20 Best Voice Pack For Elite Dangerous (2023 Updated)

The RE20 is a very great sounding mic and excellent for rooms that have a slight to acceptable amount of room echo. It doesn’t lose articulation if you get close to it. In terms of longevity, as long as you keep tabs on its maintenance, you will hold its selling value.

I received three RE20’s that had come out of a radio station and all of them had the dreaded “foam rot” (which is the eventual breaking down of the internal pop filter and element suspension). And all RE20’s will eventually have this occur.

I decided to buy the internal foam and replace them all, which turned out to be really cheap to get the new foam and easy to replace (easy for those handy with a soldering iron). This solved issues for two out of the three mics.

The third one had the infamous “rattle” which occurs when you shake the mic. I found replacing the element to be the most cost effective solution as opposed to taking the element apart. It turned out to be half than the total cost of the microphone.

As soon as that new element came, I soldered it in after inserting the new foam and voila! Essentially a new microphone with exactly the same sound as a new RE20. Now, I should point out, the internal foam rot occurs over a 20 to 30 year period, so if you buy this new, this is something you don’t have to worry about.

For those who want to restore the RE20 and save some money, this is something to watch out for. They do hold their value, so long as you keep up with its maintenance. And remember, the RE20’s I received were from the late 70’s to early 80’s.

To find them fully repaired and still working as it did back then is something ElectroVoice should be credited for.

Was recommended to me by a pro voice-over actor. Audio is superb. Due to pattern, it limits pickup of room noises etc. Am using it in my podcast studio. 100% satisfied. Note it is a sturdy mic and does weigh a bit so need a good quality stand or boom to support it.

When they work, they are great. Unfortunately these devices are finicky and do not function reliably. I would say the mesh communications rate an 8/10, but the bluetooth functions are at best a 6/10.

Volume is a 6/10. Sound Quality is acceptable considering use cases and is not an issue. Speakers MUST be in the correct location (directly over your ears), so you may have to alter your helmet padding slightly.

The speakers fit perfectly in my AGV K6 and my HJC i30. My overall feeling is that you must temper your expectations. The Cardo Packtalk Bold is an excellent communication device, but an underwhelming listening device.

*If high volume for music is an absolute must have for you, a set of in ear monitors will plug right into the headphone jack of this unit. I prefer earplugs and the speakers for comfort. * GOOD: It is fantastic to be able to talk to my riding partner regarding potholes, wildlife, erratic drivers, etc.

and making plans or warning about mechanical issues is absolutely a game changing experience. We ride long distances for multiple days, and it is quite freeing to be able to chat or make a pits stop without planning ahead.

I cannot stress enough how cool it is to be able to say, “Hey, look at that thing! Let’s turn in up there and go check it out!” or “I have to stretch my legs, pull into the next rest area”, or “I’m tired of leading, pull ahead of me”.

It really changes the dynamic of a ride. Mesh connections are usually solid and stable. If communication with other riders or a passenger is your primary use case, it works very well. They have a pretty “reasonable” range when riding with a partner or group.

Waterproof. We ride in rain. It sucks, but we do it anyway. It is nice to be able to listen to my music without making my neighbours listen to my music. 3. 5mm headphone jack allows use of earbuds or in-ear monitors.

NOT SO GOOD: I have not once EVER been able to get the voice commands to work, and must use the phone button to initiate Siri for any voice commands. The real world range on these under the best circumstances in clear weather is about 300m, not even close to the 1.

6km Cardo advertises. I want honesty from these companies. We have never been able to get further than 5 telephone poles away from each other and maintain connection. Reconnection is seamless (mostly), so this is not the end of the world, but it sure isn’t a mile.

The unit does not like to maintain a bluetooth connection with my iPhone while riding, which makes listening to music a pain in the butt. Nothing worse than having to turn off and restart the unit while riding.

For some reason, has never happened during a phone call, only with music or podcasts. I don’t have epic two hour conversations while riding, however, so this may be a matter of luck. The latest firmware and app is awful.

Really. Look up the most recent reviews on app stores. Sound quality for music is acceptable, but the volume is FAR to low for the amount of money paid for a pair of these units. Call volume is good, but the music is not.

I would estimate that they need about 6db of boost increase listenability under all riding conditions. I am not interested in drowning out all outside noise, but a bit more volume is required in my opinion.

Acceptable when going slow, but a bit of wind at highway speeds means you are done listening. Disappointing, especially when advertising (and charging) for JBL branding.

