Browsed by
Category: Cables and adapters

UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 1
The UGREEN 2.5-inch HDD and SSD to USB 3.0 Enclosure

The UGREEN 2.5-inch HDD and SSD to USB 3.0 Enclosure

Comments 0 Comment

Hi everyone,

Today, I’m going to show you the UGREEN 2.5-inch HDD and SSD to USB 3.0 Enclosure.

This is a Hard Disk Drive and Solid State Drive enclosure. It converts from SATA to USB 3.0. This is the standard USB model. UGREEN also has a USB-C version of this enclosure that I tested 2 years ago.

The packaging is small and straightforward. UGREEN always make some environmental friendly packages for their products:

  • UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 1
  • UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 2

We see the enclosure as soon as we open the box:

UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 3

We then have the instruction booklet below:

UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 4

The enclosure is very well protected:

  • UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 5
  • UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 6

Once it is taken out, it looks very similar to the USB-C model:

  • UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 7
  • UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 8

The difference being in that this just use a standard USB 3.0 Type B port:

UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 9
UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB-C enclosure 3

The drive accepts a SATA drive. A hard disk drive or a solid state drive will both work:

  • UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 10
  • UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 11
  • UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 12

The included cable is just a short USB 3.0 cable. It is not a Y splitter cable:

  • UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 13
  • UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 14

Here I connected the enclosure to my PC:

UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 17

And I ran a quick benchmark on one of the drives. We can see it ran at USB 3.0 speeds. This disk is a bit slow, but the purpose of the enclosure is to reuse them until they finally die:

UGREEN 2.5 to USB 3.0 HDD SSD Enclosure

Conclusion

This Hard Disk Drive enclosure is excellent to use our internal hard disk drives and solid state drives as external drives. You can find this enclosure for $12 or less. It runs at USB 3.0 speeds which means we can make the most of the drive’s technical features. Overall, a nice addition to our daily workflow.

I had 6 drives without a case, so I got 6 of these:

UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 15

I then labeled them to identify them better:

UGREEN 2.5 HDD to USB 3.0 Enclosure 16

My smallest drive is a 120GB drive while the largest are 1TB drives. This is a great way to reuse old laptop’s hard drives.

You can get this enclosure on Amazon at the following link:

AINOPE Active USB 3.0 Extension Cable 10FT 4
The AINOPE 10-feet Active USB 3.0 Extension Cable

The AINOPE 10-feet Active USB 3.0 Extension Cable

Comments 0 Comment

Hi everyone,

Today, we will be seeing the AINOPE 10-feet Active USB 3.0 Extension Cable. This is a USB 3.0 extension cable that has a built-in chip that is supposed to improve the signal to prevent transmission issues. It is why it’s called an active cable. The purpose is that we can have a longer USB cable without any negative issues.

This cable comes in a simple packaging which a lot of cable words in it:

  • AINOPE Active USB 3.0 Extension Cable 10FT 1
  • AINOPE Active USB 3.0 Extension Cable 10FT 2

Inside, we have the cable in a plastic bag:

AINOPE Active USB 3.0 Extension Cable 10FT 3

The first impressions are that the cable seem to be well made:

AINOPE Active USB 3.0 Extension Cable 10FT 4

The USB female connector side is bigger and larger than usual extension cables since there is where the chip is located. I’m not sure what exact model it uses, but the item description specifies it is an NXP chip (Another competing product specifies that its cable uses a PTN36241B chip):

AINOPE Active USB 3.0 Extension Cable 10FT 5

The male plug is pretty much normal:

AINOPE Active USB 3.0 Extension Cable 10FT 6

I plugged this cable and so far it seems to be doing the job:

AINOPE Active USB 3.0 Extension Cable 10FT 7

The Story behind this purchase

I posted about several hubs I got lately, specifically the Sabrent 10-port and Rosonway 7-port USB hubs. I also have a UGREEN 4-port USB 3.0 hub and a 6-feet UGREEN USB 3.0 extension cable. My setup is seemed to be working great, but suddenly I started having some USB Semaphore Timeout issues that would cause a USB port reset. Whenever I tried to reconnect the cable, Windows would report a Code 31 “Request not supported” Error. Just to try to find the cause of it, I got this cable, but the issue continued happening. Because of this, I know the cause is not this cable, as the issue happens with the other one too. The issue seems to not be the new hubs, as I swapped it and it still happened. Now, my system uses an AMD X570 chipset which is known to have USB issues. I do think there may be some chipset compatibility issues between my system and the hubs. Swapping ports did not help either, and both the front and back panels seem to suffer from this issue. I’m still investigating this, but I can say that this cable is working properly.

Conclusion

This cable offers a 10-feet length that is good if we want to connect something that’s far away from our computers. The build quality seem to be good except for the female connector, where the case is made by plastic, but the connectors itself feels solid. It’s also cheap, so you can get it and improve your workstation setup.

