Review

I’ve been seeing more and more coverage of IEMs, or in-ear monitors recently, both for music and for gaming. And while there are some great entry-level and affordable options out there, when Beyerdynamic announced the new $1,000 Xelento Remote 2nd Gen in-ear headphones, I knew I had to reach out and see if I could try a pair. While they certainly aren’t for everybody, the overall experience was different from what I expected. Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details.

We’ve been reviewing a collection of iPhone cases since the new 14 series launched earlier this fall, and today we’re checking out one of the more unique covers to hit the market. Sporting a minimalistic design that wraps your iPhone 14 Pro/Max in a polished aluminum case, the new Arc Pulse bumper case arrives as a more daring take on protecting Apple’s latest smartphone.

SANDMARC makes one of the best leather iPhone 14 cases out there in my opinion, and it’s time to take a closer look. In our continued effort to give hands-on impressions of as many iPhone cases as possible to give folks a better idea of what they are spending their money on, one of the best is on the slate today. There are a few really standout, clean, and handcrafted leather cases we have already touched on this year, but SANDMARC’s wireless charging, MagSafe-compatible leather iPhone cases really set themselves apart from the many options in the category. Hitting just about all the most important form and function design cues alongside an industrial-inspired metal camera array cover, head below for our Tested with 9to5Toys feature on the brand’s new Pro Leather iPhone 14 cases. 

Earlier in the month, Case-Mate revealed its new USB-C charger lineup that arrive to deliver a unique twist on your typical wall adapter. Sporting four different retro colorways that all sport translucent casings to show off the 30W power tech inside, the new Case-Mate Fuel Brites Charger lineup merges modern function with turn of the century form-factors. I was instantly hooked on the designs and am checking out just how these new chargers stack up down below.

It’s officially Cyber Monday here at 9to5Toys, and many of the mainstream retailers have already kicked up a number of promotions. This year, you’ll find discounts on the latest from Apple, Google, Amazon, and many other top brands, all at the best prices ever ahead of the holidays. Down below, you’ll find our Cyber Monday deal hub for the week, which will be constantly updated with all of the latest offers in one central location. Head below for all of the best Cyber Monday deals and more.

Expanding on its stylized collectible hard drives, today Seagate is announcing new FireCuda options for fans of Star Wars. Three new designs featuring Darth Vader, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker also incorporate customizable RGB lighting for a fun collectible external hard drive. Coming in at $110 for a 2TB capacity, it won’t break any records for performance, they’re stylish hard drives that any Star Wars fan would appreciate. Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details. 

Today, the latest additions to the Pokémon franchise are finally launching with Scarlet and Violet now being available for purchase. We’ve spent the past week journeying through the new region of Paldea to see how the latest stacks up, detailing its bold new approach to open-world game and new mechanics to performance issues and everything in-between.

As a novice sim racer, I bounce between Assetto Corsa on my PC and Forza Horizon 5 on my Xbox Series X with my kids; having a mobile setup that doesn’t take a lot of time to configure is crucial for me to actually get some seat time in. But with the power of the Logitech Pro Wheel and Pedals, something sturdy is also critical – enter the Wheel Stand 2.0 from Next Level Racing. With tons of adjustability and solid metal construction, it’s been a dependable way for me to have a repeatable sim racing setup without sacrificing massive floor space in my studio. But it does come with a few quirks. Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details. 

As we near the upper limit of PCIe Gen 4 speeds, the Samsung 990 Pro SSD, a definitive SSD that boasts read/write speeds faster than most of its competitors. If you can’t hold off a year or so before Gen 5, this is the perfect choice for gamers, content creators, and professionals.

With Black Friday just around the corner and the possibility of some great deals, I wanted to take a few minutes to go over some of my favorite peripherals of 2022. While most of these are gaming related, these are also things that I often use in my day-to-day video workflow. Be sure to hit the video below to see my favorite gaming peripherals of 2022 and what to keep an eye out for this deal season. 

We’ve been combing through the best of the best iPhone 14 series covers since launch earlier this fall, and today we’re taking a look at one of our favorite brands here at 9to5Toys. CASETiFY has earned a name for itself over the years for pairing durable cases with slick designs and even collaborating with iconic properties, but today we’re checking out the former. The new CASETiFY Bounce iPhone 14 Case arrives with a unique build that puts protection first while still sticking to a slim form-factor.

NZXT’s new H5 case replaces the older H510. It keeps the simple and clean design language that has made the 5-series from NZXT popular but makes a few changes to the build process. A larger mesh mount on top allows more cooling options, cable management has been optimized, and a new GPU-focused 120mm fan made the new H5 an appealing case for me to try out. Are these updates worth the $95 price tag NZXT is charging for the H5 Flow? Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details. 

