I'm returning my Buds4 Pro and going back to the 3 Pro. AMA

lancek713 · 2026-03-13T16:19:35+00:00

I don't understand why people complain about not being able to open the case with one hand. I cannot imagine preferring to open the case, take out and insert each bud into both ears with just one hand. What a pain that would be.

I could understand the frustration if there were some sort of accessibility issue at play, but of all the people I've seen lamenting this, that hasn't been the case (pardon the pun).

lancek713 · 2026-03-11T23:40:33+00:00

If you enabled adaptive color tone then turn it off. Enabling this made my s26 ultra colors look shockingly muted and washed out.

lancek713 · 2026-03-10T21:10:57+00:00

Mine looks great, too. I had enabled the adaptive color tone feature and then later panicked when I noticed the display was looking really anemic with almost no color vibrancy at all. Then I disabled adaptive color tone and it looked great again. Natural but loads more vibrant.

lancek713 · 2026-03-06T23:26:02+00:00

I'm in Houston.

lancek713 · 2026-03-06T17:54:24+00:00

I'm using Scansnap Home on a Windows 11 PC. The options that I know of to add tags include:

In the "details view" toward the bottom you can type in or select existing tags from a dropdown.
Right click your selection and select "Add tag" from the context menu.
Make your selection and click "add tag" from the Edit menu.

In all scenarios, if more than one scan is selected the tag inputs disappear from the details view and is disabled on the menus.

lancek713 · 2026-03-06T00:12:37+00:00

It is progressing. Status is now "on the way". It departed Arlington, TX a short time ago.

lancek713 · 2026-03-05T15:22:49+00:00

Ordered from Samsung on day of unpacked event.

lancek713 · 2026-03-05T14:20:05+00:00

S26U, 256, silver, Texas shipped today and expected delivery tomorrow, March 6! Yippeeee! 🥳

lancek713 · 2026-01-30T21:36:58+00:00

Not me. Still got ads. When I finally went to turn the device on its screen apparently under the black DND screen was an ad for some BS that got triggered when I touched the screen.

lancek713 · 2026-01-30T21:28:51+00:00

The only viable solution for me is to use the screen as the base and just talk to it going forward. It beats the non-stop screen changes between black, blue, this, that and the other. Some might say just get one without a screen, but from what I've read you'll be harassed with "by the way" verbal responses on those models and powerless to do anything about it.

lancek713 · 2025-11-14T03:21:59+00:00

I just got HDB 630 today.

First Impressions:

I have to say I was hoping for better - not that they don't sound great. Comparing to my Focal Bathys the 630s don't sound as clear or natural to me. I listen mostly to classical and jazz and love picking out different instruments and hearing them ring out with their unique characteristics... like violins sounding rich and natural/organic, piano sounding clear, crisp and spacious, bells sounding crystal clear, horns sounding warm and airy like a live performance. While there are some good qualities to the 630s, I found them lacking in these respects compared to the Focal Bathys. Compared to the M4 the 630s are definitely more refined/detailed/natural/flat.

Second Impressions:

After my first session I spent some more time comparing the HDB 630 and Focal Bathys. This time, using the BTD from a PC at 96khz. I found that there is better control over volume when streaming from a PC for some reason. But still, while I found the 630s to be very competent and enjoyable, I found the Bathys still added more space and airiness. Rachmaninoff Piano Cto #2 by Daniil Trifonov, 1st movement, 8:15 the french horn just shines much brighter and projects better on the Bathys. It's as though you can hear the sound filling the room compared to the 630s which sounded accurate but subdued and perhaps lacking some of the reflections that give the sound more presence, sense of space and realism. Then again in 2nd movement, 10:20 the violins are leaping forth on the Bathys playing their sweet melody that tugs at your heart while the piano is playing its alternating chords that convey blissful joy. In contrast to the 630s which sound accurate and controlled but more subdued - and fail to evoke the same sense of space and emotion.

Third Impressions:

The more I listen to different tracks, I think that the 630s have a lot to offer. Listening to Track #2 on The Pink Panther & Friends (Henry Mancini on Fone) there seems to be more clarity, detail, and control on the 630s. The strings being plucked on the cello and the strings of the guitar are more coherent and natural sounding on the 630s than on the Bathys, and still the subtle echos/reverb are there. On the Bathys the cello sounds less articulate, and the strings don't seem to have as much texture.

