Almost every professional Christmas light installer uses conical LEDs for their displays. Conical LEDs are waterproof and snowproof because the LED is injected molded into the plastic cordage. Conical LEDs are also 25% brighter than an incandescent indoor Christmas light. The brightness comes from the intensity of the LEDs and the magnification of the conical lens.

The Details On Conical LED Lights

Overall, LED lights are a great choice for Christmas because the lights almost never fail, and they are impervious to freezing temperatures. They are also much more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs. For this reason you can string up to 40 sets of LEDs together, and plug them into a normal electrical socket.

Conical LEDs are not recommended for indoor use due to their intensity (M5 or C6 LEDs are a better choice inside).

Conical 5mm LEDs are available from Amazon.

The post The Brightest and Most Durable Christmas Lights appeared first on Reactual.

• The best pair of binoculars is the Carl Zeiss Victory HT Binoculars. They are the brightest binoculars available, and sport a robust and ergonomic design. There is no better option for bird watchers and hunters.
• Nikon Monarch 5 offers a much more affordable yet comparable quality pair of binoculars.
• The best pair of compact binoculars for hikers and everyday use are Bushnell Legend Ultra HD.

The Details

Stellar improvement in binocular technology has leveled the optical playing field. Specialty brands such as Swarvorski and Zeiss still have an edge over their lower priced competitors, but the gap has narrowed enough that you can comfortably purchase a mid-range option without losing much in the way of clarity, color, durability, and ergonomic design.

There are a few important considerations to weigh when picking out a pair of binoculars, and what option is best for you depends on whether you will be gazing at stars or birds.

The optical specification of a pair of binoculars is represented by a number that looks like a basic multiplication equation. 8×42 and 10×42 are the standard binocular specifications, and are the numbers that are best for general purpose use.The first number, which is invariably the smaller of the two, refers to the magnification power of the binoculars. It represents how many times larger the object will appear through the lens than it would to the naked eye.

The second number is the objective lens diameter, which is the larger piece of glass at the front of the binoculars. Objective lens diameter determines how much light is let in. The larger the lens diameter, the more light is let in. Photographers can think of it like aperture on a camera lens. A larger lens also means the binoculars will be heavier, which might compromise how long you are able to hold them steady. Increasing upper arm strength is a great solution to this problem, and will allow you to hold a pair of binoculars for longer while enjoying more light.

Field of View

The field of view is determined by the size of the eye piece and represented in degrees. Therefore, a 7.0 degree field of view would be 7 out of a 360 degree circle.  Wide angle are 7 or more degrees, while standard binoculars are around 5 degrees.

As magnification goes up, the field of view goes down. Birders will sacrifice some field of view for increased magnification. If you want to take in scenic panoramas, opt for a wide angle lens.

Other Factors To Consider

Get a pair of binoculars with a long eye relief if you wear glasses. Eye relief is the vertical distance to which your eye is supposed to sit, and is measured in millimeters. 13-15mm is considered a long eye relief, and the minimum a bespectacled individual would want to comfortably use the binoculars.

Reactual readers will also want to take note of the lens coating. The objective lens will be protected by an anti-reflective coating to minimize glare when light hits the surface. Fully multi-coated lenses are the best for performance and durability, as they enhance clarity, maintain integrity of color, and protect the lens from scratch and other damage.

We also highly recommend you choose a pair of binoculars that is waterproof or, at the very least, water-resistant. Even if you don’t plan to use your binoculars by water, fog and moisture in the air could potentially damage your pair.

Zeiss Victory HT: The Best Binoculars For Hunters and Birders

If you have the money to spare, there is no better pair of binoculars available than Zeiss Victory HT. The manufacturer is a specialty optics company with more than 200 years of binocular manufacturing expertise, and the Victory HT are engineered with precision to deliver the brightest color and most ergonomic design of any pair of binoculars. Released in 2012, Victory HT are made in Germany with the best products and most advanced technology.

