Audiophile - dac, pc audio

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Let me preface this review by saying that I am no audiophile but just an audio enthusiast who really enjoys and gets into his music.



Now, the review:



SIZE / BUILD / DESIGN / AESTHETICS :

The udac-2 is small i.e. very portable (more than the pictures lead you to believe) and I love that. I travel a lot for business and its size is so very much appreciated.

Looking at the pictures I thought it would feel slightly cheap or plasticy but I was VERY VERY wrong; the all aluminum construction is first rate and the unit feels EXTREMELY solid. The volume control has a good feel / actuation and the soft blue led light (when on) is a classy touch.



The RCA and Coaxial(S/PDIF) outputs are all gold plated and again, like the rest of the construction, very solid. I'll cover the sound quality from the RCA outputs in the audio performance section of the review.



There are a few color choices. I decided to get black but after getting it, seeing and feeling it, I wish I had gotten red or silver; its that good looking.



AUDIO / PERFORMANCE / SOUND QUALITY :

Right out of the box the sound quality is outstanding. The DAC and amplifier are both very musical. I listen to all kinds of music and all genres and ever since I got the udac2, I have listened to every kind from Jazz to hip hop, rap, dance, rock, pop etc. I just cannot wipe the grin off my face.



I have the following headphones:



Ultimate ears super.fi 5 pro

Klipsch Image S4i

Sennheiser HD595.



I tried the udac2 will all three and although each and every one of them sounded great, the udac2 made my Sennheisers sing. I usually reserve the use of the Sennheisers with my old Nakamichi stereo receiver but no more. This thing just blows the Nak's headphone amp out of the water. The audio review that follows is the udac2 with the Sennheisers.



Group/ Artist: Down To The Bone

Album: From Manhattan To Staten

Track: 01 - Staten Island Groove

Format: flac



I think this is a very dynamic (albeit quite long) track filled with layers and layers of elements. While listening to the track and almost each and every element stayed distinct and I think I may have picked up another element that I didn't know existed. I tapped my fingers and feet the whole time I listened to it.



Group/ Artist: DEPECHE MODE

Album: Violator (Remastered 2006)

Track: 06 - Enjoy The Silence

Format: flac

I have heard this track countless times and is one of my favorites. The udac2 did it justice. The baseline, drums, the guitar riff throughout are crystal clear and in perfect harmony.



Group/ Artist: Blue Man Group

Album: The Complex

Track: 03 - Sing Along (Featuring Dave Mathews)

Format: MP3, 320Kbps



I got completely lost in this track the 2 or 3 times I listened to it over and over. I don't know what else to say.



Group/ Artist: Bass Mekanik

Album: Max Killa Hertz

Track: 02 - Aktivate-Terminate

Format: MP3, 320Kbps



The bass and percussions were solid. Never once did the bass get muddy.



Group/ Artist: Green Day

Album: American Idiot

Track: 04 - Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

Format: flac



I felt Green Day were playing live for me.



I feel like listing every track I listened to and there was about 40 or 50 but this review would never end then.



The RCA outputs as I mentioned earlier are very solid. I connected the udac to the old nakamichi receiver in the bedroom. The signal was very strong and I wished this product was around a few years ago. I would have got this instead of a sound card to connect my HTPC to my home theater receiver; the sound quality would have been 10x better.



CONCLUSION / CLOSING THOUGHTS

It is everything that nuForce claims it is and more. Truth be told, I just cannot seem to stop listening to it and at $129 it is a steal. It has allowed me to enjoy my music when I am on the road as much as my main rig (some electronics connected to a McIntosh amp feeding paradigm studios) at a fraction of the cost.



Bravo nuForce!!





UPDATE APRIL 22, 2011

This thing is still as awesome as ever. Now that its broken in, it sounds even sweeter than before. In fact it sounds so good that I ended up replacing the sound card on my HTPC with the uDac2 (using the RCA outputs to my receiver). Results in one word? Fantabulous! And man is it Quiet! I cannot believe how much noise the old sound card (sound blaster X-Fi Xtreme) was picking up from the motherboard. Now, with the uDac2, all I hear is very detailed music and nothing more. NuForce Icon uDAC-2 (Black) Headphone Amp and USB DAC (24bit/96kHz)

I had the udac-1 and thought it was a tremendous bang for the buck.

Just as a dac alone, is worth the price.

Not that it was perfect. I thought the udac-1's midrange was a little too forward, and treble a little rolled off. But again, nothing to complain about considering the price.



Well now with the udac-2 they have worked on these small imperfections making it definitely worth the upgrade. When I hook up the udac-2 to my B&K amp through the B&W 705 speakers, they sound so close to the Pico dac that it's hard to tell the difference.



I will add that the udac-2 still retains a slight midrange forwardness and warmth to the tone of the sound. Not as much as the udac-1 but enough to make the midrange shine and give warmth to the sound of any speaker or headphone. You can almost say that they are very tube like in character.



Really pleased!

I only very recently began my journey into getting the very best audio for my systems.



I've tried out many pairs of headphones, and settled on a lower-budget pair of Senn HD595's. I figured, my system (Macbook Pro) wouldn't be pumping awesome music anyway, considering I have very little 320kbps FLAC/other lossless music on my computer. I took the dive to get the uDAC from a recommendation by a good friend.



WOW. This little thing has increased the quality of my music more than any of the other hardware I've bought so far. Every noise that now comes out of my Mac is jitter-free, as if someone had replaced every sound on my computer with one that was much higher-quality.



I read online that some people are worried about the controls with this thing. I have tested this on both the OSX and PC sides of my Mac. The system volume controls now work well with the DAC - I can now control the DAC's volume through both its own hardware switch (which is a great feature by itself) as well as through the computer/OS.



It's remarkably small, and requires no knowledge of anything to set up - just plug and play. Comes with a proper USB cable of good length (for me anyway). For those who are wondering, the light on the uDAC 2 (at least for this black one) is a less intrusive white, not bright blue. - Headphone Amp - Dac - Portable - Pc Audio'

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Swingline - staples, stapler

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This stapler works perfectly! Not a single mis-fire (mashed staples)yet. This thing actually fires the staple into the paper with ease. No batteries. You won't be disappointed! My kids love it!! I need to find a desktop model so I can throw out my regular stapler. This uses standard staples and holds a small amout so you need to have some available since it only ships with 50. I used a bunch playing with it the first few minutes. I tried to staple through 17 pages of 20 weight. It made it, but I had to fold over the staple. It made it through 20 also, but there was even more work involved in getting the staple to stay. It is rated for 12, but I wanted to see it's limits. Here is something that has actually been engineered properly and does more than what it's designed to do!!!! PaperPro Nano Miniature Stapler, 12 Sheet Capacity, Translucent Green (1811)

This stapler looks good. It would have been a great stapler if it actually worked. It was a pain to get it to open to replace staples, and the directions didn't help either. The second time I tried to open it, it fell apart. I hate to sound angry, but it's a waste of money and time.

