Hertz Audio Mille Pro MPS 300 S4 High Power Shallow Mount Car Subwoofer Review

Not all vehicles have a lot of space for a subwoofer, and my 2017 Nissan Titan King Cab is a perfect example. This is why shallow mount subwoofers were invented: to get bass out of tight spaces. But early iterations left much to be desired. Thanks to advancement in technology, they can now provide excursion, power handling and output similar to a standard subwoofer. Yet it’s still not common.  While it’s not common for shallow mount subwoofers to have this massive performance, they are available from a limited number of manufacturers. One of those few manufacturers is Hertz Audio.  Their Hertz Audio Mille Pro MPS 300 S4 is their top-of-the-line shallow mount subwoofer.  MSRP is $550.

 

Features and specs:

Size mm (in.)      300 (12)

Power Handling - Continuous W 500

Power Handling - Peak W             1000

Impedance Ohm             4

Depth mm (in.) 88 (3.46)

Voice Coil Type  single

No Filter Component     Subwoofers

Voice Coil Ø       38 (1.5)

Frequency Response Hz 25 - 400

Magnet size D x d x h mm (in.)    156 x 60 x 36 (6.14 x 2.36 x 1.42)

Weight of one component kg (lb.)            6.64 (14.64)

Magnet High density flux ferrite

Cone     Polypropylene

Xmech mm (in.) 20 (0.79)

Technical Specs

D mm    262.59

Xmax mm           16.80

Re Ohm 3,4

Fs Hz     23

Le mH   3,75

Vas I      62,13

Mms g  320

Cms mm/N         0.15

BL T*m 18.7

Qts        0.42

Qes       0.45

Qms      6.3

Spl dB   85

 

The Hertz Audio came in a color printed box with photos of the subwoofer and its specs. Opening the box revealed a well-protected subwoofer held in place with custom cardboard. Materials used in the construction was aluminum for the cast basket, copper voice coil, cloth spider, polypropylene woofer, and rubber surround. Quality of materials used, as well as fit and finish, was very good.  Also included was the manual, grille, grille removal tool, Allen head screws and bit, and speed clips.  MSRP is $550.

 

I love the design of the Hertz Audio Mille Pro MPS S4. It’s an extremely shallow mount deign with a mounting depth of only 3.5 inches!  It’s also just a single voice coil.  The cone is concave with the center cap sticking up and the space of the cavity behind the cap is filled by the magnet as the cone moves back and forth with the music. So when the cone moves back and forth with the suspension, the magnet fills the space right behind the cap.  This allows for very little space needed between the magnet and the top of the cone.  Yet thanks to its smart suspension design, it’s polypropylene cone squeezes out 16.8mm of Xmax! With an Fs of only 23Hz, this woofer is not only designed to move a lot of air, it’ll also play really deep! I can’t wait to see how it performs.

 

The design of the enclosure, size of the enclosure, and where it is located in the vehicle, can all effect how the subwoofer performs.  The test will feature a pair of subs mounted in a sealed enclosure with 0.9 cu feet of airspace for each subwoofer. They will be fed 1,000 watts RMS (500 to each sub) and will be sitting under the back seat of my 2017 Nissan Titan, down firing.  This setup may not be ideal for all subwoofers, but it’s the reality for a lot of vehicle owners. The testing will include measurements for response and output, and listening for sound quality.  Let’s see how it sounds.

 

Queen: Another One Bites The Dust-  bass beats were super clean, and really tight.  It hit really hard, and felt like a punch to the chest.

Branden Beal: Drop That Booty Down Low-  bass beats were so super clean, and played extremely deep.  They played with such a massive amount of authority.  My rearview mirrors really got dancing.  And when they dropped the booty down low, it was so massive like an earthquake in my truck!

Techmaster PB: Activate-  it played so so deep, and so loud doing so!  It really got my rearview mirror dancing.  My whole truck shook, like an earthquake it was so loud and deep.  I could even feel the SPL pressure build in the cabin.

