LG 48-inch CX OLED TV Review: Is it still the best TV for gaming

While we are looking forward to the LG Evo OLED and even the LG C1 in 2021, it's easy to recommend the CX, especially since it has all the bells and whistles one looks for in a premium OLED TV. It has four HDMI 2.1 ports making it ideal for gamers. The picture performance of the panel is sublime and the sound output is good as well. While Android TV still has a larger library of apps, the LG app store caters to all popular apps and streaming services one would need to enjoy content on this TV. If you are in the market for a premium TV then you can most definitely consider the LG CX. The only catch is that the 55-inch variant of the TV can be found for close to Rs 1,35,000. So, unless you are specifically looking for the 48-inch variant to fit in a specific room or on a desk as a replacement for your monitor, you could also consider its larger sibling for a more cinematic experience. 

We first saw the 48-inch LG CX back at CES 2020 when the world was “normal”, pre-pandemic. While the LG CX is available in 55, 65 and 77-inch screen sizes, it’s the 48-inch variant that is marketed as a gaming monitor. Its small size, support for HDMI 2.1, FreeSync and G-Sync made it ideal for console and PC gamers. While the CX’s larger screen sizes have been available in India since 2020, the 48-inch LG CX made its debut in India in 2021. Is it still the penultimate small screen gaming TV? Let's find out. 

LG 48-inch CX: Key specifications at a glance

Panel Size: 48-inch (available in 55, 65 and 77-inch screen sizes) Panel Type: OLED Panel Resolution: 3840 x 2160 - 4K Panel Refresh Rate: 120Hz  HDR 10 support: Yes Dolby Vision Support: Yes Weight (with stand): 14.4 kgs HDMI Ports: 4 USB Ports: 3 Bluetooth: Yes (v5.0) Wi-Fi: Yes Ethernet: Yes Speakers: 40W (2.2Ch) Price (MOP): Rs 1,35,000 for the 48-inch 

LG 48-inch CX: Display Panel and Picture Quality

LG’s 2020 OLED TVs bring with them the same features across the board, with the key difference being the design and a few features here and there. We reviewed the LG GX back in 2020, and while the performance of the CX’s panel is almost at par with the GX, the two TVs differ in the design audio output and hands-free voice controls. We will also talk about the 48-inch screen size and how it differs from the 55-inch variant, especially for those looking for this TV to be their primary gaming device. 

The CX has LG’s Alpha 9 Gen 3 chips which LG showed off at CES 2020, and also comes with a Filmmaker Mode that changes the settings of the content to represent the picture the way it was intended by the filmmaker. Like the other LG OLEDs from 2020, the TV supports Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and HDR 10. Let’s start with the performance of the TV. 

LG 48-inch CX: Gaming Performance

Let’s kick things off with what the TV is marketed for - its gaming performance. It has all 4 HDMI 2.1 ports with support for ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and 4K at 120Hz. If you are rocking an Xbox Series X (review), PS5 (review) or even the RTX 30 series GPU then, you can take full advantage of what the TV has to offer.  

We connected a PS5 to the TV to check out its gaming performance along with a few games that support a high refresh rate, like Dirt 5 (review) and DMC 5 (review). For the cinematic experience, we also played Spider-Man: Miles Morales (review). Since the PS5 doesn't support VRR we got a fixed refresh rate on the TV. Starting with Spider-Man the game looks lush with its snow-filled environments and the colours on Spider-Man's suits pop. When swinging around the city you can make out the bright highlights very well especially when you are swinging towards the sun. Even in the dark sequences in the game, the blacks are deep and shadows clearly visible enhancing the gaming experience. 

In a game like Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition we played it in the high frame rate mode and while the console doesn't support VRR, the 120Hz mode on this game made the fighting silky smooth. In a fast-paced game like DMC 5, reflexes are everything and the higher frame rate definitely adds to the precision. Needless to say, the game looked breathtaking as well. 

Overall, if you are looking for a gaming TV, then the LG CX should definitely be at the top of your list. The 48-inch size is small enough to fit on a desk and sitting 4 feet away from the TV was the sweet spot for hours of gaming. 

You should go into the settings and switch on HDMI UltraHD Deep Colour to exploit the potential of this TV. A pro tip - if you want to see the resolution, bit rate and even the frame rate the TV is producing, you can mash the green button on the remote control till the popup comes that gives you this information. 

LG 48-inch CX: 4K and HDR Performance

LG’s OLED TVs have offered some of the best performance money can buy, and the case is no different here. Whether you are looking at the 48-inch variant for a small room or a desk or even the 77-inch variant for a home theatre experience, you can’t go wrong with this TV. While we have the 48-inch CX for review and we have reviewed the 65-inch GX, we can expect similar performance from the panel on the other screen size options of the CX. 

With self-emitting backlighting, we get an infinite contrast ratio on this TV and the colours on the OLED look deep as ever. When it comes to HDR performance, the TV is sublime. The peak brightness of the TV may not be as high as some LED TVs we reviewed last year like the Sony Z8H (review), but there is no halo effect or blooming especially when consuming content in pitch darkness thanks to the pixel level brightness control. 

We consumed a lot of content from streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video and Apple TV in HDR and Dolby Vision, and the experience was nothing short of theatrical. The panel gets reflective in a well-lit room. But if you have curtains or the room’s lighting isn’t directly in front of the TV, you should be fine. 

The only qualm I have is that the Disney+ Hotstar App on the LG TV doesn’t support Dolby Vision. Considering the vast library of content on offer on the platform, it’s high time the app is updated. We have the updated app with support for Dolby Vision and surround sound on the Fire TV Stick (review) and Android TVs already. 

