The Cambridge proves impressively capable with this piece – huge dynamic swings are rendered with plenty of attack and it digs up a ton of detail that’s all organised into a musically cohesive whole. The Edge is a composed performer one that refuses to sound ruffled even when we listen to The Battle at high volumes. Play the likes of Hans Zimmer’s Gladiator OST and it generates a sound of huge scale and authority. Once up and running, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that the Edge A is a truly complete amplifier for the money. As expected, the amp has no trouble working with either. The headphone output is tested with Beyerdynamic’s T1s and Grado RS1s. It just goes to show that there’s no alternative to actually listening when system matching. Compared to other combinations, this one lacks dynamic subtlety, which is a surprise as we’ve heard the R1s sound excellent with other amplifiers. We’re big fans of Audiovector’s R1 Arretés standmounters, but despite on-paper compatibility, this pairing never quite sounds comfortable. Over the test period we connect a range of speakers to the Edge but stick with ATC’s SCM20s the longest, though ProAc’s Response D2Rs also work very well. The Cambridge doesn’t have a phono stage, so we put Roksan’s M-series Phono SE into service instead. We can’t ask for much more than that.Īny product at this level deserves a top-class system, We use an Audio Research CD9 SE CD player alongside a Roksan Xerxes/Artemiz/van Den Hul Frog record-playing package as our sources. The handset provided is nice to hold, simple to use and looks smart. Cambridge has even made the remote handset classier than the norm. Still, when it comes to casework solidity, finish quality and attention to detail we haven’t come across an alternative that does better. ![]() This is something we noticed on the Edge NQ streaming preamp too. The input selector works with wonderful precision, but sadly the volume control feels a little vague in comparison. The main control dial mechanism is a work of art with its central volume control and outer knurled input selector ring. We love the curved corners and the way the top plate fits into place without the fixings being obvious. ![]() This amplifier’s design is impressively slick and a world away from some of the more utilitarian-looking high-end rivals we see. The company has done a fabulous job of the casework. The result is something that falls between Class A and the usual Class A/B in terms of those drawbacks. Cambridge does it in a way that is claimed to offer many advantages of traditional Class A operation but without the high power consumption and heat generation. There are other unusual touches, such as the way the biasing on the output transistors is handled. Doing this reduces distortion and improves signal integrity. For example, there are two toroidal mains transformers but they’re positioned in such a way that one cancels out any stray magnetic fields generated by the other – simple yet clever.Įlsewhere, the engineers have actively avoided capacitors in the signal path. Take a look inside the amplifier, and it’s clear that Cambridge’s engineers have obsessed over the internals. You’ll also find a handy switch for an auto power-off function, so that if your amplifier doesn’t receive a signal for 20 minutes it drops to standby. Look on the Edge A’s back panel and you’ll find an RS232 connector for home install situations as well as a comms link that synchronises the Edge components to power on and off together. ![]() There’s also a 6.3mm headphone connection on the front panel, which mutes the speaker and preamp outputs when connected. The company’s hugely capable Edge W power amp would be the obvious choice.Ĭonsidering that the A’s power output doubles as speaker impedance halves, we can’t imagine too many people needing the extra amp, unless they have a large listening room or particularly inefficient speakers. If the Edge A’s 100W per channel power output into 8ohms isn’t enough for you there are both single-ended and balanced preamp line outs so that you can add outboard muscle. Still, aptX HD remains the most capable form of Bluetooth currently available and we’re happy that Cambridge’s engineers rejected the lesser options. As a comparison, a CD has a bitrate of 1411kbs. It can carry signals up to 24-bit/48kHz, but this remains a convenience rather than a quality option, as the tech’s maximum bit rate of 576kbs shows. We’re pleased to find that the company has also included aptX HD Bluetooth. The coax is compatible with 24-bit/192kHz and the optical, as usual, takes that down to 24-bit/96kHz – all pretty standard numbers at this level. The USB (type B) will support up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256, for example. Audio file support Up to 32-bit 384kHz PCM, or DSD256Īs expected, the digital inputs can cope with most types of signals.