I bought the Cardo Packtalk Bold to fit on my Shoei Neotekand fitting it is simple if a little fiddly – easier than the Neotek 2, I’m led to believe. Once fitted and charged it seems to have a good battery life though I doubt it reaches the advertised maximum.

I have not used the MESH connectivity for intercom (that’s not really why I bought it) but cellphone connectivity is great and the noise cancelling for the microphone is excellent (apparently, I haven’t heard it, obviously, but I’m told its better than the hands free on the phone and the car kit in my truck for sound quality, even at 120kph).

As for ease of use, the buttons are still small and fiddly for gloved hand and there will never be a logical set of memorable button presses to get anything done! The always on voice command is a complete failure for me – darn me with my clear English accent.

I can’t get a single commend to work more than once. Sound quality and volume is disappointing. The unit I bought came with the strongly advertised JBL 40mm speakers. After finding the settings in the app on the phone (very important – all the adjustable base lines can be adjusted here, something which the instructions make very little mention about) it was a big improvement but this is a failure point.

I have tried with ear plugs out – heard almost nothing, with heap foam plugs – not much better, expensive rubber dome types with and without vents, acceptable up to 80kph, and with custom moulded silicone plugs with medium bypass filters, by far the best option but not brilliant on music, though good enough on speech.

Fortunately this model comes with a 2. 5mm 4way plug jack for speaker so an in-ear noise cancelling or isolating headphone option is possible, though good luck finding those in 2021. The waterproofing has proven to be excellent.

Overall this is OK and works to a degree – may be I’m just expecting too much. It’s much better than my old Cardo Scala Rider from 2012, much less fragile and annoying than my Sena 20S from 2014 but I expected more for the price.

They are nice headphone when they work. They are comfy. When functioning correctly they hold a charge for a long time. They sound nice enough and the ANC works well enough. But my first pair started to have issues with not charging after 4 months.

I tried resetting, changing the language to force software updates, changing the wire/charging block, etc. I contacted service and had to send in my pair in order to receive a replacement. The process took about 3 weeks and I got no notice when my replacement pair was shipped to me, they just randomly showed up on my door.

Fine. After about 3 months my second pair started to have the same charging issues but also had static noises and hissing coming from one side. I started the return process in January 2022 and I sent this pair in as well.

This time the return process took 5 weeks total and I had to contact Jabra after my headphones were sitting at the return warehouse for a week. In March I finally received my third, new in packaging, replacement pair.

These had the same charging issues out of the box! They would not charge above 60%. When I charged them with a 5v block the charging LED was solid green after a few seconds regardless of what the battery readout said when I turn them on.

When I charged them with higher rated blocks the LED light pulsed like it was charging but after being plugged in overnight they still wouldn’t charge over 60%Instead of exchanging my headphones AGAIN, Jabra refunded me for my full purchase.

I had these less than 1 year and I only had functioning 85h headphones for 8 out of the 11 months. Totally unacceptable for MSRP $250 and a company that wants to be taken seriously with the big guys in sound quality.

Buyer beware. TL/DR: You may save some money when the Jabra 85h go on sale from time to time, but that difference in cost when compared to other high end ANC headphones is not worth the hassle/reliability issues.

It has been an eventful 2+ years of owning these headphones and I must say all good things come to an end. These headphones have been my daily drivers every day. Battery life is godly!!! Charge this thing once a week with a 4hr daily commute.

Plus, super fast charging Call quality is superior to Bose and Sony and the price well worth it. The main reason why I got them. Has a bunch of bells a whistles (software related: conversation detection, knowing if it’s on your head) I could care less for.

But noise cancellation is pretty good muffling most 80% of a busy food court without music. With music playing at 20% volume ANC blocks out 98% noise. These are personal estimations. The bad things. Sound is great, not a picky audiophile, but reviews about bass issues are sadly true as it has good bass but some songs get messy to listen to at high volume.

Occasionally there are glitches with the headset regarding noise cancellation resulting in audio faults but they do occur. I’ve occasionally had to reset myheadset a year after purchasing because it malfunctions, disconnecting from my phone after periods of inactivity in the on position.

Lastly, and why I’m writing this review, the bands that have the company’s name on them broke. Actually, the plastic ends behind the bands seem to have began to degrade causing the bands to break and now I worry the headphones will slide out from the band and soon no longer work.