LG 48-inch CX: FHD Performance

When it comes to FHD and SDR performance, once again, you wouldn’t know you are consuming FHD content if you didn’t know what you are looking for. A show like Young Sheldon on Prime Video is in SDR, and even movies like Mission Impossible and Spider-Man Homecoming on Netflix are in FHD and SDR. On the standard preset, the picture looks slightly muted and that isn’t a bad thing. If you want colours to pop, you can always switch to the Vivid mode. It’s usually in such SDR content that we have seen Sony’s OLEDs to produce better colours, but unless you place the two TVs side by side, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. 

Overall, while some will worry about burn-in, if you vary the content you consume on this TV, it shouldn’t be an issue. The TV offers some of the best performance we have seen, for SDR, HDR and even gaming. 

LG 48-inch CX: Audio Performance

The LG CX has a 2.2 Chanel set up with 40W of sound output. If you plan to use this TV as a monitor or plan to put it in a small bedroom, then the output from the TV should get the job done for watching movies and playing games. The speakers on the TV support Dolby Atmos, but don't expect the sound to surround you from all angles. 

In the opening race in Ready Player One, you have cars whizzing past each other trying to avoid being destroyed by King Kong. While the audio is loud and clear, don't expect it to come from above or behind you. The audio from the speakers is delightful. You may miss some bass, but considering the clarity and volume level, the speakers are good enough to give an entry-level soundbar a run for its money.  

LG 48-inch CX: UI

The UI of the LG 48-inch CX is precisely the same we saw with the GX we reviewed last year. The TV runs on the company’s WebOS platform, which has a very fluid UI. All your apps are listed in a row at the bottom of the screen, making it easy to navigate. You also have a “Home Dashboard”, giving you control of your IoT devices. 

LG revealed a new UI at CES 2021, which is visually different from its 2020 UI. We aren’t sure if the new UI will come to the CX, but as it stands, the CX has a very easy to use UI. The settings have moved around a little when compared to the LG C9 (review). You also have the convenience of LG’s magic remote, which makes navigating the UI a breeze. 

The LG GX came with far-field mics to let you control the TV by using your voice, without the remote control. Sadly, that feature isnt available in the CX. You have a mic button on the remote control that gives you voice controls, and you can long-press the Prime Video button to bring up Alexa if you like. 

LG’s UI also has an app store, and while it isn’t as robust as the Google Play Store found on Android TVs, it gets the job done for those looking for popular streaming services. Apps like Plex are available for those that use it, but an app like VLC is missing from the LG app store. 

LG 48-inch CX: Remote Control

Once again, the LG CX comes with the same remote control we have seen on the GX, the C9, B9 and many more LG OLED TVs. LG’s 2021 TVs will bring a redesigned remote control, and we cant wait to see how the ergonomics have changed, especially when the remote itself is very ergonomic. 

The remote control is well built and a slightly curved design. This helps give the remote control a good grip, especially when navigating the UI using the remote control like a mouse. It feels hefty in one's hands without feeling heavy. The remote has all the traditional controls like the number pad on the top, the centre has the click wheel surrounded by directional buttons, and the bottom has hotkeys to bring up Netflix and Prime Video. You also get a Play and Pause button. You also have the voice control button above the directional buttons. 

Overall the remote control is well built, ergonomic and one of the better remote controls we’ve seen come with high-end TVs.

LG 48-inch CX: Build and Design

LG has gone with an “if it ain’t broke, don't fix it” attitude with the design of the CX. Placed next to a C9, you wouldn’t know which TV is which. It has a small tabletop stand that holds the TV in place from the centre when kept on a tabletop. It is relatively short, so don't expect to keep a set-top-box or gaming console below the TV. The tabletop stand is angular and looks premium. 

The panel of the TV is extremely slim, with almost no bezels surrounding the display. It is slightly thick towards the bottom, where you have the components and connectivity options.

Speaking of connectivity options, the TV has three HDMI ports and one USB port facing the side. Facing the back, we have one HDMI port, two USB ports, AV in, LAN, optical port, 3.5mm port and a good old antenna.

Bottom Line

While we are looking forward to the LG Evo OLED and even the LG C1 in 2021, it's easy to recommend the CX especially since it has all the bells and whistles one looks for in a premium OLED TV. It has four HDMI 2.1 ports making it ideal for gamers. The picture performance of the panel is sublime and the sound output is good too. While Android TV still has a larger library of apps, the LG app store caters to all popular apps and streaming services one would need to enjoy content on this TV. If you are in the market for a premium TV then you can most definitely consider the LG CX. The only catch is the 55-inch variant of the TV can be found for close to Rs 1,35,000. So, unless you are specifically looking for the 48-inch variant to fit in a specific room or on a desk as a replacement for your monitor, you could also consider its larger sibling for a more cinematic experience.

   

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OnePlus 9R Review: Got something for everyone

Starting at Rs 39,999, the OnePlus 9R is the new entry-level flagship from the company that looks to take the battle to the crucial sub Rs 40k segment of the market. And, it does so really well. The phone has plenty to like about it, including its fast 120Hz display, the above par cameras and also its premium design language. The only real issue that a OnePlus fan could have with the device is the presence of the Snapdragon 870 SoC -- instead of the flagship Snapdragon 888. Other than that, there's no reason to not consider the OnePlus 9R if you're looking for a new phone in this budget segment.

OnePlus recently launched its latest flagships, the OnePlus 9 series of phones. The series brings with itself three new devices, the OnePlus 9 (review), OnePlus 9 Pro (review) and OnePlus 9R. We've already spent considerable time with the first two and have also published full reviews for them. And now, we have with us the OnePlus 9R, the company's new entry flagship that competes in the highly competitive under Rs 40,000 segment of the market. 