It seemed to work well for a couple of months, then the staples would go through the paper without folding over, like you're tacking something on the wall. After that it has been hit or miss, and I can't get it to really staple anything over 3-5 pages now. It's especially sad because their desktop-sized staplers work REALLY well, but I guess mini-sized is not their forte.

This stapler broke within the first few times of use. I tried to staple 10 pages and it started to jam and misfeed the staples. Then it couldn't even staple a single piece of paper properly.



In my search for another mini-stapler, I purchased the Swingline Tot Stapler which has a much more solid stapling mechanism, is smaller, and actually works.

The staples are ejected very powerfully, almost like a staple gun. It's a good size, and the bright color means I always know which stapler is mine. I can carry it in my work bag and it doesn't take up much room, but it can handle a decent number of pages. No jams yet.

I picked this up locally because I didn't want to wait for it, and I will say it's a bit cheaper than listed here, which makes it an even BIGGER bang for your buck! Simply put, this stapler ROCKS. Gone are the days where you had to leverage yourself and press with two hands to staple a stack of papers--this stapler is one-touch! It's also the perfect size to just toss in a drawer, which saves prime desk real estate. The only downside is that it only takes 50 staples at a time, but I can live with it and it doesn't lessen the product any in my opinion. You won't be sorry you got this! - Nano - Paper - Staples - Stapler'

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Shoulder Strap Bag - bookbag, shoulder bag

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Got this because I have a couple classes where all i need is my Netbook. Good thing that is the intended use, as not much else will fit in there.



I can get my Toshiba NB205 with the 11 inch screen plus a couple of spiral bound notebooks and that's it.



Will say good construction. Though it's small, it doesn't give off the "man-purse" vibe, but only because it has a mil-surp vibe.



The closures are not snap, so I hardly use them. Rothco BATTLEFIELD MESSENGER MEDIC BAG

When I saw the bag on Amazon and read the reviews saying it was too small, I was still expecting a good-sized field bag. When I got it, it was actually a little bigger than I had imagined. It's about half the size of my standard messenger bag, and that was the size I wanted.



People also complained a lot about the straps being a very plastic-y leather, and my hopes weren't high when I got my bag. But even with all the bad reviews on it, the straps on mine were very soft and easy to work with, so I don't see why people were complaining, unless the bag has been updated since the time of their purchase.



All in all, I'm happy with my bag.

The minute the box came i wondered what size the bad will be. From reading the reviews i thought it will be small but no, it normal size and i could fit my MacBook Pro 15" inside. Buy, its really good.

While the bag does look great, its size is extremely underwhelming. I cannot imagine any school books of any use fitting in it, nor a laptop other than 13" Macbooks or netbooks fitting into it, as most 13" PCs have extra case room, it might not fit easily either.



Essentially, I have to gift this to a friend and search for a new bag. Again.

the bag is ok in size. the problem is that shoulder strap is generic. I have seen better strapson 10 dollar back packs at walmart. the closing straps are to flimsi and small, not enough stitching to make them look dorable. it should have snap on connectors or a simple peg and loop. need more padding and stitching at the bottom. eventualy it is going to rip from the bottom unless you just carry bubble wrap or facial tissues. this thing would not last a week in the battle field, you would thin that this was a good army surplus item, but it is not

I read the reviews so I was expecting it to be small and as some people mentioned a bit cheap looking, but I was quite happy with the product I received. It IS smaller than it looks on the picture, though not small enough to look like a purse for any guys that are considering.



The canvas material is nice and it seems sturdy enough; its absolutely perfect for my iPad, Moleskine, and wallet, with plenty of room leftover. However there are no inside pockets. :[



The medical symbol is unique and I really like the vintage look of the bag, the red paint doesnt look cheap or shiny. The straps are a bit plastic-y but I personally ripped mine off and sewed some nice distressed straps on instead.



All in all, I love this bag. Its a conversation piece and its a good size when I just want a few things with me.

Item arrived as advertised, proper color scheme as shown in picture. Only complaint lies in the leather straps, that have a sort of plasticky looking front, which is of an odd light tan color, that distracts from the period look of the bag.

The bag is a lot smaller than it looks in the picture. I was hoping to get my laptop into it, but sadly, I'm unable too.

No inner pockets, and leather straps are hard to buckle/unbuckle (I don't bother with them). Bag is more khaki than green (as it appears in the picture).



Other than that I'm pleased. The canvas is high quality, the bottom of the bag is even re-enforced with an extra layer. Very long, adjustable strap. Shipping was very fast also.



It is a nice bag, but I probably would not buy again, based on the size issue. - Medic - Bookbag - Cool Bag - Shoulder Bag'

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Camera Batteries - bulk, tenergy

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UPDATE -how good are these in actual use?



Just as good as the $8 cell!



I had to change out an alarm system that used 8 CR123 cells and was calling home to complain about its batteries being low. So I've used 1/4 box so far. Factory new they measure 3.23V and I've also run a set in a surefire E2D with equal runtime to the factory cellls. Have no fear - cheap CR123's are here!



(review)



The cr-123 cell is an amazing primary (disposable) battery. It's high energy capacy, 3.0 v output, and compact size combined with 10 year shelf life have led to its design into alarms, flashlights, weapons systems, night vision, basically anything that needs dependable power for a long time or at a high rate.



The box comes with 4 strips of 10 cells shrink-wrapped for protection. They measure 3.23V open circuit out of the box indicating they are fresh manufacture (the ademco alarm components signal a low-battery indication at 2.8V so there is a narrow band of usefulness) I tested 2 of these in my surefire e2d on high and low without any problems.



Tenergy makes 2 versions of the CR-123 - the 1300 mAh and the 1400 mAh, this is the 1400 mAh spec on their website.