In short, build quality after two years of daily usage in Toronto Canada is my concern and has been my concern for other headphone brands as well. Eventually headphones fall apart. This headphone has been the best I’ve owned and the most expensive I’ve purchased ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

It has lasted me the longest from “reputable” brands like Sennheiser and Sony which have lasted a little more than a year between them. I do recommend purchasing these headphones for the following reasons: 1) CALL QUALITY!!! can’t say it enough.

2) The mute button!!! 1000% needed you don’t know you need it until someone is about to say something in appropriate while you’re on a call. 3) battery life 35h of glorious battery life that when dead you can still charge and use your headphones Bose can’t do that.

Other honorable mentions include: type c charging, swivel to wake, convenient physical button placement, water resistant material still try not to get them wet. Trust me ಠ_ಠ. and use the case when not in use you might get more than 2+ years from them.

I didn’t and I’m ranting to you about this mistake just do it. Side notes: if you have an average sized head I think you’ll be fine. Wouldn’t recommend any headphones for the gym, better to go with earbuds that clip to your ear in my opinion, but to each their own.

Where this product call quality preforms poorly is in areas where the wind whistles or where there’s a lot in your area like walking over bridges or around tall buildings, my experience. Currently considering buying a replacement pair, original purchased in late 2019, no headphone in this price point has matched it’s functionality in 2021.

Buy this headset if you want a fairly durable set of headphones, the best call quality in my opinion, and the best battery life I’ve seen in wireless headphones. Peace.

I bought these on the recommendation of another user. I have been a Jabra fan for a long time and although they don’t get mentioned in many of the ratings articles, I think this brand is a bit of a sleeper.

First test for me was the weight and fit. Many headphones do not adjust small enough to fit my head, which is such a nuisance. This model and one other brand’s model are the only two I could readily try on that fit.

Phone calls to date have been very clear, and music listening has also been wonderful. Functionally they work really well. Cosmetically I would appreciate a softer colour than black, a tad lighter weight, and a tad more adjustment for my head size.

Before I purchased this, I watched quite a few Youtube reviews and product comparisons, PLUS, I went to Sam Ash several times to listen and check it out in order to be sure it really sounded as good as I thought it did.

Yup! It did. And now that I have it, it still does!!! I has gotten so used to hauling around two 60 lb, 12″ speakers with horns and a powered PA head, I still can’t wrap my head around how much power and clarity I get from the Evolve EV 30M without breaking my back AND I can set up in half the time.

The ability to control the system with an app is an added benefit, but you know, I still prefer a little outboard mixer for fine-tuning. I use a little Xenyx 1202 FX and the combination gives me great control over my final output.

If you’re solo-acoustic act or in a duo (maybe even a whole band -I don’t know) and in the market for a new sound system, you really should consider checking this baby out!.

From the initial unpacking it took only 10 minutes to start using the headphones, this included downloading the supporting Jabra App, and connecting devices. The headphones came already charged, and this initial charge lasted for well over a week whilst being used everyday.

The supporting App shows information such as battery level, headset settings, firmware updates, headset location, and tutorials. The MySound feature allows you to optimise the settings based on your personal hearing profile.

You can also use a range of presets depending if you are listening to speech, or music. During the week of reviewing the headphones I have listened to podcasts, audiobooks, and music with my iphone and ipad.

I have also connected to my laptop for Microsoft Teams meetings. You can pair multiple devices, and have a maximum of two devices Bluetooth-connected simultaneously. I found the controls on the headset very easy to use and I was very impressed by the dual microphone.

I found the phone call quality very good after adjusting the sidetone setting within the App. The microphone also works with Siri, Alexa and Cortana. They are very comfortable to wear. I like the fact that you can rotate the ear cushions through 90 degrees whilst not in use, either on a flat surface, or around your neck allowing them to sit more comfortably.

A full charge takes around two hours but a fast charge which gives 10 hours battery life takes only 15 minutes. In summary, previously I have mainly used in-ear headphones as I found the over-ear ones uncomfortable but the Jabra Elite 45h has changed my opinion and I have really enjoyed the enhanced quality of audio experienced from these headphones.

I am happy to recommend these as a good all-round performing set of headphones.

The mic is not tremendeous and doesn’t do a good job of isolating voice. I was unable to connect this headset to my Android phone (Pixel 4A, running Android 13). I was successful connecting to an iPhone SE (running iOS 15) and Dell PC running Win 10.