Also Sprach Zarathustra-  it starts with a constant rumble of super deep bass, from the bows being run across the strings of the massive contra bass.  It was extremely clean. And there was enough resolution that you could actually hear the malets beating on the pad of the big tympani.  This was the musicality and resolution I was looking to hear from Hertz!  And they didn’t disappoint.

 

The Hertz Audio Mille Pro MPS 300 S4 was an excellent performer!  No matter what kind of bass was asked to be played, it was true to the source material.  Quick beats were extremely dynamic with great punch, yet deep sustained beats were also well sustained and shook the truck.  Its response was also very linear and had excellent output and flat response down to under 25hz!  And while I was extremely impressed with its output that I got to hit 130db, it was also very musical with great resolution!  After all, if you could get a subwoofer that was excellent in both output and sound quality, why wouldn’t you?

 

The Hertz Audio Mille Pro MPS S4 is a special product!  It hit really hard, and sounds great doing so.  It is also extremely unique in having a really low FS, frequency response, and linear response. And thanks to the Xmas as much as standard depth subwoofers, it even plays extremely loud at its published full frequency range.  It’s also very well made to provide years of use.  If you want killer sound quality with high output, the Hertz Audio Mille Pro MPS 300 S4 is worth the high price of admission.  Based on its design, features, quality, and performance, the Hertz Audio Mille Pro MPS 300 S4 has earned our Editor’s Choice Award.  For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.hertz-audio.com.  Reference gear used: Kenwood Excelon Reference DNR-1007XR Receiver, Nakamichi NDST500A 12 Channel DSP 10 Channel amplifier, Wavetech Link 1000.1mini Subwoofer Amp, German Maestro M-Line 3-Way Component System, Alpine Type-X 2-Way Component System, Hertz Audio Mille Pro MPS S4 Subwoofer, SoundSkins Dual 12-inch sealed enclosure.

Swann SwannBuddy4K Video Doorbell Review

Security products are getting more important to have. Crime rates typically don’t go down. As time goes on, they tend to get worse. It’s not 1950’s Mayberry anymore. Security is especially important as online shopping and Amazon deliveries get more popular. With this, video doorbells have also gotten more popular. Up for review is a video doorbell from Swann, a company known for their security cameras. It’s their SwannBuddy4K.  MSRP is $199.

 

Features and specs:

SwannBuddy4K™ Video Doorbell

Video Resolution: 4K

Viewing Angle: 165° Vertical View

Motion Sensitivity: True Detect Heat-Sensing

PIR Distance: Up to 16ft/5m

Night Vision Distance: Up to 16ft/5m

Memory: Secure Cloud & 32GB Micro SD Card included

Audio: 2 Way Audio – Microphone & Speaker

Audio Range: Up to 16ft/5m

Power Source: Rechargeable 6500mAh Lithium Battery

Battery Recharging: Via USB-C Cable (included) or Connect to Existing Doorbell Wiring

Supported Power: 5V DC / 12-24V AC

Dimensions (WxDxH): 2.1" x 1.25" x 5.5"/ 55mm x 32mm x 140mm

Weight: 7.5oz / 213g

Operating Temperature: 14°F to 122°F/ -10°C to 50°C†

Indoor/Outdoor: Indoor & Outdoor (IP56 rated)

Wi-Fi Frequency: 2.4GHz (wireless range up to 65ft/20m*)

App (iOS & Android™): Swann Security App

SwannShield Voice Assistant: Yes, via App

†  Battery performance may be affected by extreme cold

*  Depending on local conditions & usage rates

 

SwannBuddy4K™ Chime Speaker Unit

Chimes: 6 Options

Power Source: 2 x AA Batteries (included)

Dimensions (WxDxH): 2.6" x 0.98" x 2.6"/ 67mm x 28mm x 67mm

Weight: 1.5oz / 47g

Indoor/Outdoor: Indoor Only

 

The Swann SwannBuddy4K came in a nice color printed box, with photos and specs of the video camera. Opening the box revealed a well-protected product held in place with custom molded paper. Materials used in the construction was mostly plastic, with some metal and rubber. Quality of materials used was very good, as was the fit and finish. It’s a very well-made camera. Also included was the mounting bracket kit, screw, microSD card, charging cable, batteries, manual, and chime unit.

