• The brightest flashlight is now the Imalent M18 which shines at 100,000 lumens. It costs about $670.
• Another very bright flashlight is the Acebeam X70 shines at 60,000 lumens. It costs around $550.

The Brightest Compact Flashlights and Headlamps

• The Acebeam X80-GT is the brightest compact flashlight — it shines with an impressive 32500 lumens. It costs around $280.
• The brightest headlamp is the Lupine Betty Rx14 — it shines with 5000 lumens and costs around $1095.
• The brightest flashlight that uses AA cells is the Nitecore EA81. It shines at 2150 lumens. It takes eight AA batteries and costs about $120.
• The brightest headlamp that uses AA cells is the Fenix 15-U — the maximum output is 900 lumens. See a full review.
• The brightest headlamp that uses 16580 cells is ThruNite TH30 — maximum output is 3350 lumens
• Surefire has released the Titan Plus, a new keychain flashlight that produces 300 lumens at the highest light mode. It costs about $81. See the full review.

Brightest Compact Light: Acebeam X-80-GT

The Acebeam X8-GT0 shines at 32500 lumens — impressive for such a compact light!

It runs on six 18650 rechargeable batteries and has a beam range of 525 meters.

It is waterproof and impact resistant to 1.2 meters.

Home page: Acebeam

Another Bright Compact Flashlight: Thrunite TN36 UT

The Thrunite TN36 UT6 is a compact flashlight that outputs an impressive 7300 lumens. It runs on four 18650 rechargeable batteries. It’s waterproof to IPX-8 Standard (1.5 meters) and impact resistant to 2 meters.

The Thrunite TN36 UT6 is available on Amazon for about $230

The Brightest LED Flashlight That Uses AA Batteries: Nitecore EA81

The brightest flashlight with AA batteries is the Nitecore EA81, which shines at 2000 lumens. It takes eight AA batteries and costs about $200.

It’s waterproof to IPX-8 Standard (1.5 meters) and impact resistant to 1.5 meters.

The Nitecore EA81 is available on Amazon for about $280.

The Brightest Keychain Flashlight: Titan Plus

Surefire has released the Titan Plus, a keychain flashlight that produces 300 lumens in its highest light mode. Before this release, the brightest keychain light produced about 80-120 lumens, so this threefold increase is significant.

I’ve purchased this light and will be testing it soon. The 300-lumen mode lasts about 1 hour using a AAA Ni-MH battery.

All Surefire flashlights are designed and built in the USA, although some components are still sourced outside the US. Surefire says:

We do import a few components – most notably, the finest light emitting diodes (LEDs) from top-notch manufacturers outside the country – to incorporate into our products. All of that said, we do rely on as many American-made parts and components as possible, and the assembly of these components is done under our watchful eye in the U.S. to ensure optimal quality.

The Titan Plus is available from Amazon for about $81.

The post The Brightest LED Flashlights appeared first on Reactual.

Brightest Bike Light: Niterider Pro 3600 Lumen Light

The Niterider 3600 Pro is a 3600 lumen light made in the USA. This light has two chambers, and each chamber contains three Cree XML LED bulbs.

Niterider have a great reputation, and I’ve found their lights to be very durable — they’ve survived a few falls onto pavement from my bike.

This light is very bright and projects a wide beam hundreds of feet. A unique feature of this light is the included DIY software, which allows you to customize the settings it to your needs.

Brightest Bike Light With Built In Battery

Note that the light’s beam is just too bright to use in an urban area, unless you greatly step down the intensity! If you feel you’ll be doing this, you might consider the 1800 Lumen Niterider or the 1200 lumen Niterider.

The post The Brightest Bike Light appeared first on Reactual.

Update September 2016: The SVS SB-1000 is now our top recommended subwoofer under $500.

Polk Audio PSW505 ($200)

Pros:

• Powerful enough to fill a large room
• Flexible input options
• Impeccable build quality

Cons:

• Too much bass for small spaces

Top Review Sources:

• Amazon 5.0/5.0 (200+ reviews)
• Newegg.com: 5.0/5.0 (225+ reviews)
• AudioEnz: “A fine sense of extension, tactile impact and all round bass weight and authority”

The Polk Audio PSW505 is an established and respected player in the large-room subwoofer game. Its performance is class-leading, with deep reserves of thundering bass and incredible precision. The PSW505 is a 12-inch woofer with a frequency range of 23 to 160Hz. It is solidly-built, measures 16-1/8″ H x 15-1/8″ W x 18-3/16″ D, weights 43 pounds, and is wrapped in black, real wood veneer. Features include an adjustable low-pass crossover, volume control, and a phase switch. This sub is magnetically shielded against interference and has an auto on/off switch to conserve power. Inputs are 5-way binding posts, line level (filtered), and LFE (unfiltered); output is a pair of 5-way binding posts. The PSW505’s 300 watts of power and big volume potential make it best suited for large spaces.

