Ariolander

I noticed this error when creating my thread but didn't think much of it.
 
Still see strange images not uploaded by me attached to my thread from my profile. Do not see them in the thread itself.
 

The Q&A on NewEgg stated that new versions of the DeskMini come with updated BIOS sometime in late 2022 and they even added a sticker advertising 5600G/5700G support so gonna take the risk and give it an order, will figure out something later if it needs an update.
 
Otherwise also found the 5600G super cheap on Amazon. All in all, not counting the M.2 SSD which I am recycling from another build I was able to get the entire PC: Case, Mobo, CPU, RAM, and PSU for $275~. Damn if this isn't a fine super budget-friendly build if I seen one. Really happy with this.
 
Thanks for suggesting the DeskMini, I totally forgot that AM4 barebones MiniPC kit from Asrock existed.

The Retrpoid Pocket 2 works well as long as you invest the time in configuring it. Like Anthony says Android's default launcher isn't made for gamepad inputs, thankfully since this is Android you aren't stuck using the default launcher. One of the advantages  of Android is you don't need to use the default launcher. The proffered launcher of the Retro Handheld community is ATV Launcher. Originally made for Android TV set top boxes its optimized for controller input and ideal for the RP2.
 
Likewise if you want a more console-like experience then a Game Library Frontend like DIG or Pegasus is ideal. It shows you your entire library for games in one menu, and automatically launches the appropriate Retroarch Core or Standalone Emulator.
 
For tips on setting on setting up Pegasus on the RP2 see this guide. DIG comes pre-installed on the RP2 but is quite ugly. I recommend one of these RP2 optimized themes to make it look/feel a bit better.
 
IF you want something that works out of the box, do NOT get an RP2. If you are already invested in the Android ecosystem, love to tinker, nothing is better because you can get it working exactly how you want. All my saves cloud-syncing to my Google Drive lets me play my same save files across my Galaxy S9 phone, Tab S7 tablet, home PC, and my RP2.
 
No other devices does cloud sync as well as Android. I can pickup and play the same files no matter the device I am on. Great for someone who likes long form RPGs and its not always practical to have the handheld on my all the time, but prefers physical controls when I get the chance.

You are using the wrong kind of adapter.
 
 You need a TRRS to TRS adapter if you want to adapt a combo port, not a standard TRS to 2x TRS splitter.

That level of noise is not normal for a ModMic. It might be a problem with interference with your onboard audio. Have you tried using a USB sound card or maybe your front panel ports on your case to see if this solved your issue.

That being said gonna agree with Rice Guru. The #1 problem with Mod Mic is simply the size of its capsule. It just can't capture detail at that small of a size. It sounds better than most headset mics but its still a really small capsule. If you want a more substantial full bodied you would need either a Samson Q2U or CAD Audio U37 on a little boom and put it right in front of your face.
 
If you want something that isn't right in front of you then the Rode NTG is probably the best option as it has its own audio interface built in and can be used with a PC with just a USB-C cable.

Agree with this 100%. $25-$20usd new if you want new. Old Astro Mixamps are good too and can be found for good prices used. Nothing wrong with using an older PCIe card. Its just usb is simpler and less can go wrong and is way more convenient imo

You might be better off with one of Creative's USB sound cards. Some of those older PCI ones don't have good Windows 10 drivers.

The Sound BlasterX G1 is a good option if you want a nice headphone amp built in or something like the Sound Blaster PLAY! 3 at $20 is another good option. Obviously doesn't work if you want to use 5.1 surround but for regular speakers/headphones the USB cards will have better driver support.

There are ways to avoid this - the aluminum heatsink panel on the A90J is one method, just brute forcing the cooling to reduce burn-in. Pixel shifting is also a thing, although some people don't like it.  https://www.sony-mea.com/en/electronics/support/televisions-projectors-oled-tvs-android-/kd-65a8h/articles/00173233

Burn-in IS an issue, yes, I wouldn't personally suggest daily driving an OLED as a monitor unless you mitigate or otherwise accept the risks associated with burn-in. 

I used code Linus to buy a one year sub to OWN3D.PRO but i found nothing usefull for myself and tried to asked for refund, but they said
They are not wrong, but in the same time "no refunds" policy left a bitter aftertaste.

I actually own a Behringer UMC22 and really like it. Pre-pandemic you used to be able to find it for $35 regularly. Its a good entry level device but if you are going to spend +$100 like the others here are recommending the Yamaha AG03 might be more suitable for livestreaming. They are $150 now, but pre-pandemic I had picked mine up for ~$100.  
 