We've spent a few days with the device, during which we've tested it under varying conditions, ran it through a battery of tests, clicked a ton of pictures, and also spent time playing games on it. Now, we'll use all the collected data to give you a better understanding of the device and figure out if it's worth your money. 

OnePlus 9R: Performance Review

To start with, let's talk about the general performance of the OnePlus 9R. As is the case with all OnePlus flagship phones, there's very little to fault the OnePlus 9R when it comes to the performance of the device. And it's mostly because of the core hardware it packs under the hood. 

The biggest talking point here is the OnePlus 9R's use of the powerful Snapdragon 870 SoC. This chip is based on the same architecture as the Snapdragon 865 Plus and as such is fabricated using the same TSMC 7nm process used in its making. All the heavy lifting in the CPU department is done by the Qualcomm Kyro 585 CPU which features a prime core designed to clock a peak speed of up to 3.2GHz. With this chip, Qualcomm promises increased performance across the board for superior gameplay and Snapdragon Elite Gaming Experience. It also enables support for 5G. For graphics, the chipset relies on the Adreno 650 GPU. 

OnePlus and Qualcomm's claims about the performance of the device largely hold true, with the device handling anything and everything you throw at it. While it may not have had similar support of the marketing machinery that the Snapdragon 888 received, this chip does pretty much what its sibling can do -- at least in real-world usage scenarios. 

This was especially true for tasks of daily use and even gaming, where the device powered through all that we threw at it without batting an eye. Games ran without any hitches and browsing content on the device or switching through apps was a breeze. Multitasking was again, not an issue on the OnePlus 9R. This was also backed up by the data we received when we tested the real-world gaming performance of the device using Gamebench. Unsurprisingly, the device ran both Call of Duty Mobile and Asphalt 9 Legends at maxed-out settings, without any frame drops or stutters. The results for both games showed a median FPS of 60 frames at the stability of 100 per cent. Now that's impressive. Especially considering the fact that neither the OnePlus 9 nor the competing Vivo X60 managed to achieve such high stability for frame rates. 

The only place that the OnePlus 9R lagged behind other devices -- only a handful at that  -- in performance was when it came to synthetic benchmarks. The device scored a total of 603500 points on AnTuTu that only trails the 708100 points scored by the Snapdragon 888 totting OnePlus 9. Interestingly, it was also slightly lower than the X60 Pro which also comes with the same Snapdragon 870 SoC, leading us to believe that there's still scope for performance improvement in the OnePlus 9R with future software upgrades. 

We also got similar results while testing it using 3DMark's Wild Life test. This particular benchmark tests the GPU of the device to simulate the stress faced by it during gaming sessions. Here we found the OnePlus 9R to be closer to the OnePlus 9 and Vivo X60 Pro in terms of scores as these devices scored a total of 5682 and 4206 points, respectively. In comparison, the OnePlus 9 scored 4170 points, which again, is pretty good. 

Overall, we're happy to report the OnePlus 9R shines in both gaming and overall performance. While it does not beat competing devices when it comes to synthetic benchmarks, it manages to do well in real-world performance -- and that probably is what we should be focusing on here. 

OnePlus 9R: Design Review

The OnePlus 9R is an entry-level flagship, one that can easily pass off for a premium device plying its trade in a higher segment than its price point would suggest. This is in part because of the premium design language of the phone that sees the company majorly using glass and metal for the design of the device. 

The back of the OnePlus 9R uses a glass sheet that has the OnePlus logo plastered in the middle and a well-designed vertically placed camera set-up towards the upper right-hand corner of the back panel. This camera module houses four lenses that have been sat next to a dual flash mechanism. The camera module is one of the most interesting elements of the design of the device, with two big circular cutouts and two smaller ones beneath the main ones dominating this slightly protruded set-up. 

Apart from this, the whole back has been left clean with OnePlus trying to keep things very class and simple. The phone also uses a sheet of toughened Gorilla Glass on the front and the back for protection, which also helps provide the device a smooth finish when you hold it in the hand. The back panel also features 3D curves to improve the ergonomics and in-hand feel of the device. 

OnePlus claims the phone is designed for gamers, with these rounded corners built for making the device easy to hold during long gaming sessions. But even if you're not looking to game on the device, the premium nature of the phone and the use of plush materials ensure that the OnePlus 9R will not disappoint. The OnePlus 9R comes in two colourways, Lake Blue and Carbon Black. We got the former for review and looking closely at it, you can notice micro-patterns on it which give it a frosted glass look. Although, the glossy shine of the panel gives away its reality.

OnePlus 9R review: Display Review

As is the case with the other two OnePlus 9 series phones, the display is definitely an area of focus for the OnePlus 9R. The device brings with itself a 6.55-inch FHD+ Fluid AMOLED display that can be set to either refresh at 60 or 120Hz. Much like the OnePlus 9, this display is also non-curved in nature, and can pretty bright. The company claims that the OnePlus 9's display can go up to 1100nits at peak -- when consuming HDR content. While this is only for a specific area of the panel at a particular time, we found during our testing that the display can output a steady 713nits of peak brightness across the panel on a sustained basis. As for the minimum luminance, the OnePlus 9R can drop down to as low as 7nits.

But that's just the basics of it. For deeper insights about the display of the OnePlus 9R, we tested it using Calman Ultimate paired with the Spectracal C6 HDR2000 colourimeter. This in-depth testing gave us important insights about the display, including the colour accuracy and coverage of colour gamut across different colour profiles. 