Amazon sells the Polk Audio PSW505.

Polk Audio PSW10 ($94)

Pros:

• Solid construction
• High value
• Clean and clear sound

Cons:

• No LFE input
• Might be insufficient for large rooms

Top Review Sources:

• Amazon: 4.5/5.0 (375+ reviews)
• CNET: 3.5/5.0 “It pounds out home-theater thrills and musical bass with equal prowess”
• Newegg.com: 5.0/5.0 (225+ reviews)

The low-price, high-performance Polk PSW10 makes it difficult to justify building a home theater without a powered sub. For $100, this subwoofer delivers 50 watts of continuous power through a 10-inch composite polymer speaker, producing rich bass with plenty of punch. Equally skilled at enhancing music, movies, or television, the PSW10 does its job without becoming boomy or muddled at high volumes. Its solid construction contributes to its great sound: 26 pounds of medium-density fiberboard measuring 14-3/8″ H x 14″ W x 16-1/8″ D. Included are speaker-level and line-level inputs, plus a speaker-level output. Frequency response is 35 to 200Hz. You also get on-speaker volume, crossover, and phase controls as well as an auto on/off switch. The PSW10 is built for small- to medium-size spaces. It is available in black or cherry finishes.

The Polk Audio PSW10 is currently available on Amazon.

Definitive Technology SuperCube III ($379)

Pros:

• Small package; huge bass
• Great range
• Solidly built

Cons:

• Will distort at extreme volume

Top Review Sources:

• Crutchfield: Staff Pick “True, accurate, and extremely deep bass in any room”
• Best Buy Customer Reviews: 4.5/5.0 (15+ reviews)
• Home Theater Magazine: “other SuperCube subs…have had amazingly low but very musical bass output—and lots of it. The SuperCube III is no exception”

Definitive Technology’s SuperCube III produces unbelievable bass despite its compact footprint. Its sound profile is defined by its extreme depth—all the way down to 16Hz. The SuperCube III produces an authoritative 650 watts of power, capable of handling the bass duties in small or large rooms. Listeners appreciate the SuperCube III’s versatility; it performs as well when asked to provide a steady, undistorted rumble as it does when the soundtrack demands rapid, staccato bursts of bass. Though this gloss black cube weights a substantial 25 pounds, it only measures 10-1/4 inches in any dimension. It has a signal-sensing auto on/off switch, low-pass crossover, volume control, 5-way binding post outputs, and line level, LFE, and 5-way binding post inputs. Its woofer is 7-1/2 inches in diameter.

You can buy the Definitive Technology SuperCube III on Amazon

The post The Best Subwoofers Under $500 appeared first on Reactual.

The Cowon Plenue 1 portable MP3 player is diamond-carved out of a solid slab of aluminum, making it impressively durable. In addition to its durability, it’s equipped with the world-renowned Burr-Brown PCM1792A Audio DAC, allowing it to deliver awesome sound quality that any audiophile would love.

The Details

I’m a true audiophile (a guitar player, in fact) who wants music to resound in his ears and brain with clarity, power, and instrument separation. I’m also someone who loves to engage in certain outdoor activities like running and hiking. My wife and I do a good amount of traveling, too. What that all means for me is that I’m prone to exposing a quality portable MP3 player to getting banged or dropped and damaged. With that end in mind, my research tells me that the answer is the Cowon Plenue 1.

Carved out of a solid slab of aluminum using diamond-cutting CNC (computer numerical control) machining technology, the Plenue 1 is highly durable with its full metal body, anodized finish, and half-an-inch thickness. Additionally included with the device is a leather carrying sleeve for further protection. If I’m looking for a high quality portable music player with the most impressive durability and ruggedness, the Plenue 1 is my choice.

