Synopsis: Markus is summoned from Earth by evil beings looking for a 'weak and primitive' creature to use as sacrificial entertainment. What they got instead was a human. Immediately after arriving, Markus awakens to an ability so rare, so powerful that it makes every god on Firellia desperate to recruit him as their new champion.
Learning to control his innate mastery over mana, Markus will devour the very essence of any monster, demon, or god that dares get in his way, determined to never lose his freedom again.
——
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Markus felt the air slicing right past his shoulder, but the blade never made contact. With an explosion of pain and power, he forced the goblins away with intangible, spiritual force, a white-blue energy emanating from him as he clutched his axe hard, fresh blood leaking onto the handle.
[Mana Capacity at 366%. Overcharge, E Grade is in effect. Growth increased. All physical stats temporarily increased by 75. Physical damage resistance increased.]
[Mana Poisoning II is in effect.]
He stared out at the five targets before him, all of them frozen, inert, watching to see what he’d do next. The injured sword user still stared dead at him, but it wasn’t just hatred in his eyes, no. Not anymore.
There was another feeling in there, one that grew with each passing moment as Markus began to close the distance between them. Now it was his turn to advance, theirs to shy away, to back up, to brandish their weapons wildly in an attempt to deter his hellmarch.
Markus had started off limping, but he soon managed to stand tall. His injuries barely affected him in this state. They still hurt, they still throbbed, they still itched and burned beneath his skin, but the pleasant, stimulating, thrumming warmth of mana flowed through him at full tilt, guiding his motions and giving him clarity of vision, confidence in his gait.
His heavy, deliberate steps crushed the sand below. He was no larger than life, yet a monster of gargantuan proportions in the face of these pitiable beasts.
They swang and stabbed forth with such forlorn intensity, such maddening whines. They sensed the danger, backing up continually even as they continued to try and keep Markus at bay, huddling in a tenuous attempt at a battle formation.
None of this deterred Markus. He could see their attacks for what they were now. Untrained. They’d used their weapons far more than he ever had, yes, but they were still clumsy. Slower than he’d been with the glaive. Moving aside to dodge a sword swing or the poke of a spear was rudimentary at this point. Almost effortless.
Still, dealing at four weapons thrusting in his direction at once was still difficult. When another rock sailed past his head, this one just barely missing due to a split-second reaction, he instinctively responded, chucking the hand axe straight at the far off goblin with the slingshot.
His weapon travelled about ten feet before embedding itself directly in the creature’s chest.
He fell in an instant. There would be no survival, no miraculous return to his feet. One strike was all it took.
He’d given up his weapon. It didn’t matter. Markus had a thousand other ways to make the remainders’ defenses crack.
Shield user was heading up the middle of their formation, which made the most sense, the two polearm users standing at either side a small distance behind and continually thrusting with their spears. The four of them were stood in something almost akin to a V formation, the leader pressing his right arm into the chest of the goblin beside him and encouraging them to keep backing up.
Markus attempted to draw out the Flame Mana within his body. He was still clumsy, still having difficulty with selecting specific mana types to use, and when he attempted to focus his Flame Mana on a point and ignite one of the specific goblins, he found that having a point in Pyromancy didn’t just give him the power to spontaneously combust things.
Well, at least not yet.
So Markus settled for a different method. He attempted to use Manifest for the first time, drawing the Spirit Mana out of his body and attempting to form it into a shape, something long and sharp, resembling a blade or a stick or a poker, an instrument he could use to break up their formation, to make himself an opening. He continued to visualise as he walked, imagining his desired extension of Spirit as best he possibly could and attempting to bring it into the waiting world.
When the object first began to form within his hand, he found it to lack a handle, a shape, a curve, any delineating feature that might mark it as a distinct object, that might give it purpose. As it stood, the object looked something akin to a plain blue quarterstaff, its shape uniform as it lengthened, its colour a consistent, shimmering blue all the way along, complete with white rings that circled its length over and over as it continued to grow in length.
Markus shifted his focus over to Empower. He gave the makeshift weapon a test swing as he began to coat the surface of the ethereal staff in an orange glow, markings both spreading and radiating in each direction of the conjured weapon and warming Markus’ hands. It felt light in his hands, lighter than a baseball bat. Lighter than his glaive. Attunement didn’t apply here. This weapon was an extension of him. He understood how it moved.
There was a collective ‘what the fuck’ on the face of the goblins. They stood their ground, weapons stilled, ready to deflect his strikes as in the background, the announcer went through his latest bout of losing his damn mind at the spectacle unfolding before him.
The crowd seemed to have changed their tune. The cheers and cries of excitement from above were overwhelming—Markus put them out of mind. Stored them for later. Removed them from his focus.
All that mattered now was advancing. Surviving. Winning while he still had mana to spend.
Markus swang forwards with all of his might. Sparks and licks of flame alike danced through the stifling air, roaring upwards as his weapon collided with the middle goblin’s shield, staggering him and shaking all four of them in turn.
He could feel the reverberation coursing through him, but he stayed the course, retracting the weapon and reengaging with a lunging thrust, one leg extended, power and momentum coalescing even as he focussed the tip of his conjured staff into a red-hot tip.
The sparks that flew as the staff collided served as ample kindling, the wooden shield on the goblin’s arm catching flame. He waved his arm madly as he struggled to detach the large slab of wood from his arm, disrupting his comrades as Markus swang forth again, smacking the same goblin again in his sword arm and causing him to drop his weapon, staggering backwards and howling as the flames along the shield continued to spread, threatening to melt his flesh any moment as still he fought to detach it with no arms to do so.
Markus stared at the spreading flame, feeling intention rising within his body as he focussed the same energy he could feel dissipating from the staff after his second strike, retaining the feeling while he still recognised it and aiming it directly at his last point of impact.
The rate of the spreading flames doubled, a roar erupting from the shield as the wood split and frayed, the goblin screaming and throwing himself to the sand below, desperately attempting to douse his shield.
Markus ran forwards the moment their formation was broken. He focussed the leftmost goblin first, this one with a poleaxe, smashing the long staff into its side and then uppercuting the goblin’s chin with the staff’s backend, closing the gap between them in moments and sending the monster flying.
Markus felt a spear strike him in the right arm once more, and immediately felt the weapon he held in his hands dissipate.
Earlier, he might’ve panicked. Now, he grabbed the wooden pole sticking out of his arm before it could be retracted and snapped it in half.
A speartip embedded in his right arm, at least three other stab wounds littering his body, various cuts and scrapes and bruises forming even as he continued to defiantly march forwards, the glowing aura still pulsating and bleeding through his pores even as he bled into the sand, Markus must’ve looked like a fucking nightmare.
He felt like one. He didn’t take pleasure in the suffering of the goblins, but he almost wanted the fuckers to get back up. He wanted to show what came of taking him so lightly.
What he did to every goblin here today, the lengths he’d go to in order to win this, he wanted that to echo through the minds of every sick, terrible creature that thought to torture or torment him, a reminder that while so many might dwarf his power, while so many might make him look weak and helpless now, he would only grow stronger, and he would only get better.
And while Markus survived each horrific encounter he was thrust into, while he learned from his mistakes and devoured his enemies and consolidated his strength, he’d remember the ones who put him here…
And they’d be lucky if they weren’t [Devoured] next.
Markus punched the goblin to his right, swinging a left in a narrow arc. He heard a crunch, watching the goblin hit the floor as Markus adopted a boxing stance, left foot behind him.
He felt weird strange unorthodox, but even with the regeneration and pain reduction flowing through him from Overcharge, he’d still been stabbed in his right arm twice. He couldn’t rely on it for power now, so he was a southpaw until further notice.
That was fine. There was such power even behind his lefts right now that he floored these creatures with almost every strike. Overcharge was no fucking joke.
Not only that, but as Markus swang for shield goblin, who’d finally sprang to his feet and charged him, left arm looking slightly mangled, he realised that his fluidity of movement was only increasing the more time he spent on throwing these punches. He was improving as he went, adjusting to the change in his agility, tanking yet another grazing slash against his torso before kneeing the offending goblin in the face, sending the creature flying back to the dirt.
Pain exploded from his right leg as soon as he did so, and he had to fight to remain balance. He took a couple more slashes as once again he focussed power into his punches and concentrated on trying to take the creatures down, but the more he attempted to repeat the process, the more they kept getting back up, and the more Markus began to wonder what would wear down first at this rate, the four enemies he was fighting or his mana reserves?
