kenshingintoki
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So, I've been through most 3D glasses now so I thought I'd do a thread just detailing my thoughts and impressions on them. This is more a thread maybe someone will search for in a couple of years or sporadically and will help with purchasing decisions.
XPAND X105
HiSHOCK Scarlet Heaven
HiSHOCK Black Diamond
Panasonic RF ER3
Sony TDG-BT500
Samsung SSG 3050s
So, Samsung have the worst lens coverage and build quality with user replacable batteries which drain quickly. They are difficult to store as the arms don't move and remain open. They're very cheap and I found they're very versatile and easy to fit on a head as they kind of wrap around your head. Good budget option but otherwise, no.
Panasonic 3D glases are good build quality, poor lens coverage, bulky, a nice on and off switch, the 3D picture seems a little darker than HiSHOCK and XPAND. Overall, I think the low lens coverage (surface area) despite the bulk makes them a bit of a difficult pill to swallow if paying full RRP. However if you can get them for a good price which is common with anything Panasonic second hand, they're difficult to beat value wise.
Sony 3D glasses are really just slightly superior versions of the Panasonics generally. I'd say they're slightly more bulky but I think the angle of the glasses is superor. Overall, I'd say given they've held their value on the second hand market, difficult to reccomend.
HiSHOCK Black Diamonds are overall very good lens coverage and 3D quality wise with some good colours and picture. I'd say they're brighter marginally (and margins matter in 3D) than the 3 above. However the build quality and cheap plastic is really, really bad and I'd say lower than that of Panasonic and Sony. Not impressive given its a later generation product.
HiSHOCK Scarlets have phenomenal build quality with a texturised rubber finish on the arms which make them feel like normal glasses. The PQ and crosstalk performance is similar to the Black Diamonds, as in slightly better than everyone else. The lens coverage is better than all 4 of the above. The only negative for these glasses are due to their more sexier normal design, it doesn't block the periphery of your vision which some might not like as it can make content less immersive. Build quality wise, my only issue is that one arm is way looser than the other on every pair I've handled. Still miles ahead of everyone else. Button to sync is in the perfect position with texturised rubber which is easy to click on whilst wearing them.
Finally we have the XPANDs. I've only demoed them today and have always heard good things about them. Build quality wise, I'm not entirely sold. They're built well but have this hinge which fixes them into place and snapping them back to normal doesn't feel right. The plastic feels much better than the Black Diamonds and comparable to the old Sony & Panasonic glasses but more rigid (not in a good way). The button to turn the glasses on and sync is in the inside of the glasses which is also irritating design wise compared to the super implimentation of HiSHOCK. The XPANDs are brighter than the Scarlets, have better lens coverage by a slight margin horizontally and they mask the peripheral vision very well.
So.... Overall, I'd say the winners are clearly the Scarlets and XPANDs. The scarlets have a comfortable, almost beautiful rubber textured experience with a very impressive vertical lens coverage and better than last generations 3D glasses with the best ergonomics. The XPANDs have the brightest performance, with the better immersion and a more natural feeling lens coverage.
Comparing the XPANDs vs the Scarlets, I feel as if the colours on the XPANDs are simply better. And the Scarlets & Black Diamond are better than everyone else. This is probably due to the brightness. The advantage of the dimmer picture of the scarlets are they are much more forgiving and mask Crosstalk better whilst the XPANDs show it a little more obviously.
To rate on parameters the XPANDs and Scarlets:
XPANDs:
Colours (shift): 10
Lens coverage: 10
Side panels to eliminate periphery vision: 10
Crosstalk: 8
Build quality: 8
Button Ergonomics: 5
Brightness: 10
HiSHOCK:
Colours (shift): 8
Lens coverage: 9
Side panels to eliminate peripheral vision: 1
Crosstalk: 9.5
Build quality: 9.5
Button ergonomics: 10
Brightness 8
Some people will prefer the build quality, low cross talk, excellent ergonomics and beautiful textured finish of the Scarlets in their seemingly normal form factor.
Others might prefer XPANDs best in class colours & brightness.
I PERSONALLY prefer the XPANDs because their colour shift is very mild compared to every other pair of 3D glasses and brightness is very important. The Crosstalk can be eliminated by playing with PJ 3D settings most of the time and its fairly marginal. The side pieces to eliminate peripheral vision is also really really appreciated and welcome.
