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Following on from my discussion of amplifiers, which began with a review of an LM3886 chip-based kit, I want to show you an option that’s its complete opposite: no chips at all. It’s a clone—or, more precisely, one of several clones—of a fairly well-known amplifier by Dartzeel. And it also runs warm in the literal sense, but more on that in the review :)

Today I’m reviewing a computer with a “industrial” form factor that’s rather unusual for most users. But that’s not all: it also has at least two COM ports and a relatively powerful i5-7200U processor.

Today I'm reviewing a somewhat unusual device. To be honest, I'm not even sure what the right title for this review would be, since this device isn't just a voltmeter, though that's probably the main thing I'm interested in here. This won't be a very long review, partly because the device is rather specialized and partly because there isn't all that much to say about it.

To be honest, I ordered this kit mostly to fill out the package, but it turned out to be quite useful, especially for beginner electronics hobbyists. A while ago, I reviewed a simple adjustable power supply, and as it turned out, it was useful. Now imagine something similar, but: With a higher output voltage With more current With transformer winding switching With fan control Interested? Then I don't think you'll regret it.

I originally planned to publish this review much later, in the “first come, first served” order, but as they say, good news should be shared quickly and bad news even faster, so I decided to publish it sooner. So today’s review covers five types of capacitors from well-known manufacturers, or— Have you stepped on a rake? We keep walking right into them!

I've been asked about reviews of converters like these many times, both in the comments and in private messages. I've seen plenty of reviews of similar devices, but somehow never got around to trying one myself. Partly because I already have quite a few different adjustable power supplies, and partly because I have a general idea of what these converters are and how they work. But as it happened, I needed exactly this kind of converter for a project, so I decided to order one for a review. This won't be a very long review. It'll mostly be about my personal opinion of the converter itself, its design and controls, and my overall impressions compared with models from ZXY.

Not long ago, I reviewed a computer that was almost identical to the one featured here. It was called the Beelink M1. But as it turned out, the differences between them are a little more significant than I initially expected. Still, the best way to find out is to read the review, which includes a look around the device, the obligatory teardown, tests, and, of course, my conclusions, along with a comparison table.

I wasn’t even planning to write this review anymore, but this time fate had other ideas, and by a roundabout route a new phone from Cubot eventually made its way to me—or, to give its full name, the Cubot Power. The manufacturer came up with this rather straightforward name for its creation. In principle, it’s not a bad idea: there’s no “notch,” dual camera, or other nonsense, but there is a large display, a high-capacity battery, 6 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of flash storage. Somehow, though, it’s like that old joke about Christmas tree ornaments. Anyway, let’s take a look, take it apart, test it, and draw some conclusions.

A brief review of NCR18650B batteries with the LiitoKala logo, bought on AliExpress. In appearance and specifications, these batteries are very similar to the well-known Panasonic NCR18650B, but cost a little less. As usual, the review includes an inspection and thorough testing.

I recently posted a review of a volume control, and today I'm continuing the series of reviews about all kinds of audio equipment. This time, I'm looking at a power amplifier based on the fairly popular LM3886 chips.

I’ve been meaning to write an article like this for a long time, partly because I’ve already tested quite a few of these devices, partly because I wanted to organize all the information, and partly because readers have asked me to do it more than once.

Somehow, despite the large number of reviews I've written, I've hardly ever reviewed devices related to audio equipment in one way or another. Of course, I did review a power supply for a power amplifier, but in my view that's only tangentially related. So I've decided to take a look at amplifiers, DACs, and other audio devices, starting with a volume controller. I chose this volume controller mainly for aesthetic reasons, since it's very simple in terms of functionality, so today's review won't be very long.

Standalone devices that support Quick Charge are becoming increasingly common, so I decided to take a closer look at what “feeds” these “pets”—a QC 3.0 charger (power supply). It’s very compact, but you can read all about it in the review: as usual, I’ll take a look, run some tests, take it apart, and share my conclusions.

I've published quite a few battery reviews, and people often asked why I don't measure the batteries' internal resistance in them. My answer was usually the same: the instruments I had couldn't measure this parameter accurately, so there was no point in taking measurements. But fairly recently, I got my hands on a specialized instrument designed specifically for this kind of measurement. This device belongs to a very specialized class of measuring instruments, but I can imagine it being useful for more than just working with batteries.

How many times have I started with the words, “I’ve already reviewed a similar product,” only to find myself doing it again. About a year and a half ago, I posted a review of a somewhat unusual power bank for four 18650 batteries, with independent charging and pass-through power. Today’s review is of a very similar device, though with a few differences.

Some time ago, a friend of mine who works with various batteries asked me to come up with a test bench for battery packs. One of the bench’s key functions would be discharging them. At first, I planned to build everything myself, but it turned out that China sells an inexpensive, decent kit for the job, and in some situations it makes more sense to use it than to start from scratch.

Another power supply has landed in my hands. I didn't buy it; a friend of mine did, but that doesn't matter here. What caught my attention first was its claimed output of 400 W, its fairly compact size, and the fact that it has power factor correction.

As it happens, there are currently two leaders in the video surveillance industry. I’ve written quite a bit about one of them, the well-known company Hikvision. But the other company has somehow remained in the shadows. Although its name, Dahua, may not sound particularly appealing to Russian speakers, it would still be wrong to overlook it. I don’t know why, but there are noticeably fewer reviews of this company’s products, and that’s partly why I decided to fill the gap. Besides, I’ve been asked about Dahua products several times already. So today I’m reviewing and briefly comparing products from two major companies.