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The size and shape of IEMs can get annoying and feel fatiguing after awhile. When I don’t want to go wireless with the FD5’s, I use FiiO FF5 ear buds.
They come with a stack of silicon and foam pads for a custom fit. Frankly, I needed some foam ones to add padding so they wouldn’t fall out of my ears, but once I got the fit right, the FF5’s have been great.
These cables are for the FD5’s, which sound better than the FF5’s, but I like the convenience of wired ear buds for streaming when I don’t care as much about audio fidelity.
If I had to choose one set of earphones for gaming, streaming, movies or music, I’d pick wired FiiO FD5’s over everything else, but it’s good to have options.
Creative BT-W5 wireless Bluetooth receiver is a huge upgrade over previous generations.
The aptX Adaptive codec support pairs perfectly with FiiO UTWS5 wireless Bluetooth amps for the lowest latency connection.
Wired cans will always have less latency than Bluetooth, so stick with them for competitive online gaming.
I wanted a mid-range pair of IEMs and low-latency wireless Bluetooth adapters for more freedom to roam away from the desk. FiiO FD5 semi-open IEMs sound incredible for gaming and get the nod over all of my wired cans.
FiiO UTWS5 rechargeable wireless Bluetooth amps are very impressive too and easily accommodate the FD5’s, but the aptX Adaptive codec has about 20ms of audio lag, so they’re best used for single-player gaming.
Now this is how to make a high-end mechanical keyboard. Wooting HE60 is a premium 60% board featuring optical analog switches with full on-board memory.
Wooting makes the only analog keyboards on the planet that are compatible with XIM MATRIX and XIM APEX console mouse & keyboard adapters. Very nice!
The box took a bit of a hit in transport, but I don’t keep them if I’m happy with the goodies inside, so this box is headed straight to the trash after this shot.
I needed to replace a failed Elgato 4K60Pro Mk2 PCIE capture card that has given me grief for the past few years.
Avermedia Live Gamer 4K proved to be the perfect replacement, with none of the issues of the Elgato card.
I like Elgato gear in general, but the capture cards (I own 4 of them) have consistently let me down.
Ember Edge KX100 is the end-game mousepad I’ve been wanting for decades.
The size is enormous (bigger is better for XIM gaming) and the surface is the perfect hybrid blend between speed and accuracy. It’s also easy to keep clean with a dry foam block, like a cap brush.
Ember Edge KX100 is a fantastic pad that slots perfectly onto my desk for my XIM & PC gaming setup. I can’t see myself using anything else, very highly recommended.
I needed a decent pair of closed-back cans for streaming because my Shure SM7B mic picks up audio leakage from open-backs.
Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X solves the problem and are great for the price, especially if you can find them second-hand on eBay or Gumtree.
The previous drink-holder from Gravity was too small. The large model is the perfect fit for a H2 Big Mouth 950ml water bottle.
The Razer Atlas mousepad is a near-perfect size for gaming with a XIM, but the glass surface is way too slippery for either fast turning or accurate microaim.
This pad is the worst gaming purchase I’ve made this year, but it does make for a nice matte black photography background.
A great little coldshoe adapter from Elgato to add adjustable height and rotation for mounted streaming webcams.
I needed a fast wifi USB adapter after upgrading to 1Gbps internet. This one from Volans fit the bill, but it creates a tonne of interference that makes wireless mice in the area unusable. Always go with wired Ethernet for gaming.
The Azeron Cyborg Compact has arrived. It’s my fifth and final Azeron and is by far the best model to date.
I was hesitant to buy the recent Cyborg model because I hated the towers on the original Classic. Sure enough, I hated them on Cyborg too.
I wanted to cut the towers off the Cyborg and replace them with Compact buttons. But I’m not a Dremel and solder kinda guy, so I used my Azeron Compact while the Cyborg gathered dust.
Fast forward a few months and Azeron must have received similar feedback from other Cyborg customers because I got exactly what I wanted in the Cyborg Compact. Both models have the same number of buttons, but removing the towers makes the Compact model significantly more comfortable and easy to use.
If you’re after a gaming keypad for console (with a XIM or Titan) or PC gaming (with reWASD app) and don’t want to use a dated, clunky keyboard, I can’t recommend the Azeron Cyborg Compact highly enough.
PWM 10-port fan hub from Deep Cool to power the new fans. Hooks up via SATA to the PSU and has screws on the back to mount to the case.
More thermal precautions - Cooler Master Riser Cable to move the Elgato 4K60 Pro Mk II PCIE capture card out of the way of the 3080 Ti GPU fans.
I’m hoping that 5 of these Be Quiet Silent Wings 3 140mm PWM fans will fix persistent Blue Screen of Death issues on the streaming rig that seem to be thermal related.
Noctua fans may have been marginally better but are twice the price. Not worth it for the same effect to solve a problem on a hunch.