 

I love the loaded with features, yet easy to use design of the SwannBuddy4K video doorbell. The mounting bracket helps make it simple to mount next to your front door, and you can tap into your existing doorbell wiring to power it. The Chime unit mounts inside your home. Once connected you can see and talk to visitors at your door.

 

The Swann SwannBuddy4K is loaded full with video features. It starts with the 4K sensor, to really be able to see in details what is going on at your front door. And after the sun goes down, there’s also night vision, so you can still see what’s going on. But it’s not just video. There’s also a built-in speaker and microphone. This allows you to communicate with those at your door.

 

The functionality doesn’t stop there. Video and audio are recorded on the included microSD card. To make it even easier to view the footage, it can also be recorded on the cloud. Ther’s even an app that you can load into your smartphone, so you can monitor footage as well as communicate with those at your door using your phone. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s also no fees to pay!

 

The Swann SwannBuddy4K seems to check all the boxes. For those looking for a 4K video doorbells, it seems to provide all the features we need. It’s well made, provides excellent video and audio features, and multiple ways to access your footage. And unlike many products that require a subscription to a service that has a monthly fee, there’s no fees here. It’s a really exciting product!

 

The included manual was easy to follow, and installation instructions were also easy to follow. All of the hardware needed was also provided. I had to disconnect the chime on my original doorbell. But I liked having the SwannBuddy4K hardwired to power so no recharging is needed. And it also came with a chime. Now that it’s installed, let’s see how it performs.

 

To start, I downloaded the app on my smartphone. This allows me to not only see, but also to talk to visitors on my doorstep. And because it’s through the app, I can see and communicate with visitors even when I’m not home! The 4K sensor allowed me to see my doorstep and front yard with clarity. Even at night in the dark, thanks to the built-in night vision, I was also able to see my porch and front yard in the dark.

 

The app also lets you fully control and update the settings of the SwannBuddy4K.  You can set the video quality, based on your internet speed. You can also set the mic volume, speaker volume, and chime volume.  You can even adjust the sensitivity of the motion detection, and has detection zones.  So you can turn off detection in certain areas.  There’s actually a lot you can do.  The motion sensor is actually extremely sensitive.  So I was glad to be able to turn down the sensitivity.  And when it detected movement, I got a notification on my phone.  And talking to someone at my door, it was as simple as opening the live view, and taping on the image on my phone, and pressing the mic button.  And if anything is going on, you can manually take photos or videos of what it sees. And in the live view, you can not only see in real time what is going on, you can also hear what is going on.

 

The features don’t stop there. Thanks to the built-in heat and motion sensor, pressing the doorbell button was not needed. When heat or movement was detected, it became active and recorded onto the included microSD card and the cloud. And I was able to monitor it on my phone through the app. It can even talk to visitors on your doorstep for you, thanks to the Swann Sheild Voice Assistant.

 

We were very impressed with the Swann SwannBuddy4K. It’s a video doorbell that provides all the functionality you need in a video doorbell. Installation was simple and it also performed in spades. It was also well made to provide years of use. Based on its design, features, quality and performance, the Swann SwannBuddy4K has earned our Editor’s Choice Award. For more info, check out their website at www.us.swann.com.

Torras Coolify Air Neck Air Conditioner Review

I’m not a big fan of summer heat. I grew up and spent around 30 years in the desert. That was enough. So now in the summer heat, air conditioning is my friend. I prefer not to be outside in the heat. But thanks to Torras I can. They make a series of personal air conditioners. Up for review is their Coolify Air. MSRP $149.

