**Favorite Gear of 2015**

As we take a look back at 2015, we wanted to share with you our favorite gear of that year - things we started using this year that we really can't live without.

**Patrick's Build**

I was gonna say you might be surprised at what I built in my garage this year. Finally got a Skylake PC and finally got a one terabyte SSD, a Samsung 850 Evo. Having all of the storage and all of the speed is just awesome - no compromise, no compromise. You know we've talked about SSDs for years, testing them out, reading reviews... but nothing compared to having one in action. The performance is ridiculous compared to standard hard drives. Something I didn't realize until now is how much of a difference it makes. In fact, according to an article this morning, 25% of all laptops sold in the United States right now have SSDs. If you have an older SSD or your desktop machine doesn't have an SSD, now's the time to get one. You couldn't afford it and affordability is no longer a barrier - prices are dropping rapidly. According to an article this morning, by 2017, prices will be around $17 cents per gigabyte for SSDs, down from $99 cents in 2012.

**Samsung Evo**

If you're buying a new motherboard that supports M2 NVMe or U2 NVMe, pony up - it's really expensive. But the performance is ridiculous. Like something in the neighborhood of a 4x performance increase over standard SATA drives. That's amazing for gaming and video editing.

**Creed Radius Labs**

I've also started using the Element from Creed Radius Labs, an external digital analog converter and headphone amplifier for $329. It's a fantastic piece of gear. The giant knob lights up when you power it on - it's like something out of a sci-fi movie. One watt of power means I can substitute it for a 300-watt amp if that's what I need. But the sound is phenomenal. I didn't have anything like it before, and it's allowed me to turn up my volume without fear of damage.

**Headphone Amplifier Options**

If you're looking for a headphone amplifier that won't break the bank, check out the O2 amplifiers - they sell them or get out your soldering iron and build one yourself. I've been using Weller soldering irons since I was a child, and I love my JACO FX-888 D. It's got a digital entry system that allows me to precisely set the temperature and repeatable results. The feel of it is fantastic - not just a sponge, but a well-balanced, well-designed tool. And at $99, it's less than a typical Weller soldering station.

