Glad that the update is coming tomorrow. Still no folders option, but looking forward to these features:


Suspend/Resume:
>Info: Supported by nearly all of your PS4 games, you can jump in and out of your games with just the press of the PS button. Quickly switch from Rest Mode to powered-up so you can pick up where you left off.

 
Back-up and restore HDD to USB
>Info: Back-up and restore your hard disc drive data associated with users on your PS4, including settings, saved data, screenshots and video clips as well as games, patches and download data, to and from an external USB drive.

Good that I waited with updating my HDD, with our slow network connection it would have taken ages to re-download all my games.
 
For those upgrading their PS4: (NOT up-to-date with the new backup feature)

• A guide by IGN + Which HDD to buy
  
• PS4 upgrade- Beginning-to-end-guide with an external HDD - created by /u/mbrellisford
  
• PS4 System software download page
   
  
  Edit: I will upgrade my PS4 with the Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB tomorrow. I could do a how-to guide if there is interest in it.
  Edit2: A how-to guide is in the making and should be published on 27 March.

Sony MDR-7506

They've been a standard for professional audio engineers for decades for good reason - and they only cost $79.99 on Amazon.

I've had mine since the mid-90s and have traveled around the country with them crammed in a backpack and they have held up like a champion. I keep saying I'll replace them with the same model if they ever die, but they just keep working.... The only issue is that the ear pad covering wears away over time, but this is easily fixed by purchasing BeyerDynamic velour pads. These pads are super comfy, and well worth the $23. They're not just a replacement for the original, they are an upgrade.

If it makes you feel better, you can get better-sounding headphones than Bose for less money. The Audio-Technica ATH-M40X should blow anything Bose below $300 out of the water for just under $100, and if your budget is closer to $50 you can often find Sennheiser HD558s for around $50-60. The more you know!

Philips SHP9500 HiFi Precision Stereo Over-ear Headphones (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ENMK1DW?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf. And the mic is V-MODA BoomPro Gaming, VoIP Headset Headphone with Mic (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BJ17WKK?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf. I highly recommend them, sound quality is amazing but the only downside is everyone can hear your shit.

My favorite headphones Sennheiser HD598 SE went on sale last year for $94.99 during Black Friday. Just a heads up if you are looking for new headphones and want a pair of open cans. I am no expert but these are highly rated, and the SE black ones look great unless having two Noctua fans strapped to your head is more your style. Keep an eye for a deal on these for sure.

Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone ~$80. Don't buy Beats.
 
The Wirecutter is your friend.

USB pros: much easier to install, plug and play

PCI pros; faster speeds, more reliable

USB LINK: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Adapter-Archer-T2UH/dp/B00UZRVY12

PCI LINK: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Express-Adapter-TL-WDN4800/dp/B007GMPZ0A

Not likely related to the update since you can't format it on PC either. FWIW, pny and kingston are the only two brands of flash memory I've ever had fail on me.

Stick with Sandisk or Samsung.

Or you buy a headphones with a detachable cable (3.5mm jack) and get a V-Moda boom pro and you have it all in one high quality cable.

My recommendation is Philips SHP9500 with V-Moda Boom Pro

With your budget, you can certainly make 1440p work. A gtx 1080 would be ideal for that. I would recommend going with a single 1440p 144 hz Gsync monitor rather than 2 144 hz monitors.

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-XB271HU-27-inch-Widescreen/dp/B0173PEX20

For gaming, I don't see a real need to have 2 monitors. I'd rather pour more money into a single amazing display because your game will only run on one of the monitors. If you need more real estate for work and productivity, then get a cheap second monitor.

I'm pretty sure there's room to save some money here too, but I'm on mobile and going to sleep, so maybe someone here could help trim some dollars.

/r/SuggestALaptop is a great place for purchase advice. Notebookcheck.net has some good laptop reviews as well.

My personal recommend is to always go with a latest generation cpu, 1080p ips screen, 8gb ram and always with an ssd. Sometimes you can find a good laptop with 4gb ram, so I would always check the ram upgrade prices on crucial.com. If you focus on those four main parts, you will always find a quality model.

The Acer Aspire E15 is a frequently recommend laptop on /r/SuggestALaptop for example.

Depending on your needs and budget, you can never go wrong with a business grade laptop. All major companies have good ones, especially Lenovo's Thinkpad T and X series.

I don't have a picture, but I use my Superlux HD668B, a Blue Snowball, Corsair K65 RGB LUX [MX Red], Logitech G Pro, and a Pecham Extended mousepad to cover up my swiss cheese desk.

I definitely suggest the HD668B if you want a new pair of headphones for cheap, best pair of headphones I've ever had. Removable cable, top tier sound, and you can change the earpads if you want to.

Links:

• Corsair K65 LUX RGB
  
• Superlux HD668B
  
• Cosmos Velvet Replacement Earpads
  
• Sleeved 3.5mm Cable - I think this is the one I have. Not sure.
  
• Logitech G Pro
  
• Pecham Extended Mousepad
  
• Blue Snowball
  
• Blue Snowball iCE
  
  Edit: I can provide low quality pictures of my messy ass desk if you want. Here's an album, and yes, those are my three coolers + a box.

I've never been an advocate of gaming headsets. You pay for something that's way more expensive than what you're actually getting. You buy a $150 headset, you're probably getting $70-80 headphones with a bad microphone.

You're almost always better off to buy a pair of headphones that suits your needs well and then buy a microphone afterwards. You'll get the better use of your money this way. I've got a pair of Sennheiser HD 558s with a Zalman ZM-Mic1. It clips onto my headphone's cord so I don't have to worry about it being all over the place. Sound quality is good and I've gotten no complaints about static or fuzziness from friends. Otherwise, the Modmic is always a good choice.

If you're looking for something that isn't sound isolating, I would recommend buying a pair of open headphones with an external microphone. The 558s are open, by the way. You get a bit of sound leakage, so other people can hear what's going on if it's loud enough, but you can also hear everything around you. Because of this, you get a more realistic sound.

I think they used to be but Amazon has them on sale for $129 right now.

Here's an intel chipset wifi card for the same price. bonus bluetooth as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Bluetooth-Expansion-Components-GC-WB867D-I/dp/B00HF8K0O6

Audio is shit. Someone get my man a good microphone. Is he recording from the toilet?

Seriously though, can people start helping him instead of discussing why he shouldn't give a fuck? He asked a question, if you don't have an answer, give it a break.

These should be great some of the best for the price, and doesn't seem to use leather:

https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD280PRO-Headphones-old-model/dp/B000065BPB

Seconded. 128GB for $20.99, 256 for $44.99, 512 for $99.99. There's no fucking reason not to.

How big of a difference is there between hd 558s and HD 598s? Should I wait for 598s or just splurge on these?
Edit: I actually ended up picking up a used hd 598 SEs from amazon warehouse deals for slightly less

Since you got a brand new PS4 buy a 2TB now and swap out the original. It will save you time and headaches later.

It’s only $64 and works perfectly internal or you could use it external with usb

Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.0, Black + 2mo Adobe CC Photography (STDR2000100) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FRHTSK4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_M5qSBbPXSKZ11

Gigabyte AC PCIe card

http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Bluetooth-Expansion-Components-GC-WB867D-I/dp/B00HF8K0O6

Best one for the money - essentially an Intel rebrand. Great speeds, drivers, magnetic antenna for you case, etc. I bought two, and the Intel equivalent for the low profile bracket on my HTPC.

It makes no difference. If you're going to drop that much money buy him these and this.

Camel says they hover around $100 on Amazon and last reached $80 around Black Friday

I'd say it's a good deal.

Here, have an upgrade guide. This is mostly oriented for gaming, but I tried to make it as general purpose as possible.

First off, if you're trying to survive gaming on an older system and are wanting to upgrade, remember to check out the PC Gaming Wiki as well as the Low Spec Gamer YouTube channel and /r/lowendgaming. There are lots of tips and tricks to get games running better, and if you discover your own, don't forget to share them!

• If you have a motherboard older than DDR3, save and upgrade to a new platform. It's not worth investing in a platform that old for anything other than novelty purposes.
  
  
• If you want to upgrade your motherboard (like if you're looking at buying an unlocked CPU but have a locked motherboard), save and build a whole new system, unless you happen to come across exactly what you want for cheap. Used motherboards are usually just as expensive as new ones so it's not really worth investing that much into an older platform.
  
  
• If you have an Intel motherboard and want to upgrade your CPU, see my reply to this comment. Character limit, woo!
  
  
• If you have an AMD motherboard, I'm not as experienced with this but upgrading to an 8320 or 8350 Black edition would be good.
  
• I'll do some research and put some detailed information here later; like I did for Intel processors. Again, after the aforementioned good night's rest.
  
  
• When buying any used processor, especially on eBay, be very wary of scams. Any price that seems too good to be true or is from a seller with very little feedback is something of which you should be very wary.
  
  
• If you have less than 8GB of RAM, buy a 2x4GB kit. Dual channel actually makes a difference these days. If you want more, well, divide the amount you want by the number of slots you have. 16GB / 4 slots = 4GB sticks, so get a 4x4GB kit. PCPartPicker is a good resource for this, although new DDR3 is getting more expensive. It might be worth looking at the used market, but be careful you don't buy ECC RAM (server memory) unless you have a motherboard and processor that support it.
  
  
• If your system isn't using an SSD as its boot drive, buy an SSD and reinstall your OS onto it. I don't know if I can recommend a SSD smaller than 250GB considering how cheap they're getting. Brand doesn't matter a whole lot but make sure to do a little research first. PCPartPicker, again, is a great resource for this. Filter by the minimum capacity you want and sort by lowest price, then go from there. Samsung is expensive but reliable; I don't know a lot about other brands.
  
  
• If you're running out of space, 2TB HDDs are pretty cheap and reliable these days. Here's a Seagate one, although I couldn't find Western Digital's equivalent for some reason.
  
  
• I don't really know much about graphics cards other than they're hard to buy new these days. If you buy new, I can't recommend anything with less than 4GB of VRAM, because modern games are getting better at using it. If you buy used, try not to go less than 2GB. Other than that, pick what fits your budget and performance needs, and remember you dont have to run everything on max settings. Dropping the settings a little can allow older cards to still compete today. I still run a 7870 and haven't found any unplayable games yet; 99% of games I get a solid 60, and once I upgrade to an e3-1240v3 that's in the mail I expect that to go to 99.9%.
  
  
• Make sure you have a good PSU. You can get really solid ones for $50 or less these days. Don't forget this one when upgrading your system, unless you already have a good PSU. This is the SeaSonic one I've been recommending a lot. Fully modular and 80 Plus Bronze seems pretty good to me. PSUs are a topic of a lot of controversy, though, so make sure to do your research.
  
  
• Similarly, investing in a case you like will last you a long time and significantly improve a build's appearance. Not its frames, though, so this isn't a priority. Pick one with all the features you want, good cable management options, something you don't mind looking at, that kind of stuff. Look up a review (google "[case name] review") where someone builds a computer in it so you can get an idea of what kind of issues people run into when building in it and if those issues are dealbreakers for you.
  
  
• Optical drives aren't really used this day but if you don't have one it can be worth it to pick one up. Blu-ray drives are getting cheaper, too. PCPartPicker -> optical drives -> filter by features -> sort by price.
  
  
• Monitors I cant speak much on, but if you're gaming at all, get one that goes at least 120hz at its native resolution, and don't get one lower than 1080p. If you don't do any gaming, make sure you get an IPS panel. I personally can't recommend any resolution other than 1080p (1920x1080) because compatibility issues are annoying and most software is either designed to work at 1080p, or have workarounds to run at 1080p. 4k is the next jump worth taking since that seems to be the next big standard (again, in my opinion), but hardware is still a generation or two out from that being mainstream.
  
  
• Multiple monitors are a thing. I don't think I can live with less than 3 monitors again. It's so nice to have a game on the center monitor, a webpage on the left, and a voip program on the right. You can kind of do this with window snapping, but, well, you can also do that with 3 monitors for much more information when you need it.
  
  
• Invest in good network gear. I cannot stress this enough. It will cost a chunk of money but will make your life so much better. If you're renting a modem from your ISP, or your modem/router has your ISP's logo on it, you need to upgrade. I'm currently running the Netgear R7000. If you're on cable internet, get a Motorola SurfBoard and something like the R7000. If you're on DSL, there's a variant that has a phone jack for dialing in. If you have fiber, the ONT that you have isn't replaceable but it's probably fine (but you'll still want to replace the included router). For all of these, you'll probably need to look up a guide on switching and it will probably involve calling your ISP. Expect to spend $200ish on the equipment, but seriously, you won't be constantly rebooting your router, wondering why the WiFi isn't working this time, etc. And a good modem will let you know if it can contact the network or not so you'll know if the internet is actually out or not. And if you're renting a router, you'll save money in the long run.
  
  
• If you're using WiFi, get a good network card. I saw this one linked on this subreddit the other day and it looks pretty good. I've personally found USB WiFi dongles unreliable, but YMMV.
  
  
• Don't forget to upgrade your peripherals. Check out /r/mechanicalkeyboards, /r/steamcontroller (it's about more than just the Steam Controller there, the name is a little misleading TBH), and the YouTube channel Rocket Jump Ninja (he does mouse reviews). I think /r/emulation has had some good threads on controllers, too. There's fun stuff like Mayflash adapters for GameCube controllers, or you could pick up a bluetooth dongle for a DualShock 3 or DualShock 4 (or WiiMote passthrough in Dolphin). There's lots of fun to be had in the peripheral department.
  
  I think that's about everything. Let me know if I missed anything and I'll include it.
  
  edit: Updated some stuff and tried to include more details.

If you are going full digital the mininum you need is 200/256GB but if you still buy physical games then 128GB is good enough. I bought one with 128GB but from Samsung because I trust them more when it comes to flash storage(Their SSDs are great) and because I have read multiple times that you can get fake ones when buying this SanDisk model even with Amazon as a seller.

Here is the Samsung model if you want to purchase one:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XWZWYVP/

Sennheiser has some really good pieces. Even their higher end isn't too horribly expensive. Amazon sells most of their headphones. These are the ones I have and I love that every piece of padding and the cord are completely and easily replaceable.

I have Sennheiser HD 280's myself and they're also a solid headset that's a pretty good bang for your buck. I got mine for $60 through a family member that works at Best Buy but you can find them for around $80 and are a great headset if you can't afford the $120 (give or take) that the HD 555's cost.

Managed to find a couple options.

Card

Card

Dongle

I don't have any personal recommendations for you, but these ones look pretty good.

Quick list of what you are looking at

• 3x Dell U2515H 1440p monitors
  
• Audeze LCD-2 headphones
  
• Gustard H10 headphone amp
  
• 2x Micca MB42x speakers
  
• SMSL SA50 speaker amp
  
• Sescom RCA switch
  
• Magicforce 68-key keyboard (MX Blues)
  
• Logitech G502
  
• PVElectronics Nixie Clock

Making beats in any public space quiet enough to do so (i.e. a library) would probably make you some kind of asshole for doing so in that space if you use a keyboard or drum pads, or anything else that makes rhythmic noise that other people would have to unwillingly listen to.

Why do you want to do this anyway? I can't imagine how it would make the process better. Are you hoping someone important approaches you with a record deal like some kind of 80's feelgood movie, and your life is made from then on because you become super rich and famous on the spot just for having the courage to make music in public?

I'm just giving you shit. If you ignore everything I've said so far, you should at least check these headphones out, I've had mine since 2011 and they're still great for tuning out the outside world.

| Introduction | Last-Gen Crusher | Next-Gen Crusher | Value (Recommended) | Enthusiast | Kiss of Gaben |
|:-----------:|:-----------:|:------------:|:------------:|:------------:|:------------:|


Last Updated on October 13th, 2013

IMPORTANT! READ THIS!

The Radeon R9 series coming out. That means it may be a good idea to WAIT on buying any parts. Existing Radeons will get cheaper, and the new ones will offer better performance. Thank you.


Introduction


Here I will be explaining why I chose the parts I did in the various builds, a little information on how to assemble for those who need reference, and other important tidbits of information. Stay tuned. If you have any questions, just tail one onto this post and it will be added if it's helpful for others.

Why does no build include a display, mouse, or keyboard?

Glad you asked. Chances are, the builder already has some or all of these things. If not, you'll want to shop around for well-rated 1080p displays and well-rated mice and keyboards. Try to get a mechanical keyboard if you can, the difference really is night and day. There's also a large table below with a lot of good parts to choose from. Take a look!


Why do you only have AMD cards?

I'm working on adding both nVidia and AMD options where applicable. If you find an nVidia or AMD card that's faster and the same price as the one that's already offered, please do leave me a comment so I can add it. AMD and nVidia are pretty much the same now, so it mostly comes down to price and multi-GPU needs. It's worth noting that nVidia's SLi technology is better than AMD's Crossfire. I normally end up with AMD cards for single-GPU and nVidia for multi-GPU.


Why are you using AMD CPUs? They suck. You stupid fanboy, etc.


Reason #1: PCs are supposed to last a long time, and Intel's latest Ivy Bridge and Haswell chips have a measly 3-5 years of life expectancy before they dry out on the inside. Why do they dry out on the inside, you may ask? Because Intel decided to stray away from the industry standard "fluxless solder" they had under the CPU lid and use cheap thermal paste instead.

Reason #2: AMD FX chips are not nearly as bad as the big reviewers suspiciously made it look. It does indeed trade blows with Intel, but overall in a (real world, read: not 800x600 benchmarks) normal situation, it does better. Game streaming, straight-up gaming, and productivity all do well on the FX chips.

Reason #3: Next-Gen console ports (AKA, a chunk of all PC games for the next 8 years) are going to be built for AMD's x86 module-based architecture as well as their GCN GPU architecture. Sources: [1], [2]

Reason #4: Evolving software. When the 8-core chips were first announced in 2011, we could barely utilize 6 cores with our games and applications. It was so bad that AMD and Microsoft had to release a patch for Windows just for the things to work right. Times have changed. Developers are better at juggling cores and continue to get better as time goes on. In optimal situations with the cores being fully utilized, a $199 8350 can even land a punch on the newer $339 i7-4770k.

Reason #5: AMD's motherboards have better backwards and forwards compatibility. You can use anything as far back as an AM2 single-core Sempron up to a 2014 Steamroller. They're also generally a good bit cheaper than the Intel-based boards with comparable features.

Reason #6: Have you seen how cheap AMD's CPUs are? The FX-6300 and FX-8320 are absolute monsters. You would have to be crazy to ignore them.

Reason #7: If you really wanted an Intel chip, you could easily swap it out anyways. I just don't want to be recommending bad chips.



Why so many watts?

The extra wattage in these builds leaves room for you to grab a stronger CPU and graphics card if needed.

Why no optical DVD drive?

The DVD drive has been intentionally left out, just borrow one when you install your OS.

Why no OS?

The OS has been left out because most builders already have a disc laying around. If they don't they'll have a preference on which version and which edition of Windows or Linux they plan on using. Even if it's already been used you can still get it activated.

Why do the stronger builds include an SSD along with the hard drive?

It's worth it, trust me. I would have included them in the lower builds, but $100 extra would have really put a damper on their appeal.

I want to see some more quality parts!

The builds don't include coolers, monitors, mice, or keyboards. Here are a couple of each if you're having trouble picking them yourself.

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | $29.98 @ Outlet PC |
| Monitor | Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor | $147.58 @ Newegg |
Keyboard | Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard | $74.98 @ SuperBiiz
| Microphone | Pyle Home PDMIKC5 Professional Table Top Condenser Microphone | $25.84 @ Amazon |
| Microphone | Blue Microphones Yeti USB Microphone - Silver Edition | $106.02 @ Amazon |
Mouse | Logitech G500 Wired Laser Mouse | $55.98 @ Outlet PC
Mouse | Logitech G9x Wired Laser Mouse | $72.98 @ SuperBiiz
Speakers | Corsair Gaming Audio Series SP2500 232W 2.1ch Speakers | $219.99 @ Amazon
Speakers | Logitech Z313 25W 2.1ch Speakers | $34.99 @ Amazon
Headphones | Audio-Technica ATH-M35 Headphones | $69.00 @ Amazon
Headphones | Sennheiser HD 380 Pro Headphones | $140.99 @ Amazon |



***

Also, feel free to link to / paste source anywhere on Reddit. I take full responsibility for any negative vote brigading my posts may be bombarded with.




| Back to Guide |
|:-----------:|

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E

These are pretty standard for the industry. Sound great and are not too expensive. I use them pretty much everyday when I'm editing. The only thing is they aren't noise cancelling, so if that's something you want then you might want to go for something else. But I've used them in the office with other people working/talking near me and I've been fine.

Fear not, for you can still enjoy the wonders of surround sound with Hi-Fi headphones. Most "gaming" headsets use a built-in DAC (and BS marketing magic) to emulate surround sound over stereo. You can do the same thing using Razer Surround or similar software for free.

You'll have to decide between a closed or open earcup design. If you're not already familiar: a closed-back design will give you better noise isolation and more bass response, while an open-back design will give you a wider soundstage and better positional accuracy. 95% of headphones are closed-back, but there are some nice open-back options in your price range.

The Audio-Technica ATH-M40x ($100) are a decent option. They're durable, portable, closed-back headphones with a lot of bass response.

The Sennheiser HD 558 ($115) are a steal at that price. They're incredibly comfortable, open-back headphones with a very wide soundstage and warm signature. They'll do much better with surround software.

Both of those options have a relatively low impedance, so you shouldn't have to worry about amping (although they'll still benefit from it). If you're looking for a mic, the ModMic 4.0 is on MassDrop right now. It's a bit pricy, but I've heard great things about the sound quality. If you want something a bit cheaper, the Zalman Clip-On is always an easy option.

Edit:
This might be slightly skewed, because a brick sitting on my head would be more comfortable than the headband on my Q701s.

I'd suggest a pair of open-backed headphones since I've found that those headphones tend to have better soundstaging to help me pinpoint where people are.

I found closed headphones tend to have more "immersive" sound with more bass, but if you're looking for something for purely competitive performance I think an open-backed pair would do you well. There's some generalizing going on here, but in general I personally feel open-backed headphones are better for gaming.

Here's a couple suggestions around your price-point - disclaimer that I haven't actually owned any of these (except for the original AD700 which I can vouch for being great for gaming), and it's merely meant to serve as a starting point for cans to check out. Filter the reviews and find the ones where people mention the words "gaming" or "soundstage".

• Audio Technica ATH-AD700X
  
  
• Sennheiser HD 558
  
  
• Philips SHP9500
  
  
• Grado SR80e
  
  
  I personally use the Sennheiser HD 600 which are open-backed but these are out of your $100 budget.
  

I play exclusively on pc, on TV, from my couch/lazy boy, with 360 controller, audio through 5.1 surround sound reciever.

It's not only possible, it's relatively easy. Hdmi (from pc) to audio reciever, then hdmi to TV. Done.

I don't ever use a mouse; I use this to navigate websites, desktop etc.. and 360 controller to game. (That keyboard is ~$25)

I use my 59" TV as a main monitor and a 24" monitor as my second monitor (usually for Pandora while I game)

Feel free to ask me any other questions.

Edit: it should also be noted, if your friend plays a lot of multiplayer first person shooters, he might wanna figure out a k&m setup as controller users get absolutely destroyed by k&m.

Mine have always been Sennheiser. Something like https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-Headphones/dp/B000065BPB

Micca MB42x + SMSL SA50 + Chromecast = about $194. You'd also need some speaker cable, and a 3.5mm to RCA cable.

Fluance SX6 if you want to bump up the speakers.

I’m so glad you asked this question before buying. First of all, no question is silly. The daily question thread is exactly for these types of quick answer questions.

Do not buy the Nintendo official SD cards. They’re way way overpriced. I’d buy either a Sandisk or Samsung 128gb Micro SD card ($40), as that size give you best bang for the buck. I’ll link a couple below. If you want something smaller or bigger, just let me know.

I’m one of the mods here, so welcome to the subreddit!

Samsung 128gb

Sandisk 128gb

These are still quite expensive for an older card that has a max speed of 48Mbps, the newer ones are only $10 more with a max speed of 100Mbps.

Samsung evo is a better sd card and goes for the same price pretty much 100% of the time https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XWZWYVP/

Don't buy SD cards in physical retail locations like bestbuy. Their "deals" are just them marking the price down to the actual online price when most of the time they are marked way up. When they do go on sale for real you'll see them for like $25-$40 on Amazon.

EDIT Here's the Sandisk one https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-microSDXC-Standard-Packaging-SDSQUNC-128G-GN6MA/dp/B010Q57S62 for the same price on Amazon. No mention of a sale while bestbuy is claiming $118 off. Just bestbuy fuckary going on there. Samsung one I linked is still better as it's rated 30MB/s minimum while the sandisk is 10MB/s minimum.

https://www.amazon.com/Dayton-Audio-SUB-1200-12-Inch-Subwoofer/dp/B00669L3HS

https://www.amazon.com/SMSL-50Wx2-TDA7492-Amplifier-Adapter/dp/B00F0H8TOC

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E7H8GG2

I suggest that 3 part combo. The amp lacks a sub out so run the outputs into the subwoofer, set the crossover to 80Hz, and connect the speakers to the outputs on the sub.

Dedicates headphone plus mic. Don't waste your time with "headsets". Try this setup:

1. http://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500-Precision-Over-ear-Headphones/dp/B00ENMK1DW/
   
2. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BJ17WKK/
   
   V-Moda Boom Mic + Phillips SHP9500. Zeos (of ZReviews) highly recommends those headphones, despite their relatively cheap cost. Check out his guide here and also /r/Zeos and /r/ZReviews

https://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-GC-WB867D-I-Bluetooth-Frequency-Expansion/dp/B00HF8K0O6/

I have an older model of this, but it works great. it really helps to have an antenna that extends to a higher position that's not directly plugged in to the bottom of the tower sitting on the ground.

I'm only recently getting into the audiophile world, but I'll give this a shot from what I've discovered. The guys at /r/headphones would love to go into detail.

Lets take a 0-100 scale of audio quality, in which 0 is a person banging on a garbage can and badly humming the tune to a song, and 100 is literally being in the studio with the band recording.

A generic setup like an iphone and the iphone earbuds probably falls somewhere around a 65 on that scale. You can hear the song and make out the words and all, but there's not much intricacy and it has to be pretty loud to hear the different pieces of the music individually. The bass is probably bad and the sound-stage is very small.

Investing in something like THESE, which are occasionally <$100, would move you up to about 80. Its a HUGE jump in quality. You hear things in songs you never knew were there before. Any person with functional ears would easily hear the difference and universally prefer this sound over the cheap earbuds.

Add another $100 for an amp and dac and you're getting into the mid/high 80s on our quality scale. You can hear the music very much the way it sounded in the studio. Unless you're actively listening for differences you aren't likely to ever have a complaint with this type of setup.

Most reasonable people would probably stop in that range just because for a couple hundred bucks you can get a really good sound setup that satisfies the vast majority.

But without question a person with functional ears would be able to notice an improvement between the $200 setup I described and the $2,000 setup that includes headphones like these. If you have discerning ears you may even find the difference to be fairly large, although most people probably wouldn't think its that huge.

And then there's another step even above this, where you could spend >$10,000 on a setup from the truly top of the line. And yes that will sound better, but not 5x better. The higher up the ladder you climb the less pronounced the changes become.

Noise-canceling is an absolute no-go. You want the cleanest signal possible, and the fewest points of failure.

You'll also get pretty sweaty in the QCs.

Sony 7506 are a gold standard for people in audio, and a lot of editors. They're comfortable, easily serviceable and ridiculously accurate.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E?tag=pantsmedia-20&linkCode=ur2

The features seem to match up with this amazon listing of that yeti, but the dimensions are a bit off(the amazon ones could be estimates):

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Yeti-USB-Microphone-Silver/dp/B002VA464S

Logitech K400 is more of a small-sized keyboard rather than mini, but is great for the living room if you need something you can actually type on.

I'll make a list of stuff you need. For the best "bang for your buck" in the $200ish price range.

-----------------------------------------

Speaker wire. Amazon Basics makes great stuff. If you want, you can get 100 feet of it for an extra $2 I think. You can get those monoprice banana plugs if you want. They just help if you're going to be switching speakers around a lot.

Simple wire stripper. Should work just fine.

Cable to plug it in. That'll just plug the amp into a computer. And that cable is amazing quality. For real. I don't know what it is about it, but the moment I touched that cable I knew it was special. This isn't a joke either. You'll understand when you get one. Trust me.

50 watt per channel amp. This thing will be more than enough. I just like it because it is open box, so cheap. The same one new on amazon is $65. If you want to order from amazon, you can just get the smsl sa-36a. Same amp, just 20 watts per channel. Which, again, is plenty.

[Here's that cheaper smsl amp] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017W13OR0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_U2NSBbTRHGFS5). I've got a few of them. They're great. This is what I'd go for if the other one is sold out.

Cheap but good little amp. I don't have one of these because I'm not a fan of the looks, but they get great reviews and a lot of people really like them.

---------------

Speakers:

Miccas. These things are nice for that price. In this price range, you really won't be getting anything better unless you go DIY.

