Beats Flex Earphones: Better Than Your Average Earbuds?

Hey everyone! Here’s an issue I deal with constantly, tangled headphone wires! I think I may have solved it.

I am a regular user of earphones, and was previously a user of products like Coloud, and other cheaper earbuds which all required wired connections. However, (as anyone who use earphones will tell you,) the wires on these earphones constantly get caught on door nobs and dressers, destroying the experience I was so carefully crafting with my music by yanking them out full force and then leaving me unhappy until I could return to jamming out with my favorite tunes or podcast. This exact yanking problem was also why I was a frequent re-purchaser of headphones, or, in some cases, need to attempt to survive with only one earbud working. So,I decided, "enough is enough, I'm going wireless"!!!

However, I didn't want to deep-dive myself into the world of losing my favorite pair of earphones, because they are not connected to any wires at all. I am not a technology wiz, but I know a good sounding pair of headphones and earbuds when I shove them in my head, and these certainly fit the needs (considering easy access, great sounding audio (and clear sounding voices), as well as Bluetooth access that I can easily turn on and off with a simple touch of a button, buttons that are built in for volume control as well as play, pause, and skip buttons). Also, the earbuds themselves also are magnetic, so you don't ever need to worry about them sagging over your shoulder like the normal pair of wired earbuds might.

Beats Flex are designed to fit around your neck similar your standard headphones, but they are slimmer and can fit nicely into your shirt until they are needed for a quick escape from the world or to answer a call. I keep my beats Flex Earphones connected to my phone constantly, so I always have access whatever I'm hoping to listen to, and the batteries on this puppy take only an hour to charge, but last up-to 12 hours. I was reently on a call with someone special, and answered with these headphones connected. I did not experience any interruptions, and I did not experience any damping of the sound quality you might expect from your average wireless headphones, plus my caller couldn't even tell that I was not holding my phone directly against my head while we talked!

Overall, I believe Beats Flex are worth a purchase price (average retail cost is around $69.00 USD) for anyone who wants an easy pair of earbuds to use, and also be discrete. We hope this helps anyone who might be on the fence about going wireless, and if you have anything to say about Beats Flex, feel free to tell us what you think below! Have a great day guys!

Emotiva, at-home with sound!

But I have a(n) Reciever/AVR (Audio/Visual Receiver), why do I need this? What does it do anyway?

Those are great questions and the answer is… well, you don’t need-need it. technically. But you should want it because of two reasons: it works great, and manages heat. I can’t tell you the amount of frustration it brings to be watching a dynamic 4K crispy, 7.2.4 Atmos scene and have the reciever clip because it’s being over-worked. The anxiety of that moment is crushing. Did my investment just blow-up, did a breaker just trip, etc? The good news is, it’s not crazy money to add a solution, in the form of a great quality amplifier.

What an external amp does is simple, really. It provides power to your separate processor. In doing so, it relieves the power demands (or some of) from your Receiver/AVR. The Emotiva XPA/Gen3 comes in many sizes (or channels), consisting of two thru eleven channels, perfect to power your 2 channel stereo system or power/suppliment your 184 channel (haha) home-theater set-up. Most people entering into the strereo or home-theater hobby, (myself included) believe, or once believed, the Reciever/ AVR option is the only, or best option. However, after some time that option can begin to show its weaknesses (by way of both heard and unheard limitations). Now you find yourself at the crossroads of where you are and the next step.

RECEIVER/AVR AND THE DIRTY-LITTLE-SECRET

As great as AVRs are - and I do mean that - AVR manufacturers rarely tell you the whole truth as they generally seem to overpromise and underdeliver in the power department. Not with Emotiva; what they tell you is what you get. Millions of people, right now, are enjoying thier equipment but are truely unaware how much better it could actually sound if the power element was handled somewhere else.

So far, I’ve been tough on the Receiver/AVR, but I do want to give it some props. They have a ton of stuff to do in that little box and we from an audio/visiual stand-point keep asking them for more. HD/4K/8K decoding, 16 channel power, multi-zone channels, and beyond. It’s really no wonder they have so much trouble keeping temperatures cool. As most of us know, heat is the enemy of electronics and most people make things even worse by putting these over-worked magicians inside of unmanaged temperature controlled cabinets. Seriously, measure the temperature of your enclosed cabinet after your movies has had a couple heavy scenes, you’ll be amazed how hot it is (and that it’s still working…but will it next time?).

