Helm DB12 Mobile Amplifier

I am excited to review two advanced audio quality boosting gadgets for mobile devices this month. The first of these addresses a key issue all smartphone or tablet users will have faced when trying to play music, movies, or podcasts over high-quality headphones or external speakers; volume. No smart device can output the sheer loudness of a separate Hi-Fi or dedicated media center amplifier meaning if you want to watch films or listen to high-quality music with friends you inevitably have to compromise on sound quality and volume.

The @HelmAudio DB12 provides a 12-decibel gain boost plus an optional 6-decibel bass boost
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The new HELM DB12 AAAMP Mobile Headphone Amplifier addresses the low-level volume our portable devices output, providing a 12-decibel gain boost plus an optional 6-decibel bass boost. This boost in gain is vital for power-hungry headphones like planar magnetic or high-impedance types, ensuring you hear the best quality sound and it also makes sure plugging your device into a portable battery-powered speaker or mini Hi-Fi gives you sound levels that will fill a room at a party or in a shared movie screening.

The @HelmAudio DB12 addresses a key issue all smartphone or tablet users will have faced when trying to play music, movies, or podcasts over high-quality headphones or external speakers; volume
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This is an in-line, analog amplifier and connects to your device’s audio out via male 3.5mm jack and outputs back to a female 3.5mm jack, as such it is easy to use and connects seamlessly via all the headphone or audio cables
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Two features make the DB12 such a success. This is an in-line, analog amplifier and connects to your device’s audio out via male 3.5mm jack and outputs back to a female 3.5mm jack, as such it is easy to use and connects seamlessly via all the headphone or audio cables you might already have. Also, key to the design is the integration of THX AAA Amplifier Technology which provides the power efficiency needed to deliver a rich, “unmasked” stereo field running off the DB12’s small, rechargeable battery.

Most amplifiers require power and extra cables. The DB12 is 100% portable with 6+ hours of battery life per charge and features exclusive in-line silver coiled (highest conductive metal) cabling delivering studio-quality amplification on the go with zero fuss.

Key to the design is the integration of THX AAA Amplifier Technology which provides the power efficiency needed to deliver a rich, “unmasked” stereo field running off the DB12’s small, rechargeable battery
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With over six hours of mobile playtime, the HELM DB12 AAAMP transforms your mobile device into a portable hi-fi audio solution. As a seal of its superior audio design and output, it has also achieved THX Certification, meeting the highest industry standards for its sound quality and performance.

“Working together with our partner in audio innovation, THX, we have infused the HELM DNA with some of the latest and greatest audio technologies on the market to create a world-class mobile headphone amplifier,” said Eric Johnson, chief executive officer of HELM Audio. Powered by THX AAA technology the HELM DB12 AAAMP provides +12 dB of zero distortion volume gain, improved stereo imaging, and clarity (true linear amplification), plus an optional user-controlled +6 dB bass boost. The ground-breaking DB12 is simple, the plug & play in-line amplifier delivers maximum volume, improved sound quality, and bass enhancement to any headphone on any mobile device.

In practical use, the amp is simplicity itself to use and that valuable boost in volume really does make your smartphone or tablet a useful media station. Hooked up to my demanding headphones it sounded bold and very pleasing. The same was true when connected to my Hi-Fi. I didn’t have to crank the volume as high as I would otherwise and the sound quality was more solid than when the DB12 was not connected. This is an analog amp so there is no digital magic going on inside to improve the sound and I did notice a tiny loss of fidelity in complex music tracks when using the DB12 but nothing that would bother anyone less of an audiophile than me and much less loss in quality than I expected from such a small battery-powered gadget.

In practical use, the amp is simplicity itself to use and that valuable boost in volume really does make your smartphone or tablet a useful media station
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The optional Bass Boost it offers is also great, offering a small but significant boost to the lower frequencies without muddying the mids and treble. Charging is super easy, the battery lasts a good few hours, and the metal construction and high-quality cable Helm use mean this is all round a great device. I love it and it will become an essential part of my tech travel kit.

Winner of an “Innovation Award at CES 2020,” the HELM Audio DB12 AAAMP is small enough to fit into the palm of your hand and plugs seamlessly into any mobile device (Android, iOS, macOS or PC supported) delivering analog amplification from your mobile device to any pair of 3.5mm headphones or an external speaker.