Fluance SX6. These guys are big, but they throw a good amount of sound and some pretty deep bass for a pair of bookshelf speakers. Careful, they're pretty big.

Pioneer. These things are decent, but I think the Fluances would be better for this price. The SX6s throw more bass, which is good if you're not getting a sub. However, these are smaller.

Fluance signature series. I know, you said your budget is only $200, but you said if you need to spend more, then you will. These will sound better than all of the other speakers linked, however, that's not why they're here. I put them here for two reasons. The first is that they're front ported. Most people that are new to speakers might put them up against a wall or close to it, not understanding that the port needs some room to breathe. These have front ports so that's not a problem. The second reason, just look at them. If you really care about looks, these ones are the ones. They're beautiful. (My opinion obviously).

Oof almost forgot. Pleaae don't place the speakers directly on your desk.

--------------------------------

That's a lot. I'll sum it up with my opinion and why.

Amp: smsl sa36a. For close range, you don't need anything with more power. This thing will do whatever you need for bookshelf speakers.

Speakers: micca mb42x. Why? Here's why: for this price range, you won't notice a huge difference in any speakers, unless you get some bad ones. So, get the cheapest ones you can. Later on, if you can afford to upgrade them, you'll probably want to do that. Then you'll have a pair of $80 speakers that you don't need rather than a pair of 130 speakers that you don't need. Another reason I would pick the miccas is because they punch above their price range. Most people say they sound more like a pair of $125 speakers rather than a pair of $80 speakers. So, for real, they're good. Also, they're the smallest of the bunch.

Or, build a pair of C Notes and get something way better than any of these.

Hope this helps!

Sure, they are $120 new.

Alternatives:

Powered/Active: 4" Edifiers start at $70. Edifier R980T or larger 5" Swan D1080-IV $140 or Fluance Ai40 $200

Amp+Passive:

$53 Bundle 6-1/2" 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker Pair and Hi-Fi Mini Amplifier

Mini amps:

Kinter K2020A $33. SMSL SA50 $67, Dayton Audio DTA-120BT $75, Micca OriGain $80 or $100 with USB DAC, more at Zeos AMP and DAC guide.

Speakers:

AverageJoe's Speaker List

Polk Audio T15 $50

Micca MB42X $80

Pioneer SP-BS22-LR 4" Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) $68 or if sale is over, PIONEERSP-BS22-LR $90

Sony SSCS5 3-Way 3-Driver Bookshelf Speaker $73

DIY C-notes $100

Clearance sale dual 5.25" Polk Audio Monitor 40 Series $100

Speaker wire and self adjusting wire strippers or basic.

Subwoofer:

Franklin Audio FPS10 10" 100 Watt Powered Subwoofer $90 with $10 off coupon

Small budget stereo amps like SMSL 60 to 150 range or if budget real tight there is that Lepai 25 bucks

This is what I bought. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FRHTSK4

I took it apart as it's the only way to get this specific hard drive at the moment. The hard drive is the Samsung Spinpoint M9T. A few users have issues booting up their ps4 from being completely off even thought it boots up fine from standby.

I have no issues at all.

Raspberry Pi 2 Model B

Supports CEC. Comes with 4x USB 2.0 slots, an HDMI, quad core ARM A7 processor, 1 GB RAM, and an ethernet port. Also has GPIO pins but I don't know of any Kodi related uses for them. It is an extremely low power device (uses about $3 worth of electricity per year) and requires nothing to keep it cool (e.g., no fans blaring in the middle of your favorite movie).

Base cost is $35. Requires a microSD card, an HDMI cable, and a microUSB charger, all of which can be purchased for approximately $5 each. An existing microUSB charger, such as from your cell phone or a device like a Kindle or Chromecast can be used, of course. Optional components include a case ($10-$20 or 3D print your own), USB wifi dongle ($10+), and an external hard drive ($50+). A few companies put out bundles that include a Raspberry Pi board and various components such as this basic one and this more complete one. A wireless keyboard ($20+) can also be handy. Product links are provided as examples; there may be better deals or smarter purchases to be had.

You'll then want to use a minimalistic Linux distro such as OpenELEC or OSMC, both of which are designed specifically to run Kodi and have optimized builds for a Raspberry Pi. OpenELEC seems to be more popular and is what I use myself. Installation is easy -- you just download and write to your SD card (oh yeah, you might need an SD card reader, $5). If you'd like you can also install a "real" Linux distro and install Kodi in that as you would on a regular desktop computer. You can either store your media on an external hard drive connected to the Raspberry Pi or on a separate computer or NAS and share your files over your LAN.

Pros:

• Cheap base cost
  
• Low power
  
• Very hands off after initial setup
  
• CEC! Use your TV remote to control Kodi
  
• Hardware decoding for h264
  
• As it is full-fledged computer you can easily add in additional software such as emulators, a web browser, etc.
  
• More of a DIY solution (may be a con)
  
  Cons:
  
  
• A few plugins (typically they are Windows dependent) and more computationally intensive skins may not work
  
• May get pricey if you need to buy all the separate components
  
• Can not handle 10-bit x264 (aka Hi10p; rare outside of anime fansubs) or HEVC (aka h265) files.
  
• No 4K output, max resolution is 1920x1200
  
• More of a DIY solution (may be a pro)
  

Have Sennheiser 598's.

Footsteps have been incredibly spotty for a long time in this game. They acknowledged they were broke a while back, and did a couple changes to make them a bit more audible, but they're still not consistent.

Been looking for a while myself OP
> BenQ GW2765HT 27-Inch 2560x1440 IPS Monitor
>
> BenQ ZOWIE 27" QHD 2560x1440 LED 144Hz
>
> ASUS MG278Q WQHD, 1ms 27-Inch FreeSync
>
> Dell Gaming S2716DG 27.0" Screen LED-Lit Monitor with G-SYNC
>
> ASUS ROG SWIFT PG278QR 27" 2560x1440 1ms 165Hz G-SYNC
>
> Acer Predator XB271HU bmiprz 27" WQHD (2560x1440) NVIDIA G-SYNC

Closed headphones. I've used these for many years: http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-Headphones/dp/B000065BPB/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1406040308&sr=8-6&keywords=sennheiser

They sound great and isolate a fair amount. You can play white noise on them if you don't want music.

Other than that: explain your problem and try to get an office / closed cubicle for "touchdown" (not your proper place of work but somewhere to sit when you need some extra concentration).

People, don't buy Bose. The pair you talk about is 299. For that you get mediocre audio quality too. These will do the job at half the price with better playback quality too.

If you're hardstuck at 50 bucks these are ok. Be aware that the "7.1" is SIMULATED and often sounds weird depending on game.

I think people should consider the Philips SHP9500 on a deep sale for $55 for Black Friday + VModa boom mic $30 as this is a pretty significant improvement in both headphone and mic quality with the bonus that the SHP9500 can be used for listening to music.

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-MicroSD-Adapter-MB-ME128GA-AM/dp/B06XWZWYVP/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1504275088&sr=8-2&keywords=128gb+micro+sd

Theres the Samsung 128GB 100MB/s (U3) MicroSD EVO (MB-ME128GA/AM) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XWZWYVP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_Ju5qvCT7wJE1I

Though it's $25 right now I got it on sale for $20 in December.

Sennheiser HD 598 Special Edition - $109.99 at checkout for Prime Members

These are pretty good quality

169.00$ on amazon.ca right now

https://www.amazon.ca/Sennheiser-HD-558-Headphones/dp/B004FEEY9A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482182875&sr=8-1&keywords=hd+558

>but all of the responses are "get a good pair of headphones and a clip on mic"

Because this is the best option.

I personally use the clip on Zalman but I've heard great things about the ModMic. If you got a great pair of headphones(many use the AD700, HD558/HD598, etc) and attached this it would essentially be the same as a gaming headset but with significantly better sound quality and better build quality.

If you're going to be stubborn and not accept this, I reccommend going for the Sennheiser PC360. It's typically around the same price as the HD598 but not quite as good...

EDIT: Added links to some products, note that I only looked them up on Amazon, you can probably find everything cheaper if you shop around...

---

EDIT 2: DarkWingPig mentioned virtual surround sound, which is what draws many people towards gaming headsets. You can add this functionality to any pair of headphones using a sound card such as the Asus Xonar DG, Asus Xonar DS, or the Asus Xonar DX.

I have an Asus Xonar DX and, in my opinion, it can work well in certain games such as Counterstike, where knowing the position of a sound is essential, but I don't use it for the majority of games...

A user over at Head Fi called Mad Lust Envy has created a thread reviewing many different pairs of headphones in relation to how well they work with Dolby Headphone(virtual surround sound).

Hope you get better man,you can beat cancer i'm sure.
Now for the laptop looking at WoW specs i think around 600$ is a great price and no need to spend more so i suggest the acer aspire E15 with the mx150 and it should be more than enough:
https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-i5-8250U-GeForce-E5-576G-5762/dp/B075FLBJV7?th=1&psc=1

oh and for streaming and such ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM dual cards.the gtx 1080 is more than enough and your current setup is perfect and there is no need to buy anything at all even for streaming,and even if you are serious i would suggest something like the i7-8700k(6 cores with higher FPS but worse streaming) or the ryzen 7 2700x(8 cores great for streaming) with an RTX2080ti (honestly your current card is more than enough and the RTX is throwing money away for the sake of it).
DO NOT buy dual cards as very few games will scale and that will be like 70% scaling at best and MOST games won't use the second card at all.

For around $100 you should be able to get some HD555s and perform this mod to turn them into 595s

Or if you have loud and annoying roommates, you could get some 280 Pros

Wall of text ahead. Please, read only if you are really interested...


What I usually recommend when someone ask for advice about gaming headsets is: Gaming headset are crap 99% of the time. They provide very poor sound quality, and any good headphone (literally, even 40$ ones) will sound far better than expensive 300$ headsets. The question is not if headphones are better than headset (the answer is “Hell, YEAH”). The question is, are they better for you?


What are you planning to use your headphones for? Just for gaming, or for gaming and music listening?


If the answer is “just for gaming”, then ask yourself if a Hifi headphone is what you need. Usually games don’t really need high quality headphones, since they provide low quality sound, and you will be more concentrated gaming than listening. In that scenario, everything will serve you, and gaming headsets have the advantage of the integrated microphone.


So, if you want something good for gaming, and just for gaming, with integrated microphone, then the only two headsets with good enough quality sound (aka don’t suck) are:


HyperX Cloud (70$)


Sennheiser G4me One (170$)


Both are good choices. Or go with any fancy RGB headset you find (Logitech, Razer, Corsair, Steelseries, etc), you will most probably don’t notice the difference while gaming.


BUT, if you plan to use them for music listening besides gaming, then keep reading.


Hifi headphones for gaming have the disadvantage of having to deal with the micro thing. None of them have microphone incorporated, and you must either use a desk microphone like this, use a modmic like this one. or if your budget is tight, something like this. The first one requires desk space. The second and third one are detachable micro, with an extra cable you’ll have to deal with. Any of them are a nuisance. Any solution is annoying. All of them are an extra expense that must be accounted. If micro is a must and you are not willing to bother with this solutions, please, go back to HyperX Cloud or G4me One.


Ok, so, you really want some damn good headphones, that also can be used for gaming! Keep reading, please (are you bored yet?).


You can choose Closed back headphones (the classic ones you have already used. Closed back models offer good isolation and do not leak sound. This is your choice when there are people around you, or you want isolation from noisy a environment.) or Open Back headphones (Open back models offer next to no isolation and will leak sound -and allow you to hear what happens around you-, but they are the best sounding models). Open headphones achieve the best sound, soundstage (feeling that sound is coming from around you) and imaging (ability to locate the origin of one sound).


If you are here because you want to get a replacement for a gaming headset, I would recommend you Open back, but since they don’t isolate, you must choose. If isolation is required, get closed back, if that’s not a concern, go open.


Some closed back cans:


Audio-Technica ATH-M40x. 100$. Balanced headphones, very good feedback from lots of people. Typical entry level headphones to the rabbit hole.


Sennheiser HD 598Cs. 125$. Balanced, very very detailed, great instrumental separation. Comfortable as hell, Very recommended.


Beyerdynamic DT770. 160$. V-shaped signature (lots of bass and lots of treble). Great for explosions, movies, and rock. Treble can be harsh if you are sensible. Get the 32 ohm version, as the 80 (may) and 250 (do) need an amplifier to work properly.


Those are some examples of entry-mid level of closed cans. There are lots more, depending of your budget!


As for open cans:


Superlux HD668b. 40$. Those are THE CANS. The best quality for low budget you can get. Hands down. Great soundstage, Bass light. They are not too comfortable, but pads can be changed for a deluxe comfort (extra expense). You are not getting anything better at this price. For gaming in a budget, this are the headphones you were looking for,


Philips SHP9500. 80$. Mid-forward signature. Good soundstage, great comfort. Very detailed. Another amazing quality for the budget headphone.


Sennheiser HD 598 SR. 170$. Very similar to the HD 598Cs, but with open back. Wider soundstage, a little less bass. Very balanced headphones. Super-duper comfortable. Great for long gaming sessions.


Philips Fidelio X2. 250$. V-shaped signature. Those are in another league. Build quality is just.. OMG. Extreme soundstage and imaging. More comfortable than the HD 598. Bass is BOOOOOM!!!. A little pricey, and can be somewhat fatiguing to listen if you are treble sensible, due to high treble.


Well, that’s all. I have selected only headphones that don’t need an amplifier. Now is your turn to research, watch some Youtube videos, read some reviews, and give them a try.


All this headphones are GOOD. No trash here, and all them will make you open your eyes when listening your music if you are coming from standard headsets. You will notice sounds, instruments, that you never realized they were there, even if you had listened this song a thousand times before. Try them, and be amazed.


Welcome to the rabbit hole.

These are the HD 558, not to be confused with the HD 598.

The HD598 was $99 for Black Friday 2014 and didn't drop that low until Black Friday 2015. I don't know anything about the price history of the HD558, but I wouldn't expect it to drop this low again for some time, even though the price has been steadily dropping for some time.

They look just like the Sennheiser hd558. I have a pair and they are AMAZING. Probably best bang for your buck. You can do a "foam mod" to make them more like hd598's too. http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-504631-HD-558-Headphones/dp/B004FEEY9A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397099148&sr=8-1&keywords=sennheiser+hd558

Gaming headset?

In all seriousness, pretty much everyone here would recommend you get a solid pair of headphones and a separate mic. Coming from someone who used to use headsets, I can say that the separate set-up is much better.

However if you're dead-set on a headset, I've used the Siberia V2, Razer Tiamat 7.1, and HyperX Cloud within the past couple years so I can answer questions about those.

A quick set-up, and one that I use and love, is the Sennheiser HD558's and the ModMic. Which, yeah, it's ~$200 for that combo, but in my mind it's worth it and if you want to save money there are plenty of cheaper headphones you can get instead of the 558, and a ton of different mic options other than the ModMic

I built up my first "real" listening area and I am absolutely thrilled with how it all came together. Pretty standard C-Note build, I did do the .22uF capacitor mod on the crossover to bring the peak down from -20 dB to -40 dB.


C-Note speaker kit


Crossover PCBs


.22uF capacitor


Binding posts


SMSL SA50


Chromecast Audio

This

Philips SHP9500 + V-MODA BoomPro + Creative Sound BlasterX G1

In case you can buy from Newegg, the headphone is on sale. The sound card is on sale on Creative's website.

It's a straightforward setup: the BoomPro mic plugs into the headphone's jack, the G1 sound card plugs into the PS4's USB port, and the headphone/mic plugs into the jack on the sound card.

SHP9500 has a balanced/neutral sound signature, meaning it doesn't over- or under-emphasize the bass and treble. It has very good clarity, detailing, and bass and treble quality. If you ever want to play shooters online, then it has good positional audio (soundstage and imaging). It sits over the ear. It's durable and lightweight. It has no flimsy or squeaky parts. The earpads have good quality and they're soft and removable, but they're shallow.

The BoomPro has a volume control and a mute switch.

The G1 offers SBX virtual surround sound, which I think has less tinny sound, less sound degradation, less loss of details (virtual surround sound uses compression) and better positional audio than Dolby Digital commonly found in various devices.

I have HyperX Cloud, which is Cloud II and CloudX with more accessories, and I advise against it; it has scratchy treble and very muddy bass and mid-range. It also has bad positional audio.

Did you come across the Antlion ModMic in your research? It's a very easy mic to attach and remove from headphones, so if it doesn't feel too complicated, then I have some other recommendations.

agreed. Unless you're on a tight budget. Amazon has larger for barely more and are U3 for better speeds.

1. 64gb $11.15
   
2. 128gb $19.49

Here is a video that goes over current SD card specifications pretty well. I'll post what I got out of it and a little bit of additional research:

CAPACITY

There are three different types of SD cards that indicate a size range. SD cards are up to 2GB and are useless for our purposes. SDHC cards are from 4-32 GB and are ill-advised since 32GB isn't really enough. What we're interested in is SDXC cards which are from 64GB to 2TB. Each card has a micro version which is what we need. Capacity type doesn't have an impact on performance.

WRITE SPEED

There are two different families of speed classes that indicate a minimum write performance. The first, traditional speed class comes in Class 2, Class 4, Class 6, and Class 10. The number corresponds to their write speed, Class 2 is 2MB/s, class 10 is 10MB/s. This class is denoted by their number inside of a "C".

The other family of speed class is UHS. There are only two types, type 1 and type 3. These are denoted by their number inside of a "U" shaped symbol. UHS1 writes at 10MB/s, UHS3 writes at 30MB/s. That means the Class 10 and UHS1 have the same minimum write performance, but we're just going to look at UHS cards from now on. It is possible for a card to claim a UHS class speed, and a Class 10 speed.

Bus Interface

There are two different bus interfaces for UHS cards, UHS-I and UHS-II. These are denoted by roman numerals rather than our numbers. UHS-II cards have a second row of connection pins on the back of the card, while UHS-I just has the single row. UHS-II cards can transfer data faster than UHS-I cards when they are in a UHS-II compatible machine. If the machine is not UHS-II compatible then there is no benefit, however the UHS-II card will still work as it is backwards compatible. It does not look like the Nintendo Switch is UHS-III compatible, so there is no benefit to using a UHS-II card in it, which is a shame because the II interface can help read speeds tremendously.

So what is Nintendo recommending with OP's card? A microSDXC UHS3-I card. Meaning it is a micro version of a 64GB card, with the best write speed class, and the standard/worse Bus interface.

Nintendo-licensed Sandisk microSDXC 64GB UHS3-I for $19.99

Non licensed Sandisk microSDXC 64GB UHS3-I card for $23

/u/Nobody_is_lurking posted two contenders...

Sandisk microSDXC 64GB UHS1-I card for $14.25

Sandisk microSDXC 128GB UHS1-I card
for $23.25


...but it isn't actually an apples to apples comparison, as they are both UHS1 rather than UHS3. The $6 question is how big of a difference is there functionally between the two speed classes when actually being used by a Switch, which someone already took the time to test!

The results show that, when write speed was involved, the difference was significant, and that installed games can go by 3x faster using a UHS3 card. So sure, the UHS3 is a clear winner for installing, but what people really care about are load times, showed a less drastic story. Installing locally on the Switch beats any external storage options that we're looking at, then the UHS3 trailed shortly behind, with UHS1 following a little longer. For a regularly installed game the difference in load times doesn't seem to be more than a couple of seconds, even if the load time is a minute long. This guy also tested homebrew launched games though, which did show a much bigger difference between UHS1 and UHS3. So there is a difference in load time, but just not a massive one that many people would notice.

Looking at value, for whatever reason the Nintendo-licensed cards are currently cheaper than their equivalent nonlicensed cards, both the 64Gb and 128GB. Obviously the UHS-1 is cheaper than the UHS-3 across the board.

But if you want to branch away from Sandisk you can have the best of both worlds with a Samsung 64GB UHS3-I card for $15 The price per MB stays consistent at bigger sizes as well, so if you wanted a 128GB one it'd be $30.

tl;dr Buy this one. It is better and cheaper.

Yeah I'd recommend this over the USB suggestions. Get a good one. Or try the power link setup.
This is what I use.

Drew uses a lot of stuff I've used or am currently using!

The headphones are the Sony MDR7506, or the Sony MDRV6 and they are ultimately the same thing. I have both, I haven't been able to tell the difference, and from what I've researched, they use the same parts internally, so the only thing different is the cosmetics. I know the Vergecast also uses these headphones in their studio.

While I don't have the Focusrite 2i2 like Drew was using, I do own the Focusrite 18i8 (Gen 1), and the Focusrite 18i20 (Gen 2) and both are phenomenal. They are more expensive than a standard USB Mixer, but the pre-amps make up for some of that cost, plus the ease of use.

I have never used the Shure SM7B, but it's the same microphone that Kinda Funny Games uses. I use the Electro Voice RE20, which is the same Microphone that Giant Bomb West and East uses, as well as, the Vergecast. I would love to hear Drew's opinions on both mics. Both mics are exceptional review-wise and very popular in audio recordings, but having Drew compare the two would have some value.

And just because I have listed all the equipment Drew has used. Here is the Anker 10-Port Hub he was using. Anker is a great brand for USB/Computer accessories. They have an outstanding warranty and customer service department.

Note none of these links are affiliate links, this post was simply to make it easy to find the gear Drew was using.

I am not even gonna read your post, just based on your title get:

1x https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0173PEX20/

2x https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072HGR5HB/

1x https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075SRGSK1/

​

The XB271HU and KG271 are of exactly the same dimensions. AND XB271HU is one hell of a good monitor.

Suggested you a triple monitor arm, too.

This is my setup.

​

Hope this fits your or someone else's needs.

>hd598

Whoa, are these like super jacked up right now to prep for the sale? It says 598's are $310! That's more than I spent on my HD600's ffs. Or am I missing something?

Welp. At least it was only THIS monitor that was ruined. No big deal right? Lol.

In all seriousness, I was going to sell everything when I move abroad next year anyway. This just means I won't get much for it. Oh well.

I agree with the other comments here, don't worry about spending more to get more. If you haven't heard decent headphones (designed for the sound quality not the looks or marketing) then something cheaper will still be impressive.

Here are some recommendations to get you started:

Open Back

• Superlux HD681 $28
  
• Phillips SHP9500 $74
  
• Sennheiser HD598se $158
  
  Closed Back
  
  
• Monoprice 8323 $30
  
• Audio Technica M40x $99
  
• Sennheiser HD598Cs $128
  
  Open back is a headphone that allows sound to leak out and lets noise around you in. Closed back isolates you from surrounding noises and prevents noise from leaking out. If you will only be using these at home I would recommend open back. They generally sound better for the price.

Yes, you will need a separate amplifier, as well as speaker wire and banana plugs (banana plugs optional, gives a cleaner look). One like this would work well:

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-Audio-R-S202BL-Stereo-Receiver/dp/B01EMQI2CU

Budget Options:

https://www.amazon.com/SMSL-TDA7492-Amplifier-Adapter-Silver/dp/B00F0H8TOC?th=1&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/SMSL-SA-36A-TPA3118D2-Amplifier-Black/dp/B017W13OR0

Extreme Budget Option:

https://www.amazon.com/Lepy-LP-2020A-Digital-Amplifier-Stereo/dp/B00C2P61FO

Speaker wire and banana plugs:

https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023904&p_id=14915&seq=1&format=2

https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=104&cp_id=10401&cs_id=1040115&p_id=2801&seq=1&format=2

Picked up a 2TB a few weeks back for $99

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Backup-Portable-External-STDR2000100/dp/B00FRHTSK4

Very easy to remove the Samsung HDD from the case and pop into the PS4

/u/BigOleBallsack - I would get neither. With a $5000 budget, unless you need to take still photos, I recommend an interchangeable lens Super 35 camcorder instead.

By the time you buy ND filters, an XLR audio solution with decent preamps and rigging (e.g., a top handle) to compensate for the GH5's or the A7s II's still camera ergonomics - you might as well buy a real video camera.

In your price range, I recommend a [$2595 Super 35 4K JVC LS300] (https://www.amazon.com/JVC-GY-LS300CHU-Ultra-Camcorder-Handle/dp/B00USBVISE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?m=A17MC6HOH9AVE6&s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1487897950&linkCode=ll1&tag=battleforthew-20) with a [$399 Metabones Canon to micro 4/3 autofocusing adapter] (https://www.amazon.com/Metabones-Smart-Adapter-Thirds-Camera/dp/B014C1BF7O//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=battleforthew-20) and something like a [$799 Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 lens] (https://www.amazon.com/Sigma-18-35mm-F1-8-Lens-Canon/dp/B00DBL0NLQ//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=battleforthew-20).

The LS300 has these features that still cameras lack:

• built-in ND filters
  
• built-in pro XLR inputs with phantom
  
• top handle
  
• built-in IP encoder for [live streaming] (https://youtu.be/Y3oYNy47yYo) with a [$9 wi-fi dongle] (https://www.amazon.com/Edimax-EW-7811Un-150Mbps-Raspberry-Supports/dp/B003MTTJOY//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=battleforthew-20)
  
• SDI out
  
• power zoom rocker with [prime zoom] (https://youtu.be/0Eq4_hPzQPc), which gives you a 2.5x lossless zoom with prime lenses
  
  I have shot with this camera, it is a solid pro camcorder with the ability to produce high quality 4K video at a reasonable price.
  
  Here are a few examples of the image quality this camera can produce:
  
  Narrative
  
  
• [UrbEx by Filippo Chiesa] (https://vimeo.com/200431612) (4K)
  
  
• [Даниил Хармс стихотворение Страх |Тест камеры JVC GY-LS300 by Александр Носовский] (https://youtu.be/xyO_-T7BhdM) (1080p)
  
  
• [JVC LS300 Test Footage by Hamilton Video & Sound Limited] (https://youtu.be/qQoDt62DNak) (1080p)
  
  Music Video
  
  
• [JVC GY-Ls300 Test 001 by Dario Viola] (https://youtu.be/LRWuOhLSAi8) (1080p)
  
  Corporate/Commercial/Interview
  
  
• [Halloween AM Skit by Robert Grant] (https://youtu.be/knzu5ZLgYMc) (1080p - Local TV promo - LS300 used on some shots)
  
  
• [KW Realty Group Experience, Anniston, Alabama by Barrett House Productions] (https://youtu.be/5fSgXSCEg9M) (1080p - [Azden SGM250 pro XLR microphone] (https://www.amazon.com/Azden-SGM-250-Professional-Powered-Microphone/dp/B00XWG2YBW//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=battleforthew-20) plugged directly into the camcorder)
  
  
• [Indian Oaks Event Center Community Golf Course by Barrett House Productions] (https://youtu.be/CLBbyXualSs) (1080p)
  
  Live Event
  
  
• [Supersonic Lips - House of Blues - Mas Musica Festival by Juan Flores] (https://vimeo.com/185562492) (1080p)
  
  
• [JVC LS300 Sample low light Footage (The Pocket Band) by Lonzos Studios] (https://youtu.be/VXEWARTJhv8) (2160p)
  
  Wedding
  
  
• [4K Ultra HD Wedding Film - Kassandra & Ralph's Photo Shoot by Jim Merchant] (https://youtu.be/d4pILlMyFEM) (2160p - shot with manual Rokinon cine lenses)
  
  
• [Kristin & Doug's Wedding at Glen Magna Farms 4K Ultra-HD Wedding by Jim Merchant] (https://youtu.be/GdKBKd5_e2Q) (2160p - shot with the LS300 and a Sony AX100 consumer camcorder)
  
  
• [Wedding with a jvc gy-ls300 by NOA NOA] (https://vimeo.com/154440004) (1080p - shot with the LS300 and Panasonic auto lenses)
  
  J-LOG on Vimeo (please watch at 4K and your monitor's highest resolution)
  
  
• [Japanese garden with the JVC gy ls300 by NOA NOA] (https://vimeo.com/162712903)
  
  
• [JVC GY-LS300 4K J-Log Vision] (https://vimeo.com/138523082)
  
  
• [Palm Springs Photo Festival 2016 - JVC LS300 footage by Zachary Andrews] (https://vimeo.com/164723392) (4K J-LOG)
  
  1080p on Vimeo
  
  
• [Breathing in New Life] (http://vimeo.com/120445118)
  
  
• [“Honmonji Temple” in GY-LS300 by moribun] (https://vimeo.com/139214323) (downscaled from UHD to 1080p, downloadable if you're a Vimeo Plus or Pro member [if you're not, you can sign up [here] (http://vimeo.com/pro/new?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=prosubscribe-cj-vimeo-bizlander-300x250-20130424&utm_campaign=7696)])
  
  
• [JVC GY-LS300 Camera Test] (http://vimeo.com/122736335)
  
  
• [A Snowy Day in Ann Arbor, Shot with the JVC GY-LS300 by Chase Stanton] (https://vimeo.com/158042771)
  
  J-LOG on YouTube (please watch at 2160p and your monitor's highest resolution)
  
  
• [GY-LS300 4K J-Log1 "KYOTO New Year's Day" by GAIPROMOTION] (https://youtu.be/efJrfawjVw0)
  
  Non-LOG Gammas on YouTube (2160p)
  
  
• [GY-LS300 UHD 4K w/ Canon 70-200 and 85mm lenses by JVCProfessional] (https://youtu.be/QYCdxMrvAoA)
  
  
• [JVC LS300 Clips by Hamilton Video & Sound Limited] (https://youtu.be/OzgGwCUdZV0)
  
  
• [EVS’s test footage for the JVC GY-LS300 4K super 35 Cinema camera] (https://youtu.be/S47dceBcuJI)
  
  
• [TOKYO“I”land KOWA PROMINAR w/JVC KENWOOD GY-LS300 by Satoshi Watanabe] (https://youtu.be/WO8DW5d0isE)
  
  
• [JVC GY-LS300 4K Footage by elton chong] (https://youtu.be/0pYEFhE3xLE)
  
  This camera is not perfect. It has a tiny viewfinder and LCD, so you'll probably need to buy an EVF - and, although it has 4:2:2 chroma subsampling, it is still an 8-bit camera.
  