Get this cable on Amazon at the following link:

Rosonway 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub 1
The Rosonway 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub

The Rosonway 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub

Comments 0 Comment

Hi everyone,

Today, we will be seeing the Rosonway 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub, which I got alongside the Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub to better organize my USB devices:

  • Rosonway 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub 1
  • Rosonway 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub 2

This USB hub comes with an average 24-Watt Power Supply. With it, we can power some USB devices like light portable hard drives, but don’t expect to power all USB ports. 5 Volts at 1 Amp per port would mean the entire hub would consume 35W which is over the 24W limit.

The hub presentation makes a good first impression. We first get the technical details:

Rosonway 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub 4

We will then find the hub behind it fully protected:

Rosonway 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub 5

Under it, we find the USB cable and power supply:

Rosonway 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub 6

The power supply indeed is a 12V/2A adapter, so we get 24W in total:

Rosonway 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub 7

Let’s take a closer look at the USB Hub:

  • Rosonway 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub 8
  • Rosonway 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub 9

This hub uses a USB Type B 3.0 connector. The power supply is of barrel type, like those of the hard disk drives. Each port has an LED on the other side of the hub.

This is the entire content we get:

Rosonway 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub 10

Because of the low power output, I’m using this hub with USB devices that are not USB-Powered. Here we can see how the hub look with some devices connected to it:

Rosonway 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub 11

It has to be noted that this hub also works without connecting the power adapter, which is great if we intend to use it with already-powered USB devices. I have not experienced any issues as of yet.

You can buy this USB hub on Amazon at the following link:

Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub 1
The Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub

The Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub

Comments 0 Comment

Hi everyone,

Today, we will be seeing one of the new USB hubs I received. This is the Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub:

  • Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub 1
  • Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub 2
  • Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub 3
  • Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub 4

This hub comes with a 60-Watt Power Supply which means this mighty hub allows us to use USB-Powered devices without struggles. It also has a power switch to allow us to turn a port on or off at any time. Finally, because it has 10 USB 3.0 ports, we can connect up to 10 USB devices to it.

We will find the USB Hub inside the box:

Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub 5

After taking out the hub, we find a box that contains the cables:

  • Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub 6
  • Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub 8
  • Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub 9

At the very end, we have the user manual and a warranty card:

Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub 7

Let’s take a closer look at the USB Hub:

  • Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub 12
  • Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub 11

The main USB port is a Type-B 3.0 port. The DC power connector is of barrel type and the power supply must supply 12V. We can see that each port has an LED in the middle, between the USB ports and the power button.

The Power Supply is effectively able to supply up to 60W, as it can output up to 5 Amps at 12 Volts.

Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub 13

The Power Supply is also a 2-piece item, A Nema 1-15P to IEC C7 cable is needed to connect to the power supply. This cable is widely used in other products, like in some inkjet printers. The USB cable is a 3.0 Type A to Type B cable.

Here we have the entire product content:

Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub 14

Lastly, I’ve put it to work, using 6 ports out of the 10:

Sabrent 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub 15

So far it’s been working reliably. I was using a USB 2.0 hub but was having some Semaphore Timeout issues, which simply doesn’t happen with this hub. The USB-powered devices are also all being powered by the hub and haven’t experienced yet an issue with neither of them. The 6 devices are all slim Optical Drives. We’ll see those at a later post.

You can buy the Sabrent 10-port USB Hub at Amazon in the following link:

UGreen 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub 1
2 UGREEN products: USB 3.0 6ft Extension Cable and a 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub

2 UGREEN products: USB 3.0 6ft Extension Cable and a 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub

Comments 0 Comment

Hi everyone,

Today, we will be seeing 2 UGREEN products. These are a USB 3.0 6ft Extension Cable and a 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub. These 2 products have been with me since last summer and they’ve been working great. These products are being used right now as a middle point between my PC and other USB Hubs that are connected to the 4-port hub. We will be seeing those other hubs on future posts.

The USB Extension cable is very basic and basically comes in a simple bag. This is the 6-feet version:

  • UGreen USB 3.0 6 ft Extension Cable 1
  • UGreen USB 3.0 6 ft Extension Cable 2

Both sides of it are Gold-plated.

The USB Hub comes on a very simple packaging. Points to UGREEN for a sustainable package!

  • UGreen 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub 1
  • UGreen 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub 2
  • UGreen 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub 3

Opening it reveals the USB Hub with both parts protected:

  • UGreen 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub 4
  • UGreen 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub 5

The hub itself is made of plastic. It also has a Micro USB port to supply additional power if we plan to use it with USB-Powered devices like portable hard disk drives or optical drives. The cable is a bit long too. However, since in my case my PC is on one side and the stuff I will connect will be on another side, the USB extension cable is also required. This hub appears to use a GL3510 chip from Genesys Logic, Inc.