This is not at all an inexpensive MP3 player. It sells in the U.S. for about $900. However, the Plenue 1 is equipped with the world-renowned Burr-Brown PCM1792A Audio DAC which allows it to be one of the best of the best high-fidelity portable music players money can buy. According to the manufacturer, the PCM1792A “is a monolithic CMOS integrated circuit that includes stereo digital-to-analog converters and support circuitry in a small 28-lead SSOP package. The data converters use TI’s advanced segment DAC architecture to achieve excellent dynamic performance and improved tolerance to clock jitter.”

The Plenue 1 gives you wide file support, being able to play 24bit/192kHz PCM (WAV & AIFF), DXD (352.8/384kHz), and DSD128 (5.64MHz) formats. The device has also got 128 GB of memory which can be doubled. Reviews and testimonials about this portable music player’s sound quality are overwhelmingly outstanding.

Nothing is perfect. In addition to the hefty price tag that it carries, critics point out the Plenue 1’s absence of streaming support and third-party apps. Moreover, there are complaints about the awkwardness of the user buttons (not raised enough, not finger-friendly, easy to hit by accident) and there being less than 9 hours of battery life at full charge.

Nevertheless, for its durability and its awesome hi-fi sound, the Cowon Plenue 1 is worth the big bucks.

The Cowon Plenue 1 is available from Amazon for about $900.

The post The Ruggedest Audio Player appeared first on Reactual.

The speakers that produce the lowest bass are tactile transducers — they typically produce frequencies in the 0.5 – 20 Hz range. Tactile sound is not perceived through the ears — it perceived through the body. Most subwoofers are incapable of producing audio in this range.

A good tactile transducer to start with is $150, entry-level Clark Synthesis Silver Edition (TST239) — it provides ample sub-frequency bass for the home user.

The Details

Tactile sound is the sensation of sound transmitted directly to the human body by contact, rather than by sound waves through the ears (tympanic sensation).

More specifically, it is sound perceived through bone conduction, through muscles and deep tissue, and via skin sensation. We perceive the vibrations through our haptic senses which include both kinesthetic (muscle) and touch (cutaneous) senses. We feel both inaudible (infrasonic frequencies) and audible frequencies. Thus, tactile sound is not just brute rumbles and shock waves.

Tactile sound can be perceived in high fidelity up to the mid-range frequencies. According to NASA research we perceive 0 to 1 kHz through the sense of touch, 0 to 3 kHz through kinesthesia (the sense of the relative position of neighboring parts of the body), and 0.20 kHz to 20 kHz through our ears. Note there’s an overlap — we can hear the range of 0.20 kHz to 3 kHz both with our ears and through other parts of our body. Also, some hearing-impaired individual can hear sounds up to 5 kHz through their skin.

Tactile sound is a sensation that many seek out. People often buy expensive subwoofers to achieve deep bass effects. In this pursuit, subwoofers are often pushed past recommend levels, resulting in damaged equipment, muddied sound fields, and disturbed neighbors. Typically, subwoofers not produce tactile sound very well. They are designed to transmit low frequency sound through the air, and they don’t usually produce bass below 25 – 30Hz. Correctly installed and enclosed subwoofers can producer lower and louder deep bass, but they will not produce the same level of tactile vibrations.

So what kind of device produces tactile sound? Tactile transducers, or electro-mechanical devices that are built specifically to vibrate objects. They are very similar to a loudspeaker woofer driver minus the cone.

There are two basic flavors of transducer: inertial shakers and linear actuators. Let’s take a look at the differences between the two:

Inertial Shakers

Inertial Shakers operate by shaking a mass in an enclosed housing. The resulting vibrations are transferred to an attached object, like the wooden crossbeam of a couch, for example. Usually, shakers are bolted directed to an object.

Companies that make Inertial Shakers include: Clark Synthesis, Aura Sound, Earthquake Audio, Buttkicker and Sonic Immersion Technologies. These devices vary widely in price — some produce a simple shaking effect, some produce high-fidelity sounds that compliment to a stereo system or home theater (such as those offered by Clark Synthesis, my personal favorites).

A good tactile transducer to start with is $150, entry-level Clark Synthesis Silver Edition (TST239). It will produce solid definition to drum hits, or shake your fillings loose if you so desire. The transducer can be installed in less than an hour. It took me about 45 minutes to bolt it to the bottom of my couch, using the parts provided with the transducer. In my test installation, I removed the fabric from the button of a couch, and bolted the transducer to a crossbeam underneath. Once installed, the entire couch functions as a bass speaker.

