This video is brought to you by Brilliant! This is my home studio desk setup - an untypical,
asymmetrical jam-packed end-of-2022 iteration. In this video, I will take you on a tour of
it by going through most of the items I use and sharing what I like and don't like about
each one. Of course, all the links will be in the description below, so let's get to
it. Starting with the Autonomous desk and the
first negative aspect of it - the fact that it no longer works. I bet you didn't expect
that. I am not sure what happened, but it initially
stopped wanting to go up and down, and now it doesn't even want to power up. Truth be
told, this desk has been through a lot, including the white tabletop, which to this day looks
very decent for the most part. I am especially keen on the cable tray that Autonomous sent
over last time, plus I've outgrown it. I can barely fit all the gear I use, hence the asymmetrical
layout. I am convinced that the next desk here will surely come with a cable tray, casters
which I updated this one too, and a larger tabletop. Until I find a replacement, I will
use this standing desk…sitting. On top of the tabletop, the Pièce de résistance
is the Balolo Setup Cockpit shelf in American Oak. I opted for the floating laptop dock,
a MagSafe iPhone charger, cable organizers, tray, and catch-all trays. If you want to
know more about this awesome Balolo shelf and some other desk setup goodies and accessories,
be sure to check out my Desk Setup Essentials guide video, which I'll link at the end of
this one. All Balolo products are great; if I could wish for more, it would be for Balolo
to create tabletops and cable trays to match their current line of products and use with
standing desk legs. Maybe they'll think in that direction in the future.
My workhorse is the 16-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro which is now a one-off machine since I
accidentally dropped it from this very desk. Now, I get to enjoy a nasty dent, but luckily
it still works great. This M1 Max 32GB configuration with 2TB of SSD internal storage is not enough
for my needs. Nevertheless, I love this computer. If you want to learn more about my experience
with it, I'll leave a link to my dedicated review, where the laptop looks pristine and
undamaged. Honestly, at this point, the damage is the only thing that I don't like about
it. Right next to the MacBook Pro, I keep my Nintendo
Switch. This is not the OLED version, and I keep it there because it's easy for me to
grab it and throw it in my backpack…although I did start playing on it on the primary monitor
recently. Right now, I am struggling with Metroid Dread. I wish there was a handheld
Light OLED switch version with perhaps a tat bigger screen. BTW, if you end up enjoying
this video, subscribe, because why not?!? Next is the Pitaka MagEZ iPad Stand, which
I use to prop my iPad. This iPad Stand has seen plenty of desk setups, and I always go
back to it at some point in time. It has a built-in wireless charger on the bottom, but
I am not using it this time since I already have one on the shelf…plus, I wanted to
avoid having to run yet another cable. If you want to know how I attach the iPad to
the stand, you can check out my recent Favourite 2022 Accessories video, which I'll link below.
The first monitor I want to show you is the 32-inch LG 32UL950-W. I called this monitor
an XDR on a budget last time I reviewed it because it's the same size as the XDR and
has thin and even bezels all around. It's a 4K IPS panel that runs at 60hz and has all
the ports required, including thunderbolt 3 and daisy chain. It outputs 60 watts of
power, yet I don't use it to charge the MacBook since I run both displays through a hub. For
those wondering, the wallpapers I chose for this setup are from my Blurred Lines v2 collection,
which I'll link below. If there's one thing I don't like about this monitor, it is the
OEM stand. It takes too much real estate, and I see why LG is moving towards more products
with built-in Ergo Stands. I'll show you what I am talking about in a second.
To keep this monitor floating and taking as little space as possible, I've propped it
on my favorite heavy-duty Ergotron arm. This arm is very expensive, and I'm not too fond
of the fact that it doesn't have a mounting VESA place that you can easily clip into place
once installed on the monitor, making the entire setup a bit cumbersome for one person.
Still, it is a well-built product that can carry the heaviest of monitors, including
massive ultra wides. Again, all the links will be in the description below.
The second monitor on the setup is the newest addition here. It is a monitor like no other,
called LG DualUp. I will be releasing a separate video about this unicorn of a display in an
upcoming monitor guide update episode but in the meantime, let me quickly introduce
you to it. It is an SDQHD monitor with a resolution of 2560 x 2880. It provides a 60Hz refresh
rate, HDR 10 support, 300 nits of brightness, and 98% DCI-P3 color representation. Moreover,
it has ports galore and a proper 90-watt output to charge a laptop. Also, it comes with LG's
Ergo Stand, which is just incredible. I can move it around and adjust it one-handed, and
it is now my new favorite vertical content display. Great display!