Now that I am unsatisfied with them, since I did not purchase them directly through Jabra and they are now open (how else am I to test them) I am stuck with them. Thesource. ca does not accept returns once the headphones are opened.

So lesson is to purchase directly through Jabra or test them in advance where possible.

Jabra Elite 45H product review These are really good headphone and I have really put them to the test. To get set up, you start by following the instructions on the box which directs you to download the free app and gives you a basic indication of the set process.

Once downloaded, the app takes you through a series of steps to get the headphone aligned to your standard of hearing. The instructions are straight forward and it is results in high quality sound. The level of hearing in my ears is not equal and so the settings allow for optimal hearing based on each ear, also you can adjust for head height and angle of ears.

The app has several other tabs you may wish to explore as you familiarise yourself with it The battery life is amazing, I gave them a little extra charge by connecting the USB to my laptop and the battery has remained high for well over a week and I have used them a lot to listen to my audiobooks.

The sound quality is excellent, the ear pads are soft and comfortable. Be warned your ears will get warm with prolonged use. The range is excellent. I went to the furthest corners of my home to check for loss of signal and there was not even a flicker.

The controls on the headphones are simple to use and you can also operate basic functions on your smartphone should you be so inclined. I like that fact that I can stop and start my book with a single button.

In closing, the Jabra Elite 45H will give you value for money, they are easy to set up to more than one device, they are so comfortable, easy to tidy away and provide you will excellent sound quality.

The pack is very durable and super comfortable. I bought this pack as my EDC pack to have with me at all times. The capacity is nice, just take out the provided casing for the radios. My wife and I’s camping packs are from Kelty so I’m not shocked by how comfortable this bag is on your back with all the padding.

I’m very pleased with this bag and would recommend this to anybody else.

bought three of the Electro Voice Cobalt 9 microphones for my PA system. I used them this weekend when I was sound tech for a local band. Alongside Beta 58’s I couldn’t tell the difference as far as clarity and the way they cut through the mix.

No feedback issues at all on a very tight stage. These are clear and hot mics that will get the job done for a rock band. I did notice a slight bit of handling noise but not enough to care about. I only wish I had discovered them sooner.

I picked these up on a two for one deal, our singer had been using an audix instrument mic for vocals and when I saw the sale I figured owning two other EV’s one being a cobalt that this would be perfect to have a few spare vocal mics around.

Got the mics to practice and the realization that these were little more than toys set in. They have absolutely no low end or mid-range presence and get totally lost in the mix. There are some useful applications for these mics, public speaking, MCing, maybe Karaoke but nothing involving live music.

they are also built well and look good.

This is a great quality vocal mic for the price. I use am using it with a high end keyboard for vocals and I found that this mic has a great tone and so far been pretty durable. I just bought a second one as a backup.

I would definitely recommend this mic to a friend.

Great for beginners who destroy and leave their stuff at the event. Use common sense. The frequency response is for vocals. Dont try to record bass or guitar. I give them out as gifts to people who spend a lot of money in my studio.

I am a professional audio engineer and an acoustic guitar / singer soloist. I have found a few speaker systems that deliver accurate sound and many more that do not deliver. I purchased an Evolve 50 a little over a year ago and it is now my go-to speaker for performance.

My Martin Guitar sounds as natural as it possibly can and I love the way this speaker reproduces my voice. I use an Audix OM5 for my cabled vocal or a Shure Beta 87A if going wireless. I could not be any happier.

So far a single speaker has covered all of the different restaurant venues that I play. The Evolve 50 will get quite loud behind me, as I use it as a personal monitor and my Front of House System. There are two venues I play that I either wear in-ears or use a foldback monitor with the Evolve 50 in front of me, to avoid feedback because of the SPL needed to cover the crowd.

I have never been a big Electro Voice fan, but I love this speaker and recommended over the B*** or Turb****** **2000 or J** everyday. It reproduces keyboards, guitars, voice and tracks with amazing clarity.

I pair my Turbosound IP15B with these to do ballad bands an DJ work. I mix through a Soundcraft UI16 with iPad control. See my review on the Evolve 30M.

As a solo performer with acoustic guitar and vocal, I have tried many products to find a speaker that would give me an accurate reproduction of my guitar. I had some issues with my 5th string feeding back with the Evolve 50 in my rehearsal room, more than usual, i notched the frequency and put a feedback buster in the sound hole.

I used the Evolve 50 at a party of about 40 people, in a warehouse, with a friend playing bass through my mixer into the EV. Lots of compliments, and no A string feedback. I believe the EV Evolve 50 is a good buy compared to other products in its class.