Even if your not ready today, I know someday you’ll get to the point of considering a better way to handle component separation in your system. In the mean-time enjoy what you have. No matter what you have, it’s a start (and in 2021, whatever you’re working with, it’s likely still pretty fantastic).

VERSATILE AND FUTURE-PROOF?

Which Emotiva amp (or items from their other lines) you need is highly dependant upon what your audio goals are (and the type of system you are operating/powering; 2 channel stereo. ATMOS home-theater, etc.).

The photos we’ve include here are of the XPA-FIVE Gen3 (which we personally own and use in our dedicated home-theater). I’ve owned/used it for about one year and it‘s completely changed the way we experience our entertainment. Aside from assembling basic items, like a projector, processing devices, and of course our beloved 175lbs. 16 inch subwoofer (definitely not a basic item), the inclusion of this amplifier has redefined our enjoyment of the LCR (left, center, and right) front stage. All this and two spare and expandable slots, respectively. We chose this amp specifically because of its ability to future-proof our plans. Because when you have a dedicated home-theater, there are always future plans.

…Here are the specs, directly from the Emotiva website: emotiva.com.

XPA-5

The new XPA-5 is a five-channel audiophile quality power amplifier, and is perfect for powering:

• A superb high-end 5.1 channel system

• The 5 main channels in a 5.1.2. 5.1.4, or 5.1.6 channel Dolby Atmos or DTS-X system

Configuration:
5 x High-Powered Single-Channel Modules
(Two module slots remain available for future expansion)

Power output:
250 watts/channel RMS into 8 Ohms; all channels driven
300 watts/channel RMS into 8 Ohms; two channels driven
 490 watts/channel RMS into 4 Ohms; two channels driven

Just a word of advice, from a new old friend… “Once you start down this road, make sure your partner, significant other, friends, and pretty much anyone else you can imagine (specifically, your neighbors…) are on board”. It only gets more expensive, time-consuming, and LOUDER from here on out. I would definitely recommend this amp and also maybe checking out the Emotiva BasX line, for a more budget friendly alternative (to the more expensive XPA line). As always, there are trade-offs but it may not be a factor to you when you consider the price differences.

As for us, Emotiva was quick to build and ship it; they packaged it great, and even provided a product birth-certicate (signed and dated by the builder). Heck, they even include a spiral-ring-bound printed instruction manual. Who’s sent that out with a product in the last 10 years?

Alright, thanks for reading! I hope you’ve found this informative. Go check out Emotiva.com and tell them collectorlevel sent you (they won’t know who the heck you are talking about… but they will soon)!

Media and equipment is amazing in 2021. Enjoy your collectorlevel .

Photos: All rights reserved to proper owners

Black Widow 4K Blu-ray release day! How great is it?

So, here’s one for you…

Who wears a Black suit (Spoiler…and sometimes White one) and has some Red in her ledger?

Well Natasha of course… but, one way or another, so does the the whole family.

It seems like it was just yesterday when we saw an experimental release strategy (simultanious in-theater and same-day streaming on July 9., 2021) by Marvel Studios and its distributorThe Walt Disney Corp for the Black Widow solo film (and at roughly 60-days between theatrical and home release, it kinda was like yesterday)!

We are physical media fans around here, so having the disc in-hand this quickly is amazing. I’m not sure how they did it, but it’s certainly setting a standard. Looking back, it seems hard to believe there was a day when waiting up-to a year to get any kind of home-release version of media was the norm. We’ve invested alot of time and money into our dedicated home theater, including hard-wired streaming media devices (for ultra-stable and reliable connections) to stay ready. However, for top-shelf experiences, it will always remain true that having the physical disc will be our prefered way to watch.