  But for less than $3000, the LS300 is the most flexible large sensor, interchangeable lens 4K Super 35 camcorder on the market.
  
  Hope this is helpful and good luck with finding the right camera for your needs!

Raspberry Pi 3

Raspberry Pi Clear Case

32GB MicroSD Card

Netatmo Weather Station

Wind Gauge

Rain Gauge

Rain/Wind Gauge mounts

3 Way HDMI Switch

1FT HDMI Cable

Wifi Adapter

Everything is attached to the back of the television with some double sided sticky paper things i had lying around. Anything will probably work.

The USB wall outlet is one that delivers 3.1A at 5V that we bought from our local hardware store.

The server that the software runs on is a poweredge r710 with dual x5670s and 64GB of ram. Of course, this isnt all it does, but it is one of the many things i host on it. :)

If you'd like, i can post the scripts i wrote for it as well.

Yes, you can go usb, and still use it after a couple of years. The quality is not prime, because one pays for prime.

Have a listen to an unfair comparison of $50 vs $1000.
TLDR: it's the room that does it. If you can pack yourself (and the mic) into something that absorbs the reflections, you will sound pretty good on something like the Blue Yeti. You can get cheaper mics too, or just used ones, but USB is a valid option to start on.

So what about that absorbing material? I made this, and it has done the job for quite some time.

Ask again if you have questions.

This is a really misleading and uninformed comment.

If you notice the graph with the frequency response curve, it goes up to 100khz.

Literally no headphones go up that high.

For comparison, one of the most successful, widely used professional pair of studio headphones (the kind engineers sometimes use in place of monitors{a kind of speaker} use when recording albums), Sony MDR7506's

Youre right to say theyre "Not as good" as something like this, but anybody reading your comment will look even at that pair of sony headphones and declare them "definately not good headphones" based on provided info.

PS the sonys are cheaper https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E

$30? This aint it.

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-MicroSD-Adapter-MB-ME128GA-AM/dp/B06XWZWYVP

This is exactly what I use: http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Keyboard-Multi-Touch-Touchpad/dp/B005DKZTMG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1419200459&sr=1-1&keywords=logitech+wireless+keyboard

To defend power buttons though, I have this keyboard for my living room TV's PC that kind of functions like a remote control. The power button on it is quite useful.

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Keyboard-Multi-Touch-Touchpad/dp/B005DKZTMG

Lots of people buy soundbars because they are convenient. They're small, don't require much wiring, and are inexpensive.

However, they never match the sound quality of real speakers. Music is meant to be heard on a stereo (2 speakers) so soundbars will never sound as good.

http://www.cnet.com/news/before-you-buy-a-sound-bar-speaker-read-this/

If you're on a tight budget then I personally recommend the Andrew Jones Pioneer bookshelf speakers. Mr. Jones is a well regarded speaker designer and they sound great. Not only do I like the speakers, but they are always recommended in the hi-fi world. Plus, with a stereo you can always upgrade to better parts later on. Over time, you could get better speakers, a subwoofer, center channel, and eventually you'll have a kickass 5.1 system if you want it. Soundbars don't allow any room for upgrading

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/89-speakers/1278774-pioneer-s-speaker-genius-hits-low-price-point.html
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-bookshelf-speakers/
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG

Not as low as previous sales, but Sennheiser HD598s are $109.99

$45 for a 128 GB.

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-MicroSD-Adapter-MB-ME128GA-AM/dp/B06XWZWYVP/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1504275088&sr=8-2&keywords=128gb+micro+sd

You forgot:

• I finally got a Nintendo Switch! Which accessories should I buy for it before it gets here? Most people recommend a screen protector and a carrying case. As for the most frequently recommended carrying cases, there's this one from RDS Industries and this one from Butterfox.
  
  
• What's the biggest, cheapest, most reliable microSD card I can buy for the Switch? There's no best answer, but a lot of people on this sub recommend this one from Samsung.
  
  
• Should I buy a Nintendo Switch? What about all of the problems I heard about? Maybe? I don't know. That's your call, friend. There are problems, as there are with any new piece of technology, but Nintendo has a great warranty with excellent customer support, and the issues aren't quite as widespread as it seems (people are most vocal when there's a problem; they typically won't say anything if there's nothing wrong).
  
  
• What games are coming out for the Switch? There's a link in the sidebar on desktop, but for mobile users, check here.

• Bike: commuting made easy, exercise
  
• Over the ear headphones (US$100): [Sennheiser HD 280 pro][sennheiser]
  
• [Mendeley]: Organize papers and notetaking, with cloud support. Free and cross platform
  
• [yEd]: draw publication-grade diagrams in ludicrously short amounts of time. Export to various formats. Free and cross platform
  
• [LyX]: LaTeX editor for writing papers everything
  
• Coffee maker at my desk
  
• Some snacks at my desk
  
• Set of disposable forks in my drawer for when I need them
  
• An overnight kit (soap, etc, clothes, towel) to shower at the gym if I pull an allnighter
  
• A good backpack that holds everything. It also has hip straps (better for my back)
  
• Podcasts to listen to, when walk/bus to/from school
  
• Automated data backup solutions (I use gDrive, Dropbox, time machine for data backups, and Amazon Prime cloud storage for photo backups)
  
• xkcd and other webcomics for relief
  
• Netflix and Spotify for entertainment
  
• Rice cooker and food processor (reduces chopping time by 90%)
  
• Friend with a Costco membership (buy meat in bulk and stick it in a freezer)
  
• A comfortable keyboard (it's made all the difference to my wrists and forearms)
  
• A tiny pharmacy (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, pseudoephedrine, vitamin C,D)
  
• Spare socks in my backpack
  
• A full set of must-have applications for my computer/phone/tablet to make automate the tech side of work
  
• A calendar app that works for you (I just use Google Calendar)
  
• [Alarmy] (free version): phone alarm clock that you can set up to turn off only when you take a picture of a specific thing (mine's set to my shower head in my washroom)
  
• Plants at home: ambience and smell (basil, lemongrass, lavender)
  
• Tiny screwdriver kit in my backpack: for when I need to open up a computer or hard drive
  
• Automated billing to my visa and web banking
  
• Gym clothes under my desk for the school gym
  
• Fitness ball to sit on (the first month is a little rough, until you build up your back muscles). Once you get used to it, it's very comfortable, good for your core/posture/back; and you can bounce on it at work
  
• a stash of scrap paper on my desk to write immediate to-do's on
  
• [Asana]: task tracking
  
• Google Keep: list making
  
  [sennheiser]: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000065BPB/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  [mendeley]: http://www.mendeley.com/
  [yEd]: https://www.yworks.com/products/yed
  [LyX]: http://lyx.org/
  [Alarmy]: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=droom.sleepIfUCan
  [Asana]: https://app.asana.com/
  

Most likely they are sound whoring with headphones and attentiveness. When I play killer, sound is my greatest asset against the survivors. Things like running and breathing can be picked up by paying attention and having the sound system to do so.

I followed the advice on this post and got these headphones and this mic. Pretty cheap set up for quality audio and voice communication.

They actually did a bit of research for the movie as the headphones are Amazon's number one seller for DJ Headphones.

Sony MDR7506.

Mac Mini (2018 model), named NOSTROMO

• 3.2 GHz Hexa-Core Core i7 CPU
  
• 32 GB of RAM
  
• 256 GB PCIe boot volume
  
• 2 TB external rotating drive for Time Machine Backups, connected via Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C
  
• Dual 8 TB Western Digital Elements USB 3.0 drives for content, VOL1 and VOL2. VOL1 is replicated to VOL2, both are connected via Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C. These handy adapter cables allow you to connect a traditional USB 3.0 device into a Thunderbolt 3 port.
  
• Single 4 TB SeaGate Plus USB 3.0 drive which contains the majority of my media content, VOL5. It is a "floater" drive which I always carry in my backpack to have the majority of my content with me at all times.
  
• Running Mac OS 10.14.6 Server
  
• Dual 27” Apple Thunderbolt Displays connected to the Mac Mini, daisy-chained off a single Thunderbolt 3 port using a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter.
  
• This Mac Mini is what I use to host all of my iTunes content to the three Apple TVs in my home
  
  
  

  Mac Mini (2010 model), named SPUNKMEYER
  

  
  

• 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo CPU
  
• 16 GB of RAM
  
• 100 GB SSD boot volume
  
• 500 GB traditional drive for Time Machine Backups
  
• Running Mac OS 10.13.6 Server
  
  
  

  MacBook Pro Retina 15” (2015 model), named SULACO
  

  
  

• 2.2 GHz Quad-Core Core i7 CPU
  
• 16 GB of RAM
  
• 256 GB SSD
  
• Running Mac OS 10.14.6 Client
  
• Time Machine Backups are being taken both on the 2018 Mac Mini as well as the 2010 Mac Mini
  
  
  

  Mac Mini (2012 model), named FERRO
  

  
  

• This Mac is located at Mom & Dad’s about 1,000 miles away. It is a complete offsite backup of all of my content, it is also used for Time Machine backups of my mother’s Mac Mini and my niece’s MacBook Pro. I have both Remote Desktop and SSH access via the magic of port forwarding. Whenever I add a new movie, I place it is my Shared Dropbox folder, then about 30 minutes later it is available on the backup Mac Mini. I then move it over to VOL3, and all of my content is always in sync.
  
• 2.5 GHz Dual-Core Core i5 CPU
  
• 16 GB of RAM
  
• 120 GB SSD boot volume
  
• 500 GB traditional drive for Time Machine Backups
  
• Single 8 TB Western Digital Elements USB 3.0 drive for storing and hosting content, VOL3. It is a complete duplicate of VOL1/VOL2.
  
• Running Mac OS 10.14.6 Server
  
  
  

  Mac Mini (2012 model), named AURIGA
  

  
  

• This Mac is located at my sister's house about 1,000 miles away. It is a complete offsite backup of all of my movies and TV shows, it is also used for Time Machine backups of my sister's MacBook Pro and my other niece’s MacBook. I have both Remote Desktop and SSH access via the magic of port forwarding. Whenever I add a new movie, I place it is my Shared Dropbox folder, then about 30 minutes later it is available on the backup Mac Mini. I then move it over to VOL4, and all of my content is always in sync.
  
• 2.5 GHz Dual-Core Core i5 CPU
  
• 16 GB of RAM
  
• 256 GB SSD boot volume
  
• 500 GB traditional drive for Time Machine Backups
  
• Single 4 TB Seagate Backup Plus USB 3.0 drive (VOL4) for storing and hosting content, VOL4. As it is only a 4 TB volumes, it contains only the moves and television shows which are on VOL1, VOL2, and VOL3.
  
• Running Mac OS 10.14.6 Server
  
  
  Both the 2012 Minis and the 2010 Mini are completely headless. Unfortunately, this means that accessing them via remote desktop gives you a measly 800x600 resolution. I use this handy little gadget on both of them to replicate a 1920x1080 display being connected. So, when I connect via Screen Sharing I get a nice big display.
  
  
  

  MacBook Pro (2018 model), named APLC02XV5W1JGH5
  

  
  

• 2.2 GHz Six-Core Intel Core i7 CPU
  
• 16 GB of RAM
  
• 500 GB SSD
  
• Running Mac OS 10.14.5 Client
  
• This is my work-provided laptop, mostly used for remote access. It is pretty locked down, I am not a local administrator so I cannot even rename it to fit my naming scheme
  
  
  

  iPad Pro 10.5", named APONE
  

  
  

• 2.38 GHz Apple A10X CPU
  
• 4 GB of RAM
  
• 256 GB of storage
  
• Running iOS 13.0 Public Beta
  
  
  

  iPhone X, named RIPLEY
  

  
  

• 2.4 GHz Apple A11 Bionic CPU
  
• 3 GB of RAM
  
• 256 GB of storage
  
• Running iOS 12.4
  
  
  LG Blu-Ray reader/writer in connected to NOSTROMO via USB 3.0, used for ripping Blu-Rays and DVDs
  
  Sabrent USB 3.0 Dual-Bay Hard Drive Dock, also connected to NOSTROMO via USB 3.0
  
  The microphone is a Yeti Blue with a Nady Pop Filter, coupled with a Logitech HD C310, used for Google Hangouts and FaceTime calls with the fam, and the occasional podcast. It is mounted on a RODE PSA1 Swivel Mount Studio Microphone Boom Arm and a RADIUS II Microphone Shock Mount.
  
  The mousepad is an XTracPads Ripper XXL mousepad
  
  The chair is a Raynor Ergohuman ME7ERG desk chair
  
  I use Dropbox to expertly keep my content in sync. Due to the amount of content I keep in there, it is well worth the $100 per year for a Dropbox Pro subscription.
  
  
  Additionally throughout the house, I have...
  3 Eeros for my Mesh Wireless Network WiFi System
  2 Apple TVs (4K), named ASH and CALL
  1 Apple TV (4th Generation), named BISHOP
  1 Apple HomePod, named DIETRICH
  1 Nest Hello Video Doorbell, named HELLO
  1 Nest Learning Thermostat, named NEST (yeah, original af, I know)
  2 WyzeCam Pans, named WYZE-Kitchen and WYZE-LivingRoom
  4 WeMo Smart Plugs, named WEMO-Foyer, WEMO-SpareBedroom, WEMO-MasterBedroom, and WEMO-LivingRoom
  1 Amazon Echo Plus, named ECHO-LivingRoom
  2 Amazon Echoes (First-Generation), named ECHO-MasterBedroom and ECHO-Kitchen
  2 Amazon Echo Dots, named DOT-Office, and DOT-SpareBedroom
  4 Google Home Minis
  1 Brother HL-L2395DW Wireless Laser Printer, named LV426
  1 PlayStation 3 Slim 120 GB, named HICKS
  
  I have a total of 31 IP reservations according to my Eero app. This makes it a lot easier to manage my network, set up port forwarding, etc.

At that budget, I'd suggest a pair of headphones instead.

Something like these: http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E

or these: http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-Headphones/dp/B000065BPB

[Sony mdr 7506 are labeled as professional] (https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E)

Top of the line kitchen aid stand mixers as well.

Fender professional line as well

I went through dozens of sets of failed headphones my first twenty years.
Bought these Sony MD7506 in 2000 and they've never let me down.
I had to replace the foam, cheaply, about ten years ago.

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=sony+headphones&qid=1573133248&sr=8-6

Good price for a great replacement/upgrade! SSHD too! Not sure if it's been any lower. And newegg doesn't charge tax in most states.


If you don't want a SSHD or want to save $15, the seagate 2TB barracuda is also a good option.

Or if you're really concerned about the price, you can get the seagate 2TB slim plus for $80. Note, however, this one is in a case and you would need to crack it (voids waranty) and takes a bit more work than the above two options. But it's a very common option for upgrades.

Once I got my Acer Predator I have never looked back and it’s been wonderful. It’s also currently on sale!.... for $1.01 off.....

Drivers, get a dashcam.

Amazon currently has mine on sale for $35, plus $20 for a decently sized SD card.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C89GCHU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_0bnlDbV135SXP

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XWZWYVP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_jRnlDbGSDB8DT

I highly recommend anyone looking to do memory expansion for their Switch to not go with the particular version of the Sandisk Ultra microSD cards. You'll be better served getting either this Sandisk Ultra or the Samsung Evo that /u/Squidula linked to in his comment.

Both have 100mb/s Read/Write speeds versus this one's 48mb/s speed. Some games may lag or just not load at the lower speed and it's only going to be more and more of a requirement to have the 100mb/s speed in the future.

Near exact card parameters but by Samsung $19.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XWZWYVP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_i6CVCbWDR6RNJ

do you mind if i link your amazon referrals from youtube?

Raspberry Pi Model B Revision 2.0 (512MB) $42.88

WiFi Dongle $9.99

16 GB SD Card $12.98

also, would it be all right to link to your bitcointalk thread?

good luck with your project!

I only have a EVGA 500w 80+ certified PSU. That is too weak for the Fury, right? I can sell this PSU to my business (I need to build a new computer for it anyway) and use that money toward a better PSU if I wanted but what would be a good (and relatively) cheap PSU to run the fury. I prefer Newegg or Amazon Prime.

EDIT: Fuck it, I pulled the trigger. Was sitting on the money to buy XFX/Nitro+ 480 but I've been rocking this 6950 for too long and I'm tired of waiting at this point. This seems like a killer deal for $275 and free shipping (I used the Paypal promo). Here's to new GPUs!

To piggyback, I use the Sennheiser 598s and they are fanfuckingtastic.

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E

Theyre relatively cheap.

Pretty much all professional producers know of these headphones. They will play mainstream music just how the producers in the studios heard it. A lot of them will have even used them in the studio.

alternatively for even cheaper

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Refurbished-Sony-MDREX110APB-Earset/48542602

The sound quality is really great. The poor reviews are from people who've bought them and have had them die.

you wont find anything that produces a better sound quality than these for their respective price ranges.\

Bonus is that theyre not USB so you dont have to worry about some kind of shitty driver. Theyre plug in and enjoy.

P.S. actual speakers that are meant for music production arent called speakers, but "Monitor speakers" or just "monitors"
\
Heres a suggestion if you want actual monitors https://www.amazon.com/KRK-RP5G3-NA-Generation-Powered-Monitor/dp/B00FX7MMRO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1483916151&sr=8-2&keywords=rokit+krk+5

Obviously you can use whatever, but these are what I used for this project. I bought the 2 pin power ports off of Ebay. For the NES case, try searching "Broken NES" on ebay and you should be able to find some. Or use an entirely different shell and post it!

• Bluetooth Dongle http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833340012
  
  
• Raspberry Pi Heatsinks http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HPQGTI4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  
• Wifi Dongle http://www.amazon.com/Edimax-EW-7811Un-Adapter-Raspberry-Supports/dp/B003MTTJOY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1415036150
  
  
• 8in HDMI Male to Female http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=104&cp_id=10419&cs_id=1041913&p_id=2891&seq=1&format=2
  
  
• 1.5ft USB Male to Female http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=103&cp_id=10303&cs_id=1030304&p_id=5431&seq=1&format=2
  
  
• Shutdown switch https://mausberry-circuits.myshopify.com/products/shutdown-circuit-use-your-own-switch
  
  
• 2 Pin IEC 320 C8 Screw Mount Inlet Plug Socket AC 250V 2.5A
  
  **edit updated bluetooth link

I will list all parts I used to get it in a functioning state along with the price I got them for.

• RPi - $35 + ~$10 shipping
  
  
• Broken portable DVD player (reader was busted, not screen) - Free
  
  
• Composite wire that came with DVD player - Free
  
  
• Cheap USB wifi adapter - $10
  
  
• SD card that came with my camera - Free
  
  
• Wireless keyboard/trackpad combo - $16
  
  
• My phone charger - Free
  
  Overall comes out to about $80 after taxes.
  

Looks like Amazon is matching it currently also.

Denon E200 $170

2 Sets of Pioneer BS22 ON SALE NOW $99.99 per set ~ $200 total

1 Pioneer C22 center speaker ON SALE NOW $66.99

Dayton Sub-1000 $135.45

Puts you at $572 before Tax/Shipping and Cables

Yeah, Amazon.

If for whatever reason you cant purchase new from a retailer, try /r/hardwareswap.

Edimax.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003MTTJOY/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_Ji9Qub1C3DTAR

Sony MDR-7506. Love these headphones.

Okay. What I am going to recommend is two sets of headphones. One for nice, comfy, multi-hour home listening in front of the computer, and another set for when you're on the go. All of these sound good without any amplification.

Full-Size, Home Listening

• Audio Technica ATH-AD700 - nice, mid-level offering. Wonderful, open sound and definitely the #1 most comfortable headphones I have ever owned. These are fairly large, this is what they look like on me. They are reasonably light, and the design is completely open. You will hear sounds around you and if someone is sitting next to you, they will hear some of your music (or all of it, if you have the volume cranked). The pads are fuzzy and comfortable. Highly recommended for electronic music, chamber pieces, acoustic guitar and piano... well, just about everything. (~$100)
  
  
• Sennheiser HD-280 Pro - These are the heavyweight champions of the $50-$100 price range. Headfi (a major audiophile community) loves these things. So do I. Comfortable, with fantastic bass response and great isolation. Built like a tank - I DJ'd for quite awhile and my set is still going strong despite being dropped, stepped on, thrown in road cases, etc. The ear cups also rotate reasonably freely to allow them to fold "flat" and be tossed in a backpack. The pads on these are that pleather material which could cause a little bit of sweat, but nothing to really complain about. Excellent sound, overall, but particularly suited to drum n bass, dubstep, industrial, goa and other genres of trance and electronic dance music. My pair is actually in my lab at work, at the moment, so no photo of them, sorry! (~$90)
  
  
• Audio Technica M50S - Foldable, easy to toss in a bag. These are what I moved to after using the 280 Pro's for several years. Very smooth sound with a pretty surprising bass range. Definitely out-performed the 280's in some pieces of music when it came to the low range. Again, smooth, balanced sound overall. Great isolation on par with the 280's. The soundstage isn't as good as the AD700's, since these are closed headphones, otherwise I'd totally recommend these, flat out. These beat the Monster Beats Studio, hands down, for a third of the price. <3 Bass (~$120)
  
  Portables
  
  
• Koss Portapro - These things are classics for a reason. Very, very highly recommended by a ton of people. Comfortable, portable, built well, and excellent sound for the price bracket they are in. Unique styling. Those temple pads you see keep the pressure from the earpieces from becoming fatiguing on your ears. I've forgotton that I was wearing them on several occasions and tried to put on my hat over them. If you're cool with the style, I really recommend these. (~$40)
  
  
• Grado SR60i - I love Grados. They have a really classic look, they are very comfortable, and they have solid sound. More suited to articulate, dynamic music. Not a ton of bass. Would recommend these for home use as well, actually. If you want, you can step up to the SR80i, but I don't feel like you will hear too great a difference, out of an iPod or an onboard soundcard. (~$70-$100)
  
  
  Note: the Amazon links above are using my affiliate ID. What this means is that if you purchase a set through those links, Amazon gives me 4-6% of the purchase price as a commission. The price you pay is not affected in any way - that commission comes out of their end. You don't have to use those links, you can search Amazon for any of the models above. And by all means, you don't have to buy through Amazon.

Sennheisser HD 280 pro

best bang for the buck, noise canceling too which is great for flying.

I've got the MDR7506 and I'll never buy another pair of headphones. Great sound, very comfortable. There's a reason why every studio in the world has ten pairs of the MDR line lying around.

They're an ok loudspeaker company, their speakers usually have a very bright sound and punchy bass, not really neutral but some people like non neutral speakers. Dont know how their satellite speakers will sound though, probably not that good(they're tiny satellite speakers after all). And 2800$ is way too much for speakers that small. That doesn't really look like a good deal for 2100$ even. If you're looking for a 5.1 system these should beat those or get similar performance atleast - http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG, and this sub will literally destroy that one when it comes to performance and bass output - SVS PB 1000

EDIT : Actually it seems that the guy is just lying about the price, the speakers cost 250$ each and the sub is 500$, a much more acceptable price, at least for the speakers, sub is still overpriced. Those prices put the total cost at around 1750$ that is if you buy everything individually. They're usually cheaper when purchased as a system bundle. I'd say 1000$ would be a good price for a used set.

BTW the speakers are Golden Ear SuperSat3, the sub is Forcefield 3 and the system is called the GoldenEar SuperCinema 3

> So you say the gsync/freesync equiv are only $200 apart, but can't find any actual monitors at those prices? And you are calling the article shameless?

Give me a second: https://www.amazon.com/Philips-Computer-Monitors-349X7FJEW-Monitor/dp/B06Y4TQSK1/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501281139&sr=8-1&keywords=Philips+349X7FJEW

https://www.amazon.com/AOC-AG352UCG-Curved-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B06X9CBRTP/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501280960&sr=8-1&keywords=AOC+AGON+AG352UCG

Same MVA panel, same ultrawide 100hz... Same price but we'll call that a measurement error.
But that's while we're keeping it in limits of ultrawides, once we move from those particular shackles we have a classic 144hz IPS example:
https://www.amazon.com/Acer-XF270HU-27-inch-Widescreen-Monitor/dp/B0173PEX34/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1501281455&sr=1-1&keywords=Acer+XF270HU

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-XB271HU-2560x1440-Display/dp/B0173PEX20/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1501281526&sr=1-2&keywords=Acer+XB270HU

$600 MSRP on Freesync vs $800 MSRP on G-Sync. Exactly $200, sales notwithstanding.

> What makes the MX34Q not a gaming monitor?

Lack of 1337 gam1ng aesthetic (see above for reference). I can game just fine on my cheap ass s22e390 and it even has pretty good response times for an IPS panel, it does not become gaming monitor from that however.

Setup:

140€ HD598's, best headphones for the price I have tried.

40€ Audio HiFi 6J9 Amplifier, the difference to the PC soundcard (Hero VIII Maximus) is huge. I would recommend it for any HD598 user.

35€ DA3 SA9227 + PCM5102A DAC, not a huge difference to my ear.

1. Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Great over ear headphones, more bass driven, but pretty well rounded sound. Good for being submersed in your music.
   
2. Sennheiser HD 598 Awesome open ear headphones, nice and roomy sound. (open back headphones allow outside sound in.) Great for acoustics and softer music.
   
3. FiiO EX1 My daily driver, which are surprisingly really nice. Great balanced sound for In ear, super comfortable too. Punchy bass when needed and handles light and relaxed music with good highs.

You have an excellent starter table. Your MCS 6604 is a semi-automatic quartz-lock turntable based around a p-mount/T4P tonearm. It was manufactured by Matsushita, the parent company for Technics and is essentially a Technics SL-Q10/Q100/Q1000.

Semi-automatic means that you will need to set the needle on the record to begin play, but when it is finished playing, it will automatically return to the tonearm rest. Quartz-lock means that is automatically sets the correct pitch based on internal circuitry. P-mount/T4P was a cartridge standard designed to simplify turntable setup for the general vinyl user.

If everything else is in working order, the only thing you will need is a new cartridge/stylus combo. I would recommend the Audio Technica AT92E or AT311E. They are proven workhorse cartridges and still readily available.

The receiver will be a good starter unit. The tape deck may need some service if it's been sitting for awhile. Specifically the belts may have become dried, stretched and or rotted over time.

As far as speakers, the Pioneer SP-B22LR are an excellent bookshelf speaker that many reviews have called "budget audiophile" level. Normally $130 for the pair, they routinely go on sale below $100 about once a month. When one major retailer (Best Buy, Amazon, etc.) has them on sale, the other quickly follow suit.

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG

Edit: added speaker info.

Been wanting to try some Sennheiser HD559 since I just have Cheap Monoprice headphones. 559's been at $98-$99 for a while (Hit $74 on prime Day but I didn't order) and these Dropped to $68 on Amazon other day so I ordered them. Much Better than the Closed Back Cheapos. I'm Not a big headphone Guy so they Sound Good to Me......

Topping MX3 Drives them Well

https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500S-Precision-Over-ear-Headphones/dp/B00ENMK1DW/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Philips+SHP9500&qid=1571002417&sr=8-1

Testing them Out with Heart, Great White, Whitesnake, Sammy Hagar, Allman Brothers............

Fantastic budget "Hi-Fi", the SHP9500 headphones have been loved for a long time for their comfort and high value for the money.

This is a pretty good price according to CCC, although for those interested in the second revision SHP9500S model, it's only about $12 more on Amazon as well.

EDIT: From what I've read, there's not much of a difference between the two versions.

EDIT 2: The price dropped $1.04 down to $67.84 lmfao, cancel your orders and re-buy for that sweet dollar savings!

I'm currently using this drive and have no issues whatsoever!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FRHTSK4

Skip the dac for now. Spending $70 on a dac but $40 on speakers is ridiculous. There are cheaper, smaller dacs out there as well. And that one has a phono preamp, which is pointless if you aren't incorporating a turntable.

I'd recomend a more powerful amp as well for better sound. Something like an smsl 36 at least. The 50 is a step up I started with the micca mb42x for speakers. Speakers are the most important part. If your budget is this tight I'd probably even skip the sub for now too. Start with a quality amp with quality speakers. Then you can look for a sub. THEN you can think about a dac. I got fiio e10K to use mainly as a headphone amp. The DAC really wasn't a noticeable improvement over my laptops sound. So I will be selling it.