They are the brightest premium binoculars in the world. They are the highest contrast and deliver more than 95% light transmission, 5% higher than other premium binoculars on the market. This jump is thanks to the new Schott High Transmission glass, which is exclusive to Zeiss. Schott has been developing special optical glass for more than 125 years, and their HT glass has the highest transmittance levels of any optical lens. This cuts down on a phenomenon known as “thermal lensing effect” and increases blue spectral range, which is particularly helpful in low-light situations.

Hunters and birdwatchers benefit most from the extra color in low light situations, as the HT glass makes the most of deep twilight. The lenses are protected by anti-fogging material which keeps them clear in the early morning cold. The extra color is still noticeable in general daytime use, but the difference is not as drastic as in dim or low-light viewing. If you plan to use your binoculars in daytime, the extra price tag is probably not worth the incremental improvement in color crispness.

The ingenious design of the Zeiss Victory HT sets it apart from competitors. It has a compact bridge and a large easy-to-use focus wheel. The comfort grip system allows you to grasp both optical tubes without a hinge in front of binoculars, and a long eye relief provides a comfortable viewing experience for those with and without glasses. It also has a double hinge feature which increases durability by minimizing the chance of breaking and a robust chassis that is made from lightweight magnesium.

The biggest drawback of the Zeiss Victory HT is obviously the price. Some commenters noted that other premium priced binoculars come with better kit (case, cleaning cloth). The lifetime warranty and 5 year no fault policy do provide some peace of mind for dropping so much on a pair of binoculars.

Zeiss also offers the Victory HT in 10×42, which gives you stronger magnification at the expense of a few degrees in field of view. Another option is the 10×54 version of the Victory HT, which Zeiss launched in 2014. Much lighter than other models with such a large objective lens diameter, this option is great for stargazers and deer hunters who need to make the most of nearly non-existent light.

Another Option For Bird Watching: Nikon Monarch 5

If you are willing to sacrifice color quality, Nikon’s Monarch 5 Series offers near identical image quality for a fraction of the price. It is a mid-level binocular with multi-coated Nikon ED (extra-low dispersion) lens that delivers sharp, high-contrast views. The ED Glass lenses and Dielectric High-Reflective Multilayer Prism Coating were previously reserved for Nikon’s more expensive models, but are available in the Monarch 5 series.

They have a 6.4 degree field of view, and maintain image sharpness outside of a 5 degree diameter up to 80%.

The exceptional design of Monarch 5 is durable and intuitive. It is very light, though not as light as Zeiss (21 oz versus 16 oz). The focus knobs are precise and smooth, very easy to adjust and find the best clarity. We appreciate the fully waterproofed rubber armored fog proof housing, which make this a durable and comfortable pair of binoculars to hold.

One complaint Monarch 5 owners have is that the lens cap is loose fitting, which leads to many lost caps. Nikon assures that this was an intentional design choice, but it nonetheless leads to problems.

 Best Compact Binoculars For Everyday Use: Bushnell Legend Ultra HD

Compact binoculars are lightweight and portable, perfect for hiking and general use while travelling. Any pair with an objective lens diameter smaller than 30mm is considered to be compact.

Bushnell Legend Ultra HD offers stunning HD image, thanks to ED Prime Glass. They are coated with anti-reflective lens and are secured in a lightweight magnesium chassis that is waterproof and fogproof. 

The post The Best Binoculars appeared first on Reactual.

The Details

The IOGEAR Wireless 3D Digital Kit provides you with cutting edge HDMI power, letting you do away with messy tangles of wires for your home entertainment theater or auxiliary TVs. Among its excellent qualities is its full compatibility with the latest 5.1 surround sound, 3D video, and 1080p hi-def movies. The signal that it puts out is not compressed, meaning for you that the signal can be delivered to different rooms without losing any of its original source quality. This technology enables the IOGEAR kit to support video resolutions of 480p, 720p, 1080i, or 1080p (24, 30, or 60 FPS) without frustrating diminishment of visual quality. Most users are delighted with the quality of the video (and audio), and many say that it exceeds their expectations.

