Products you like the look of but can't/won't buy...

[AGXStarseed]

What items have you seen that you think are good, but you won't buy for one reason or another?

Here's a few from me:

1. SMARTBOY ( SmartBoy )
A bit of tech that turns your smartphone into a Gameboy and allows you to play classic Gameboy, Gameboy Colour and Gameboy Advance games on your phone.
Looks good, especially as the design is the same as the original GameBoy, but I don't like/have a smartphone so it's useless for me.

2. Harry Potter Chess Set ( Harry Potter Final Challenge Wizards Chess Set )
A realistic model of the giant chess set from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I like the detail, although I'm not that big a Harry Potter fan and the price is extremely dear.

2. Levitating Death Star Speaker ( Levitating Death Star Speaker )
It looks awesome and I think many Star Wars fans would agree, but I prefer to listen to my music through headphones and I'm not paying £160 for it.

 

[Progster]

Bose noise cancelling wireless headphones. Really want these, but they are too expensive.
Bose noise cancelling headphones

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

Bose noise cancelling wireless headphones. Really want these, but they are too expensive.
Bose noise cancelling headphones

Got them. Worth it. Amazon often have offers for about 170.

 

[Judge]

Got them. Worth it. Amazon often have offers for about 170.

Those are the older wired version- QuietComfort 25 models for Apple devices. Still, at $170 that's a big reduction from the original $300 they used to retail for.

Wired might seem inconvenient, but then so is constantly having to recharge the battery of the updated wireless version (QuietComfort 35) with frequent use. But I must say, having tested these headphones and they really do the job in terms of noise-cancelling.

As I recall, the model 25s still require infrequent replacement of a battery, but they last much longer than a matter of hours in comparison. Where you can use the wired version without noise-cancellation or just flick the little switch on it to engage noise-cancellation. The on/off switch requiring battery power as opposed to the entire operation of the headphones.

 

[Progster]

Those are the older wired version- QuietComfort 25 models for Apple devices. Still, at $170 that's a big reduction from the original $300 they used to retail for.

Wired might seem inconvenient, but then so is constantly having to recharge the battery of the updated wireless version with frequent use. But I must say, having tested these headphones they really do the job in terms of noise-cancelling.

The reason I want wireless ones is because wired ones have a huge flaw - the cable gets stressed then the connection gets broken and they no longer work. The ones I use for Skype rarely last more than a year because of this. I'm fed up with having to buy new ones because of this fault.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

The reason I want wireless ones is because wired ones have a huge flaw - the cable gets stressed then the connection gets broken and they no longer work. The ones I use for Skype rarely last more than a year because of this. I'm fed up with having to buy new ones because of this fault.

$10 replacement cable. I find it gets stressed, the cable pulls out as designed, which means it lasts longer.

 

[Judge]

$10 replacement cable. I find it gets stressed, the cable pulls out as designed, which means it lasts longer.

Yeah. If the cable is just a standard mini-jack on both ends, that's a very generic product you can get from most any online electronics retailer. I always use extension cables as well.

I'm assuming though that the main connecting end is a threaded mini-jack that adapts for a larger, full-sized jack to use in a receiver. I don't own any Apple hardware, but I'd just be using something like that indoors anyway.

I don't ever recall losing the use of headphones though based on the cable. I know my last set of Sony headphones didn't technically fail so much as the material touching my ears simply began to disintegrate after about 14 years of use.

But to come full circle and back on the subject, no- I won't spend $300-$350 for any set of headphones period.

 

[Judge]

Porsche-Audi-BMWs. Great cars.

Too expensive to buy. Too expensive to service. Too expensive to insure.

Can't justify the performance/fun factor at those prices.

LOL...I lusted over Nakamichi tape decks for years. Never bought one though. Way too expensive. Luckily technology and time solved that dilemma. Settled for Teac and Sony...not cheap but I got the quality I sought at the time.

Would love another Natuzzi Italian leather sofa. But again, the prices these days....

 

[VioletHaze_03]

Those painted vases, figurines, plates, teacups, any glassware or any remotely fragile glass object. or just anything fancy It won't last more than a week if it's not tucked away somewhere safe.

 

[Progster]

Chocolate. Plain chocolate with almonds. I love chocolate, but don't buy it because I don't want to put on weight.

 

[Voltaic]

Bose noise cancelling wireless headphones. Really want these, but they are too expensive.
Bose noise cancelling headphones

i got active noise canceling headphones. I find they seem to make overstimulation worse.

 

[Judge]

i got active noise canceling headphones. I find they seem to make overstimulation worse.

I've read reviews where some of them produce their own sounds as part of the noise-cancelling process that can be equally unpleasant. Go figure.

 

[Voltaic]

I've read reviews where some of them produce their own sounds as part of the noise-cancelling process that can be equally unpleasant. Go figure.

noise canceling is done by producing sound. the outside noise, snd the Noise cancelling are inverse frequencies so they cancel out. sometimes it doesnt always work, and it is just overly loud greynoise.