The OnePlus 9 offers five colour profiles of which three are hidden inside the advanced setting and are tuned to specific colour spaces. The first two, the Natural and Vivid are tuned to not promote colour accuracy but visual experiences as defined by the company. The other three are the sRGB, Display-P3 and AMOLED Wide Gamut -- all profiles which conform to pre-defined industry standards. 

When set to the sRGB colour profile, the display threw up a very good Avg DeltaE error of 0.99 and a maximum DeltaE error of 2.13. As for the coverage of the colour space, the Colour Volume test revealed the phone's panel covers around 99.208 per cent of the BT.709 colour space in the sRGB space. So if it's colour accuracy and not saturated colours that you're looking for, then you can simply switch your OnePlus 9R to the sRGB colour profile and be rest assured you'd be getting accurate results. 

For watching HDR content, your best bet is to switch the display to the Display P3 profile. In this, the colours are slightly more saturated, however, the test results for colour accuracy still remained well within acceptable levels. Proof of this are readings from ColorChecker which showed the display throwing up Avg DeltaE error of 1 and a maximum DeltaE error of 2.06. As for coverage of the colour space, in this profile, the panel managed a high gamut coverage of 98.924 per cent of the DCI-P3 colour space. 

Away from these test results, the OnePlus 9R's panel proves to be a real delight to watch movies and play games on. It's vibrant, crisp and ultra-smooth because of its fast refresh rate. There's also support for HDR10+ which can best be leveraged by switching to the Display P3 colour profile. 

 OnePlus 9R: Camera Review

In terms of cameras, the OnePlus 9R does not bring any new features that really set it apart, and nor does it offer hardware that we haven't seen before. In fact, it comes with the same primary sensor -- a 48MP Sony IMX 586 -- that we saw previously on the OnePlus 8T (review) and the OnePlus 8 (review) series as well. 

As a consequence of this, the performance of the primary lens is also very much in line with what we've seen on past OnePlus flagships, which to be honest, is nothing to complain about. Using this lens, the phone can capture some really nice daytime shots with well-balanced colours. The lens also captures a good amount of detail to ensure there is little loss even if you zoom or crop an image. The captured images are crisp and offer good sharpness, including the edges. The dynamic range of the captured pictures is good, even if not at par with the results received from the bigger sensors of the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro. 

The OnePlus 9R also brings with it an ultra-wide camera. This is a 16MP Sony IMX481 sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. The ultra-wide sensor promises sweeping views and scenic vistas with its 123-degree ultra-wide-angle lens. For the most part, this lens does impress with its performance as it clicks usable ultra-wide shots that capture more of the frame at the touch of a single button. 

The resultant images do bring a decent amount of detail, but they are nowhere close to the results of the ultra-wide lens of the other two OnePlus 9 series phones, and also lag the results of the primary lens in both levels of detail and colour accuracy. 

Apart from this, the OnePlus 9R also features a more than usable 5-megapixel macro lens and a 2-megapixel monochrome lens. The former will definitely be of great interest to a lot of users as it outputs good results. 

The low light performance of the phone's cameras is also good. Both the primary and ultra-wide lens are more than usable in low-light situations. The performance of the macro camera suffers greatly when not fed with enough light. But for the first two, low light images come out good, which can further be improved by using the AI-based Nightscape Mode that more than just brighten the frame by increasing the exposure but actually appears to do a lot of behind the scenes work to improve the overall detailing of these shots.

We also have a 16-megapixel front camera on the device. This lens captures accurate skin tones and facial details and if you're looking for something to click selfies and make video calls from, then this one should definitely be good enough. 

OnePlus 9R: Battery Review

The OnePlus 9R is definitely a winner in the battery department. The phone comes with a 4,500mAh battery pack which also comes with the promise of fast charging. But before the phone's battery can be charged, the phone's UI optimisations ensure that there little battery drain when you are doing simple tasks like texting, browsing Twitter, or even video calling. 

Even with heavy usage including gaming, streaming content on Netflix, and clicking a lot of photos, the OnePlus 9R still gets you through the day. And when the phone finally starts running out of charge, you can simply plug it in the provided 65W Warp Charger to take it from 1-58% in 15 minutes and a full charge in about 45 minutes. While this is not the first time we've seen similar charging tech on a OnePlus phone, it still is quite impressive and honestly a huge convenience. 

OnePlus 9R Review: Why should you buy it?

Starting at Rs 39,999, the OnePlus 9R is the new entry-level flagship from the company that looks to take the battle to the crucial sub-Rs 40k segment of the market. And, it does so really well. The phone has plenty to like about it, including its fast 120Hz display, the above par cameras and also its premium design language.

 

OnePlus 9R Review: Conclusion

The only real issue for some buyers could be the presence of the Snapdragon 870 SoC, instead of Qualcomm's current flagship, the Snapdragon 888. While this may be a deal-breaker for some, in our opinion, it really shouldn't be the case. But, if you still find yourself unconvinced, you always have the option of spending a little extra and going for the "more powerful" OnePlus 9 or even the OnePlus 9 Pro. 

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Why Did LG Eventually Say ‘Goodbye’ to the Smartphone Market?

This week on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast, we talk about LG's exit from the mobile business, and the new co-op RPG shooter Outriders.

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Sony SRS-RA3000 Review: Immersive audio with some hitches

The Sony SRS-RA3000 is a well-built, feature-laden wired speaker that offers a lot for its price. It even competes with Amazon Echo or Google Home speakers due to its ability to morph into a voice-controlled speaker when connected to a smart speaker.

