Brainwavz

Brainwavz Hengja headphone hanger

Specs.
Widest gap for mounting: 28mm
Price: $15



In use.
The Hengja is a small and practical headphone hanger that is very easy to use. You simply mount it horizontally or vertically, to a table top or leg, and hang your headphones on it. Thanks to the all metal construction it can be used with any size headphones.



To sum up.
The good: very small and practical, stylish, easy to use
The bad: can't think of any



Verdict: Simple and brilliant headphone storage solution. Highly recommended.

Brainwavz Hooka headphone hanger

Specs.
Dimensions: 102x46x58mm
Headphone resting plate: 78x46mm
Price: $17.95



In use.
The Hooka is a small and practical headphone hanger that is very easy to use. You simply attach it with the 3M VHB foam tape to any surface, and hang your headphones on it. Thanks to the all metal construction it can be used with any size headphones, and the foam tape is guaranteed to hold even the heaviest of headphones.



To sum up.
The good: very small and practical, stylish/clean and minimalistic, no tools, crews or bolts required
The bad: not easily removable once attached



Verdict: Stylish and brilliant headphone storage solution. Highly recommended.

Brainwavz Krudul Duo earphone hanger

Specs.
Dimensions Krudul Monitor: 85x40mm
Dimensions Krudul Vertical: 60x50mm
Price: $14.99



In use.
The Krudul Duo, is as the name would suggest, two earphone hangers, one for mounting on a computer screen and one for mounting on any vertical surface. You simply attach them with the tape where you want them, and hang your earphones on them. The all metal construction and strong 3M VHB foam tape they are guaranteed to hold any earphones.
Very simple and innovative earphone storage solution, I didn’t know I needed one before now, and now I wouldn’t want to be without one, or as is the case with the Krudul Duo, two.



To sum up.
The good: very small and practical, stylish/clean and minimalistic, no tools, crews or bolts required, and you get two for the price of one.
The bad: not easily removable once attached.



Verdict: Stylish and brilliant earphone storage solution. Highly recommended.

Brainwavz Truss dual headphone hanger

Specs.
Dimensions: 162x45x60mm
Headphone resting plate: 45x50mm x2
Weight: 135g
Price: £14



In use.
The Truss is a small and practical headphone hanger for two headphones. You simply attach it under a table or desk with the 3M VHB foam tape, and hang your headphones on it. Thanks to the all metal construction it can be used with any size headphones, and the foam tape is guaranteed to hold even the heaviest of headphones.



To sum up.
The good: very small and practical, stylish/clean and minimalistic, no tools, crews or bolts required
The bad: not easily removable once attached

Verdict: Stylish and brilliant headphone storage solution. Highly recommended.

Kaiser Baas

Kaiser Baas X80 Action Camera

First of all, thank you to Rebecca at Napthine Porter for making this review possible.

Specs.
Dimensions: 53x34x52mm (case 75x40x65mm)
Resolution Video/Photo: 480p, 720p, 1080p / 3MP, 5MP, 8MP and 12MP (interpolated)
Screen: 2” colour screen
Battery life: 2.5h
Micro SD card up to 32GB (not included)
Waterproof to 30m
RRP: £99.99



Hardware and general use.
The X80 itself is small and light, well put together and gives the impression it could handle many adventures, and the clear case adds protection from water as well, up to 30m.
The controls are easily available even with the case on, but to use the mini USB and mini HDMI port you need to take the camera out of the case. Another thing to keep in mind is that audio becomes muted when recording video while using the case, this is due to the fully enclosed and water tight design and not really a fault of the case or camera. The case also has the mounting base that allows you to fix the camera to pretty much any surface with the supplied adhesive patches, or then you can bolt it down if you prefer a really sturdy mounting. As an added bonus the mount uses the same standard as GoPro, so there are plenty of accessories available.



The lens is a wide angle lens with a 120 degree field of view and a fixed zoom from 0.5m to infinity. You can choose from four different resolutions for photo 3, 5, 8 and 12MP and for video capturing you can choose between W480p, 720p or 1080p.
There are plenty of settings that can be altered, like white balance and date watermark and different settings for video capture, including time shift recording.

