Computex 2010 Coverage

ARCTIC

The ARCTIC SOUND sub-brand is all about, you guessed it, sound - earbuds, headphones and speakers. ARCTIC employs an easy to follow naming scheme - E is for Earbuds, P is for headPhones, and S is for Speakers. All of ARCTIC's earbuds (except the most basic ones, E101) feature a gold-plated stereo plug, come with three sets of silicone caps (S, M, L), are available in either black or white, and are available with or without a microphone. In the photos below, you'll see that the letter after the hyphen indicates the color, and if there's an "M" after that, then that means its the microphone version. The E351 and E361 are almost identical - milled aluminum chassis, large driver coil, and a carrying case included - but the caps on the E361s are rotatable. If you get the microphone version of either one, the plug is a 3.5mm TRRS that can transfer both microphone and earphone signals for use with mobile phones. For devices such as PCs, which don't support that, an adapter is included to provide you with dual 3.5mm plugs.

There are eight headphones in the ARCTIC SOUND catalog. Going from low-end to high-end, we start with the P131. Featuring a gold-plated 3.5mm connector and in-line audio controls for volume and microphone, it's pretty much your standard headset. The P201 has the same features, but with moderate bass and clear highs. The P261 is a USB headset with in-line controls for volume and microphone, and features a built-in sound processor to ensure distortion-free digital audio.

If you're in the market for a professional DJ headphone, then ARTCIC has you covered with the P281. It features a gold-plated 6.3mm adapter, 50mm driver, and a headband with 90° swivel ear cups. The P301 is a professional headset with closed circumaural design. It features a gold-plated 3.5mm connector, in-line audio controls for volume and microphone, a retractable microphone, and extra-wide frequency response. If you look at the photos below, I think ARCTIC once again mixed up its displays, with the P281 and P301 swapped.

The P311 is a Bluetooth stereo headset, featuring a neckband and supra-aural ear pads. It features Advanced Clear Voice Capture (CVC) Technology and Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP). It's perfect for MP3 players, mobile phones, notebooks and more, with up to 20 hours of music play time. It also comes with a carrying case. The P321 is a USB headset with closed circumaural design. It features a retractable microphone, built-in sound processor, and an advanced in-line remote for track selection, volume and enhanced bass control. Lastly, there's the P531, a 5.1 channel gaming USB headset, with four individual drivers in each ear cup and deep bass thanks to a built-in subwoofer. It too features a microphone and built-in sound processor, and it has 90° swivel ear cups.

ARCTIC had five different speakers on display at Computex, but not much information on them. The only one with a bit of information was the most basic one, the S111. The S111 is a pair of dice-shaped lightweight speakers that's USB-powered and has a 3.5mm jack to use for computers or portable media players. For the other four speakers, you'll just have to make do with the pretty pictures.