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020, Sony launched premium speakers with its 360 Reality Audio technology, differentiating them from what was already on the market. The company has now launched the Sony SRS-RA3000 and Sony SRS-RA5000, boasting of this technology, in India. The former is priced pretty competitively at Rs 19,990, seeing that the speaker is massive, comes equipped with 360 Reality Audio and Immersive Audio Enhancement, and tons of connectivity options. There’s no dearth of large, loud speakers on the market but what Sony does differently with these speakers is offer room-encompassing sound technology that attempts to fill the entire room with ambient sound by bouncing sound from the floor to the ceiling. Here’s how the speaker fared in our review.

Build and design

The Sony SRS-RA3000 has a rather imposing build being almost 10 inches tall and weighing a whopping 2.5kg. Nevertheless, this is a wired speaker and the company never really markets it as portable, so it’s something you would set up in one designated place in your home and forget about it. Even if you do move it, the speaker auto-calibrates itself to the dimensions of the room in order to fill the room with sound adequately. We didn’t really test this out in a bunch of different sized rooms, but the speaker easily filled a larger-than-standard-sized room with its sound. The speaker can also adjust volume automatically according to the track that’s playing, to ensure that it’s not too loud or quiet.

The Sony SRS-RA3000 is pretty classy and elegant to look at. It comes with a fabric finish that contrasts against the copper-coloured grilles. The fabric finish, however, ends up being quite a dust magnet. The speaker is sturdy and stands firmly in place due to rubber grips at the bottom. Sony also claims that the speaker is humidity resistant but there’s no official IP rating attached to it, so we would advise against using it in the washroom or at a pool.

On the top of the speaker, you have a touch panel that houses the speaker’s controls. The buttons allow you to pause/play music, increase or decrease volume, power on or off the speaker, connect via Bluetooth, Audio In (AUX input), and Wi-Fi. There’s also an Immersive Audio Enhancement button that changes the sound profile of the speaker significantly and fires music from the floor to the ceiling to provide a more immersive sonic experience. At the back of the speaker, you have an Audio In jack and a power jack.  

There are three ways to connect and play back music from the speaker. You can connect the speaker to your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth, use a Wi-Fi connection to stream music since the speaker comes with Chromecast built-in or you could simply connect the speaker via an AUX cable. Alternatively, you can even connect the SRS-RA3000 to a compatible Sony Bravia TV via Bluetooth.

Features

As we mentioned above, the Sony SRS-RA3000 has auto calibration and auto volume adjustment capabilities that come in pretty handy. Apart from these, the speaker also comes packing Sony’s 360 Reality Audio technology that can play supported tracks by incorporating three-dimensional sound location data to deliver room-filling, immersive audio. Unfortunately, there is only one 360 Reality Audio platform available as of now, and it’s paid, so many users may not use it. If you still want to try it, there’s a 30-day free trial you can avail to try nugs.net, the streaming app that houses a few 360 Reality Audio tracks. It’s a shame there aren’t more options at the moment, since 360 Reality Audio is a big selling feature of the speaker.

Nevertheless, Sony has also incorporated Immersive Audio Enhancement technology that turns regular stereo tracks into ambient room-encapsulating sound. We found there to be a marked difference between regular stereo audio and Immersive Audio Enhancement, which we will discuss in the Performance section below.

While the Sony SRS-RA3000 is not a smart speaker by itself, the device can be set up alongside an Echo or Google Nest device to give it some smart brains. This will allow users to control the speaker with their voice. Additionally, the speakers can also be set up via Google Home to connect to a Spotify account and play music directly without using a smartphone. 

There’s also Sony’s Music Center accompanying app that allows users to tweak EQ settings and configure Alexa and Google Assistant voice control. Lastly, using the Google Home app, one can pair multiple Sony SRS-RA3000 speakers together and play different songs in different rooms, or even play the same track throughout your house where the speakers are placed. 

Performance

When it comes to hardware, the Sony SRS-RA3000 packs two 17mm tweeters alongside a full-range 80mm speaker and two passive radiators. The speaker supports SBC and AAC audio codecs. We primarily tested the speaker in normal stereo mode and Immersive Audio Enhancement Mode. We did try 360 Reality Audio and the results were pretty impressive, with the soundstage being full and dynamic, however, since not many users will get to use this service since the only option at the moment is paid, we will be concentrating on the above two modes.

Firstly, with Immersive Audio Enhancement Mode, we found the performance to be slightly polarising. The speaker certainly emits room-filling audio with a wide soundscape, but the bass does get boomy, especially at higher volumes. Also, there’s a certain lack of clarity in comparison to regular stereo listening. The bloated bass was slightly problematic in tracks that were already bass-heavy with there being a constant floor-shaking, boomy bass response that wasn’t pleasant to the ear. Nevertheless, this mode is certainly more immersive and almost makes you feel like you’re in a concert or a movie theatre. It definitely makes more sense to use Immersive Enhancement Audio when you are watching TV series and movies rather than listening to music since the bloated bass and cramped details can hamper the listening experience slightly.

In the regular stereo setting, the speaker delivers clean, crisp vocals, well-rounded bass response, and pleasant highs. Listening to Hi-Fi music on nugs.net, we found the soundstage to be more open and the details were even more prominent. The sound quality in this mode was quite delightful irrespective of the genre of music we played. The bass response is still slightly dominating, but it is much tamer and allows the other frequencies to flourish. 