 

Features and specs:

Battery Capacity：5000 mAh, support charging while using

Battery Life：

      (Fan Mode) F1 : 24h / F2 : 12h / F3 : 7h

      (Cool Mode) C1 : 6h / C2 : 5h / C3 : 4h

      (Fan+Cool Mode) FC1 : 4h / FC2 : 3H / FC3 : 2.5h

      (Heat Mode) H1 : 6h / H2 : 5h / H3 : 4h

Weight: 395g / 0.87 lb / 13.93 oz

Dimensions: 7.83"D x 10.24"W x 2.76"H / 218.6*172.9*61.9mm

Mode: 3 mode--Cool, Fan, Heat

Power Levels: 9 (3 mode*3 speed)

Controller Type: Button Control

Connector Type: USB C

 

The Torras Coolify Air came in a nice color printed box with photos and specs of the air conditioner. Opening the box revealed a well-protected product held in place by custom molded plastic. Materials used in the construction was mostly plastic with some metal and rubber. Quality of materials used as well as fit and finish was very good. Also included was the owner’s manual and charging cable.

 

The Torras Coolify Air is be their entry level neck air conditioner.  Yet it still has a good design and great features. There’s rubber on the back sides to help taking it on and off your neck. The inside back is metal, to get really cold when in cold mode, or hot in heat mode. It also blows cold air upon your face and neck and down your neck. There’s a fan mode, where it just blows air.

 

It also has some great efficiency. It takes each setting a step further. Cold mode has settings of low, medium and high. Heat mode has the same settings. With each increase the mode gets stronger. So in heat setting, medium is hotter than low, and high is hotter than medium. And in cold mode medium is colder than low, and high is colder than medium. Cold and fan mode also has three similar settings, low, medium and high. With each increase the fan blows stronger. Let’s see how it performs.

 

The Torras Coolify Air proved to not only be a great performer, but also really super easy to use! A long press of the power button turns it on and off. The same button turns on the heat mode. The snowflake turns on cold mode. With each additional press of each button, the heat and cold button gets brighter. This happens as it goes from low, to medium to high. A single press of the power button and it turns green for fan mode. With each additional press it glows brighter as it goes into medium and high fan settings.

 

Anytime you’ll spend a large amount of time outdoors, the Torras Coolify Air is a great product to have. In the spring or fall there’s fan mode. In the winter and summer there is cold and heat modes. All modes worked very well and it was fairly light to wear on your neck. And it’s well made to provide long use. Based on it’s design, features, quality and performance. The Torras Coolify Air has earned our Highly Recommended Award. For more info and specs check out their website at www.coolify.torraslife.com.

Romoss X1000 Portable Power Station and BE1000 Expansion Battery Pack Review

Electricity is critical for so much of what we do. But it isn’t just for our fun electronic toys, games, music and movies. It’s also needed for our microwaves, dishwashers, and refrigerators. All of this puts strain on our power grid. And sometimes we have outages. These outages, depending on the cause, can last awhile. This is where Battery Backup Systems come into play. Up for review is the Romoss X1000 Portable Power Station and BE1000 Expansion Battery Pack. MSRP is a fair $999 for the power station and $599 for the expansion battery pack.

 

Features and specs:

 

Product Name:  ROMOSS X1000 1008Wh 1000W Portable Power Station

Battery Type:  LiFePO₄

Battery Cycles:  3000

Capacity:  1008Wh

Ports:  10

Rated Power:  1000W

Peak Power:  2000W

Weight:  13 kg/28.7 lbs

Dimensions:  366 × 220 × 260 mm/14.4 × 8.7 × 10.2 in

Material:  ABS + PC (V0 fire-retardant grade)

Recharge Time:  600W Wall Charger: 1.5h, 400W Solar Panel: 2.5h, 120W Car Port: 12h

Max Expansion Batteries:  12

Max Units of Combined X1000:  4

Max Power of Combined X1000:  4000W

Max Capacity with Expansion Batteries:  16kWh

 

 

The Romoss X1000 Portable power station came in a nice-looking color printed box with photos and specs of the product. Opening the box revealed a well-protected battery, held in place by custom foam. Materials used in the construction was mostly plastic, with some rubber and metal. Quality of materials used as well as fit and finish, was excellent. Also included was the charging cable.

