Second Opinion Reviews
120 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsSecond Opinion is a reviews show about anything and everything under the sun. If we can experience it, we can review it.
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Episodes
Second Opinion #70: Corsair Vengeance 1500 Post-Mortem
August 05, 2019 14:48 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MBIan used a USB gaming headset for many years. What lessons can we learn from it when buying headphones in the future?
Second Opinion #69: Pixel 3a Review
July 06, 2019 05:01 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBChris Rampersad, Ryan's mom, joins Second Opinion to review the Google Pixel 3a. A nice phone for those not looking for a true flagship device.
Second Opinion #68: Google Pixel USB-C Earbuds Review
June 25, 2019 15:24 - 16 minutes - 15.7 MBSince Google has been making phones without headphone jacks, it is important for them to sell headphones that can be used with those phones. Are the wired USB-C variety worth using? Find out in our review!
Second Opinion #67: Aftershokz Trekz Titanium Review
June 10, 2019 16:27 - 20 minutes - 19.1 MBBone conduction headphones are marketed towards cyclists, so you can be assured that you can hear traffic around you while listening to podcasts or music. Ian tested out the Trekz Titaniums in several different scenarios, and is ready to give his recommendations!
Second Opinion #66: JLab Fit Sport Earbuds Review
May 25, 2019 09:00 - 17 minutes - 16.6 MBAfter losing his Soundbuds while traveling, Ian had to buy a pair of earbuds he wasn't familiar with. Will the JLab Fit Sports satisfy him?
Second Opinion #65: Anker SoundBuds Slim Review
May 12, 2019 14:09 - 38 minutes - 35.3 MBLiving without a headphone jack, Ian is now on a quest to find the cheapest Bluetooth earbuds that are worth using. Brandon pointed him towards Anker's SoundBuds Slim, let's find out if they measure up!
Second Opinion #64: Panasonic ErgoFit Earbuds Review
April 27, 2019 18:27 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBWith the ErgoFit earbuds, Panasonic was clearly aiming to win the race to the bottom - did they succeed in making the cheapest earbuds that are still worth using? Ian has had a lot of time to develop his thoughts on them!
Second Opinion #63: Samsung Galaxy Buds Review
April 13, 2019 09:00 - 16 minutes - 15 MBRyan reviews the Samsung Galaxy Buds (Galaxy S10+ pre-order gift) - surprisingly they fit and stay in his ears!
Second Opinion #62: Limetown Review
April 01, 2019 19:23 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBLimetown is a mystery/thriller audiodrama with themes of the social implications of technology. Meg Griffin and Tim Lowe join Ian R Buck to review the podcast, the tie-in novel, and talk about the upcoming video series.
Second Opinion #61: Samsung Galaxy S10+ Review
March 18, 2019 09:00 - 43 minutes - 39.7 MBRyan reviews the Samsung Galaxy S10+ - the fourth phone in his Galaxy experience - from the new display, the punch out camera, to the oddities with the fingerprint sensor, battery certainty, signal reliability, and so much more!
Second Opinion #60: Sony WH-1000XM3 Headphones Review
March 02, 2019 10:00 - 15 minutes - 14.4 MBBrian reviews his new Sony WH-1000XM3 Headphones!
Second Opinion #59: OnePlus 6T Review
February 10, 2019 10:00 - 56 minutes - 52 MBFirst-time guest Kharme Mahamed joins Ian R Buck to review the latest flagship killer that has all the Android enthusiasts abuzz!
Second Opinion #58: iPad Pro (2018) Review
January 27, 2019 10:00 - 43 minutes - 40.2 MBAron discusses his new iPad Pro (2018) with Brian.
Second Opinion #57: Kindle Paperwhite Review
January 13, 2019 19:37 - 23 minutes - 21.3 MBBrandon takes the Second Opinion wheel for a discussion about the latest Kindle Paperwhite, asking: are eReaders consumer tech after all?
Second Opinion #56: Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL Review
December 31, 2018 22:20 - 1 hour - 66.8 MBIan is joined by Quentin and Gwen to review the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. Is Google's latest flagship phone worth the price hike?
Second Opinion #55: Google Home Hub Review
December 10, 2018 10:00 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBGoogle's first smart home device with a screen; but this isn't the first Google Assistant device with a screen! What has Google done to differentiate this device from the crowd?
Second Opinion #54: Password Managers Roundup
November 28, 2018 10:01 - 1 hour - 79.3 MBIn our first-ever roundup, we're bringing you six reviews in one! We tested LastPass, Dashlane, 1Password, Keeper, Bitwarden, and KeePass to figure out which is the best password manager.
Second Opinion #53: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing Review
November 11, 2018 11:00 - 48 minutes - 44.7 MBOur first book review ever!! Ian is joined by Mary Austad to review Hank Green's debut novel An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, which is an exploration of fame and the social internet wrapped in a sci-fi mystery.
Second Opinion #52: macOS 10.14 Mojave Review
October 28, 2018 14:02 - 37 minutes - 29.9 MBOur first time reviewing a desktop operating system! There's a new version of macOS out, and Ian and Brian are here to tell you all about it!
Second Opinion #51: iPhone XS, XS Max Review
October 14, 2018 15:45 - 48 minutes - 38.9 MBThis year we get to review two different sized iPhones at once! Apple is now all-in on removing the home button from their phones, so let's find out how that paradigm is holding up.
Second Opinion #50: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Review
September 29, 2018 10:00 - 44 minutes - 35.8 MBRyan steals the show to review his second phone of the year, and his conclusions are a little unexpected.
Second Opinion #49: iOS 12 Review
September 17, 2018 15:00 - 42 minutes - 39.1 MBBrandon and Brian give an overview and discuss iOS 12. Brandon's recording got a little corrupted, but he is still understandable so we thank you for bearing with us on this one.
Second Opinion #48: Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 Review
September 03, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 49.2 MBLast year, Samsung released the first Chromebooks that could run Android apps. Will their 2018 follow up make as much of an impact?
Second Opinion #47: Android 9 Pie Review
August 18, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 87.8 MBGoogle surprises everybody by releasing Android 9 in early August! There are quite a few interface changes in this one, so tune in to find out where all the hidden gems are.
Second Opinion #46: Bubble by Maximum Fun Review
August 06, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 60.2 MBIt's not often that we get a serialized audio comedy sci-fi drama! Join Ian R Buck, Amanda Johnson, and Frank Karamaroudis as they gush about Bubble, the first scripted show from Maximum Fun.
Second Opinion #45: MacBook Pro 13″ With Touchbar Late 2016 Post-Mortem
July 23, 2018 10:00 - 54 minutes - 44 MBApple took a huge step in 2016 when they introduced MacBook Pros with butterfly switch keyboards and only USB-C ports. Ian is joined by Lilly Beyer to figure out if it was a step in the right direction.
Second Opinion #44: Westworld Season 2 Review
June 28, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 50.2 MBAfter a long wait, we finally got a follow-up to HBO's Westworld! Does the second season hold up, does it answer the many questions we were left with, do they have more classic rock songs redone as orchestral pieces?? Ian and Brian have all those answers and more for you!
Second Opinion #43: Solo: A Star Wars Story Review
June 10, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 58.9 MBDespite its status as an Anthology movie, Solo had a lot to live up to as the backstory for one of Star Wars' most popular characters. Join Ian, Mike, Dan, and Quentin for a spoiler-free overview, followed by a spoiler-filled deep dive.
Second Opinion #42: Run An Empire Preview
May 27, 2018 21:02 - 21 minutes - 17.1 MBMotivating yourself to get out there and go for a run can be tough, and many apps have been created to help with that. Some tell a story, some prompt you to hit a daily goal, and some like the upcoming Run An Empire pit you against other players. After a month of trying out the beta, Ian R Buck is ready to share his impressions.
Second Opinion #41: MacBook Air 2017 Review
May 12, 2018 10:00 - 39 minutes - 32.1 MBApple made a very unexpected decision in 2017 to come out with a new version of the MacBook Air, which is very different from the rest of the laptops they are currently selling. Join Ian R Buck and Ryan Rampersad to find out what Apple has done to make this classic device relevant in 2017.
Second Opinion #40: Samsung Galaxy S9+ Review
April 30, 2018 10:00 - 54 minutes - 43.6 MBRyan Rampersad is back at it again with a new phone! He liked the S8+ so much that he upgraded to the S9+, but was it a significant upgrade?
Second Opinion #39: Fire TV Stick Review
March 03, 2018 11:00 - 30 minutes - 24.5 MBAmazon takes a very different approach from Google's for their streaming stick: it has a remote, it is heavily focused on mainstream video providers, and it's actually a stick! Ryan Rampersad joins Ian R Buck to tell us all about it.
Second Opinion #38: Chromecast 2nd Generation Review
February 18, 2018 11:00 - 44 minutes - 35.9 MBThe Chromecast was our first glimpse into a world of watching TV without a remote. Ian R Buck and Ryan Rampersad both use it heavily, but have different views on a few critical aspects of it.
Second Opinion #37: Chromecast Audio Review
February 04, 2018 11:00 - 38 minutes - 30.9 MBThe Chromecast Audio is a unicorn: really cheap, useful on a daily basis, and integrates so seamlessly into your life that you forget it's there. Come hear Ian R Buck tell Ryan Rampersad why this is his smart speaker of choice!
Second Opinion #36: Google Home Mini Review
January 21, 2018 11:00 - 41 minutes - 33.2 MBSmart speakers are here to stay, and Google's second iteration is smaller and cheaper. Ian and Ryan talk about how the ecosystem has changed since last year, as well as comparing the capabilities of the Mini to the Original.
Second Opinion #35: Concussion Review
January 08, 2018 18:10 - 9 minutes - 8.13 MBJust a quick placeholder explaining why we don't have a proper review up this weekend.
Second Opinion #34: Star Wars: The Last Jedi Review
December 23, 2017 21:59 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBTime for our annual Star Wars review! Ian R Buck and first-time guest Mike Sandberg sit down to talk about The Last Jedi, a very unusual Star Wars film in many ways.
Second Opinion #33: iPhone X Review
December 13, 2017 02:27 - 1 hour - 64.9 MBFirst-time guest Aron Braggans joins Ian R Buck to review the iPhone X, Apple's biggest step forward since changing the body size with the iPhone 6.
Second Opinion #32: iOS 11 Review
November 26, 2017 14:42 - 59 minutes - 47.9 MBBrian Mitchell has been using iOS 11 since it was in beta, so Ian brings him on to discuss the latest changes to Apple's mobile operating system.
Second Opinion #31: Pixel 2 Review
November 12, 2017 13:57 - 56 minutes - 45.3 MBIan R Buck is joined by his tech twin, Betsy Dadabo to talk about the phone they both just bought, the Pixel 2! Is this a phone that will stand the test of time?
Second Opinion #30: Android 8.0 Oreo Review
November 05, 2017 21:17 - 59 minutes - 48.2 MBThis year Ian R Buck finds himself all alone for the review of the latest version of Android. Highlights include a reorganized notifications tray, a fully redesigned emoji set, system-wide password manager, and picture-in-picture mode!
Second Opinion #29: iPhone 8 Plus Review
October 14, 2017 10:00 - 34 minutes - 27.7 MBIan is joined by Evan Haldeman, who recently upgraded from an iPhone 7 Plus to an iPhone 8 Plus. Come hear about all the notable new features, as well as the things that stayed the same!
Second Opinion #28: Apple Watch Series 3 Review
September 30, 2017 10:00 - 42 minutes - 30.4 MBIn our timeliest review yet, Brian Mitchell joins Ian R Buck to review the brand-new Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE! Spoiler alert: it's pretty darn good!
Second Opinion #27: Nintendo Switch Review
September 16, 2017 08:00 - 1 hour - 67 MBIan is joined by Geoff Schumacher, who has had his Switch for about five months. There's a lot to unpack here, from specs to controllers to the games themselves. So settle in and enjoy!
Second Opinion #26: Nexus Player Post-Mortem
September 02, 2017 15:19 - 24 minutes - 18.1 MBThe Nexus Player is no longer being made or sold, but it provides some valuable insights into how the Android TV ecosystem is doing and what to look for in a set-top box. Join Ian and Ryan to hear about their experiences with it.
Second Opinion #25: Google Wifi Review
August 19, 2017 12:00 - 26 minutes - 19.6 MBThe Google Wifi does things a little different than most routers. Ian sits down with Ryan to talk about which things it does well, and which things it falls flat on.
Second Opinion #24: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus Review
August 05, 2017 09:00 - 41 minutes - 28.7 MBSurprising no one, Ryan Rampersad has bought another phone! He comes on the show to tell Ian R Buck all about the Galaxy S8 Plus and whether the infinity display really is amazing or just a gimmick.
Second Opinion #23: Tales from the Borderlands Review
July 22, 2017 17:44 - 41 minutes - 27.5 MBAfter spending five weeks livestreaming Tales from the Borderlands, Ian R Buck and Stella Cannon sit down to talk about the favorite (and least favorite) parts of the game.
Second Opinion #22: Google Trips Review
July 08, 2017 13:00 - 33 minutes - 22.4 MBIan and his mom Amy enjoy traveling together, but usually Amy relies on travel books to find attractions. On a recent trip to Chicago, Ian planned everything out using the Google Trips app; can it completely replace an expert travel guide?
Second Opinion #21: Monument Valley 2 Review
June 24, 2017 10:00 - 28 minutes - 20.4 MBThe original Monument Valley is one of our favorite mobile games, so we were very excited when a sequel was announced at WWDC! Brian Mitchell has played it, and he gives us his thoughts on how it compares to its predecessor.