But wait, we need to power the tactile transducer! Clark Synthesis sells a $350 customized tactile amplifier to do this, but you can actually use any amplifier that outputs at least 100 watts (check the Clark Synthesis documentation for more info). Well, Cambridge Audio makes good amplifiers, but their entry-level models start at $330. We can instead use an AudioSource amplifier. This is a 2-channel 100-watt (50 watts x 2) power amplifier, which can be purchased for under $100. This amplifier is well-reviewed —  111 reviewers on Amazon gave it an average of 4 out of 5 stars. You attach your amplifier to the tactile transducer using standard speaker cables. You then connect the amplifier to the Sub Out connector on your receiver.

Linear Actuators

Linear Actuators are transducers that push against a hard surface. They apply a force directly to an object, in contrast to Inertial Shakers which vibrate themselves, and then transmit that vibration into another object. Commercially available Linear Actuators usually replace the feet of a chair. They operate by pushing against the floor, and directly lifting and dropping a chair. They tend to be more expensive that Inertial Shakers, and they can be only installed under chairs — they can’t be installed under a floor or in a swimming pool like the shakers above.

Companies that offer Linear Actuator include: Crowson Technology and d-Box Technologies.

See also: The Tactile Transducer FAQ

The post The Speakers With The Deepest Bass: Tactile Transducers appeared first on Reactual.

Groom Mate Nose Hair Trimmer

The Groom Mate Nose Hair Trimmer is made with brushed stainless steel. The trimmer doesn’t require any batteries — instead you twist the bottom with a gentle motion, and the rotary blades cut ear or nose hair without the risk of injury. The trimmer received an average of of 4 out 5 stars from over 530 Amazon buyers. It comes with a lifetime “no questioned asked” guarantee. Priced at $18.88 from Amazon.

Khlip Ultimate Clipper

We reviewed this clipper from Khlip in our last post. The Ultimate Clipper is made with surgical stainless steel in the U.S. It has a unique design that allows for effective nail clipping. It comes with a lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects. The Ultimate Clipper is available directly from Khlip for $50.

See also this Seki Edge Toe Nail Clipper from Japan — its a quality clipper, and it sells for $18.

Tongue Sweeper

Bad breath is often caused by an accumulation of bacteria and fungi on the tongue. In fact 80-95% of all cases of bad breath are due to these bacteria accumulating on one’s tongue (see this article for more info).

The Tongue Sweeper featured here is designed to allow easier cleaning of the back of tongue. It comes with a lifetime warranty. There are two models: a titanium version, and a stainless steel version.

Merkur Heavy Duty Double Edge Razor

Merkur Razors are handcrafted in Solingen, Germany. These classic safety razors have been in use for over a hundred years. Compared to using disposable-blade razors, safety razors are much less expensive to use in the long term.

Merkur razors receive high-praised by Michael Ham, author of the Leisureguy’s Guide To Gourmet Shaving. Ham says the a Mercur is “the pre-eminent” razor due their excellent design and weight. The heavy stainless steel construction actually helps with the shaving process, since you don’t have to apply pressure — gravity does work instead.

Merkur Razors are available on Amazon.

Ernest Alexander Dopp Kit

This Dopp Kit is handmade in the U.S. by New York-based designer Ernest Alexander. Alexander says his products are constructed to last a lifetime. His Dopp Kit is made with charcoal wax canvas, brown leather bottom and trimmings, and brass rivets.

The post Buy It For Life: Grooming Tools For Men appeared first on Reactual.

Note that you won’t find a new Apple laptop for under $500. If you want a new Mac laptop — the least expensive option is to purchase a Apple MacBook Air MC506LL/A, which was released in 2010, and currently sells for $849 at Amazon.

The Best Apple Laptops Under $500

Let’s take a look at the used Apple laptops you can get for under $500.

When buying a used or refurbished laptop, pay attention to the seller’s rating and return policy. In most cases you’ll want to avoid “newly launched” sellers, or sellers with ratings under 90%. When your used laptop arrives, you’ll know pretty soon if it works as advertised. If it doesn’t, you’ll want to be able to return the machine within 30 days. I’d also try to find a buyer who mentions that the laptop has a battery that “still holds a charge”. Many laptop batteries need to be replaced after 4-5 years. If you do find the battery unacceptable, it’s possible to buy a replacement Macbook batteries separately for about $40.

