass-laden Time from the Inception soundtrack – the cabinet vibrated very slightly.

Multiroom audio

The Bose Soundbar 700 is part of a family of wireless speakers that can be controlled using the Bose Music app. This includes products like the Bose Home Speaker 500 and the Portable Home Speaker. In Sonos' multiroom steps, you can group these speakers to play the same music or stream something different for everyone.

But when it comes to pure multiroom smarts, Bose still has some catching up to do if he wants to do something other than follow.

For example, Sonos lets you pair any matching Sonos speaker – from the Ikea Symfonisk bookshelf speakers for $ 100 to the Sonos Five for $ 499 – as a surround set for the Sonos Arc Dolby Atmos soundbar for $ 800 – Use dollars. If you want to do the same with the Soundbar 700, you'll need to buy a special set of Bose wireless surround speakers.

You also can't turn two Bose speakers into a stereo pair, although this is much less relevant when dealing with soundbars.

Music sources

While the Bose Music app is friendly and user-friendly, it does offer some features that I would like to see, such as universal search, support for other music services, and the ability to stream music from a personal library on the network.

You can choose between Spotify Premium and Free, Apple Music, TuneIn, Pandora, SiriusXM, Amazon Music, Deezer and iHeartRadio within the app or use any audio app on your phone or tablet and stream directly to the Soundbar 700 2 or via AirPlay Bluetooth. The disadvantage of these options is that controls and content reside on a single device, and other people at home cannot edit or continue listening to the playlist if the person with the source device leaves the house.

You are also limited to just six favorites (which Bose calls presets). Regardless of whether it's a favorite radio station, podcast, or playlist, you need to choose wisely.

Universal remote control

Bose Soundbar 700 universal remote controlSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

It's big, bulky, and I'm not a fan of the rubberized surface that covers all the buttons, but I have to admit that the Bose Soundbar Universal Remote is well thought out as long as you only need to control a maximum of three devices (except the soundbar itself).

The idea behind the dark rubber layer is that it intentionally hides the many buttons under its surface. Once you've programmed it for your devices – which is easy and possible via the Bose Music app – only the buttons that correspond to the device you want to operate are selectively illuminated.

Pressing these illuminated buttons first sends a Bluetooth command to the Soundbar 700, which in turn forwards the command to the device in question via IR or HDMI-CEC (if you use HDMI between the Soundbar and your TV).

The main advantage of this arrangement is that the remote control and the soundbar are always perfectly synchronized. Even if you select TV mode on the universal remote and then switch the soundbar to AirPlay 2 or Bluetooth mode using the Bose Music app, the remote will automatically show this status change.

Good as it is, it's not perfect.

Three devices (two if you don't count your TV, which is pretty mandatory) may not be enough for some people.

I wish I could control how long the buttons light up. It always seemed like the lights went out as I decided what to do and I had to shake the remote again.

The soundbar, remote control, or TV screen does not show where the volume is relative to the minimum and maximum settings. If you want this level of detail, you need to consult the Bose Music app.

You can use the remote control to adjust the volume of the soundbar during an activity. However, you cannot access settings such as EQ or dialog enhancement.

For reasons known only to Bose, there are no buttons to access the six music presets that you program in the Bose Music app.

Overall, however, it worked very well except for one mistake – I couldn't get the remote to speak to my cable box. My LG TV and Apple TV 4K were no problem at all. I attributed the bug in the cable box to poor IR connectivity and didn't have enough time to try to fix it.

Voice assistants

Bose Soundbar 700Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Soundbars that are compatible with voice assistants are being used more and more, but few offer you the choice of which assistant you want to use. With the Soundbar 700, you can choose Alexa or Google Assistant and change your mind at any time (you just can't do both at the same time).

One of the best aspects of a smart speaker that really rocks is the ability to summon your favorite music by simply asking for it. But be warned: although Google Assistant and Alexa can take control of a variety of music services, you cannot use these voice assistants to control if the service you want to control is not available in the Bose Music app. Google Play Music (now mostly switched to YouTube Music), Apple Music and Tidal are examples of services that none of the Soundbar 700 wizards can control.

Bose uses a small multi-colored LED light strip on its smart speakers to give you visual feedback on what condition it is in. Two white bars indicate a pause, a single blue bar indicates Bluetooth and a small red dot means muting. However, the strip is also animated to inform you that a voice command has been heard. This is a great feature.

What I can't understand is why Bose is not using it to indicate volume – something I should consider for a future firmware update.

Voice commands were easy to hear even with some fairly loud sounds, and the response times were very good when I tested them with Google Assistant.

Our opinion

$ 800 may be a lot of money for a soundbar that isn't compatible with Dolby Atmos, but the Bose Soundbar 700 proves that the investment is a great combination of sound quality, great design, and a host of useful features, including yours, still worth choosing the language assistant.

Is there a better alternative?

The direct competitor of the Soundbar 700 is the excellent Sonos Arc for $ 800, a larger Dolby Atmos soundbar that also offers a choice of voice assistants and offers the best support for multiroom and music services in the industry. If you want to be future-proof for object-based surround sound, this is a good choice.

We believe that the Soundbar 700 treats TV and music audio better with the same accuracy (the Arc tends to prefer TV audio) and has several features that the Arc lacks, e.g. B. a universal remote control, Bluetooth and the possibility to connect a wireless headphones for private listening.

How long it will take?

The Bose Soundbar 700 comes with a one-year warranty. This is fairly standard for this type of product, but Bose has an excellent reputation for producing quality products and the Soundbar 700 should have a very long lifespan. You may want to replace it in the future, but you are unlikely to need to replace it.

Should you buy it

Yes. The Bose Soundbar 700 is a fantastic solution with a speaker for simple but exciting home theater sound. With optional subwoofer and surround speaker modules, it can grow with your needs as long as those requirements don't include Dolby Atmos.

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