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![]() I expected it to run terribly, but it doesn’t. Still, I’m really happy with Final Fantasy VII Remake on Steam Deck. FSR would help a lot there considering you don’t have much bandwidth to improve performance in the graphics settings alone. I’ve only played the first couple of hours on the Steam Deck, but I imagine there will be frame rate dips well below 60 fps later in the game. Lower resolutions are all the more important considering how few graphics options Final Fantasy VII Remake has. It’s fairly consistent, but the game still dropped into the 40-fps range with big slam attacks from Scorpion Sentinel and when transitioning into combat. You have AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) built into the Steam Deck, so enabling it with a lower resolution like 540p would massively help smooth out the frame rate. While 720p is the minimum resolution you can set, for some reason, Square Enix allows you to set the resolution far above 4K on the Steam Deck. You might be surprised to find out that it’s not too low - it’s actually too high. The biggest issue with Final Fantasy VII Remake on Steam Deck is the resolution. There’s a lot more detail in cutscenes, so unless you stop and really look for problems, you probably won’t notice them. The good news is that those lower-resolution assets don’t show up in the game’s many cutscenes. ![]() When the character models are moving, even outside of combat, those details are hard to make out on the Steam Deck’s screen. The backgrounds look like they have more detail, in fact, which was probably a smart compromise. That’s even more clear on Jessie’s face in the background, which settles into a blurry uncanny valley. There’s an impression of more detail, but that detail isn’t there. It looks great in motion, where you’ll spend most of your time, but it’s clear that there are some cutbacks in quality if you stare at character models for too long.Įverything looks a bit too basic. A great look … for a handheldįinal Fantasy VII Remake plays great on the Steam Deck, but it’s still clear you’re getting much less fidelity than you’d get on the PS4 (let alone the PS5). I wasn’t perfectly locked at 60 fps - a point I’ll address later - but the frame rate drops haven’t hurt the experience so far. They can improve performance quite a bit, but I was happy to turn both down to hit a higher frame rate. ![]() At High, which is the default, the game hovered in the 40 fps range.Īs you can see in the comparison above, these graphics options do very little to impact the look of the game. I had to bump both down to Low to get the smooth 60 fps. You have two graphics settings - shadow quality and texture quality - and they each only have two options. I didn’t get there without tweaks, though, and unfortunately, Final Fantasy VII Remake doesn’t give you very much room to compromise. I was able to get through the first mission and the Scorpion Sentinel boss fight while mostly staying at 60 fps. Thankfully, it seems Square Enix was being conservative. Final Fantasy VII Remake is all about fluid combat, so I was immediately worried about the Steam Deck version when I saw it defaulted to a 30 frames-per-second (fps) cap. ![]() If all else fails, you can also consider getting a dedicated IP address with NordVPN. Often, they can point you to servers that can unblock Netflix. ![]() Reach out to the customer service team.Connect to the NordVPN DNS servers ( 103.86.96.100 and 103.86.99.100), clear your cache, then try again.Clear your browser cache, then try again.If you run into trouble, NordVPN recommends any of the following solutions: You don’t have to activate it separately, either - it’s built into the VPN software. It uses DNS rerouting and additional IP addresses to improve your experience. NordVPN’s SmartPlay feature makes it safe and easy to stream content from a different country. This may cause problems if you’re in a country where the Nord website is blocked. At the time of writing, we could access the US Netflix library and also bypass Netflix’s blocks in Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.