Arctic P402 Headphones Review

As the latest product to be released from Arctic's headphones range, the P402 aims to couple an enjoyable music-listening experience with long-lasting comfort. Touting a frequency response range of 20 Hz - 20 kHz and 32 Ohm impedance, Arctic's P402 Supra-aural headphones target users that want to enjoy a high-quality listening experience in a lightweight design. Can the Arctic P402 set of headphones live up to its promise of offering a "music experience beyond your imagination?" Specifications: Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20k Hz Impedance: 32 Ohm Sensitivity (dB/mW): 101 dB +/- 5dB at 1 kHz Microphone Sensitivity: -42 dB +/- 5 dB Cord Length: 1.2 m with a 3.5 mm Plug Product Net Weight: 130g Arctic allows users to view the P402's ear cone design through a clear plastic side to the packaging. The P402's technical details such as the main specifications and key features are located on the box's rear side. A solitary audio adapter, for use with older smart phones, forms the Arctic P402 headset's supplied bundle. Arctic's supra-aural P402 headphones utilise a comfort-enhancing design to give users an enjoyable experience when listening to music. Weighing just 130g, the robust P402 headphones are a viable option for frequent travelers. An attractive appearance is achieved by Arctic's use of an ultra-shiny metal located on the outside of each ear cup. Arctic scribes its company logo into this material, allowing passers-by to identify the headphones' manufacturer. VoIP applications are supported by the P402's in-line microphone. An all-in-one 3.5mm jack is used to connect the P402 headphones to a device - a method that allows the microphone to function with most, if not all, mobile phones. A simple metal bracket allows each ear cup's position to be adjusted by around 20mm to suit the user's individual comfort preferences. A pair of cylindrical, plastic tubes spans from one side of the Arctic P402 Headphones to the other in a semi-circular shape. The material's flexible nature allows for a wide degree of adjustment, hence providing comfort for most head shapes and sizes. Due to the headband material's elastic nature, once the force holding the ear cups apart is removed, a very tight fit is provided as the sides of the P402 set of headphones move towards one another. This is a good way of achieving a very secure fit. Arctic has done well to ensure that only an appropriate amount of force is exhibited. With an ability to tilt by almost 180 degrees, the Arctic P402's ear cups can be altered to suit an individual's particular wearing style. The comfortable, impact-absorbing ear pads ensure that users' ears are less susceptible to irritation and sweating via the leather material's reduced friction. The Arctic P402 Headphones offer music playback of acceptable quality with a variety of output effects. Bass levels aren't as spectacular as Arctic's advertising makes them seem, but they are still good enough to enjoy a modern hip-hop or R&B song. Low-pitched sounds were handled well by the P402 headphones, but that success wasn't carried over into the higher-pitch performance. High-pitch tones can cause the output to sound 'tinny' - a term generally associated with cheaper headphones that over-compensate on dynamic sound adjustments in an attempt to improve audio quality. The Arctic P402 Headphones' in-line microphone offered impressive voice-recognition and audio quality when used with our HTC Legend mobile phone. Our call recipients were able to understand every word with excellent clarity. The same impressive performance was touted when making calls over Skype. Thanks to Arctic's 2-in-1 3.5mm input, both the audio output via the headphones and input via the microphone can be used at the same time, when using a device that supports the simultaneous connection. This will please those wanting to use their music playback headphones as a phone call device. The biggest issue with the single connector design is its inability to operate as a dual-function input with even modern motherboards' on-board audio devices, such as the Realtek ALC892 CODEC used with an Asus P8Z77-V board. Arctic suggests using its A751 adapter to split the single, dual-purpose connector into separate audio output and microphone input 3.5mm jacks. The Arctic P402 Headphones allow for a comfortable and enjoyable music-playback experience. Sound quality is by no means ground-breaking, but it is good enough to allow users to enjoy their favourite tunes. Bass levels are good, making lower frequency sounds more realistic. When increasing the volume or listening to high-frequency sounds, the audio output can become 'tinny' and lack the crispness associated with higher-quality models. Comfort is a big positive for Arctic's P402 Headphones. The leather ear pads reduce the possibility for friction-related rubbing burns and ear irritation. An adjustable headband allows users to choose their most comfortable wearing style. Voice-recognition from the in-line microphone was very good. We enjoyed many phone conversations with clarity and no complaints from our recipients. Arctic's 2-in-1 3.5mm connector addresses the issue that arises when users can't use the microphone due to a portable device's single 3.5mm connector. While this is a positive point for mobile phone users, people wanting to use the Arctic P402 Headphones with a computer can expect to pay up for Arctic's A751 adapter - a cable that makes simultaneously using the microphone input and headphones output a possibility. This is unacceptable. If the P402 Headphones have limited potential with modern computers, Arctic should supply the necessary equipment to make them fully compatible. While Arctic's P402 Headphones may not be the best product that the company has ever released, the set does offer an enjoyable music playback experience while maintaining excellent levels of comfort. The required purchase of an additional adapter to make the microphone and headphones simultaneously compatible with a computer is very disappointing. That said, at £17.99 from Ebuyer, many users will be able to overlook the Arctic P402 Headphones' shortcomings in exchange for an attractive price tag. Pros: Comfortable design. Good levels of bass. Good quality microphone. Competitive price tag. Compatible with mobile devices. Cons: Audio can become 'tinny' with higher volume levels and output frequencies. Adapter required to simultaneously use headphones and microphone with a computer. KitGuru says: A competitively-priced pair of headphones that is worthy of consideration, provided you can overlook the negative shortcomings.