He could take more punishment, but he needed to be able to give some back out. A good thrust from one of these goblins could still be lethal, and even if they were a lot slower than him, it was difficult to dodge multiple attacks at once when stood around sand.
Markus decided to change his approach, attempting to coat his knuckles in mana. Manifest created small protrusions at the end of his knuckles as he poured focus into the prospect. They weren’t spikes, he apparently couldn’t be so exact yet, but they at the very least seemed solid.
When he punched with them, he’d expected it to hurt pretty badly, but if anything, it cushioned the blow against what were surely broken knuckles by now. More than that, however, was the effect, a concussive blow that seemed to knock the first goblin he struck silly, allowing for an easy follow-up, and then allowed Markus to take the second one out with a single punch to the chin.
Two down, looking they wouldn’t get up for a minute, Markus singled out a third, the goblin with the burnt, broken shield, charing him and piledriving him to the ground.
He ignored the uncomfortable crunch below him as he drove his fingers into the goblin’s neck, choking and stabbing his fingers into his flesh simultaneously as the creature latched on and attempted to throttle him in turn, claws scratching in final, fitful jolts as the life was forced from his eyes.
Markus managed to drain a little from him and activate [Devour] before he returned to his feet, having only spent moments executing the creature.
As the new power flowed into him, Markus felt a stick smash against the back of his neck. He gasped, sucking air through his teeth as he turned to find the sorry culprit.
It was the goblin whose spear he broke earlier, the one whose metal tip was still embedded in his arm. Markus stared at him. Raised a finger at him, as if he were about to reprimand a child.
Then Markus punched him. The creature once again went flying backwards as Markus continued to rub his pained neck.
It was almost laughable, but this one minor injury hurt more than any of the others. Maybe it was because he hadn’t expected it. Maybe because he’d discounted that goblin from the fight already, disarmed and seemingly out cold.
The other two were still rising to their feet. One the leader, still injured, the other the poleaxe user, using his weapon to help raise himself to his unsteady feet.
He thought Overcharge would make this fight easy. He thought this fight was meant to be easy in general. A showcase of power. More like a showcase of struggle. Overcharge might’ve turned the fight in his favour, but each second of this battle was grueling, even with many of the enemies dead or out of commission.
And these things were pretty relentless. He almost respected the drive these things had to keep going, to stand up over and over no matter how many times he put them down. They must’ve been hoping they could wear him out eventually. He wasn’t gonna let that happen, though. Not while he still had a say in things. All he needed to do was single another one of them out and—
Poleaxe swang past his face, almost giving him a triple-close shave. This weapon looked sharper and shinier than the other gear the goblins boasted, and he didn’t wanna get nicked by the blade, so Markus attempted to once again yank the weapon away from the offending goblin, placing both hands on the pole, but the creature pulled back with such force that it threw itself back to the floor, causing the weapon to slip from Markus’ grip and cut both of his palms on the way out.
The goblin barreled back with his momentum, rolling, but before he could find his feet again, Markus was behind him. A kick to its head pushed it back into the sand, and two more kicks followed by a single stamp solidified the goblin’s defeat.
As Markus turned to face the leader, the goblin kicked sand in his face.
He was immediately blinded, unable to defend himself as the goblin stabbed him directly in the thigh with his short sword and immediately barreled into him, driving him to the ground and pounding his head against the floor beneath repeatedly, biting a chunk of flesh from his cheek as it dug its fingers into his neck, intent on crushing the life out of him once and for all.
This was fucked. He was going to die. He’d made one fucking slip-up and he was going to die! Markus kicked and thrashed with all of his might, but it was all too soon ebbing, and with the size of the creature and its pressure on his chest his legs couldn’t find any purchase. He attempted to move his arms up, to find a spot to drain the goblin from, but he wasn’t going to be able to drain the thing faster than it choked him out.
Markus attempted to wrap his arms around its back, to simply crush it with his enhanced strength, but even when he squeezed with all of the death-defying strength he could conjure, he could barely do more than force a strangled crunch! from the goblin’s ribs.
He needed to break its grip. His thoughts were slowly fading. He needed to break its…
He bit the creature right back, right on its chin, causing it to flinch back just long enough that he could snake his right arm from where it was pinned and grab its left with both his slippery, bleeding hands. He attempted to prize its hands apart, but its focus was too great, its determination too single-minded to give up its endeavour even as he pulled it from his neck with all of its might…
He barely got seconds of breath, only able to break its hold for moments at a time, his neck raw, his gasps pained, laboured, and above all infrequent.
If he couldn’t stop it from grabbing him again every time he pushed its arm away…
Then he’d have to take its arm.
Markus focussed as much of his mana as he still could into his bleeding hands, seeking a means to pierce the goblin’s arm. His world slowed as he desperately attempted to coat his hands in energy, to bolster his grip, to pinpoint an area around the elbow that would allow him to pull at full force without slipping, without allowing the strength to fade from him entirely…
Markus closed his eyes. He was playing tug of war for his life, heart, and soul. Everything he’d ever known and cared about were on the line. Dreams, thoughts, wishes, emotions, all of them drifted by in the miasma of intangible nothingness that gently beckoned him past the epoch, that told him to let go, that told him he didn’t need to worry and fight anymore, that he’d bled enough, that this next breath could be his last…
Markus pulled. He pulled with the scream spilling out from his soul, for his lungs couldn’t carry it, with a bellow that shook the foundations of peace, for even in strangled silence, his spirit was unfathomably loud.
And the world trembled. Heaven’s gates closed. He tugged with all of his might, and above him, Markus heard a sickening snap.
His body flung back into the sand the moment the goblin’s arm dislodged. It stared at him in abject horror, attempting to move its dangling appendage, but seeing an opportunity, Markus moved faster, took advantage of its distraction, forcing the goblin off of his chest and smashing it into the floor.
It attempted to swing for him, but he beat it with more intensity than it could muster, his heart a war drum, lungs igniting with sulfuric heat as he gasped and panted for breath, his very existence a testament to the will of man.
He beat and smashed the goblin with his fists, even through the pain of his broken knuckles, but when the fucker still wouldn’t die despite his many concurrent blows, when it still attempted to claw and bite at him with every spasmic motion of its beaten body, Markus ripped the flailing arm from its side and drove the appendage into his face, able to use his full strength now that his body wasn’t the conduit, smashing the goblin with its own arm over and over in a fervent expression of vitriolic irony, for they’d sent him here unarmed, and now he was very much armed indeed.
The death gasps of the goblin leader were punctuated by bludgeoning strikes from its own broken, mangled, severed arm. Markus leant over him, body littered in wounds, looking as if he might die or ascend to Valhalla at any moment, as the crowd clapped and cheered and roared in satisfaction.
“Yeah?” Markus coughed the word out. He could barely speak. His voice was only scarcely being held together by the tendrils of overwhelming mana. “You like that, you sick fucks?!”
He raised himself to a sitting position, bathed in crimson, looking over the battlefield, staring out at what he’d done.
There was a chance he’d die to these injuries. Even Regeneration surely had its limits. He stuck his fingers to the throat of the dead goblin beneath him, attempting to drain some residual mana from his body, poisoning be damned. He hoped he could at least get something to stem the tide of his many wounds. He [Devoured] the creature’s core, too, just to be thorough.
His focus was broken by the sound of the final goblin scurrying up beside him. It was the one whose spear he’d broken. The one he simply punched away earlier.
It stood holding a short sword, one he must’ve picked up from one of his dead comrades.
He looked at Markus. He poised his body, as if he were ready to strike.
Markus simply stared at him, raising the dead goblin’s arm as he did so.
The little goblin held that position for roughly three seconds, not moving even a single inch, Markus doing the exact same.
It dropped the sword, then ran as far as it could in the opposite direction, crouching and covering its head with its hands as the crowd laughed and jeered.
Markus sighed a laboured breath as the announcer took over, his complete victory having been finally declared for all the rabid, screaming onlookers above.
Good thing he looked so terrifying right now. He was pretty sure one good hit would’ve been all he needed to do him in for good.
Hell, even a bad hit probably would’ve done the trick at this point.
He saw a digital image of himself projected up high, though he could barely make it out through the blurring of his eyes.
He looked as if someone had painted half his body red. He felt as if he’d been ran through a woodchipper.
If I survive my injuries, I’d better get a fucking good reward for this.
Markus would survive his injuries. And he would get a fucking good reward.
//
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A/N: Hey! Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed, and that you enjoy what comes next! What do you think Markus needs most in his situation, besides a way home? I'm curious!
If you wanna help support me and this story, or you just can't wait for the next chapter, the next eight chapters of this story are available right now on my Patreon!