The IOGEAR HDMI kit’s ability to cast the signal to multiple rooms means that you can create a “floating HDTV” in just about any room in your home where you might want to view television, be it a kitchen, a bedroom, a living room, a den, etc. The signal transmission power of the kit (see below) means that you can keep device components (such as a Blu-ray disc player) tucked away and out of sight if you want to (although the components of the kit are attractive).

Initially setting up the IOGEAR is simplicity itself. It doesn’t require you to install or download any software or drivers. For most users, setup takes only a few minutes.

The IOGEAR is said to be able to transmit a signal up to 100 feet, even through hard surfaces such as brick and metal as well as wood. However, a few users have experienced some frustration with getting the picture to show up at transmission distances of 80 feet or greater if there are any barriers in the way. At closer distances, however, there seem to be no issues at all with the signal passing through brick, concrete, metal, or multiple walls and reaching the device with no loss of original source quality.

The IOGEAR HDMI system is available on Amazon for about $190.

The post The Best Wireless HDMI of 2016 appeared first on Reactual.

The DeVialet Silver Phantom is the ultimate compact wireless hi-fi system, delivering incredible power with no sacrifice of sonic clarity even at the highest volumes.

The Details

The best to be found in a compact wireless hi-fit system in 2016 is the DeVialet Silver Phantom. DeVialet claims that the Phantom (with the Silver Phantom being the upgraded, even more powerful version) was designed over a period of 10 years, taking 40 engineers, 88 patents, and $30 million to bring to fruition.

The Silver Phantom is spherical (actually, oblong) in shape and white with silver dome drivers. The 26-pound music machine is lovely to the eye. The only control on the unit is a white “Reset” button that’s hard to find (to preserve aesthetic appeal). Everything else is controlled remotely via your Android or iOS device. The Phantom’s heat sink, blended seamlessly into its backside, reminds me of fins on some elegant fish.

The Silver Phantom supports many file formats including AMP3, aptX (which isn’t available on iPhone), AAC, AMP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, and OGG Vorbis. The music machine streams them with all lossless quality kept perfectly intact. For those who prefer wired connections, a flap at the back of the unit lifts to show Ethernet and TOSLINK ports.

DeVialet engineers explain that the Silver Phantom’s structure accommodates the two proprietary “Heart Beat Implosion” aluminum bass drivers (woofers) placed across from each other underneath a pair of thin aluminum domes. The diaphragms of these woofers (which have a 26mm peak-to-peak stroke), just like those of the coaxial midrange and tweeter drivers ensconced at a 90-degree angle to them, are flush with a spherical superstructure. In terms of acoustical physics, their being so situated focuses sound waves toward the Phantom’s center (which is vacuum sealed so as not to fissure or crack due to sonic onslaught).

This concept (which DeVialet calls its  proprietary ACE or “Active Cospherical Engine” loudspeaker technology) is inspired by the work of famed Princeton, NJ acoustical engineer Dr. Harry Ferdinand Olsen of RCA Labs. In experiments he conducted in the 1930s, Olsen concluded beyond the shadow of a doubt that a spherical speaker cabinet is the most efficient, the best at maintaining the fullness of the signal’s original sound quality. The closer that acoustical engineers can come to creating a single point in space out of which music emanates, the closer to “pure lossless” the music is.

The sheer sonic power of the Silver Phantom is quite simply astounding. At maximum volume, it produces 3000 watts of power to generate a jaw-dropping 105dB. Furthermore, as you increase the volume the Phantom’s sound becomes even cleaner. (Any extraneous sounds like humming or clacking that you hear are coming from the surface that the unit’s sitting on or is close by to, or may be the result of a low-quality recording.) Strong bass and outstanding clarity are always there at any volume level, but once you turn it up enough to really let those woofers run wild the audio experience deepens, whether you’re listening to R&B or a symphony orchestra, or even solo classical guitar.