Verdict

Priced at Rs 19,990, the Sony SRS-RA3000 is a powerful package that comes equipped with a plethora of features and good sound. At this price, it allows users to experience a premium audio experience without breaking the bank. While 360 Reality Audio isn’t as usable due to the lack of apps supporting it, Immersive Audio Enhancement does the trick to provide users with encapsulating sound that fills even large rooms. However, the regular stereo setup provides slightly better details in the sound and better bass response. Overall, the Sony SRS-RA3000 is a well-built, feature-laden wired speaker that offers a lot for its price. It even competes with Amazon Echo or Google Home speakers due to its ability to morph into a voice-controlled speaker when connected to a smart speaker

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Asus ROG Phone 5 Review: Gaming to the Max

Asus continues its focus on gaming phones by releasing the ROG Phone 5, the fourth smartphone in the series. As much as the company may have tried to make the ROG Phone 5 for everyone, it still remains a gaming phone first, with most of the features being of little to no use for non-gamers. The air triggers work with little to no latency while the addition of trigger buttons to the AeroActive cooler is definitely going to shave some milliseconds off your aim-shoot game. The display offers an astounding refresh rate of 144Hz on an OLED panel, which is very impressive. the colour accuracy is also pretty good on two of the four display profiles. Unfortunately, the ROG Phone 5 fails to be more than a gaming phone, with its mostly average camera, lack of IP rating and the fact that the hardware that powers the ROG Phone 5 can now be found in other smartphones as well. Given the rise in popularity of mobile-based gaming tournaments, the ROG Phone 5 makes perfect sense for the competitive gamer or even a casual gamer for that matter. But for anyone who was looking for a well-rounded package, the ROG Phone 5 ain't the one.

Asus’s ROG division has a notorious reputation for producing some of the most ridiculous products. Their motherboards, PC cases, accessories and now smartphones continue to sport the most head-turning designs. The Asus ROG Phone 5 continues that tradition, while also being engineered with gaming in mind. This year, the ROG Phone 5 doesn’t get a special chipset like last year, but instead, is infused with a boatload of features that are designed to make your gaming experience and performance top-notch. Does the phone deliver on that promise? We find out.

Asus ROG Phone 5 Performance Review

The Asus ROG Phone 5 is all sorts of beastly when it comes to the hardware. At the heart of the Asus ROG Phone 5 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, a chipset that’s also found on the OnePlus 9 Pro, OnePlus 9 and even the Vivo X60 Pro+. Our review unit also comes with 12GB LPDDR5 memory and 256GB of ultra-fast UFS3.1 storage. Interestingly, none of these pieces of hardware are unique to the ROG Phone 5 which is a bummer since the previous ROG phones included at least one unique component that no one else got. What this does is produce synthetic benchmark and real-world gaming performance numbers that are in line with other smartphones powered by the same hardware. You can see that in the charts below.

Where the ROG Phone 5 does excel over its similar spec’d brethren is with respect to throttling. After 15 minutes of running the CPU throttling test, the Snapdragon 888 on the OnePlus 9 Pro throttles down to 84 per cent while the same chipset on the Asus ROG Phone 5 throttles down to just 93 per cent. This speaks volumes about the new cooling capabilities of the Asus ROG Phone 5, and that’s without the new AeroActive cooler installed. This is not even with X-Mode enabled, which is a whole different beast, which we will get into.

Asus ROG Phone 5 Software Review

While the hardware on the ROG Phone 5 isn’t anything special, the engineers over at ROG have put in extra effort into the software that allows you to control the performance metrics. All of it starts with the Armory Crate software, which houses multiple profiles. You can choose between X-Mode, the most popular profile alongside Dynamic, Ultra Durable and Advanced. The advanced profile allows you to tweak the CPU-GPU and thermal limits, allowing you the very peak performance you’d want from this phone. Do note that if you do decide to use X-Mode or the Advanced profile with everything cranked up to 100. In the Armory Crate, you can control the fan speed of the AeroActive Cooler, set the preferences for the multitude of air triggers and motion control settings. This is the starting point of where the ROG Phone 5 starts to differentiate itself from the competition.

Asus ROG Phone 5 Gaming Features Review

This is the stuff that makes the ROG Phone 5 a gaming phone that outdoes every other smartphone in the market. The phone itself features the much loved ultrasonic triggers. This allows you to map on-screen buttons to these shoulder buttons, which comes in very handy when playing shooters. There are also motion control gestures as well, a whole 10 of them that you can configure. Personally, I have not yet found a game that would utilise them, but that’s not to say they’re not useful. Better to have it and not need it than not have it and need it. If the shoulder buttons we’re enough, this year’s AeroActive cooler gets two trigger buttons as well. I’ve found these to be my favourite mod for playing CoD Mobile, where it makes zooming through the reticle and shooting a lot simpler. Last but not the least, you’ve got the Kunai GamePad 3, which essentially converts the ROG Phone 5 into a handheld gaming console, very similar to the switch. The only exception is, the Kunai GamePad controller 3 comes with far too many buttons that you’d know what to do with. The cool thing about this GamePAd is also the fact that you can either slot the phone into it or use the controllers docked to its battery cradle, turning into an Xbox-like controller. You could potentially run a USB-C to HDMI converter from the USB-C port on the AeroActive cooler and get the output on your TV. We managed to game for a while on our LG CX 48-inch OLED with the ROG Phone 5 as the source, and while the visuals do look amazing, there is a slight delay in the video signal being relayed from the phone to the TV. Hopefully, Asus can fix this with a software update. The previous generation ROG Phones had a mobile gaming dock accessory that allows you to get the output on a monitor/TV and also use a keyboard-mouse combo for gaming. Unfortunately, that accessory gets no mention time around, leading us to believe that the implementation was less than perfect.