This product, in my opinion, will work great for solo acts, up to small cover bands. I would use an additional subwoofer if the band is using PA to support Bass Guitar or Kick Drum. My goal is to get my TC Helicon Voice Live Extreme 3 to interface between my instrument and vocal so I dont have to haul my mixer to my shows.

I have not tried plugging directly in and probably wont, as I need reverb to make it sound the way I want. When I read reviews I always want to know a little about the reviewer to help weigh their opinion.

I studied Audio Engineering at Belmont University in Nashville TN. and have toured with Grammy winning bands as the FOH Engineer. Simi-Retired now. making music instead of mixing it. Thanks for reading, I hope this helps with your decision.

Simply the best option in a flooded market of all-in-one line array portable PA systems. Build quality and sound quality is second to none. Only the new Bose 16 comes close in audio terms, but the cheap construction lets it down badly.

Thoroughly recommended.

I have several jars each with about 15g. After 3 weeks with these paks in the jars, the humidity has continued to go down til where it is now around 56%. This has been tested with several different meters now.

They are certainly not holding humidity to 62% which is roughly where the bud was before these paks were added.

These are great for small enclosures I upgraded from a skar ix-10 and I call tell you that it’s true, you get what you pay for. This sub performed much better and the sound was superior. It love low notes 20-30Hz in my 0.

87 cu. ft truck box.

I’ve only put about 5 miles on this pack so far so take this review with a grain of salt. The pack is very sturdy; I’d have absolutely no qualms about weighing it down with 100 pounds or more. I really love the fact that I can draw my gun from the pack without removing it.

You need to be a bit limber but it’s totally doable and I feel quite smooth with that motion already. Definitely don’t but a hydration pack that’s bigger than 2L as that’s all that that particular compartment will hold.

I haven’t found a good place to store the hydration hose when not in use so that’s a bit of a downside for now. The pack is quite heavy which is unfortunate knowing that I try to cut ounces on all of my gear including gun, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, camp stove, etc.

It feels a bit like taking a step backwards in that department. The large rain cover fits the pack well. I purchased the duffel along with this pack as per Eberlestock’s suggestion but I’m not quite sure how to combine these items in the most efficient way.

So far, I’m not sure how much I gain by having that piece to go with it. Lastly, know that if you’re buying a pack where there are 2 compartments between your back and the main pocket, anything you carry in that main pocket is going to put a bit more strain on your back than with another backpack where that weight can be pulled in closer to your back.

That said, I feel like it’s a fair trade-off to have your rifle protected and off of your shoulder while still within reach. I’m 6’1″ 175lbs and hardly had to adjust the pack at all.

So I purchased this and let me say one thing to start, the speaker is TRULY out of this world when it comes to sound. The bass, the mids, I mean just all around this speaker truly has fantastic sound and will leave you taken back.

I only had it set to maybe 1/3rd of the volume and this thing was banging. Really has HEAVY bass, but you can also adjust the EQ within the companion app if it’s too much or you live in an area where you don’t want to rumble your neighbors walls lol.

My main gripe with this speaker is Alexa. The google version is superior by a wide shot. This version’s Alexa is almost outdated. Refuses to do certain tasks, has to be setup through the Belkin app and then set up through Alexa app.

It’s very odd. Like it is not a normal set up for an Alexa speaker device. Even the responses from Alexa were weird compared to a normal Alexa enabled speaker. It just didn’t function the way I wanted it to.

But I prefer the google assistant for home functions anyway so I switched to that one and really do enjoy it. Sound quality is what sets this apart from other speakers. If you can grab this on sale for $100, BUY IT.

No question.

I was looking to replace an earlier generation, Amazon Echo with this Belkin SoundForm Elite Smart Speaker. We use our other Amazon devices less and less these days but the kitchen device is used regularly for music and updating the grocery list on the fly.

I was dissatisfied with the music playback of the Echo and was hopeful when I saw this device, that it would have great sound and charge our phones, as an added bonus. The SoundForm Elite has a fairly large footprint, compared to the older Echo but still tucked away nicely on one of our kitchen work surfaces.

It was very easy to get it set up, both on its own app and in my Amazon account and I appreciated only having to do it once, very quickly without any stumbles. The unit immediately updated its firmware once it was on our wireless network.