For those of us who don’t keep over 100GB of music files on their phone (hem hem) and prefer to stream from services such as Spotify or YouTube Music the DB12 will make a great difference when used with expensive, power dependant headphones. You know, the big ones that make you look like a Cyberman 😉

Specification:
• Studio Grade Amplifier with Bass Boost Powered by the Award Winning THX® AAA Amplifier Technology. Boost the Sound from your Mobile or Gaming device to your Headphones
• World’s First In-Line Audiophile Quality Headphone Amplifier That Fits In The Palm of Your Hand and a separate Bass Boost feature
• Delivers Maximum Volume +12dB for the Cleanest Signal, Improving Sound Quality and an Independently Controlled Bass Boost +6dB Turning any Mobile Device Into a Full Blown Studio Experience
• Plug & Play: No Additional Components or Connections
• Utilizes the THX AAA Lowest Distortion Rated Streamlined Amplifier
• Game-Changing Ultra-Clean Power Breathing New Life into Your Favorite Headphones Anywhere You Go
• 100% Mobile: Rechargeable Battery With 6-8 Hours Play Time

Charging is super easy, the battery lasts a good few hours, and the metal construction and high-quality cable Helm use mean this is all round a great device. I love it and it will become an essential part of my tech travel kit
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If you need to boost your mobile device’s audio then I can recommend you give the DB12 a try! They are available now for £199 now directly from the Helm website here.

Cyrus SoundKey

The second mobile audio device we are looking at this month is from the excellent British company Cyrus. The Cyrus SoundKey unlike the Helm DB12 is a DAC (Digital-to-Analogue Converter) for your smartphone, tablet, laptop or PC so it connects to the digital output on your device which is always some form of USB unless you are an Apple iOS user in which case it is most likely a Lightning port. I was blown away to find that the SoundKey comes with high-quality OTG USB adapters for all the different flavors of USB right in the box! If however, you are iOS user you will have to use a Lightning Camera Kit connector which Cyrus doesn’t supply as it is a proprietary Apple product.

I have tested and owned several Hi-Fi sized DACs and was blown away that most of the quality of these large, expensive devices has been boiled down into a tiny little USB key by @Cyrus_Audio
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I can attest that the boost in audio quality is huge and that once you have used an @Cyrus_Audio SoundKey you will never go back
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A DAC takes the digital audio info from the device and refines and improves it via special circuitry to make it sound better in every way. I have tested and owned several Hi-Fi sized DACs and was blown away that most of the quality of these large, expensive devices has been boiled down into a tiny little USB key like this. I can attest that the boost in audio quality is huge and that once you have used a SoundKey you will never go back. The clarity, sound stage, fidelity, bass response, and overall balance of your music and movie soundtracks will leap forwards. It draws power from your device but claims it is very low current and I have not noticed any impact on my phone’s charge at all during use.

Via my Galaxy S9+ MP3, Flac, and M4A files sounded so much better I was still re-listening to my favorite tracks three hours after first plugging in the SoundKey, I just couldn’t stop listening to how wonderful my old files now sounded. Streaming Spotify also sounded a load better, even when tested with mid-range earbuds. Hooked up to my MacBook Pro (which already produces very good audio) movies were so much more enjoyable with the breadth of the soundscapes wrapping right around me and placing me in the middle of the action. With Jurassic World, for example, plugging in the SoundKey showed off the excellent mix, every rustle in the jungle stood out and the cacophonous roars of the dinosaurs were more complex and chilling.

Hooked up to my MacBook Pro (which already produces very good audio) movies were so much more enjoyable with the breadth of the soundscapes wrapping right around me and placing me in the middle of the action
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SoundKey is an award-winning revolution in mobile music. Hi-Fi streaming services like TIDAL mean fantastic quality is available to subscribers, but phones lack the necessary hardware to get the best from this data. SoundKey unlocks that data, using our years of expertise in high-resolution DAC and amplifier design. Cyrus quality audio is now available to everyone.

If you care about sound if you truly love music and movies you have to get one of these. For under a hundred bucks it will change the way you engage with audio on your laptop or mobile device. Simplicity is the name of the game here, just plug the SoundKey into your macOS, Windows Vista+, Android 5+ and iOS9+ (all require OTG connection) device and it will work seamlessly. On computers, you will of course have to flip the Audio Output from ‘Device’ to ‘SoundKey’ but that is one click and you are done.

