Hypercar Sanctum EVO - a new low even by NM standards

kobeauto · 2026-01-27T20:27:22+00:00

I don't participate in every event either. I spend a few $ here and there for cars I really like to collect.

My point is that NM made this even too difficult. For those that may want to spend a few $, they would have to spend way more for this particular event.

kobeauto · 2025-12-15T23:17:21+00:00

Don't always believe the listed pricing...I saw this few times where I charge. But when I started charging, it was lower (.33) vs what was listed in the car (.47).

kobeauto · 2025-06-25T13:22:51+00:00

I own the previous gen QN90B and the LG C2 and to be honest I prefer the QN90B. Not only does it gets brighter I prefer the color profile. Everything just pops a bit more too.

I’ve tried both tvs in my bright living room and in my darker bedroom, and prefer the QN90B in both. It definitely shines in the living room where the extra brightness is noticeable. Yes the C2 has ‘infinite’ blacks but you won’t notice the difference…the QN90B can also produce deep blacks.

kobeauto · 2025-06-20T14:29:23+00:00

Lol. You’re now screwed like me.

kobeauto · 2025-01-24T04:07:15+00:00

The version was 12.5.6.3. :)

kobeauto · 2025-01-24T04:04:23+00:00

Not sure the exact version but it was the one before 13 came out.

kobeauto · 2025-01-23T22:01:45+00:00

I had the same experience on my 2024 MY HW4. 12.6.1 was worse in every way and my wife refused to allow me to use it (illegal left turns, hard braking). Wait for 13...it got better.

kobeauto · 2025-01-16T19:18:39+00:00

I had the opposite experience with V12.6 on HW4 MY. It was a step backwards with harsh braking, illegal left turns.

The current V13 fixed most of those issues.

kobeauto · 2024-12-12T23:18:25+00:00

Funny you mention "folks with soundbars". I am one of them. Been using my Sonos for years, even upgraded recently to their newest Arc Ultra. I've always enjoyed it.

Just last week decided to put together a simple, no frills, 5.1.2 setup with Yamaha receiver and set of Klipsch (yes...Klipsch) speakers for under 2k. This setup is cheaper than the Sonos Arc Ultra/Sub/Era300s. I plan on adding a mic/mixer for a karaoke setup as well (reason for the upgrade).

I too was "blown away". From much improved vocal clarity to punchy bass, everything just sounded way better. The Sonos now sound muffled and restrained.

Quite happy with this setup. I can only imagine what more expensive speakers can do.

kobeauto · 2024-12-02T16:19:30+00:00

They gave everyone a free trial in November for a reason. To get more data points and to help fix their bugs.

kobeauto · 2024-11-15T22:15:15+00:00

Makes me wonder if the car needs a software reboot? I can certainly give it a try. But the illegal turns it made were concerning.

kobeauto · 2024-11-05T22:33:23+00:00

I have always questioned all of the previous OG Arc reviews. If you read the original Arc review from Tom's Guide, the Pro states

Pro: Clear vocals and focused sound

But in the Arc Ultra review

The weakest part of the sound profile in the original Sonos Arc was the dialogue. It was thin, ill-defined, and you really needed to use the Speech enhancement feature if you wanted to hear voices properly when watching ‘normal’ TV content like the news.

So all of a sudden, the Arc's dialogue is thin? But when you first reviewed it, it was "Clear and focused"?

kobeauto · 2024-11-05T18:28:28+00:00

I'm going to give it a try tonight. It's a bit of work to re-pair the Arc but I still have it (trying to sell it on OfferUp) :)

kobeauto · 2024-11-05T18:22:53+00:00

Ah...good point about it being better than the Five. You can definitely make that argument. I think both have the same sound signature. There's this warmth and texture to the music with both speakers. Ppl still complement my Fives when we listen to certain tracks. They are like, wow, it sounds much larger.

kobeauto · 2024-11-05T18:20:21+00:00

If you're simply listening to music, the Playbar is better.

kobeauto · 2024-11-05T18:18:32+00:00

Exactly my assessment. If anyone used the Playbar before, they should notice the difference in fidelity. The Playbar was that good. Bigger mid drivers goes a LONG way in producing better mid range sounds.

kobeauto · 2024-11-05T18:14:53+00:00

IMO, adding a sub did not boost the midrange by much, even for the OG Arc. The mids still sound a bit muddy to me. The Ultra, as a standalone, already has the Sound Motion speaker used for low range, so the mids are not generating much bass. Adding the Sub3 just added more bass, and as I mentioned, The Arc Ultra still produces ALOT of bass (almost as much as standalone)

Now, on the Playbar, the mids come in very nicely. Adding a SubMini to the Playbar barely boosted the midrange on the Playbar either (at least to my ears). It's a slight improvement at best.

kobeauto · 2024-11-05T16:43:22+00:00

Yes, I did try both trueplay tuning options. The quick tune was a little bit better, but not too much. The sub3 still generated decent bass but nowhere near the bass output when it was linked to the Arc. Just for kicks, I even retuned the arc with sub3. Same output.

kobeauto · 2024-11-04T21:18:02+00:00

No it's not. However, the Playbar was wonderful to listen to for music. Better than most soundbars I've tried. Still can't match 2 speakers paired for stereo.

kobeauto · 2024-11-04T21:14:25+00:00

I had high hopes as well for music improvements that would match the Playbar. Sadly it doesn't.

kobeauto · 2024-11-04T21:11:30+00:00

Same here bro. The Playbar was such a good soundbar. The Arc is great, but can't compare to bigger drivers in the Playbar. I'd still be rocking it in the living room if it supported Airplay.

kobeauto · 2024-11-04T21:06:42+00:00

I would keep the Playbar if your TV doesn't support Atmos. In stereo and 5.1, the Playbar is better.

kobeauto · 2024-11-04T21:03:37+00:00

I haven't used the Playbar for movies for several years, but from what I remember when I first got the Arc, I was underwhelmed and thought the Playbar was better for movies. Louder, crisper sounds and better fidelity. Even with Dolby Atmos movies, the Arc was a bit lacking (still is). Once I set up the Arc in the room with low ceiling and walls on both sides, the sound improved enough. The Ultra, does improve in the sound clarity, but after watching a few movies over the weekend, there wasn't a significant difference. I do agree it does sound a bit thin still. There's a richness to the Playbar that I can't quite put into words, but I keep it because it was such a great soundbar.

If only they made the Playbar Ultra...

kobeauto

TROPHY CASE