The Alexa function works very well – it actually seems faster to respond and execute than our older Echo. Perhaps it has a better processor but whatever the difference, it is noticeable and we appreciated it.

It also seemed easy to find when we cast music to it from Spotify – the older Echo would often go missing in action and we had to do some account workarounds to find it. The SoundForm Elite has no such problems.

The charging feature is very good also. I have other wireless chargers that mostly work but this one seems to be no-nonsense and reliable. It was nice to be able to drop my phone on the surface and see a visual cue (LED) that shows charging is occurring after the phone’s screen has gone dark.

It seems to be fairly quick to charge up and it is very convenient to just drop the phone in the dedicated cradle area, rather than hunt for a cable and power outlet, which I did previously in the kitchen.

Then there is the sound. You would think this would be the most important factor for an Elite Hi-Fi Smart Speaker but I was a little disappointed, if I am honest. It certainly handles the bass better than the previous echo but I felt the mid-range and highs were muddied and did not always sound the way I expected, on tracks I know well.

My wife independently commented the same – she uses the speaker functionality in the kitchen a little more than me and often listens to podcasts and lighter music. She thought the voices were a bit dull and flat which I could agree with from listening to my music.

Supposedly, the speaker does its own EQ on the fly, using engineering from Devialet called Speaker Active Matching. Perhaps on a larger setup, with a dedicated amplifier, this works great but I am not really a fan on this smaller speaker.

I tried to adjust my audio settings in the Alexa app but unlike the Amazon devices, it did not seem to make any difference. You can’t over ride SAM so I guess there was no point having the Amazon app let you change anything.

For certain types of music, it does sound good but as a general, all-around kitchen music player, I think the sound is a little off and not attractive to my ears. I hope I get used to it but really, I would have expected this new device to sound amazing and I just don’t have that feeling yet.

The bass response is definitely good but I still want to be able to enjoy the vocals and mid-range frequencies and they seem to go quiet or flat from what I have tried on it so far. To some ears and tastes, it might sound excellent but without being able to tweak it to what I consider pleasing sound, I feel a little trapped by a supposedly better audio algorithm that controls how my music sounds.

Anyway, for as disappointed as I was with the audio performance, the charging and Alexa features are spot on and do work very well. Perhaps a later firmware update can fix some of the audio complaints I had and I will keep my fingers crossed.

First impression when unboxing the SoundForm Elite was that it had a substantial solid quality feel to it. The mesh fabric wrapped around the unit reminded me of high-end loudspeaker grills. It’s got a bit of weight to it coupled with the rubber skid feet on the bottom means it is unlikely to easily get bumped off your desk or table.

Sound quality is very good for a relatively compact device with a good sound range including decent low-end bass. Volume can be controlled by a variety of methods such as touch controls on the unit, via Alexa, or volume controls via the connected app on a mobile device.

The volume can be turned all the way down to 0 or off. I did feel as if there should have been another loudness level between off and the lowest volume setting though. I am not sure what the charging specs are but it does charge really quick and my iPhone was even a bit warm to the touch during the charge cycle.

Since I only have one of these I did not experience the multi-room functionality, however, from what I can tell you would use the app to group playback amongst multiple SoundForm units. Speaking of the App, it is pretty basic and works well for connecting new devices but doesn’t really do much more than that.

The Spotify and Alexa options direct you to open those respective apps for further setup and control. Spotify is the only Service listed under the “Add More Services” option. Maybe Belkin is planning on adding more in the future but that is it right now.

I found the Alexa integration to work quite well to control devices and voice detection was quite good. You can also turn the mic off directly from the front control panel, which turns the LED lights on the front red, if at some point you want Alexa to stop listening.

I was a bit disappointed in the Spotify control via Alexa as I could only ever seem to get it to play whatever song/band/album “radio” and no playlists or favorites. I suspect this to be a limitation of the Alexa skill integration, to benefit Amazon’s own music service, rather than that of the SoundForm though.

Even though the Wifi playback connectivity is limited to the Spotify app it is still a capable great sounding wireless speaker that can be used as a Bluetooth speaker for most any device. Not sure if that is compelling enough to choose over other less expensive Bluetooth speakers though and the charging feature does add some extra value.

Hopefully Belkin will continue to add more services to it in the future.

I got these as I have been using a pair of Sony XM3 in ears, which while great are quite chonky. The Jabra Elite 5’s boast a much smaller form factor, which once you have chosen from the included tips fit me really well.

