Arion Urban Zen: Samurai Song
- Details
- Category: Audio
- Published: Wednesday, 01 May 2013 20:47
I have reviewed quite a few audio products lately each of them have their perks and quirks, but one thing always missing is a bit of customizability, something to set you apart from other users who buy the same product. Eagle Tech has recently began releasing its like or Arion branded products, and amongst those is a headset named the Urban Zen. The Zen headsets come in four different designs and a few different colors. Finally we have some options to set ourselves apart from everyone else. It is nice that we can change things up, but how will the headphones actually perform when it comes down to crunch time?
With mobile devices becoming more and more common it isn’t surprising that we are starting to see different devices pop up that have built in support for them. From keyboards to headsets, the most common type of interface used to connect these devices is Bluetooth. Eagle Tech has kindly shipped us one of their brand new foldable Bluetooth headsets to test with our mobile devices. The Bluetooth headset is in the Arion brand of products and features both Bluetooth audio and microphone. Join us as we take a look to explore the new device and find out how it holds up.
Today we are going to be taking a look at the Steelseries Flux In Ear Headphones. You might think that the name sounds familiar, and you would be correct. Last week we reviewed the Pro edition of this same headset and were pleasantly surprised. This time around, at about a third the cost of the pro's, they should fit in more peoples budgets. But how will the lower cost effect performance. There is only one way to find out of course, test them out.
Corsair products are not strangers to the pages of LanOC, and the name is one that carries with it a good reputation for quality products. It's with an expectation of a quality product that does the job with style that I first put on the Corsair Vengeance 1500 headphones. Would my expectations be met by stunning Dolby 7.1 digital sound? Or with stunning disappointment? Let's find out.
Recently I did a review on a pair of earbuds from Gigabyte. They were a nice pair of earbuds for only being $10. When Wes told me that the price of earbuds can get quite high I began to wonder what could make a pair of earbuds worth so much money. Steelseries sent us a pair of their Flux In-Ear Pro headphones, and priced at $129.99 they certainly come with a hefty price tag, though still at the price point of most decent earbuds. Join me as I take a close look at them and find out what separates them from their competitors and if they are worth your hard earned money.
Being a headphone guy myself, when Wes told me I was being shipped some speakers, my first instinct was either a portable speaker set for laptops or mobile listening, or maybe a small set of speakers for a desktop setup. To my surprise AlienVibes sent out one of their W401 model speakers. This is part of a new larger line of speakers that AlienVibes recently released. The W401 is a full size desk speaker setup with subwoofer. After clearing off some room around my desk it’s time we take a look and see what these guys are capable of.
One of the newer names out there that you may not have seen before is Oblanc. They are jumping into the market with headphones for gaming, music, cell phones and other products. One of their most recent items to hit the shelves are the NC2 line of U.F.O. themed headphones. The NC2 headphones are designed to be used with games, music, or listening on a mobile device. All of Oblanc’s gaming headphones have a futuristic or alien theme to them, which in my opinion look very cool and it’s refreshing to see something new. The different models come with some unusual shapes, as well as colors and features. Today we will take a look at the NC2-2 (black and silver) model and see how the headphones will stack up against many other models and designs out there.
When it comes to gaming, you only use two senses: sight and sound. While a great monitor, or an Eyefinity/nVidia surround setup can cost you $500 or more, a top of the line headset won’t cost nearly that. Asus has sent over one of their Republic of Gamers branded headsets in the Orion Pro that falls directly in the category of high end gaming headset. In a sea of headsets ranging from awful to amazing, it’s time to see where the Orion Pro lands.
Ipods, smartphones, and tablets are everyone today. Just about everyone owns some form of mobile device that plays video or audio. More attention is paid to the device than to the means at which the media is delivered. A $500 device could be rendered almost useless without the right set of headphones or earbuds to transfer the audio. Lucky for us, Gigabyte has sent over a pair of their GP-H11’s. While looking at style, comfort, and audio quality I am going to take a look and see if these earbuds can answer your everyday needs.