Apple MacBook MB403LL/A ($470-$500)

For just under $500, the best Macbook you can buy is an Apple MacBook MB403LL/A. This Macbook came out in Late 2008, and it has 2.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and a 13.3 inch screen. Although it was released 4 years ago, this is a perfectly acceptable laptop for 2012. It can run Apple’s latest operating system, OS X 10.7 “Lion”. I’d advise you to try to get this Macbook with 2 GB of memory installed — there’s not much price difference between a 1GB and 2GB machine, but the extra memory makes a difference.

The Apple MacBook MB403LL/A is available on Amazon for about $500.

Apple G4 iBook M9627LL/A  ($250-$300)

If you really looking to save some money, you can get an Apple G4 iBook for under $300. These machines came out between 2003 and 2004. They have 1.33 gHZ processors and can run the OS X 10.5 “Leopard” operating system. While they are not speedy by today’s standards, these laptops work fine for web browsing and running other applications, though watching videos online can be frustrating. But overall, a quality computer from Apple.

The Apple G4 iBook is available from Amazon for $250-$300.

Apple G4 Powerbook M9110LL ($470-$500)

If you’re looking for laptop with a 17″ screen, you can get a used Powerbook  G4 M9110LL for under $500. Note, however that this machine was released in 2003, and only has an 1.33-GHz PowerPC G4 processor. The  MacBook mention above is an faster Intel processor and more memory for the same price.

The post How To Find Apple Laptops Under $500 appeared first on Reactual.

All of these attributes make titanium an ideal metal for constructing durable pocket tools. However, note that many products labeled “titanium” are just titanium colored, or they only contain a thin coating of titanium. The tools listed here are made with solid titanium or an alloy containing more than 90% titanium.

Leatherman Charge TTi Titanium Multi-Tool

Weight: 8.2 ounces (232 grams)
Titanium Type: Alloyed Titanium Handles, S30V Stainless Steel Blades

The Charge TTi Titanium Multi-Tool by Leatherman is one of the few multi-tools that incorporates titanium into its construction. This tool has titanium handles and a titanium outer coating for extra strength, and a little bit less weight.

You can get the Charge TTi Titanium Multi-Tool on Amazon for about $150.

Schrade Titanium Keychain Pry Tool

Weight: 0.5 ounces (14 grams)
Titanium Type: 6AL-4V Titanium Alloy

This Titanium Key Chain Pry Tool by Schrade is made with solid 6AL-4V titanium — an alloy that is stronger than pure titanium (the exact chemical composition is: 6% aluminium, 4% vanadium, 0.25% iron, 0.2% oxygen, and the remainder titanium).

This is 6-in-One tool, it’s: a seal belt cutter, a bottle opener, a flat head screw driver, a wrench driver, a scraper, and a pry tool. It weighs just 0.5 ounces, and it’s 3.25″ long (8.2 cm).

Titanium Split Pea Lighter

Weight: 0.5 ounces (14.3 Grams)
Titanium Type: 6AL4V Series Titanium Grade 5 Alloy

The Titanium Split Pea Lighter can be used as an candle in an emergency and carried on your keychain. A removable lighter insert allows it to be used as a waterproof titanium pill vial. It sells for $30 from County Comm.

Titanium Split Ring

Titanium split ring can be used as the ultralight base of a keychain. You can find titanium split rings at the County Comm Store (3 for $6) or Berkeley Point ($5 – $6 each).

Titanium Money Clip

Weight: 1 ounce (28 grams)
Titanium Type: Pure Titanium

Weighing one ounce, this Titanium Money Clip is a lightweight version of the usual stainless steel money clip. It’s available on Amazon for about $50.

Arc AAA Titanium Keychain Flashlight

Weight: 0.95 ounces (including battery)
Titanium Type: 6Al-4V (Ti-64) Titanium Alloy

Designed for keychains, Arc-AAA flashlights are barely larger than the AAA batteries they contain. The exact dimension are: 2.5 inches in length, 0.5 inches in diameter, and 0.95 ounces in weight (including battery). The Arc-AAA is made in Phoenix, Arizona by Arc Flashlights. The company only makes keychain-sized flashlights, and put a lot of attention into the design of their lights (see the FAQ page for all the technical details).

The three titanium models range in price from $125 to $140.

The post 10 Titanium Pocket Tools appeared first on Reactual.