I have been using these as my daily drivers for a few weeks now and I have found that they stay in my ears well, their fantastic shape means that they don’t come loose while I am walking and moving about in general, I have even found that they stay in my ears well when I go running, although I am always paranoid they will fall out, but so far I have found myself readjusting very infrequently.

I have been using these on an iPhone XR and found the app to set them up worked well. Once downloaded and opened, just open the case for the earphones and within a short time they are paired. You then go through the personalisation process, which is easy to follow and allows you to configure the earphones to your liking.

I found the adjustment for the Active Noise Cancellation did not have a massive effect, but was noticeable. The feature to find the headphones if lost is good in broad terms, it remembers where the case was last opened, this is good, but would benefit from being more accurate.

Sound quality is very good, and the ANC does not seem to be good, until I saw my next door neighbour cutting their grass, but I had not heard the lawnmower!! The ANC seems to cut out some frequencies really well, but I can still hear traffic and people speaking, but it is greatly reduced.

I have made some phone calls and the microphones do an excellent job of isolating my voice to the point that the person on the other end did not realise I was not on my phone directly, I used it while out walking my dogs to free up my hands, and it was a fantastic experience! If I had come into these from anything but the Sonys I would have been really impressed, as they stand, they are some excellent earphones, with very good sound quality, and excellent fit and a fantastic small form factor for both the earphones and their case.

The Sonys however have better sound quality and better noise cancelling, as well as more options for the buttons on the earphones. Cons: No ability to change the volume on the earphones, this is something I find to be a deal breaker for me and stops me from buying a pair of headphones or earphones.

Sound quality and ANC is a bit lacking compared to the XM3 Pros: Battery life, form factor, fit, QI wireless charging, handy app, find my function. In short, yes I would recommend them, but for the price I would pick up a pair of Sony XM3.

I bought this think it would do something… and it didn’t. I plugged it into my controller and it lights up but I try to use the mods on it and they didn’t do anything. I read the manual and watched YouTube yet I could not get the mods to work.

In addition to that, I can’t even use my headset because it’s wired and wired headsets don’t work on this. The software was horrible and I couldn’t even download anything because “no strike pack was connected” even though it was literally lighted up on the back.

So in other words, don’t buy this product.

what you have to do, to get it to work if you have a USB headset, is a little much! (unplug your USB headset before you turn on your console, turn your console on first, then choose your profile, then plug the strikepack in, then chose your profile again, then plug your headset in, then choose your profile again) – lol like come on! mine doesn’t fit my gold stranded PS4 controller well, the bottom support wraps-around, sits right on the PS button, it even pressed it twice so far in 2 hours, it has completely fallen off once when I went to rest it on my bed, and the wire is so heavy it pulled it right to the floor.

half the time I look down the little strap, in the front, meant to help secure the unit, is just hanging down. the paddles are so bulky they rest on 1 and a half of my finger (middle and ring finger) making it VERY uncomfortable and awkward ( 100% not spending another 25 CND to get the replacements, when that’s what they should be shipped with) the unit, plus wire it’s self are heavy enough to make it uncomfortable and awkward, and it doesn’t fit any controller I have well enough to even feel like it’s even on there well enough, always seems like it’s gonna fall off from any movement.

I was looking for a cheaper paddled controller option, but this was a HUGE miss for me, the button were nice and responsive tho, probably the only GOOD thing I would say about it. only mod I tried was the Hair Trigger, cause it would be no different than Battle Beaver, or Scuf.

but it didn’t feel like it did a damn thing lol.

The Strick Pack allows for you to have paddles on the back of your controller for a fraction of the price of the alternatives. It has extremely easy to use on-the-fly mapping of the paddles and a bunch of other mods that you can take advantage of if you so choose.

The paddles feel great and have a nice clicky feel to them. They are held on magnets, but I’ve had no issues so far with them coming off during use. It also allows the paddles to be easily removed if you wanted to do this for any reason.

The only downside is that it is wired, although this is only a small drawback considering that it is about a third of the price of a Scuf controller. I’d recommend giving this a try if you’re on the fence between this and a Scuf-type controller.

I was in the same position but I’m convinced that this is the best solution at what is essentially a price that none of the alternative options can compete with.

Quality is great and functionality is too. Perfect size for plate carrier and let’s face it the flat pack from another brand is quite a lot more expensive but I guess if your life depends on it then I would pay a higher price.