Simplicity is the name of the game here, just plug the @Cyrus_Audio SoundKey into your macOS, Windows Vista+, Android 5+ and iOS9+ (all require OTG connection) device and it will work seamlessly
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If you care about sound if you truly love music and movies you have to get one of these. For under a hundred bucks it will change the way you engage with audio on your laptop or mobile device
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Unbelievable Sound Quality
• Improved clarity, more realistic sound
• Works with Windows Vista+, Android 5+ and iOS9+* (all require OTG connection)
• 3.5mm Jack for headphones connection
• Robust aluminum casing
• Extremely low current, conserving your phone’s battery life
• Compatible with a wide range of audio format, including MP3, AAC, and FLAC
• Can handle High-Resolution audio files up to 24bit/96kHz
• Size 5.4cm x 2.3cm x 0.8cm
• Weight 18g
*Requires Apple Camera Kit for connection to iOS devices

Find out more here and I strongly recommend you pick up one of these Cyrus SoundKeys right now, you will never go back! Their British website has a dealer locator for several countries but they are also available on Amazon in most places for about $99 or £79.

Wisdom Panel Essential Dog DNA Test

You might have noticed a lot of doggy tech in the last few review posts, well that’s because the tech for pets market is growing fast. We love our pets almost as much as we love ourselves and spend accordingly 🙂

I was super excited to try out @WisdomPanel Essential Doggy DNA test. I have a pack of pedigree Staffordshire Bull Terriers so was keen to see if their pedigree status was justified, as well as the expense
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In these crazy days there is nothing wrong with that! So I was super excited to try out Wisdom Panel’s Essential Doggy DNA test. I have a pack of pedigree Staffordshire Bull Terriers so was keen to see if their pedigree status was justified (as well as the expense!).

In terms of appearance, dogs are one of the most diverse species on the planet. Which is why it’s hard to believe a Yorkie and Great Dane are nearly identical on a genetic level. Thanks to the 15,000 years that have passed since humans and dogs learned to live together, there are now over 350 unique dog breeds, types, and varieties recognized worldwide. Through DNA testing, we can map the “ancestry”—or origin story—of your dog, from their breed breakdown to family tree, going back several generations.

The Essential DNA test Wisdom offer for dogs costs £99.99 and works for 350+ breeds, types, and varieties it also tests for 25+ genetic conditions, 35+ breed traits, and much more.

The Essential DNA test @WisdomPanel offer for dogs costs £99.99 and works for 350+ breeds, types, and varieties it also tests for 25+ genetic conditions, 35+ breed traits, and much more
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Through DNA testing, we can map the ancestry or origin story of your dog, from their breed breakdown to family tree, going back several generations
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Knowing your dog’s breed mix or pure breed and their genetic makeup empowers you to tailor training, nutrition, and care to their unique needs—helping you ensure a happier, healthier, snugglier pup for years to come. If you are a dog lover the information this test reveals is really valuable in caring for them.

The analysis of health conditions they show markers for is key to planning their medical care with your vet going forwards. For example, if they show a strong marker for hip dysplasia this can help you manage their exercise to mitigate the degeneration and to watch out for early signs of the disease and take early steps against it with supplements or drugs.

If the @WisdomPanel results show a strong marker for hip dysplasia this can help you manage their exercise to mitigate the degeneration and to watch out for early signs of the disease
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Results only took a couple of weeks and I was emailed a link to take me straight back to the online account where all my pets results were clearly laid out in categories with simply laid out results
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The test kits each have a unique ID number that you use to create an account for you and your pet online. Instructions for the procedure are clear and well laid out online, the interface really is well designed, and taking the DNA sample itself was easy peasy! I just roughly rubbed the small bristly brush inside the dog’s cheek, popped it back in the supplied tube and sent it back to Wisdom in the prepaid package. Simplicity itself. Results only took a couple of weeks and I was emailed a link to take me straight back to the online account where all my pets results were clearly laid out in categories with simply laid out results.

I was very happy to find that all three of my dogs were indeed 100% purebred and had zero health issues commonly associated with poorly managed breeding programs. All-round I was very impressed with Wisdom’s testing kits and services. From start to finish the process was well explained and simple to use, plus the prices are very reasonable. The Essential Dog DNA Collection Kit costs just £99.99 and includes everything I have discussed above and a Premium Kit costs $159.99.

Our algorithm considers over 17 million possible family trees that could have produced your dog’s raw genetic results. Looking at all of the trees together, the algorithm then determines the most likely breed breakdown and family tree for your pup.