When the CR-123 cell first came out it was a photographic cell and sold at drugstores for as much as $8 ea. Even the best pricing on Duracells CR-123 is 1.89 in large quantity. To get 40 batteries for under 40 dollars is a great feat. All of my ademco wireless sensors use the CR-123 and need to be changed about every 6 years, which is now so this was a great find at the right time.



While some people will swear by a brand (e.g. I always use surefire/duracell/xyz brand), I'm finding that the CR123 is much like gasoline - yes there are subtle differences between arco and shell but both will run you car down the road. Do I want to spend another $36 dollars to get a different wrapper to replace all of my alarm sensors and load up my flashlight. Not now. If for some reason these go dead ahead of time I will update my review, but just getting them I can find no reason not to give them 5 stars as compared to other 5 star 1400 mAh cells on the market. Stay tuned - it may take a while to find out how long they really last due to their long shelf life of 10 years. Tenergy 40-pack Propel CR123A Lithium Battery Ptc Protected - 39005

My flashlight really sucks down batteries, so I figured I'd give these a shot. I was tired of paying $8 to change my batteries. I'm glad I tried these. They last just as long, don't overheat, and fit perfectly. They are probably the same battery, just with a different label. Get them, they are great.

Just purchased my first batch of these from Amazon & decided to test/install one on my Novatac 120P LED flashlight...Run time for the battery exceeded Novatac's specs, so I am very satisfied with these! I also tested the initial voltage...they register 3.1v out-of-the-box. By comparison, I also purchased a 12-pack of the Streamlight CR123A batteries from Amazon also...those registered slightly higher (3.2v), but I doubt overall performance is materially different. I cannot confirm the mAh for either of the brands (neither the battery or packaging was marked with that info), but my test Tenergy battery performed flawlessly, so I will exclusively source these from here on out. At $1 each, you can't beat the value (in my opinion); conversely, both the Streamlight (& SureFire) 12-packs now range from $21-28 (~$2 each)--about double the cost. My only disappointment was not having a manufacture date clearly marked on these batteries (or the box itself); they come shrink-wrapped in 4 10-packs inside the box, but no markings there either :( The only thing was a 2009 Copyright date on the box itself...I assume they were produced at some point in 2009; regardless, I rotate all my batteries/supplies using a First-In-First-Out methodology. Even if they were '08 production, you still can't beat the price. FYI: the Streamlight pack I bought had an 0810 stamp (since it's only May, I'll assume that meant they were made in Aug-08). A 2-pack of Duracell's I had showed an Oct-09 date, so it appears the global supply chain doesn't move/turnover CR123A inventory too fast...could be quite a few things behind that, but (obviously) with the long shelf-life it isn't a huge concern. I may ultimately buy one pack of the SureFire batteries also, just to see their manufacture date & try them out, but I can't provide any feedback on them at the moment...

I purchased these batteries for use in my flashlights and for emergency use. They work great and the price is unbeatable but buyers should be aware that the expiration date is February 2015. I purchased these in March of 2011. The shelf life is not as high as I had expected and would make these batteries less than ideal for longterm storage.

They work well, fit well in flashlights, are are inexpensive.If you must have or need regular non rechargeable batteries for older lights, halogen lights, or lights that sit around alot (like on a weapon) but need to work when called upon without having to recharge them then these are the ticket. If you have a newer LED light that you get a lot of use out of, the rechargeables are the way to go.

The batteries work fine. However I bought a large package of batteries to save money and not have to buy them again. Unfortunately they come with a expiration date of 2015 which is much less than a shelf life of a "new" battery. This definitely hurts the value of the product. - Bulk - Tenergy - Lithium - Cr123a'

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Multipurpose Tool - victorinox, pocket knife

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I like this knife. It's a more affordable version than the original Swiss Army Climber which is one of my favorite knives out there.



All of the tools on this knife are good. The knife is sturdy and sharp. I've gotten good use out of the bottle opener and the scissors. Corkscrew is helpful, as well.



Is it as nice as the original Climber Economy? No. It's got a plastic or nylon handle which makes it lighter but less cool in my opinion. But is it worth $15? Definitely Victorinox Swiss Army Climber II Pocket Knife

This version of the fabled Swiss Army knife adds a number of useful tools to the basic portfolio of large blade, can opener, bottle opener and awl. With this substantial (yet still pocketable) knife, we now have an additional small blade (GREAT for opening packages), a small pair of scissors, tiny tweezers, a toothpick (how sanitary!) and a corkscrew (a lifesaver for forgetful picnic-ers). The matte finish red plastic grips offer a secure hold.



While this knife is a bit heavy for everyday toting, it's a welcome companion on a hike. Durable and sturdily constructed, I give it a thumbs up.

I had to order this to replace the identical knife that I have owned for 7 years: airport security had to confiscate and destroy it when I accidentally left it in my laptop bag.



The Climber II knife is the knife I carry with me every day: even in the office, it always comes in handy. The can opener has a knack for staying sharp, the scissors often trim stray threads, and the long blade is just the thing for peeling a piece of fruit at lunch. I've also used the leather punch to add holes to my belt (thank you, regular exercise!), the corkscrew easily opens a wine bottle, and the bottle opener and screwdrivers get regular use. What's impressed me the most is the durability of the Victorinox steel: I've put all sorts of stress and leverage on the parts and have yet to break one, even prying loose the lid of an old stuck paint can.



Some quick tips for you:



1) Periodically clean out your knife: carefully open all parts, blow dust out, clean pocket lint, etc. Check the screw holding the scissors and tighen it.



2) Oil the knife: if it starts to get hard to pull out the parts, a drop of 3-in-1 oil at each end and in the middle (for the leather punch/hook handle) works wonders. Let the oil soak in, wipe up the excess, and don't put it back into your pocket until you've had a chance to work the parts back and forth a few times (to get the oil into the hinges) and then let it sit out on a cloth to pick up leftover leakage.



3) Sharpen with care: you should seldom have to sharpen the can opener, but the rest will need periodic sharpening. Think carefully about which angle you apply the whetstone to the scissors: you don't want to have the scissor blades abraded further apart from each other.



Do these things a couple of times a year and this knife will last you forever.

I am pleased with the knife. It has the same blade/tool selection as the super tinker, with one exception, the phillips screwdriver is replaced with a cork screw. However it does not have the "signature" smoothe red plastic housing with a metal "swiss army" insignia. Instead the case is a textured red plastic with a stamped-painted insignia. I miss the phillips screwdriver blade... instead this one has a cork screw. Other than that the knive itself is the usual excellent victoronox swiss army quality. I have carried the "super tinker" for several years and it is like my right hand.

