ARCTIC Sound P301, P311 and P402 Headphones Review

[siopao1984]

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ARCTIC has been full of surprises lately, as the company has been diversifying towards other segments of the market rather than sticking with CPU and GPU coolers, the products which the company became well-known for. One of the new market segments ARCTIC has been trying to penetrate concerns sound-related products, with the company releasing a large number of earphones, headphones and small speaker sets. Today we are having a look at three of the headphones ARCTIC currently offers, namely the P301, P311 and P402, each of which products is suited for a different kind of user. Read on for details.

The three headsets we have for review today are being marketed at entirely different target groups from each other; the P311 is a compact and lightweight Bluetooth headset, meant for sporty individuals and those seeking good performance but a wireless connection, the P402 is a typical headset which has been primarily designed for optimum music performance and finally the P301 is a high performance headset with large 50mm drivers and a retractable microphone, designed for comfortable long-term and professional use.

Read more: ARCTIC Sound P301, P311 and P402 Headphones Review by VR-Zone.com

[siopao1984]

We received the P301 headset inside a large cardboard box, full of windowed openings displaying the entire headset and its connectors/controls. Despite the many openings, the packaging is durable enough to protect the headset during shipping.



The ARCTIC P301 is a full size (circumaural) high performance stereo headset, designed for enthusiasts and for long term professional use. The driver covers are silvery grey and the rest of the headset is black.



ARCTIC printed the company logo and product number onto the left headphone. The company however hasn’t updated the product number, according to which we are currently reviewing the P321 headset, a version identical to the P301 but with an USB connection instead.



The retractable microphone can be found on the left headphone as well. Even though it feels a little flimsy, the soft tube allows for the microphone’s position to the adjusted at the exact position the user needs it to.



As we mentioned before, the P301 is using large 50mm drivers which are hidden beneath large circumaural ear cups. The cups are soft and very comfortable, which is particularly noticeable after a few hours of use. This design also offers a high level of noise isolation, which is particularly useful if you are planning to use these in a noisy environment. Note however that one can adjust the phone’s height but not their horizontal tilt.



The wide headband has two levels: two strong plastic bands form the top level, responsible for the mechanical cohesion of the headset, while a wide leather/rubber cushion has been placed beneath them for comfort.



Even though the microphone has been placed onto the headset itself, its controls can be found on a small controller placed down at the cable. The controller can switch the microphone on or off, as well as adjust its volume level. The P301 headset is connected via two classic 3.5mm pins, one for the headphone’s playback and one for the microphone.

[siopao1984]

ARCTIC supplies the P311 headset in a bright white cardboard box, the simple theme of which revolves around a picture of the headset itself. The box is more than sturdy enough to keep the headset safe during transportation.



The top side of the box can be opened, partially revealing the headset, some basic folding instructions and its most basic features in 12 languages.



Bundled with the headset, users will acquire a very basic instructions leaflet, an USB cable and a very nice looking hard transportation case. Unfortunately, there is no wall charger and thus the headset can be only charged via an USB port, unless of course an A/C USB charger is purchased separately.



We received the black version of the P311 headset, which also comes in white, blue, red and green. The back of the plastic drivers is sprayed with high gloss paint while the support is made out of lightweight, corona treated soft plastic. ARCTIC developed this headset for extended mobility and thus went with a supra aural neckband design, which takes little space and allows the headset to stay into position while the wearer is moving.



One of the greatest features of this headset is its ability to be folded, allowing it to take minimal space during storage. This is especially useful for athletes as they will take minimal space inside a backpack.



Almost every feature of the P311 has been installed on the right piece of the headset. Around the large central button, which is used to turn the device on or off and to answer incoming calls, ARCTIC placed the volume and basic media navigation controls. The charging port and the built-in microphone are also present.



The soft cushions hide two fairly large drivers, considering this is a Bluetooth headset. It is interesting to note that these drivers are particularly loud and, depending on the playback device, the sound level can reach up to the point that it will be damaging for the user’s eardrums.

As this headset is made for sports and outdoor activities, including the fact that the cups have been designed to partially block external noises, we honestly do not think that it would be a good idea to be using them at high volumes while jogging/cycling/etc. in urban areas, especially while near or on a road.

[siopao1984]

ARCTIC appears to be liking the opportunity to design unique packages for all of their products. The packaging in which the P402 headset is supplied into is made out of clear plastic, with a cardboard box placed inside it to help protect the headset during transport. Aside from a full picture of the headset on the top side of the box, the entire right half of the headset is visible through the clear packaging.



Even though it looks very simple and not too large, the P402 is one of the most premium headsets ARCTIC currently has to offer. The supra aural headband design is relatively simple but effective and very lightweight, especially for long term use. The neckband is made of flexible plastic hollow tubes, which are especially durable and have virtually no weight at all.



The leatherette ear pads of the P402 are very soft and extremely thick, measuring 15mm deep each. While the drivers hidden beneath the ear pads are not as large as those used on the larger P301, they are more sensitive and linear, capable of producing a higher quality of sound.



In order to enhance the aesthetic value of this headset, ARCTIC placed metallic blade-like polished disks with the company’s logo engraved onto them at the back of the headphones. The phones are connected to the headband via chromed metallic hinges, which are of high strength and quality; however one should be very careful regarding the thin wire which can be very easily damaged.



The microphone of this headset can be found installed on the cable, a few centimeters lower than the left headphone. Unfortunately, unlike the P301, there is no controller to adjust the microphone’s volume or turn it on/off. However, ARCTIC included a 3.5” adapter for users with devices using a TRRS connector.

[siopao1984]

The P301 headset was the first to go through our testing. We tested the headset by playing a variety of music tracks, movie dialogues and action scenes, as well as a number of games. Generally speaking, the clarity of the sound is well above average across the entire frequency range; however, the large drivers of the P301 dramatically favor the low frequency (bass) over the high frequency (treble) sounds. As a result, the P301 delivers great performance during action scenes and in games but there is a discernible quality loss when playing complex music tracks with both high and low frequency effects, as well as during dense action scenes with background dialogues and/or theme music. Thus, the sound quality of the P301 can be classified as good for everyday and mild professional use but it is not what demanding audiophiles and sound professionals would expect.



The built quality of the headset is satisfactory, with the phones and headband of the P301 feeling very durable but the microphone is a little flimsy and the wire feels a little bit too thin. However, it is the selling price of the P301 headset that is its greatest advantage against the competition. With an MSRP of just 25.9 USD, the P301 is much cheaper than most competitive products and the low price is bound to attract a substantial number of users, especially considering ARCTIC’s full support with replaceable parts and accessories.



ARCTIC developed the P311 Bluetooth wireless headset with mobility and versatility in mind. While they are not as small as a set of ear buds, their wireless connection makes them much more convenient to use, especially when jogging, cycling or performing any other outdoor activities. Their supra aural design and balance allows the headset to stay in place while the user is moving and it would take a very sudden and strong movement to displace it. When it comes to versatility, the Bluetooth connection and design of the P311 offers plenty of it, allowing the headset to instantly connect to any playback device with a Bluetooth connection. This includes PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones. The integrated microphone and answer call button are especially convenient if the user is planning to be carrying the headset around and using them alongside a smartphone. Quality wise, the P311 is a fairly well built and very comfortable headset which should last for quite a long time.



When it comes to sound quality, the P311 is well above excellent when compared to wireless headsets of similar retail price. It will not be competing against headphones which were designed for specialists and may cost hundreds; however, the P311 certainly is much better than your average Bluetooth stereo headset, which is most likely due to the size of the drivers. The headset’s response is good across the entire frequency range, with relatively good bass and crystal clear treble coming out from its medium drivers, making the P311 primarily ideal for music playback. Our comments regarding the sound quality are while the volume is set down to relatively normal levels because, as we mentioned before, the P311 is a particularly loud headset, especially for its size and technical capabilities. However, even if the volume level can reach very high, the quality of the sound severely degrades at very high volumes as the bass becomes heavily distorted. As long as the volume is kept down to “normal” levels, sound quality is more than satisfactory. Users should avoid driving this headset overly loud because, even if they can tolerate the extreme volume level, the headphone drivers are bound to give sooner or later.

With an MSRP of 49.9 USD, the retail price of the P311 headset is fair but does not place this product out of the competition’s reach. Considering however its versatility, comfort and good sound quality, they will be money well spent if a wireless stereo headset capable of receiving calls and with fairly sized drivers is what you are looking for.



Although their understated and lightweight design conceals it, the P402 headset is actually the flagship of ARCTIC’s sound products, especially when it comes down to music playback. True enough and despite the smaller drivers, the frequency response of the P402 headset is quite superior to that of the P301, with the P402 delivering significantly better sound quality at higher frequencies and noticeably clearer dialogues, even during complex action scenes. Despite the smaller driver size and opposed to what we expected, the P402 actually performs better than the P301 at very high volumes as well, delivering nearly the same quality of sound playback even up to ear-aching volume levels.



Comfort is a somewhat complex topic here; while the P402’s drivers are covered with thick ear pads which definitely are comfortable, some people will probably not find them as comfortable as the large circumaural drivers of the P301 for very long term use. Other users however, especially whoever has long hair which usually makes the use of circumaural drivers uncomfortable, will enjoy the supra-aural design of the P402 much more. Let us not forget that the headset weighs only 130gr; people accustomed to wearing headphones will not even be feeling their presence for hours. Quality wise, the P402 are more than excellent, both mechanically and aesthetically. The only problem lies with the very thin cable connecting the drivers which floats above each driver until it enters the headband and can be easily cut with the slightest bit of force. While ARCTIC made sure that the cable will stay adjacent to the metallic hinge and thus the location of the cable make it hard for anyone to tangle with it, it still remains a possibility and users should be careful when handling the headset.

Considering all of the above and the MSRP of 39.9 USD, we believe that the P402 is a great deal for audiophiles and enthusiasts who would like a headset for everyday use, as well as for casual gamers, especially those who like to combine their gaming experience with parallel communication applications such as Skype and Teamspeak.

[Archfear]

pila pud kaha ni sah.... Im eyeing on the bluetooth variant.. hhehehe..

[yak15]

how much is this?

[crisxahia]

any reviews on the Bluetooth variant? hope it supports my iPhone..