I must have been good this year as Santa hit it out of the park

[AdmiralThunder]

Well, actually it was my Sister but I know Santa helped! 😂

Most have seen me mention this before but for anyone reading this who hasn't a bit of back story. I have MS and one of the main things it did to me beyond the constant exhaustion and issues with my hand dexterity and balance (which is why I can't do carpentry work anymore) was damage my vision (mostly my left eye - very little center field left). It can make things hard for me to see at times in the game (like AP shells against the background) and I also get a lot of eye strain using a PC (I do a lot of web design and photo/video work these days and that kills me) which leads to pretty severe migraines. I have no real complaints as despite having this for many years (since 2009) I am able to take care of myself, get around, etc... WOWS is my major form of entertainment and PC work provides me what income I can earn though, so the eye strain thing is a big issue. 

Years ago I got a pretty cheap 27" AOC flatscreen at Walmart that helped a lot. Nothing fancy, just a base 60Hz monitor, but it had a decent screen and worked well enough. Bigger screen allowed for bigger everything on it and thus it was easier for me to see and caused less eye stress and strain. Picture quality was pretty decent too actually for such a cheap monitor. However, as my vision has slowly got worse the eye strain has got worse, and the bigger monitor by itself, was just not helping as much.

In a causal conversation with my Sister this past fall it came up and I told her of my plans to seek out a new monitor (still 27" - no need for larger - and flat not curved as I hate those) after the 1st of the year that had eye relief technology and was better quality (resolution, refresh rate, etc...) so it wouldn't strain my eyes so bad. I didn't know she was taking notes LOL. She worked with friends of mine here on the west coast where I live currently (she lives back "home" on the east coast where I am from and will someday return to) so that on Christmas I got her gift = the new monitor. I was shocked. She is a great Sister. I was mad she spent so much but it will be such a huge help and I am so glad she did it.

I ended up getting...

• Mfg: Acer
• Size: 27"
• Type: Flat screen
• Model: Nitro WQHD/XV1  XV271UM3 Gaming Monitor
• Eye Relief Technology: Yes (BluelightShield + Flickerless technology + Acer ComfyView + Low Dimming)
• Screen Mode: WQHD
• Panel Technology: In-plane Switching (IPS) Technology
• Specs:
  • Response Time: 0.5 ms
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Resolution: 2560X1440
  • Lighting Technology: LED
  • Screen Surface: Anti-Glare
  • HDR Enabled: Yes (VESA DisplayHDR 1000)
  • Refresh Rate: 144-180Hz (depends on Display Port or HDMI - I am using Display Port so it is 180Hz)
  • Overclockable refresh rate: Yes (up to 390Hz - I won't do this as no need for it)
  • Tearing Prevention Technology: Yes (AMD FreeSync Premium - monitor is G-Sync compatible so I can use this feature if desired with my Nvidia GPU)
  • Connectivity: HDMI or Display Port
  • 2X Built in 2W Speakers (not overly loud but sound decent enough)

A lot of that means nothing to me LOL but most does and my Sister did great making sure it had the features I wanted (especially the eye relief technology, higher resolution, and fast refresh rate to help with my eye strain). Just set it up today so I haven't played WOWS or done an extended session working on photo and video editing but in what use I have done my eyes do feel better and the picture quality is nice. 

Next up are some new speakers. My late 90's Yamaha's that are so good are finally giving up the ghost plus I am also losing hearing thanks to the MS. So going to see what I can do with some new speakers to help there I think.

So thanks Sis and Santa for the great gift and sorry to the rest of you all for the long-winded ramble. It got away from me LOL.

Edited December 27, 2024 by AdmiralThunder

[Justin_Simpleton]

Cool!  That's the same monitor I bought a few months ago.  The speakers are definitely wimpy.  I plugged an old portable radio into the monitor for much better sound.

[SureBridge]

Sometimes sisters are awesome 🙂

Glad that you are getting a great start to your new year!

[AdmiralThunder]

28 minutes ago, Justin_Simpleton said:

Cool!  That's the same monitor I bought a few months ago.  The speakers are definitely wimpy.  I plugged an old portable radio into the monitor for much better sound.

I have really nice Yamaha speakers but they are on the way out sadly. Had them for YEARS (got them late 90's or very early 2000's as I recall). Probably going to replace with some Creative Pebble Pro or V3's. I hate huge speakers and those seem to get good reviews for compact budget speakers. I want the Pro's as they have LED lighting to match everything else on my PC but the housings only come in white (everything I have is black so no) or dark green??? The V3's come in black but have no LED. Just not sure I can pull the trigger on the Pro's as that green is some fugly.

The V3's in black look so much better...

Did you go into the monitor settings on the monitor itself and turn the volume all the way up on them (it is independent of your sound level on the PC/Laptop)? That helped quite a bit. Mine came at 50% from the factory and I could barely hear them. It's better at 100%. Definitely weak though as you say. 