[...]But true to the great brand of Victorinox, this knife is made in Switzerland with the consistent quality Victorinox has produced for over a 100 years. It also comes with a lifetime guarantee against defects. Thanks Victorinox for not letting me down. We need to count on at least one brand to remain consistent with it's quality standards.

For the price, this is a great knife. The blade and tool selection is good. Some may think that the knife is borderline too heavy to carry everyday, but I think it is OK.



The biggest disappointment with this knife for me is that it does not have the finish that I am used to seeing on a Swiss Army knife. Instead of the smooth red plastic with the inlay Swiss Army insignia, this knife's case is a textured red plastic with a stamped insignia. In my opinion, it feels and looks cheaper that what I have come to expect from Victorinox.



Overall, the casing is of little concern to me. What's inside is most important, and this knife offers a lot for the money.

I have had one since I was 12. Recently lost my at Orlando International Airport (forgot to put it in the checked luggage). This is almost the same as the one I lost. The only thing different is the texture and color of the red part (what would you call that, the handle?). It is rougher and slightly darker than the one that I owned. Still the same great knife.

This knife was purchased for my better half once his went missing after being in use 20 + years. True to say a boyscout is lost without his pocketknife but, from the moment he wrapped his hand around it it was like a long lost friend. Aside the weight difference he is very happy and I have not found a gift in years so simple thats gives so much pleasure. Thank you

Rather than recapitulate what other reviewers have mentioned, I'll emphasize two specific points: one, that this knife, with its small size, sturdy construction, useful toolset, stainless materials, and ridiculously low price point, is an unbelievably good value for an everyday-use tool; and two, that it came with both blades literally razor sharp--shaving sharp. This isn't a knife with soul or character to speak of (for that, go to a Laguiole or an Opinel), but its actual day-to-day use value is off the charts.



Edit 03/22/2011: Am very disappointed to have just had to replace this knife. The one previously reviewed now lies somewhere in the filth of Lake Michigan -- don't ask. I didn't get the same model though. For considerably more money I got the Victorinox Compact, which scraps the awl (used it only for cleaning my fingernails, which, really.) and small knife blade (sure, you could delegate tasks between two knife blades in various clever ways [I at first used the large, e.g., for crude tasks and the small for precise; then I tried reserving the large only for edibles; then I tried using the small blade only for work that would preserve its shaving-sharp edge so I'd always have a shaving-sharp edge; etc.; but I eventually decided that keeping both blades clean and sharp, which you ought to do anyway, makes it unnecessary to have two of them -- though with that said, if I still had two, my current policy would be to reserve one blade for anything involving adhesive, which is pretty much the bane of my existence--even more than the muck of Lake Michigan]) but combines the can opener and cap lifter into one tool, leaving you with an appreciably smaller and lighter pocket knife (two layers instead of three) that has blade, scissors, can opener/cap lifter, corkscrew (used by me probably as much or more than anything else on the knife), and hook (completely useless as a hook, but featuring in this case a minimally-useful nail file on its spine, which my Climber II didn't have) and retains the tweezers and toothpick, but adds a wee screwdriver (presumably useful for eyeglasses or similar?), needle, and, way usefully, a ball point pen. If you're even a little enterprising and have an internet connection and $5 you can teach yourself to replace the scales (handles) of the Climber II with ones that include a ball point pen, but you're still stuck with a three-layer pocket knife that unnecessarily divides can opening / cap lifting into two tools (and the combo tool works just as well, believe me; I use it all the time for both tasks) and includes the only-dubiously-useful small blade. For my money (literally) (and despite the inexplicable fact that it costs nearly twice as much, which, murky lakes nothwithstanding, what's an extra $12 divided into the lifetime of the knife?), the Compact is a better bet. Reckon I'll let you know in another 3 years. - Gift Idea - Victorinox - Pocket Knife - Multipurpose Tool'

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Lcd Hdtv - hdtv, 47 inch

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Picture quality is good, although I had to mess with the color settings a lot (I'm still not sure I've got it 100% correct). There is some slight discoloration around the edges, but this is only noticeable when the TV is displaying one solid color.



I can't stand to have the smoothing option (called TruMotion) turned on. It's supposed to make TV look better, but I think it makes everything look like a soap opera. Luckily, it's easy to turn off (Menu>Picture>TruMotion). Note: you'll have to turn off TruMotion for each individual input. TV will look a little juddery without the smoothing, but it's a limitation of all 120Hz TVs, and it's a whole lot better than having TruMotion turned on (in my opinion).



That said, movies and video games look fantastic with the smoothing turned off. My Xbox 360 and PS3 games look great, as do Blu-ray movies.



I maxed out the 3 HDMI ports pretty quickly (Xbox 360, PS3, DVR), but I figure if I need another one, it'd probably be time to get a receiver anyway. It should be noted that there is only one set of component inputs.



Speakers are fine, nothing to write home about but they get the job done.



Remote requires you to point at a pretty specific spot (the lower-right corner of the TV). Kind of annoying, but I got used to it (I sit about 10 feet away).



The swiveling stand is nice (I turn it to face the kitchen when I'm making dinner), but it only turns about 20 degrees.



Overall, I'm very happy with what I got for the price I paid! LG 47LD520 47-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV

Since owning this television, I've since changed my "perfect settings" about 12 times.



What was throwing me off was the CONTRAST LEVEL. I kept wanting to pump it up to 100, and thought it was the means to the better picture. I was WAY off.



So try these settings out, let me know what you think:



Aspect Ratio: For things like computer input, set it to Just Scan. For things like TV, or Blu Ray, you can select Set By Program for smoother tru motion. (Basically, Just Scan sometimes finds lines on the outside edge, and this actually causes tru motion to look a bit choppy at times.)



Picture Mode: Expert 1

Backlight: 100

Contrast: 82 - THIS IS IMPORTANT. You must fight the temptation to push this higher. It will be worth it.

Brightness: 47 - 53 (set to preference.) Mine is at 50.

H & V Sharpness: 62 (again, set to preference.)

Color: 63

Tint: G6



Dynamic Contrast: Low (works very well with Contrast at 82)

Noise Reduction: Low

Digital Noise Reduction: Medium

Black Level: Low

Real Cinema: Who cares?

Color Gamut: BT709

Edge Enhancer High

Color Temperature: Medium

Gamma: 1.9



The rest can be default.