I was particularly pleased to see the information they supplied on fur color as all my dogs are red. This was no mean feat and we had to shop all around the UK to find puppies that carried this rare gene
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Once your pup’s sample reaches our lab we log its arrival, and extract and purify the DNA from the sample that you collected. The DNA is then processed on our proprietary Illumina® Infinium® XT microarray, which tests for approximately 100,000 variants across your dog’s genome. Variants are places in the DNA that can vary between dogs, and the process of determining which particular variants a dog has is called genotyping. We then take your dog’s variant data and compare it to the largest dog reference database in the world: with over 350 breeds, types, and varieties built from a library of more than 1 million dogs.

I was particularly pleased to see the information they supplied on fur color as all my dogs are red. This was no mean feat and we had to shop all around the UK to find puppies that carried this rare gene. I have a soft spot for red animals so watch out all Highland cattle!

Breed info was also good and covered traits as well as a little on the history of the breed. Difficult to read but a wonderful outcome!

From start to finish the process was well explained and simple to use, the kits are easy to use, the website is excellent plus the prices are very reasonable
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In 17th century England, bull baiting fortunately declined in popularity. Sadly, however, a new ugly sport rose up to take its place. As dogfights became increasingly common, there was a real need for a smaller and more agile fighter. This new dog would be a better contestant than the larger bulldog and mastiff. Bulldogs were bred to reduce their size and, over time, they were also crossed with the Black and Tan Terrier, resulting in the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Eventually, dog fighting was outlawed in 1835 and these devoted and loyal dogs were free to become home pets. From ugly beginnings … to a beautiful breed we’re glad are here today.

From start to finish the process was well explained and simple to use, the kits are easy to use, the website is excellent plus the prices are very reasonable. The Essential Dog DNA Collection Kit costs just £99.99 and includes everything I have discussed above. Also available is a Premium Kit for $159.99.

Olive Smart Ear

Our world is a loud place and I for one have lost some hearing in one ear due to being a stupid kid in a loud metal band. Whether your hearing loss is your own fault (hem hem) or not it can be an expensive and tedious problem to address with old fashioned hearing aids costing a fortune and often being overkill for the issue you have. Oh, and they tend to look like fleshy pink monstrosities, a bit like the alien Ceti Eel that crawls into Chekov’s ear in Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan, I might be exaggerating but it is not a good look.

We all hate to admit when we need help, especially men, but that’s what Olive Smart Ear is for. It’s a stylish single-ear hearing amplifier that re-engineers hearing for better conversations and enhanced listening. Be honest, we’ve all experienced it: the “What did you say?” from Dad at a noisy restaurant, the “Can you speak up?” from Grandpa during FaceTime calls, and the notorious remote control stealing so the TV can be on max volume.

We all hate to admit when we need help, especially men, but that’s what @olive_union is for. It’s a stylish single-ear hearing amplifier that re-engineers hearing for better conversations and enhanced listening
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The @olive_union Smart Ear uses AI to capture 99.8% of the sounds within your hearing range without distortion while dampening unwanted background noises
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Olive Smart Ear uses AI to capture 99.8% of the sounds within your hearing range without distortion while dampening unwanted background noises. Not only is it a modern and cool looking gadget, but it was also the CES 2020 “Best Wearable” award winner! The Smart Ear is a next-gen hearable for anyone with mild to moderate hearing loss and ensures they’ll never need to ask someone to speak up, turn the volume up, or be told they are shouting again (what if I like shouting?).

The Olive Smart Ear isolates, filters, and reduces distracting background noises, and amplifies the ones that matter most, optimizing the experience of everyday listening. Designed to enhance the surrounding audio for those with mild-to-moderate hearing loss (less than 50 dB) but who aren’t yet ready for hearing aids – either clinically or emotionally.

Setting up the new Smart ear was a piece of cake and after a quick charge in its handy little USB charging dock, I downloaded the app to my phone, connected through Bluetooth, and was up and running fast. When you first activate it the Smart Ear performs a simple hearing test to personalize your device. Check out the video below for a demo of how simple set up is.

I downloaded the @olive_union app to my phone, connected through Bluetooth, and was up and running fast
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There is a simple Feedback Cancelation setting and a Volume slider. There is also an Equalizer so you can further personalize your settings and get the sound just the way you like
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Through their app it is super easy to control your Smart Ear with three simple modes that cover general listening situations; Default, Conversation & TV Mode. There is a simple Feedback Cancelation setting and a Volume slider. There is also an Equalizer so you can further personalize your settings and get the sound just the way you like.