If AMD's thin and light laptops are price right I would consider it. However the current "gaming" notebooks are also quite compact, so at least to me it becomes whether trading that form factor is worth the performance hit.

These are the current offerings out there:

Acer Aspire E15 with 8250U, MX150, $600

Acer Aspire E15 with 8550U, MX150, $750

Acer Swift 3 with Ryzen 2500U, $750

Acer Swift 3 with Ryzen 2700U, $900


A Ryzen 2700U laptop with integrated Vega cannot go for $900. Even the 8550U+MX150 for $750 is on the high side, so where is the justification for a similar 2700U+Vega laptop to cost so much more? Drop $200 on the Ryzen laptops and I think people will start to take interest, and there is a lot of room for these laptops to go cheaper since there's no discrete graphics.

Acer Aspire E 15, 15.6" Full HD, 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, 8GB RAM Memory, 256GB SSD, E5-576G-5762 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075FLBJV7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_uJvPAbP0Q687T

>cost no more than 500

I'd get a refurbished T-series thinkpad. T440 or T450. They're more reliable than anything new on the market at that price point. You can then put in more ram, an ssd, or switch to a bigger battery afterwards. Dell inspirons (intel not amd) are also ok for <500. Once again, put in an ssd and more ram. Or this for 350USD + shipping to Canada

Or go on /r/SuggestALaptop

The items used:

Raspberry PI Zero <- Bougth mine at local store.

http://amzn.com/B00S82B0VA <- Karaoke Mixer

http://amzn.com/B00SNLIG5O <- 128GB SD Card for storage

http://amzn.com/B001MSS6CS <- USB Audio Card

http://amzn.com/B003MTTJOY <- Wifi Adapter

http://amzn.com/B005HKIDF2 <- Usb Hub

A total of around ~$90



Edit

If a mic is needed that add $20
http://amzn.com/B003GEBGA0 <- Mic

you said he uses a TV as his monitor, does that mean that he's sitting on a couch or bed when he's using the computer? If so, Logitech has a keyboard with a laptop style touchpad on one side, the k400, and it's only like $30. As with every other Logitech product I have used, the quality is fantastic. In my case, I only really use the computer attached to my TV as a media player, and some light internet browsing, so having a regular mouse was unnecessary, and kind of cumbersome given the situation.

Ofertas previas al viernes afro:

• JBL Charge 3 (90 dólares)
  
• ASUS VG248QE 24" (170 dólares)
  
• AOC G2460PF 24” (180 dólares)
  
• Acer GN246HL 24" (192 dólares)
  
• GOPRO Hero 7 y Samsung 128GB 100MB/s (U3) (199 dólares)
  
• Logitech G933 (90 dólares)
  
• Samsung 860 EVO 1TB (128 dólares)
  
• Samsung 970 EVO 500GB M2 (117 dólares)
  
• WD 4TB Elements Desktop Hard Drive (90 dólares)
  
• WD 8TB Elements Desktop (150 dólares)
  
• WD 10TB Elements Desktop (200 dólares)
  
• Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3000MHz C15 (125 dólares)
  
• Xbox One S 1TB Console - Minecraft Creators Bundle (200 dólares)
  
• Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum (48 dólares)
  
• Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse (35 dólares)
  
• Fire HD 10 Tablet (100 dólares)
  
• NVIDIA Shield TV | 4K HDR (140 dólares)
  
• Kindle Paperwhite (130 dólares)
  
• Xiaomi Mi Box - 4K (62 dólares)
  
• SanDisk 128GB Ultra Fit USB 3.1 (20 dólares)
  
  De nada...

Sandisk Ultra 128GB Micro SDXC UHS-I Card with Adapter -  100MB/s U1 A1 - SDSQUAR-128G-GN6MA https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073JYC4XM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_s.dNBbY708CJ1

Samsung 128GB 100MB/s (U3) MicroSD EVO Select Memory Card with Adapter (MB-ME128GA/AM) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XWZWYVP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_..dNBbQ9AWBT5

This is for prices being below the Minimum Advertised Price so it's actually usually a really good deal. Amazon frequently sells one of my favorite headphones like this. The price for it is very good and it isn't being manipulative or anything. It's a genuine deal.

People in this thread are being a bit too cynical.

Parts List:

Power Adapter

Raspberry Pi

USB Super Nintendo Controller (This is the best one I have found so far)

HDMI Cable

WiFi Dongle

Other Items you will need:

USB Keyboard

Monitor or TV with HDMI Support




Now you dont have to use these parts exactly, there are plenty of other parts you can use. I am pretty sure that you can play Roms up to Playstation 1.



There is also a new Raspberry Pi 3 that is compatible with the RetroPie software which has WiFi and Bluetooth integrated into the board.

Helpful Video's to tackle technical issues with your RetroPie:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtht1mv6ty8xMBwgHX9RCkplqeSRxyHiC




Here is the Case I found on Etsy. There are plenty of other sellers but this guy was great!

There are USB wifi adapters for Raspberry Pi that cost less than half that:

http://www.amazon.com/Edimax-EW-7811Un-150Mbps-Raspberry-Supports/dp/B003MTTJOY

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-Headphones/dp/B000065BPB/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1414974038&sr=1-2&keywords=sennheiser+headphones

I use these 8 hours a day at work. Fantastic sound and can wear them all day

I have always enjoyed my Sennheiser pro headphone. I do not know the number off the top of my head...but they have always provided great range. Though plugging them into my computer makes a low humming noise.

EDIT: HD280

If you're going to continue making these, which I think you should, you should absolutely invest in a better microphone and learn some sound editing. Take a look at how to do Dynamics Compression and other sound editing tips. You'd be surprised at how much that can improve the overall quality of your videos. You can find really good professional mics for under $150, my recommendation is the Yeti Blue, which they sell pretty much everywhere.

Watch some more "In Under _ Minutes" videos on YouTube, and you'll find they're talking much faster than you. Break up each line and do it as fast and as clear as you can, and pick the best ones and create a Frankenstein's monster mash up of the best takes. Since it's just audio, it won't be jarring as if it were video.

I would also add in something at the end where you recommend to the viewer to check out a specific match/matches, tell us his highest rated Meltzer match/matches or maybe even a personal favorite.

Thumbnails are also key. I know you're a new channel and they won't let you upload your own until you're verified, but that will help you out a lot. Make sure you're consistent with them and your video titles.

Other than that, very cool video and great concept! If you ever need help with them, let me know!

I'm sure other people will concur when I recommend Sony MDR7506 headphones. They're pretty ubiquitous in film and recording studios.

What you want in your headphones is accuracy, as opposed to some expensive headphones which are made to enhance sound for the consumer who want something like lots of bass.

Extensive review on Tested.com

Sony MDR-7506

In my opinion, they are great headphones. They fit comfortably and have a very balanced sound, while also being very reasonably priced.

EDIT: Here is the link for the product on amazon. There are almost 500 reviews that you can go read through to see what other people think

Industry standard Sony MDR-7506. Not crazy expensive and they hold up well. http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E

Serum is $189.

MDR7506 - the best headphones. Got introduced to these and haven't looked back. Get these and save the difference for Serum. Serum is awesome btw!

EDIT: PriceZombie, MDR7506 is only 79.99 through Sony!

Sony MDR7506's. Good enough for Trent Reznor, and David Lynch while filming Twin Peaks. Good enough for me. They sound great for casual listening, and are flat enough for mixing/mastering.

TL;DR I ended up using this lavalier microphone, with the TASCAM DR-05 recorder, putting my equipment total cost at $110.

I conducted some sociolinguistic fieldwork over the summer and I researched fairly extensively to find something within my budget but with the technical specifications I required. I took extensive notes on my thought process, so here's a summary.

So, getting a bit techy here, you're going to need a microphone and a recorder. Those are two separate pieces of equipment. The microphone is what captures the sound and turns it into an electronic current, and the recorder is what turns that current into something the computer understands. Some recorders have a built-in microphone, but you don't want to use that for phonetic studies, so you'll have to get separate pieces. Also, if you have any technical requirements (Hz requirements, for example), both the recorder and the microphone will need to be able to handle that. So you'll need a good one of each.

Even though I already have a decent microphone (the popular Blue Yeti), I felt like I needed something different for several reasons. The Yeti requires a power source: it's meant to be plugged into a computer. But I didn't like that setup. Not only would it be a bit intimidating (not to mention the microphone itself is intimidating), but it's bad acoustically since the noise from my computer would surely get captured. The Yeti ideally also should be about a foot from the speaker's mouth, which, again, makes people a bit nervous. If I move it further, I could turn the sensitivity up, but it would capture ambient noise (fans, AC, fridge, etc.). I considered a setup that didn't involve my computer, but that requires a different power source and special equipment, and that's a pain (and it's expensive).

I also considered just using my iPhone as a recorder, and buying a microphone specifically designed to work with it (they exist). The quality is decent enough for most people, but not for phoneticians. Also, they are not compatible with any other piece of equipment. Either they plug into the lightning connector or the headphone jack, but the 3.5mm headphone thingie has 3 stripes instead of 2, making it incompatible as a microphone with any other recorder (that's all I know on that topic).

I decided the TASCAM DR-05 was the best recorder for my purposes. They have bigger and better ones (like the DR-22WL or the DR-40), but they were too much for me: I didn't need to record multiple tracks simultaneously, or a huge memory, or a separate iPhone app, or a guitar tuner or anything. A very similar family of recorders is the Zoom family, and the Zoom H1 is comparable to the TASCAM DR-05 and is also a very popular. I ended up turning to youtube and found this video as well as this comparison chart. It's a bit long-winded and technical, but it did help me decide on the one I wanted.

The next task was to find a microphone. I decided a lavalier would be the most unobtrusive. There are tons of cheap microphones on Amazon, but you need to look carefully at the technical specs to make sure they aren't garbage. Tip: if they don't list the technical specs, it's probably not what you want. The best video I found for comparing the lavalier mics was this one.

I'm pretty satisfied with the recording quality. I found that the microphone caught the speech pretty well while blocking out background noise. I recorded a mono track at 48kHz and 20-bits instead of the standard 44.1kHz and 16-bit. Turned out to be about a gigabyte per hour of speech. As I'm going through these though, I realize they're a bit quiet, probably because I turned the sensitivity down in an attempt to filter out background noise. Also, I noticed people would fiddle with the wire while talking, though I haven't noticed this affecting the recorder yet. It did pick up noises if people scratched their shirt near the microphone or if they had a long beard.

I will say that I brought my Yeti as a backup, and ended up using it twice. Luckily it was a very quiet room we were in, and the quality was superior than my other setup. But, the speech was a bit stilted and people were a bit more formal with me as we sat at a table with a giant microphone sitting between us. So if you're interested in a conversational speaking style, a big set up wouldn't work.

My project mostly dealt with generally-lower-middle class white folks in the US, and I'm not particularly interested in super fine-tuned phonetic information. So the setup I had was sufficient for my project, though laboratory phonologists would probably want something better quality.

I would say to do some research on technical specifications of this equipment and decide on what you absolutely need. This will depend on your research question and the field site. If you're going to be in the middle of the jungle, you'll need something to really block out background noise. If you're sitting middle-class homes, you don't need that as much. If you want discourse and conversational data, you'll want a recorder that can handle multiple tracks simultaneously so you'll need either one fancy recorders or two separate ones. Then look at the equipment available on the market, set a budget, and find out what you can get. Just don't skimp on anything because you'll regret it later.

The end. Hope that helps.

If you have the money, I'd suggest investing in a Blue Yeti or a similar condenser microphone, or one specifically tailored for podcasting. The audio quality isn't terrible, but given this already very-well edited video, the audio quality should match the video quality.

I saved up my money to buy the Audio Technica ATH-M50. The day I went in to buy them I stumbled upon these

(http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1318097226&sr=8-3)

For half the price, spent the rest of the money on weed. you cant explain that. (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

Keyboard: Huo Ji Z-77

Headphones: Sony MDR-7506 (been rocking these almost daily for ~7 years and just recently had to replace the original pair, my favorite headphones of all time)

Pen: Lamy Fine Tip Safari in Charcoal

I'm fairly certain Sony MDR7506's have been industry standard for longer than I've been alive. I got mine for $60 on ebay.

Samson SR850s + Zalman Mic. The samsons are amazing and blow every other headset I've heard out of the water. They are the same headphones as the Superlux 668Bs, so perhaps you can find them on ebay more cheaply than amazon.
Here's a head-fi review of the SR850s.

If you want something more expensive, see this Head-fi thread.

A new car battery costs $100. A nice pair of Sennheisers costs $80. Stop watching movies in your car and solve the problem for real.

For home I have my Sennheiser HD-280 Pros which will eat your iPod battery. For travel I use a pair of Realistics (Radio Shack brand) that are rebranded Koss headphones for about half the price but I don't know if they still sell them.

This. Sennheiser are fucking gods of mid range audiophile quality. I've owned 3 products from them and still have all of them 3 years later in good working order. I bought these a few years back and still use them daily, well worth the extra $50.00 IMHO.

I don't know much about the different Swift versions but the Aspire E-15 with the i5-8250 is $20 more, but comes with a dedicated mx150 GPU. It's been the standard to which most of the $500-600 laptops are compared.

Since you live in London I assume you've got a few quid to spare, so here's a 50 grand pair, the Sennheiser Orpheus

Otherwise, I've heard good things about these [Sennheiser HD598 headphones] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-HD-598-Over-Ear-Headphones-Cream/dp/B0126HISOO?th=1)

I have a pair of these and cannot recommend them enough. They feel great even after using them all day, rich sounds both for music and gaming.

Peripherals:

• Monitor: 3x Acer Predator XB271HU 27" 2560x1440 G-SYNC @165Hz
  
• Keyboard: Razer Deathstalker Chroma (No longer made AFAIK)
  
• Mouse: Razer DeathAddr Chroma
  
• Desk: Ikea BEKANT Sit/Stand desk
  
• Speakers: Logitech Z263 THX 2.1 Speakers
  
• Wireless Charger: Mophie Wireless Charger w/custom 3d printed mount
  
• Headphones: Bose QuietComfort 25 (not pictured)
  
  

  Tower:
  

• Case: Cooler Master N200
  
• CPU: i7 7700K @5.1Ghz from SiliconLottery
  
• MB: ASUS Maximus VIII Gene
  
• RAM: 2x GSkill Trident Z DDR4 16GB(2x 8GB) @3200Mhz
  
• GPU: 2x EVGA Nvidia GTX 1080 FTW @2050-2100Mhz
  
• SSD: Samsung 960 Pro NVMe SSD (512GB)
  
• SSD: Samsung 850 EVO (500GB)
  
• SSD: Samsung 840 EVO (250GB)
  
• Power Supply: EVGA SuperNova G2 1000 Watt
  
  

  Tower Cooling:
  

• Fans: 4x Noctua NF-F12-iPPC 3000RPM PWM
  
• Radiator 2x BXQINLENX 120
  
• Radiator Alphacool NexXxoS ST30
  
• CPU Waterblock: EKWB M8G
  
• GPU Waterblock: 2x EK-FC1080 GTX FTW
  
• Pump / Reservoir: EK-XRES 140 Revo D5 PWM
  
  

  Behind the scenes:
  

• UPS: CyberPower OL1500RTXL2U Double Conversion UPS
  
• 3D Printer: Lulzbot Mini

Go ahead and get the Acer Aspire E 15 laptop .It is in your budget range and will do an excellent job at playing those games you listed above. It has a nice 6th generation i5 processor, 8 GB RAM which is great, a 256 GB SSD which is great as it provides some much needed speed, and of course it has a NVIDIA 940MX dedicated graphics card.

I think this one for $50 more is a better deal:

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-NVIDIA-Windows-E5-575G-53VG/dp/B01DT4A2R4

Basically the same, but it has the 6200u instead of the 7200u and a 940MX instead of the iGPU. And Free shipping.

My suggestion: https://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-GC-WB867D-I-Bluetooth-Frequency-Expansion/dp/B00HF8K0O6

Depends on the type of setup you're looking for, the most common of which are 2.0, 2.1, or 5.1 (or more).

For simple stereo music listening, you'd need a 2 channel amplifier, (such as a the small and very inexpensive but decentish Lepai, or better the SMSL SA-50, or a full size receiver such as this Pioneer) and a way to play and input your music.

For that you could use your computer and an Aux cable, or you could use your phone and an inexpensive bluetooth receiver. This would be a 2.0 system (2 main speakers only, no sub).

You may wish to add a subwoofer for better reproduction of low frequencies. As the subs usually come with their own amplification, but accept high level (already amplified) inputs, you can just wire them together from the amplifier. This would be a 2.1 system.

Plus you need speaker wires and maybe wires for input (like Aux) depending on your setup.

For Home Theater plus music, you'd want a Home Theater receiver such as this Denon, that plays at least 5.1 channels (the .1 is for the subwoofer. This will give you a setup to power Left and Right front speakers, a Center Channel, plus 2 surround speakers. You still need a way to play your source, such as a CD player.

As u/smackdaddies pointed out, you could get four of these Pioneer speakers, plus the related center channel and a sub, plus the receiver, for under $500. It would be a pretty great sounding (budget) 5.1 system.

Once you decide on the type of setup you're interested, we can help you choose items here on r/BudgetAudiophile.

To build a system using the minimum recommendations from this sub, let's start with this diagram: http://i.imgur.com/Z8FMJ.png
DAC is optional, so is a subwoofer but I recommend one.

DAC: Behringer UCA202 $29.99 Link: http://amzn.com/B000KW2YEI

Amplifier: SMSL SA-50 $68.99 Link: http://amzn.com/B00F0H8TOC

Subwoofer: Dayton Audio SUB-800 $99.00 Link: http://amzn.com/B0063NU30K

Bookshelf Speakers: Micca MB42X $89.00 Link: http://amzn.com/B00E7H8GG2

Wire: 16-gauge Speaker Wire $8.00 Link: http://amzn.com/B006LW0WDQ

With DAC, this cable: Stereo Male to 2 RCA Male $5 Link: http://amzn.com/B00I0HPK6O

Without DAC, this cable: Monoprice 105597 3-Feet Premium Stereo Male to 2RCA Male $5 Link: http://amzn.com/B0094A1F3S

This is a great starter system, I would have loved to had something like this starting out.
All of these pieces can be upgraded, do your research. Look for sales etc. Good luck and have fun.

2TB for $100, standard HDD 5400rpm

> Having to constantly delete games has become a pain I want to avoid.

How badly do you want to avoid that? For $80 you can upgrade your PS4 to a 2TB internal hard drive following this tutorial. I feel that's definitely worth $80.

In response to the person who has been using it for 5 years, I'd recommend against it. There are better headphones available if you don't specifically search for a 'gaming headset'. I've said before the hyper x cloud sounds horrible from experience and I stick by it.

If you don't search by the gaming headset moniker and instead look for a separate headset/microphone combo you'll be a lot happier.

Personally I enjoy these headphones and microphone, but I've been using them for 2 years so I'm also probably a bit biased/out of the loop. If anyone recommends better, definitely chime in!
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00ENMK1DW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_JaVYDbZ82YWRP

Along with this microphone:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00BJ17WKK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_1cVYDbZRR7BN2

They are overpriced right now (headset was ~80 when I bought it, microphone was $35) so I'd wait until black Friday or look for a cheap alternative, but regardless I wouldn't go for the hyper x cloud. These are also open back so you'll have a nicer sound but others around you will be able to hear if you've got the volume up.

Here ya go

External drive that can be taken apart for a 2TB drive. This is the Samsung Spinpoint drive that is frequently mentioned for PS4 hard drive upgrades.

See reviews at amazon or success story on r/PS4. Hard drive upgrade guide can be found here.

People like you are part of what's wrong with the gaming community. Sure, he probably could've searched better, but it's still someone asking for help. Clearly giving him the correct answer wouldn't be wasting your time since you waste your time writing a stupid fucking sarcastic response.

OP: get this one. It's what I have in my PS4 and it's only $70. Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB Portable External Hard Drive with Mobile Device Backup USB 3.0, Black (STDR2000100) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FRHTSK4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_WWDmybFDF28WF

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FRHTSK4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Futureshop:
http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-backup-plus-2tb-external-usb-3-0-hard-drive-stdr2000100-black-stdr2000100/10281963.aspx?path=3d7f53d727edf995ca708ad8b3375b6cen02

You really need a better power supply. Drop the Hyper 212 EVO and get this PSU instead. Most budget builds stick with the stock heatsink anyway. I would not put a $10 PSU in anything, you risk frying every component of the build.

I've built a bunch! Those instructions are fine. Only thing I'd change is I'd use a round speaker terminal cup in step #14, rather than the square one they show in the picture. Something like this in other words. Just because it's easier to cut a round hole -- you can just use a round circle cutting bit in your drill. You can get them for as low as like $2ea on Amazon or elsewhere.

> Do I need an amplifier?

Something like a cheap Lepai is fine.

A "real" amp like this or this or a used home theater amp for $50 from Craigslist will more or less get the full 100% of performance from the Overnight Sensations at higher volumes. A small Class D amp like this is a good compromise IMHO.

All of those amps ought to sound the same at low volumes. For "desktop listening" where you're sitting a few feet away, the Lepai should get plenty loud.

> Do I need a digital to audio converter?

Probably not. With the possible exception of the Lepai, all the amps I linked to have a dual RCA audio input. The typical "red and white audio inputs" you've surely seen in many places. All you need is a basic headphone-to-RCA adapter like this, assuming your music playing thingy has a headphone jack.

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-105597-3-Feet-Premium-Stereo/dp/B0094A1F3S/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1483958406&sr=8-4&keywords=headphone+to+rca

What you'll need:

• $40 Raspberry Pi 3
  
• $20 MicroSDXC Card - any size. 64GB for $23 seems to be a solid deal. - If you want to install large game libraries with video previews, look into a 128GB. They're not more expensive and you have way more room to play with. $40 - 128GB
  
  
• $16 Case - it can be as low as $5. I choose this one because it's simple and highly functional.
  
  
• $10 Power Supply - Don't mess around. Get one that will provide the proper voltage.
  
  
• $13 Mini Keyboard - I use mine all the time. Others use basic USB keyboards from Goodwill. Others SSH into the console. This is optional.
  
  Again, there are some very optional parts above. It can be as cheap or expensive as you want. Also, I'm not getting into controllers. Those will throw the budget in every direction possible.
  
  
• Cheap: Pi3 w. $5 case and have everything else (keyboard, memory card, power supply, controller) at home, you're at $45.
  
• Not cheap: Pi3 w. $20 case, $45 128GB MicroSDXC, $20 back-lit keyboard, $10 power supply, $50 Wii U Pro bluetooth controller = $145

I got a samsung evo with no issues

64GB Samsung EVO Select U3 microSDXC Memory Card w/ Adapter (MB-ME64GA/AM)$13.99

128GB Samsung EVO Select U3 microSDXC Memory Card w/ Adapter (MB-ME128GA/AM) $24.99

256GB Samsung EVO Select U3 microSDXC Memory Card w/ Adapter (MB-ME256GA/AM) $59.99

Any laptop can run porn, but I would recommend This Acer because it comes with Full HD screen, to see every drop ;)

non-mobile link: www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B004FEEY9A

Not Bluetooth, but I like this one; it uses their unifying receiver.

Somewhere in my post history I wrote a bit more about it in a comment to another thread; plus, others offered their input.

>So I can use this to stream videos from my PC to the TV?

Yes!

You just either need a controller or keyboard+mouse for the Link OR start the videos from the other room, from your PC

Actually I use a bluetooth keyboard with touchpad for the Link

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Keyboard-Multi-Touch-Touchpad/dp/B005DKZTMG

Great deal right now on the Andrew Jones bookshelf speakers. Grab two pairs and then you just need a center, sub and receiver.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008NCD2LG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_doGPDb749RPS3

I've tried 3 different compact combos, and they all have some sort of problem. Reception, non-standard keys, missing function keys... etc. In the end I just went with a full size one from Logitech for over a year now, and have absolutely no problem. Good signal strength, familiar full size keyboard, multitouch touchpad, awesome battery life, it just can get better at this price range.

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Keyboard-Multi-Touch-920-003070/dp/B005DKZTMG

Wireless keyboard and mouse?

Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400 with Built-In Multi-Touch Touchpad, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005DKZTMG/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_CiC9ub1RDJTMW

This one has a built in track pad...should be adequate enough for navigating Netflix.

Can't speak to this device, but I have larger hands and enjoy using something closer to a full keyboard. I have the Logitech K400 and I really like it. I paid $20 for it, so it's comprably priced and I'd say worth checking out. Logitech K400

Surround sound, especially "digital surround sound" like these headphones use, is largely a marketing scheme and does not sound objectively "better" or even generate a better soundstage.

If you're interested in the real "surround sound" experience, try open-backed headphones like the Sennheiser HD 558 (a nice recommendation for your price range).

Eh, it saves a few bucks so I figure why not. It's $37 on Amazon right now.

Logitech K400, very handy compact keyboard with touchpad.

I think there is a newer version of this though - I recommended this to a friend and when I saw it I noticed the F# keys are switched:

Instead of mine, which has F1-F12 normal and you have to hold [Fn]+[F#] to access the media features, the newer versions have the F1-F12 keys as the[Fn] alternative and the top row is by default the media keys.

This is very handy since the kids keep hitting wrong buttons, and I can't remember what it is but I think it's F8 and XBMC gets muted, and there is another button that toggles fullscreen and that keeps getting hit after I get it back to fullscreen.

On the newer version you don't have to worry about that because you would have to hit [Fn]+[F8] to actually get F8. So it's a perfect HTPC keyboard now if you buy one.

I just replaced this card last night after it died on me after 2 months, I'm using this one now by tp-link:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007GMPZ0A

It's working very well so far. My wifi situation is challenging due to that the direct line of sight to the router has 4 walls, 2 of them being brick, but so far this is the best wifi adapter i've used.

http://i.imgur.com/UuoRtxW.png

I haven't seen it drop below 450mbps and my old linksys AC usb adapter never got that high, it would spike up to 300mbps or so every now and then but only for a second or two then drop back down. I ran a ping google.com -t for an hour and had 0% packet loss.

GUYS!!!!!! IT'S HERE!!

I HAVE WORKING INTERNET ON MY COMPUTER!!!

For anyone interested, I bought this.

There is nothing wrong with your choices except if you have money I would not get the Lepai. Either of the speakers you picked would work fine but I'll give you some other options.

Budget is $250 so lets see how we can spend it.

• SMSL SA-50 $70 Nothing wrong with this guy. That gives us about $180 bucks left for speakers.
  
  
• Option 1 - Fluance XL7S $180 These are the higher series Fluance so I would expect better performance from them. The wife might like the looks too.
  
  
• Option 2 - Philharmonic Affordable Accuracy Monitor $165 These are upgraded versions of the already good Pioneer BS22 speakers.
  
  
• Option 3 - Pioneer BS22 $100 + Dayton 800 sub Right over your budget but would sound great. I know you don't want a sub but I really think you're going to miss out on the low stuff without one. You could also get these without the sub they actually do pretty well on their own.
  
  
• Option 4 - Boston Acoustic XS 2.1 $160 another 2.1 set but with really small speakers. The powered sub included will cover the the low end as the main speakers don't go low at all.
  
  
• Option 5 Energy CB5 $102 + dayton sub above. These are smaller than the Pioneers so you'll need the sub but I think these could also fit the bill.
  

Same price on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004FEEY9A/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_jUgnub0WR5G9W

I'm gonna be that guy, and say something like Sennheiser HD558 or Audio Technica ATH-M50s with a Zalmann clip on mic or standard desktop mic.

Not as elegant but will sound MUCH better than most, if not all, of the mic + headphone combos.

1. Yes, it's a good entry-level turntable and is easy to both use and set up.
   
2. If you want speakers you can hook up straight to your turntable without any extra equipment you'll be looking for powered/active speakers. The Micca PB42X should be pretty decent, and the M-Audio Studiophile AV 30 should be alright as well. If you plan on getting a power amp or a receiver (so you can use passive speakers) you could look into the Pioneer SP-BS22, the Polk T15, or the Micca MB42X.
   
3. Nothing if you buy powered speakers. For passive speakers you'll need either a receiver or a power amp.
   
4. Radiohead - Kid A

If anyone here is looking to buy it for the specs alone, then you can get the EXACT SAME CPU/RAM/GPU in this acer for $550 https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-NVIDIA-Windows-E5-575G-53VG/dp/B01DT4A2R4

EDIT: Of course youre sacrificing build quality, screen resolution, possibly thermals.

Don't be fooled, this is merely an Intel 8260 wifi card I believe but branded Gigabyte https://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-GC-WB867D-I-Bluetooth-Frequency-Expansion/dp/B00HF8K0O6/

If one of the PCIe slots is vacant you could get a PCIe card that would add both; this one seems to get good reviews and supports all of the technologies that you'd expect it to, but there might be something better.

I'd go with an internal expansion card over USB, both because it will reduce clutter slightly and because USB wireless cards, in my experience, tend to not be the best.