Daily Modifiers

Vanguard Ops

Dares of Eternity

• MA-75 Multipurpose: Guardians deal increased damage with Auto Rifles and Grenade Launchers.
• Champion Foes: You will face [Shield-Piercing] Barrier, [Disruption] Overload, and [Stagger] Unstoppable Champions. Visit the Character or Mod Customization screen to view your active anti-Champion perks.

Onslaught: Playlist

• Void Threat: 25% increase to incoming Void damage.
• Void Surge: 25% bonus to outgoing Void damage.
• Strand Surge: 25% bonus to outgoing Strand damage.
• Champion Foes: You will face [Shield-Piercing] Barrier, [Disruption] Overload, and [Stagger] Unstoppable Champions. Visit the Character or Mod Customization screen to view your active anti-Champion perks.

Seasonal

Expert/Master Lost Sector

Exotic armor drop (if solo): Unknown
Lost Sector information is currently unavailable. Check the comments!

Misc

• Terminal Overload: Límíng Harbor Weapon: Synchronic Roulette (Submachine Gun)
• The Wellspring: Attack Weapon: Fel Taradiddle (Combat Bow)
• Altars of Sorrow Weapon: Heretic (Rocket Launcher)

Guns & Materials

Banshee's Featured Weapons

Name	Type	Column 1	Column 2	Column 3	Column 4	Masterwork
Farewell	Kinetic Sidearm	Tier 2: Handling
Distant Tumulus	Energy Sniper Rifle	Tier 2: Handling
Temptation's Hook	Heavy Sword	Tier 2: Impact
Chroma Rush	Kinetic Auto Rifle	Tier 2: Handling
True Prophecy	Kinetic Hand Cannon	Tier 2: Reload Speed

Note: Fixed perks on weapons are not displayed

Master Rahool's Material Exchange

• Purchase Glimmer (10000 for 10 Dark Fragment)
• Purchase Glimmer (10000 for 10 Phantasmal Fragment)
• Purchase Glimmer (10000 for 25 Herealways Piece)
• Enhancement Prism (1 for 10 Enhancement Core & 10000 Glimmer)
• Ascendant Shard (1 for 10 Enhancement Prism & 50000 Glimmer)
• Ascendant Alloy (1 for 10 Enhancement Prism & 50000 Glimmer)

Bounties

Banshee-44, Gunsmith

Name	Description	Requirement	Reward
Hand Cannon Calibration	Calibrate Hand Cannons against any target. Earn bonus progress with precision and against opposing Guardians.	100 [Hand Cannon] Hand Cannon	XP+ & Enhancement Core & Gunsmith Rank Progress
Sidearm Calibration	Calibrate Sidearms against any target. Earn bonus progress against targets at close range and opposing Guardians.	100 [Sidearm] Sidearm	XP+ & Enhancement Core & Gunsmith Rank Progress
Linear Fusion Rifle Calibration	Calibrate Linear Fusion Rifles against any target. Earn bonus progress with precision and against opposing Guardians.	100 [Linear Fusion Rifle] Linear Fusion Rifle	XP+ & Enhancement Core & Gunsmith Rank Progress
Void Calibration	Calibrate Void weapons against any target. Earn bonus progress using Power weapons and against opposing Guardians.	100 [Void] Void weapon	XP+ & Enhancement Core & Gunsmith Rank Progress

^{Never forget what has been lost. While the API protests have concluded, Reddit remains hostile to its users as their IPO looms in the horizon. More information can be found here.}

Daily Modifiers

Vanguard Ops

Dares of Eternity

• MA-75 Multipurpose: Guardians deal increased damage with Auto Rifles and Grenade Launchers.
• Champion Foes: You will face [Shield-Piercing] Barrier, [Disruption] Overload, and [Stagger] Unstoppable Champions. Visit the Character or Mod Customization screen to view your active anti-Champion perks.

Onslaught: Playlist

• Void Threat: 25% increase to incoming Void damage.
• Void Surge: 25% bonus to outgoing Void damage.
• Strand Surge: 25% bonus to outgoing Strand damage.
• Champion Foes: You will face [Shield-Piercing] Barrier, [Disruption] Overload, and [Stagger] Unstoppable Champions. Visit the Character or Mod Customization screen to view your active anti-Champion perks.

Seasonal

Expert/Master Lost Sector

Exotic armor drop (if solo): Unknown
Lost Sector information is currently unavailable. Check the comments!

Misc

• Terminal Overload: Límíng Harbor Weapon: Synchronic Roulette (Submachine Gun)
• The Wellspring: Attack Weapon: Fel Taradiddle (Combat Bow)
• Altars of Sorrow Weapon: Heretic (Rocket Launcher)

Guns & Materials

Banshee's Featured Weapons

Name	Type	Column 1	Column 2	Column 3	Column 4	Masterwork
Farewell	Kinetic Sidearm	Tier 2: Handling
Distant Tumulus	Energy Sniper Rifle	Tier 2: Handling
Temptation's Hook	Heavy Sword	Tier 2: Impact
Chroma Rush	Kinetic Auto Rifle	Tier 2: Handling
True Prophecy	Kinetic Hand Cannon	Tier 2: Reload Speed

Note: Fixed perks on weapons are not displayed

Master Rahool's Material Exchange

• Purchase Glimmer (10000 for 10 Dark Fragment)
• Purchase Glimmer (10000 for 10 Phantasmal Fragment)
• Purchase Glimmer (10000 for 25 Herealways Piece)
• Enhancement Prism (1 for 10 Enhancement Core & 10000 Glimmer)
• Ascendant Shard (1 for 10 Enhancement Prism & 50000 Glimmer)
• Ascendant Alloy (1 for 10 Enhancement Prism & 50000 Glimmer)

Bounties

Banshee-44, Gunsmith

Name	Description	Requirement	Reward
Hand Cannon Calibration	Calibrate Hand Cannons against any target. Earn bonus progress with precision and against opposing Guardians.	100 [Hand Cannon] Hand Cannon	XP+ & Enhancement Core & Gunsmith Rank Progress
Sidearm Calibration	Calibrate Sidearms against any target. Earn bonus progress against targets at close range and opposing Guardians.	100 [Sidearm] Sidearm	XP+ & Enhancement Core & Gunsmith Rank Progress
Linear Fusion Rifle Calibration	Calibrate Linear Fusion Rifles against any target. Earn bonus progress with precision and against opposing Guardians.	100 [Linear Fusion Rifle] Linear Fusion Rifle	XP+ & Enhancement Core & Gunsmith Rank Progress
Void Calibration	Calibrate Void weapons against any target. Earn bonus progress using Power weapons and against opposing Guardians.	100 [Void] Void weapon	XP+ & Enhancement Core & Gunsmith Rank Progress

^{Never forget what has been lost. While the API protests have concluded, Reddit remains hostile to its users as their IPO looms in the horizon. More information can be found here.}

So, I went to a dealership to buy a used car. We settled the deal at 19k after tax, with a new set of summer tires included (and I get to take the winter tires currently on the car home as well). I paid 3k cash as the down payment, leaving 16k to be financed.
I arrived in Canada September last year. I have been employed since February this year, making 19.25 an hour until May 31. Starting in June, I am making 20.4 an hour, but I work an average of 30 hours per week. My wife is going to co-sign. She makes 20 an hour and works an average of 40 hours per week and has been employed since January this year.
Our credit scores are 690 and 704, respectively. We have no late payments on our bills, but we only have a prepaid credit card. I sent all my pay stubs, and my wife did too. The employee in finance made it seem like our credit scores are far below the Canadian average, which she said was 780. It seemed like she was implying we wouldn't be approved for the loan. She said we should have an answer Monday because it was Saturday.
What should I expect realistically? I have never made a big purchase in Canada. We're both employed, and our rent is 1.5k per month, so we have room for car payments. We spent hours in the dealership. The whole process was exhausting, and leaving without knowing what to expect is draining. Can someone shed some light on this whole process? Do you think the loan is not going to be approved, and we'll have a hard time getting our down payment back?
Another finance employee also asked us for a copy of our Permanent Resident cards saying they could get some finance for newcomers from the banks.
Plus, the car that we put the down payment on is still listed online as available for sale, with an increased base price. Shouldn't the dealership take the product listing from the available inventory since we already put a down payment on it? In my country, keeping a product available for sale after receiving a down payment is actually a crime against consumer rights.