At lower budgets I think you can do better than the Blue Snowball.  I think the $50 CAD Audio U37 or one of those USB Marantz Mics might be better options, I know the Samson Q2U is a popular recommendation for to-be podcasters because it is a USB mic that also has an XLR upgrade path if you add a mixer and more mics for physical guests.
 
If you are looking for a good budget handheld dynamic mic I am very satisfied with my BA 85A. It was only $25 and I like it better than the SM48 and I have used both. Probably not good for handholding but for a desktop situation I definitely prefer the BA85A, Podcastage did a good review of the BA 85A.
 
Pre-pandemic you used to be able to do Behringer UM2 + BA 85A setups for $60 and that used to blow most USB setups out of the water. Sadly, that's not the case anymore with the inflated USB interfaces & mic prices, a MSRP USB mic might be a better option until you have $150~ or so in budget to get some of the nicer XLR options.
 
For those of you that care about looking pretty for the camera, something I think is overlooked for a "Live Streaming" setup the Rode PodMic is good quality and looks like what people expect an expensive broadcast mic to look like, except it only costs $100. Lot of options for mics but I like Rode products having used a lot of them in past and appreciate the Made in Australia quality.
 
If you are using a low output dynamic mic like a PodMic and need a bit of a boost I highly recommend the Klark Teknik CT-1 Mic Booster. At 1/4th the price of Cloudlifters and 1/3rd the price of a FetHeads it provides a lot of clean gain. I was able to adjust my Rode ProCaster from 3 o'clock gain to no digital gain at all on my mixer. Have a much lower noise floor and better sensitivity and it only cost me $30. Really happy with not needing to buy a Cloudlifter, even after a friend offered to sell me his at a discount.
 
Anyone have any experience with an LG V20 as a webcam?
I was thinking of getting one because it is one of the last phones with a user replicable battery, has the famous Quad-DAC so I can use it as a high quality DAP, and it is still officially supported by Lineage OS and getting 3rd party updates. If I can also use it as a webcam as well as a DAP, I think I might bite the bullet and buy a refurb.

Pre-Ordered this machine the day it was announced to run a VR headset in my living room. Looked like a great mini PC with enough power for VR that I could easily fit into the entertainment console, but wouldn't stick out like a "unicorn vomit" sore thumb.
 
Just wanted to drop some pictures of the internals to help anyone else who may want to get one of these, but need to see some build details to decide.
 
A few things I noticed when tearing it down.
1. The side panels are a pain to align properly when re-assembling, but once you figure it out, it's not bad.
2. There is ZERO room to change the height of the CPU cooler. And only a small amount of give on top of the VRM heat sinks. Don't expect to be able to improve the cooling to put any beefier CPUs in this machine.
3. The GPU space is small, but I was surprised at the size of the Zotac mini RTX 3070. I suspect there are a fair number of mini GPUs that could fit in there. The length and height give a bit of room to play, but the card HAS to be two slot.
4. Haven't done significant thermal testing yet, but initial impressions indicate pretty decent air flow. Incidentally, you absolutely need to have this pc in a place that won't choke off either side or the top. There is a little bottom intake, but it's mostly choked off by the PSU
5. Mostly rubber head thumb screws hold this together. Pretty easy to pop open and swap parts.
6. It comes with a single stick of SODIMM 16GB 3200 Crucial CL22. You may want to get a second stick, or different kit to run dual channel.
 

I would love to see something in this form factor with an AMD APU rather than Intel XE GPU. Maybe something like a 4500U or 4800U since both are similar 15W platforms.
 
Nice thing about intel is that you get to use Thunderbolt 4. You could probably use it as a serious grab-n-go PC with the right docking station.

I would love to see something in this form factor with an AMD APU rather than Intel XE GPU. Maybe something like a 4500U or 4800U since both are similar 15W platforms.
 
Nice thing about intel is that you get to use Thunderbolt 4. You could probably use it as a serious grab-n-go PC with the right docking station.

It's also about the fact the Eve monitor is a kickstarter product and part of the video even touches on that and the fact that with better monitors and what they've seen so far it doesn't live up to the kickstarter hype. Seriously, this is not a clickbait title.

Thanks, I hate it Linus.
 
Loved the deadpan delivery tho.

I don't think you're getting my point. Have you ever worked in retail or sales?
 
