Headphones and Headsets Part 2: Plantronics and AirDrives
In part one of this series, we took a look at two audio products for listeners with specific needs- noise cancellation and sharing audio with other people. Now, we turn to two other headsets aimed at slightly more general audiences- gamers, and those tired of or worried about in-ear solutions.
Gamers have needs too, don’t get us wrong. It just so happens that the needs aren’t particular to a specific system or game. These, for better or worse, are aimed at PC users (and they work great with Macs as well). Xbox 360 and PS3 gamers feeling left out can turn to another recently reviewed headset. The Gamecom 777’s feature a cute USB attachment that serves as a basic soundcard for those that lack one, or you can always plug in directly via mini-jack. The option is nice, and we didn’t notice a major difference in quality between them.
The Gamecom’s brag about their 5.1 Dolby surround sound audio, but it is of the simulated variety and there is an audible difference- it simply doesn’t sound as full or rich as the real thing and the bass is a bit weak. The noise-cancelling microphone, a nice boom mic that rotates cleanly, worked quite well- picking up our voices during TeazmSpeak and Ventrilo sessions without picking up too much of the background noise. In-line controls are present, and nicely positioned, and the cables are quite lengthy and rugged. We were disappointed, though, in the head and ear cushions- they aren’t quite as well-padded as some other sets we’ve used. Overall though, these are a great fit for PC and Mac gamers looking for a mid-priced headset- under $100 online and in stores.
The AirDrives, from MadCatz, solve a different set of problems. The iPhone, iPods, and many personal audio devices come with earbuds, and these in-ear speakers have a few issues- they tend to slip and fall out, as well as block out other sounds, which can be dangerous. Further adding to the worry, putting a loud speaker inside your ear might contribute to hearing loss, especially at louder volumes for extended periods. Over-the-ear headphones often give better sound quality, but at the expense of being heavier and bulkier. The AirDrives line tries to occupy the middle ground- fairly light, pretty good sound quality- but wind up unsatisfying. Generally, when you are wearing headphones, you want to block out the sounds of the outside world and the AirDrives specifically let those sounds in.
Details? There is an in-line audio control button… but compared to Apple’s elegant design, it feels cheap. There is a built-in microphone… but the placement is awkward and picks up background noise too easily. All of these faults could be overlooked if the AirDrives met other needs… but they don’t quite. For listening in a train or bus, you’ll need to pump your device’s volume to the maximum in order to have a chance of hearing the music at all- not good for battery life. In a quiet car, they are a bit more convenient than some hands-free sets, but too uncomfortable to wear on longer rides. Finally, folks who wear glasses or sunglasses may have some issues, as with all “around the ear” headphones. For those who strongly dislike earbuds, but really want something portable and light, definitely take a closer look at the AirDrives. At $70 a set (other AirDrives models available are less expensive), others may want to consider different options.