I find it kind of maddening as a new player that there's basically no outfits for me to purchase atm besides the one of the nesting guide. Like the base outfits are all just white and lowkey remind me of the outfit I was given when I was at the hospital 🥲 like all the accessories are cool, but it's practically impossible to have a coherent look when your outfit is just white pajamas. Obviously this isn't a huge deal and I'm not angered by this, just mildly inconvenienced and I probably just wish there was a way for me to add some colour and personality to my outfit 😅

Not too long ago I made this post saying I am looking for my first big-boy bike. As a newcomer to cycling, it was great to get everyone's advice and input on the question, and I learned a lot.
As part of this process, I went to a 3rd party bike shop / fitting place, got all my dimensions, etc, and talked extensively with the guys there about frames, bike brands, etc. I have again learned a lot.
In talking to them, they were fairly complementary of several brands I had never heard of, for their quality of craftsmanship and especially the supposedly higher-end nature of their carbon frames. One of these brands was Parlee (the others were Argon 18 and Time). The dimensions of the Parlee Chebacco fit my body and desired style really well, at least according to the specs. So did the Argon 18 Dark Matter. Time ADHX not so much.
I tried researching Parlee but there's not much out there. People clearly think very highly of their custom work done in the US, but the Chebacco seems to be more of their high-volume bike and the frame appears to be produced somewhere in Asia "in accordance to their strict standards."
The shop also had a Parlee rolling chassis deal for $4k, which to my untrained eyes seems pretty good, it includes:
frame, fork, headset Parlee carbon stem, post, handlebars Parlee Sky Ridge carbon wheels (these are $2k alone on the website) Ergon SM10 saddle WTB Raddler tires 44mm (we would put 32 or 35s on it since I will start with most of my riding on the road) Arundel bar tape (they recommend upgrading to Silca or others) Parlee carbon bottle cages x 2
Then I was told we could do the following two group sets for the following prices:
GRX Di2 2x groupset $2500 (I'm confused on this, aren't there many GRX Di2s? do they mean the latest 12speed 825s?) -- they were very complimentary of the Shimano sets over the SRAM ones. Force AXS 2x groupset $2150
Finally, the build cost with the purchase would be $200. So the full Shimano build would be just under $7k.
Questions:

1. What do you know or think about the Parlee brand? I know they filed for bankruptcy recently and got saved by a new owner, with Bob Parlee taking on more of a design role.
2. What are your opinions of the Parlee Chebacco specifically?
3. Is the quality of their non-custom factory bike frames high-end? Are they better than a Specialized carbon frame (like let's say the Roubaix SL8 Pro)?
4. I saw, albeit few, reviews complain about their BB (on the Parlee RZ7) being noisy but still being overall flattering of the bike -- is that a possible issue with carbon frames in general?
5. What do you think of the build above? Is it a great bike? Is the price as much of a steal as it's made out to be?
6. If I go for this bike, what configurations of cassette and chain-ring sizes would offer the most versatility on both road and gravel? Would 48/31 with 11-36T be it?
7. Is there anything I should ask the shop before agreeing to the build?

Thank you again for your thoughts! They have been invaluable so far, and I very much appreciate it!

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/GG6d683
Send it Sunday Part Tres: Trying to get rid of stuff and free up some cash.
All prices are negotiable. Trades I am looking for are P365XL/XMacro slide parts (slide, barrel, recoil assembly), Glock 19/PSA Dagger slide parts (slide, barrel, recoil assembly, P320 AXG grip module, or Holosun red dot for P365.
Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless Copper: Mild salt on fabric surfaces (cleaned recently, alcantara doesn't clean the best), all other parts function and sound as new. Very mild issue with headband where the internal foam will peek out of the plastic end caps, but it's super easy to fix, and has been an issue since I got them (I can take pictures to demonstrate issue for interested parties). Comes with original carrying case, 3.5mm cable, and charging cable. These were originally purchased in early 2021 and used seldom since as I moved on to wired options. Price: $350
Mild Salt Kore Esstac Double Pistol/Single Rifle with malice clips: $28 Super Salty Smith and Wesson M9 Bayonet with sleeve: $50 FiveStar Chiappa Rhino Range Block for .357/.38 special: $15 Light Salt Cards Against Humanity Mega Bundle (Base, Nerd, Absurd, Everything packs), nothing is organized so it all goes as one: $40 New Roland DP-10 Pedal for Roland Digital Pianos: $15 Mild Salt Xbox One Controllers: $20 each
Dice are mildly salty, but finish on all is great, and all are metal, either aluminum, zinc alloy, or steel. Willing to do deals for buying more than one set. Dice Sets: Red Zinc - $10 Green Zinc - $10 Gunmetal Zinc, Red Numbers - $15 Gunmetal Zinc, Blue Numbers - $15 Burnished Aluminum, Red Numbers - $15 Burnished Aluminum, Blue Numbers - $18 (includes D4 set on the bottom) Burnished Brass, Zinc Alloy - $10 Burnished Grey, Zinc Alloy - $10 Gunmetal Zinc, Black and White - $20
All prices are negotiable, PM for offers, shipping is included, more than willing to do deals for people buying more than 2-3 items.

I need a new vac ASAP and have limited imediate resources but omg, I love vacuuming. I found this sub after purchasing a complete piece of trash vacuum-Bissell Clearview Pet which was honestly the worst vacuum I have ever encountered in my life. Reading a bunch of posts on this sub led me to narrowing down my next purchase to a bagged Kenmore. My main concern is something that will work on my medium shag rug as well as hardwood floors. I also want attachments that I can use on upholstery, curtains and crevices. I live in NYC on a tree lined block so I have city dust and pollen and cat dander. I also sometimes board dogs so there's that, too. The only other parameter that I need to adhere to is I need to purchase it on amazon pay over time. If this weren't the case, I would buy one of the simplicity vacuums. So l've narrowed my purchase down to these two and I'm wondering about the difference:
Kenmore BU4050 Intuition Bagged Upright Vacuum, liftup Cleaner with Hair Eliminator brushroll, pet Handi-Mate for Carpet, Hard Floor, Rose Gold by Kenmore Or Kenmore Intuition Bagged Upright Vacuum Lift-Up Carpet Cleaner 2-Motor Power Suction with HEPA Filter, 3-in-1 Combination Tool, HandiMate for Floor, Pet Hair, 14pounds, Green
If you think I'm missing something great, lmk! Just remember I'm bound to brands that will let me do Amazon pay over time ( not affirm)
Thank you in advance for your recommendations!

Wondering if anybody has any thoughts on my if it’s worth pushing my fairly grade inflated school for some acknowledgment of rank to colleges if they do not officially do class rank, but I likely have a fairly good one unofficially.
I technically go to a magnet school, but in reality I take all my classes in a public school, and the only thing different is a single class I take as a part of the magnet school, in the same building as the rest of my classes.
Neither school officially does class rank, instead grouping people based on what fifth of the class they fall into. However, based on what I know I’m probably around top 4-6 of ~400 students in both schools combined, and about top 2-3 of ~50 students in the magnet school. The question is, should I try to ask if there is a way to convey this to colleges?
My question is partially because of the grade inflation and GPA system at my school, which is on a weighted 100 point scale (+5% for APs, 3% for honors). The average weighted GPA is 91, top fifth is 96 or greater. My weighted GPA is around 100.5, and unweighted average is around 97.9. We have had a few acceptances to top colleges, but not a ton, maybe 3-6 per year.
My intuition is it probably won’t really matter, and they probably won’t do anything, but it isn’t a big deal to ask about it, so why regret not asking. Maybe not even for a specific rank, but some higher group, like top tenth or in the top X highest students. But what are your thoughts, is this something worth pushing for, or not even worth asking about? Some people have suggested it could look significantly better, which is why I’m asking. Thanks!