This fall has seen all three smartphone ecosystems release new flagship earbuds with Apple, Google, and Samsung all delivering some of the most compelling bids yet. But for something a bit more stylish and platform-agnostic, Sennhesier is applying it’s usual audiophile approach to the recently-released Momentum 3 earbuds. Delivering a different take, the fabric-wrapped charging case comes complemented by some notable features we’re taking a hands-on look at below.

After an eventful day of action yesterday, Overwatch League is onto the final day of play with the 2022 Grand Finals. But before the latest champion can be crowned, we have the semifinals match between San Francisco Shock and the Houston Outlaws, the winner of which will be taking on the Dallas Fuel for all of the glory. 

Overwatch 2 just arrived last month and if you missed my original launch day coverage, there’s so much to be excited about for the next-generation of team-based shooter from Blizzard. On the competitive side of the game, today are the final days of the Overwatch League 2022 season and we’ll be reporting in all things Grand Finals live from Anaheim, California. With four exciting matches, we’re breaking down what to expect from the games and detailing post match interviews.

Today we are taking a hands-on look at the new Casely iPhone 14 cases. The brand has become one of the more popular options among our readers looking for vibrant designs, colorful patterns, and artistic approaches to protecting and otherwise decorating their Apple handsets. It’s latest collection launched not 24 hours after the new iPhone 14 models were unveiled with a special exclusive 30% promo code for 9to5Toys readers, and now that the brand is currently offering a notable buy one get one FREE on most of its offerings, it seems like a fitting time to weigh in with our hands-on impressions. Head below for more details in the latest Tested with 9to5Toys. 

For most, given the option, wireless headsets are more convenient. You can freely move around a space without worrying about unplugging a cord and never have to worry about cable noise. Remembering to charge them frequently, though, can sometimes cause issues. The Roccat Syn Max Air has an elegant solution with a sizable RGB-wielding dock that will top off the headset. Combined with Aimo-RGB and deep audio customization, the $250 Roccat Syn Max Air has a lot to offer but is it worth the price? Be sure to hit the video below to find out. 

Journey launched its new ALTI wireless charging desk mat for the first time a couple weeks ago. Looking to standout from the plethora of other desk mats out there, Journey’s ALTI delivers a reversible solution with a modular design, built-in wireless MagSafe charging, and some other interesting tricks tucked under the vegan leather surface. We had a chance to give it a run for its money over the last couple of weeks or so and now it’s time to weigh in as part of the latest entry in the Tested with 9to5Toys series. 

At the end of last month, Anker revealed its latest pair of flagship earbuds with the new Soundcore Liberty 4. Arriving as some of the brand’s most capable true wireless buds to date, the flagship experience comes centered around expected inclusions like active noise cancellation but also more novel additions like Spatial Audio and a built-in heart rate sensor. As for how all of that stacks up, we’re taking a hands-on look at what to expect over the past few weeks of daily-driving Anker’s latest.

Nomad has been expanding its lineup of popular Apple accessories into the USB-C charger space lately, and now we’re seeing one of its most unique offerings yet. The new edition of the 30W USB-C charger arrives not only as a compelling iPhone 14 companion but also with a refreshed exterior that takes on some retro stylings, thanks to its transparent plastic housing.

Originally announced back toward the end of September, Intel’s latest 13th Generation processors are now officially here. We’ve spent the past few days with them, running both the i5-13600K and i9-13900K through its paces to see if they could best AMD’s Ryzen 7000 lineup to help you decide what your next system should be. While our testing is far from over, there are a lot of interesting tidbits that separate Intel and AMD this time around.

The 2022 Incipio iPhone 14 case collection arrived just hours after Apple unveiled its latest models. It features enhanced versions of its mainstay designs, including the Organicore model featured here today as well as some new entries like the more niche Forme variant with nature-inspired designs. The brand has been dishing up notable covers for Apple’s iPhones for years with a focus on an environmentally-friendly approach as of late, and now it’s time to give its Organicore iPhone 14 case a run for its money in the latest Tested with 9to5Toys feature. 

In noisy gaming environments, ANC, or active noise cancellation, can help to knock out background noise and keep the focus on the game. I relied heavily on it during the heat of the past summer. And while we’ve seen plenty of high-end headsets with ANC come out this year, like Sony Inzone H9 and SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, the Alienware AW920H offers a similar spec sheet at a lower price. At $200 is the Alienware AW920H a good option for a more affordable ANC gaming headset? Be sure to hit the video below to see our dive into the good and the bad of this gaming headset. 

While gaming headsets are getting better and more options are available, if you already have a good pair of headphones, there is another way to get clear communications with teammates. The ModMic lineup augments a pair of headphones by attaching a microphone on the earcup. We got our hands on every ModMic available. Be sure to hit the video below to see and hear how they perform. 