So why would Contrast at 82 matter? Well, if you read other reviews, you'll see that people bitch about the blacks. Specifically, the mid to upper blacks. Contrast takes care of this. At 82, with Dynamic Contrast at Low, you'll get a very smooth transition from the darkest darks to the lightest blacks. These "mid to upper blacks" are controlled by Contrast, and if you set Contrast to 100, you fade these black levels.

I've had this TV installed for a couple weeks. It was easy setup although upon first look it was not quite what I expect. That is 100% attributed to the fact that I didn't purchase any HDMI cables so I had to hook up my HDMI cable box from time warner using RCA cables. Let me tell you the picture is pretty bad if you aren't using HDMI cables. Once I bought those the next hurdle I had was Time Warner's HDMI channels were unviewable, they kept blinking on/off and was really strange. It wasn't until I called Time Warner and had them resync my cable box that everything came to life. Wholly canolies what a difference. CBS, NBC, Discovery... all the HDMI channels were awesome. It then took me an hour plus to go to all my DVR recordings and change from regular tv to HDMI channels. Even a basic news reports is dang near spectacular viewing via Hi Def. I have watched a few Netflix movies and DVD movies utilizing the 1080P up-convert on my DVD player and it is quite awesome however in comparison to my buddies Blue Ray player it's not quite the same. That being said I have no complaints at all, the TV looks great! I did purchase a new LG surround sound system to support the Fiber Optic Audio output being that the TV has just has adequate audio. The presets on video are good and the video wizard to help setup the video for your specific environment is good. For $800, no tax, free shipping and "same as cash financing" (with signing up for an Amazon card) I'm very pleased with this TV. Usually a purchase of this size brings buyers remorse but I'm still stoked :-)

Excellent product from LG. Ordering was easy, the delivery company was efficient, courteous, and professional. I've now been using this TV for a little over a month now, and have had no issues with it at all.

120Hz - The 120Hz feature, while not necessarily revolutionary, is still a nice evolution of display technology, although with two drawbacks that I've noticed with my short time using this feature. First, it took time for my eyes to adjust to the smoothing effect - older black and white videos appeared almost too smooth, while other more recently produced programs appear to have little difference between 120Hz and normal viewing modes. Second, when filling in blank frames to achieve the smoothing effect, the TV will occasionally "guess" wrong and the frame may distort slightly for an extremely brief moment (so brief I only notice it very rarely). As far as I can tell this is a natural drawback of the 120Hz effect, but occurs so infrequently as to be a very minor complaint. 120Hz can also be turned off

Stand - The display stand works well, with the left/right pivot feature being a nice bonus.

Sound - The TV's built in speakers work quite well, with above average sound quality and a nice range of volume.

Ports - A good range of ports with an extra HDMI, standard video, and USB on the side of the TV for extra convenience.

Picture Quality - Excellent. Absolutely no complaints with the picture on this TV. Colors stand out well and the viewing angle is great.

This TV is an excellent purchase when it is on sale or has special deals attached. Without those deals it seems the price/quality ratio is lessened, and other options may offer better value. - 1080p Lcd Hdtv - 47 Inch - 1080p - Hdtv'

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Watches

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I spent quite a bit of time searching for this watch. I was looking for a stainless watch with bracelet, chronograph (or subdials of some sort, purely for the look), black face and 40mm or less. I stretched 1mm on the case (no big deal), and the face is dark enough to get the look that I was after. I love the face. The face is guilloched, that is there is a pattern cut into the face. The subdials appear to rest inside of it, and the numbers rise above it and have a metallic finish to them. The result is a different look to the watch as lighting changes, which I find very appealing.



This is my first Victorinox, and I'm looking forward to wearing it for many years. Victorinox Swiss Army Men's 241405 Chrono Classic PVD Coated Grey Dial Watch

A watch is the one thing that might just be worth splurging on (if you consider $319 " splurging"). Of course you can pay a lot less, or a lot more for a watch, but a watch that's functional, aesthetically pleasing and comfortable is important. If your like me, you'll likely be using it on a daily basis, for a decade or more.



The reason I was in the market for a new watch is that the band on my 15 year old Swiss Army watch kept breaking after repeated repairs. I looked into getting a replacement band but the band alone would run me $140, so I figured I might as well look at a completely new watch.



After lots of looking around, I chose the Victorinox Swiss Army Men's 241405 Chrono Classic PVD Coated Grey Dial Watch. The List Price is $525.00, but you can find it for as low as $319.00 with FREE shipping at Amazon.com



The Victorinox Swiss Army Men's 241405 Chrono Classic PVD Coated Grey Dial Watch has a Stainless steel case with a stainless steel bracelet and a tachymeter bezel. The face is black ice guilloche with luminous hands and Arabic numerals hour markers and luminiscent minute markers around the outer rim. The Chronograph has - three sub-dials displaying: 60 seconds, 30 minutes and 1/10th of a second. It has a quartz movement, scratch resistant anti-reflective sapphire crystal, a stainless steel screw-in case back. The case diameter: 41 mm. Case thickness: 12.2 mm. Deployment with push button release clasp and it's water resistant to 100 meters / 330 feet.

What's guilloche you ask? Find out here

What's a tachymeter and how does it work you ask? Find out here

About PVD Coating

Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) is a process to produce a metal vapor that can be deposited on electrically conductive materials as a thin highly adhered pure metal or alloy coating. The process is carried out in a vacuum chamber at high vacuum (10-6 torr) using a cathodic arc source PVD Coatings are generally used for Medical Device Applications for its hypo-allergenic and wear resistant properites.



PVD coating has been around for decades primarily in military applications original designed to decrease friction wear on metal parts. It bonds a micron thick layer of metal compounds to metal or other materials. Why PVD? First off the finish won't wear off. It reduces wear of bracelets, crowns, bezels, etc. Adds a unique Professional appearance to your timepiece & virtually eliminates reflective glare. As the deposition process is so flexible many industries have begun using the technology. Tooling for example on metal cutting lathes increases the life of all sorts of parts from the lathe bed to the cutting tools themselves. F1, where as many people know is often on the cutting edge of technology in racing has used PVD successfully on transmission gears and engine parts to help those 10,000+ RPM engines increase reliability. Because PVD reduces friction between metal parts less lubrication is necessary and temperatures are generally lower than without coatings. Though PVD coatings are typically only a few microns thick the molecules bond to the surface of the metal in such a way that they are nearly impossible to remove once applied. This long lasting resilience is what makes PVD so attractive for thousands of mechanical applications.