But even at extreme volume, the Phantom never distorts or gets out of phase. The sound is always complex but balanced, one might even say “silky”, with excellent separation between highs and lows.

The Phantom’s components and outer shell are protected from their own heat and energy (and from outside impacts such as drops) with braided sheets of Kevlar acoustic insulation, which at once cool the the circuit boards and keep the unit so strong as to be literally bulletproof. Durability is no issue.

If there’s a flaw with the Silver Phantom, it’s that DOESN’T yield stereo surround sound. You would need multiple Phantoms to achieve that (or a close approximation). DeVialet engineers have made it possible to chain together up to 24 of them. (Oh, and one more flaw: the visually obtrusive, bright-greenish-yellow power cord! Who thought that up, anyway?)

The post The Best Compact Wireless Hi-Fi Speaker System of 2016 appeared first on Reactual.

The BeoSound 35, made by Bang & Olufsen, is a wireless hi-fi “super soundbar” that stands as an unbeatable “all-in-one integrated music system”.

The Details

Renowned Danish audio products engineers and designers Bang & Olufsen (B&O) have come up with a soundbar that’s not a mere soundbar in the usual sense but something far beyond that, aesthetically and sonically. It’s the pentagonal BeoSound 35, a wireless “all-in-one integrated music system” that I find formidably good among mounted or standing audio systems of this kind.

The BeoSound 35 can deliver clear and powerful sound for 24-bit/192 kHz high resolution audio. Other supported formats include MP3, AAC, AIFF, ALAC playback, FLAC, WA, and WMA (but not WMA lossless). What’s more, support for streaming services including Spotify Connect and the Deezer app is integrated right into the system. Likewise, so is support for AirPlay, BLNA, Google Cast, and TuneIn. There’s connectivity for Bluetooth 4.0 alongside “old school” hard-wired inputs. The company has, characteristically, made sure that it’s simplicity itself to pair up the BeoSound 35 with other B&O audio equipment if you want multi-room audio. According to B&O, all of this makes it a true “all-in-one integrated music system”, and I have to concur.

The unit has an OLED display built in, along with on-board touch controls. You control the volume with a finger swipe.

Behind the face cover, you find a pair of forward-facing 4″ woofers and a pair of 0.75″ tweeters which are angled at 90 degrees to the woofers, each pair driven by an 80-watt Class-D amplifier. The unit’s frequency range is from 45 Hz to 22 kHz.

The BeoSound 35’s aluminum outer shell and elongated pentagonal shape are a seamless blend of optimal function and form. The aluminum simultaneously helps with durability and heat dispersion. The pentagonal shape is much more aesthetically pleasing than the usual “rectangular box” shape of mounted wireless hi-fi speakers, but it also provides additional sound quality. That is, with the unit’s bigger loudspeaker at its center and the smaller tweeters on the ends you experience a well-balanced, 180-degree, room-filling sound without the annoyance or disappointment of hot spots or dead zones.

It has been thoroughly demonstrated that the BeoSound 35 can utterly cascade a room with crisp, high quality audio which doesn’t allow Beats-like bass dominance or distortion — whether you mount the system on the wall or set it up on a table with the included aluminum stand.

At the time of this writing, the BeoSound 35 has only had demo models heard. B&O are putting it on the market in April, 2016.

The post The Best Mounted Wireless Hi-Fi System of 2016 appeared first on Reactual.

The Details

Hopefully our recent string of battery reviews has convinced you to expand your rechargeable battery collection. NiMH cells are non-toxic and last for hundreds of recharge cycles, keeping them out of the landfill for longer. That’s both cost effective and eco-friendly. Once your battery arsenal grows large enough, you will want to invest in a battery organizer to reduce clutter.