Edited December 27, 2024 by AdmiralThunder

[Asym]

2 hours ago, AdmiralThunder said:

Well, actually it was my Sister but I know Santa helped! 😂

Most have seen me mention this before but for anyone reading this who hasn't a bit of back story. I have MS and one of the main things it did to me beyond the constant exhaustion and issues with my hand dexterity and balance (which is why I can't do carpentry work anymore) was damage my vision (mostly my left eye - very little center field left). It can make things hard for me to see at times in the game (like AP shells against the background) and I also get a lot of eye strain using a PC (I do a lot of web design and photo/video work these days and that kills me) which leads to pretty severe migraines. I have no real complaints as despite having this for many years (since 2009) I am able to take care of myself, get around, etc... WOWS is my major form of entertainment and PC work provides me what income I can earn though, so the eye strain thing is a big issue. 

Years ago I got a pretty cheap 27" AOC flatscreen at Walmart that helped a lot. Nothing fancy, just a base 60Hz monitor, but it had a decent screen and worked well enough. Bigger screen allowed for bigger everything on it and thus it was easier for me to see and caused less eye stress and strain. Picture quality was pretty decent too actually for such a cheap monitor. However, as my vision has slowly got worse the eye strain has got worse, and the bigger monitor by itself, was just not helping as much.

In a causal conversation with my Sister this past fall it came up and I told her of my plans to seek out a new monitor (still 27" - no need for larger - and flat not curved as I hate those) after the 1st of the year that had eye relief technology and was better quality (resolution, refresh rate, etc...) so it wouldn't strain my eyes so bad. I didn't know she was taking notes LOL. She worked with friends of mine here on the west coast where I live currently (she lives back "home" on the east coast where I am from and will someday return to) so that on Christmas I got her gift = the new monitor. I was shocked. She is a great Sister. I was mad she spent so much but it will be such a huge help and I am so glad she did it.

I ended up getting...

• Mfg: Acer
• Size: 27"
• Type: Flat screen
• Model: Nitro WQHD/XV1  XV271UM3 Gaming Monitor
• Eye Relief Technology: Yes (BluelightShield + Flickerless technology + Acer ComfyView + Low Dimming)
• Screen Mode: WQHD
• Panel Technology: In-plane Switching (IPS) Technology
• Specs:
  • Response Time: 0.5 ms
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Resolution: 2560X1440
  • Lighting Technology: LED
  • Screen Surface: Anti-Glare
  • HDR Enabled: Yes (VESA DisplayHDR 1000)
  • Refresh Rate: 144-180Hz (depends on Display Port or HDMI - I am using Display Port so it is 180Hz)
  • Overclockable refresh rate: Yes (up to 390Hz - I won't do this as no need for it)
  • Tearing Prevention Technology: Yes (AMD FreeSync Premium - monitor is G-Sync compatible so I can use this feature if desired with my Nvidia GPU)
  • Connectivity: HDMI or Display Port
  • 2X Built in 2W Speakers (not overly loud but sound decent enough)

A lot of that means nothing to me LOL but most does and my Sister did great making sure it had the features I wanted (especially the eye relief technology, higher resolution, and fast refresh rate to help with my eye strain). Just set it up today so I haven't played WOWS or done an extended session working on photo and video editing but in what use I have done my eyes do feel better and the picture quality is nice. 

Next up are some new speakers. My late 90's Yamaha's that are so good are finally giving up the ghost plus I am also losing hearing thanks to the MS. So going to see what I can do with some new speakers to help there I think.

So thanks Sis and Santa for the great gift and sorry to the rest of you all for the long-winded ramble. It got away from me LOL.

Have you considered sound dampening head phones?  You don't play in Divisions so you don't have to talk so...... A good pair of Sony sound dampening headphones with a sound mixing panel:  FxSound freeware then allows you to Adjust the frequencies to what makes hearing easier....

My hearing is seriously damage from all of the Tanks and Gunnery Qualifications I shot.....  So, the FxSound allows me to adjust what I hear to make it "cleaner".....in Freq's I can hear...

And, I am about due to retire my HP 27f and was looking for what else there is !  Good timing.   Thanks

[Tpaktop2_1 NA]

My luck with my family and tech is like this, Years ago I want DDR4 memory and they buy DDR3 instead. Despite with me printing out the company logo and manufacturer's part number. Why? All memory looks the same to them. Congrats OP on you gift. May you have many hours of fun.

[Efros]

No tech for me this Christmas, TBH don't need any. I got a new Dutch oven and a rice cooker, so kitchen tech I suppose,

[AdmiralThunder]

32 minutes ago, Efros said:

No tech for me this Christmas, TBH don't need any. I got a new Dutch oven and a rice cooker, so kitchen tech I suppose,

I got a new Tefal pan as one of my gifts. Kind of a self-serving gift if you ask me as I do all the cooking and they just do the eating. 

[Efros]

The dutch oven is particularly spiffy,

 

 

 

[Wolfswetpaws]

5 minutes ago, Efros said:

The dutch oven is particularly spiffy,

 

 

 

Stainless-steel pot & lid, with a cast-iron insert (with a ceramic coating)?

[Efros]

Pot is stainless steel with a ceramic coating on the inside, the steamer insert is ceramic only. I got a deal on it, normally it retails for $80, I got it for $43 which left me with $7 on the Christmas gift card to put towards the rice cooker.