“Just a few stores down from Chanel, Tiffany, and Bottega Veneta, a small boutique on Worth Avenue, called Blesk Jewelry, was selling discounted versions of those high-end products. But while customers may have thought they were getting a deal, police say they were getting ripped off.
“For instance, you know, some of the Pucci dresses which would retail for around $2200 were being sold for around $400 something dollars,” Captain Will Rothrock with the Palm Beach Police Department said. “Some of the Van Cleef and Arpels items, you know, those might have retailed for $20,000 and she sold them for $500.”
The investigation into her business began on October 31, 2023, after the Palm Beach Police Department's Organized Crime, Vice and Narcotics Unit received information from the FBI about counterfeit items being sold from her store 'Blesk Jewelry.'
On Thursday evening a search warrant was issued at both of her businesses where officers seized approximately 800 items that had a fraudulent retail value of over $2 million. Police say she was selling counterfeit designer items from Chanel, Rolex, Pucci, Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Tiffany and Bottega Veneta.
"The amount of volume that maybe was not out visible to a shopper that was kept in the back, you know, that was maybe advertised if someone was a repeat shopper or someone that they vetted and felt more comfortable selling to," Rothrock said. "It went deeper than it looked on the surface and that was the most surprising portion."
Authorities are urging individuals who have purchased from Blesk Jewelry in the past, particularly if they have doubts about the authenticity of their items, to reach out.”
https://cbs12.com/news/local/blesk-jewelrysearch-warrant-issued-business-owner-accused-of-selling-over-1-million-in-counterfeit-goods-florida-june-7-2024

Long time lurker and x,xxx holder here, have been buying and holding for the past 3 years. This is the first time for me to post something on reddit except for my DRS post. I can't quite wrap my head around on the recent 75m share offering and would like to invite you all for a rational discussion.
I can think of some scenarios whereby an additional 75m offering is needed on top of the 45m, but they all point to poor planning (I am not here to bash Ryan Cohen and the board, I think they did a great job to turn the business around and I am still planning to keep on buying and holding, I only want visibility on the direction that the company is going)
Scenario 1
Gamestop was in talk with a potential acquisition target, say "Company A", and they did not have enough cash, therefore the 45m offering. The initial offer was to purchase less than 100% stake, but as the conversation goes GME wanted to own more stake, and hence the additional 75m ATM on Friday.
Scenario 2
On top of Company A, Gamestop had found another acquisition target ("Company B") shortly after the 45m offering. And the M&A process for Company B is going on a very fast pace and the 75m offering is needed to raise additional cash as the deal is closing soon.
Scenario 3
Gamestop wanted to capitalize on the short-term upward movement on share price and hence the 1st round of offering. After that a little while and it seems the price is coming back up again, they would like to further capitalize on that again by doing another round of offering.
Scenario 3 is the least scenario that I would like to see, however, scenario 1 & 2 seems highly unlikely.
I think it's understandable for the first round of offering, it takes money to buy whisky I get that. The board's goal is to make the company profitable and create value for shareholders, and I do not think MOASS in on their agenda list, which is completely fine. After all we are fighting different but the same battle - to destroy the short thesis and give a big fuck you to SHF. However I would be very disappointed if the board do not have a concrete plan/imminent need to make use of the additional 3-4bn, and further diluted the stock just because they see the price goes up.
After the 2 rounds of share offering, Gamestop should be sitting at 4-5bn cash, which will offer them plenty of options to perform acquisition. Let's say Gamestop funds the transaction by cash for 50% of the consideration, rest are funded by debt, combined with earn-outs and deferred consideration and what not, they could be acquiring targets with 8-10bn market cap. To put this into perspective, Capcom market cap is 8bn; Ubisoft's market cap is 3.3bn, GME's market cap is 9.9bn.
The question is which company should GME acquire, such that they can diversify their revenue stream and/or create synergy effect. It also makes acquisition harder when GME is such a controversial company as other companies might not want to have any sort of affiliation with GME, therefore even if with the right price, target companies' owner might not want to sell (assume GME is not doing hostile takeover).
With all that said, I really really really want GME to succeed and make good use with that huge pile of cash, and as a heavily invested shareholder (over 80% of my net worth is invested in GME), I would like the board to communicate their plan with us. It has been too long that they kept silent and I think retail deserve to know the game plan here, given the 25% dilution and 3 years worth of DRS effort had been wiped out just like that.

Recently stumbled upon a seriously good deal for a website with over 100k pageviews per month for $10k. It hasn't been monetized with ads yet and can definitely beef up affiliate marketing.
The problem is I barely have enough money to cover the website purchase as I just graduated college. BUT it seems like such a good deal for huge potential upside.
Would you buy this site in the home/garden niche in my position? What's your guesstimated potential profit?

Hey Everyone,
So I work for a private deal manager on off market deals.
We want to expand into off-market commodity brokering (because people have come to us asking for our services to facilitate and strategize on their behalf), but do not want to have the purchase funds run through the company, we just want to represent and close deals on behalf of a client (Like a Proxy/Mandate).
I already am going for my Series 3.
So I register as an “Introducing Broker (IB)”?
Are there other registrations or certifications needed?
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Have a great day!

Credit card points are a fascinating and valuable aspect of modern financial management. Understanding how these points work can significantly benefit consumers, allowing them to maximize their spending and enjoy various rewards. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the intricacies of credit card points, how they are earned, the various ways to redeem them, and strategies to maximize their value.

What Are Credit Card Points?

Credit card points are a type of reward currency that credit card companies offer to their cardholders as an incentive for using their cards. These points can be accumulated through various types of purchases and can later be redeemed for a range of rewards such as travel, merchandise, gift cards, and even cash back. The value and utility of these points can vary widely depending on the credit card issuer and the specific reward program.

How Are Credit Card Points Earned?

Spending Categories and Earning Rates

Credit card points are typically earned based on the amount of money spent using the credit card. The rate at which points are earned can vary depending on the card and the spending category. Common categories that may offer higher points include:

• Travel and Dining: Many cards offer bonus points for purchases made on travel expenses such as flights, hotels, and dining at restaurants.
• Groceries and Gas: Some cards provide extra points for everyday expenses like grocery shopping and fuel.
• Specific Retailers: Certain cards partner with specific retailers to offer higher points for purchases made with those merchants.

Sign-Up Bonuses

Many credit cards offer sign-up bonuses as an incentive for new cardholders. These bonuses often require the cardholder to spend a certain amount of money within a specified period, such as $3,000 within the first three months. The sign-up bonus can significantly boost the number of points in a short period.

Promotional Offers

Credit card issuers frequently run promotional campaigns where cardholders can earn additional points. These promotions can be seasonal or tied to specific spending activities.

How to Redeem Credit Card Points

Travel Rewards

One of the most popular ways to redeem credit card points is for travel-related expenses. Points can be used to book flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages. Some credit cards are affiliated with specific airlines or hotel chains, providing even greater value when points are redeemed through these partners.

Cash Back and Statement Credits

Credit card points can often be converted into cash back or statement credits. This option provides direct financial benefit by reducing the cardholder’s balance or providing cash that can be deposited into a bank account.

Gift Cards and Merchandise

Many reward programs allow points to be redeemed for gift cards to popular retailers or for a wide range of merchandise. While this can be a convenient option, it’s essential to compare the value of the points when redeemed this way to ensure you’re getting the best deal.

Experiences and Events

Some credit card companies offer unique experiences and event access as redemption options. These can include concert tickets, exclusive dining experiences, or special sporting events.

Maximizing the Value of Your Points

Strategic Spending

To maximize the value of credit card points, it is crucial to understand the earning structure of your card. Prioritize using your card for purchases in categories that offer higher points. For example, if your card offers triple points on dining, ensure you use it every time you eat out.

Take Advantage of Bonus Offers

Regularly check for promotional offers and take advantage of them to earn additional points. These offers can provide a significant boost to your points balance without extra spending.

Combine Points with Other Programs

Some credit card points can be transferred to other loyalty programs, such as airline frequent flyer programs or hotel rewards. This can sometimes offer a higher redemption value, especially for travel-related redemptions.