Don’t get me wrong, considering the global situation over the last 20+ months (give or take), I’m not complaining about the streaming access (not even a little). I really appreciate the ability to have streaming access (and to be able to control the room). Still though, we realize not everyone can do it this way. Some are stuck watching a major release on the same (or smaller) screen they watch videos of kittens on, so they desperately yearn for the safe return of commercial theaters. Despite this, in times like these, we know normal is off the table. In my opinion, studios and distributors should be willing to meet consumers in the middle. What I mean by that, is what I’ve been saying (and continue to say) through-out this whole time; Marvel/Disney+ should follow the WarnerBros/HBOmax release path of getting things out to us, even if that means streaming and being less profitable for the moment. Not everyone can go to a theater right now. In some cities, theaters have become collateral damage, and extended shut-downs now mean permanant closures. Choosing streaming over delaying the release means that studios could have stayed on track with their schedules and we can have the escape from the pandemic (even if it’s just for a few hours and at-home). After-all, isn’t that why we love films, so much… going to unseen places, experiencing adventure, living outside our own heads for a bit? I know, Marvel Studios makes movies for the big screen and I don’t want them to stop (and it’s just as clear that neither do they). But the all or nothing strategy is really not working here, and the news tells us the talent is not happy with the sporatic release plans either. This situation we are all in will improve, but who’s to say the next one won’t be worse or present similar challenges. It would be really dumb for a lesson to not be learned here.

While the Black Widow 4K-disc does suffer from the usual requirement/need to bump up subwoofer channels (and the general lack of more immersive overhead ATMOS effects) like all Disney home-releases, I am still a fan. Back to original question though: How great is this film? More on details in the YouTube channel review but, we really liked what they’ve done over-all. It was a great tale to fill in the gaps of Nat’s story (although I could have used more of her training as flash-backs). No, Taskmaster is not like the comics, but rather exactly what you can expect Marvel Studios would create to subvert your expectations. And props to David Harbour, as the Red Guardian, he really did steal the stage in every scene he was in!

As a collector (in our opinion), you should definately own this film. Whether or not you wait till November (when all the holiday sales start) is the real question; which simply depends on your collectorlevel?

Who’s seen the film? Do you like it, and why?

collectorlevel

Photos: All rights reserved to proper owners

First Movie Out (...since December 2019)! Who's with us?

Well… it almost seemed that way.

Buying tickets online looked the same on the app but, it felt as though I might not have never done it before. How did something become so unfamiliar so quickly? It’s not like we haven’t seen any films for the last 22 months. But really, it wasn’t anything more than the “going out for the experience” part.

It was time though, at least for a couple of us. we were shy three tickets though because not everyone was ready to “don the mask” for 2 hours and 12 minutes (all-the-while lacking drinks and snacks). I know lots of people are “good to go” with carrying on as normal, within the current day parameters, but we all weren’t. So two of us, masks and sanitizer, in-hand, hauled ourselves out to watch “Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings”. For us, having anticipated this one for a while, we found the thought of waiting it out (while doing our best to avoid spoilers) was not posssible. I, for one, typically like to get a couple screenings in before I make judgements, so waiting another 45-days for my first one on Disney+ was hurdle I did not want to endure. In the end, the time seemed right and we went for it.

So how did it go? So far so good… When we arrived, it was much different. There were no groups lingering either leaving or waiting to go in, rather just a few people leaving , heading to their vehicles. As we went inside, no one! The consession stand was open, but no one behind the counter. I imagine, had we headed that way, an attendent would have popped out to scoop up some popcorn or collected a soda for us, but we agreed before hand this trip wouldn’t include either of those. We made our way up the escalator and around the corner to the ticket checker who scanned our QR code and away we went to Theater 14. Once inside, we found our seats and began our own sanitization process. We are super careful to stay as safe and as healthy as anyone can expect. (Besides we were the weirdos you saw wiping down the seats, trays, and cup-holders with anti-bacterial wipes before the global pandemic, so it’s not like we are gonna short-change the other viewers in the theater from the show before the film now). We went super late, and the last day of a 4-day weekend… and just as planned we were the only two in the whole theater, so even better. It was kind of like we were at home (except of course the masks, the pre-clean, and no snacks drinks… so, kinda not like at home at all! So that was it, we laughed, we cried and it was over. Things looked largely the same but it was eerie to have a place, which was once so bustling, be so quiet and sparse of people.

Have you ventured out for a film yet this summer? we’d love to hear from you about your new theater routines and experiences. We hope you’ve found a way to make it work. Where do you see Shang-Chi fitting into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the future?

Check out the full review (coming soon) on the collectorlevel YouTube channel.

Let’s talk again soon, it’s been too long (and since this is the first blog post, never, but who’s counting)! We’ll be here, building up our collectorlevel…

Photos: All rights reserved to proper owners