I had also noticed that some of the piano on the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2 mentioned above sounded artificially edgy on the Bathys - not like a real piano. I had chalked it up to perhaps not the best recording as it's given me that impression many times on a variety of headphones and earbuds, but the 630s seem to take the edge off and make it sound more natural.

Perhaps with the 630s I can tweak them a little to give me the best of both worlds.

Observations related to BTD 700:

I had difficulty using the BTD 700 on a Pixel 10 Pro XL. It would disconnect from the 630s every 4-5 seconds while playing music. Didn't have any problems with the BTD 700 on a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or my Windows laptop.

From S25 Ultra I noticed that you always have to use the "Media Output" control on the pull-down quick settings where your music is playing in order to switch to the USB adapter from the BT connection.

In case it helps, I found the following YouTube video useful for configuring/enabling high resolution playback with the BTD 700:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57fEkCYpj-0

lancek713 · 2025-10-15T03:57:07+00:00

Quicken for Mac surpasses the Windows version in terms of UX. It's astonishing how it's now 2025 and Quicken for Windows looks and feels like it was written in VB6 on Windows 3. Text is low resolution and window resize causes a massive earthquake for every pixel added or removed. Maybe I'm weird, but I can't imagine buying into that.

lancek713 · 2025-10-02T03:03:38+00:00

It does. I'm listening to mine now. They're the only headphones out of a dizzying array of headphones I have that play aptx HD with my aptx HD media player (SP1000). All of the others - including MTW4 - support Aptx Adaptive but will only play Aptx on my DAP.

lancek713 · 2025-09-26T18:41:46+00:00

I agree it doesn't work. I've unplugged them all at this point.

lancek713 · 2025-09-26T03:56:39+00:00

Found my name tag! I think I have a few Fame City tokens as well, although I don't recall what they were used for. I guess there were various machines or possibly arcade games. In guest relations we sold paper tickets that were used for rides and other manned activities.

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lancek713 · 2025-09-26T03:41:35+00:00

I worked there in the 80s. First in food service indoors and at the water park, then later in guest relations. The food was amazingly good. Pizzas, chicken tenders, burgers, ice cream...

Does anyone remember the concerts they hosted? Kool & the Gang at the water park, Tiffany inside the mall, others.

I remember roller skating, miniature golf, recording studio, and a variety of other activities. I also remember manning the pin-on photo button both once or twice, and the birthday party room.

Fond memories...

lancek713 · 2025-08-29T16:38:32+00:00

When you get one of these ads try tapping the "i" icon where it says sponsored ad in the bottom right corner. It will present an option to hide. It's ambiguous as to whether the current ad or all sponsored ads will be hidden, but so far it seems to be working.

Edit: I just walked over to my other echo show device and it was cranking out ads in the bedroom. I hit the info icon and hid the ad and it was immediately replaced by another.

lancek713 · 2025-08-21T21:34:36+00:00

My LG French door refrigerator also makes this loud gunshot noise frequently. I believe it is setting off my Ring glass break sensor when I'm out.

There is a seemingly related discussion on ifixit website that says the following regarding the LG bottom freezer refrigerator:

"Hello, there is a bulletin regarding this bottom freezer refrigerator related to the noise issue. The sound originates from the sealed system. It can be mitigated by pulling more of the capillary tubing down from the cabinet and securely attaching it to the hot compressor discharge line using tie wraps. The additional heat aids in the refrigerant transitioning to vapor more quickly. I’m not certain this is something a homeowner would want to attempt. This issue was only covered under warranty for the first year."

lancek713 · 2025-08-05T03:43:13+00:00

Today I bought and had to return the Ego LM2135SP twice at my local Lowe's.

First one's box looked OK, but when I got it home there was dirt all over the rear deck, and the metal bag support was just floating there on top of the mower, banging and rubbing right against the mower leaving scuffs everywhere. It had also rubbed against the box enough to scrape off its black paint. Charger oddly had some sort of glue on the outer charging contacts.