The X80 is easy to set up and a breeze to use, and it produces very nice footage. Securely mount the X80 where you like and press the button and off you go, it can't really get any easier than that. Equally easy it is to view the footage, either copy it over to your computer or use a HDMI cable to view the results directly on your TV.

The X80 does a great job at capturing the moments that are out of reach for your regular high end gear, just remember that the quality of the photos and videos will not be at the level of a 100x more expensive Canon or Nikon DSLR.



Click for 1080p sample video.

To sum up.
The good: well built, great photos/videos, easy to use, plenty of compatible accessories
The bad: audio muted when used in the case, stiff competition

Verdict: A solid Action Camera that can follow you anywhere and document even your wildest adventures.
Recommended.

MEE Audio

MEE Audio Balanced MMCX Cable

Balanced cable for all MMCX connector type earphones.



Specs.
Length: 135cm
Weight: 164g
Connectors: 2.5mm, 3.5mm, 4.4mm balanced and standard 3.5mm audio
RRP: $99.99


Hardware and accessories.
The cable feels and looks like a premium product should, sturdy, weighty and with very nice detail work. It is soft and flexible in use, does not tangle all that easily and the connectors look the part.
Speaking of the connectors, you have the choice of a standard 3.5mm audio which will work with all standalone audio sources. Then you have the crème de la crème, balanced connectors in the flavours of 2.5mm (A&K, Onkyo, Fiio, etc), 3.5mm (HifiMan, Cowon, etc) and 4.4mm (Sony, etc).
Nice touch with the adapters, really nice!



Sound quality.
A balanced signal reduces stereo crosstalk, which increases channel separation and the perceived soundstage. A balanced signal also reduces external interference to the signal, increasing the signal to noise ratio. All this gives a tighter, more controlled sound and a larger, more defined soundstaging.

I mainly tried the cable with MEEAudios own Pinnacle P1 and P2, with a balanced signal. The cable will of course fit other IEMs with MMCX connectors, like Shure and Westone.

The P2 opens up and becomes more ‘audiophile’ in its sound signature. The low end has mellowed and gotten tighter, the mids and highs are more pronounced and lively, the soundstage has grown and become more 3D.
$200/£150 in all for the P2 and cable is unbelievable value, if you have a balanced source, you cannot go wrong with this combination for the price, and a fair bit more than that.

The P1 is a fantastic IEM as is already, but with this cable and a balanced signal it really shows what it’s capable of. The sound opens up wide, the low end seems to have more authority while still being strictly quality over quantity, the mids and highs have gotten more body and even more airy, the soundstage is even more defined and well presented with superb imaging and separation. This is true high-end sound, no more, no less.
If you already own the P1 and a balanced source, you must get this cable, and if you don’t have the P1 yet, get both now, it will be the best $300/£225 you have ever spent.



To sum up.
The good: the sound of a balanced signal, the build quality, the aesthetics, the adapters.
The bad: nothing.


Verdict: If you already have the MEEAudio Pinnacle P1 or P2 (or any other IEM with a MMCX connector) and a source capable of balanced output, this cable is a must have. The P1 connected to a balanced source with this cable is true high-end sound for a middle of the road price. Highly recommended!

MEE Audio Connect

Portable Bluetooth adapter/transmitter.



Specs.
Dimensions: 55 x 55 x 25mm
Weight: 31g
Built in 200mAh battery, 10-12h playback, 44h standby, 1.5h charging
Bluetooth version: 4.0 with aptX and low latency codec
RRP: $59.99



Hardware and accessories.
The Connect is made of plastic and feels very sturdy and incredibly lightweight. It comes with a micro USB cable for charging and 3,5mm, RCA and optical Toslink cables to connect it to the source. On the Connect itself you have the in-line 3.5mm and optical as well as the USB on one side, and on the other sides you have buttons A and B for the Bluetooth connectivity as well as the on/off slider, a green charging light and a blue light for Bluetooth.



The battery lasts around 12 hours on a charge when used with one set of headphones, and around 10 hours when connected to two. The standby time is around two days or a little less, and a full charge takes an hour and a half.



Sound quality and general use.
Connect the Connect, to your preferred player or TV with one of the provided cables, turn it on with the slide and hold down button A to pair it with your Bluetooth headphone, hold button B for a second pair of headphones. Once the Connect and your headphones communicate you will hear the sound from your TV in your headphones, it really can't be much simpler than that.