UGreen 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub 7

In the end, my setup looks like this:

  • UGreen USB 3.0 6 ft Extension Cable 3
  • UGreen 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub 6

In the next posts, we will see the other 2 hubs that finally got delivered to me after an unexpected delay

You can get these 2 items in the following links:

.

Cuziss USB Power Supply Charger Cable Cord Compatible for Nintendo GBM Game Boy Micro Console 3
The Cuziss Game Boy Micro USB Charging Cable

The Cuziss Game Boy Micro USB Charging Cable

Comments 0 Comment

Hi everyone,

Last month, I got this USB cable to be able to charge my Game Boy Micro:

  • Cuziss USB Power Supply Charger Cable Cord Compatible for Nintendo GBM Game Boy Micro Console 1
  • Cuziss USB Power Supply Charger Cable Cord Compatible for Nintendo GBM Game Boy Micro Console 2

The cable is USB-A in one end and has the Game Boy Micro connector on the other side. It fits flawlessly in it:

Cuziss USB Power Supply Charger Cable Cord Compatible for Nintendo GBM Game Boy Micro Console 3

It also charges well when connected to a computer USB port:

Cuziss USB Power Supply Charger Cable Cord Compatible for Nintendo GBM Game Boy Micro Console 4

The Game Boy Micro draws about 160-180mA of power when charging, as we can see on the USB meter. It took a while to charge, but it’s been working fine. It also has to be noted that the Game Boy Micro rated input voltage is 5.2V. Since it is being plugged into a laptop USB port, the voltage is lower. This, however, didn’t seem to affect charging.

It feels good to be able to play games again on it, after losing the original charger. It’s also more convenient to plug it on a USB port to charge it when needed.

You can get this cable on Amazon here:

IFI IEMatch 2.5mm on Amazon
The IFI IEMatch 2.5mm is on sale!

The IFI IEMatch 2.5mm is on sale!

Comments 0 Comment

Hi everyone,

Today is Black Friday, and it seems Amazon is having a sale for the iFi IEMatch 2.5mm Audio Attenuator.

This device usually retails for about $59, but today, you can get it for just $49. That’s the same price of the 3.5mm version!

IFI IEMatch 2.5mm on Amazon
IFI IEMatch 2.5mm on Amazon

If you’re an owner of sensitive IEMs, you may have experienced the problem where you hear some background noise, or the volume control stepping is really bad. It is either too low, or too high, with no middle point. This little adapter will reduce the hiss and noise from the audio source in which it’s being used, as well as helping you at having better volume control.

The IFI IEMatch 2.5mm is basically the same as its 3.5mm version, except that it is designed for use with 2.5mm sources. It has the same 2 operational modes: High, and Ultra. High reduces the audio volume by 12db, while the Ultra setting reduces the audio volume by 24db.

I’m an owner of the iFi IEMatch 3.5mm version, and use it with my Hidizs MS4 in the Ultra setting. It works wonderfully when used with some USB DACs that are way too loud when used with this sensitive IEM.

IFI IEMatch 3.5mm
IFI IEMatch 3.5mm

Since I now own a 2.5mm DAC, and another one is in the way, I’ve decided to take advantage of this sale to use it with my 2.5mm DACs and have better volume control.

I’ll write another post detailing the improvements of using this with my DACs. In the meantime, you can take advantage of this sale by clicking on the link below:

Using the Hidizs MS4 with the RevoNext 3 5mm cable with inline controls and mic.

Using the Hidizs MS4 with the RevoNext 3 5mm cable with inline controls and mic.

Comments 0 Comment

Hi everyone,

I’ve uploaded a new video to my YouTube channel where I’m showing the Hidizs MS4 IEM being used with the RevoNext 3.5mm cable that has a microphone and inline controls to control volume and media. The cable that comes with the Hidizs MS1 and MS4 does not have a mic or inline controls and this cable is perfect as it adds those 2 things.

Watch the video below:

You can get the Hidizs MS4 and the RevoNext 3.5mm cable at Amazon using the following links:

Using the KZ aptX HD Bluetooth Cable and the TRN BT20 with the Hidizs Mermaid MS1/MS4

Using the KZ aptX HD Bluetooth Cable and the TRN BT20 with the Hidizs Mermaid MS1/MS4

Comments 0 Comment

Hi everyone,

Today, I recorded a video showing the new KZ aptX HD Bluetooth Cable and the TRN BT20 Bluetooth adapter with the Hidizs Mermaid MS1/MS4.

The reason of doing this video is to show how the KZ cable fits the Hidizs MS1/MS4 as the KZ cables comes in different pin flavors. And as for the TRN BT20, I just wanted to show how they look with it attached.

It’s nice to have a variety of Bluetooth adapters to use with these new IEMs which have an incredible sound.

You can watch the video below:

You can get these Bluetooth items as well as the IEMs using the following links: