Arctic
Cooling is a company renowned for their PC cooling products. So
today’s review will be something outside their normal product line.
Today we will look at one of their first forays into the portable
audio market with the Arctic Sound E361-WM. Recently they debut
their Arctic Sound line of audio products and this model is the high
end version of their earphone line with the 1 and 2 series being
their standard and mid-range models..
The
Arctic Sound E361-WM was designed by Swiss and German audio experts
to deliver deep bass and rich highs with quality using components which include an aluminum chassis,
silicone ear caps and gold plated stereo plug. They even provide a
carrying case for storing and protecting the headphones.
So let’s
see if Arctic Cooling’s new earphones are worth the investment or
if they should have stuck with PC cooling. Let’s get started……
Reviewed
by: Tomas Ratas
Sponsor: Arctic
Cooling
Tech
Specs,Features or the Basic Info
Sound
of Quality
Its unique aluminum chassis and large drivers
deliver deep bass and precise highs right into your ear canals. The
ultra-soft silicone caps in multiple sizes block most outside noise,
giving you comfort fit and undisturbed audio experience.
Main
features
Large driver coil leads to
ultimate bass performanceThe precisely milled aluminum
chassis transmits a perfect balance of high and low frequencies3 sets of silicone caps (S, M, L)
minimize ambient noise and enrich bass responseUltra-soft material fits gently in
your ears providing hours of wearing comfortGold-plated stereo plug for
uncompromised signal transmission
Highend earphone ARCTIC SOUND
E361
This outstanding earphone delivers high sound quality in
every aspect. Deep and powerful bass is one of key features of the
E300 series. Each model is equipped with large driver coils (Ø10mm /
9mm) which reproduce dynamic and super deep bass without any
distortions.
Quality of the chassis is also critical for
authentic sound quality. The E361 aluminum chassis is precisely
engineered and sealed for top class sound isolation. It guarantees
full and accurate sound transmission into your ear canal without
internal sound leakage.
Comfort fit, sound isolation
and enhanced bass by soft silicone caps
To achieve top-notch
listening experience, E361 is packaged with 3 sets of ultra-soft
silicone caps in small, medium and large sizes. Wearing comfort can
be personalized by choosing the most suitable cap size that fits best
for your ears, so that they stay comfortable even after prolonged
use.
The “seal” in the ears blocks ambient noise
efficiently so that you hear only the sound from the earphones and
nothing more. Even when you are on a plane, with the ARCTIC SOUND
earphones, you will hear your favorite music instead of the ambient
noise. Such high-level sound isolation also enhances bass response
and improves the overall sound quality.
E361 earphone comes with an ARCTIC
In-Ear Case. This compact carrying case is perfect for storing and
protecting the earphones.
Multi-functional
and multi-compatible earphones
The
E361 also features a microphone version. This delicate microphone is
ideal for phone calls and online communications such as Skype and MSN
voice call.
A
3.5mm TRRS plug is equipped for transferring both microphone and
earphone signals, which is ideal for mobile phones. For devices such
as PCs, which support only the standard 3.5 stereo plug, it is
necessary to use the adapter provided to use both the earphones as
well as the microphone.
{mospagebreak
title=A Better Look at things}
A
Better Look at Things:
If you
have ever ordered an Arctic Cooling product then the packaging will
look familiar. The Arctic
Sound E361-WM arrives in a
silver cardboard box with the earphones seen through a plastic
window. On the back of the package is a list of specs in four
languages.
Emptying
the contents of the box we find the Arctic
Sound E361-WM earphones, three
pairs of silicone caps (small, medium, large), a cable splitter, a
protective case, clip, an Arctic Cooling sticker and the user manual.
The splitter and protective case are two additional goodies not
normally found with in most portable audio packages.
The
earphones come with the medium sized silicone ear caps preinstalled.
Arctic Cooling recommends that the silicone caps create a good seal
as to prevent sound leakage. I personally found the medium sized
ones to fit me best.
The Arctic Sound E361-WM comes in
white or black and has plenty of cord as it extends approximately 49
inches. For our review, we received the white model, which I
personally dislike as white earphones shout look at me I have an
iPod/iPhone; which for someone who commutes to NY City on a regular
basis is not something I wish to advertise.
The
silicone covered earpieces are housed off two aluminum casings.
Inside each of these casings are large driver coils designed to
provide rich bass.
The
earphones split into right and left segments with an inline
microphone resting on the left. This small rectangular microphone
also houses a button for playing and pausing music as well as for
answering and hanging up phone calls.
At the
opposite end of the earphone set is a 3.5mm jack for connecting the
Arctic Sound E361-WM to you phone, mp3 player or PC. This 3.5mm jack
is a TRRS connector designed to transfer both microphone
and earphone signals. If you wish to use the the Arctic
Sound E361-WM with a PC then
the included splitter can be used to split the signal into separate
3.5mm connections for microphone in and audio out.
Arctic
Cooling also provides a handy carrying case for protecting you
earphones while traveling. The case is black; features the silver AC
logo on the front and closes via a zipper. To store the Arctic
Sound E361-WM; place the ear
pieces rest in the central ring of the case then wrap the rest of the
wire around the outer ring.
Overall
the construction and appearance of the Arctic
Sound E361-WM is well done. Arctic Cooling did not cut corners with
their first earphone foray. They provide plenty of cable length and
use quality material for the build.
{mospagebreak
title=Installation, Testing and Comparison}
Installation,
Testing and Comparison:
For
testing I pitted the Arctic Sound E361-WM against the iFrogz
EarPollution Timbre, V-MODA Vibe Duo and the Shure I2C-M headsets,
all which have built in in-line microphones and are earbud style
“cans”. I used all of these with an iPhone 3G, iPod, MacBook
Pro, and desktop PC.
Fit: The Arctic Sound E361-WM, V-Moda and the Timbre are easily inserted
into one’s ear canal, while the Shure model requires some maneuvering to sit properly in
the user’s ear. The first three models were comfortable to wear as
the rested more outside the ear canal while the Shure did cause some
discomfort over prolonged use.
Sound: To provide the widest range of audio I listened to numerous genres
of music from classical to metal and styles in between. I found that
the Arctic Sound E361-WM provides a rich bass, but the treble
especially compared to the iFrogz EarPollution Timbre fell flat. It
sounded a bit “tin-ny” but on par with the V-Moda and the Shure.
The Arctic Sound E361-WM do not sound bad, not at all; its just in
comparison to the other earbuds they do not stand out from the crowd.
One way I like to test
new headphones is to listen to music with many layers of sound such
as Pink Floyd and Tool. If I can pick out something new or hear a
layer I am not normally aware of; then I think they are quality
“cans”. The Arctic Sound E361-WM easily passed this test as I
was able to hear different nuances in a number of songs.
Using the microphone was
as simple as pressing the inline mic button which activated and
deactivated the microphone during phone calls and played and paused
my mp3 playback. Calls come through both speakers causing the person
on the other end to be in stereo; which sounds a little weird coming
from using a mono Bluetooth headset. The people on the other end of
the Arctic Sound E361-WM’s microphone told me I sounded crystal
clear.
On the PC, using the
Arctic Sound E361-WM with Skype worked well and even video games
sounded pretty good, not as good as gaming headsets but not bad at
all.
Overall, the Arctic Sound
E361-WM are well designed earphones. Unfortunately they did not blow
me away and I think I will stick with my Frogz EarPollution Timbre as
my earphones for the time being. Since this is their freshman effort
in the portable audio market, I believe like their cooling products,
they will make improvements and get better over time.
{mospagebreak
title=Summary}
Summary:
Arctic
Cooling’s Arctic Sound
E361-WM is their first entry into a very crowded portable audio
market. They did their research and put out a product that they can
be proud of, but it is not groundbreaking first attempt. The Arctic
Sound E361-WM sound much better than the stock earphones that come
with most mp3 players and PMPs, but they do not beat out similarly
price competitors in terms of sound quality.
They are
affordably priced and with their nice extras such as the protective
case and splitter for use with PCs they make a nice multipurpose
earphone set.
DragonSteelMods
gives the Arctic Sound E361-WM
Earbuds a 4 out of 5 score
Pros:
+Includes
case and splitter
+Well
constructed
+Comfortable
to wear over long periods
+Plenty
of cable length
+Stylish
appearance
Cons:
-Treble
could be better
I would
like to thank Arctic
Cooling for the chance to review the Arctic
Sound E361-WM Earbuds and for their support of DSM.
review#629