While all these different controllers, buttons and gestures can feel intimidating, the software experience of mapping them to a function is surprisingly simple. Just fire up your game, slide from the screen left to bring up the gaming console, and then choose “air triggers” to map the ultrasonic and the triggers on the cooler, or choose “key mapping” to map the Kunai GamePad 3’s buttons. The Game Engine will store the mapping profile for whatever you configure, for every game that you do it for. So once you’re set, you just need to fire up your game and you’d be ready to go.

Asus ROG Phone 5 Display Review

The Asus ROG Phone 5 is said to feature a display that’s been custom made by Samsung for Asus. It is a massive 6.78” OLED display with an FHD+ resolution and a refresh rate of up to 144Hz. Asus also claims 111% DCI-P3 coverage and 150% sRGB coverage, which, well, sounds great on paper, but comes with a number of unpleasant catches. The ROG Phone 5 features four primary display profiles, which we’re going to break down here.

Default

The Default colour profile was recorded to encompass 99 per cent of the Display-P3 colour gamut. There is often some confusion and interchangeable use of the DCI-P3 vs. Display-P3, but to keep a long story short, smartphones are and should be, tuned to the Display-P3 standard. The gamut for both the profiles are the same, however, what varies is the white point and the gamma. When we analyse the default profile using Calman for display characteristics, we get some very unsatisfying results. While the profile does manage to hold an average Gamma of 2.2 (mostly only between 40-60 per cent brightness), the greyscale DeltaE was 6.4. The RGB balance was also off, with neither the Red, Blue nor Green colours conforming to their requisite baseline. Ideally, these three should overlap, wherever they may fall on the curve, however, the three. Colours are completely divergent from each other. The blues are heavily boosted, something you won't notice with the default ROG theme since it's mostly Black, but switch over the normal android interface and you see an overload of blue. The average DeltaE for colour reproduction in this profile is 3.98, with the maximum DeltaE error being 9.8. Disappointing.

Asus ROG Phone 5 Default display profile analysis using Calman Ultimate

Asus ROG Phone 5 Default display profile analysis using Calman Ultimate

Asus ROG Phone 5 Default display profile analysis using Calman Ultimate

Natural

The Natural colour profile as per our analysis also conforms to the Display-P3 gamut. This means it must cover at least 100 per cent of the colour space, adhere to a white point of D65 and follow a gamma curve of 2.2. Once again, this profile delivers the same disappointing colour accuracy as the Default one. We recorded a white point of 8135 (too blue), the RGB balance has the RGB values once again be completely divergent at all brightness levels and the average DeltaE was 5 while the maximum DeltaE recorded was 9.8. It should be commended that here, we get a 101 per cent gamut coverage, meaning you get to enjoy all 1billion colours that this true 10-bit panel is capable of reproducing, albeit with annoying inaccuracy. Things, however, aren’t totally bleak.

Asus ROG Phone 5 Natural display profile analysis using Calman Ultimate

Asus ROG Phone 5 Natural display profile analysis using Calman Ultimate

Asus ROG Phone 5 Natural display profile analysis using Calman Ultimate

Standard

The third colour profile on offer on the ROG Phone 5 is the Standard colour profile. Our analysis shows that when you put the phone in this colour profile, you’re limiting the display to the sRGB gamut. And this is where the phone starts to redeem itself. Our ColourChekcr analysis shows an average DeltaE error of just 1.7, while the maximum error only goes up to 3.1. With respect to the greyscale balance, we again get very impressive numbers. The average greyscale DeltaE is just 1.8, meaning the white balance of the screen is totally on point. We see this with a recorded colour temperature of 6401, very very close to the 6500K mark. Not too shabby! The RGB balance is now much tightly controlled, with the RGB values overlapping each other through the brightness range. The only problematic area is the gamma, which is all over the place. We do get an average of 2.2, but this is a classic case of how averaging values that are at the opposite ends of the spectrum yields a middle-ground result. Honestly, most of you won’t really be bothered by this, but it's still something worth knowing.

Asus ROG Phone 5 Standard display profile analysis using Calman Ultimate

Asus ROG Phone 5 Standard display profile analysis using Calman Ultimate

Asus ROG Phone 5 Standard display profile analysis using Calman Ultimate

Cinematic

Last but not the very least, we’ve got Cinematic profile, which is once again the HDR colour profile and fares a whole world better than the other two. Gamut coverage sits at 96 per cent, while the average DeltaE for colour reproduction sits at 1.7. Greyscale tracking shows near-perfect RGB balance (with luminance) and also near-perfect conformance to the EOTF and Luminance curves. If you truly wanted to enjoy your Netflix HDR content, this is the profile to experience it in.

Asus ROG Phone 5 Cinematic display profile analysis using Calman Ultimate

Asus ROG Phone 5 Cinematic display profile analysis using Calman Ultimate

Asus ROG Phone 5 Cinematic display profile analysis using Calman Ultimate

Asus also claims a typical max brightness of 800 nits (what you can push the display to manually), but we only recorded it going as high as 680 nits. It's still a very bright display by any standard mind you, with the panel kicking into the 1200 nits range when you’ve got HDR content being displayed. Overall, the panel has something for everyone. For those who love colour accuracy, there are two proper profiles for you and for those who prefer blinding brightness and over-saturated colours, there are the Default and Natural profiles to go with. What can definitely be said with no debate is that everyone will love the 144Hz refresh rate, and the option to choose between 144Hz, 120Hz and even 60Hz or simply leave it on auto.