Since it was introduced to the medical device industry in the late 1980s, physical vapor deposition (PVD) has become widely used to deposit wear-resistant thin-film coatings on a variety of medical devices, including orthopedic implants, pacemakers, surgical instruments, orthodontic appliances and dental instruments. The value of PVD technology rests in its ability to modify the surface properties of a device without changing the underlying material properties and biomechanical functionality.

PVD Coating Properties and Medical Devices> PVD coatings provide a number of benefits to medical devices in addition to hardness and adhesion. The most significant are listed in Table I. The biocompatibility of a coating is a prerequisite to its use on medical devices. Coatings are certified biocompatible based on a series of tests conducted by an independent biological-testing laboratory. These tests were conducted in accordance with ISO 10993-1 guidelines for materials that experience short-term body contact. The results indicate that TiN, ZrN, CrN, TiAlN, AlTiN and two Multi-Arc proprietary coatings (Blackbond and Tetrabond) are acceptable for external and internal medical devices that contact bone, skin tissue or blood. [...]

I've worn this watch daily for the past 3 years. It's a well built timepiece. Like all swiss products, this is a solid and beautiful watch. I often get compliments on it. Victorninox watches, are a great lower middle range watch.

Spent quite a bit of time looking for a good everyday watch that was nice enough for the office, but also casual enough to wear with jeans. This watch covers it all. I got the band sized shortly after receiving it and since then I've had multiple people comment on it everyday I wear it. Could not have asked for a better product and the price could not be beat.'

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Lcd Monitor - monitor, widescreen

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As others have written, the visuals on this monitor are excellent, the sound is on the tinny side. I'm writing to cover new ground. I purchased this monitor from Amazon on May 21. It worked well for a week or so, then came the problems. The screen would go black when it was powered up. Unplugging worked for a while, but eventually the monitor went all white. To make a long story short, we called HP and the tech figured it was a bad pixel. In the chain of interviews one woman tech agreed when asked, that they would send a new, not refurbished monitor. When a refurbished monitor arrived, I connected to an HP supervisor and found the full story. When you purchase from an authorized dealer (Amazon is not) there can be a store warranty (eg 30 days, 15 days, whatever the store chooses). If I had purchased from such a dealer,and was over the store warranty a few days, the HP supervisor could have (at their discretion) sent me a new, not refurbished monitor. As it was, HP sent the refurbished model under a manufacturer's warranty. The HP warranty allows them to send a a new or refurbished replacement. It appears to be random, odds are it will be refurbished. This one year warranty on the model purchased from Amazon began not on the May purchase date, rather it is from the January 2008 manufacture date. If I had returned this monitor to Amazon, I would be subject to a 15% restocking fee. Welcome to a rock and a hard place. Failures like this are likely rare, but it leaves us with a refurbished model instead of the new one I paid for. Buyer beware. HP W2207H 22-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor

This is a sweet monitor! The colors are rich. This is a glossy display .



This monitor has a VGA and an HDMI input - there is no DVI so you need a dvi-hdmi cable if your going to hook it up to your dvi port on your computer's video card , the monitor does not come with this cable... it does come with and hdmi and vga cable.



I hooked my Xbox 360 using the xbox vga cable and it is awesome!



I hooked my computer using the hdmi to dvi cable (bought separately ) .. the button in from allows me to switch screen so both can be up and running using the one screen. You can also change the richness of the colors with a button in front too (photo,gaming,text,etc...) so when your gaming just press the button and jack up the colors ...



The monitor does portrait mode too.



Overall this is a quality monitor for a great price.... only short coming is the hdmi-dvi lack of cable , it should come with it but does not.

This is my first flatscreen monitor, and I bought it based on the sharpness of the unit on display. I use it strictly for reading and comparing huge documents, and my eyesight isn't what it used to be. I must say, I got what I paid for. The screen is crystal clear and the unit is gorgeous to look at. I'm computer illiterate, but I was able to install it myself, and it worked right out of the box. (Running XP.) The screen gives off no discernible heat, and it tilts and floats up and down beautifully on its adjustable pedestal. If you watch movies or play games, I would think this screen would be a real winner. I've only had it two days, but I could not be more pleased.

Great 22" monitor in terms of color, display, sharpness, brightness (a little high in factory setting) in the market.

I thought that the pivot feature may be great and may be worth buying this monitor just for that feature. But software bugs drove me crazy in just after 4 days of use. I run vista home premium on my notebook (sp1 now) and the HP auto pivoting software started acting up in just 4 days. Once I removed the HDMI cable and took the monitor away, laptop display was 90 degreed turned and was unusable. Whatever I tried with the HP My display options (manual pivot, choosing 0/90 degree turns etc) none of that worked.

Finally I went to display properties (there is a new tab for Pivot) and chose to put an icon in the tray apart from choosing manual mode). Clicking this icon and choosing pivot options works ok.

Still unhappy with this workaround, hoping for HP to fix their software..

If you don't have a need for this auto-pivot feature and happy with landscape mode this is the best monitor to use.

Update: Still no software update to fix this problem as of date.

There is a workaround: if you take care to put the monitor back to landscape before removing the notebook always, then it will work correctly!

That said, it is a great monitor and I highly recommend this monitor.

UPDATE Sept,7,2008: Upgraded to the latest PivotPro software and boy, do these people know the spelling of QA or testing the software before releasing? If I forget to get back to laptop display before taking laptop away from this monitor in portrait mode, (or if the battery dies so that the laptop goes to sleep mode, when you start again but without this monitor?) you have to waste another 10 minutes to get back your display correctly on the laptop.

So as long as you keep this monitor in landscape (normal 1680x1080) mode, it is a great monitor; otherwise you have to contend with all sorts of software bugs.

Update - Dec, 2008: As per suggestion from Paul (see the comments for this review), I tried iRotate (from softpedia: http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/iRotate-Download-17093.html), and am a happy camper now; thanks to Paul for sharing this tips.

We tend not to be at the "bleeding" edge of technology -- usually buy things when they become mainstream or needed as a replacement. We had a really great 20 inch NEC Multisync CRT -- excellent color. It finally failed, so we opted for an LCD monitor. We settled on this monitor because of the great reviews and the Amazon sale price.