 

I love the design of the Romoss X1000 Portable Power Station. At 1008Wh capacity, that’s A LOT of capacity! And it has a smorgasbord of ways to use its power. You have not only a pair of standard outlets to plug into, you also have multiple USB-A and USB-C ports. There’s even a shelf on top that does wireless charging. Vehicles are covered as well, with a 12-volt output connector. It’s even well built to provide many years of use, featuring impact, drop, and fire resistance.  It uses a car grade meta frame.  And the casing is flame-retardant.

 

The back of the Romoss X1000 Portable Power Station also has multiple charging options. There’s the standard power port. But it also has ports to connect a solar panel. That’s a great option to keep the power coming, even when there’s a power outage. There’s even an expansion power port. This let’s you connect the optional BE1000 Expansion Battery Pack.

 

The expansion capabilities are a feature that I really love! 1008Wh is a lot of power. It works great for smaller devices, or large devices for small amounts of time. But the BE1000 Expansion Battery Packs are also 1000Wh each. And each portable power station can have up to 3 expansion battery packs added to it. This gives you up to 4000Wh or power. Yet it still doesn’t stop there. For max capacity, you can link up to four Portable Power Stations together, with each Portable Power Station connected to the Expansion Battery Packs. That gives you up to 16000Wh of power, which is big enough to use as a whole house battery backup.

 

All of this gives you a plethora of use options. One Portable Power Station will last a long time for your portable devices. It’s also a great option for powering a TV for those Tailgating parties, or camping. Add one or more Expansion Battery Packs, and your power capacity allows for even longer camping trips. Or, it gives longer use of larger appliances during power outages.  Thanks to smart inverter technology, it can also be used to power appliances that need up to 2000 watts.

 

The Romoss X1000 Portable Power station and BE1000 Expansion Battery Pack are also designed for easy use. The handle on the top of the Portable Power Station makes it easy to carry. The LED display helps for its easy use. It allows you to monitor charging of it, as well as current status of the battery as it is being used. It shows not only the current capacity left, but also the current wattage used and hours of power left. It also shows the current temperature. The batteries are EV-Grade with a 10-year life. And while the system allows for 5 times faster charging, able to bet to 80% charge in only 1 hour; it generates heat. So does using the battery. There are internal fans to help cool the batteries, but it’s still nice to be able to monitor the temperature.

 

The BE1000 Expansion Battery Pack is simpler in design.  There’s no fancy LED display. There’s a power button, and five LED light bars to show the charge level. And they blink to show the current level as it’s being charged. The front has two expansion power cord connections. One is for connecting it to the main unit. The 2^nd connector connects it to a 2^nd Battery Expansion Pack.  This allows multiple battery packs can be connected to the main unit. When linked together you get 2000Wh. And while the BE1000 doesn’t have any 120 V outlets, it does have multiple USB connectors. So it can be used to extend the output of the main unit, or it could be used separately to give a ton of capacity to your portable devices!

 

The Romoss X1000 Portable Power Station and BE1000 Expansion Battery Pack proved to be excellent performers. It worked great for running a bunch of portables, including a laptop. And it kept my TV going for a weekend. It also worked well with a portable heater and toaster. It also gave me several hours of play on my multiple monitor gaming setup.  Often products have great features and specs on paper, but they fall a little short of what is advertised. The Romoss X1000 Portable Power Station and BE1000 Expansion Battery Pack performed in spades. They performed true to their capacities.

 

There is a large need for battery stations and backup systems. And there are a lot of products out there to meet those needs. It’s nice to see a product that delivers on the features and specs they claim to have. And with additional BE1000 Expansion Battery Packs, the Romoss X1000 Portable Power Station can actually do double duty- not just be used for portable power, but to also be used as a full battery backup for your home. Stay tuned for more reviews for Romoss. Based on its design, features, quality and performance, the Romoss X1000 Portable Power Station and BE1000 Expansion Battery Pack have earned our Editor’s Choice Award. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.romoss.com.

Torras Coolify Cyber Neck Air Conditioner Review

I grew up in the desert of Las Vegas, and after college, moved to Phoenix. Having lived in the desert for 30 years, I’m now tired of the heat. I need my AC during the summer heat. There are times however, when I find myself outdoors during the summer. Enter Torras. They have some portable neck air conditioners. Up for review today is their Torras Coolify Cyber. MSRP is $329.