Don’t be the person who tosses them helter-skelter in a junk drawer. One day you will be running late to catch a plane and will need to grab a fresh few to power the camera or a flashlight. When that happens, you will want to know exactly where your batteries are.

Enter Kovot’s battery organizer, complete with a removable tester. This sturdy and functional container holds AAA, AA, C, D, 9 Volt, CR and AG13 Buttons Cells. It has a 72 battery capacity, and each battery snaps into place with a satisfying click.

The case is a sleek black rectangle, perfect for sliding in drawers or laying out on a workbench. It has the otpion to be mounted on the wall and is made out of relatively strong plastic, although there is no outer layer of plastic to seal the batteries tightly inside.

While the Kovot comes with a battery tester, many Amazon reviewers noted that it had weak soldering and thus was not the most reliable tester on the market. Overall, this case is good as an organizer but consumers might want to look elsewhere for a reliable battery tester.

The post The Best Battery Organizer appeared first on Reactual.

The Toughest Camera: Olympus TG-4

The Olympus TG-4 is a shockproof and freeze-resistant camera that will capture beautiful images in extreme environmental conditions. It works underwater, and can snap pictures in RAW with a wide-angle lens. See our full review.

The Toughest Tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 8.0

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab Active 8.0 is a rugged water and dust resistant tablet that can survive in rough-and-tumble workplaces. Enjoy the vibrant colors and ultra-high resolution of Samsung’s flagship line of portable electronic secured in a MIL STD 810G rated anti-shock case. See our full review.

The Toughest Laptop: Panasonic Toughbook 31

The Toughbook 31 combines military quality drop-shock protection and best-in-class performance to create the world’s best ruggedized Windows notebook. A full magnesium alloy case safe-guards a powerful touch-screen notebook from hazardous environmental conditions and accidental drops and blows. See our full review.

The Toughest Smart Phone: Droid Turbo 2

Frequent phone droppers rejoice — Motorola has created the world’s first truly shatterproof smartphone, the Droid Turbo 2. An innovative five layer plastic AMOLED screen and aluminum chassis keep the Droid Turbo functioning even after drops of over 900 feet. See our full review.

The Toughest Audio Player: Cowon Plenue 1

Audiophiles in search of a portable audio player with high-fidelity sound and durable construction need to check out the Cowon Plenue 1. This tough device forgoes cheap plastics for a diamond-cut aluminum chassis. The solid-metal frame makes this MP3 player the toughest in the field, and a Burr-Brown DAC gifts the discerning listener with great sound quality and diverse file support. See our full review.

The Toughest Headphones: V-MODA XS

Listen to music with the peace-of-mind that your headphones can survive the use and abuse of daily transit. The V-MODA XS offer hi-fi sound in a solidly constructed shell. It has a steel frame, detachable cloth braided cords and a headband that bends but doesn’t break. See our full review.

The Toughest Portable Charger: Unifun Waterproof Battery

Keep your portable electronics fully charged in harsh environments with this dustproof and waterproof external battery by Unifun. The lithium-polymer battery is water-resistant and protected by a hard plastic case and shock-absorbing rubber edges. Plastic cover seals the Unifun’s two micro-USB charging ports from water. See our full review.

The Toughest USB Drive: Survivor Stealth USB 3.0

Transport your files in aircraft-grade aluminum with the Survivor Stealth USB 3.0, a military-style data transport that can endure extreme environments. An EPDM waterproof seal keeps water out and a molded shock damping collar protects this USB drive from drops and crushing. See our full review.

The Toughest External Hard Drive: U32 Shadow

Edit HD video and store your files on the U32 Shadow, a compact Solid State Drive housed in a stylish and durable aluminum case. Store up to 256 GB of files and run them through USB 3.0 at a speed of up to 400 MB/s. See our full review.