**Happy Holidays**

Well, that's all for now. We'll have more gear reviews throughout the rest of the holidays. Thanks for tuning in, and we'll see you guys in the future until then!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey everybody its norm from Testim I'm Patrick from tested and at the end of this year we wanted to share with you our favorite gear of 2015 things we started using this year that we really can't live without so Patrick what do you have for us well I was gonna say you might I built skylake PC and finally got a one terabyte SSD a samsung 850 Evo and having all of the storage and all of the speed is just awesome no compromise no compromise well it's ok you know we've you know in always like on tech thing they tested we talked about for a long time SSDs the performance is ridiculous compared your standard hard drive something I didn't realize the list on article this morning like 25% of all the laptops sold in the United States right now have SSDs so if you have an older SSD or your desktop machine doesn't have an SSD now get one yeah oh yeah there's no reason not to build a PC or get a laptop without an SSD you couldn't afford it and affordability is it's become a realistic ya know it's they're expecting I think it's like 9 cents a gigabyte right now for a traditional hard drive it's like 39 cents a gigabyte but a computer for old article I read this morning said by 2017 you look at it's 17 cents per gigabyte for SSDs that was from 99 cents a gigabyte back in 2012 so the prices are dropping and a dollar per gigabyte at that point was like a really high benchmark yes under 50 cents a gigabyte go ahead if you're gonna book computer you love your Samsung Evo I love my cell phone you go yeah it's been amazing if you're buying one of the new motherboards it supports m2 nvme or u2 nvme if you can pony up their really expensive but the performance is ridiculous like something in the neighborhood of as much as a 4x performance increase over a standard SATA Drive oh it's on there and your games imagine that I a lot of my video - and video I like this awesome what else have you started using this year that you can't live without the Creed radius labs I started testing the element this is a external digital analog converter and headphone amplifier $329 and one it's a fantastic piece of gear it's got a giant knob it lights up when you power it up these are all good things it's got 1 watt of power which basically means you can substitute it for a 300 beat you ban if you're that kind of a freak and you have a really really really really sensitive speakers but the sound is phenomenal and I didn't have anything like I could turn the drug that this is as far as I could turn the volume up on any of my regular headphones by comparison Heiser Momentum's its airing a great house and somewhere around here and be like I'm going to be deaf in five minutes so I started looking for headphones that would load them and that let me do magnetic plain ours and a whole bunch of amazing listening then I won't go off on a tangent on right now a whole video about that but props to 2j Deus labs and if you don't want to spend $329 for a headphone amplifier take a look at the o2 amplifiers they sell or if you want to get geeky get out your soldering iron and build yourself a seam oi Altoids to in the headphone amplifier well speaking of soldering irons perfect segue into the other thing you brought in I have been using Weller soldering iron since I was a child and I started doing tech thing and we shoot that in the lab that hak5 shoots out of and Darren and my co-host Shannon both use jaco soldering irons and I'll read the label to get it right the fx-888 D this is a fantastic soldering iron first of all that they've got a digital entry that allows you to precisely set the temperature and repeatable I know you drew a lot before and you never touch it again for the rest of your life but also the fact that it's just it's really well balanced it's really well designed you know they've got a place yeah it's not just a sponge which is okay but they have like the classic jaco crazy brass steel wool but one I love these it's don't understand it's got a fantastic feel a ton of tips and it's $99 which means you not only get the soldering iron and the digital controls and the electrostatic discharge safety and the cool stand with the finger lexically in your soldering tip but it's less than a typical Weller soldering station so props to hock though that I'm saying that name right that is some cool gear and we'll have more stuff like that throughout the rest of the holidays have a happy holidays Patrick you have happy holidays and we'll see you guys in the future until thenhey everybody its norm from Testim I'm Patrick from tested and at the end of this year we wanted to share with you our favorite gear of 2015 things we started using this year that we really can't live without so Patrick what do you have for us well I was gonna say you might I built skylake PC and finally got a one terabyte SSD a samsung 850 Evo and having all of the storage and all of the speed is just awesome no compromise no compromise well it's ok you know we've you know in always like on tech thing they tested we talked about for a long time SSDs the performance is ridiculous compared your standard hard drive something I didn't realize the list on article this morning like 25% of all the laptops sold in the United States right now have SSDs so if you have an older SSD or your desktop machine doesn't have an SSD now get one yeah oh yeah there's no reason not to build a PC or get a laptop without an SSD you couldn't afford it and affordability is it's become a realistic ya know it's they're expecting I think it's like 9 cents a gigabyte right now for a traditional hard drive it's like 39 cents a gigabyte but a computer for old article I read this morning said by 2017 you look at it's 17 cents per gigabyte for SSDs that was from 99 cents a gigabyte back in 2012 so the prices are dropping and a dollar per gigabyte at that point was like a really high benchmark yes under 50 cents a gigabyte go ahead if you're gonna book computer you love your Samsung Evo I love my cell phone you go yeah it's been amazing if you're buying one of the new motherboards it supports m2 nvme or u2 nvme if you can pony up their really expensive but the performance is ridiculous like something in the neighborhood of as much as a 4x performance increase over a standard SATA Drive oh it's on there and your games imagine that I a lot of my video - and video I like this awesome what else have you started using this year that you can't live without the Creed radius labs I started testing the element this is a external digital analog converter and headphone amplifier $329 and one it's a fantastic piece of gear it's got a giant knob it lights up when you power it up these are all good things it's got 1 watt of power which basically means you can substitute it for a 300 beat you ban if you're that kind of a freak and you have a really really really really sensitive speakers but the sound is phenomenal and I didn't have anything like I could turn the drug that this is as far as I could turn the volume up on any of my regular headphones by comparison Heiser Momentum's its airing a great house and somewhere around here and be like I'm going to be deaf in five minutes so I started looking for headphones that would load them and that let me do magnetic plain ours and a whole bunch of amazing listening then I won't go off on a tangent on right now a whole video about that but props to 2j Deus labs and if you don't want to spend $329 for a headphone amplifier take a look at the o2 amplifiers they sell or if you want to get geeky get out your soldering iron and build yourself a seam oi Altoids to in the headphone amplifier well speaking of soldering irons perfect segue into the other thing you brought in I have been using Weller soldering iron since I was a child and I started doing tech thing and we shoot that in the lab that hak5 shoots out of and Darren and my co-host Shannon both use jaco soldering irons and I'll read the label to get it right the fx-888 D this is a fantastic soldering iron first of all that they've got a digital entry that allows you to precisely set the temperature and repeatable I know you drew a lot before and you never touch it again for the rest of your life but also the fact that it's just it's really well balanced it's really well designed you know they've got a place yeah it's not just a sponge which is okay but they have like the classic jaco crazy brass steel wool but one I love these it's don't understand it's got a fantastic feel a ton of tips and it's $99 which means you not only get the soldering iron and the digital controls and the electrostatic discharge safety and the cool stand with the finger lexically in your soldering tip but it's less than a typical Weller soldering station so props to hock though that I'm saying that name right that is some cool gear and we'll have more stuff like that throughout the rest of the holidays have a happy holidays Patrick you have happy holidays and we'll see you guys in the future until then\n"