Following up its original sale back over the summer, Amazon is now ringing in the start of the holiday shopping season by launching a new fall Prime Day savings event. Like always, the team at 9to5Toys will be working around the clock in order to bring you all of the best discounts over the next several days. Alongside Amazon getting in on the savings, various other retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, and Target are also launching their own savings events to compete. Below, you’ll find all of the best fall Prime Day 2022 Early Access deals across a range of categories, like tech, home goods, fashion, and more.

SK hynix has been around the block for quite some time in the storage and PC hardware space. Lately, the brand has been going big on NVMe drives, and the SK hynix P41 and P31 M.2 models are among its top sellers. We’ve spent the last few weeks with SK hynix’s latest SSDs and found them have great performance for the price.

Today we are taking a hands-on look at the new Coach iPhone 14 cases – more specifically, its Signature C Tan leather folio model. This two-piece wallet-style case launched alongside the rest of the models in the fashion-forward Coach collection almost immediately after Apple made this year’s new handsets official and has quickly become one of my personal favorites in its category. Now that we’ve had some time to put it through its paces, we are also ready to dish up our impressions so you can see if might be for you too. Head below for the latest Tested with 9to5Toys feature on the Coach iPhone 14 leather folio. 

Microsoft has released the new Elite Series 2 Core controller. Available in white, it’s a more affordable option for a “pro” Xbox controller, but it loses most of the accessories like paddles and swappable thumbsticks. Those now come in a separate optional package. After reading over the release and checking the website listing and seeing “re-engineered components,” I decided to pick one up and see how it performs. So far, for better or worse, it seems like it’s more of the same. Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details. 

When it comes to gaming, higher performance always makes the experience more enjoyable. We got our hands on two of the latest storage offerings from WD_BLACK – Western Digital’s gaming-focused brand. The SN850X is the fastest M.2 NVMe drive WD_BLACK has ever released, and the P40 game drive expands on the general use portable SSD lineup. Check out Justin’s review of the P40, or head below to see the new WD_BLACK SN850X in all of its high-speed glory. 

It’s time to take a hands-on look at the new Alto wood engraved iPhone 14 cases we featured at launch a couple weeks ago now. The brand has been bringing its expertise and creativity in woodworking to a range of gear for over a decade now, but just recently caught our eye with the way it has introduced these techniques to the iPhone accessory space. Leveraging a laser engraving process with an online customizer and a range of hand-selected wood grains, Alto is looking to wrap your Apple handset in natural materials with your own touch of creativity in the process. While 9to5 readers can land an exclusive 10% off orders (details on that below), you’ll want to hit the jump for our latest Tested with 9to5Toys feature to see what the cases have to offer first.

Yesterday, Logitech revealed several new additions to its lineup of gear for both content creators and gamers alike. Amongst them was an all-new XLR microphone in the form of the new Logitech Blue Sona that arrives with one of the more sleek designs on the market. Today, we’re taking a hands-on look at what to expect from the package and seeing just how Logitech backs the premium price tag.

After years of being a solid choice for beginner sim racing gear, Logitech is out with the new Direct Drive Pro Racing Wheel and Pro Racing Pedals. Taking years of feedback and embracing the fact enthusiast and professional sim racers want a modular design, the Pro Racing Wheel and Pedals from Logitech are packed with features but come at the pro-level price of $999 for the Wheel and $350 for the pedals. I’ve been enjoying testing this setup out so be sure to hit the video below and see all the details. 

It’s time to take a hands-on look at the Spigen iPhone 14 case collection. While we haven’t had a chance to wrap our new iPhone around every model the brand offers, we do have a series of the most popular options in the stable and are ready to weigh in. Many of these models are already marked down in price, making them an even more enticing purchase, but most of the brand’s cases hit slightly above their pay grade, anyway. Head below for more details in our Spigen iPhone 14 case review. 

Earlier this month, Anker revealed a collection of new USB-C chargers that landed just before Apple took to the stage for its annual September event. In a near perfectly time launch to go alongside the new iPhone 14, which lacks a charger in the box, the new Anker Nano 3 GaN adapter arrived to give owners of the new handset a way to power their device with a color-matching, compact form factor.

Nomad is one of our favorite case makers at 9to5, and an undeniable winner in the world of leather covers at large. Today we’re going hands-on with four of its new iPhone 14 covers including its standard leather cases and the always-popular wallet folio. Available in the classic Horween leather and the brand’s more affordable alternative with all of the same premium looks, our thoughts on the new Nomad iPhone 14 leather cases are detailed below.

Following a slew of high-end and feature-packed gaming headsets this year, the brand new HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 might be the best budget option I’ve tried in a long time. At just $50, a simple wired design with massive drivers and frequency response makes it a great choice. Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details. 

Drop’s latest collaboration brings us to Middle Earth this fall. Available for pre-order now, their Dwarvish and Elvish keyboards rival the work of the master artisans they emulate. Featuring Drop’s ENTR keyboard as a base, they include extra keycaps and the Door of Durin or Trees of Valinor designs.

Apogee, a leader in the digital audio space, is unveiling one of its most exciting and capable entry-level pieces of kit today, the Apogee BOOM audio interface. While not exactly known as the most affordable solution out there, they are best known in professional circles for its high-end consumer recording studio models; the brand has also been delivering top-notch interfaces and USB mics for content creators over the last several years now with gear like its Duet line and MiC Plus. But things are getting really interesting today with the announcement of its most affordable dual-input BOOM interface. After having a chance to go hands-on with an early production unit over the last few weeks, we are ready to dish up an in-depth look at this powerful little recording device. 

Today, GoPro is officially launching its latest flagship action camera. The new GoPro HERO11 arrives to iterate on last year’s model with plenty of updated features packed into a familiar design. So while this may look like the GoPros of old, all of the new shooting capabilities and modes deliver an experience that is anything but with the GoPro HERO 11.

Today we are taking a closer look at the new WD_BLACK P40 Game Drive. This one was unveiled back in May of this year alongside the brand’s new WD_BLACK SN850X internal NVMe SSD as the latest entries in Western Digital’s gaming focused storage lineup. This time around packing solid-state technology, WD’s P40 Game Drive sports some impressive speeds and quite a robust build alongside some additional features to make it stand out from the range of more general use portable SSDs out there. But it’s now time to dive in and see if the gaming focused solution is worth your hard-earned dollars in our Tested with 9to5Toys WD_BLACK P40 Game Drive review. 

Insta360’s latest camera, the X3, is its upgraded take on the candy bar-shaped 360 camera. A different design than the wearable Go 2 or modular One RS, the X3 features a large touch screen, a new one-half-inch sensor, new shooting modes, and a price tag of $450. Altogether, it’s an easy-to-use and ready-for-anything 360 camera that makes 360 videos a breeze to create with powerful AI app editing and stabilization. Be sure to hit the video to see it in action. 

As the mobile gaming market continues to grow, adding a controller can take the experience to the next level. We’ve tried out the Backbone One and the original Razer Kishi, but today, we have the Razer Kishi V2 for iOS. Completely redesigned, visually, the Kishi V2 looks more like a Backbone one than the Kishi V1 from Razer. Be sure to hit the video below to see all the details. 

Earlier this summer, Synology launched an all-new NAS in the form of the 5-bay DS1522+. Arriving with user-upgradeable functionality to back the robust features out of the box, I’ve been spending some time with the new release and its impressive 10Gb Ethernet capabilities to see just how good Synology’s latest and greatest can perform.

Earlier this month mophie launched its latest lineup of power and charging gear headlined by the new powerstation pro. The new high-end charging solution boasts some relatively impressive specs with the ability to carry an entire work day’s worth of extra charge for your MacBook and an additional 72 hours for an Apple handset. A notable fabric exterior is joined by a pair of USB-C ports and up to 45W of charging juice, but is it worth the $150 price of entry? Head below for our mophie powerstation pro review in the latest edition of Tested with 9to5Toys. 

Yesterday, Nintendo launched its all-new limited-edition Splatoon 3 Switch OLED console. Now shipments are beginning to arrive, and we’re going hands-on with the new release to see just how everything stacks up. Listings are still in stock now too, so if you like what you see with the neon designs and Inkling glyphs, you can still lock in your order.

Definitive Technology has broken into the soundbar game with their Studio 3D Mini Soundbar and Subwoofer combo. We reviewed their BP9060 Towers and were very impressed, and this home theater setup absolutely meets the mark. It packs DTS:X and Dolby Audio into a surprisingly small form factor, but don’t let its size fool you. I could not believe the audio that came out of something just over 2 feet long and under 2 inches tall.

HyperX is diving into a new hardware category with the Armada 25 and 27 Gaming Monitors. HyperX isn’t bothering with the industry standard monitor stand and instead includes a desk mount and monitor arm right in the box. It’s also delivering solid mid-tier performance with FHD (1920×1080) at 240Hz on the 25-inch model and QHD (2560×1440) at 165Hz on the 27-inch panel. We got our hands on the 27-inch to try out. Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details. 

Today, Anker is expanding its collection of Soundcore headphones with an all-new sub lineup for the series. Arriving with two new offerings, the Space collection now sports a pair of true wireless earbuds to go alongside a set of over-ear headphones and both are equipped with ANC and more budget-conscious price points. We’re going hands-on with the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 and A40 offerings to see how these new debuts stack up.