Of course you can use the Connect with anything that has Bluetooth, I hooked it up to the surround sound system in my Volvo C70 and was really pleasantly surprised by the sound.

A little bit about the sound processing behind the Connect, it has the latest aptX codecs which is a guarantee for great sound even over wireless connection. If you use the optical cable with the Connect, the signal is digital all the way, and providing you are using aptX compatible headphones the sound really is exceptionally good.
When using the RCA or 3.5mm cable from an analogue source there is an analogue to digital conversion made in the Connect which is then sent to the headphones.
Either way, the sound never disappoints.



To sum up.
The good: class leading sound (aptX), versatile in use (connect to headphones, car stereo, etc), size and weight, price.
The bad: nothing really stands out as bad.

Verdict: The Connect is very versatile and it delivers excellent sound, not to mention the price, what more can one ask? Highly recommended.

Oidio

Oidio Balanced Cable

Custom made balanced cable for Oppo PM-3 headphones.



Specs.
Length: 120cm
Weight: 30g
RRP: £42.50


Hardware and accessories.
As this is a custom made cable, the specs and design waries depending on what you want/choose. The cable that I’m reviewing feels and looks like a premium product should, sturdy, weighty and with very nice detail work and excellent connectors.


Sound quality.
A balanced signal reduces stereo crosstalk, which increases channel separation and the perceived soundstage. A balanced signal also reduces external interference to the signal, increasing the signal to noise ratio. All this gives a tighter, more controlled sound and a larger, more defined soundstaging.

The Oppo PM-3 is a fantastic headphone in itself, and it has an ace up its sleeve as well. A not too well known fact is that the technicians at Oppo wired it for a balanced signal as well, all you need is a source and a cable capable of it, and you are even closer to the holy grail that is audiophile nirvana.
The overall sound gets more refined and defined, everything gets tighter, smoother and even more natural. The soundstage, again even more refined and defined, well presented with superb imaging and separation. This is what true high-end sounds like, sublime in every way.



To sum up.
The good: the sound, the build quality, the aesthetics.
The bad: some microphonic noises (with a different spec this may not be the case).


Verdict: If you already have the Oppo PM-3 and a source capable of balanced output, this cable is a must have, simple as that. Highly recommended!

Targus

Targus AMM01AEU and AMM02EU

Capacitive stylus.

Specs. (stylus / 2 in 1 pen stylus)
Dimensions: 13 x 0.8cm / 13.4 x 0.8cm
Weight: 14g / 25g
RRP: £9.99 / £16.99

Hardware.
Both styluses are made of high quality materials, copper and plastic, with a rubber tip that interacts with the screen without the need of power or additional software. The pen stylus uses Parker Ballpoint refills.



In use.
The Targus styluses are meant for capacitive touch screens, and they work very well too. Why would I want a stylus for, I hear you say, when I can just use my fingers instead? True, but then your iPad/other expensive touch screen gadget, gets greasy fingerprints on the screen, besides some tasks may be better suited for pen input than a finger.



The styluses feel very comfortable to hold, ergonomic with a nice balance and weight, and they work very well, as already said. They make scribbling and writing/typing very easy and quick, it’s like you have a pen and notepad ready at all times. The “hit and miss rate”, in other words when you click on the screen and nothing happens is no worse than using the finger. I found that older, or poorer if you like, screens generally tend to be less responsive for the styluses, but that is not really the fault of the stylus. On my relatively new Xperia Neo screen the styluses work like a dream, very precise and accurate when you type or swipe over the screen, and since iProducts have some of the best and most responsive screens out there, I would imagine the ease of use will be even better on them.
All in all I am very pleased with the styluses, they bring a well known or old fashioned, if you like, technique to high tech gadgetry. We have used pen and paper for hundreds of years and suddenly we were supposed to use a finger to write, no thanks, I will take the stylus to my screen, for old times sake.



To sum up.
The good: saves the screen from getting dirty and gives better control over screen input.
The bad: adds bulk.

Verdict: A stylus is a good gadget, especially the 2 in 1 model that can be used as a normal pen as well. If you have received a shiny new iPad for Christmas, now is the time to treat yourself to a nice stylus, I wholeheartedly recommend the Targus styluses.
Highly recommended.