The entire setup is run with the help of my trusty OWC thunderbolt dock. With 3 Thunderbolt
4 ports, 4 USB ports, Ethernet, audio, and a card reader, there isn't much more that
I can ask for…except for maybe having the next laptop port kept on the back for a much
cleaner front look. I used double-sided Velcro tape to stick it underneath the Balolo tray.
In terms of speakers, I am back to my trusty Kanto YU2-powered speakers. Given my tabletop
constraints, I have created a very unique layout. As you can see, one speaker is vertically
positioned on its own stand, and the second is horizontally placed on top of an acoustic
foam. This, of course, is not an optimal setup, but for 90% of the work, it does the job just
fine. In my dedicated Kanto video, I talk about how much I love those speakers and how
they lack bass - so yeah, that's one thing missing here. I don't use headphones in this
setup, BTW. On top of the primary LG monitor, I've placed
my beloved BenQ Screen Bar Halo. Aside from projecting light to the tabletop, this light
bar also emits a light glow on the back for that ambient look. Packed with features like
temperature and brightness control, ambient light sensor, attachment for placing it on
curved displays, and much more, it is a product I give two thumbs up for. The rotating control
knob is the most sophisticated one I've seen on a light bar. If I were to oppose something,
it would be that it's not black or maybe white - but I am nit-picking here. It's a fantastic
product. Next is the Elgato Stream deck V2, which I
use to control the studio's lights and display custom shortcuts for my video editing program
Final Cut Pro. I don't like that the buttons shift in color when looking at it from an
angle, and the position of the stand could be more optimal for me.
Next up is my own product, the ENOUGH Pad. I won't go into details about it since you
can watch the introductory video on the product page. Still, I'll use this opportunity to
invite you for a giveaway of 2 ENOUGH mouse pads. If you want to win one, all you have
to do is leave a like on this video and drop a comment below telling me which is your keyboard
of choice and why. In the first week of 2023 (right before my birthday), I will announce
two winners on my social media channels. If you want to double your chance to win, head
to my office studio setup video, where I have a different question for you. I'll leave a
link to it at the end of this video. If I have to diss my own product, it would be the
inevitable fabric balls that might form after prolonged use, but there's a fix for them
- a nail clipper. The keyboard of choice for this setup is the
IQUnix ZX75 Gravity Wave model. I love that it has a 6000 mah extended battery and my
favorite tactile multi-media knob that I can use to control my volume. I wish this keyboard
was less chunky in terms of the casing, yet in terms of satisfaction - excellent!
On my shelf, I also keep a Magic Keyboard which I call the glorified Touch ID button.
Yes, Touch ID matters that much to me, and yes, I keep a second keyboard for those charging
the primary keyboard moments and when I need to authenticate something - which happens
too often. If you want to know what I don't like about it, you can check out my office
desk setup, where I use yet another Magic Keyboard as an Authenticator. My mouse of
choice for this setup is the MX Master 3S Mouse. It's a heavy mouse with plenty of customization
options and whisper-quiet buttons. It is very comfortable for my hand, and if there’s
one thing that I would complain about, it is the weight.
I also use the Magic Trackpad with the mouse for grabbing, scrolling, and moving between
desktop situations. Honestly, it's a trackpad that I can't really complain about.
No matter how perfect your desk setup is and how captivated you are by your work, we all
need a break every once in a while to learn something new and have a little fun. And Brilliant
is a great place to do just that. It offers bite-sized lessons in math, science, and computer
science that you can enjoy from the comfort of your couch. One of my favorite courses
that I took recently was Scientific Thinking. It shows you that everything around us is a puzzle.
From structures like pulleys and gears to heat flow and buoyancy, it will give you a
new perspective on problem-solving. They literally used a dog playing fetch to illustrate the
principles of light bending - which also explains how fiber optic cables work. I thought it
was an ingenious yet really fun approach. And Scientific Thinking is just one of the
thousands of lessons available on Brilliant. Brilliant adds new content every month to
keep those brain cells challenged and entertained. To get started with the app for free, visit brilliant.org/thisise or
click on the first link in the description below. The first 200 of you will get 20% off
Brilliant's annual premium subscription. You should check my desk setup guide episodes
if you enjoyed this video. Like & Subscribe to the channel, as well as
my newsletter, and as always, it's been an absolute pleasure,
This is E Over & out