Asus ROG Phone 5 Camera Review

The ROG Phone has two notably weak spots and the camera stack happens to be one of them. You get a 64MP primary camera which houses the Sony IMX686 sensor and offers a roughly 26mm field of view. The camera does not come with OIS, but instead only offers EIS.  The ultra-wide camera is one of those standard 13MP units with no AF, limiting its use. There is also a 5MP dedicated macro camera that can take good photos in good light but comes with no AF or focus peaking, so there’s really no way to be sure your shot’s going to be in focus. Then, there’s also the 24MP selfie camera, which, was surprisingly good, to be honest. Let’s go over each of the cameras one by one.

The primary camera is capable of producing impressive results no doubt. This is a configuration that’s been tried and tested by many players in the industry, so there’s no reason to expect poor results. In good light, the results are 100 per cent social media gold and your creative flair could always bring out more. The low light photos shot in the normal mode do leave us wanting more but switch over to night mode and you get far better results. The only downside to this is the obviously longer shooting times.

The ultra-wide camera on the ROG Phone 5 feels like it was an afterthought. As a premium device, for it to use such an archaic module feels disappointing. The camera lacks autofocus, which is surprising seeing how the technology has been available on many competing devices for some time now. I would have ideally liked to see a large format sensor here as well. While the camera may not come with AF, what it does do well is control the distortion. If you shoot a straight frame, you can tell that there is distortion correction being applied, but that’s not too bad. It would have been nice to have the option to turn it off though. Where the ultra-wide camera becomes mostly unusable is in low light. Yes, you can use the ultra-wide camera in the Night mode, but the results just aren’t that great.

The Macro camera again feels like an afterthought, when instead, it could have been a defining feature. With no autofocus, no stabilisation and no focus peaking, getting the perfect shot is frustratingly difficult and expect to have a number of blurry shots before you get the perfect one. At a resolution of just 5 megapixels, these images when shot in the daytime will definitely impress whoever you show them to, but the camera will really make you earn that praise.

Asus ROG Phone Build and Design Review

The build and design of the Asus ROG Phone 5 are so distinctive, there’s no way for you to confuse it or anything else. Our Phantom Black coloured variant comes with distinctive electro-punk pink accents, which are a nice touch. There’s a ROG logo on the back that lights up in a similar fashion to the ROG Zephyrus G14’s Anime Matrix Display. The bottom-left corner of the frame houses the SIM card slot in pink, while the power and the volume buttons rest on the right side. At the bottom, you’ll find yourself a USB-C port alongside a 3.5mm headphone jack. Then you also get the all familiar accessory port on the side, and this year, Asus has swapped out the USB-C-looking connector with a contact pad. This has been done to prevent people from plugging a charger or an accessory into the wrong port, something that happened a lot on the ROG Phone 3. This port is still covered by a flimsy rubber gasket, which is going to be the first thing you lose.

While the ROG Phone 5 is a head-turner of a smartphone, practically, its design comes with a few flaws. Firstly, the accessory port has been shown to be the cause of structural compromise. Additionally, the phone does not come with an IP rating, and neither is there a rubber gasket around the SIM card tray, alluding us to believe that Asus didn’t even try. Secondly, the phone is incredibly slippery. It's so slippery that it started to move around while kept on my gaming mouse mat just from the vibrations of an incoming call. Keeping it in its supplied case is an absolute must to prevent a disaster. However, I should say this, but the case supplied with the ROG Phone 5 prioritises looks over protection, and if your phone was to take a tumble, there’s a very likely chance that it's going to suffer damage. The phone does use Gorilla Glass Victus, but at the end of the day, it's still glass and that thing breaks.

Honestly, the ROG Phone 5 evokes mixed feelings with respect to its build and design. The structural weak point means you can’t ever carry the phone in your back pocket, because then if you do, and you sit, the results will be worse than “Bendgate.” There’s no IP rating, the phone is super slippery and the included case doesn’t offer much in the way of protection.

Asus ROG Phone 5 Battery Life Review

The Asus ROG Phone 5 comes with two 3,000mAh batteries for an effective 6,000mAh capacity. Now, our battery life numbers vary to a notable degree, and it all depends on how you use the phone. If you’ve got the CPU-GPU fully unlocked, and the display set to 144Hz, you can expect a day of use as long as your gaming sessions are limited to 30-45 minutes. If you game for a few hours, on the other hand, you can easily expect that the phone will need a top-up before the day’s end. When we left the phone in the Dynamic profile from Armoury Crate, we managed to get a little over a day’s use, comfortably moving into the next day. What also helps is the 65W fast charging courtesy of the charger and cable provided in the box by Asus. This tops up the battery from zero to 100 per cent in about 62 minutes. In 30 minutes, you can expect the phone’s battery to hit 70 per cent.

Asus ROG Phone 5 Verdict

The Asus ROG Phone 5 is one incredible smartphone for gaming and there’s no question about it. The best part is, you don’t have to buy the additional accessories to get an enhanced gaming experience. The ultrasonic triggers on the frame themselves make for a great addition to any gamer’s arsenal, with the AeroActive cooler taking customisability to the next level. The Kunai GamePad3 will give you console-level control over your games’ inputs, significantly reducing the time between, say, headshots. The Armoury Crate software really allows you to tweak the phone’s behaviour to a massive extent, allowing you to get the best of both battery and performance as you choose. Unfortunately, when it comes to the cameras, the ROG Phone 5 falls short of impressing us. While the design is definitely dazzling, the lack of an IP rating, and the use of an easy-to-lose rubber gasket. Not to mention, the phone’s dual-battery design introduces a structural weakness that could lead to damage if you accidentally sit on the phone while it's in your back pocket. IF you’re looking for a smartphone that takes your gaming performance to the next level, there’s no competition to the ROG Phone 5. However, do keep in mind that it will require special care and delicate handling.

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