The reviewers who gave it five stars were dead on about the image quality. I'm going to cover a few caveats that might be of interest to someone who's had a CRT monitor and is moving up to LCD for the first time.



First, size. Older CRTs typically had a 3:4 aspect ratio while the newer widescreen LCDs will typically have an aspect ratio of 16:9. Since displays are typically measured along their diagonal, a 20 inch widescreen could have a shorter viewing height than a 20 inch normal screen (not quite as bad as it might seem since LCDs typically quote viewable area while CRTs quote the display tube size rather than viewable area). The 22 inch HP has a slightly taller viewing area than the 20 inch old NEC -- perfect.



Video adapter. Our old computer has an old display adapter. The maximum resolution that it supports is 1024 x 768. HP recommends the new display operate at 1680 x 1050. It's a good idea to operate LCDs at the recommended resolution since the LCD has a native resolution -- any other resolution must be emulated with less than perfect results. Make sure your video card supports the recommended resolution. If it doesn't you may want to consider a new video card. If your computer is older, it may use the AGP instead of PCIX video interface. If so, you may need to shop around a bit to find an AGP video card for your computer.



Color. If you owned a really good color CRT, you might be a bit disappointed with this monitor -- the color saturation and contrast ratio still are not quite up to the old CRTs (in my opinion). It could be that a model from a higher price range might compete with the CRTs in this area.



Glare. This model has a high-gloss screen. If your old monitor was located in an area that had a window nearby, the glare might be a little distracting.



Viewing angle. This monitor has good viewing angles --though I think color quality suffers when viewed from more than 45 degrees. For a single user, shouldn't be a problem. If two people are sitting at the monitor (e.g. kids playing) the color may appear a bit off.



Convenience. Much thinner and lighter than a CRT. Reclaims a bunch of workspace.



If you want to use the HDMI cable instead of the VGA cable (unit comes with both), and your video card has a DVI port, you'll need to buy an HDMI to DVI converter (typically a few dollars).



All in all, a great monitor, especially considering the price. In the past, I wasn't impressed enough by LCD image quality to consider one as a CRT replacement -- especially since LCDs used to cost quite a bit more than CRTs. Looks like technology has advanced to the point where LCDs can compete both in price and picture quality. - Monitor - Hp - Flat Panel - Widescreen'

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Jewelry Making

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We have several boxes of these Melissa And Doug bead sets b/c we just can't get enough of them! My three children (twin boys - one girl) love to sit and make necklaces over and over again! YES! My boys love this too!!! It's a great exercise for their fine motor skills! The patience they have all developed to sit and string these small beads together is wonderful! It's great practice for them as they create different patterns with each new necklace. I suggest getting a few boxes - especially if you have more than one child playing with them at the same time. Our favorite set includes letters so they can each spell out their own name or other words.



**Not suggested for small children who will mistake them for pieces of candy. Melissa & Doug Flower Power Wooden Bead Set

My 5 year old daughter has strung many a cheap plastic bead in her day but these cheerfully painted wood beads are much prettier and sophisticated than the usual tacky plastic ones. With this kit she made 3 long necklaces for herself with some of the product left over.



For young children this is a great craft to build fine motor skills. This also became an educational opportunity when I started teaching her the words "pattern," "symmetry" and "asymmetry."



One evening when helping my daughter choose which bead to use next we compared sides and made a symmetrical patterned necklace. Then on her own she said she was going to make an asymmetrical pattern. All the necklaces turned out beautifully.



The packaging of this bead set is very attractive and would make a great birthday or Christmas gift especially for a girl. The price nice too.

My 3 yr old, loves strings and anything that is "so pretty". This product covers both of those things. It entertains her for long periods, and she loves to share it with her cousins. I plan on purchasing more of these products in the future.

I gifted this set to my niece and she was overjoyed.

Not to mention she used her creativity to put together beautiful necklaces, although the first one she made, she gifted to her dad.

However I do caution that this set is not for children below 3 yrs, since there is a risk that they might pop the beads in their mouths.

I would recommend adult supervision.

Bought 2 of these kits to keep a very antsy 4 year old entertained at a grownups Thanksgiving table - and it did exactly that! She played with it for ages, making and remaking necklaces for the adults and herself with little need for our help (which meant we could enjoy a leisurely meal!). Colours and patterns of the beads were really cute as well, and the storage box kept things nice and tidy. Only slight disappointment was that several of the beads broke in half with normal usage - but this is truly a minor issue.

This review will begin with my own experiences with these beads, and later will include opinions of it as a toy from the perspective of a childless person. I have started the new hobby of beading. This kit includes beads I can use for making jewelry. The only disadvantage of them for jewelry making is the holes are very large in the beads. (This would be an advantage to children, I would think.) I have solved the problem of the big holes by either knotting stringing material and slipping the beads over the knots, or inserting a smaller bead inside the wooden one.



I was pleased with the quality of the materials and the value for the cost. (The wooden box alone is worth half the cost of the kit.) The colors are very bright and the beads are smooth.



The strings included with this kit are like thin shoestrings. They would be very easy for a child to handle, I would think. They can be "un-knotted" when a child is ready for a change in pattern.

I bought this bead set for my 5yr old daughter. The beads are nice and the cords are easy to string. She has enjoyed making necklaces and taking them apart. This is definately a good toy for a kid who will enjoy sitting and stringing beads.

I just sent this to a friend's almost-6-year-old as an early birthday present. I got immediate rave reviews from her mom, who said she had just enjoyed an hour of quiet while the 6 year old and her younger almost-3-year old sister made necklaces together without any fighting!

Melissa and Doug flower bead set are a great toy for children to play with and be creative. I bought this for my 6 year old granddaughter but my 3 year old grandson had just as much fun with the set. There were enough beads for both of them to make a bracelet and a necklace and the beads were big enough that I wasn't worried about the 3 year old putting them into his mouth. We spent about 3 hours one afternoon with this and the kids had a lot of fun.'