Monitor Expiration Dates

Points can sometimes expire if not used within a specific timeframe. Be aware of your points' expiration dates and plan your redemptions accordingly to avoid losing them.

Understanding the Value of Points

Point Valuation

The value of a credit card point can vary significantly depending on how it is redeemed. For example, redeeming points for travel through a credit card’s portal may offer a higher value per point compared to redeeming for merchandise or gift cards. It is essential to understand the valuation of points for different redemption options to make informed decisions.

Redemption Rate Comparisons

Compare the redemption rates for different options to ensure you are getting the best value. For instance, if 10,000 points can get you a $100 gift card but can be used for a flight worth $150, the latter option provides a higher value per point.

Choosing the Right Credit Card

Assessing Your Spending Habits

Select a credit card that aligns with your spending habits and offers the best rewards for your lifestyle. If you travel frequently, a card that offers high points for travel-related expenses will be more beneficial than one that rewards grocery shopping.

Evaluating Fees and Interest Rates

Consider the annual fees and interest rates associated with the credit card. Sometimes, cards with higher fees offer better rewards, but it is essential to ensure that the benefits outweigh the costs.

Reading the Fine Print

Understand the terms and conditions of the rewards program, including any restrictions or limitations on point earning and redemption. Some cards may have blackout dates for travel or limited options for point transfer.

Conclusion

Credit card points can provide substantial value if used wisely. By understanding how points are earned, the best ways to redeem them, and strategies to maximize their value, consumers can make the most out of their credit card rewards. Always choose a credit card that aligns with your spending habits and financial goals to ensure you get the maximum benefit.

I'm located in Canada and looking to purchase a Ringconn ring. I'm looking for fitness, sleep and stress tracking mainly. From all my research it seems like RingConn fits the bill pretty well.
My question is mainly to do with durability. Amazon sell the ring for $360 CAD with coupon, and RingConn has a deal right now making it around $300 CAD. Amazon has 2 year accidental warranty they offer for $35, which RingConn doesn't offer.
I lift weights, work with my hands lots, and am pretty hard on stuff. So is the extra $100 all said and done worth it? Also Amazon has a much better return policy in the event I don't like the ring.
I'm not looking for a lecture on not wearing a ring during weightlifting and working with my hands. I've seen lots of degloving photos and I remove it in certain dangerous situations.