We have looked at products from the CM Storm line up before. Most recently we took a look at the 
A few weeks ago we took a look at the Asus ROG Xonar Phoebus audio card. Asus, with its Xonar brand, has made a big name for themselves in the audio card market. When it comes to things to attach to their sound cards, they are a little less known. They really introduced a new gaming headset with built in Active Noise Canceling. When I hear about this, I couldn’t help but think about all of the times I’ve been at a LAN and wished I could cutout the hum of 100+ gaming PCs. Because of that I jumped at the chance to take a closer look. How will the active noise canceling work out in a gaming headset?
In the PC audio world, there is a major divide as far as people who find onboard audio more than enough and users who absolutely must run a sound card. In recent years, onboard sound has improved considerably. But no matter how much they improve it, it main flaw is being on the motherboard itself and not a separate circuit. When it comes to sound cards, there are just a few top manufactures with Asus being one. Asus recently introduced a new sound card focused on the gaming market under their ROG (Republic of Gaming) line called the ROG Xonar Phoebus. I’ve had it running in my gaming system, today we will talk about my experience thus far.
Of all of the headsets that we have had into the office, almost every headset at some point in time has ended up tangled up in the wheels of my office chair. With wired headsets you either end up with too short of a cord or so much that you are running it over like me. Wireless is an interesting option but the wireless headsets available haven’t been interesting for the most part. Seeing Corsair bring out a wireless headset, I had to get my hands onto one to see if they live up to Corsairs growing reputation. After getting the Vengeance 2000 wireless gaming headset in and spending a few weeks we can go over their performance, comfort, and find out if wireless is the way to go.
The headphone and earbud market is over saturated to say the least, anymore to break into the market you need to have a big name or an innovative idea. Before CES we were contacted by a company named Clar1tyOne, wanting us to take a look at their new earbuds. After getting them in and taking them along with us for multiple trips, LANs, and even a few trips around the yard while mowing we are finally going to show you guys what they are all about. Be sure, this isn’t the same old set of ear buds.
Regardless of what type of gamer you are or what type of games you play, communication is vital. Being able to hear what's happening around and relay that to your team could decide if you'll have bragging rights for the rest of the LAN party or go home with a $10,000 cash prize. We've put many entries from Cooler Master's Storm gaming line to our test, but today we sit down with the company's first audio solution. All that’s left is to see if it lives up to the highest of standards. In a sea of great competition; it's going to need to. 
This year at CES Corsair introduced their SP2500 2.1 PC speaker system to the world. At the press conference, more than one person was a little skeptical after hearing its MSRP of almost $250. After spending a little time with the speakers during our booth tour I could see the potential, but with all of the noise on the floor at CES it can sometimes cover up the bad. Having the opportunity to get one of our own I was excited to see what it is really capable of. Let's jump in.
It’s rare to find a company that consistently hits home runs with their products, even more so in the tech industry with how quickly things change. Corsair is one of the few companies that have been consistently innovating in the industry over the past few years with introductions into PSU’s, Audio, and cooling. Because of that when they introduced their HS1A Gaming Headset a lot of people took notice, including us. Today we are going to take a listen to them and see if Corsair hit another home run or just a base hit.
When you’re travailing you are normally limited to headphones or the built in speakers on your laptop or mp3 player. It’s really no surprise that the audio quality on those speakers isn’t the best. A good pair of headphones can sound great but you may find them to be a little more uncomfortable after long use and you are limited to only one person listing at once. We have a seen a few different variations of portable speakers but typically audio quality still leaves a little to be desired. When Razer introduced their Ferox portable speakers I was a little hesitant, but excited to see what they could do in the market. Let’s bust them out and see how they perform. 
The pinhole-sized microphone input on your laptop is obviously not going to give the highest quality audio. For podcasters and some business people you just can’t accept anything but the best quality. Samson has a product for that core group of people called the Samson Go Mic. A USB powered high quality microphone that uses the high quality components of a studio microphone, but designed to be packed up with your notebook.
How many times have you tried watching a Youtube video on your laptop/netbook and have not been able to hear the audio? The itty-bitty speakers they put in most of them are about worthless. Sure, plugging in any old set of speakers will give you better sound, but do you want to lug those things around with you to the coffee shop? You might as well be "that guy" who brings the whole office and sets up shop there. Wouldn't you rather have one that slips into a side pocket of your bag and doesn't weight a ton? The Choiix Boom Boom may have a funny funny name, but it could just be the answer to your sonic woes.