The Sennheiser HD 598 (not the Cs!) are in the mexican Amazon store as deal of the day at $1798 MXN, about $86~ USD. I dont know if they ship to the US, but you guys might want to check it out. I already picked up a pair, and I'm tempted to get a second one.


https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B0126HISOO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_QeboybCGS61P5

Yea this model? https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-XB271HU-2560x1440-Display/dp/B0173PEX20

Op you bought a 2080ti you might as well splurge on the monitor. Get two of these and call it a day, or go for one Dell Alienware 34in 1900r, 120hz IPS curved Gsync.

I have the Acer 1440p/144hz IPS Gsync and I agree with P1zza. It’s such a great monitor and often times Acer sells it for $499 out the door on their refurb site. Really great colors, angles are great, very little black light bleed on mine (right bottom very minimal), don’t have to calibrate it much out of the box, 165hz OC + gsync is really smooth. The Dell is nice if you are on a budget, pretty much the cheapest TN 144hz Gsync you can find when its on promo.

The average consumer buys around a 700 dollar laptop, so this is the area in the market where most price gouging is.

Laptops are incredibly low margin to sell, single digits in many cases, so manufactures try to save as much on BOM costs as possible.

However, I don't agree they haven't moved. Yes ram amounts and harddrives are the same but there are improvements on the whole. 1080 screens are increasingly becoming the norm at $500, these laptops are getting much thinner with lower wattage CPUs, which are typically faster than six years ago by a large margin.

Also, remember six years ago the Canadian dollar was worth more than the US dollar. However, now buying the equivalent $700 dollar laptop in Canada is around a $500 laptop in America.

Here is a $550 laptop with SSD, Dgpu and 1080p screen

Here is entry level gaming at regular consumer purchasing price

Noise canceling won't do shit for a person's voice. Those are meant for background noise. You want a closed back noise isolating headphones. Sennheiser hd 280 pros. $83, great sound and you have to yell in my ear to get my attention when I'm playing music.

Wait, what? Those are $160?

You could get these for $100. Oh, but who would want to use something that needs the ancient 3.5mm jack?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-HD280pro-Closed-Monitoring-Headphones-Black/dp/B000065BPB

32db of sound insulation as well as the speakers :)

Lifesavers

Depends on the use to be honest with you.

Crystal clear quality with a very flat response? (Very suitable for audiophiles who do studio work and/or don't need an overwhelming bass response) : Sennheiser HD280s

Great quality for over the ear headphones and that have amazing bass response (Perfectly suitable for casual listeners that like a bass heavy response but still has a great amount of clarity) : SOL Republic Tracks

Need something for athletic activities that stay in the ear very well? I use these for just about anything from running, biking, weight lifting, or just walking to class : Bose IE-2

I'm going to assume you're talking about electric guitar, and you want to record on to your computer.

We'll go with the simplest/cheapest way (Note, you won't want to run an electric guitar directly into a computer, it'll generally sound like crap)

First off, you'll need a microphone. The Shure SM57 is an industry standard for recording many things, from guitar cabs to snare drums, and more. It's only $100, too! There's a knockoff of that mic, for half the price, that's supposed to be just as good (some people even prefer the sound), the GLS-57. Both of these mics are "dynamic" mics, and either of these mics will work.

You'll need to get a mic stand to place the mic in the proper position on the amp, which is a separate lesson in and of itself.

Next, you need a way to get the mic signal into your computer. The quickest, cheapest, but least featured way to do so would be something like the Blue Icicle. You would plug it into your computer, plug an XLR cable into it, and plug the mic into that cable.

For software, the most basic, and free software is Audacity. It really is pretty basic, but you can plug your stuff in, hit record, and it'll record. If you want something more powerful, check out Reaper. It's really good, and pretty cheap (and has a more or less unlimited trial period if you're that kind of person). It is somewhat complex though, and it'll take a decent amount of time to get comfortable with. If you have a Mac, Garage Band is just peachy.

inally, the last important part is hearing what you're recording. At the low-end, you're probably better off with headphones. I recommend either the Sennheiser HD280s or the less expensive Sony MDR-V6s (mostly identical to their professional MDR-7506s). If you want to get some actual monitors, check out the Behringer MS16s.

Unsurprisingly, you can spend a hell of a lot more money on any of these things. Feel free to ask any questions!

Bonus advice! If you want to record an acoustic guitar, instead of the SM57, you'd want to get a small diaphragm condenser (SDC) mic, like the MXL 603S.

I've listened to the first few minutes, and it's pretty good. Gonna hold off on the rest until I get home where my nice headphones are.

The only thing I'm (mildly) not liking so far is the lyrical delivery. It's a bit too dense, where Moonrise gave the lines a little more room to breathe. Minor complaint though.

Here's a few that are in your price range and pretty well known for their durability:

Beyerdynamic DT 770

Sony MDR 7506 (Also check for the price on the V6 as they're both very similar and just as durable)

AKG K240

Shure SE215

Instead of paying $300+ for HD 600s, pay $10/month ($120/year) for Apple Music and get better quality music.

Nice headphones playing low quality music will simply sound like low quality music.

Put another way, wearing high quality custom eyeglasses to look at an out of focus photograph will not make the photo come into focus.

My suggestion:

• Pay $10/month to Apple Music (if you have an iPhone), Tidal, or Spotify
  
• Buy some Sony MDR7506 for $75
  
  You'll be miles ahead of the game.

Arguably some of the best headphones for gaming under $100 are the Superlux HD668's. They are open back with large drivers, so the soundstage is huge.

Superlux HD668B Dynamic Semi-Open Headphones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003JOETX8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_u-MnDbPGZC3YH

Not sure if you also need a microphone. The Behringer xm8500 is pretty fantastic for the price. You'll also need a way to get XLR to your PC. That could be as fancy as a USB interface. Or as simple as a USB to XLR cable.

Mic: Behringer Ultravoice Xm8500 Dynamic Vocal Microphone, Cardioid https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002KZAKS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_BdNnDbREJJ63R

USB to XLR cable: USB Microphone Cable 10Ft, Tanbin 3 Pin USB Male to XLR Female Mic Link Converter Cable Studio Audio Cable Connector Cords Adapter for Microphones or Instruments Recording Karaoke Singing (10ft) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079DQ9ZPT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7dNnDb3NWRQ71

Or a basic USB audio interface: BEHRINGER Audio Interface, 1x XLR/TRS 1x 1/4" 2X RCA USB, Black, 1-Channel (UM2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EK1OTZC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4eNnDbZXTS70G

You'll also need a mic stand: InnoGear Microphone Suspension Mic Clip Adjustable Boom Studio Scissor Arm Stand for Blue Yeti Snowball Microphone and Blue Yeti Nano https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L3LL95O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_1fNnDbNW9G9RW

The only difference is that the 2 has 7.1 surround sound support. They're the most decent gaming headset out of all as far as I know but some budget studio headphones such as this with an added mic sound completely way better than 90% of gaming headsets and I can confirm that since I used to own a cloud stinger that broke down and eventually got the HD668B.

I use these headphones at work in an open-office coworking space, and can rarely, if ever, hear anybody else.

The Blue Yeti will set him back $100 and will improve his sound to near-studio qualities. I don't know why he doesn't get one.

http://www.amazon.com/Superlux-HD668B-Dynamic-Semi-Open-Headphones/dp/B003JOETX8

Most definitely an equivalent favor.

Bose do not make a pair of headphones that sound better than this $50 pair:

http://www.amazon.com/Superlux-HD668B-Dynamic-Semi-Open-Headphones/dp/B003JOETX8

If noise-cancellation was a concern, these are sound isolating, which is more than good enough on that front, and they sound orders of magnitude better than all things Bose; they're even more awesome than that jumping car:

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B000ULAP4U

Hi I did a ton of research when I first started looking for a headset and came up with these, super light weight, fantastic 3d audio and really easy to plug in

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003JOETX8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Superlux HD668b [$47] is an amazing headset for the price. It has a very wide, open soundstage that's fantastic for hearing subtle noises around environments. And of course, music sounds phenomenal on them. I've only had mine for a few weeks, and I've mostly listened to music, but I've played Skyrim and TF2 with them and the environments (particularly Skyrim) sound awesome. They're a semi-open design so music will be somewhat audible to people around you if that matters. They can also be tweaked and modded to improve both the comfort and sound.

Checkout the general Superlux reviews and the HD668b reviews.

I've got one and it was recognized immediately with no issues.

http://www.amazon.com/Edimax-EW-7811Un-Wireless-Adapter-Wizard/dp/B003MTTJOY

I recommend a Yeti.

It's not what I use but my setup doesn't work for what you're looking for. This is a solid mic, in my opinion.

My dental work is finally done. Complete. Finished. I'm not going back for a while. Good riddance.

So, my church has been trying to get into streaming for the last year. Just a basic type of stream with a single camera pointing at a couch, with some live music and a reading of that week's sermon. The church board allocated $3000 to the project, their blessing, and then nothing happened for months.

A couple weeks ago, they tried their first stream. The camera "broke" so they streamed on a cellphone with a bitrate resembling pre-2000 internet videos. The next week was the same thing. Then, they got the camera "working" but the framerate was low, the image was stuttery and it was blurry like it was zoomed in and not in HD. The audio was also really echoy, and the lighting was just light coming from the pastor's office window.

I'm a media guy, and while my specialty is mostly in radio/audio tech, I've done work with streaming and video production in the past. Knowing that the budget would be tight, I came in with a list of recommendations to vastly improve the quality of the streams and to teach basic broadcasting procedures. What I walked into was a bit of a trainwreck.

The church administrator was tasked with acquiring the streaming equipment. After a false start with a video camera that couldn't stream video, he ended up getting a DSLR camera. The image quality is actually quite nice, but it has to be fully charged before the stream, whatever. He bought a USB 3.0 video link cable for the camera, which actually works brilliantly, but nobody involved knew that a USB 3.0 cable goes into a USB 3.0 slot. They were putting it into USB 2.0 slots and wondering why the video was absolutely terrible.

My church has an absolute wealth of microphones of all different styles for many different purposes. Instead of buying a cheap XLR interface or splurging on a USB soundboard, the admin bought a Blue Yeti. Aside from being useless as a room mic, it not only cost more, but the audio quality is vastly worse than even the cheapest stage mics we have on hand. I'm sure one of the pastors can find a use for this (I know that they record stuff for people), it has no place anywhere near someone's streaming setup. I have to lend/give my current XLR-interface from home to rectify this.

Speaking of audio, the office they chose to stream in has a reverb problem. I get that they don't want to spend a lot of money or convert the room into a studio (I mean, it is a pastor's office), but the echo is too distracting for the average person. If the audio sucks, nobody is going to want to watch this thing. I get to talk with the property team this Sunday to get some hooks installed along the walls to hang some old, heavy blankets from. They can hide them away when they're not filming, and it will make a massive difference to the echo issue. If we somehow don't have blankets on hand, that's probably the easiest donation to ever ask for.

When the blankets go up, I need the office window covered, because the natural lighting is absolutely terrible. It makes everyone look flat, kinda washed out, and casts shadows on people's faces. I'm gonna try to wrangle up the ~$150 required to get a basic 2-box lighting kit that can be stored when not streaming.

So, they decided to stream with OBS, which gets my approval, but there are issues. They're using a 4-year-old laptop, which surprisingly isn't the limiting factor here. Nobody knew what they were doing with settings, so they were streaming in 733p and outputting at an even worse resolution. They also couldn't figure out how to remove the camera overlay that showed up on the screen, so they had zoomed in to crop that out, and tried streaming like that. Despite using the USB mic, they were only taking in laptop microphone audio. They turned the program on, figured out how to get the camera to feed, and then hit stream. I have no other explanation.

Simply said, I am taking over this project. Everything I said here is fundamental to basic broadcasting, and is the cheapest professional-quality setup I can currently imagine that won't be total jank. I hope there's budget left, but I think the entire $3000 was spent on the streaming couch, camera, usb mic, the camera cable and other nonsense.

I've got a lot of work to do. I told people involved in the project that I'm experienced with streaming and broadcasting production and offered insight throughout, which was ignored. I can't believe how out of hand this whole thing got.

More lies to keep the propaganda machine burning.

Oh no, the Black Yeti Mic on amazon is more expensive than the Silver Yeti Mic. They're clearly being racist!

Or, you know, companies have MSRPs and buying things in bulk can reduce the price. Which do you think sells more, the gender neutral scooter, or the pink one?

It's a free market, ladies. Companies wouldn't charge you more for pink shit if you didn't fucking buy it. That's not sexism, that's the difference between an informed consumer and a useful idiot.

Occam's razor is the quick death of most misogyny claims. "Is this a global conspiracy against half of the population?!" .. No, it's just you being a fucking tool.

I just got the Acer Aspire E15 a couple of weeks ago and it's been great. Don't expect to play newer games at 1080p at 60FPS, but it'll do Fallout 4 at 720p medium settings at around 40-50fps. The processor should handle just about anything you throw at it unless you are doing CAD or something like that.

I mean, with the GPD WIN you're paying a premium for the small form factor. If you're only concerned with price and performance, with portability not being as big a concern, then a laptop or desktop will definitely give better performance. Here's a quick example I found and took 5 minutes to find that's in a similar price range but better performance to the WIN: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K1IO3QW/

The best value laptop in my opinion is the HP 15 for $430. It has great spec for it's price that will work very well for multi-tasking with a skylake i5 processor, 8gb of ram and a 128GB SSD (upgradable if you wish). It also has a decent battery life, a lightweight for a 15.6'' at 4.65 pounds, and a 1080p display.

In the 300s, my best suggestion is the Acer E15 for $330. It has a new Kaby Lake i5 processor, 4gb of ram and a 1TB HDD. It would still work fine for multi-tasking, but if you want to heavy multi-task it would be worth buying another RAM stick and upgrading the ram. It also has a 1080p display and a backlit keyboard.

And Above the $430 range, my best suggestion is the HP 15 for $585. It has even more powerful specs with a Skylake i7 processor, 8gb of ram and a 256gb ssd. It also has a full 1080p IPS display, and a pretty decent battery life (advertised up to 6 hours).

Philips SHP9500 HiFi Precision Stereo Over-Ear Headphones (Black)

https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500S-Precision-Over-ear-Headphones/dp/B00ENMK1DW/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=shp&qid=1575026990&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sr=8-1

The Philips SHP9500 are well regarded open back headphones in that general price range but i'm ill equipped to make a comparison.

Philips SHP9500 HiFi Precision Stereo Over-ear Headphones (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ENMK1DW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_NVPmybDE49EDJ

edit: derp didn't notice this was about the closed 598. disregard!

I've done an extensive amount of headphones research myself. I've tried several fairly expensive cans, and I think I've found the best possible combination (surprisingly one of the cheaper options, as well):

Philips SHP9500 along with a 1 foot 3.5mm Male to 3.5mm Male cable

These headphones are CRAZY comfortable, open backed so your ears don't melt off, and the only ones I could find that accept a non-proprietary 3.5mm audio jack on the headphones themselves (so you can use a shorter cable). They sound pretty, too.

The audio solution for the Vive bummed me out in the beginning, I really wanted integrated audio, but I think the above is a great alternative. I don't sell these, btw, the above links are just for reference.

https://www.amazon.com/SMSL-50Wx2-TDA7492-Amplifier-Adapter/dp/B00F0H8TOC/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1484858805&sr=1-2&keywords=smsl

https://www.amazon.com/Micca-MB42X-Bookshelf-Speakers-Tweeter/dp/B00E7H8GG2/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1484859060&sr=1-1&keywords=mb42x

https://www.amazon.com/Generic-F8V235-12-3-5mm-cable-12-Feet/dp/B01K9SCY88/ref=sr_1_7?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1484859089&sr=1-7&keywords=stereo%2Bto%2Brca&th=1&psc=1


/done

Thinking about all of the headphones that I personally have used or tried, I think that the SHP9500s is likely to be the candidate that would last the longest with continued abuse. They might get scratched up and dinged, but overall they'd stay together and keep functioning.

The cloth on the earpads might wear out or get snagged and torn, at which point you can just rip the originals off of their mounting rings (they come glued to the stock mounting ring) and replace them with an after-market pad.

And this might sound excessive, but once you've determined the naturally comfortable position for him while wearing them you could simply epoxy the gap which allows the earcup to pivot in place for added reinforcement.

Cable replacement options are plentiful and inexpensive.

Only caveat is that they are an open-back so if he likes to jam out around other people, that might be an annoyance.

Philips shp9500 headphones with vmoda boom pro mic.

https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500-Precision-Over-ear-Headphones/dp/B00ENMK1DW

https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Gaming-Headset-Headphone/dp/B00BJ17WKK/

That's interesting, but unfortunately most of these builds are DIY and lack any sort of standardization, so you'll have to do most of the heavy lifting in order to figure out what you have, as well as what you need.

As to your first point, you probably do need some sort of room selection, as well as a) an amplifier which powers the speakers, and b) either a single streaming platform (e.g. Chromecast Audio, Sonos Connect, etc.) to send signal to all speakers, or multiple streaming platform to send signal to individual speakers or rooms.

As to your second question, that depends on how you want to answer the above questions, and on how they're set up. As I mentioned, there probably isn't much standardization between this build and others, so I would start this whole process by getting a basic amplifier (Lepai 2020 is fine for this purpose) and going through each wire in that bunch as well as each pair of connectors in the garage (see below). Turn off the amp, hook up a pair of speakers, turn on the amp, play something, track down the sound, label the wires by room (colored electrical tape), stop playing, repeat.

After you figure out how the speakers, wires, and wall panels are connected, you can work on picking out an amplifier, a streaming platform, and a room selection device. I would budget $1000 for this, but it can probably be done for less. If you don't want to spend that right now (understandable), you can probably wire up one room to a Chromecast Audio and an SMSL SA50 (non-plus) for less than $100 if that room has a priority (see below).

As to your last question, those are probably banana plugs. Just another termination for speaker wire, not a big deal in the context of the rest of this. If you need banana plugs, Amazon or Monoprice have them for basically nothing.

The most basic set-up for whole home audio you could have is this speaker selector, this amplifier, and this streaming device. Probably $250 for the full home, or more if you have more than 4 rooms wired.

Alternately, if you want to be able to play two different streams in two rooms simultaneously, you could put this streaming device and this amplifier in the ceiling of each room. Google Home allows for CCAs to be combined into groups rather flexibly- you could put Kitchen-Living Room- Bathroom in one group, and Bedroom 1-Garage in another, and Living Room- Bedroom 1 in another, and every CCA you have in yet another, and still have the ability to play music in any one room on its own. Very nice system, but doing this is realistically $100 per room. If you don't mind limiting yourself to pairs of rooms, you can cut down on this cost by adding a four-channel room selector to this chain.

High-end receivers also may contain their own multi-room, multi-source implementations, but you're typically limited to two rooms, and two sources. Add in two splitters like this and you can expand that capability out to two groups of four speakers, but those groups would be less flexible than the CCA setup above. This setup is $500.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FRHTSK4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Get one of these. Crack it open and put it in, download the full update from Playstation network and away you go.

Have installed these in friends PS4 and my own.

doesn't appear to be in there anymore but here it is

I bought this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XWZWYVP/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Just my 2 pennies and I don't actually know what games use what read speed, like u/thebigpavelski mentioned.

 

Samsung 128GB 100MB/s (U3) MicroSD EVO Select Memory Card with Adapter (MB-ME128GA/AM)
Up to 100MB/s & 90MB/s read & write speeds respectively; Class 10 UHS 3

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-MicroSD-Adapter-MB-ME128GA-AM/dp/B06XWZWYVP/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523474958&sr=8-1&keywords=samsung+evo+select

 

That is my go to sd card for Switch and certain other devices.

Now is a bad time to buy a laptop with Raven Ridge and Coffee Lake coming soon. If you really need something now though I'd recommend the Acer Aspire E 15. It's got a 1080p screen and has an i3 + HD 620 iGPU that can handle light gaming.

With the price of cards, go with a 128 Gig Card. They are SO cheap now. 256 Gig cards are still way too expensive. You could buy 2 128s and swap them out cheaper than 1 256.

If you're going to get that might as well get this:

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-MicroSD-Adapter-MB-ME128GA-AM/dp/B06XWZWYVP/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1520880220&sr=1-3&keywords=samsung+sd+evo

same price, but faster card, and better reputation.

Here's a pretty decent option that's in the same price range.

I believe they currently use something like the sE2200a which has been discontinued. If I'm not mistaken, Lewis uses the sE2200a II and the same mic was used to record Simon's vocals on Diggy Diggy Hole (based on the live-action video).

I personally use the Badaax UM900 (not to plug, but you can find an example of me using it here) which isn't exactly studio quality, but certainly gets the job done nicely. If you're looking for something that's more entry-level, there's always the Samson CO1U, the Blue Yeti, the Blue Spark Digital, or the Blue Spark.


All of these are very good microphones, and you should be able to find various tests of them on YouTube. Hope this helps. :)

There are actually a few great ones for less than $110!

• Samson Meteor.
  
  
• Blue Snowball. I highly recommend this one! It's great quality and picks up your voice very nicely.
  
  
• Blue Yeit is an excellent alternative. Better than the two above mentioned mics, but is $110...

No. XLR to 3.5mm really only works for pluging 3.5mm out into a mic preamp.

But you can get a USB mic that will sound better for cheaper than that.

I am going with the Superlux HD668B good reviews for that price point and you can get an length cable you want for it.

Sennheiser HD 280s. Exactly your price range, and as good as some double that price for sure.

Hey. I can offer some advice as far headphones go. I have had a lot of experience with the Sennheiser HD 280 pros (http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-Headphones/dp/B000065BPB) . They are recommended for the course I am taking and I personally love them. For under a $100 you can get something that blows Beats out of the water, and will definitely be a step up from skullcandys. I've done a lot of mixing with them and they performed very well when I was doing 5.1.
Feel free to PM if you got any questions.
Have a great day.

These, every time.


I'm a DJ so I know sound quality and I'm also a basshead. They don't get any better than the HD280's for bang for your buck and sound quality!

Here are my current head phones. year long warranty, 10ft cord, things sound great for the price, they feel like clouds on my ears and are fairly sound proof. This is the head phone for the person looking for a decent pair of headphones without wanting to drop over $100 for them. Seriously, if you want good head phones, buy these.

Edit: upon further review it seems I got these headphones on sale. However I still encourage you to buy them.

I use Sennhieser HD280. They're a popular model for monitoring. The other popular monitoring headphones under $100 would be the Sony MDR7506.

On headphones, There's a lot of ways to research.

​

Such as

• C-NET - Advertising influenced Professional reviews
  
• Consumer Reports - Unbiased Professional reviews
  
• Amazon reviews - A metric crap ton of amateur crowd-sourced reviews, and some occasional products with massive amounts of fake reviews
  
  For me I like to use the amazon reviews but I always put the item listing into fakespot. Using Fakespot lets me know the reliability of the ratings because a lot of the lower end earbud listings are completely faked.
  
  My research led me to two separate products I loved. Wired Sony "Studio Headphones", these sound great to my non-audiophile ears. These are sturdy, to me they feel good wearing them and they sound great. Included in the box was an exploded parts diagram with a parts list. These are not break and throw away headphones, these are designed to be serviced. It had great reviews was within my budget $80 and fakespot said the reviews were legit. These are solid, sturdy, designed to be serviced. I freaking love them.
  
  The other product I really like is the Avantree Wireless 40 HR Blue Tooth headphones. The ratings were good, and legit per fakespot, my complaints about my other wireless blue tooth was that I never seemed to have them charged when I wanted them and the range sucked. I double checked the tech specs and the 40hrs wasnt marketing BS. These legit have much higher battery capacity than the other wireless headphones. When I first plugged these in I played them side by side in wired and wireless mode next to the Sony Studio headphones. The bass was deeper, and the mids were better represented, at first I was really happy. These were out performing the Sony Studio Headphones, but as I played more songs side by side, I found I liked these better on most songs, but on some songs it didn't sound the way I remembered them. Then it occurred to me, I plugged the Sony Studio headphones back in, and adjusted the equalizer, I was able to adjust the equalizer such that my Sonys sounded exactly like these, then I figured it out and I was pissed off. These weren't better at reproducing the bass and the mids. They simply have a built in bass boost that can't be turned off. I'd give this product 7 Stars if I could for battery life, but only 4 for bluetooth range, and 2 for the bass boost I cant turn off I get why they do it, if you had to listen to headphones side by side in a store a consumer would hear more bass out of the boosted ones, and think they were better at reproducing bass.
  
  ​
  
  TL;DR lots of ways to research, Fakespot is awesome, some headphone manufacturers use dirty tricks. Beats uses what are basically fishing weights to make their products feel heavier and sturdier, and some manufacturers include a bass boost that you cant turn off.
  
  
  Edits - lots of spelling and grammatical mistakes.

Your father is VERY good with computers? You are basically screwed unless you can dramatically up your game.

Basically, a knowledgeable person can upgrade a router with open source firmware, and give himself god-like powers over the network. Your every move could be tracked.

Your father, if sufficiently skilled, could give you access to Internet that is upside down, or only directed to Kittens, or he could make every single image blurry or missing. More subtlety, he could just log every single thing you do on the 'net.

And it isn't even that hard, it just takes knowledge of what is possible, and the use of Google to figure out how to do it.

There are things you can do. Get a cheap USB WIFI adapter first. So you won't show up on your father's router with your current WIFI adapter. Then, tether to your Android phone, or piggyback off of a neighbor's WIFI.

Last, keyloggers are a possibility - they could be hardware or software related. It is possible to install a hardware keylogger inside the case of your laptop if the installer is sufficiently technically talented. A keylogger, or other software or firmware would completely compromise your computer and prevent you from hiding almost anything that you do.

These are $10 and the work right out of the box.

The best solution for using WiFi on your desktop would probably be to get a PCI wireless card, like this one.

If you aren't comfortable adding a PCI card, or don't have any space for one, you can get a USB wireless adapter, such as this one.

Finally, if you want a better solution that's not running a long cable, buy power line adapters. You plug one into a socket near the router and connect it via Ethernet to the router, then you plug another one in beside your PC and run Ethernet from it to your PC. It uses the wiring in the house to carry data, and is often better than WiFi.

Personally, I would go with the power line adapters then the PCI wireless card.

I don’t think OpenBSD supports Broadcom WiFi at all. Your best bet is probably to get a supported USB adapter. I have a couple of these that live in my OpenBSD laptops that have junky onboard WiFi. Mostly old Macs with Broadcom WiFi.

I have this usb adapter that I use from time to time, and this which I use pretty much all the time and have had for about 2 years. I like being able to move the antenna to get a better signal, right now it's velcro'd to the wall behind my bed.

If you go the usb route I'd probably buy a larger one that I have that has external antennas, like http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WN722N-Wireless-Adapter-External/dp/B002SZEOLG/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1421374210&sr=8-8&keywords=usb+wifi. But I'd still go PCI if you use it a lot, probably last longer and have a better quality connection.

I bought THIS. I use it exclusively with openELEC and when I hooked it up my router was about 40 FT from my box.

THIS is running on my Raspberry pi openElec box that is right now about 15 feet from the router (on a different floor)

I haven't tested the range on either, but both work great.

Sony MDR-7506. https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E

$100

They won't boost or color any signal too much and give you a nice even response for the most part. For the price range they are really good.

Obviously you can find better ones for like $500 but these are great for what they are.

Based on this picture, I will try my best. Correct me if I am wrong:

https://www.tubefilter.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/couples-therapy.jpg

Headphones:

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E

Microphone:

https://www.amazon.com/Shure-SM58-LC-Vocal-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B000CZ0R42

Mixer:

https://www.amazon.com/Zoom-L-12-LiveTrak/dp/B074G25D6Y

If interested, I can tell you the setup I use for this podcast if you like the sound (My first time, still working out the kinks). It's portable too and I wouldn't have to guess the equipment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuoIcdQLoAE

There has been so many of these threads.

Anyway, the industry standard (every studio has several of these) are:

Sony MDR-V6 Monitor Series Headphones with CCAW Voice Coil by Sony

Or:

Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone


The MDR-V6 is a classic and will work more than perfectly for your classroom needs. Also, both are closed so you won't bother any other students. :D

Silver is also the same price. (Other colors are $89.)

The microphone you have is a blue snowball non ice version. The Blue yeti is a completely different mic.

Gaming headsets are almost universally some combination of crappy and overpriced.

Get a audiograde headset with a separate mic (ideally a clip-to-cord style).

Big fan of Superlux 668s.

I have Superlux HD668B http://www.amazon.com/Superlux-HD668B-Dynamic-Semi-Open-Headphones/dp/B003JOETX8

These are r/headphones's best rated (at least the list they link to) at the $50 price range.

I like em.

HD 558 + Modmic is what I'm using. HD 558s are on sale for $80 at the moment too.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-558-Headphones/dp/B004FEEY9A

http://www.modmic.com/collections/frontpage/products/modmic-4-0

Won't get any better for the price.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B004FEEY9A/

Buy a used 558. It will sound almost exactly the same and you can foam mod it.