XPAND X105
HiSHOCK Scarlet Heaven
HiSHOCK Black Diamond
Panasonic RF ER3
Sony TDG-BT500
Samsung SSG 3050s
So, Samsung have the worst lens coverage and build quality with user replacable batteries which drain quickly. They are difficult to store as the arms don't move and remain open. They're very cheap and I found they're very versatile and easy to fit on a head as they kind of wrap around your head. Good budget option but otherwise, no.
Panasonic 3D glases are good build quality, poor lens coverage, bulky, a nice on and off switch, the 3D picture seems a little darker than HiSHOCK and XPAND. Overall, I think the low lens coverage (surface area) despite the bulk makes them a bit of a difficult pill to swallow if paying full RRP. However if you can get them for a good price which is common with anything Panasonic second hand, they're difficult to beat value wise.
Sony 3D glasses are really just slightly superior versions of the Panasonics generally. I'd say they're slightly more bulky but I think the angle of the glasses is superor. Overall, I'd say given they've held their value on the second hand market, difficult to reccomend.
HiSHOCK Black Diamonds are overall very good lens coverage and 3D quality wise with some good colours and picture. I'd say they're brighter marginally (and margins matter in 3D) than the 3 above. However the build quality and cheap plastic is really, really bad and I'd say lower than that of Panasonic and Sony. Not impressive given its a later generation product.
HiSHOCK Scarlets have phenomenal build quality with a texturised rubber finish on the arms which make them feel like normal glasses. The PQ and crosstalk performance is similar to the Black Diamonds, as in slightly better than everyone else. The lens coverage is better than all 4 of the above. The only negative for these glasses are due to their more sexier normal design, it doesn't block the periphery of your vision which some might not like as it can make content less immersive. Build quality wise, my only issue is that one arm is way looser than the other on every pair I've handled. Still miles ahead of everyone else. Button to sync is in the perfect position with texturised rubber which is easy to click on whilst wearing them.
Finally we have the XPANDs. I've only demoed them today and have always heard good things about them. Build quality wise, I'm not entirely sold. They're built well but have this hinge which fixes them into place and snapping them back to normal doesn't feel right. The plastic feels much better than the Black Diamonds and comparable to the old Sony & Panasonic glasses but more rigid (not in a good way). The button to turn the glasses on and sync is in the inside of the glasses which is also irritating design wise compared to the super implimentation of HiSHOCK. The XPANDs are brighter than the Scarlets, have better lens coverage by a slight margin horizontally and they mask the peripheral vision very well.
So.... Overall, I'd say the winners are clearly the Scarlets and XPANDs. The scarlets have a comfortable, almost beautiful rubber textured experience with a very impressive vertical lens coverage and better than last generations 3D glasses with the best ergonomics. The XPANDs have the brightest performance, with the better immersion and a more natural feeling lens coverage.
Comparing the XPANDs vs the Scarlets, I feel as if the colours on the XPANDs are simply better. And the Scarlets & Black Diamond are better than everyone else. This is probably due to the brightness. The advantage of the dimmer picture of the scarlets are they are much more forgiving and mask Crosstalk better whilst the XPANDs show it a little more obviously.
To rate on parameters the XPANDs and Scarlets:
XPANDs:
Colours (shift): 10
Lens coverage: 10
Side panels to eliminate periphery vision: 10
Crosstalk: 8
Build quality: 8
Button Ergonomics: 5
Brightness: 10
HiSHOCK:
Colours (shift): 8
Lens coverage: 9
Side panels to eliminate peripheral vision: 1
Crosstalk: 9.5
Build quality: 9.5
Button ergonomics: 10
Brightness 8
Some people will prefer the build quality, low cross talk, excellent ergonomics and beautiful textured finish of the Scarlets in their seemingly normal form factor.
Others might prefer XPANDs best in class colours & brightness.
I PERSONALLY prefer the XPANDs because their colour shift is very mild compared to every other pair of 3D glasses and brightness is very important. The Crosstalk can be eliminated by playing with PJ 3D settings most of the time and its fairly marginal. The side pieces to eliminate peripheral vision is also really really appreciated and welcome.
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