Using the @olive_union Smart Ear definitely helped in crowded rooms, pulling the voice of the speaker out to the front and stopping me struggling to engage with the conversation
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I don’t have a problem hearing the TV as I’m usually in a quiet room anyway but the Conversation mode was a real help when chatting in a group in a loud room. Generally, I have an issue focusing on the speaker’s voice in crowded settings and often struggle to get more than the gist as background noise blurs together with the voice. Using the Smart Ear definitely helped in this specific situation, pulling the voice of the speaker out to the front and stopping me struggling to engage with the conversation.

Key Features:

• Personalized sound with simple hearing calibration: Provides users with an easy-to-use, 5-minute hearing test via smartphone with the included Olive Smart App (Android and Apple compatible) to customize audio and equalizer frequency settings, personalized to their own hearing profile.
• Designed to be seen not hidden: Eliminates any hearing impairment stigmas through modern design cues, borrowed from popular truly wireless earbuds that everyone is wearing.
• User-Friendly sound modes with feedback cancellation: Captures sounds you never realized were missing and avoid turning up TV volumes with preset “TV Listening” and “Conversation” modes. Three onboard mics capture high-frequency sounds while minimizing feedback for a clear, spectrally balanced sound.

With its simple and easy to use partner app on your smartphone, the personalization possible and the long-lasting battery the Smart Ear is a tantalizing option for those with low to mid-level hearing loss. Add to this the low price and help with hearing loss is now available to many more people for whom the old fashioned solutions large medical companies offer are out of reach. To be honest, the tech on offer from Olive is the same or better than many high-cost alternatives, and damn it looks so much better.

Help with hearing loss is now available to many more people for whom the old fashioned solutions large medical companies offer are out of reach
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The @olive_union Smart Ear is effective, small and modern looking and would easily be mistaken for any high-end Bluetooth earbud, which is exactly what it is
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• Performance: 16 channels / 16 bands Feedback Cancellation + Active noise reduction & Personal hearing settings Equalizer.
  FRR 200Hz〜6,704Hz
  Maximum sound pressure level　122.8dB＋3dB
  Average sound pressure level　116.5dB±3dB
  Maximum sound level
  48.0dB±3dB
  Average sound level
  40.3dB±3dB
• Power & Battery: Lithium-ion batteries with 7 hours + Charging dock: 14 hours
• Compatibility: Olive App & Firmware + Android & iOS smartphone
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy + Enhanced data rate（EDR）

The Smart Ear is effective, small and modern looking and would easily be mistaken for a high-end Bluetooth earbud similar to many of those I have reviewed here previously. With an MSRP of $299 USD the Smart Ear is available from QVC & B8ta, or you can pick one up direct from Olive Union here for a limited time discount price of $229.

Tom Atkinson is Reviews & Dep. Editor at Tech Trends. Follow him on Twitter @techtrends_tech

The post July 2020 Product Reviews appeared first on Tech Trends.

After getting hands-on with Microsoft’s latest shiny thing, we definitely wants one, precious…  

Sure, upon receiving the Surface Book to test, Tech Trends put it diligently through its paces, and below you’ll find our honest impressions of what was good as well as the niggles and shortcomings that came up. But overall the greatest downside is that we’re having to return it, and – given the fact that my MacBook Pro is currently fully functional – I can’t quite justify spending the 2K to upgrade my setup just now.

My MacBook Pro is still working, so I can't quite justify the upgrade to the Surface yet
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I bought my current machine – to quote the merchant in Resident Evil – “at a very high price” about four years ago. At the time it was really the only portable laptop that could keep up with the demands of Avid & Adobe video editing and heavy Lightroom use, and apart from the tendency to overheat and melt my thighs, plus the interminable niggles with OSX updates, it did the job.

Last year Microsoft released an upgraded Surface Book with a Performance Base
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But over the years I have watched with increased interest and building excitement as Microsoft brought out products like the Surface Pro 3. The signs were definitely encouraging, but it didn’t have the grunt I needed. Then out came the first version of the Surface Book, which did pack the required grunt and frankly looked the bollox. Plus – at a time when Apple was randomly removing things like USB ports from its new MacBooks – it had all the connections I needed, plus a lovely removable touchscreen. Yet the graphics were not great and the battery looked a bit underwhelming, so I stayed put.