The only issue I have had with it is that it doesn’t molle to my plate carrier dead centre, it has to be one molle row over one way or the other which could be down to my plate carrier which is the bulldog kinetic with laser molle.

It isn’t really noticeable if I’m honest but if you are ocd with gear and you have the bulldog kinetic plate carrier, just get over it! It’s on your back anyways.

I bought this a month ago for a sustainment class. It’s surprisingly scaleable. It’s capacity tops out at a cavernous 106L, but even full of whatever you’re packing, the NICE frame keeps it snug to your back and deceptively comfortable.

I’ve been through dozens of backpacking packs, rucks, and ultralight rigs. This is as comfortable as any civilian backpack and you can rely on it to stay that way wether your carrying 50 pounds or 100.

I try to keep my bags slick, without much attached to the outside. The bottom part of the 6500 functions as a sleep system compartment. It fits my 48” long, rolled, closed cell foam sleeping pad, woobie, poncho and ground tarp with room to spare! Carrying a fancier Kelty sleep system? The bottom of the bag turns into itself and you can strap that sleep system securely under the pack without compromising the original outline of the bag.

Neat! The lid does convert into a daypack. The position of the zippers is a little awkward in this configuration, but it serves its purpose.

I bought my 6500 in 2011 (10 years ago) after using a different (excellent) MR pack on deployment. I originally bought it with intentions of using it for military RTO missions AND personal hunting trips.

I have not been disappointed and cannot praise MR enough for the design and quality of this bag. I’ve used it with weights ranging from 35 to 100+ lbs for short and long distances. Every time I put it on it feels like I’m carrying pillows regardless of the weight.

And it moves smoothly whether I’m running or walking. I love the adjustability of the NICE frame to my longer torso for a perfect fit. It is spendy but I expect this to last at least another 10 years, so it is worth it!.

My 6500 is beautifully made , with great quality materials, as expected comfortable to wear even with a 40 kg load as are all my other mystery ranch packs. However I can see some things that could be improved in terms of external and internal stowage.

First and foremost, as the rear zip has gone now (I never used the one on my wolf alfa as I use an internal liner) it has been replaced with a wavy row of MOLLE tape, this appears to have no practical use whatever, I would suggest that either the bolsters be increased in width to take up the additional space, or,.

preferably , the tape be sewn In horizontally, from the top of the sleeping bag compartment to the top of the pack of the to allow the attachment of single strap MOLLE pouches, for , torches , pocketknives, multitools,, cyalume holders, and other multi use pouches of that size,.

This would be a great improvement in utility over what is there at present, as there is precious little space on the pack sides for these things once you attach two 2 Ltr bladder pouches on each side.

Next the pack sides, the one thing that this manufacturer of excellent packs, often fails to do is put sufficient MOLLE on their product, the outside of a pack is an important area for stowage as is the inside I recommend around four extra rows of MOLLE on the upper pack sides and at least one extra on the lower, this will allow for the attachment of an extra 2 Ltr water bladder on each side.

My new pack has a spacious compartment for a I qt canteen , cups canteen metal, hexi stove and cover. However my wolf alpha has a compartment for a 2 Ltr bladder instead, and this is a preferable arrangement as a 1 qt canteen cover can easily be attached each side of the pack on the belt pad instead.

The ability of a pack to carry the maximum literage of water on the outside , in an environment where there is no water resup available, is very important. The rear zip has now been replaced with two side zips, this provides me with no problems , but as before I myself have no use for that feature due to my use of a large liner, however the well made zip covers are bare of MOLLE, once again this reduces the amount of surface area that can be used for the attachment of small pouches, or a field knife and sheath.

Its frustrating because as with the old rear zip area this could easily have had had MOLLE fitted during production, at a much lower cost than I will have to pay to have it sewn on now. Also the pack would benefit from large internal mesh pockets, covering the walls, to hold flat things, (the komodos do have a couple of these ,so the materials are already in use at the production facility).

Now there are some who would look at these suggestions and say but this will be extra labour time during manufacture and extra materials and this will add to the cost. YES it will,. but these are premium quality packs, the retail price is secondary to the features and quality of the product.

I currently pay around $1400. 00 for a 6500, another $150. 00 is not going to matter to me, (though I doubt adding these features would add that sort of cost) and I am sure I am not alone in this, (and this is in a market where you can buy well made competitive packs for around $700.

00). Keep making these great packs, but I would suggest online surveys about what features your customers would like to see before you release new products, its easier to build them into new design before they are finalized or manufactured.