 

[Judge]

noise canceling is done by producing sound. the outside noise, snd the Noise cancelling are inverse frequencies so they cancel out. sometimes it doesnt always work, and it is just overly loud greynoise.

Yes, but it's that grey noise that varies with one set of headphones versus another. The Bose seemed much more acceptable than others I tested. Though this is the sort of thing that likely varies from one person to another relative to their hearing range and tolerance for may amount to ambient sound or just plain noise.

Which also makes me wonder if noise-cancelling headphones are really designed to work optimally in consistently noisy environments rather than relatively quiet ones? Stands to reason relative to those inverse frequencies used. Maybe some of us on the spectrum have expectations that exceed what this technology was truly intended for. Another reason I suppose why I look at them but haven't actually purchased any.

It's definitely worth one's time to check them all out given they aren't created- or priced equally. Though personally I'm inclined to write them off altogether if above $200 on general principle.

Though I'm still intrigued by those using quality ear bud headphones underneath industrial ear protectors with around 34 db in noise reduction ratings. Much cheaper, but is it really a solid solution or just a simple work-around ?

Sometimes I hate being a techno-geek. Where too many specifications gets in the way of enjoying something on a relatively simple level. Probably all a moot point in my case these days, given the tinnitus in my right ear.

 

[FreeDiver]

I've read reviews where some of them produce their own sounds as part of the noise-cancelling process that can be equally unpleasant. Go figure.

That's exactly why I don't use them. If you got high-frequency hearing like I do. Then you hear that high-pitch fluttering sound that they make.

 

[Mr Allen]

4K TV, eh? They charge upwards of 600 quid for a good one, why? If it's something like a Sony branded one, you're literally paying for the name!

The new Xbox One X, see 4K TV, I don't have one, I wouldn't mind the new Xbox however, as it apparently improves the images on normal HD TVs, but £450? How about no? Would be cheaper to buy a mid spec PC and go back to PC gaming.

 

[Judge]

Oh yeah...those 4K tvs. If you have a substantial collection of 480p DVDs, you might not want to take the plunge on those ultra-high definition tvs.

Here's an article that keeps me happy enough with my 1080p widescreen tv. I just wish manufacturers could have solved issues like refresh rates and pixelation relative to 1080p widescreen televisions...then I'd be a happy camper. But no, I have no intention of upgrading and replacing my DVD collection. Besides, I suspect half my collection probably isn't even available in Blu-Ray or 4k even if I was nutty enough to pay much more money for the same movies. "New" doesn't always translate into "better".

"This reader’s experience points to two lingering problems with UHD.

One is the continued shortfall of stuff to watch in that resolution. After streaming services like Amazon and Netflix, you have a limited selection of UHD Blu-ray movies and not much else. DirecTV offers some live UHD TV, and that’s about it. Over-the-air UHD broadcasts are coming, but not current models include the required “ATSC 3.0” tuners.

The other is the invisibility of UHD’s extra pixels at many common viewing distances. When seen from an average couch, a 50-inch UHD set and a 50-inch HDTV will look just as sharp. Late-model UHD sets can display a wider range of colors using HDR, or “high dynamic range,” a newer addition to the technology, and that can look significantly better.

Or you can wind up in a situation like this reader’s, where non-UHD, non-HDR material appears significantly worse than it did on a lesser set. And there’s not much to be done about that short of buying those movies all over again on Blu-ray instead of DVD."


Ultra-high-def TV's image problem, and how to fix it

 

[Chance]

I would really like to have 2018 BMW X5M (twin turbo V8). I think its one of the coolest SUV's on the planet. Cant seem to deal with tossing out 145,000.00 for a vehicle. Plus I would feel odd driving it. I have bought 2 corvettes in the past and turned around and sold them. I don't like the kind of attention and or, remarks that come with owning something like that. I still think the BMW is the coolest thing ever though.

 

[LucyPurrs]

I must be a cheap date because I can't really think of anything expensive that I want. I'm fine with my new 2018 Sonata, largest and plushest car I've ever owned. We have a 43" HDTV which I rarely watch anymore so no, wouldn't spend money for a better TV. If I had tile floors then it would be a LARGE salt water aquarium since I don't travel anymore to go snorkeling. Oh well. The good part is that I'm not craving anything and am really quite satisfied with what I've got.

 

[FreeDiver]

I have bought 2 corvettes in the past and turned around and sold them. I don't like the kind of attention and or, remarks that come with owning something like that.

My Mom used to own a Corvette and when I drove it. My mom would warn me that driving a sports car was like waving a flag saying "Give me a ticket!". I know a lot of people that drove sports cars and were all getting harassed by the cops. I knew a guy that drove a Porsche 944 and would not even go 5 over in it.