Always buy headphones used because they sound the same as new.

My current setup is A50s and a Modmic plugged into a Y-adapter that plugs into the adapter and so far it works amazing. Let me try to get you links:

-Modmic (incredible quality; built to last and made by a guy who's just starting up):
http://www.modmic.com/

-Y-Adapter: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004SP0WAQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1394242076&sr=8-1

-Sennheiser (better for gaming, however the sound leaks so others can hear your music at a low volume (cant be used in public places)) http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004FEEY9A/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1394242127&sr=8-1

-A50s (what I have; perfect for music and great for gaming; very private and doesnt leak sound very much):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000ULAP4U/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1394242250&sr=8-2

The modmic is magnetic and will stick
To your headset while having the ability to be taken off with ease to leave the headphones bare. The a50s are awesome for music and pretty good for gaming, but if you do gaming at about a 80-20 ratio to music listening than I would go with Sennheiser 558s or 598s. The y-adapter just allows you to combine both the headphones and the mic into one 3.5 mm AUX jack.

Total cost was about $165 (not including xbone adapter). Fairly good price for better headphones (structurally and sound-quality), ability to use everywhere and not look dumb with an attached mic, listen to music that sounds phenomenal, and speak in crystal clear quality to my buddies (who have already noticed how well it sounded in comparison to the xbone chat headsets).

TLDR: Get audiophile headphones, a modmic, and y adapter for a better and cheaper headset that can be used as normal headphones and as a headset (removable mic).

Camelcamelcamel

Seems like 75$ is a very good price for these. Only been lower than $80 on amazon twice very rarely.

Amazon has those for $25. They've been down at $20 till recently.

Here's the link

That's me...the 20$ logitech one.

Works just great for couch surfing.

Set up a low cost PC (you don't need very much power to play video) with HDMI out and a wireless keyboard (the logitech k400r is fantastic, the batteries literally last for a year). The Plex Home Theater client blows everything else out of the water if it's TV in your living room that you're after. It's way better than a console.

Also worth noting - you can use the plex client on your phone/tablet to select a video to start playback on the PHT client connected to your TV, or any other plex client attached to that server.

I suggest doing a virus scan that's completely outside of Windows. That way any malware that might be there will have less chance to execute and interfere with the scan. It's also useful just as a second opinion.

1. Download Xubuntu or Lubuntu and follow their instructions ( Windows USB | Windows DVD | Mac USB | Mac DVD) to put it on a flash drive or DVD. Or you could use your preferred Linux distro, if you have one. Lubuntu is more lightweight, while Xubuntu has a nicer interface. The reason you may want to burn a DVD is that some computers are unable to boot from USB.
   
2. With her computer off, plug the drive in (so that Windows has no chance to modify the drive), and boot her computer from it. Choose the "Try without installing" option.
   
3. If you're not using Ethernet, connect to WiFi (probably the default password on the side or bottom of the router). If her WiFi card doesn't work out the box, use Ethernet (perhaps via Powerline Ethernet adapters) or a well-supported USB WiFi adapter.
   
4. Look in the app menu (similar to Windows start menu) for the package manager / software center / app store / whatever they call it.
   
5. Once there, search for ClamTk. ClamTk is a GUI for an antivirus program called ClamAV. If you prefer, you can use ClamAV from the Terminal, but you'd need to look up the commands yourself.
   
6. Open ClamTk, make sure it downloads the latest virus definitions, and then tell it to do a recursive scan of a directory: the top level of her hard drive.
   
7. Let it run. It may take a while to go through all the files.
   
8. If it finds anything, look through the list to check for false positives.
   
   When finished, click on the app menu (same one as step 3) and tell it to restart. When prompted, remove the flash drive / DVD and then press enter.
   
   These are NOT complete, step-by-step instructions. They're only enough to sort of convey the general idea, so some of these may require a little trial & error or Googling. If this is new to you, try it on your own machine first before doing it on hers. VirtualBox is a free program for using virtual machines, and you could use that for practice.
   
   Keep in mind that no work or settings will be saved while booted from the flash drive. Everything is kept in RAM unless you save to a disk. Linux doesn't get installed to her machine unless you deliberately run the installer program.

Holy shit for real? I was being a dick too man, I apologize. People who've bought into gaming headsets often don't like hearing they aren't the best investment so I guess I'm prone to being salty with them.

If you want my recommendation for VR with the Vive I've been recommending the HD 558s for a number of reasons. They are really decent quality overear open headphones and the material on both the ear cups and the headband should hold on to your head well in use in VR while you're moving all around. These headphones (along with the 598s) have an amazing soundstage for gaming as well. Because they're open you're going to be able to hear the world around you, this might sound immersion breaking but I think you'll find that it's not and it's the trade off with open headphones and having a good soundstage. It also has the added benefit of being able to hear people while in VR though.

Now, coming from gaming headsets the bass might sound a bit lacking or they might not seem to pop as much but that's due to a more realistic and neutral soundstage. I am 99% sure you'll get used to it. As I mentioned about the 598s are also great and maybe even a little better but the headband is made out of a pleather material that tends to slip, so I can't recommend them for VR.

The 558s are about $100 and are easily one of the best pairs of headphone you can buy at that price point. For VR I would recommend picking up this as the included cable is very long (great for couch gaming, not for VR).

For a mic in VR I'd say just use the one in the Vive. For desktop I use either my Blue Snowball or my Blue Yeti.

Winamp and the VST bridge plugin for headphone correction. You should consider getting some nice headphones to fully appreciate your tunes. These are wonderful open-back headphones that are insanely cheap right now, I remember dropping $120 on mine. The open back will let sound in, so you'll still hear your fans whirring slightly, but if you have a quiet environment then it's like sitting in front of a good pair of speakers.

http://www.amazon.com/Tripath-TPA3123-Stereo-Amplifier-Supply/dp/B008YBC172/

http://www.amazon.com/SMSL-TDA7492-Integrated-Tripath-Amplifier/dp/B00F0H8TOC/

http://www.amazon.com/Micca-MB42X-Bookshelf-Speakers-Tweeter/dp/B00E7H8GG2

http://www.amazon.com/Mordaunt-Short-Alumni-Bookshelf-Speakers-Black/dp/B0049APO8U

http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-TSi100-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B00192KF12

http://www.fluance.com/product/SX6_High_Definition_Two_way_Bookshelf_Loudspeakers.eng-12.html

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG

http://www.amazon.com/Fostex-PMO-4-W-4-Inch-Personal-Speaker/dp/B00CYNT8XG

http://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Elevate-Speakers-Elliptical-Waveguide/dp/B00F3F7OIS

$260 for those Miccas is borderline ridiculous. You can get much better speakers for less. I'd prefer either of the below for significantly less money:

• $140 for Pioneer BS22 L/R speakers
  
  
• $180 for Fluance SX6 L/R speakers

Do you plan on continuing to use the receiver? Because if so then the Pioneer SP-BS22 bookshelves are spectacular for the price range. I have them and can say nothing but good things about them. I have also had them demoed to me by Andrew Jones himself at Pioneer here in SoCal and that was what really sold me on them. They will also blow any computer speakers from Logitech and klipsch away unless you need a lot more bass than these can provide, which is substantial.

For comparison I also have the JBL 4326 studio monitors in my office which I also love very much.

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG

Don't know about speakers but the Senheisser HD 598 SE is on sale for $110 again, pretty good deal. In fact they're on sale for $110CAD in Canada and $110 USD in the US, so Canadians are for once getting the better deal.

You're not really gonna get quality with wireless, both build and probably audio quality. Sennheiser HD598s were just on sale for $129, and that leaves ~50 for a standalone mic, or a ModMic.

Edit: Still on sale

Here's a cheap 500W Tier 3 power supply.

Obligatory Intel has a better wifi bluetooth combo card that has better driver support. https://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-GC-WB867D-I-Bluetooth-Frequency-Expansion/dp/B00HF8K0O6

http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Bluetooth-Expansion-Components-GC-WB867D-I/dp/B00HF8K0O6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421396763&sr=8-1&keywords=GIGABYTE+Model+GC-WB867D-I+Bluetooth+4.0%2FWiFi+Expansion+Card

It's $45

Confirmed, but only on the Spanish Amazon for some reason :)
https://www.amazon.es/Sennheiser-HD-598-Auriculares-circumaurales/dp/B0126HISOO/

You can buy new 598's for 150 or a used pair for $114 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0126HISOO/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all

These Acer Predator XB271U monitors have ultra slim bezels and also come with a fast refresh rate of 144hz at 2560x1440.

Good luck with your build!

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Gaming-S2716DG-LED-Lit-Monitor/dp/B0149QBOF0/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1473937801&sr=1-1&keywords=dell+s2716dg

https://www.amazon.com/PG278Q-27-Inch-Display-Refresh-Monitor/dp/B00MSOND8C/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1473937837&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+rog+swift

https://www.amazon.com/SWIFT-PG279Q-27-Inch-LED-Lit-Monitor/dp/B017EVR2VM/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1473937837&sr=1-2&keywords=asus+rog+swift

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-XB271HU-27-inch-Widescreen/dp/B0173PEX20/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1473937867&sr=1-2&keywords=acer+1440p+144hz

to name a few

As far as I know, the 1070 cannot obtain 144FPS on ULTRA in most games (Although are you ONLY playing the latest games? No? Then it's half relevant). That said, Gsync has you the rest of the way.

Problem is, gsync is also a $150-$200 premium (at least in Canadian) to any monitor. They will tell you to buy monitors like this or this but it's hard to justify those 1440P monitors.

If you turn down your expectation to a 1080p gsync 144hz, then things become a bit more reasonable. But if you're an enthusiast, perhaps you really want to push the limit and try the 1440p 144hz g-sync bandwagon out.

$550 with no dedicated gpu and no ssd? I like what I got for $50 less. Still an i5, had a dedicated gpu, a 250gb ssd, and expandable memory slot avaliable.

Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575G-53VG Laptop, 15.6 Full HD (Intel Core i5, NVIDIA 940MX, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, Windows 10)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DT4A2R4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_xaUpyb6SA9NCW

Runs Aion with no issues.

If you need even more storage: 2TB for $65, shipped (2.5" USB powered) or 4TB for $100, shipped
(2.5" USB powered).

Here's an 8TB for $160, shipped (3.5" externally powered).

Newegg ones seems to have sold out. Here's the amazon one for 99 again http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Backup-Portable-External-STDR2000100/dp/B00FRHTSK4

I don't think there are any 7200 RPM laptop drives out there. I actually was just looking for some last night and had no luck. The drive I ended up purchasing was this

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FRHTSK4

based on a recommendation from this sub in the past. I also found an imgur guide to go along with it for an easy install.

http://imgur.com/a/JF5jA

It seems like you're on a pretty tight budget from the comments. This is what I would do.

Used ebay optiplex ($120) - This isn't new tech by any means, but for $120 you're getting a quad core sandy bridge cpu, 8 gb of ram, a 500gb HDD and a Windows license. You can't beat that value.

PSU ($40) - EVGA 500w - Cheap, stable, reliable.

GPU ($105) - XFX RX 460, suitable for most newer games at medium settings at 1080p. If you can spend a little over $300 for your build I'd highly suggest upgrading this to an rx 470.

Overall this system will do what you want for under $300.

I completely forgot you mentioned the store credit... Go for it! But, Try to get a beefier PSU. Anything around 500-600 watts is decent. You're going to want a certified power supply like this! Most GPU's will labeled their recommended amount of watts to drive the GPU.

PSU is an easy choice for your build, go with an EVGA 500 Watt PSU. It's not overpriced and has more than enough power for you system

PSU here.

GL, and happy gaming!

PS: obligatory " should've gotten an r9 390 "

SMSL SA50 ($67): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F0H8TOC/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_RthDDbDAZR43F


Micca MB42X ($79.95): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E7H8GG2/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_UAhDDbJYN7S0D


Comes in right under your budget, and plenty of people on these forums have been happy with that setup (I have no experience personally with the amp or speakers).

www.amazon.com/dp/B00ENMK1DW +
www.amazon.com/dp/B00BJ17WKK

for the love of god don't get a headset, get headphones and a separate mic. What is your budget? If you are a foot step fanatic like me, I HIGHLY recommend this pair of open back headphones. Get a Vmoda boom pro if you want a headset like mic, or for a traditional mic get a Fifine one, they have an amazing budget line up.

Just got a pair of Philips SHP9500 for $60 on sale from Newegg, with free shipping. See they are back at $100 now, but you might be able to find them discounted elsewhere. The comfort of this pair of headphones is incredible, and check the reviews on Amazon. As far as comfort and sound quality for the dollar, i'm not convinced you can do any better, and way under your budget if you find the same sale that I did.

Antilion ModMic is about $50. Mod Mic is cheap and great.

My Cheap headphones in comparison
Phillips SPH9500
$70-90

> I am looking into the Z625 right now.

Nope, no... no.

Don't buy Logitech, seriously.

Here's an alternative suggestion:
SMSL-50

Micca RB42's!

u/Polypeptide147 will be able to sing the praises of these speakers... the system I described will perform much better than those crap Logitech 2.1 systems.

Okay, fine, I went over your budget by $10... but I promise you, it's worth it! Friends don't let friends buy Logitech.

A brand new one is only $4 or $5 more. [Best Buy] (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/seagate-backup-plus-2tb-external-usb-3-0-2-0-portable-hard-drive-black/2944503.p?id=1219083979672&skuId=2944503&lsft=ref:212,loc:1&ksid=8a4d3db5-061f-497c-bf06-25863be15ce0&ksprof_id=8&ksaffcode=pg27&ksdevice=c&ref=212&loc=1), [Amazon] (http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Portable-External-Storage-STDR2000100/dp/B00FRHTSK4), [Walmart] (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Seagate-Backup-Plus-2TB-Slim-Portable-External-Hard-Drive-Assorted-Colors/35610046?selectedSellerId=0&)

Currently I'm using this which is overkill for these speakers, but I got it for a good price and I wanted something that could comfortably power beefier speakers down the line.

The old recommendation was to get a Lepai 2020a, but since those no-longer use the Tripath chips, I'd go with something like the SMSL SA36 or SA50.

Yes. Do this.

Right now I've got that exact lepai driving these $125 speakers (set). They were designed by Andrew Jones, who is one of the more successful speaker "engineers" whos last speakers retailed for over $40,000. They sound fantastic. They rival speakers that I've heard at almost 5x the price.

I added Bluetooth fuctionality with one of [these receivers] ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00GX71GNO/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?qid=1427739222&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=bluetooth+audio+receiver&dpPl=1&dpID=41ATezzg6pL&ref=plSrch )

The cool thing about getting a real set of bookshelves and starting receiver like the lepai is its cheap enough to upgrade later when your budget allows. You can go ahead at some point and get a real 5.1 or 7.1 receiver and the other speakers (matching or not). Many, if not most modern receivers come with Bluetooth and or apple airplay built in. Even something like the [Yamaha 375] ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HZE2WW8/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1427741141&sr=8-2&keywords=yamaha+receiver&dpPl=1&dpID=31Cl2ylwH0L&ref=plSrch&pi=AC_SX200_QL40 ) has more than enough horsepower.

Razer is not know for bifl.

Ill give you my setup. Great for games and a nice set of headphones for day to day music. You can shop around for better prices.

Headset

Mic

How about this?

SadBoy489 your grandma will love the Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM 15.6inch, to me it's the best option in this price range.Has a nice Intel Core i3-7100U Processor 7th Generation processing so basic use is not a problem, 1080p display and Up to 12-hours Battery Life and a Backlit Keyboard for grandma's night work :-). The 4GB DDR4 Memory, 1TB 5400RPM HDD for storage is great as well and its 5.2lbs so I hope that is ok, spider solitaire and mahjong can be played easily on the laptop.

Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM 15.6-Inch FHD Notebook (Intel Core i3-7100U 7th Generation , 4GB DDR4, 1TB 5400RPM HD, Intel HD Graphics 620, Windows 10 Home), Obsidian Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K1IO3QW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_uEbZAbT21GT51

Don't bother man, 7.1 is a gimmick, you're much better off with a decent set of headphones and a desk (or mod) mic.

Have a look at this:
https://www.amazon.com/Samson-Mic-Portable-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B001R76D42/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1502406777&sr=8-2&keywords=samson+go

https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-558-Headphones/dp/B004FEEY9A/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1502406801&sr=8-3&keywords=sennheiser+HD558

That setup will straight up destroy anything a gaming headset can offer, open backed headphones are great for surround sound audio.

If you are dead set on getting a headset, then the Hyperx Cloud 2s are the only one's I'd ever recommend, purely because they're actually a decent set of headphones with a mic attached.

Take a look at this post https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/4nabvv/gaming_audio_and_you_why_995_of_gaming_headsets/

Depends on the kind of headphones you want (on/over-ear, in-ear, etc).

My first audiophile headphones were Sennheiser HD558s with the foam mod, and I picked them up for about $85 during a huge sale.

It's a Logitech K400. Perfect for the couch!

My experience with the Steam Link:

It works decently after upgrading from my old WRT54g router (which was unplayable) to a TP-LINK Archer C9.

Although when I say "decently", I'm not one who freaks out if FPS drops to 59 at 1920x1080, or even has to play at that resolution. It's playable. Sometimes it slows down. You can stream Netflix from your browser, sometimes the video goes into slow motion during scenes that have more "action", i.e. a woman jogging... (I haven't even watched something like Transformers...) depending on your Stream setting of Fast, Balanced, Beautiful.

It's nice when it works, most of the time. Sometimes it still drops the connection though, or the window loses focus, or you have to log in to Windows, and you have to physically go to the computer and figure it out, which can be frustrating.

Most of the time I've had to go over physically was because Steam crashed and I had to restart Steam. Hopefully these are bugs they'll be working out as it's still a relatively new device? Between this and the controller, they seem to get regular updates. And things HAVE been getting fixed and enhanced. But apparently it can't start Steam up on it's own over the network, or let you log in to Windows.

It worked plug & play with my Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400 (plugging the little Logitech wireless receiver)

There is simply nothing else that compares to the ELAC B5 or B6 bookshelf speakers designed by legendary speaker designer Andrew Jones. They are the best budget bookshelf speakers on the market by a pretty wide margin. Pair it with an inexpensive 2 channel amp and you've got a killer desktop system
http://www.amazon.com/Debut-Series-Bookshelf-Speakers-Andrew/dp/B014GSER6O

If you want to stay under your $200 budget Andrew Jones used to work for Pioneer too and his designs for budget speakers there will get you under budget including an AMP
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG/ref=pd_vtph_23_bs_t_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1CPPGTSD1YT7018PDPNJ

At a bit over $500 here is what I would do, all great quality items and allows for sequential upgrades down the line:

MMF 2.2 $299 https://www.musicdirect.com/turntables/music-hall-mmf-22-turntable

Sony reciever (with phono) $149 https://www.amazon.com/Sony-STRDH190-Stereo-Receiver-Bluetooth/dp/B078WFDR8D/

Pioneer Andrew Jones speakers $99 https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG

First step: have you read noaudiophile's reviews? He does very thorough reviews on a lot of budget speakers, and has corrections for many of the popular options. His corrections for the Infinity P163s that I'm currently using made them sound like completely different speakers.

First let's start with powered options:

The Micca PB42X would be a good option. They are basically a powered version of the MB42X so you don't need to purchase a separate amp. Also in the similar realm that get recommended here a lot would be the Swans D1010 and the Edifier R1280T.

Personally I'm a bigger fan of passive speakers, as you get a lot more options to expand your system.

Pioneer BS22 bookshelf speakers are great and have gone on sale quite a bit lately for $70-80/pair.

Dayton B652 I am currently using as my surround speakers, but people rave about them as a budget desktop option

Micca MB42X also get great reviews.

You could also go used for your speakers, but sometimes it can be hard to parse through all the junk out there if you don't know what you're looking for.

Take any of those passive options and pair them up with an inexpensive amp like this SMSL or Lepai for a good budget setup.

I would also recommend checking your local Craigslist or Facebook marketplace for a used receiver, you could pick up a very decent one for just a few bucks and have a great starting setup. This will give you a lot more powerful amp, and the ability later to easily add a subwoofer or expand to surround sound. Personally I'm using an older Sony home theater receiver at my desk, it's old enough that it doesn't have HDMI or optical inputs, someone was just giving it away so I snagged it.

Please note this intel 3160 you linked does Not go into PCI-E on your standard Desktop motherboard. It actually goes into the Mini PCI-E often found on laptop motherboards.


Please don't buy this for a desktop build and expect it to fit!


For a good wireless card that fits in your standard PCI-E slot, checkout the TP-Link ones, they also come in PCI options as well. I purchased the wdn4800, on newegg when it was 25 or so dollars, and have been happy with it. As a note, I have multiple walls in between my Build and the wireless router and have never gone below 3 out of 5 bars (according to win 7) but am most often at 4.

So.. my wireless card in my tower is dual band and I get 300 MB/s.
My wireless router is what gets it to 300 but I know that the card can go higher, should I upgrade my router?
I'd like to know more about wifi and wired connections if you have any links.

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372366682&sr=8-1&keywords=andrew+jones+pioneer

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG


http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00F0H88SY/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1462226856&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=yamaha+receiver&dpPl=1&dpID=31LAAKCGZeL&ref=plSrch


That will get you going but I recommend you eventually take out the internal preamp and replace it with a decent external preamp such as http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000AJR482/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?qid=1462226963&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Phono+preamp&dpPl=1&dpID=41VPBILjagL&ref=plSrch

a logitech k400 i picked up at microcenter - Link

You should definitely give it a shot, and if it doesn't work for you, you can always go back to cable. I was sick of paying around $150/mo for a cable/phone/internet bundle, so I cut the cord when I moved into a new apartment around a year ago, zero regrets. I now pay $50/mo for 15Mpbs internet, and it's been great.

I got this computer: Dell Zino HD (looks like it's discontinued)

a wireless keyboard: Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400

and this HD antenna: RCA ANT1450BM

That's it! I'm going HDMI from the computer to TV to stream anything from Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, anime sites, whatever you want. You're not limited to services provided through Boxee or Roku type devices. The HD antenna gets used once in a while for live stuff or PBS, and I was shocked by how good it looked. Positioning can be a bit tricky, but I swear the image looks better than my previous cable connection.

For current shows like Breaking Bad and Mad Men, Amazon sells season passes for a slightly discounted unit rate, and the shows are available the day after airing.

It was a little scary at first, but now I can't imagine going back to that time and money pit. I feel more in control of what I watch, and I seriously feel mentally cleaner. Give it a try if you're considering it, and feel free to let me know if you have any questions!

There's Mouse Toggle. It adds mouse-like functionality to the stock remote. It works ok if you have no other mouse.

After the stock remote, my favorite is Remote Mouse for Fire TV, followed by the Logitech K400 (when it's $20).

It looks like the Logitech K400.

I've got this and it works amazingly.

It could be possible but I don't know if it would the phone would pump out that much power.

We already have stuff like http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003MTTJOY/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/190-9632706-9095906 (I use one on my older laptop that has a fried wlan card, this USB wlan works like a charm)


If we can get a USB OTG phone and somehow load the drivers for this USB wifi adapter and then add software that makes the WiFi Hotspot work, then sure.

To expand a little bit on what ImKrimzen is getting at...

This community is really, really hardcore about headphones. I say this in an affectionate but matter-of-fact way: we are a bunch of elitists who mostly look down our noses at products like the one you're asking about. Most gamers here prefer to use an awesome pair of headphones with a regular 3.5mm audio hookup, and then attach something like this mic to it. This tends to give you better value for your money than buying an overpriced gaming headset. Now, playing on console is a little more complicated...I've never even used a mic when console gaming, but if you can find a way to set that up via a bluetooth mic or something, then you can always just use the PS4 controller's headphone jack to plug in a regular pair of headphones and then go to town. (Or alternatively, your TV's aux out if it has one, or optical digital out through a DAC.) Here are a couple of relatively inexpensive headphones that have an absolutely stellar reputation around here for gaming. (And will also bring your movies and music to another level.)

Less expensive

More expensive

Most expensive (or actually not, because they're on sale)

Edit: Oh, just one important thing to note: this is /r/headphones 101, but since you're new, I'm just going to assume you may not realize that all those options I linked are open-back headphones, which means that they do not isolate sound well and they leak your sound out. In other words, other people around you can hear your stuff and you can probably hear noises in your environment, so if you need sound isolation, get a closed-back pair like this. But the advantage of open-back is that you generally get better-quality sound for your dollar, and the sound stage is always better, meaning the locations of sounds in your 3D headspace are very detailed and precise. This is really awesome for immersive gaming and movie-watching, so people love open-back headphones for those uses.

If you wanted something roughly equivalent to this you could get the Sennheiser HD 558s and a mod mic if you need a mic to be on the headphones themselves. In total its around $160 (plus shipping if there is any).

Edit: Thought I should note there's a muteless version of the mod mic that's a few bucks cheaper if it doesn't matter.

Upon closer inspection, they might not be the exact same ones.

I have Sennheiser HD 558, which is the same brand and look very similar to the model in the pic

I had a wonderful Redditor recommend the 558's over the CALs when I was searching for advice. My budget is around $100-$140 and I'll be using the headphones with the neewer mic the play LoL and talk on Team speak. I just wanted other opinions to confirm that the 558's are definitely worth the premium price over the CALs and that they would be good for my needs. Thanks!

I'd recommend a pair of Sennheiser. Maybe the HD555/HD558 model.

• Soft, Gentle, and Warm Sound
  
• Comfortable around the ear design and soft padding
  
• Wear them for hours without getting ear aches or sensitive spots
  
• Build Quality
  
  I'm not a Dr. or a therapist or have any kind of experience with this specifically. Being a musician, amateur multi-track recording engineer, and also an avid PC gamer whose tried many manufacturers and many styles I can say that Sennheiser is by far my favorite.
  
  I know you're not looking for favorite recommendations but the reason I make this post is because of the beautiful balance and sensitivity a nice pair of Sennheiser headphones gives you.
  
  Without getting into technical details I'll just say it's the warmth and subtlety of the sound from these headphones that made me recommend them to you for therapeutic reasons. I would imagine soft, gentle, and warm would be more what you're looking for.
  
  The other bonus is that the build quality on the HD555/HD585's is fantastic... I've had mine for years and not had any problem with them. They are still as comfortable as they were the day I bought them.
  
  edit: looks like HD555 is no longer available and have been replaced with HD558 models.

I have the 64GB version of this card. It has lasted years but is super slow with writes.

CrystalDiskMark read results were OK at 86, 3, 3, 2.7 MB/s. Write was terrible at 7.5, 1.2, 0.9, 0.9 MB/s !

I never noticed how slow it was until trying to take 4K video, fuggetaboutit. It's too slow for 1080p60.

Moved up to the 128GB Samsung Evo Select (U3), tested sequential read/write is 95 and 87 MB/s respectively. It's $19.49, 15% cash back with Amazon Prime card.

• Dashcam + Micro SD card + Hardwire kit = Cost
  
  
• Or Dashcam + Micro SD card = No parking mode.
  
  ---
  
  Write down your values right now.
  
  
• Video quality = 0-10
  
  
• Build quality = 0-10
  
  
• Parking mode = 0-10
  
  0 being the lowest, 10 being the highest.
  
  A129 isn't a bad dash cam, but be prepared for your values to shift after ownership after a while. If you did your research, you know what you are purchasing. A129 2CH is what it is, as advertised.
  
  ---
  
  
• A129 ($160 USD) Dash cam
  
  
• Micro SD card - TLC based cards will not last as long as MLC based High Endurance cards. 128 GB Micro SD card TLC based card likely ($20 USD) vs 64 GB High Endurance Micro SD card MLC based card likely ($43 USD)
  
  Micro SD cards last about a year or 2, maybe 3, then die. They have a limited number of read/write/rewrite cycles. Some are not Dashcam rated (will say in the warranty use in a dash cam will void warranty.) Some dash cams are picky with Micro SD cards and reject them on an unknown criteria. Some dash cams have recommended brands of Micro SD cards.
  
  
• Viofo 3 wire Hardwire kit ($15 USD) - Low voltage cut off feature (Adjustable) Voltage only.
  
  
• Viofo 2 wire hardwire kit ($10 USD) - Low voltage cut off feature (Preset/Not Adjustable) Voltage only.
  
  
• Power Magic Pro 3 wire hardwire kit ($24-30 USD) - Low voltage cut off feature (Adjustable) Voltage/Timer based.
  
  So I don't know how Viofo parking mode activates under different situations.
  
  
• Typical 2 wire system = Motion sensor(Movement in front of camera lens)/G sensor (hits bumps) inactivity, with required 1-2 minutes of "Quiet time." If the dash cam does not get its required "Quiet time" it will record normally until Low voltage cut off feature activates. Low voltage cut off feature (Preset/Not Adjustable) Voltage only.
  
  1st wire (Postitive) -> Always on fuse = Parking mode; 2nd wire -> Ground wire (Negative) to unpainted bolt (completes circuit).
  
  Or
  
  1st wire (Positive) -> Ignition only fuse = No parking mode; 2nd wire -> Ground wire (Negative) to unpainted bolt (completes circuit).
  
