JBL take a quantum leap once again from high end personal audio in to elite gaming audio.

Their top of the line Quantum One is a headset built for looks and superior sound.

Adding to their previously released Quantum 400 the Quantum One boasts the same long gaming session comfort aswell as the cushioned memory foam ear cups.

Also toggle controls for volume, mic mute and more are featured on the (Left) ear cup.

But that’s where the similarities end and the One really does become the ‘One’ to game with.

The Quantum One has some smarts with motion tracking to produce a spatial sound feature called QuantumSphere 360.

This initiative by JBL produces a 360 degree audio that immerses you in to game play even more giving a very realistic, real time audio feedback in-game.

Hear that stealthy opponent trying to flank you. The rolling thunder of the bass as explosions happen all around you.

The directional audio also works exceedingly well in racing titles too.

Asides from Battlefield and Borderlands 3 I took these illuminated bad boys for a drive in Forza 7.

From the most subtle tire grinds on the asphalt through to other drivers trying to overtake on a corner and even environmental sounds gives a full driving and gaming experience that I’ve only ever experienced with the Quantum One.

The omni-directional boom mic has noise cancelling builtin and is detachable.

The JBL Quantum One’s are illuminated, more so than the 400’s.

The entire side cups feature RGB led including a bordering around the hinge. By downloading the QuantumEngine software to your PC you can customise the lighting fully as you would a professional gaming keyboard.

Quantum One’s are designed to be used in-game and out and about.

To get your RGB lighting you will connect to a PC via USB, however the One does also come with a standard 3.5mm cable to use on smartdevices for your playlists or media streaming – or game on the go on Android, iOS and Nintendo Switch via the headphone cable.

Even on smartphone (Android and iOS) the JBL Quantum One produced near perfect sound and cinema like audio.

So far in 2020 the JBL Quantum One sits at the top of my picks for both personal and gaming audio.

Light’em up and pair yourself with the One.

The post JBL Quantum One Gaming Headset Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

As the New Zealand summer sun beckons so does the beach and pool parties.

JBL has your hot and sweaty season sorted with the JBL Extreme 2 Bluetooth speaker of loudness.

Utilising the usual Bluetooth settings from your mobile, tablet or even PC (although Windows 10 can be finicky with it’s connection) you are ready to belt out the best of your summer anthems to unsuspecting friends and family.

The JBL Extreme 2 has a massive 10,000 mAH battery offering up 15 hours of continuous playback from your audio device.

Whatsmore USB sockets will also charge your device at the same time.

But, does this chew the battery? Yep, a little bit.

On a full charge I was actually able to get around 20 hours of the JBL Extreme 2 continuous music at varying volumes. Plugging one device in to it to charge at the same time of rocking out gave about 12 hours (leaving the Android device plugged in to the USB socket during this time).

On the side of the cylindrical mid sized speaker is the usual music / audio control buttons.

They work – but asides from one test, I used voice command the whole time I played with the JBL Extreme 2. It is also waterproof (IPX7 rated).

Powered by four separate drivers inside the JBL Extreme 2 is two 2.75 inch Subs coupled with two 20mm tweeters which can go extreme to 80 db or 40 watts. Basically, it’s loud, super loud. And bassy.

JBL Connect is a feature with the Extreme 2 (as with other JBL Bluetooth speakers) where you can chain them up (up to an insane 100 JBL Bluetooth speakers) and create a wall of sound.

Around three hours to charge up from totally flat – the JBL Extreme 2 is an audio accessory for the sunny season and beyond if you have the cash. Coming in at $399.00 NZD it is on the pricier side of Bluetooth portable options.

Still, given that it is a decent sized unit, lightweight and super portable, it’s perfectly designed to strap it over your shoulder and head out in to those golden rays.

Oh, and it has a bottle opener. Yep, for real.

The post JBL Extreme 2 Bluetooth Speaker Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Logitech have been around for decades, bringing us high end PC peripherals, console accessories and top shelf audio gear.

During the mid 2000’s Logitech released their Ultimate Ears series of personal audio products. Mid to high range ear plugs catering for all music tastes and budgets. Myself waaaaaaaay back in 2009 purchased the UE Triple Fi plugs which were at that time the ultimate in Ultimate Ears. I still use them today – and even now they have not been surpassed for audio quality and clarity by any other ear plugs currently available.

From the Ultimate Ears ear plugs range came the Boom Bluetooth speakers around five years ago.

The first Boom speakers were tall, cylindrical to give a 360 degree sound and extremely portable allowing smart device equipped folk to take their playlists on the go where ever they were.

Fast forward to now, there’s now a range of options in the UE Boom series – the latest being the WonderBoom.

The short fat member of the UE range, the WonderBoom pairs with your Apple or Android device (or PC / Mac if Bluetooth enabled) via your phones connection settings. Once paired you’re good to go.

The astounding feature of the UE Booms has been their depth and clarity of sound that they can belt out.

The WonderBoom is no different in this respect – giving the saying don’t judge something on its size true meaning.

Large volume buttons are on the side of the short rounder, a micro USB port for charging the battery is hidden away underneath the unit and Power button is subtly kept on the top. I am surprised however that in this newest model Logitech did not opt for a USB-C cable and port for faster charging.

The WonderBoom is the first UE Boom to be waterproof up to one meter. While I doubt one would go swimming with their UE WonderBoom, this is beneficial if your party literally gets rained on. If your WonderBoom accidentally takes a dip in a pool, don’t sweat it – it will float.

With the same loudness (if not more) as it’s larger cousin the UE WonderBoom is small enough to almost… almost fit in ones pocket. In a bag or similar it takes up no space.

If you have two UE Boom Speakers you are also able to pair both up and use as a Left and Right, giving a full 360 stereo experience. In a small room with two of these paired, one can do away with actual floor or desk speakers.

An outstanding Bluetooth accessory for audio, a whopping 30 meter (100 feet) connection distance, budgetly priced and with a battery that will give you up to 10 hours of continuous use. On standby (not being used) it will triple this length of time before requiring charge.

The WonderBoom is a necessary addition to your lifestyle to, well, get the party booming.

The post UE WonderBoom Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.