Motorola Moto X 2nd Gen $398, Logitech Harmony Smart Control $99.95, Sony SRS-X33 $139 @JB Hi-Fi

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JB Hi-Fi

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  cycleri3 on 17/02/2016 - 07:05

  +1

  Battery life on this bad boy isn't great but good price for local stock.

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  bananabendera on 17/02/2016 - 07:19

  Hmmm, could be better for the 16GB version… no expandable storage

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  [Deactivated] on 17/02/2016 - 07:42

  +4

  Dang, bought myself the Logitech Harmony Smart Control just a few weeks ago. I should have waited. I need a crystal ball to predict future bargains.

  Btw, the Smart Control is their best remote, hands down. Their LCD all-in-one remotes chew through batteries too quickly, so they're always on the charging cradle. The smart control separates the power-hungry bit from the hand-held bit. Brilliant. You lose the LCD (no big loss) and gain months of operation from a button-cell battery.

  Having tried the others, I honestly prefer this model over the more expensive remotes with LCDs. Only complaint is the limit of 8 devices.

  • 

    mshanann on 17/02/2016 - 09:46

    I'm torn whether to purchase the older smart control, or the newer home control which only appears to be available in the US.
    I have a close-cabinet use case.

    Did the smart control come with an IR extender?

    https://community.smartthings.com/t/harmony-smart-control-vs…

    Amazon has the home control for $99 USD + $10 USD postage - so approximately $150 Australian

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N3RFC4G

    Someone is selling on ebay too a second hand Harmony Ultimate (with colour remote and hub etc) for $220 delivered.

    Officeworks price match should also kick in and allow the JB Hi Fi deal to go for $95

    • 

      username1 on 17/02/2016 - 10:08

      +1

      I also have the Smart Control and have owned the 650 previously.

      The Smart Control is their best product in my opinion. It's a small, thin, light remote. Uses RF, and you can also connect to it through wifi on the app.

      The screen on the more expensive models are kinda cool initially, but really you don't need them and are mostly a gimmick in my opinion.

      I'd definitely recommend the Harmony Smart Control with basic remote.

      Edit: Also, the app is only really useful for setting up the remote and doing troubleshooting if your devices get out of sync. It's way better to just use the Simple Remote 95% of the time.

      • 

        mshanann on 17/02/2016 - 12:02

        Thanks guys;

        Purchased the Smart Control.

        I was tempted to purchase that $220 ebay second-hand Ultimate, but Logitech's lack of any warranty protection combined with the fact the LCD remote had to be charged every 2 days tipped me to this version. Not sure I like the button placement of this older version compared to the new home control, but I'm sure it will be easy to get used to. Also, nothing stopping one purchasing the Logitech Harmony one remote on its own separately and pairing with this hub, which can be had for ~$160 and less with Officeworks price match.

    • 

      PlasticSpaceman on 04/03/2016 - 14:26

      Re IR extender - yes, mine came with one in the box. There is also a second port for another cable. I have all my kit in a cupboard in a room behind the TV, so ran the extender to the tv and placed the control box on one of the shelves. It happily seems to talk to everything above and below it, so I suspect I won't need to use the second port. If you do need one, they aren't expensive (eg http://www.radioparts.com.au/product/37168732/pro1142-dual-i…) - just note that you may need to get an adapter to change from 3.5mm to 2.5mm (as most cables use 3.5mm plugs, but the Harmony has a 2.5mm socket).

      Would be wary about getting the home control version - I haven't checked, but the US versions tend to run on a different frequency than what we get out here.

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  worthy1 on 17/02/2016 - 08:47

  Not a fan of the reception of the Moto G 2nd Gen, especially when using it as a dual sim.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 17/02/2016 - 09:48

    ? this is for moto x 2nd gen

    Although i have been happy with moto g 3rd gen so if 2nd was a problem i believe it is fixed on the 3rd XT1550

    • 

      worthy1 on 17/02/2016 - 10:41

      Think its a prob with all dual sim phones as the second sim is always 2G. They market dual sims these days as dual 3G but you still cant use dual active active 3G which means which ever phone you have to be the 'data' sim is 3G and the other is 2G.

      I do notice less reception with the Moto G then my previous dual sim though. It is all relative though as its in buildings and workshops that I work in and frequent. Someone else may not have that issue depending on where they are and frequent.

      • 

        Aplpw on 17/02/2016 - 15:37

        Hi, it does not say dual sim in the spec . Is that dual sim ?

      • 

        worthy1 on 17/02/2016 - 15:50

        @Aplpw: Was referring to the Moto G being dual sim. Was highlighting the Moto G reception quality I had in case it was a 'Moto' specific bad quality.

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 19/02/2016 - 15:42

        @worthy1:

        MOTO G 3rd is 4G
        so probably at least

        4G one sim and 3G second sound better?

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  xyron on 17/02/2016 - 09:17

  +1

  moto X would have been worth the price had it came with expandable memory or more storage. bloody ridiculous to be putting such a paltry amount of storage in a smartphone these days.

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  icefire09 on 17/02/2016 - 10:23

  Is this Sony SRS-X33 a good deal for $139?

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  PlasticSpaceman on 04/03/2016 - 13:38

  FYI Just got the Smart Control from the local Dick Smith (may it rest in peace) @ Southland Vic for $90.99. http://www.dicksmith.com.au/tv-video-accessories/logitech-ha…. Was not on display but locked up - apparently they kept getting nicked so they stopped putting them out.

  Stock is limited, so need to hunt around. Just finished setting it up - didn't take long as was able to transfer my settings from my old Harmony remote. One of the activities lost some commands on the transfer, but was easy enough to plug them back in using the app. Am impressed with the blaster part - my kit is scattered over a few shelves, and previously I'd had to use an I/R transmitter to control 'em, but this talks to them all no problem. I suspect if you could see in the IR range and this went off, you'd end up rolling on the ground clutching your eyeballs….