  
• Typical 3 wire system = Ignition switch position parking mode detection. This typically is more reliable way to detect if parked. However High end/Luxury vehicles with an (Unique/Specific) sleep mode will require an (Unique/Specific) hardwiring setup to allow the dash cam to work. (Sometimes including tunneling through the firewall to the battery, then re-insulating said fire wall.) Low voltage cut off feature (Adjustable) Voltage/Timer based.
  
  1st wire (Bat) -> Always on fuse = Powers dash cam; 2nd wire (ACC) -> Ignition only fuse = Detects if parked or driving; 3rd wire -> Ground wire (Negative) to unpainted bolt (completes circuit).
  
  I don't know how/if A129 changes from 2 -> 3 wire, or from 3 wire viofo -> 3 wire Power Magic Pro.
  
  
• Tap a fuse ($5-15 USD) + 5 amp fuse ($1-5 USD) at any automotive store.
  
  All Fuses, including Tap a fuse should match your vehicle's type. Mini/Mini low profile are the most common. There are also ATO, Micro 2, Micro 3, and Maxi type fuses.
  
  Read your owner's manual for fuse box location(s) typically 2-3 in every vehicle - in/under dashboard (use this one), Under hood (avoid at all costs), In door (use able but not favored), and Trunk (Use able but not favored.)

Idk your budget, but something that has at the minimum an Intel Core i3 processor with Intel Integrated graphics card and 4GB Ram. This would go for about $300-$400 dollars, would be able to play the Sims 4 at very low settings and the Sims 2 Ultimate Collection at comfortable settings/smooth gameplay.

If you can spare some more money, ideally you should get an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, preferably a 6/7/8th generation (generation indicated by the first of number that follows, so for example I have an i5 6200U processor). 8GB+ RAM (more the better) is all suggested. The processors I just mentioned will suit the game fine for medium/high settings but for ultra settings look for one of the i5/i7 with “HQ” at the end. The difference between a processor ending is that 6/7th gen and below processors that end with U are only “dual core” while HQ means “quad core”. If you don’t have the money to grab a quad core/HQ that’s ok, but it leads to my next point.

If you can’t get an HQ processor, try to at least get a U processor accompanied by a dedicated graphics card! Some dgpu’s in a decent price range that work well for sims are the Nvidia GeForce 940m, or MX150 made by the same company! Ultra settings could benefit from a Nvidia GeForce GTX1050 or above (1050,1060,1070,1080). That’s basically it!

The first option is only recommended if you’re on a tight budget. You can get more bang for your buck if you go for a desktop, ie. better processor/graphics card for less money but you use the portability factor. I like to game in bed and also have college to worry about so I need my machine to be portable.

Here are some good laptop choices

If you’re on a really tight budget (ie. first option):
Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM 15.6-Inch FHD Notebook (Intel Core i3-7100U 7th Generation , 4GB DDR4, 1TB 5400RPM HD, Intel HD Graphics 620, Windows 10 Home), Obsidian Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K1IO3QW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_oHeJAb87X98XF

Have a bit more money to spare:
Acer Aspire E 15, 15.6" Full HD, 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, 8GB RAM Memory, 256GB SSD, E5-576G-5762 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075FLBJV7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_nIeJAbZFVCXT4

Other pricier ($600+) but better choices:
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5577 Gaming Laptop - (15.6" FHD (1920x1080), Intel Quad-Core i5-7300HQ, 1TB HDD, 8GB DDR4, NVIDIA GTX 1050 4GB, Windows 10 - Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XFG7157/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_iJeJAbCQ911ZA

HP Pavilion Power GTX 1050 Gaming Laptop - 15" Full HD, Intel Core i7-7700HQ , 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD, Windows 10 Home, Black - 15-cb077nr https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VT9LFD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_6KeJAbYG1C2XN

Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop, Intel Core i5-7300HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, 15.6" Full HD, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, AN515-51-55WL https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074Q54GSR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_wLeJAb9TZ7ZEH

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01K1IO3QW/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1502646690&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=Laptops&dpPl=1&dpID=41HfDkXXyeL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B073YC5D78/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1502646977&sr=1-3&refinements=p_n_graphics_type_browse-bin%3A14292273011%7C14292274011&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Laptops&dpPl=1&dpID=519AGc-y17L&ref=plSrch

i was able to use 128gb u3 with the standard tutorial

https://github.com/TriForceX/NewBittboyCFW/blob/master/PocketGo-Guide-EN.md

i think this was the card

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-MicroSDXC-Adapter-MB-ME128GA-AM/dp/B06XWZWYVP

and i recommend u3 because of how much quicker it is to flash firmware from scratch as well as copying large files

i don't have a larger card, so I'm not sure of the max supported size

The samsung ones are even cheaper (except the 128gb one):

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-MicroSD-Adapter-MB-ME128GA-AM/dp/B06XWZWYVP/ref=sr_1_2_acs_ac_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538158930&sr=8-2-acs&keywords=samsung+micro+sd+card

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-MicroSD-Adapter-MB-ME128GA-AM/dp/B06XWZWYVP/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1499352772&sr=8-2&keywords=128GB+micro+sd

faster but same price as the 128

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B06XWZWYVP/

I think this is it, can anyone confirm? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XWZWYVP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_D7g5BbDTPC7TY

I received my X3000 today and also received this 128 GB Samsung EVO Select card. I am happy to say it recognizes and records 100Mbit/s to the card with no issues! I'm able to select and record all formats, and I don't see any issues with the footage.

Samsung 128GB 100MB/s (U3) MicroSD EVO Select Memory Card with Adapter (MB-ME128GA/AM)

Fake as heck. If you want a trustworthy high capacity and fast card, check out Samsung Evo Select on Amazon.

Samsung 128GB 100MB/s (U3) MicroSD EVO Select Memory Card with Adapter (MB-ME128GA/AM) $45

To learn more about fake SD cards, http://www.happybison.com/reviews/how-to-check-and-spot-fake-micro-sd-card-8/

In that budget range and based on what you will be using this laptop for, not many laptop can compete with this Acer Aspire E 15 laptop as an option. It is easily the most recommended laptop in this budget range because of it's balance of performance power, battery life among other features. It has a nice quad core 8th gen i5 processor, 8 GB RAM, fast 256 GB SSD and an MX 150 graphics card that will handle the games you want to play.

In your budget the Acer Aspire E15 is your best bet. It has a quad core CPU and a mx150 graphics card that will run games will. 13" is out of the question for your budget. The closet thing would be the Swift 3

Acer Aspire E 15, 15.6" Full HD, 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, 8GB RAM Memory, 256GB SSD, E5-576G-5762 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075FLBJV7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_a7fKBbTXGCA04

Got this one myself in the last week or two, it’s worth as far as college work and a little bit of gaming. Reviews are only pretty decent on. It’s only accessible if you wanna change the SSD/RAM,don’t have to tear it apart. Important from the states took four days to come.

The Acer Aspire E15 is a good choice for non high end laptops

The best on the list are the HyperX Cloud, but in my opinion all of those are rip offs, none of them will sound as good as a pair of headphones for half the price. The HyperX Cloud sound fine but the microphone on it is garbage.

My suggestion? Buy these headphones, and stick this modmic on it. They will sound like a $200 gaming headset, both in output and recording quality, and they are still under your budget.

If you don't want to take my word for it, watch this video. "gaming" headsets are all marketing, they're normally no better than Beats by dre.

Just get this and a modmic
www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003JOETX8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1419873145&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX200_QL40

Sennheiser HD280 Pro

Sennheiser Hd280.

I would recommend a pair of Sennheiser HD 280s, I've had my pair for ~7 years, and am still very satisfied with the quality. They are typically around $100 on Amazon

As a long-time audio tinkerer who just got into video the past few years, seeing someone giving solid advice about audio makes me happy. I'd like to add two recommendations of my own:

There's no sale on it right now, but for $100, I'd personally put my money onto the Audio Technica AT2020. It has a very nice, neutral frequency response that doesn't get too extreme anywhere, and I can verify from personal experience with its big brother the AT2035(Basically the same mic, same diaphragm, same polar pattern, etc., etc., but with a few options that are useful for recording music, not as much for recording audio for video), that it's a great little mic for spoken voice. Even used it outside on a windy day with a lawnmower going in the background during an interview, and neither one gave it much trouble.

If you're willing to spend a little more money on your headphones, I can't recommend a set of Sennheiser HD280 Pros strongly enough. Very responsive and articulate for the price, very even, neutral EQ to let you figure out how to get the best sound from your audio track, great sound isolation to keep outside noise from bleeding in, comfy, breathing, don't squish your ears, durable and reliable as hell, I've used mine on professional recording sessions and mixes to great effect. They're a little more expensive than a lot of people will probably want to spend, but they're well worth a hundred bucks.

Also, please please please learn how EQs and compressors work. They can look intimidating when you're unfamiliar with them, but they're really simple tools at their core, and those two alone give you amazing control to manipulate your audio tracks, as well as clean up and save a less-than-stellar recording. If you can, also learn about how to use reverb, matching your voiceovers and audio tracks to the room they're supposed to be in can give them a really nice touch.

Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro

Sony MDR-7506. Industry staple for >20 yrs. $80.

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E/

I'm a big fan of the Blue Yeti - one of the best microphones I've ever used. It's a little pricey, but you'll never have to buy another.

If you wanted something a little easier on your wallet, check out the Blue Snowball (my preference), or any studio-condenser microphone. For most, you'll have to be pretty close to the mic to avoid picking up any background noise, or developing white noise as you move further away. The Yeti cancels most of that out, which is why it's my preference. But, it's your budget homie!

I might also recomend the Trust MC-1200. It's far from the best quality, but it works pretty good for Skype. The cheapest of the three, you have an option for your preference. Gimmie 10 mins and I'll link you to voice samples on YouTube of them all.

SAMPLE LINKS:
Blue Yeti - My preference. Whole video is recorded with the microphone.
Blue Snowball - Decent, best I've found for average price. Dude forgot to turn the damn background music off when recording, but you can still hear his voice well.
Trust MC-1200 - Best for the price. Not a lot of background noise, but the audio is far from "good" quality.

A major thing that instantly hit me was the recording quality. You sound a little bit 'tinny'. I'm guessing you're using your webcam for that, too?

I'd look into investing in a decent microphone set up. I've been using the Blue Yeti for years now and it's still going strong.

I know that it's something that you're probably aware of, but presentation is always gonna be key. It doesn't matter if you're hosting is perfect if people aren't completely listening to what you're saying because they're too busy thinking about how you sound bad.

Hope it helps!

I would go with the highly recommended Blue Yeti microphone. For other podcast tips, check out it this podcast beginners guide.

For those looking for more budget-friendly options:
VE MONK PLUS (imp: 64Ω) / Head-Fi review - $5
TY Hi-Z HP-150 (imp: 150Ω) / Head-Fi review - $25
HE 150 (imp: 150Ω) / Head-Fi review - $15

Out of these, I've only so far tried the VE MONK PLUS and for $5, it packs a good punch. Bass is a bit weak, but it's surprisingly good. Meanwhile, I'm awaiting arrival of the others mentioned, which I'll receive in a few days. But the Head-fi reviews seems to be pretty positive. Something to look at, since headphones above 50ohm impedance is few and far between in the budget segment.

Also, if you're not a fan of earbuds, then there the Superlux HD668B for $40. This is another one I want to eventually pick up and give a try, but haven't done so yet. These are not necessarily endorsements, but a nudge in the direction in case any of these fit anyone's needs.

EDIT: I just received the HE 150 and the TY Hi-Z and tried them out and.. they're actually quite good. Punches WAY above its class. These are solid headphones and I can definitely/strongly recommend all three models mentioned above.

I have the Superlux HD668B they have a really great sound for the price. The ear pads need to be exchanged to be comfortable, luckily these fit.
Edit: forgot to mention: They have a male 3,5 audiojack on the left cup. and a 1m cable is included, which makes it really convenient to use the the vive.

Superlux HD668B Headphones https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003JOETX8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_S2aDxbDNPSCV5

They have basically just a jack on the left headphone so you can plug the lead from the headset straight into them. Comfortable and decent sound. They've made my vive usage so much more enjoyable and easy. I highly recommend them.

Superlux HD668B + Velvet ear cushions + ModMic 4.0

mdr-7506 has been made for years without change, because they are fantastic, and you can get replacement parts for every piece of them.

Under $100 for the best headphones you will ever use.

Buy these, cheap, and awesome sound. Everything else is over-hyped and over-priced.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E

I have the opposite problem, I can't fall asleep to music because it's too engaging... Do you have really nice headphones? Try getting some nice headphones with an aggressive, engaging sound signature like these. As a sound engineer, I wear headphones all day long, some I can fall asleep with, but I don't think it's possible with the Sonys.

Weird thing is the headphones Dre would actually use in a studio can be had for like half the price of Beats, you can get a pair of Sony MDR-V6's for $70 or the later model Sony MDR-7506's for $85, these things are pretty much industry standard for audio quality and can take some punishment.

looking for more Opinions

Budget - 150$ CAD


Source - Ipod w RockBox/Android +-FiiO E6


Requirements for Isolation - Not required


Preferred Type of Headphone - Full sized/Open/Over the Ear (Looking to compliment the incoming Dunu Trident and the existing Fanny Wangs.


Preferred tonal balance - Balanced pair


Past headphones - Fanny Wang 3000, Monster DNA IEM, Sennheiser IEM


Preferred Music - Rap/RnB/Pop/Classic (very multigenre)


Location - Canada


I am currently leaning towards
Sony MDR7506


Also I have noticed those AKG on sale, but can't find a complex review on them.
AKG 172 HD


There is some sales on the M50, but I dont know if they are overhyped. They are also the most expensive (150$)
ATH-m50


Last option is the DT-440, they are on par with AKG in terms of price, but I'm not sure that I like their design.


Dt-440


Thanks for any help!!

try Sony MDR-7506 ?

I have a pair of 7506s that are absolutely incredible. I expect them to be a BI4L item.

I wonder if that makes the Glock 19 the Sony MDR7506 of the gun world. They're not very pretty, and there's fancier and some better sounding phones at that price point, but they're the constant recommendation for anyone looking for good sound quality and durability at a fairly reasonable price.

Sony MDR-7506. They're the field audio recording industry standard, and their BIFL design (you can easily replace the ear cushions) and accurate tonal response make them the perfect choice. At £68, they're a little over your budget, but well worth it. I have worked in television production for nearly 15 years and I'm still on my first pair.

I would take a Raspberry Pi.
Add an HDMI to VGA Cable.
Mix in a little Wi-fi Adapter.
Season to taste. (Wireless KB/M, USB drive, Chromecast, Wireless controller, Nintendo Emulator, Wireless speakers, etc...)
Mount behind monitor and mount monitor on wall in garage or bathroom and add a dash of power.
And then play games, watch movies, sports, etc....In the bathroom, garage, shed...

^(I have no idea if this would work but now I want to try it).

^^*Fixed ^^spelling

$8

Edimax EW-7811Un 150Mbps 11n Wi-Fi USB Adapter, Nano Size Lets You Plug it and Forget it, Ideal for Raspberry Pi / Pi2, Supports Windows, Mac OS, Linux (Black/Gold) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003MTTJOY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_e.tNxbKF8WXNB

This adapter works when following these instructions.

I'd go with http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008NCD2LG over the polks.

I'd skip the sony sub as well.

This is a better sub choice in that range http://m.bestbuy.com/m/e/product/detail.jsp?skuId=8826112&ref=06&loc=01&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=8826112&extensionType=%7Badtype%7D:%7Bnetwork%7D&s_kwcid=PTC!pla!%7Bkeyword%7D!%7Bmatchtype%7D!%7Badwords_producttargetid%7D!%7Bnetwork%7D!%7Bifmobile:M%7D!%7Bcreative%7D&kpid=8826112&k_clickid=0a0997f9-950e-57a8-4b68-000022505a80&gclid=CKKWoLzSproCFRQaOgodz2MAig&pid=1207352528930

I just got the Philips SHP9500 along with the V-MODA BoomPro. By far the most comfortable headset I have owned. Ear cups are huge and completely surround my ears. The headset is very light weight and does not squeeze at all. I wear them all day when working, and in the evening with gaming. Plus, they are great sounding too.

Amazon Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500-Precision-Over-ear-Headphones/dp/B00ENMK1DW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484846026&sr=8-1&keywords=philips+headphones

Looks like the mic is currently out of stock. I got mine on eBay.
https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Gaming-Headset-Headphone/dp/B00BJ17WKK/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00BJ17WKK&pd_rd_r=E5NE128ZPRX3KS4F4QYD&pd_rd_w=VLjAz&pd_rd_wg=dKgCd&psc=1&refRID=E5NE128ZPRX3KS4F4QYD

• Will he actually require a m.2 ssd? I'm not saying its not good but for the same price you can grab him a 1TB ssd rather than a 512. Just a suggestion. Not saying you should do this. :P
  
  
• You should test out mice with him. G502 is a good mouse but not for everyone. There are other mice like the Zowie FK1/2, EC1/2, Deathadder, etc. that fit people better. Finding the right mouse is everything for a gamer. Also, make sure to buy him a good mousepad to go with the mouse. There are a lot out there so a bit of research will be needed lol.
  
  
• Watercooling is nice and all but they go out sooner than later. Multiple builds in the family that have had water cooling go out within a year or two. Cheaper to replace fans than it is water cooling. Really good systems for air cooling that will keep temps down, even at high over-clocks.
  
  
• A gamer is never complete without a gaming headset. https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500-Precision-Over-ear-Headphones/dp/B00ENMK1DW goes on sale every other week for ~56$. Add https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Gaming-Headset-Headphone/dp/B00BJ17WKK/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FNMCF7A6N6YMCZBEK9RD to that and it's the best gaming headset you can buy for under 150$ (ask anyone here). You can go for the slightly better http://www.bestbuy.com/site/sennheiser-audiophile-over-the-ear-headphones-titan/1700513.p?skuId=1700513 but you will need to modify it slightly (easy to do): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_fd3PzoTeY

'Gaming' is just a term companies use to cater to people who play video games (gamers). You don't want to buy from someone like Logitech who makes mice, keyboards, webcams, desktop speakers, 'gaming' headsets, etc.

You want to buy a pair of quality headphones (not headset) from a music company like Audio-Technica (Japan), Sennheiser (Germany), AKG, Grado, Shure, Bower & Wilkins (UK) and so on. These companies (besides maybe Sennheiser) don't really advertise to gamers, so you're kind of stuck in the loop of Logitech, Corsair, HyperX, Creative, etc.

I'm not sure what kind of music you're into, so I can't make any suggestions but I can give you starter things to look into. Check out the suggestion thread over in /r/headphones. Add a standalone mic or a V-Moda Boom Mic.

Philips SHP9500

Audio-Technica ATH-AD900X (also the 700X)

Sennheiser HD598

I have used the following setups within the last year, ranked in order of preference:

1. Sennheiser HD 598 + Antlion ModMic 4.0 - $200 total - Perfect for gaming, positional cues are OP
   
2. Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus + V-MODA BoomPro - $230 total - Love the sound, closed back isn't good for gaming though
   
3. Philips SHP95000 + V-MODA BoomPro - $110 total - Similar to HD 598s in effectiveness, clamping force is much worse though
   
4. Audio Technica ATH-M50x + Antlion ModMic 4.0 - $170 total - Nice monitoring headphones, not the best for gaming

Here's a few options. Depending on where you are in the world some might be more feasible than others. I'm talking from a UK perspective, YMMV.

• Sennheiser HD598 + Antlion ModMic. Can't speak for the quality of the modmic but I own the HD598's and adore them, they're almost unbeatable. The ModMic is essentially a headset mic with velcro pads included so that you can stick it onto pretty much any set of headphones that has space for it.
  
  
• Phillips Fidelio X2 + V-Moda Boompro mic. This is a good option because the Fidelio X2's have a standard 3.5mm port meaning you can plug any 3.5mm mic into it, including the V-Moda Boompro which is essentially a headset mic that can be unplugged (though of much better quality imo). Again, can personally attest to quality as I own both. The X2's are £130 on Amazon rn which is a goddamn goddamn steal in my opinion, but they're better for music than gaming (again, my opinion, it's slightly subjective). They'll still thrash any headset but they don't quite compare to the HD598's for competitive gaming.
  
  
• Speaking of Phillips and 3.5mm ports, a cheaper option than the X2's would be the Philips SHP9500/00. Same benefits as the X2's, but in this case they + the V-Moda Boompro will run you about as much as the X2's alone would. Can't speak for sound quality, haven't tried them, but I hear they're very good.
  
  
• Another option would be the Audio Technica AD700x; from what I have heard this is pretty much the end game for gaming cans. They're legendary, beating out the HD598's by a small margin; small enough that really it's personal preference as to whether you go for these or the Sennheisers. Both will do you proud. Again, an Antlion ModMic would be your best option here, you won't be able to fit a V-Moda Boompro as like with Sennheiser, the AD700x uses a proprietary port.
  
  
• Finally, if you got the cash, you could go for the Audio Technica ATH-ADG1X; essentially Audio Technica have cut out the need for a third party mic by adding their own; it's a headset. The downside to this is that it's expensive for what it is, and you probably leave yourself open to the kinds of issues you'd have with standard headsets (more likely to fail, harder/more expensive to fix if they do). Not really sure how much you'd have to worry about this since it's genuine quality; not the £15 of components stuffed into a £100 headset that passes for "gaming headsets" these days. TimTheTatMan uses one of these on Twitch if I'm not mistaken.
  
  So that's what I recommend. Any option you pick here will theoretically last you a great many years, if not a lifetime, and will outperform any gaming headset. This is because manufacturers of these headsets will spend a tiny amount of cash on the components and a large amount of cash on marketing them, meaning when you buy a gaming headset you're really paying for them to sell it to you. Stuff like I've listed above is all word of mouth; passes the savings onto the consumer who gets a quality product at a good price.
  They're all open backed, meaning they leak sound out and allow outside sound in; the benefit of this is that you get a wider soundstage, which in regard to gaming essentially means better 3D positioning. You can pick out things like footsteps and locate where they're coming from with a great degree of ease.
  
  HD598: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-HD-598SR-Over-Ear-Headphone-Black/dp/B06WLGRYSF/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1521973971&sr=1-1&keywords=HD+598
  
  Fidelio X2: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-X2-Headphones-Over-Ear-Cushions-Black/dp/B00MRUPSHQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521974003&sr=8-1&keywords=Fidelio+x2
  
  Phillips SHP9500/00: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-SHP9500-00-Headphone/dp/B00ENMK1DW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521974021&sr=8-1&keywords=shp9500
  
  Audio Technica AD700X: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audio-Technica-ATH-AD700X-backed-Hi-Fi-headphones/dp/B009S332TQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1521974053&sr=8-1&keywords=ad700x
  
  Audio Technica ADG1X: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audio-Technica-ATH-ADG1X-High-Fidelity-Open-Air-Headset/dp/B01AYZZP5U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521973470&sr=8-1&keywords=audio+technica+headset
  
  V-Moda Boompro: https://www.amazon.co.uk/V-MODA-BoomPro-Microphone-Gaming-Communication/dp/B00BJ17WKK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521974126&sr=8-1&keywords=v-moda+boompro
  
  Antlion ModMic: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Antlion-Audio-ModMic-Attachable-Microphone-Uni-Directional-Muteless/dp/B00R98O6R4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1521974091&sr=8-2&keywords=antlion+modmic

HE4XX

HD58X

shp9500

It is incredibly easy to upgrade. Just buy this (unfortunately you just missed it for $70): http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Portable-External-Storage-STDR2000100/dp/B00FRHTSK4

And follow these steps: http://imgur.com/a/JF5jA

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Portable-External-Storage-STDR2000100/dp/B00FRHTSK4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1451381952&sr=1-1&keywords=seagate+backup+plus

just remove it from the external casing, have this one in my ps4 as well.

Obligatory Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB. It's the brand of Samsung Stock HDD already found in PS4 with higher capacity.

I personally got the Samsung Momentus Spinpoint 2TB which works like a dream for me. No beeping issues others have said from the Backup Plus.

What others have said here is correct, you can't power your Micca's with a subwoofer, but that doesn't mean that you can't get everything working for $200.

Amplifier: SMSL SA50 $69

Subwoofer: Dayton Audio SUB-1000 $129

You'll need to run speaker wire from the amp to the high level inputs of the subwoofer, and then wire from the high level outputs on the subwoofer to the Micca's. Inputs on the amplifier are RCA, but you can use a cheap 3.5mm to RCA cable if you want to run the setup off of something such as you phone or laptop that doesn't have RCA outputs.

EDIT: The r/audiophile purchase help thread or r/budgetaudiophile might have some other options for you to consider as well

If you aren't turned off by your bad experience with the Ai40s, I am using the Fluance signature series bookshelf speakers with an SMSL AD-18 amp. There is no noticeable hiss. I use it for my turntable, pc and tv all with good results. If you only want to use it for your turntable I have heard good things about the SMSL SA50 as a basic amp.

​

Fluance Signature Series

​

SMSL AD-18

​

SMSL AD50

Probably the $72 Orb Audio Mini T or the $68 SMSL SA50. I read reviews on the Lepy amps on amazon and they seem not-so-good even though it's a tempting $40. So I'm looking in the ~$70 range. Leaning towards the orb audio since it has a 3.5mm for convenience sake (and a subwoofer connecter, idk if that's useful for miccas).

Cual es tu presupuesto mas o menos? (en dolares)

Estos son muy buenos por ejemplo.

I hate the suction cup feeling too, I ended up getting a philips SHP9500 after reading a bunch about it on reddit a year ago. Its not a good solution if you are worried about other people hearing what you are listening to as they can be heard across a bedroom fairly easy, by design of course, with little holes in the pieces that cover the ear. This also means you can hear your surroundings too, works great for me as I can talk to people IRL while wearing them.

The pads are soft and the headband is on the looser side so it won't squeeze your skull. I do find that sometimes I don't hear sounds from far away in games like distant footsteps as good as the traditional suction cup feeling earphones but its worth the trade off for me because my ears don't hurt even after a full day of gaming, in 20 years of wearing headphones I haven't had a more comfortable set.

It doesn't come with a mic, I just use a $10 desk mic I've had for 2 years and am going to get a moda mic that just plugs into the headset cord eventually.

https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500S-Precision-Over-ear-Headphones/dp/B00ENMK1DW These are my go to when listening to albums stoned/tripping. Not too expensive either compared to other studio headphones!

This is about as good as you can get for under $100. Warning: it’s big and might be loose if you have a small head. It’s also open-back, so it doesn’t block out outside sound.
https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500S-Precision-Over-ear-Headphones/dp/B00ENMK1DW.

You can pair it with this.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BJ17WKK/ref=pd_aw_lpo_23_lp_img_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=R2PXH050N0CWCBQQ9SAD.

This has been my setup for close to two years on Xbox, so I’m not sure how it would translate to PS4. I use the Dolby Atmos app, but idk what the PS4 alternative is.

Probably a u turn with a phono preamp and a good set of active speakers. If you want passive speakers get this for an amp. http://www.amazon.com/SMSL-TDA7492-Integrated-Tripath-Amplifier/dp/B00F0H8TOC/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1427739491&sr=8-7&keywords=speaker+amp

You could pick up a little T amp. I have this one but there are cheaper options available. That only has two outputs and just a knob for volume control. Itd be good for testing them out and music for parties, etc but not realistic for TV watching since you'd have to get up to change the volume.

Everyone is going to tell you to get a receiver. Youre at the opportunity where you can dive into the home theater world and, if you have the funds, you won't regret it.

This is the HDD most people use

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Portable-External-Storage-STDR2000100/dp/B00FRHTSK4?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

For school and gaming in this price range I would advise you to check this laptop

laptop name | Acer Aspire E 15
--- |----
CPU | Quad core 8th Gen I5-8250U
GPU | MX 150
Screen "| 15.6"" FHD IPS"
Ram | 8 GB
SSD | 256 GB
HDD | 0
Weight | 5.27 Lbs.
Battery life | 8 Hrs.
Pros | One of the best bang for the money in the market.
Pros | The Mx 150 should be enough for CAD work and light to medeum gaming.
Pros | Great battery life .
Cons | The chassis is all plastic .
Cons | The screen is a little dim .
Cons | It's a little on the heavier side .

Qucik 5 second search from the first page of amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-i5575-A217SLV-PUS-Inspiron-5575-LED-Backlit/dp/B07BPPS7CK/ref=sr_1_8?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1542865819&sr=1-8&keywords=2500u

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-i5-8250U-GeForce-E5-576G-5762/dp/B075FLBJV7/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1542865842&sr=1-1&keywords=mx150

Cheapest results for each. You're wrong. idk why you insist on arguing with me on this.

I use this one and it works really really well for me

Firstly, the Vostro is the best of the laptops you showed here. Unfortunately none of these laptops will really play Bethesda RPGs in your desired settings unless they are like 10 years old titles. You need a dedicated video card for more recent titles, not the most expensive one, but still...

So this is what I was able to find: noteb search. Unfortunately for UK, the prices are more or less estimates and they can be off by about 100-150 quid.