 

Feature and specs:

Thermochromic Semiconductor, Color-Shifting with Temperature: Meticulously engineered thermochromic semiconductor, shifting to a Soft Orange above 87°F and a Cool Blue below 87°F, intelligently adapting to temperature changes.

Instant Chill, Instant Coolness – 3 TEC cooling modules, 14,975 mm² cooling area, patented graphene thermal conductivity, and cooling particles for increased efficiency.

360° Cooling – 6 upper & 2 lower air vents, and 4 powerful Aerodynamic motors for enhanced cooling effect.

Smart, Automatic Adjustment via App

Charge While You Use

3 Modes for All Needs – Choose from Fan, Cooling, or Heat Therapy for ultimate relaxation.

Battery Capacity：6000 mAh, support charging while using

Battery Life：2 ~ 15.5H (different mode&speed)

Weight: 495g / 1.09 lb / 17.46 oz

Dimensions: 10"D x 8.2"W x 3.9"H / 204.1*156.8*81.7mm

Mode: 3 mode--Cool, Fan, Heat

Power Levels: 9 (3 mode*3 speed)

Controller Type: Button Control, APP Control

Connector Type: USB C

 

The Torras Coolify Cyber came in a nice color printed box with photos and specs of the device. Opening the box revealed a well-protected air conditioner held in place in a really nice hard zipper case. Materials used was mostly plastic, with some metal and rubber. Quality of materials used, as well as fit and finish, was excellent. Also included was the owner’s manual and charging cable.

 

I love the design of the Torres Coolify Cyber. It’s mostly plastic for lighter weight, but metal where it counts on the inside. The high output fans blow air both above and below, for max effect against your neck. The metal on the inside gets either really cold or hot, to achieve this effect. Not only does it have a massive 6000 mAh battery, it also has rapid 20 W charging. And for ultra convenience, you can easily control it from the app.

 

There’s rubber on both sides, that make it really easy to take the Torras Coolify Ultra on and off your neck. It’s comfortable, and fits similar to a neck pillow like you would wear on a plane. Once you have it on your neck, it’s simple to control with its manual buttons. There’s two hard buttons for simple control, to go through the various settings. The LED display is also really cool, and works great to tell you what mode and setting you are in.

 

I also love the fact that it’s an all-year neck conditioner. Now, in the winter in heat mode, it does not blow hot air. But the metal plates get nice and toasty, to really warm up your neck. For spring time, you can put it in fan mode, to just blow air up and down your neck. And in the summer, the cold mode gets the metal plates really cold as well as blow cold air up and down your neck. And the LED display makes it really easy to see what mode you are in, with blue for cold, green for fan, and red for heat.

 

In the app, you have even more control. Installing the app and getting it paired to my smartphone was very simple. Once paired, through the app, I have full control. I can switch modes. In each mode I can also adjust fan speed. But more than that, I can independently control the front and the back. For example I can have the back in cold mode, but the front in fan mode. There are also controls for favorites, auto, and a timer. You have so much control in the app! Now let’s see how it performs.

 

In fan mode, it’s really energy efficient. And the fans at 100% setting blows really strong, and it cooled very well. But if that isn’t’ cool enough, cool mode really ups its game. In cool mode, the metal on the inside, that rests up against your neck, gets really cold. It doesn’t’ get freezing cold, but it gets close. Around 10 minutes after taking it off, my neck still feels cold. So yeah, it works great! But if it’s winter and heat is what you need, that works great too! In fact, at 100% I couldn’t keep it on too long. It got too hot for me. Which is nice cuz I could use a lower setting and it’ll last longer.

 

No matter what the season, the Torras Coolify Cyber is a great product to take with you outdoors. It provides heat in the winter, cool in the summer, and just fan for spring and fall. It proved to be an excellent performer. Based on its design, features, quality and performance, the Torras Coolify Cyber has earned our Editor’s Choice Award. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.coolify.torraslife.com.