Īlthough its apps and software are intuitive and easy to use, NordVPN recently switched to in-browser logins (instead of in-app logins). NordVPN was one of the first providers to reinstate access to Netflix via VPN after the Netflix VPN ban. With over 5,500 servers in 59 countries, NordVPN ensures you can access just about any Netflix catalog of your choice. NordVPN is a leader in the VPN industry, known for its fast and reliable servers, competitive pricing, and expert customer service. NordVPN: Lightning-fast VPN for streaming Netflix securely ![]() So, without further ado, let’s look at the best VPNs for Netflix, starting with our top choice: NordVPN.ġ. Netflix is less likely to detect your VPN use if you connect to an obfuscated server. Several VPNs on this list offer obfuscated servers that hide the fact you’re using a VPN. In 2021, the company blocked residential IPs as part of this initiative. Netflix has intensified its efforts to combat the use of VPNs to circumvent its geo-blocks. The streaming service reserves the right to terminate your account if you use a VPN. Using a VPN goes against Netflix’s terms of service. Note that Netflix does not condone the use of VPNs. Below is an overview of the best VPNs for Netflix. That’s why we tested dozens of VPNs to narrow down the top five best VPNs for Netflix. So, you’ll need a reliable VPN to access Netflix. However, not all VPN providers can bypass Netflix’s VPN blocks. You can simply hop on a different VPN server to access a new selection of movies and TV shows. Netflix catalogs differ depending on your location. We will continue to review and test Netflix VPNs to ensure we provide the most current information. The tips in this article work at the time of writing, but this could change in the (near) future. Due to a change in the way the streaming company deals with proxies and VPN IP addresses you might not always be able to access geo-specific content on Netflix using a VPN. ![]() STAR WARS 34 LEINIL YU HAN SOLO & CHEWBACCA SOLO 5TH ANNIVERSARY MOVIE VAR $3.99 STAR WARS 34 TYLER CHRISTOPHER ACTION FIGURE VAR $3.99 STAR WARS 34 CHRIS SPROUSE RETURN OF THE JEDI 40TH ANNIVERSARY VAR $3.99 SPIDER-MAN: LIFE STORY - EXTRA! TP $29.99 SPIDER-MAN 8 ROB LIEFELD HOMAGER VAR $3.99 SPIDER-MAN 2099: DARK GENESIS 1 REIS CONNECTING VAR $3.99 SPIDER-MAN 2099: DARK GENESIS 1 LASHLEY FRAME VAR $3.99 SPIDER-GWEN: GHOST-SPIDER MODERN ERA EPIC COLLECTION: EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE TP $44.99 ![]() SCARLET WITCH 5 COCCOLO STORMBREAKERS VAR $3.99 SCARLET WITCH 5 MARC ASPINALL SPIDER-VERSE VAR $3.99 MOON KNIGHT 23 JAN BAZALDUA STORMBREAKERS VAR $3.99 MOON KNIGHT 23 DECLAN SHALVEY SPIDER-VERSE VAR $3.99 MIGHTY MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE AVENGERS VOL. IMMORTAL X-MEN 11 TAURIN CLARKE SPIDER-VERSE VAR $3.99 IMMORTAL X-MEN 11 STEPHANIE HANS VAR $3.99 IMMORTAL X-MEN 11 PHIL NOTO QUIET COUNCIL VAR $3.99 CASANOVAS CONNECTING VAR $4.99ĮDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE 1 LASHLEY SPIDER-KILLER VAR $4.99ĮDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE 1 SKOTTIE YOUNG VAR $4.99 CLARKE CONNECTING VAR $7.99ĬULT OF CARNAGE: MISERY 1 INHYUK LEE VAR $4.99ĬULT OF CARNAGE: MISERY 1 STEGMAN VENOM THE OTHER VAR $4.99ĬULT OF CARNAGE: MISERY 1 NAUCK WINDOWSHADES VAR $4.99ĭEMON WARS: SCARLET SIN 1 GURIHIRU VAR $4.99ĭEMON WARS: SCARLET SIN 1 KEVIN EASTMAN VAR $4.99ĭEMON WARS: SCARLET SIN 1 MITSUHIRO ARITA VAR $4.99ĭEMON WARS: SCARLET SIN 1 PEACH MOMOKO VAR $4.99ĭEMON WARS: SCARLET SIN 1 STEPHANIE HANS VAR $4.99ĮDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE 1 CHRISCROSS HOWARD THE DUCK VAR $4.99ĮDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE 1 J. See you all on Wednesday!ĪVENGERS WEST COAST EPIC COLLECTION: CALIFORNIA SCREAMING TP $49.99ĬARNAGE REIGNS ALPHA 1 KENDRICK LIM VAR $7.99ĬARNAGE REIGNS ALPHA 1 T. We will have a bunch of freebies to hand out and we’ll have some sort of special on that day. Upcoming this week in celebration of all things Star Wars, Thursday May the 4 th we will have all Star Wars trade paperbacks, toys, and statues 30% off then this Saturday is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY. It was great to see so many folk’s turnout to hear what the featured creators had to say. ![]() Thanks to everyone that made it in for the Bay Area Book Festival talk last Sunday. Good afternoon, everyone, another “healthy” comic list for this week. |
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