So I started searching from these results and this is what I found on Amazon and the site you linked:

https://www.cclonline.com/product/244342/NX-GS3EK-001/Laptops/Acer-Aspire-5-A515-51G-574F-15-6-inch-Notebook-Core-i5-7200U-2-5GHz-8GB-1TB-128GB-SSD-WLAN-Webcam-Windows-10-Home-GeForce-MX150-2GB-/NOT04672/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-Aspire-NVIDIA-Windows-E5-576G-5762/dp/B075FLBJV7/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1521484093

Now mind you, none of these laptops are really made to last, maybe the Aspire 5 will be better in this regard but not by much. Don't get me wrong, I know people with Acer Aspire that had them for 3 years plus without a problem. It's more of a gamble. But you get 2 years warranty in UK, so at least it will last 2 years no matter what you get, plus if it doesn't live up to expectations you have 30 days to return it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B075FLBJV7/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1524226124&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=aspire+e

Something like this is going to be solid, and it's only $600.

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-i5-8250U-GeForce-E5-576G-5762/dp/B075FLBJV7/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=3PYCCX32WHLHA&keywords=laptop&qid=1551220352&refinements=p_n_feature_seven_browse-bin%3A3012497011&rnid=3012494011&s=pc&sprefix=la&sr=1-1

This laptop regularly goes on sale for 499. Keep an eye on it or setup an alert for a price drop

Not exactly a top tier gaming laptop but incredible value.
https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-E5-575G-53VG-Laptop-Windows/dp/B01DT4A2R4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1479954435&sr=1-1&keywords=acer+aspire+e+15+e5-575

TBH if you wanted to buy a laptop for FM you should of asked like a week ago, when Black Friday and Cyber Monday were going on (If you live in the states that is). If not wait for Christmas to get a bit closer and there will probably be some good deals.

You should minimally look for a laptop with at least a hard drive (Storage size is up to you) at 7200 rpm, or an SSD. An I5 processor that can run higher than 2.6 ghz, and at least 4 gb. I don't think graphics are really that intensive in the game, but having a dedicated graphics card would help.

[549.99, but no dedicated graphics] (https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-F556UA-AB54-Intel-Windows-Laptop/dp/B01M08DL26/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1480721464&sr=1-4&keywords=laptops+on+sale&refinements=p_n_feature_four_browse-bin%3A2289793011%2Cp_n_graphics_type_browse-bin%3A14292273011%2Cp_n_feature_fourteen_browse-bin%3A2057441011)

499.99, but weaker processor

659.99 looks like a very solid laptop, but no reviews on it

I use this and haven't had any issues. It comes with Bluetooth too.

i have two of these and they're amazing:

http://amzn.com/B00HF8K0O6

(Gigabyte Bluetooth 4.0/802.11ac WiFi PCIe x1 Card GC-WB867D-I)

So far the Bose Sound True II for apple seems pretty good. Too bad the deal wasn't for the android variant of it :( https://www.amazon.com/Bose-SoundTrue-around-ear-headphones-II/dp/B0117RFX38/

Don't think Im taking a chance on those bose earbuds. All the reviews rip it's Build Quality apart. I mean IEM's are mostly plastic but how do you make it that bad lol.


Sennheiser 598's SE are back on sale for 110$ 10$more than the lowest. Pretty good if you want open back. https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-598-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B0126HISOO/

Pink Cloud II's for 75$ is pretty good. One of the best gaming headsets for your money. https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-PS4/dp/B00Y09G6H8/

Beyer Custom Street?!?! what are these? Bassier versions of the custom ones? Now even sure if it's a deal at 99$ https://www.amazon.com/beyerdynamic-Custom-Street-Headphones-Black/dp/B00UK7ZQXO/

Other than the usual cheap ass wood earbuds and shitty gamer headphones this sale seems kinda sad :(

So far pretty good for entry level stuff but that's the "amazon" usual so it seems with every big sale.


edit: So in 2 hours this is supposed to drop in price, anyone hear anything good about these? I might bite to try them out as I'm currently using shit for iems. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OQG7IC2/
--

8AM PST these are going to drop in price, I know they are very popular :P https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001B1QENY/ DT880 250 Ohm O.o
--

832AM Brainwavs hybrid pads are lined up for sale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZGGG3KY/

Okay, perfect! I would recommend you get this Acer Aspire E5-575G-53VG lapotp . It has a nice i5 processor, 8 GB RAM, a fast 256 GB SSD and a Geforce 940 mx dedicated graphics card. This laptop will the latest digital paint tools and run much more than single player games very well. Very importantly, this laptop has a wonderful battery life. Acer advertises 12 hours, but expect to get around 10 hours in average tasks..this is still excellent!

I bought this computer about 2 months ago and it can run CSGO consistently above 90 fps. It can even run BF1 at 60-70 fps (with some tweaks). Its an awesome computer and really fast thanks to the SSD and its only $550! highly recommend if you already have a good desktop and want something to game on the go!

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-NVIDIA-Windows-E5-575G-53VG/dp/B01DT4A2R4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1472918371&sr=1-1&keywords=acer+aspire+e15

I'll recommend the three pairs of headphones that I use on a regular basis. I know you asked for over-ear, but even as an over-ear guy myself I've still gotten a lot of utility from all three of them, so they're all certainly worth considering.

--

MEE Audio Sport-fi M6P- These are my daily workhorse earbuds. I wear them a good 6 hours a day, and they stay fairly comfortable throughout; they wrap around the ear and fit quite nicely. Includes an on-cord volume adjustment, microphone, and pause/play button, if that matters to you. They run around $19, and they're far and away the best headphones I've ever used in this price range.

--

Sony MDR-V6- These were my first step into the world of "real" headphones. They've been industry standard studio monitors since the 80s, and for good reason. Sound is clean and crisp, with a fairly balanced sound signature and particularly good mids (seeing as classical music isn't particularly "bass heavy" having mids as a strong point is ideal; you definitely wouldn't want a bass-head pair of cans). They're foldable, and so I find them rather portable. They're over-ear and closed-back so they're not going to bleed sound all over the place, but they don't have the best isolation so if your daily traffic is particularly noisy (e.g.: downtown of large city or louder) that might be a bit of an issue for you, but if you're in areas a bit more quiet (e.g.: office, cafe, smaller city) they'll do you fine. They're not the most fashionable things and they also have a coiled cable, neither of which bother me but could be an issue for some. They run about $80, and if you're coming from cheap gas station quality headphones these will probably knock your socks off.

Sennheiser HD 598- Of the three, these are the best. Amazingly warm and rounded, with a spacious, open, and detailed sound. They have really good instrument separation as well, which obviously lend themselves quite well to listening to classical music. Extraordinarily comfy for an indefinite period of time. However, these are my "home" headphones, as they are open back and provide absolutely no isolation whatsoever- I can hold a conversation perfectly well with someone with these on and my volume at 70%, so they'd be utterly useless in any public space. The open back provides an excellent soundstage, but that's the price you pay. Speaking of price, they run at around $150, but they go on sale with some frequency for $99.

--

I personally would recommend getting the earbuds and the 598s, with one being an out and about pair and one for being a home pair. That's what I usually roll about with, and between the two of them I don't really use the V6s anymore as a consequence. That being said, if you're only going to buy one pair as your be all end all, the V6 is a great purchase- I used them exclusively for 4 years and was never disappointed. If these don't float your boat though, I'd recommend hopping over to /r/headphones or www.head-fi.org and see what they have to say- they're both extraordinarily helpful communities with huge and knowledgeable user bases.

>But there's no point getting gsync anymore now that Nvidia supports freesync

that's not entirely accurate. The vast majority of freesync displays only sync in a relatively narrow band of refresh rates--some as narrow as 48hz-75hz. Gsync has no such limitation. Further, AMD is already moving on to a "freesync 2" standard that requires similar levels of certification to what NVIDIA requires for gsync, with commensurate costs.

edit:
here are some examples:
https://smile.amazon.com/27-inch-FreeSync-Response-DisplayPort-MG279Q/dp/B00ZOO348C
144hz ips freesync display, quite high end, but the freesync functionality only works at ranges of 35hz to 90hz. I would be a bit salty if I bought a monitor with frame synching technology that didn't actually work near the monitor's maximum refresh rate, personally.

Compare with a gsync competitor:
https://smile.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-XB271HU-2560x1440-Display/dp/B0173PEX20
Gsync will work on that monitor from arbitrarily low values up to 165hz (you can overclock the monitor to 165hz--I know because I have one and do so).

It this guy, and it's really nice.

Yes this is a beast of a PC, if you have the money you might as well go for a 4TB drive.

Go at least for a 1440p high refresh rate monitor with the 1080, everything less is a waste of a perfectly fine graphics card.

I recently recommended this monitor for the 1080 if you can afford it, it would be a great match.

Specs:

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | $204.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard | ASRock H110M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard | $67.99 @ Amazon
Memory | Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory | $68.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Hitachi Ultrastar A7K3000 2TB 64MB Cache 7200RPM SATA III (6.0Gb/s) | $53.88 @ Amazon
Storage | KingDian 120GB With 128M Cache Internal Solid State Drive|$36.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | PNY GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB Video Card | $249.99 @ Amazon
Case | Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case | $42.00 @ Amazon
Power Supply | EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $37.48 @ Amazon
Monitor | LG 25UM58-P 25.0" 75Hz Monitor | $181.81 @ Amazon
Keyboard & Mouse | IXCC-LED Illuminated Water-Resistant Gaming Keyboard | $22.99 @ Amazon
Mouse pad | Spigen Gaming Mouse Pad | $7.99 @ Amazon
| PC Sub Total | $762.31
| Monitor & Peripherals Sub Total | $212.79
| Total Build Cost | $975.10

That motherboard doesn't have a wifi adapter. You'll need to get a separate one like this one or a cheap USB one

Here is a PCIe card using Intel's AC 7260 card. It includes Bluetooth 4.0 as well so that's a plus. I have the AC 7260 running in my laptop and it's been flawless throughout the past year of continuous use. Right now it's rather expensive on Amazon. It was around $30 a month ago

Amazon

Newegg

Price Checker

Pushing the budget a bit but this seems good and up to date with times

> The end of dx9 support was almost arriving, and just a few days before that my pc had to be repaired, and its now even worst than it was. One thing led to another, and so on.

The revamp of the graphics engine and introduction of Lighting 2.0 has raised the minimum requirements of the game, but that is not surprising. However, the requirements to play the game is still relatively low; especially when Lighting 2.0 is disabled. An inexpensive modern laptop like the following Acer with a Core i3-7100u CPU and integrated Intel HD 620 graphics core will not have any problems running the game at 1080p with Lighting 2.0 disabled and a mix of low and medium graphic settings... as long as you install another stick of 4GB of DDR4 RAM for a total of 8GB of RAM.

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-E5-575-33BM-15-6-Inch-Notebook-Generation/dp/B01K1IO3QW/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1519403276&sr=1-2&keywords=i3-7100u

You can't expect too much from an 8 year old laptop when it comes to games.


> Besides new ships and missions is there a drastic change on gameplay, or what was considered good equipment? I still remember the whole beam boat rule of the same energy type with that terran rep beam, don't know if that is still the case.

Yes, there was some changes to combat mechanics. It only really nerfed high DPS'ers in the game. Some "normal" players commented that the changes seems to slightly improve their ship performance. The biggest hit was to the "plasma exploder" fleet consoles which got nerfed to the ground and are basically considered worthless now. The Plasmonic Leech took a hit; it can now only provide up to 7.5 power per subsystem. In the past with very, very high drain skills it can provide over 30 power per subsystem and most people basically agreed that it was overpowered.

Firing cycles for energy weapons have been standardize. All energy weapons have a 5 second firing cycle which include firing and recharging. Beams fire for 4 seconds and recharges for 1 second; 4/1 firing cycle. Dual cannons and turrets have a 3/2 firing cycle. Dual heavy cannons have a 2/3 firing cycle and have finally been updated to have a default +10% critical severity.
The drop-off damage of cannon weapons have been lessened so that they now do a little more damage at longer range.

> I remember the economy being a mess because of the infinity lockboxes, is there any cheap t6 ships on the exchange that weren't before?

Yeah, there are "cheap" T6 ships available on the Exchange. A few are as low as 70 million EC, but those are the unpopular ones. Most lockbox ships generally settle between 250 million EC to 350 million EC. Prices of other lockbox "stuff" has also decreased as well. Overall, a lot of players have benefited from the release of the Infinity Locboxes.

> Also dil rate, which was over 400 at the time iirc. I saw it today on somewhere around 280 i think, how was the evolution so far, was it even lower and its going up or is it declining?

It is pretty stable at 280:1 to 300:1 nowadays. This is mostly thanks to the Phoenix Prize Packs which are purchased using refined Dil. It offers a chance (however slim) for players to obtain ships and other things that they may have missed. For those players who have everything they want, there are the Phoenix Upgrade Kits which are pretty popular to upgrade gear with.

https://sto.gamepedia.com/Phoenix_Prize_Pack

During the first few hours when a Phoenix Prize Pack Event begins the exchange rate can dip below 260:1 before floating back to around 270:1 to 280:1. It is an overall benefit to F2P players, but I am sure players who uses Zen to purchase Dil prefers a higher exchange rate.

---------------------------------------------------


The most recent mechanic change is Re-Engineering which allows you to change the modifier of many, but not all gear... at least not yet. It is a new system that still needs to be fleshed out. It is yet another Dil sink and you also need a new currency called salvage to roll the dice in order to change mods on some gear; the interface is actually similar to a slot machine (which I am sure was intentional tongue in cheek humor). It is now pretty easy to get a weapon with [CrtD]x4 [Pen] now... as long as the weapon already has [Pen] which can only obtain when a weapon is crafted.

On person mentioned that he was able to sell epic weapons with [CrtD]x4 [Pen] on the Exchange for 60 million EC. Now that has dropped to 30 million EC and I suspect prices can drop a little more in the future as more and more players play around with re-engineering.

https://www.arcgames.com/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10764734-introducing%3A-re-engineering!

it would be best to spend a few more bucks and get this nice Acer Aspire E 15 which houses a nice i5 cpu, 8gb ram a decent 940mx gpu and a fast 256gb ssd storage.

You wont be able to play AND record. I have this which plays it well but it will not record at the same time.

I have this computer and it runs every game smoothly that I've tried playing on it so far. I haven't tried anything as graphics intensive as AC: Syndicate, but it runs Stardew Valley, Portal 2, Don't Starve Together, Civilization V, Tropico 4, and the Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ to name a few.

If you could save up more [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-E5-575G-53VG-15-6-Inch-Windows/dp/B01DT4A2R4/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1486268718&sr=1-3&keywords=Gaming+laptops) would be an excellent choice, at your price range you don't leave many options for a dedicated graphics card. If you built a desktop you would have a much better time.

This is the one I have if so. I love it! :D

Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575G-53VG Laptop, 15.6 Full HD (Intel Core i5, NVIDIA 940MX, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, Windows 10) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DT4A2R4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_kmrVAb8SS17T4

If you want to entry level gaming heres a suggestion (940MX, i5, 8GB , 250GB SSD), you will need to lower game resolution or graphic settings:

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-NVIDIA-Windows-E5-575G-53VG/dp/B01DT4A2R4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1474085598&sr=1-1&keywords=acer+940mx

940MX benchmarks (Scroll down to game benchmark sections): http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-940MX.156033.0.html

I use this when traveling:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DT4A2R4/ref=psdc_13896615011_t1_B012IBOCRU

If I lost it, it would be depressing, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. It's powerful enough for Adobe Photoshop / Indesign and the other tools I use.

• Mouse - Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum. Good weight and decent button placement.
  
• Keyboard - IBM Model M 1391401. Buckling spring keyboards are great!
  
• Headphones - Sennheiser HD598. Open back gives a huge soundstage for gaming. Amazing headphones.
  
• Microphone - Samson Meteor. Very accurate microphone that is very sensitive, so be careful what you say on the other side of the house. If the mic is open everyone will hear. In Discord you can adjust the sensitivity so that it is only open when you speak and that works quite well.

a better deal: https://www.amazon.ca/EVGA-WHITE-Warranty-Supply-100-W1-0500-KR/dp/B00H33SFJU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482520396&sr=8-1&keywords=psu

Oooh I like this build. I was looking for a wifi-enabled motherboard for cheaper for you. No dice. Consider downgrading the motherboard and using a PCIe or USB wifi adapter.

Your PSU is overpowered. A 500W will do just fine. Consider downgrading this part unless you intend to buy a second GPU and pop those in SLI in the future. That is actually an option for you.

RAM is still overpriced and word is this will continue to about January. Consider buying one stick of 8GB now and a second stick later on if you need the speed. One thing to absolutely note here is that you have 3000MHz RAM in your list, but the board only officially supports 2666. Please be careful with your RAM. I would buy some cheapo RAM, just one stick of 8GB 2666 and another around January when the prices drop. This will move your bottleneck to the RAM... but that should be the case today based on today's prices.

This build is missing storage, do you have your own? That motherboard supports NVMe storage and should probably be filled at some point in it's lifespan to get the most out of that motherboard

Insofar as the case is concerned... it's white. White works well with white parts... but you have other colors there, too. Consider a black case so that the motherboard doesn't stick out like a sore thumb in there with orange heat blocks and lettering. Or find a motherboard with white heatsinks (they exist) and grab some white RAM.

You mean like a PCIe adapter? I recently purchased this via Amazon as I was converting my older PC as a HTPC, and needed wifi+BT. I was considering this one as well. Mind you for wifi only, you could probably get something cheaper.

Finally, if you haven't completed your build yet, consider a motherboard with built-in wifi. Depending on the models, you could save some money; it also liberates a PCIe slot.

You could also get USB dongles, but those usually don't perform as well (or so I heard).

This card is frequently recommended

Hey man I got this one and its cheap on amazon! You may wanna take a look at it and it comes with bluetooth.

https://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-GC-WB867D-I-Bluetooth-Adapter-Computer/dp/B00HF8K0O6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1466694098&sr=8-2&keywords=gigabyte+wifi+card

There is the new Acer Predator model, if it falls within your budget.

https://www.amazon.in/Acer-Predator-XB271HU-2560X1440-Monitor/dp/B0173PEX20

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-E5-575G-53VG-Laptop-Windows/dp/B01DT4A2R4

https://www.amazon.ca/Acer-Aspire-NVIDIA-Windows-E5-575G-53VG/dp/B01DT4A2R4

943.07 *1.15 (Quebec tax) = 1084.53$ CAN
818.54$ US

FML, yeah they are pretty lucky.

GTA V on that budget really isn't very feasible. The best you can do is the AMD APU in this Asus X555DA. Don't get me wrong, it's a really good deal with a 1080p display for $399, but you aren't going to get to GTA playability with it.

Take a look at this list to see what is available at what prices and compare.

Specifically, look to the Acer Aspire E15-574G for $479. That would get you an i5-6200U, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, Nvidia GT 940M graphics, and a 15.6" 1920x1080 display.

However, if at all possible, I would urge you to get the extra $150 to get this Acer Aspire E15-575G for $549.

That would get you a more powerful GPU, and a 256GB SSD. Well worth the extra money. Not to mention it advertises 12 hour battery life.

I was looking at an ultrabook for university, but they are all too expensive, so I instead decided to look for general use laptops with decent specs.

I looked through /r/SuggestALaptop and found a laptop with great specs for 549USD. I was able to find the exact same model on amazon.ca, and it's only 610 CAD for i5-6200u, 1080p display, and a 940MX. The only problem is, it's from a brand new seller and has a $6 shipping fee for some weird reason.

https://www.amazon.ca/Acer-Aspire-NVIDIA-Windows-E5-575G-53VG/dp/B01DT4A2R4/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1469381270&sr=1-1&keywords=E5-575G-53VG

Does this seem like a legit deal (how would this work with warranty and would amazon protect me if it turned out to be a scam), and if not, does anyone have a good recommendation for a laptop with roughly the same specs?

Crap ton for $113 on Amazon for those lucky enough to not pay taxes (or $122 if you do)

Just hijacking this comment to include the link to the amazon page: https://www.amazon.ca/Acer-Predator-NVIDIA-Widescreen-Display/dp/B0173PEX20/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1518892332&sr=8-3&keywords=acer+predator&dpID=41LRxNywlpL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Why not both?

Acer Predator XB271HU bmiprz 27" WQHD (2560x1440) NVIDIA G-SYNC IPS Display, (Display Port & HDMI Port, 144Hz) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0173PEX20/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_a4Lxzb4J2G818

XB271HU

PG279Q

I personally have XB271HU, it's amazing going from a shitty 60hz 15.6 inch laptop display. They're very, very expensive, but if you want the premium top of the line, these are the ones. They basically have identical specs, it just comes down to which company you like more.

Yeah i'm using the XB271HU.

Most of the monitors here are free sync and I would say have good implementations however I will include a Gsync category.

​

I would not recommend 4k for the 2080. It would be able to run games around 60 fps at 4k however refresh rate will make things more enjoyable. Also, 4k high refresh rate monitors are currently very expensive.

​

Good value companies to look at:

Viotek

Pixio (Did not list since availability issues but worth looking at)

Nixeus

​

More established companies to look at:

Acer

Asus

Samsung

LG

Gigabyte (They have one monitor on the market)

​

​

TL;DR of VA vs IPS

IPS has slightly better viewing angles than VA.

IPS has slightly better colors VA.

IPS has better response time than VA.

However, VA does not have defects like IPS glow and much better contrast, so much better blacks and such.

​

TL;DR of TN vs IPS

IPS has much better viewing angles than TN. TN will color shift if looked at straight on.

IPS has much better colors than TN.

TN has the best response rate.

TN is basically worse in every way than VA and IPS except for response time.

​

​

27"

Nixeus EDG 27" (NX-EDG27S v2) : $399.99

Here is one of the best value 1440p, 144hz, IPS monitors

https://www.amazon.com/Nixeus-FreeSync-Certified-Monitor-NX-EDG27S/dp/B07N4DL9F7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32PU0K3VQCQXR&keywords=nixeus+edg27&qid=1555093535&s=electronics&sprefix=nexius+e%2Celectronics%2C126&sr=1-1

Aorus AD27QD 27": $595.33

Arguably one of the best 1440p, 144hz IPS monitor:

https://www.amazon.com/FreeSync-Monitor-Exclusive-2560x1440-Response/dp/B07MVX3PKS

VIOTEK GN27DB 27": $329.99

A good value VA panel by Viotek

https://www.amazon.com/27-Inch-Monitor-Samsung-FreeSync-GamePlus/dp/B078P57ZWL/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=viotek&qid=1555094420&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Samsung CHG70 27-inch: $499.99

A good quality Samsung monitor however I would say it is overpriced, uses a VA panel

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XSQ5QN8/ref=emc_b_5_t

Dell S-Series 27" (S2719DGF): $368.75

A good cheap TN panel usually can be found around $300 on sale

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-27-Inch-LED-Lit-Monitor-S2719DGF/dp/B00N2L5CXO

AOC Agon AG271QX 27" : $390.00

An alternative to the dell.

https://www.amazon.com/AOC-AG271QX-2560x1440-Adjustable-DisplayPort/dp/B01G5JYN0C

​

​

32"

LG 32GK650F-B 32": $408.98

This is the LG monitor I would recommend over the one this post has

https://www.amazon.com/LG-32GK650F-B-Monitor-FreeSync-Technology/dp/B07FLGR2PN

BenQ EX3203R 32": $537.99

Here is an alternative Benq monitor

https://www.amazon.com/BenQ-EX3203R-FreeSync2-Brightness-Intelligence/dp/B07DPVRZXG

The two 32" monitors are also VA panels.

​

​

34"

MSI Non-Glare UltraWide 21:9 Screen 34": $419.99 also there is a $20 MIR.

Here is an MSI ultrawide (21:9) 1440p inside your price range

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824475018

Currently on sale on Newegg, however, remember Newegg has a terrible dead pixel policy.

Instead, I would buy it from B&H even though it is a little more expensive: $449.99

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1443762-REG/msi_optixmag341cq_34_curved_21_9_lcd.html

Acer ED347CKR bmidphzx 34" 21:9: $499.99

Here is an alternative ultrawide in case you don't want the MSI one

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1415643-REG/acer_um_ce7aa_001_ed347ckr_34_va_curved.html

Both of the ultrawide monitors I have listed are VA panels.

VIOTEK GN35DR 35" 21:9: $449.99

Another ultrawide alternative by Viotek

https://www.amazon.com/VIOTEK-GN35DR-35-Inch-Ultrawide-Monitor/dp/B07L9GL6WH/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=viotek&qid=1555094420&s=gateway&sr=8-4

​

​

Gsync monitors (Would not recommend since you are paying extra for gsync without any apparent benefits anymore since free sync now works with Nvidia GPUs)

Dell Gaming S2716DGR 27.0" : $446.00

Can be found on sale around $350 mark. This is a TN panel

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Gaming-S2716DGR-LED-Lit-Monitor/dp/B0149QBOF0

Acer Predator XB271HU bmiprz 27" : $599.99

The old goto monitor before free sync became compatible with Nvidia gpus.

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-XB271HU-2560x1440-Display/dp/B0173PEX20

ASUS ROG PG279Q 27" : $699.00

The other goto monitor before free sync became compatible with Nvidia gpus.

https://www.amazon.com/PG279Q-DisplayPort-Adjustable-Ergonomic-EyeCare/dp/B017EVR2VM

I'd say this laptop, the Acer Aspire E 15 15.6" (E5-576G-5762)


https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-i5-8250U-GeForce-E5-576G-5762/dp/B075FLBJV7/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=acer+aspire+e15&qid=1564204847&s=gateway&sr=8-4

​

8GB Ram Memory
Nivida GeForce MX150 Graphics card
8th Gen i5-8250U Intel Processor
Full HD 15.6 screen (1080p)
256GB SSD Storage

• Screen Protector. I suggest a tempered glass screen protector
  
• SD Card. Dpending on how committed you are to digital vs. physical, a 64gb or 128gb should hold you over. Wait for them to go on sale, they go on sale pretty often.
  
• Carrying case. I recommend the ButterFox carrying cases, they come in different sizes so pick one that suits you.
  
• A stand. By stand I mean something that will hold your Switch and provide access to the USB port for charging. Some recommend the Hori play stand, for me that's a bit too bulky and went with one meant for cellphones, works wonders.
  
• Portable battery pack, look for ones with at least 2.1A output to sustain gameplay when charging.
  
• Pro controller, it's essential on most games, literally night and day from the joy cons. I suggest getting the Xenoblade version because it has an updated D-Pad that the original has.
  
• Another dock, theres a lot of controversy here. There are 3rd party options out there they have been noted as dangerous to your Switch and may brick it and render it useless. From my experience, I've had great success with the Nyko dock and the Best Buy Insignia dock, use these at your own risk. You could play it safe and buy another official Nintendo dock. it's not as cheap however.
  
  Links for all the items I got for your reference:
  Screen Protector
  Memory Card
  Case
  Stand
  Battery Pack
  Pro Controller
  Nyko Dock
  
  

The Samsung EVO Select (white and green) have been solid so far in dash cameras and are a good value.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XWZWYVP/ref=twister_B071R715MZ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

That sounds like a complicated solution (e.g. prone to failure) for a simple problem. The simplest solution would simply be to inform whoever is managing the laptops that they must be online on a schedule for backups and failure to adhere to that could result in data loss. The next easiest would be to add a backup drive to each laptop. Low profile thumb drives, SSD cards, etc. Are all inexpensive. Lastly, adding some sort of NAS device that they could connect to locally if needed would still be simpler than some sort of Silicon Valley storage solution.

Edit:
https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Ultra-128GB-Flash-Drive/dp/B01BGTG2A0/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?keywords=low+profile+thumb+drive&qid=1558803321&s=gateway&sprefix=low+profile+thumb+drive&sr=8-8

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-MicroSD-Adapter-MB-ME128GA-AM/dp/B06XWZWYVP/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=ssd+card&qid=1558803377&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Unfortunately, this is not a good deal.

The same card is available for $19.99 at Amazon, and a similar card is available for $17.87 at Amazon.

Great price at Amazon right now: Samsung 128GB 100MB/s (U3) MicroSD EVO Select Memory Card with Adapter (MB-ME128GA/AM) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XWZWYVP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_80nNBb82K6WPJ

It's one of those laptops specced to sound good in advertising so I can see why you might link it, but really it isn't very good for this price.

"i7" 7500U is a rather miniscule improvement over an "i5" 7200U, and it's wildly beaten by an "i5" 8250U or "i5" 7300HQ. 12GB RAM is higher than average, but it only takes a $40 part to upgrade most laptops from 8GB to 12GB, and you might not need to. This is why it's important not to shop by the "Core i-number" sticker and the amount of RAM.

There isn't any indication whether the laptop uses an acceptable IPS panel or a low-quality-TN type panel. This is one of the most noticeable differences. Companies will put low quality displays even in higher priced laptops, and bank on buyers not knowing to check or to expect more for their money. http://imgur.com/Sajajqc.jpg

The GPU is only a 940MX, when you can get the doubly-powerful NVIDIA MX150 for the price.

These would be better: