[Arkanosis]

The list could be very long, but here are a few things which I have started using lately and which have proved more useful than expected:

- A dish draining rack: that's very inexpensive and I'm wasting way less time and space than before arranging dishes.

- A vertical desktop file sorter: exactly the same thing, but for papers.

- Thin, fingerless gloves I can type with: while this has not solved my dry hands problem in winter, it has helped a lot.

- Monitor and speakers stands: that has bought me a lot of desk real estate.

- Pan lids: cooking is faster, smells less, and consumes less energy; also some food is less dry.

And the thing I've been using for a few years now, but which has been waaaay above my expectations:

- A headset with ANC and multipoint Bluetooth: a real life changer for work, gaming and phone calls; the most expensive item in this list, but definitely worth the price for me.

[Yhippa]

> - A headset with ANC and multipoint Bluetooth: a real life changer for work, gaming and phone calls; the most expensive item in this list, but definitely worth the price for me.

Ooh, have a recommendation for this?

[Arkanosis]

I've spent countless hours weighting the pros and cons of many models back in 2018, and ended up buying the Jabra Evolve 75 for myself. I've been so happy with it that I bought it for my significant other, who enjoys it as much as I do.

Sound quality is good over USB and more than OK over BT; it's fairly comfortable; BT range is good; ANC is good (I use it in noisy open offices and public transportation); I've never run out of battery during my work day, despite using it sometimes for hours; there's a sturdy transport case that allows me to take it with me everywhere (and I move a lot). I'm using it mostly over BT with Linux, Windows and Android and it's very easy to pair.

That's an expensive item, but I've been using it pretty much every day for almost 4 years now and it's showing no signs of wear, so I'd say that for me at least it's worth it.

I must stress out that this is a very good work / gaming headset, but while it's very decent for music listening over USB, I wouldn't recommend it for a primarily audiophile usage (especially not over BT). Also I wouldn't recommend it for sports.

There have been new models since 2018, so I'm not sure if this is still the best value in 2022. On paper, the Jabra Evolve 2 85 looks great, but I haven't tested it myself. I'd definitely welcome an upgrade over the Evolve 75 with better sound quality over BT — it's really not that it's bad, but the difference with USB is very noticeable. It could also be more comfortable while wearing glasses, but I've yet to see a model that is.

[Yhippa]

This is what I came to see. I've been using wireless gaming headsets and the problem with them is comfort and battery life. I like that the Jabras allow you to walk really far away; almost the entire house I've heard.

[Arkanosis]

> the Jabras allow you to walk really far away; almost the entire house I've heard

I guess it depends on the size of the house and the thickness of the walls; maybe also of the BT quality of the device it's paired to.

Anyway, I indeed have no issue going to another room in the office or in the small apartments I'm working / gaming from. After two (thin) walls between the devices, the sound quality starts to deteriorate, so I don't have very high expectations across a large house.

[Cr0s]

To comment on the monitor and speaker stands, even just a bit more desk space can be surprisingly useful once you have 15+ things on your desk. Feels like one of those things you don't learn to appreciate until you need them.

[hn_go_brrrrr]

I'd appreciate you sharing your dish drying rack recommendation. I've still got the one I bought in college. Never occurred to me there might be better versions.

[Arkanosis]

I haven't spent that much time weighting the options for this one, so I don't really feel like I can recommend this model over others, but here it is:

  https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B01FWIJ25S

I'd say the right one really depends on your needs. In my case space was an issue, so I took a really small one. It's OK for 1 / 2 people, but I wish I could put a little more cutlery in it.

Anyway, I'd definitely recommend any model over not having one.

[odiroot]

> Monitor and speakers stands: that has bought me a lot of desk real estate.

Can you share what speaker stands do you use?

[Arkanosis]

Gator Frameworks Clamp-On Studio Monitor Stand: https://gatorframeworks.com/products/frameworks-clamp-on-stu...

I've spent countless hours weighting the pros and cons of many stand models, and this one checks all the boxes except one (you can only tilt it in one way); no other model I've seen comes close. Also, they feel very solid: I use them with the 10 kg Edifier R2000DB (awesome bookshelf speakers, BTW) and it's not moving at all.

[odiroot]

Thanks for the link. They're not even that expensive, ~90€ over here.