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Jewelry Making - seed beads, spiderwire

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To start off the shipping was fast and the customer support was 10 stars out of 5. As soon as I received this item, I expected one roll of high quality Stealth Spiderwire, but to my surprised received 3 additional (4 TOTAL). That first day I used it to go fishing and, unfortuneatly, became stuck to something that was over the 40lb. test limit. Suprisingly, I managed to get my line to shore without having to cut the line. *I THINK THIS LINE IS WAY OVER THE 40LB TEST LIMT, MAYBE 80LB. MAX.* To top it all off, the reeling of the line feels smooth, unlike the monofilament line. In my opinion, I think Stealth Spiderwire and Power Pro are the top 2 fishing line there is. Spiderwire Stealth Superline Spools (Moss Green, 500 Yards/50-Pound)

I've owned a 500 yd spool of 30 pound test for about 3 months now and these people at spider wire LIE!!! i got snaged in a tree one time and was pulling at least 200lbs of force on this stuff and it never broke! i love this line because once used a lttle the color fades a little and it is a perfect match to the color of the lake that i fish in. i wouldn't even hesitate to take the 30 or 40 pound test to go striper fishing or even for surf fishing. - Seed Beads - Fishing Line - Spiderwire - Beadwork'

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Air Pump - tire inflator, cycling

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This thing is awesome. Operation is very simple and very effective. The valve-looking end (wider part) screws onto the schrader valve. The screw-looking end (narrower part) screws into the pump. Fill up the tire/fork as necessary. When you're done, unscrew the valve-looking end. You'll hear a teeny tiny 'fftt' of air that's barely audible, and your tire/fork will have just the amount of pressure you wanted it to have.



This is essential for forks and great for any bike tire, too. Bike tires are so small compared to car tires that they loose a significant amount of pressure whenever you release the lever on the pump, so I normally use an electric pump and keep it running while I release the lever. I don't even like checking the pressure on bike tires because in the process of checking, the pressure will go down. But this thing will let me fill my tires to the desired pressure even with a hand pump.



Honestly, I like the idea of using this on ANYTHING that has a schrader valve. I want to buy a second one of these to keep with my car pump. It has a screw-on attachment rather than a lever release, so a reasonable amount of air is lost when you take it off because it's not quick like a lever would be. But with this pressure-rite adaptor, I won't have any pressure issues anymore! Whoever had the idea for this was a genius.



Added Comment 7/14/10:

When using this product with an air compressor at high pressures (e.g., 120 psi), you might hear a lot of air leaking out as you unscrew the adapter (at least that's what it does with my pump). As far as I can tell, this air is NOT from the tire, but it is excess air in the pump. If I remove the adapter quickly enough, I can still hear air coming out after the adapter is completely removed from the tire (which means the air is coming from the pump and not the tire). So the adapter works great, but it might take a little bit of getting used to with an air compressor. Plus, most people use hand pumps instead of air compressors for bikes, anyway. Topeak Pressure-Rite Anti-Air Loss Connector

If you have a Trikke or any vehicle that uses a high pressure tube, this connector is a MUST! I use a Campbell Hausfeld rechargeable pump but its "quick connect" is not quick enough to keep 85psi in my tire when I release it. The Topeak keeps a good seal until the last threads are unscrewed and I don't even loose one pound of pressure. Works great and the price is right! Keeps my three Trikkes carving.

I ordered this at the same time as I ordered my Viair 00073 70P Heavy Duty Portable Compressor ([...]), because the reviews for that pump all mentioned that the included hose had to be screwed onto the tire stem, and I didn't want to have half of the air I just pumped into my tire escape while I tried to disconnect the pump.



So once I got my new compressor, I went ahead and tried to use this adapter with it, and got pretty decent results. In case it's not clear from the product description, you start by screwing the small end into your air compressor hose, and then screw the big end onto your tire stem. (You don't have to twist the whole adapter around to screw it onto the tire -- there's a free-rotating cap on the end that does all the twisting).



Once you're done filling your tire, you unscrew the big end from the tire stem, and replace the stem cap. As you unscrew the big end from the tire stem, you will hear a small amount of air escaping, but the valve embedded in the adapter keeps this to a minimum.



Anyhow, when I tried to use this adapter with my air compressor, I did have some difficulty getting the small end to attach squarely with the air compressor. However, even with the adapter slightly crooked (1-2 threads off), it still did the job with no problems. The adapter attached to my car's tire (a 2006 Honda Civic) without any fuss at all.



As one of the previous reviewers mentioned, using this adapter may introduce some inaccuracy into your pump's built-in air gauge, so you may need to check your results with an independent air gauge. (Built-in air gauges usually stink anyways, so this is often a good idea regardless of whether or not you use this adapter.)



Long story short, I may try filling my car tires without this adapter next time, and see how it goes. I'm not sorry I bought it, though I would suggest to other prospective buyers that they wait to purchase this product until they know they'll need it. I can definitely see how it would be useful for bike tires and in tight spaces, though, and would recommend it wholeheartedly for that.



Very high-quality design/construction, so I give it five stars.

after reading some of the past reviews, this item appears to be a great complement to the vlair air compressor. however, when items arrived the topeak actually cannot be used with the vlair air compressor. the vlair unit already has the screw type connector and the male thread of the topeak is too small. do not buy if you intend to use with vlair air compressors.

I have an 8 inch tire on a bike trailer that has 1 inch clearance between the end of the valve and hub. Couldn't find any pump to fit in that tight space so I just used it with the tire flat.



This little device just fits in that 1 inch clearance and allows any air pump to be attached. Obviously, the trailer rolls much better now.



The additional feature is that when the device is removed off the valve stem, there is virtually no air loss.



I'm extremely satisfied with it.

Purchased a Joovy Ergo Caboose Stroller. It has small inflatable 8" tires with no clearance to inflate with a regular pump. It comes with an impossible to use hand pump. When I unscrew the pump after pumping about 50+ times the tires get soft again. With this device it's a snap.



***A Must Have For All Small Inflatable Tires!*** - Portable 12v Air Compressor - Cycling - Tire Inflator'

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Building Construction - do it yourself, carpentry

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This is a step by step guide to framing a house. A professional might find a few tips, but it might be too basic for them. I think this is a good book for someone that works in the building field that wants to branch out into framing or someone just starting out in framing. Someone that works in framing that wants some schooling will find this book helpful. I recommend this book. It is written well with a lot of helpful photos and drawings. Framing a House

Building one's own home is a truly magnificent endeavor that few truly experience any more. "Framing a House" is a guide for those who have chosen to embark on the journey of building your own home. A house frame serves as the skeleton, part of the foundation. Outlining the little details that have to be understood to build a sturdy house that can stand for possibly centuries, Roe Osborn covers everything from tools to planning to techniques, and much more. For the would be carpenter, "Framing a House" is an invaluable resource. - Building Construction - Carpentry - Home Improvement - Do It Yourself'

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