I took the plunge and pre-ordered the Ace, and I’ve been putting it through its paces for the last couple of days. I’m pretty deep in the Sonos ecosystem, and I’m a big headphone collector, so I’m tossing in my thoughts here for those thinking about taking the plunge on these $450 cans.
TL:DR - the Aces come in at a high price point in the market at $450. At that price, these may be a tough sell for many. The overall sound is very good - but not definitively better than the category leaders in the market, many of which cost substantially less. Early/Gen1 bugs will leave some thinking that the product is half baked or leaves them out entirely, especially Android users. All that said, this is still a Sonos product, so there are enough things done well about the Ace that it could be a decent proposition - especially if you catch a sale and/or after upcoming software updates. Hard to hate, hard to love.
Now to give some context and get into the deeper review. As mentioned, I am pretty deep in the Sonos ecosystem because I’ve steadily added to my setups over the years. I started with a 5.1 system, Playbar + Sub + two Play 1s about 10 years ago (now in my kid’s playroom) and now I have Sonos in my whole home - another Arc-based 5.1 setup (media room), a Playbase 5.1 setup (living room), a Beam (bedroom), Move (outdoor patio) and a Roam (travel).
I am also a headphone collector and have 22 pairs, ranging from “consumer” stuff like the Ace, AirPods Pro/Max - and all the way up to high-end reference gear from the likes of Audeze, Sennheiser, Meze, Focal, etc. I listen to many types of music, from hip-hop to classical, and I also do quite a bit of gaming. I have a young kiddo so have the need to use headphones for TV viewing pretty often.
Starting with the overall design, comfort, control and included accessories - Sonos does a mostly solid job. The design isn’t overly striking in any way, but it is a well-refined “standard headphone” type of design with clean lines. The Aces are light while still feeling solidly built, have a smooth but appropriately firm sliding hinge for headband fit, have easily removable pads, and while they don’t completely collapse, they get compact enough to fit in the included zip-up hard shell carrying case.
The respectable carrying case isn’t the only included accessory. A USB-C cable is included for both charging and USB-C audio (no included wall charger), and a USB-C to 3.5mm cable is included as well for plugging into analog sources. The inclusion of these cables and capabilities gives the Aces a lot of general versatility and are good things at this price point.
The design lends itself to an overall very comfortable headphone. The band has a very soft cushion and connects to the cups in a way that distributes the weight very well. The cushions of the cups are a well-padded and very comfortable faux leather situation with a firm but not too imposing pressure on the head. These are easy to wear for hours without discomfort for me. I will note that while everything is fine for me, the cups are not particularly large, and the pads are angled, so people with large ears may find their ears touching the cups a bit.
The controls are also well designed. Sonos chose to avoid any type of touch controls with the Aces and has just three buttons - one for power and Bluetooth pairing, one for ANC/transparency/on-device voice assistant, and one for volume and track/audio source/phone call control. It reads more complicated than it is for the controls to become second nature. It is a very good overall control scheme. It’s not quite as good as the Digital Crown design of the AirPods Max, but I’d give it a strong second to that.
When it comes to hardware design and general ease of use, Sonos has always done well across its product range, and that continues here. Grade: A
Sound is one of the most subjective/difficult things to review, and I’m going to try and be as neutral as possible and use some good points of comparison. Overall, the Aces perform fairly well for the product category, and while they bring their own approach to the table, it is very much debatable whether what they bring in terms of sound is worth the fairly high $450 entry point versus $450 for the AirPods Max, $299 for the Sennheiser Momentum 4, $328 for the Sony WH-1000XM5 or $379 for the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra - all very mature and respectable market leaders with similar product features in this category. There are wireless headphones out there that are priced higher like the Focal Bathys ($799) or the Bowers and Wilkins Px8 ($529), though one could argue that those are catering to the luxury and/or audiophile market (all Amazon US prices as of this writing), where the sound expectations have a higher hurdle to overcome.
Let’s first talk about tonal balance. The general tuning of the Aces is very similar to all of the other products I mentioned above, which is a version of a “V-Shaped” tune; bass is boosted, and treble is boosted, creating what has become commonly known as a “fun” type of tuning that I call warm and sparkly. While all of the products I mentioned do this in some way, each does it slightly differently, resulting in a slightly different overall sound presentation, the Aces are no exception. Let’s dive in.
The bass on the Aces is very noticeably boosted throughout the entire band, and the biggest boost is in the sub-bass region. This means the Aces bring slam, boom and rumble to the listen. It could be argued that these get into bass head territory, and I believe those that like bass would be happy with the Aces in that department. While the bass is certainly very prominent, it is not overly loose and still maintains a decent level of control. It is a thick but fairly clean bass. It hits thicker than the AirPods Max but less so than the Momentums and XM5s. If you like to feel those big explosions and soundtrack moments in your TV viewing and gaming, the Aces will fit the bill, as the depth the bass can reach is impressive. The downside to the bass tuning is that since the entire bass band is boosted, if you are listening to a track that has a lot of action in the bass region, it can be overwhelming and lack detail. It can also lead to some bleed into the lower midrange on certain tracks.
It is the midrange on the Aces that surprised me the most, though when I think about how Sonos likely dedicated as much thought to how these sound for TV as to how they sound for music, it makes sense. In a usual “V-shaped” tuning, it is the midrange that is the least present or gets a bit left out of the mix. This often results in vocals and many common core instruments and pieces of the mix somewhat veiled, and is the reason many audiophiles don’t like the V-shaped tuning. The Aces mostly avoid this. The midrange balance is pretty on-target with the exception of a bit of a dip in the upper mids. This means that you get a very full-bodied core sound when listening to the Aces, and that’s a very good thing. Male vocals are very often put on full display because of the added warmth of the bass boost. Female vocals can sometimes take a bit of a back seat, along with instruments like guitar, as a result of the dip in the upper mids, but to notice either of these, you’d really have to be a focused listener (more on why later). The story of the midrange is that it’s better executed than many in the category. This translates well to TV/gaming as well, as dialogue is typically easy to make out, even when there’s lots of other action going on.
The treble on the Ace, as mentioned, is definitely boosted, but in a targeted way that overall, works. I mentioned that the upper midrange where female vocals and some higher instruments live is a bit de-emphasized. Well, the treble is boosted in the “sparkle” region, where sounds like symbols reside - as well as the “s” and “t” sounds in vocals. This boost makes details shine a bit more, and it also hides the under-emphasis of the upper midrange a bit because it still pulls forward the sparkle of all vocals. This upper midrange and treble boost combination is also seen in some well-regarded higher end headphones from the likes of Sennheiser and Meze Audio, just to name a few, so kudos to Sonos for pretty solid execution on the treble. The downside to boosting this region is that some people’s ears are sensitive to this frequency range, and can find sounds like snare drums, loud symbols and the like in this region to be grating to listen to for long periods of time. I don’t find the boost to be extreme, but it is there, so those that are treble-sensitive, just something to note.
This is a good point to make note that this has all been related to the default tonal balance of the Aces right out of the box. Connecting to the Sonos app does allow you to adjust the frequency response - though it is a very basic EQ just like other Sonos products - a simple treble/bass slider. Most of the options at this price point offer greater level of control with a at least a 3-5 band EQ, but it’s better than nothing.
Last in the sound department is a bit about the staging and technical performance. Again, the Aces do what they do fairly well for the category, but whether what they do is definitively better than their peers is debatable. The sound that comes from the Aces is crisp and clear, and one of the most immediately noticeable aspects of the presentation is the good horizontal spread of the pieces of the mix - everything is placed very well with pretty good separation. The sound stage isn’t overly wide by any means, and we aren’t talking about a 3D/holographic sound stage (unless you’re using Dolby Atmos, which I’ll come back to), but the sound does indeed go ear-to-ear horizontally. Even so, the focus of the Aces is always front and center. The stage is very center-focused and intimate, with the edges of the left and right channel wrapping around to the ears. It is a pretty in your face presentation that works well. The center position also has a small but distinct depth and separation from the mix, which is impressive for a wireless headphone (I had to wonder if the fact that the inside of the pads of the Aces are angled contributes to this). The fact that the stage is so center-focused also keeps the vocals and heart of the mix emphasized, and this pairs well with its midrange tuning. This presentation also is another testament to being well-designed for both music and TV listening.
I am not always a fan of Dolby Atmos for headphones, as what the technology can do is often overhyped, but the Aces do handle Atmos mixed sources (or multichannel sources when using TV Swap) very well. It essentially makes the sound stage a bit bigger, along with more precise positioning of the pieces of the mix. I find it best for video content and hit or miss for music.
The overall sound package that the Aces deliver is solid, well-executed, V-shaped listen. The sound is warm, crisp, clean, dynamic/lively and is presented very well, in a way that will work for many genres of music, TV and gaming. The aces definitely deserve to be in the conversation among the market leaders, but each of these market leaders also have strong overall presentations that are arguably just as good, if not better - and allow for a bit more control with more EQ personalization options. The Ace’s premium price relative to this competition has to be taken into consideration as a point of comparison in evaluating overall sound. Grade: B+ / A-
I realize that when evaluating a pair of wireless headphones nowadays, the technology feature set is a big factor as well, and that’s where things get even more interesting for the Aces. This is because depending on your particular Sonos setup, mobile device setup, and general home listening setup, the technological features of the Aces are various levels of either lacking or unfinished.
Let’s start with the good. Regardless of the device you’re using to connect, you get to experience the active noise cancellation and transparency modes of the Aces, and both are very good. The noice cancelling mode isn’t quite as good as Bose, and the transparency mode isn’t quite as good as Apple, but both are respectable compared to anything else, a good showing. You can also enable head tracking in the Sonos app when connected to any device audio via Bluetooth, which for Android users may be an added convenience, depending on your device (for Apple users, this is a feature built in option at the system level between any iOS device and AirPods). You also get a fairly good mix of codec support, including some lossless options if your device supports it.
Now, the not so good. When Sonos announced the Aces, the company very accurately talked about how headphones were one of the most requested products of the community, and everyone in this sub can probably attest to that. But what has been released, at this point in time especially, IMO misses the mark by not doing the we want the headphones to do most - connect seamlessly to our larger Sonos systems, and on top of this, it highlights the challenge of forced obsolescence when dealing with home theater speakers and advanced technology in the same package.
The best way to illustrate this is to state plainly that the Aces are first and foremost Bluetooth headphones. They connect to your Sonos system indirectly via the app on your Bluetooth device, not directly to the system itself via WiFi (mostly). This means a few things. If you’re envisioning using the Sonos app as a hub main hub for navigating your music library across sources and handing it off between your Sonos speakers and headphones, that’s not in the cards with the Ace (ha). As a matter of fact, you can only use the Sonos app to play and pause media playing on the Ace, not select and navigate.
If your goal is using the Aces to listen to your TV, it can be done via a feature called TV Swap, but the situation isn’t exactly pretty for a lot of people. You can press a button on the Aces or within the Sonos app to trigger a direct WiFi connection between a TV-connected Sonos speaker, but at launch and of this writing, it only works on the top-of-the-line Sonos Arc soundbar. This support is coming via software update to the Beam and Ray at an unannounced date. This means that for folks like me that have been building a Sonos ecosystem for years, arguably the most loyal and valuable customers of Sonos (and the ones requesting this product for years), the usefulness of the Aces may be substantially reduced. Out of the four rooms that have Sonos sound bars in my home, again, all purchased within the last ten years or less, only two will ever work with the Aces. My Playbase and Playbar are forever excluded, and if you’re using something like the Sonos Amp to connect a turntable or other device to your Sonos system, you’re also out of luck. If you are an Android user, the picture is even uglier, as the TV Swap feature doesn’t work AT ALL, meaning that until an update arrives, also at an as yet unannounced date, the Aces are essentially a regular pair of Bluetooth headphones for Android users.
For me, this is the most disappointing thing about the Aces. Unless you are a fairly recent inductee to the Sonos ecosystem, the Aces probably are really more general Bluetooth headphones that can connect to a Sonos speakeTV than Sonos headphones that also connect to Bluetooth devices. This is in a world where there are certainly other options for connecting headphones to your TV’s audio. Many smart TV’s and set top boxes now offer a direct Bluetooth connection, and if you have an Apple TV, using AirPods via AirPlay is a much more seamless experience. All of these things, combined with the recent revamp of the Sonos app that took away features and left many unhappy in the name of updating the app for future products (including the Ace), should make you think twice about if the Aces are the best way to get TV audio via headphones for you and your setup - and about the longevity of your particular Sonos setup in general. I realize there are technical challenges that make better Sonos system integration a challenge, and that for some, the issue about older products isn’t an issue at all, but it is worth bringing to light for those making a long-term purchase decision.
The second most disappointing thing about the launch of the Aces is the continued trend of companies releasing products at full price that are essentially unfinished. I already discussed that for Android users at launch, there is no TV Swap at all, so these are effectively just regular Bluetooth headphones with no Sonos system integration at all. I also touched on the fact that TV swap support for the Beam and Ray is missing for all platforms. There is also a very cool-sounding form of TruePlay that Sonos is calling TrueTune. This will calibrate the room, so that when using TV Swap to listen to audio, you’ll get an even more “immersive” listening experience that takes Spatial Audio and head tracking to the next level by trying to actually mirror the acoustics of the room as if you had no headphones on at all. I can’t report on that because, you guessed it…the feature is coming at a yet unannounced date. On top of this, there are bugs out of the gate. Sometimes my Aces don’t show up in the Sonos app, and TV Swap sometimes doesn’t trigger or glitches out.
All of this makes judging the technological features of the Aces difficult. On the side of being Bluetooth headphones - the ANC, connection possibilities/versatility, multi-device connection, head tracking/spatial audio support, and battery life, the Aces are a strong showing. On the Sonos side, your experience will be highly dependent on your current Sonos setup, source setup, how you like to navigate your music library, your level of patience to receive updates, and your trust/level of care for when/if Sonos will release an update that breaks something between your Aces and your existing setup or releases a new speaker that doesn’t work with the Aces. These are all considerations that again make the $450 asking price seem steep when there are other options in the market with equal or greater capabilities for a substantially lesser price. Grade: C-
Overall, I view the Aces as a solid pair of Bluetooth headphones, and as Bluetooth headphones for day-to-day needs, they are worth considering, though arguably not the best value in terms of overall sound quality and features. The AirPods Max, Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra all bring comparatively good sound and feature sets at the same or a substantially lower price. Whether that premium is worth it because of the Sonos interplay, well, your mileage may vary, depending on your setup. They have the potential to be pretty great for some, while at the same time being annoying for some - hard to hate, hard to love. I hope this review was helpful for those taking a look at these or building a Sonos ecosystem in general. Happy listening!