The Toughest Keyboard: Topre Type Heaven

Discover the joy of typing on this luxurious Japanese keyboard, the Topre Type Heaven. The solid, heavy design features electrostatic capacitive key switches at an affordable price point. The Topre Type Heaven will win over any typist with its satisfying tactile feedback and silent stroke. See our full review.

The Toughest Mouse: G602 Wireless Gaming Mouse

Get over 20 million clicks with the G602, a wireless mouse with 11 programmable buttons and a crazy long battery life. The G602 is outfitted with mechanical switches to increase lifespan and uses Delta Zero Sensor Technology for ultra-accurate cursor control. See our full review.

The Toughest Compact Flashlight: Titan Plus

The brightest and strongest ultra-compact flashlight is the SureFire Titan Plus. This flashlight that shines with 300 lumens at its highest setting — more than enough light to illuminate a forest trail. A nickel-plated brass body gives rugged protection that brushes off scratches and prevents corrosion. See our full review.

The post The Toughest Electronics appeared first on Reactual.

The Details

Designed by renowned audio tech engineer Andrew Jones, the Pioneer SP-EBS73-LR “bookshelf” speakers can be used as stereo front-liners or as surround sound generators. Two concentric, 1″ mid-tweeter arrays provide clarity beyond the peers of these speakers, but the 5.25″ woofers also give you expressive, richly detailed bass, which is not always the case when you’ve got a lot of power in the treble.

Placed strategically, the SP-EBS73-LR speakers provide an outstanding surround sound experience because of their three-way design. The tweeters and woofers are paired up with 4″ midrange drivers. This unique driver configuration comprises Pioneer’s CST (Coherent Source Transducer) Concentric Driver. The build quality is regarded as superb, enhancing the resonance of the speakers. (They are 7.4″ wide by 15.7″ tall by 9.7″ deep, with gracefully curved sides.) To have surround sound, it’s recommended that the speakers be placed on stands about a foot out from the wall to allow their rear bass port, which gets down to 50Hz, to breathe and to allow the sounds to have more reflective space.

If you like music that’s heavier than classical/orchestral, jazz trio, New Age, etc., then you’ll want to invest in HD Tracks to listen to pop, heavy metal, blues, etc. These speakers are so high fidelity that they have a slight “treble forwardness” quality that reveals the tiniest flaw of lower quality tracks, especially with rock music and it sub-genres because there’s so much loudness.

The SP-EBS73-LR speakers can be used alone as your stereo output, or they can be part of a multichannel system as flankers for Pioneer’s Elite SP-EC73 center-channel speaker.

The SP-EBS73-LR speakers also come equipped with Dolby Atmos technology, which has been designed to accurately pinpoint the precise location of an audio object within a 3-D audio space and thus give you a far more realistic audio experience while you’re watching Atmos-coded Blu-ray movie or concert discs. The Atmos driver in these Pioneers is in the top and flush-mounted in a 20 degree, angled baffle. But, for now, Atmos coded movie discs are limited.

The best feature of the Pioneer SP-EBS73-LR speakers is simply the surround sound that you can buy without having to empty your bank account or go into debt. Retailing at US $700 to $750, it seems well nigh impossible to find a better surround sound system in this price range according to all available reviews.

Another Option

Another surround sound option, which costs several hundred dollars more than the SP-EBS73-LR speakers, is the Audio MASS System (5.1). Made up of a horizontally-aligned MASS Centre speaker, four MASS 10 satellites, and the MASS W200 active subwoofer, this system is praised by listeners for delivering power and sonic detail that’s exceedingly hard to match. The satellite speakers are so compact, standing on slender posts, that they can easily be placed so as to be nearly invisible, but they’re also designed with a futuristic or otherworldly beauty. The other two, larger components have the same eye-appealing quality. I should point out that you can find the 5.0 system for about the same price as the Pioneer speakers.

The post The Best Surround Sound Speakers appeared first on Reactual.