[AdmiralThunder]

@CFagan_1987

You had asked me about the speakers I show above in a PM and I told you I would give you my thoughts once they arrived. I am doing it here vs in the PM so others may benefit from it FWIW. 

So the new speakers arrived today. What I purchased were these...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08F57GSJ7/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A286IZ33TR5AUQ&psc=1 

Creative Labs "Pebble V3" Minimalistic 2.0 USB-C Desktop Bluetooth/USB Speakers ($34.99)

These are small'ish speakers (about a large orange or small grapefruit) which was one of my requirements. They fit nice on my desk with one on the shelf beside the tower and one up top on it (see below). The sound quality is actually really good. Better than I expected to be honest. It is crisp and clean with decent but not overbearing base.  

They don't break up and distort even at max volume. Max volume is limited however, and these are no wall shakers by any stretch. They get loud enough but for me (bad hearing so take this FWIW) I need the speaker with the volume knob around 60% and then the PC volume around 60% for it to be what I want. So, it does have more volume available but standard volume for me is over 1/2 of what it has AND I am running the power adapter which is supposed to make them louder (see below). If you want some "thumpers" I don't recommend them. If all you want is some decent speakers and you have normal hearing (which I don't) these would be a good budget pick.

Hook up was a snap. As said ^ I went with the power adapter vs plugging direct into my PC. So, the speakers have to work over Bluetooth as there is no connection to the PC. If you use the USB cable to the PC (which goes to the adapter for me - cell phone type charger really) it can work without Bluetooth. It comes with a USB-C connector on the wiring but if you don't have a USB-C port it isn't an issue as they include a USB-C to USB-A adapter with the speakers (note for better power they recommend USB-C only to PC and for best power USB-C to the adapter on a separate power source). Windows 11 found the speakers instantly and paired with no issue. IF you power off it takes about 2 seconds once the PC reboots for them to reconnect (in time for the Windows startup sound). If you plan to plug right into the PC these should be plug-n-play with no issue from everything I read.  

About the adapter. Creative recommends their 30W adapter for max power output but here is the kicker - they don't make it anymore. They only make a 60W now I believe it is and that sucker is $$$. I did some research online and saw where lots of people were asking where to get it and then being told it wasn't needed. Pretty much it is a high speed/fast cell phone charger. Over and over I saw the same aftermarket one recommended, so I ended up going with it. It seems to work just fine. Do I notice them being a bit louder with the adapter? Yes some but I don't think it is the huge difference Creative claims.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C1FY6Z5P?ref_=pe_123509780_1038749300_fed_asin_title

Anker 312 30W USB-C High Speed Fast Charger ($14.99)

One issue I have run into, in case it will matter to you, is I cannot get my PC to play these new speakers and my monitor speakers at the same time using the Windows 11 Stereo Mix hack. I was able to with my old Yamaha speakers and the monitor, but it just won't do it with these new speakers. Don't know if it has something to do with them being Bluetooth or what? I even tried using the USB cable to the PC which is a direct connection and still no joy. Still trying to sort it out.

Hope this helps. They are decent sounding speakers for sure and the build quality seems good too. They just aren't super loud (but loud enough).

Edited January 3 by AdmiralThunder

[CFagan_1987]

Thanks for the write up! 

[AdmiralThunder]

On 1/3/2025 at 11:45 AM, CFagan_1987 said:

Thanks for the write up! 

Here is something extra to add I definitely do NOT like. It appears the LED light fades in/out in a steady rhythm as part of the normal operation. I thought it was a malfunction or was an indicator of an issue. However, after contacting Creative support and discussing it I was informed it is "working as intended". This is an EXTREMELY annoying and distracting feature (especially if used in a low light room). It may well be the final straw, when combined with the low volume, that makes me get rid of them.

Shown here (and remember this is what they say it should be doing)... 😵‍💫

https://imgur.com/XnFGaWk

Edited January 8 by AdmiralThunder

[Efros]

Some appropriately cut black tape should solve that. Breathing lights should not be used to show something is powered on, they should only be used to show something is charging, using a blue LED is not as bad as a white one but it is still a numb choice. I'm very much of the opinion that all equipment lights should have a dim/off toggle.

[Ensign Cthulhu]

On 12/29/2024 at 2:04 PM, Efros said:

I got a new Dutch oven

"Dutch Oven" is what @Lord_Zath calls Netherlands cruiser airstrikes, and looking at the current patch it could be argued that WG gave us all a Dutch Oven for Christmas!

The steamer in that thing looks solid enough to beat off a home invasion with and then go back to cooking afterwards.

[AdmiralThunder]

1 hour ago, Efros said:

Some appropriately cut black tape should solve that. Breathing lights should not be used to show something is powered on, they should only be used to show something is charging, using a blue LED is not as bad as a white one but it is still a numb choice. I'm very much of the opinion that all equipment lights should have a dim/off toggle.

It's blue when running on Bluetooth and green when using a direct connection to the PC with a cable. I don't mind the LED light but man that fade in and out thing drives me crazy.

[Efros]

and serves no purpose. Yeah I'd mask it or take more drastic measures depending on how easily the case comes apart.