Have you ever felt chills from good stimuli?
That ability can be learned to be activated with just the elated feeling, whenever you want, without any stimuli.
That's not why I claim that it is a secret being hidden from us, though.
The ability to activate this is your golden ticket, which is being swept under the rug as something unconscious and unimportant. With info on this purposely being spread as an ability available only to a few; however, it is one of the only things that every single human can access, regardless of their physical abilities or conditions.
Why is information on this being manipulated? Let's see.
Ever felt overwhelmed by stress or anxiety? This ability is a switch to manually induce the release of positive hormones.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-12135590
Just imagine how being able to use it when feeling overwhelmed could benefit you.
Don't believe me? In the eastern part of the world, Tibetan Monks know about this ability and use it differently. You can find more information on this in this Harvard "Tummo" experiment.
https://curiosmos.com/the-power-of-deep-state-meditation-and-how-a-harvard-study-found-monks-with-supernatural-abilities/
"During meditation, the monk's body produces enough heat to dry cold, wet sheets put over his shoulders in a frigid room."
Since our internal body temperature is regulated by the hypothalamus, the same part of our brain that deals with positive hormone release, this proves that this ability can be used to consciously activate your positive hormones.
Ever wanted to travel virtually in an instant? People who astral project or have out-of-body experiences use this ability to trigger the "Vibrational state" right before the "take off."
https://en.iipc.org/vibrational-state/
These examples are just the tip of the iceberg of what you can use this ability for. In fear that my post won't be read, I won't write a book here about all the incredible things that we can do by being able to consciously activate this ability.
For now just understand that many different cultures observed this occurrence thousands of years before the Western new world became aware of it, and their discoveries did not stop at simply recognizing it as a physical response to music.
Eventually, you can learn how to bring up this wave of elated energy without the physical reaction of goosebumps, feel it throughout your body, and increase its duration, just like many others have succeeded in doing.
This ablity has been researched and documented under many names, by different people and cultures such as Bioelectricity, Life force, Prana, Chi, Qi, Runner's High, Euphoria, ASMR, Ecstasy, Orgone, Rapture, Tension, Aura, Mana, Vayus, Nen, Intent, Tummo, Odic force, Kriyas, Pitī, Frisson, Ruah, Spiritual Energy, Secret Fire, The Tingles, on-demand quickening, Voluntary Piloerection, Aether, Chills, Spiritual Chills and many more to be discovered hopefully with your help.
If you're interested, here are three written tutorials with concise descriptions on how to control this for your own benefit.
If not then I've put enough information for you to research this topic, develop this ability and bring in new techniques to the world.
P.S. Everyone feels it at certain points in their life, some brush it off while others notice that there is something much deeper going on. Those are exactly the people you can find on the subreddit spiritualchills community where they share experiences, knowledge and tips on it.

Many people get up in arms over shops going cashless (especially the older generations) and irs confusing why. For decades, there have been cash only stores and no one argues over that, but since cashless stores have been becoming more popular people are suddenly upset with them. And they always make the same arguments for why stores shouldn't go cashless, so I'm going to debunk all of them (yet people are still going to find more reasons why to hate them). Also, you should read all the debunks before you answer.

1. Cash is "legal tender" and should be accepted in all places.

This is not true. For starters, most people don't really know what the term legal tender actually means and so they throw it out all the time. The actual definition is as follows: "Legal tender is a form of money that courts of law are required to recognize as satisfactory payment for any monetary debt.[1] Each jurisdiction determines what is legal tender, but essentially it is anything which when offered ("tendered") in payment of a debt extinguishes the debt." It goes on to say "It is generally only mandatory to recognize the payment of legal tender in the discharge of a monetary debt from a debtor to a creditor. Sellers offering to enter into contractual relationship, such as a contract for the sale of good, do not need to accept legal tender and may instead require payment using electronic methods, foreign currencies or any other legally recognized object of value." This means that cash is not the only form of "legal tender " and any other form of payment is acceptable so long as the creditor or debtor recognizes it as a valid form of payment. Basically, private businesses have the right to choose how they want to accept payment and if they only want electronic payments, then that's what you have to do.

1. The act of purchasing an item puts you into that businesses debt. As such, they have to accept cash.

This is also not true. Purchasing and item is not the same as putting yourself into debt. The purchase of an item means you are entering a contractual agreement with the business in which you gain an item or items in exchange for what that business accepts as monetary value. This means that if you want to buy ice cream from a business that only accept high fives, you'll have to high five them for that ice cream cone. Whoch also means if the business accepts cash only or electronic payment only, then you have to abide by those rules as well.

1. Cashless businesses are Discriminatory.

This is the only claim people throw out that has any legitimate legs to stand on. It is true that the large percentage of Americans that don't use banks are minorities, with black and Hispanic people getting affected the most. It also makes it so that homeless people can't shop there. Even though these are legitimate concerns, there are still ways to shop there if you really want to. First, Anyone can purchase gift cards (with Visa gift cards being accepted at all locations that accept card). Second, you can purchase venmo (and other) gift cards and upload them into your venmo account. So you don't need s back per se. It is more work but it's still possible which means no one is excluded from going to these businesses.

1. The workers or other patrons of the store should purchase the item for them in exchange for cash.

That's an incredible stupid argument to make. For starters, the workers can't purchase items while on the clock, nor can they accept someone's cash if the store is cashless. As I've worked as a cashier before, most businesses will fire yoy if they see that you purchased an item yourself while on the register. It is a HUGE red flag. Likewise, if they pocket the cash while on the register it basically is theft and they'll get fired. Second just because there's someone who wants to pay with cash at cashless shop doesn't give me a real reason to pay in their stead as a customer. I have no idea if the money they're handing me is real or not. And honestly, I wouldn't want to buy something for someone else who blatantly doesn't want to follow the rules of the business. That's a huge red flag for me.

1. There's no reason why the business shouldn't accept cash.

There are LOTS of reasons why they shouldn't accept cash. First, cash is dirty. As someone who was forced to accept bills that smelled like shit or came directly from underboob, cash is nasty. Not all cash, but a lot is mishandled. Businesses that opened during c*vid also know this and refuse to take it as a response. Second, cashless stores don't have the infrastructure to accept cash. They don't normally have registers, but instead have tablets that only accept card or electronic payments. So even if you insist on paying with cash, they don't have the means to accept it. They specifically set up their infrastructure to only accept electronic payments. Third, there are several benefits to going cashless for the business. They don't need to deal with balancing the registers every night. They don't have to make daily or weekly trips to the bank. There's very low chance of employee theft or mishandling of money. Employees don't have to get into contact with the customers. Employees don't have to deal with giving change ( many younger generations in particular don't know how to handle giving change back lol). Electronic payments are much fester and more secure for the customer.

1. I don't want there to be a record of everything I buy.

Again another legitimate complaint, but not that legitimate. Privacy is obviously important, but you do realize that your phone constantly tracks where you go right? Or there are security cameras that monitor your location. Or other people's phones also track your location. Basically your privacy is already ruined from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep.

1. Cashless shops are illegal.

This is simply not true. Aside from a few jurisdictions, cashless shops are completely allowed to exist. Only a few locations in the US make it illegal to refuse cash. Most of you don't live in this jurisdictions. So yeah it is perfectly legal.

1. It is "unamerican" to refuse cash.

Right away, not a valid complaint. But to go into more detail, private businesses are allowed to mandate whatever form of payment they want. Ironically, that's the most American thing I can think of.
In short, the only reason people hate cashless businesses is because they can't use cash at those businesses.
If you hate them, just don't shop there instead of complain about it.