Page 1: Intro, About Arctic Cooling, Packaging, Specifications, Package Contents, Design
Intro
The days of full-sized cans has seemingly passed in the eyes of many, being replaced by half can setups and, more notably, the rapid proliferation of earbuds (also known as earphones). But what about the sound quality, noise isolation and bass advantages that full cans have traditionally boasted over other variations of headphones? In order to answer this question, Arctic Cooling, most known for their advances in PC cooling equipment, has created the Arctic Sound E361-BM, promising higher quality than what is provided by your typical pair of earbuds.
About Arctic Cooling
Packaging
The front of the packaging shows off the unique shape of the earbuds, with the nice looking carrying case serving as a backdrop. The small window in the bottom corner shows off the inline microphone as well as the TRRS connector that the earbuds use. The packaging proudly boasts iPhone and PC capability as well as capability with "further mobile phones."
The rear of the packaging is the standard specs and features list which is written in four languages. It mentions all of the included items as well as some of the info about the design of the earbuds. It also includes a chart detailing the performance of the earbuds in relation to the other models of headphones Arctic Cooling has.
The chart is a particularly nice addition as it allows a nice baseline for comparison between other Arctic Cooling headphones, if you saw them in a traditional brick-and-mortar store. While all of this information is also helpfully contained on the Arctic Cooling website if you were shopping online, including such information on the packaging itself is a nice touch that many companies don't bother with anymore.
Another nice touch is the mention that an adapter may be required for use with older mobile phones made by Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Samsung and Nokia that don't support TRS connections. While it is a bit disappointing that the adapter wasn't included, it is refreshing to see such a thing mentioned on the packaging itself rather than in passing in the product manual.
Specifications
Frequency response: 18Hz - 26,000Hz
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Sensitivity: 105 dB/mW
Output Power: 15 mW
Cable length: 1.3 meters (4 feet, 3 inches)
Of note here is the frequency response. While the range may not be particularly notable when it comes to most premium headphones, remember that these are earbuds so the standards are a bit different.
Package Contents
Inside the box there is the carrying case, the headphones themselves, and the two other sets of silicone caps (with the medium set already attached to the earbuds out of the box). Also included is the PC adapter that allows the use of the microphone, a small clip to keep the microphone against your shirt, an Arctic Cooling sticker, and a ten-language product manual.
Design
While the headphones themselves are what you would expect to be the most notable thing in the case design-wise, what actually stuck out the most was the carrying case which is officially called the ARCTIC In-Ear Case. It is a hard-bound clamshell design using a zipper for closure and appears to be covered in a Nylon weave. It proudly displays the Arctic Cooling logo in a center-mounted metal badge and the inside appears to be lined with a soft felt-like substance. For something that many consider a throwaway item, it doesn't look like Arctic Cooling spared any expense in its design. It far and away exceeds the typical plastic carrying case that comes with most earbuds.
The earbuds themselves have an interesting slanted design. The surrounds on the earphones look really nice with the brushed aluminum finish (as does the microphone, which has the same finish), and the speakers themselves have a nice wire mesh design when you remove the silicone caps. The earbuds are clearly labeled so there is no confusing the sides and they manage to look both sturdy, yet elegant, at the same time. The cord for the earbuds is about the perfect length, coming in at a little over 4 feet.
The Arctic Cooling logo is also clearly visible on both the splitter and even the 3.5mm jack itself. All of the connectors are gold plated, which goes well with the black color. This design theme continues on to the included PC adapter, which also includes the Arctic Cooling logo. Another nifty touch is the design of the two TRS connectors on the adapter, which are both colored to match the PC System Design Guide color scheme for sound cards instead of using text labels.
The days of full-sized cans has seemingly passed in the eyes of many, being replaced by half can setups and, more notably, the rapid proliferation of earbuds (also known as earphones). But what about the sound quality, noise isolation and bass advantages that full cans have traditionally boasted over other variations of headphones? In order to answer this question, Arctic Cooling, most known for their advances in PC cooling equipment, has created the Arctic Sound E361-BM, promising higher quality than what is provided by your typical pair of earbuds.