Then in October last year Microsoft released an upgraded Surface Book with a Performance Base featuring a new, more powerful Nvidia GeForce GTX 965M with 2GB of VRAM and a larger battery. They had not bumped the Intel i7 up from 6th generation to 7th but that was not a deal breaker and promises of a faster internal SSD and the upcoming Windows 10 Creators Update hooked me in. Unfortunately these things do take time to arrive here in the UK, but as I unpacked it last week I couldn’t help but think it had been worth the wait.

Featuring a new, more powerful Nvidia GeForce GTX 965M with 2GB of VRAM and a larger battery
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Now, this won’t be a hugely technical review, there are plenty of those out there if that’s your thing, but more of a candid test drive from someone who’s used to demanding quite a bit from their kit with a photo & video intensive workflow.

I'm used to pushing these machines with intensive video and photo workflow
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First impression was that it’s definitely fast! It is fleet of foot and start ups and shut downs are just a joy to behold. The i7 eats through day-to-day tasks and the SSD (tested with Blackmagic Disk Speed Test) reads and writes at over 1GB/s.

Start ups and shut downs are just a joy to behold
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The first thing I tested was what I had been waiting most keenly for, the touch screen in laptop mode. I know other machines got here first but on a true power laptop this was my first experience and oh boy it is liberating; pinching, swiping and scrolling on my work laptop just as I would on my phone felt so good I found myself grinning at that lovely high-res screen. And on that beauty:

It’s a 13.5 “PixelSense display with a resolution of 3000 x 2000 (267 PPI) and an slightly unusual aspect ratio of 3:2. It is gorgeous with solid blacks, great detail and a very impressive maximum brightness of 355 lux and outstanding contrast level of 1,440:1, these are all vitally important for anyone like me who deals in imagery.

The Surface lets you interact with the machine in any way that makes sense to you
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My wife always comments on how filthy my MacBook screen always looks because I’m always touching it as I point out things, etc. It’s the intuitive way in which visual and creative professionals work, so not having the touchscreen functionality always felt like something of a handicap with Macs. The surface just feels like what it has meant to be all along, allowing you to interact with the machine in whatever way makes sense for you at the time – be it keyboard, trackpad, pen, or even those filthy fingers.

The screen has great detail and very impressive maximum brightness and outstanding contrast
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Being used to the very solid aluminium hunk that is my MacBook Pro, the magnesium Surface Book felt light and I didn’t mind the unusual-looking hinge as its unique design enables the tablet mode, more on that later. A minor gripe would be the keyboard which is a bit “clicky clacky” and the keys feel a bit light for my taste, as I prefer them firmer, but the travel on them is nice.

The surface book has an SDXC reader and two fast USB 3 ports meaning I can edit video and photos stored on external SSD drives and enjoy the speeds they offer. In another win over Apple the power connection is magnetic! Why Apple removed the legendary MagSafe connection on their newest laptops is a mystery and will result in thousands more smashed laptops as people and pets trip over trailing cables (with 3 boisterous Staffies with very active whipping tails in the house, I can tell you that’s a very real problem). Admittedly the Microsoft solution is not as elegant but it is reversible and does the job well. After my minor complaint about the keyboard I have nothing but praise for the trackpad. I barely noticed the difference between my Mac and the Surface Book and that is a big compliment. The trackpad is precise, tactile and lovely to use, plus performs a host of common multi-finger functions and is a good size too.

As a laptop the Surface Book’s only oddity is that the hinge is a bit wobbly and getting the screen at the right angle and balancing it on your lap takes some getting used to. Remember that the CPU and a second battery live in the tablet section, so the screen is heavier that on most laptops and the hinge has to be stronger to account for that. The annoyance this creates, however, is soon outweighed by the possibility of taking that wonderful screen off and having a HUGE tablet on your hands! Simply push and hold the tablet release button and a second later there is a satisfying click and the screen pulls easily off. Wow it is light! Much lighter than you expect and also big, very big, but in a GOOD way.

The tablet is comfortable to hold and the screen looks even more impressive when off the base
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The tablet is comfortable to hold and the screen looks even more impressive when off the base. It does get warm as you browse the web and noticeably so when watching videos but never hot, and the tablet sports a very quiet fan and ventilation holes all around the edge so it cools back down quickly.