I used to work as a product expert in a liquor store. My job was to recommend customers what product they should buy. Every single day customers would come in and say things like "Uhhh, yeah... I'm having people over for dinner tonight and I need a wine... I don't drink that much... so uhh what's a nice wine?"
I would ask questions such as "What will you be serving for dinner?", "Do you know if the people you're having over enjoy red wine or white wine?", "How many people are attending?", "How much did you want to spend?". I would listen to what the customer tells me and then I would use my product knowledge to recommend something that would suit their needs, and I'd give them extra advice such as what temperature to serve it, how many bottles they should have for the number of people they're serving, etc.
 
Did I ever give bad recommendations and the customer got home, cracked it open and didn't like what I sold them? Probably... But that's because taste is subjective and the customer might have told me they like really heavy oaky wines when in fact they really like fresh and fruity wines. There were plenty of times when customers would come back to the store a few days later just to thank me for the recommendation I gave, or to buy a couple of boxes of whatever I sold them because they liked it that much. Those customers would come back again, and again, and again because they know they get good service and the staff are helpful...
 
If I told the customer "I don't give recommendations, go figure it out for yourself" that customer would walk out of the store and never come back.
 

Bought the original Razer Naga and the re-released Molten version. Both died in 12-18 months. I haven't had good experiences with their mice.
 
Logitech G600 is +24 months and still going strong. Logitech G9 is 8 years old and still works. Simply have had better experiences with Logitech.

If your headphones have a removable 3.5mm cable I am a fan of the V-moda Boom Pro.
 
Not only is it cheaper than a ModMic and have a comparable audio quality I like the much cleaner 1-cable design.
 

File History keeps the last version of files following the same drive/folder structure, and the bits that differ between versions of each file and folder, so that you can go back in time for each file and folder using Windows 10 File History tool.
 
The files are NTFS compressed. So, if you have an OS that can access that, than you can access the last version of each files backup following the same folder structure as you have them on your PC originally. The backup drive can be external or on a network, Windows 10 File History supports both.
 

This baby just came in from Massdrop!
 

@MyInnerFred @Charger @Jaybird @TheProfosist
 

 

That is precisely the case.
 
The BoomPro works by utilizing a headset's existing 3.5mm port. Rather than a separate mic that you attach with magnets and adhesive to your headphones (potentially damaging them) the BoomPro acts as an in-line microphone as part of your 3.5mm cable. Unlike most inline mics you usually see for mobile devices, etc. the microphone is high quality, noise canceling, and has an integrated boom.
 
Downside is of course not all headphones have removable cables and those that do sometimes use non-standard or proprietary connectors, IE AKG uses MiniXLR and Sennheiser though they use 3.5mm they also have a proprietary locking mechanism. So the BoomPro is limited in the headphones you can use them with, but I had already made the decision not to support companies that don't allow for easily replaced cables.
 
When choosing headphones in this price range the build quality and long term use should definitely be something to consider. The #1 point of failure for my old headphones were cables, followed distantly by pads. When I chose a higher end headset for myself an easily replaced cable and user replaceable pads were high on my priority list and why I paid the extra for my Fidelio X2 vs the X1 version which was cheaper and sounded very similar overall.

I'm seeing people saying "Go M50x, beats are trash." Now let me tell you, get something else, M50x sounds like an utter piece of shit. I could grab DT770 and get worlds better sound quality. Studio monitoring headphone my ass, MDR-CD900ST is the real studio monitoring headphone.
 
To OP, V-Moda M100 actually ticks all your requirements, better than any beats could. The V-moda's sound signature is also really close to beats'. IF you insist on getting a beats, grab the solo 2. IMO, it's the headphone in beats lineup with the best bang for buck. Beats studio 2 doesn't sound better to my ears and ANC is straight out annoying

First, lets be clear that Beats and durability are not uttered seriously in the same breath. Compared to other headphones in the price range, every model has sub-par plastic construction and shoddy engineering. There is no comparison with real folding headphones such as the Sennheiser Momentums or V-Moda crossfades.
 
Next, sound quality. I only have information on the Solo 2, no the Studio 2. Seems like Beats went in the same direction with both, though, aiming for a warm rather than overbearingly bass-y sound. Beats undoubtedly has a house sound; it's unlikely any single model will have appreciably better sound quality. Your subjective preferences will have to guide you on this point.
 
Finally, comfort. I would expect the Studios to be the most comfortable of their headphones. On-ears are rarely comfortable at all times to all people. Concerning both the Solo and Studio, the earpads are plush though slightly plasticky; the headband lacks padding.
 
Putting it diplomatically, Beats are objective shit. "Liking the sound" is not an adequate argument as there are plenty of bass-friendly headphones with good audio quality that aren't overpriced

You can get a standard desktop or generic lapel mic if you want.
 
Likewise if your headphones have a removable cable you can use a BoomPro.