About Arctic Cooling
Quote
ARCTIC COOLING is a privately owned company founded in 2001 with headquarters in Switzerland, offices in Hong Kong and the USA and production facilities in Asia. The ARCTIC COOLING team consists of international highly educated people with business, technical and communication skills. The attitude to work is based on Swiss principles of innovative spirit and high standards of workmanship for which it is recognized internationally. This striving for excellence is integrated in all processes as a matter of course. ARCTIC COOLING's core competencies are multifarious including systematic noise reduction, copper and aluminum heatsink development, customization of thermal solutions as well as designing quiet fans. More recently quiet and cool PC Cases and Power Supplies have been developed.
http://www.arctic-cooling.com/catalog/static_info.php?tid=ABOUT_US
Packaging
The front of the packaging shows off the unique shape of the earbuds, with the nice looking carrying case serving as a backdrop. The small window in the bottom corner shows off the inline microphone as well as the TRRS connector that the earbuds use. The packaging proudly boasts iPhone and PC capability as well as capability with "further mobile phones."
The rear of the packaging is the standard specs and features list which is written in four languages. It mentions all of the included items as well as some of the info about the design of the earbuds. It also includes a chart detailing the performance of the earbuds in relation to the other models of headphones Arctic Cooling has.
The chart is a particularly nice addition as it allows a nice baseline for comparison between other Arctic Cooling headphones, if you saw them in a traditional brick-and-mortar store. While all of this information is also helpfully contained on the Arctic Cooling website if you were shopping online, including such information on the packaging itself is a nice touch that many companies don't bother with anymore.
Another nice touch is the mention that an adapter may be required for use with older mobile phones made by Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Samsung and Nokia that don't support TRS connections. While it is a bit disappointing that the adapter wasn't included, it is refreshing to see such a thing mentioned on the packaging itself rather than in passing in the product manual.
Specifications
Frequency response: 18Hz - 26,000Hz
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Sensitivity: 105 dB/mW
Output Power: 15 mW
Cable length: 1.3 meters (4 feet, 3 inches)
Of note here is the frequency response. While the range may not be particularly notable when it comes to most premium headphones, remember that these are earbuds so the standards are a bit different.
Package Contents
Inside the box there is the carrying case, the headphones themselves, and the two other sets of silicone caps (with the medium set already attached to the earbuds out of the box). Also included is the PC adapter that allows the use of the microphone, a small clip to keep the microphone against your shirt, an Arctic Cooling sticker, and a ten-language product manual.
Design
While the headphones themselves are what you would expect to be the most notable thing in the case design-wise, what actually stuck out the most was the carrying case which is officially called the ARCTIC In-Ear Case. It is a hard-bound clamshell design using a zipper for closure and appears to be covered in a Nylon weave. It proudly displays the Arctic Cooling logo in a center-mounted metal badge and the inside appears to be lined with a soft felt-like substance. For something that many consider a throwaway item, it doesn't look like Arctic Cooling spared any expense in its design. It far and away exceeds the typical plastic carrying case that comes with most earbuds.
The earbuds themselves have an interesting slanted design. The surrounds on the earphones look really nice with the brushed aluminum finish (as does the microphone, which has the same finish), and the speakers themselves have a nice wire mesh design when you remove the silicone caps. The earbuds are clearly labeled so there is no confusing the sides and they manage to look both sturdy, yet elegant, at the same time. The cord for the earbuds is about the perfect length, coming in at a little over 4 feet.
The Arctic Cooling logo is also clearly visible on both the splitter and even the 3.5mm jack itself. All of the connectors are gold plated, which goes well with the black color. This design theme continues on to the included PC adapter, which also includes the Arctic Cooling logo. Another nifty touch is the design of the two TRS connectors on the adapter, which are both colored to match the PC System Design Guide color scheme for sound cards instead of using text labels.