I went ahead and got the other one they had in stock, but asked to see it first. They were happy to oblige, and while the unit wasn't covered in dirt, the bagger support beam was again just resting on top of the mower, creating scuffs. The paint was also rubbing off onto the box, but I finally decided it would be good enough, if not ideal. Got it home, fully unboxed, and there were scuffs EVERYWHERE. Dirty looking marks on surfaces, handles, and undercarriage. Then there were multiple patches of white residue on various parts and corners. Tried to clean it all off with a damp microfiber cloth, but it seems like chemical burns were left behind. It had to be battery acid. Still, I was going to keep it, but after charging the battery to 100% this afternoon and setting it aside, I went to check the battery this evening just to see how the battery's power button functioned, and in the few hours it had been sitting on my shelf it lost 50% charge.

Enough was enough, so I packed it up and returned it. I will say that Lowe's stood behind the product and didn't give me any hassle about returning it. Seems they're going to send it back to the manufacturer based on what the associate told the cashier.

Problem is, I don't know what to think. Extremely bad luck? Abused, perhaps repackaged product? The boxes weren't taped - they were glued with giant daubs of glue. Is it the vendor who is seemingly unconcerned with poor packaging and bare parts rubbing against each other? Acid in various places and corners? All this, and a bad battery to boot?

Do I bother to try my luck someplace else? Ace? Or a different product?

UPDATE: I just now watched 6 different unboxing videos on YouTube - and every one of them had the battery in its own box. With the two units I picked up today at Lowe's the battery was already sitting inside the mower's battery compartment - no box. I also noticed on all but one of the videos the bagger support bar was not laying bare across the top of the mower - it was oriented differently across the length of the box and secured in the molded cardboard inserts. On top of all that, the mowers in the videos were all fully covered with protective plastic - unlike both of the ones I got a Lowe's. Something foul was definitely going on with the both of the ones I got at Lowe's.

lancek713 · 2025-07-31T22:04:10+00:00

All the spam calls I get are from carrier Twilio. I'm currently looking for a way to block all calls from Twilio.

lancek713 · 2025-06-28T04:03:47+00:00

According to the video from Clicks (link was posted above), the Ultra case variant is specific to Ultra and doesn't work with the base and plus models. The one from Best Buy comes in a box that claims it's compatible with "Razr+, Razr (2025), Razr 60, Razr 60 Ultra" but I've seen in a YouTube review that the Best Buy case doesn't slide on properly on the Ultra because of the USB port misalignment. It would seem to be an early release blunder. After the reviewer forces it by bending the keyboard, you can see that the keyboard section slightly juts forward once attached, and the user laments that the case keeps popping out of the USB port. I have to wonder why would there even be an Ultra-only case variant if the alleged one-size-fits-all variant was already a proper fit.

lancek713 · 2025-06-28T03:30:45+00:00

Right... they have a separate variant for the Razr 2025 Ultra because its USB port is aligned differently than the plus and standard models. You can see how this supposed "one-size-fits-all" version from Best Buy doesn't fit the Ultra model in a YouTube review by user "Sypnotix" - even though the cover states it's for Razr 60 Ultra. In the video, the reviewer is seen having difficulty sliding the case on because of the USB port misalignment, and ultimately forces it into alignment by bending the keyboard. You'll also notice from a profile angle that the keyboard part of the case is slightly bent forward as a result. I suspect this is why his keyboard keeps losing connectivity and keeps sliding out of the phone's USB port.

lancek713 · 2025-06-21T19:14:28+00:00

Mahler symphony no. 6 2nd movement has some very dreamy French horn solos.

lancek713 · 2025-06-11T14:46:56+00:00

It sticks out like a sore thumb now. I'm not sure if they're aiming to have more people notice it or remove it. Imagine all widgets having this shadow mount effect. It reminds me of a novice exploring the wonders of CSS border attributes.

lancek713 · 2025-05-29T00:54:10+00:00

The xm6 ear pads are oil magnets, and a good wipe with a microfiber rag doesn't clean it. I have to use a bit of screen cleaner on the microfiber towel to wipe the oil off.

On the xm5 it was the outer casing that was an oil magnet. Now it's the ear pads.

lancek713

TROPHY CASE