I did run into a few software glitches in Tablet mode
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I did run into a few software glitches in Tablet mode, while browsing the web in Chrome the screen froze for 40 seconds or so before suddenly working again and twice I tried to open Windows 10 settings and this would not work at all, a quick restart fixed it but this did happen a couple of times within an hour of use. These issues were not a huge problem though, and I am sure future Windows 10 updates will continue to improve on the software functions when using the Tablet.

You can’t try out the tablet without using the Surface Pen, a simple tube of matt silver metal with a flat magnetic side so you can secure it to the Tablet on any side surface. I have used a lot of tablets and pens and this one is functional, i.e. does exactly what it says on the tin. The Surface Pen has 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity and an eraser on the other end, so handwritten notes on your screen are just like pen on paper, and writing is really comfortable. Writing and drawing in Paint 3D is great fun and the ink pen is particularly satisfying to use, creating lovely elegant lines. The quality of the screen really comes across when drawing and painting, the colours are bright and rich and the six million pixels mean the lines and shapes look truly fluid.

Writing and drawing in Paint 3D is great fun and the ink pen is particularly satisfying
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I honestly love the Tablet and just reading the newspapers is such a pleasure as the text looks so crisp and clear. You do however notice the lower powered GPU when in Tablet mode and scrolling web pages could be a little smoother and switching apps is also a little slow but this is nothing unusual on other tablets. Fitting the Tablet back onto the base is a sinch, just line it up and it gently clicks back with a faint magnetic thunk and once it is back on the connection is so strong I had no fears about the base dropping off when picking up the whole thing by the screen, it is very secure.

Fitting the Tablet back onto the base is a sinch, just line it up and it gently clicks back
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OK now onto performance. As a video producer and photographer I need a light, portable machine with a great screen, good battery, lots of processing power, fast USB ports and an SDXC reader.  I installed Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve 14, Adobe CC and a range of apps including Premier Pro, After Effects and Lightroom, loaded up some HD and 4K video as well as 40GB of RAW photos and went to work. I won’t go into too much detail but summing up my experience I have to say I am impressed. The Surface Book performed at least as well as my MacBook Pro in HD & 4K video editing and playback and was very capable of building and rendering out video graphics and tiles in After Effects.

The Surface Book performed at least as well as my MacBook Pro in HD & 4K video editing
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It did struggle when grading 4K video in DaVinci Resolve but that is no surprise, as even my workstation PC finds this a challenge. What was very pleasing was editing photos in Lightroom, although not a huge improvement, working with a large catalogue of high res photos was quicker than on my Mac. The super-fast SSD and a newer generation processor no doubt helped out here, making browsing the catalogue quick and pleasurable. Again the screen made a huge difference here, the colours really pop and the incredible contrast it offers makes manipulating images a real joy. I have inserted a gallery below with a few examples of images from my recent trip to Cannes Film Festival and edited on the Surface Book in Lightroom.

The super-fast SSD and newer generation processor made for quick browsing
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Sound is the next thing I looked at and the Surface Book had its work cut out here as Macs famously deliver great sound, at least through headphones. Either side of the detachable screen are two forward-facing speakers that look tiny but don’t sound it. They pump out a very loud and impressive sound, easily enough to fill a room with good bass and mids. Did I mention it was loud? Playing the trailer for Thor: Ragnarok I was blown away and had to quickly turn the audio down to 60% to avoid disturbing the neighbours, which was unexpected. You could easily sit a group of people around the laptop and share a pretty good movie experience. I next connected up my Skullcandy Crusher Bluetooth headphones and ran the same trailer. As you would expect the audio was much better through cans with a really well-balanced sound that I could listen to for quite a while without getting bored, all round a good performance!

To sum up, I think Microsoft have finally produced a contender in the power laptop category, but really they have done much more than that. The combination of the detachable and impressive tablet screen, a capable pen tool, and all the standard connections that Apple have tossed aside means they’ve built a very compelling package for creative professionals.

When you look at the direct competition from Apple the benefits of the Surface Book over the 2017 MacBook Pros become very obvious. The version I tested directly compares to the 13inch MacBook Pro with an Intel i7, 500GB and 16GB RAM and Touch Bar which retails at £2399 but has no Tablet mode or Pen support, both of which are key for the modern creative and design professionals Macs are marketed at. When you consider the Surface Book costs exactly the same (RRP: $2,799 / £2,399), I think I have just seen the future.

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

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