Antec AMP Pulse

[testman78]

Introduction

To most people, Antec's probably better known for its desktop-related products, but the company made quite a big effort to pimp its A.M.P. (Antec Mobile Products) range of Bluetooth audio devices.Wireless speakers and headphones are becoming increasingly popular now that Bluetooth technology has developed to cope with high-quality audio.Were moving on from the days of Apple's iconic white iPod earbud cables.Getting rid of such headphone cables has more benefits than just not snagging yourself on door handles or having to untangle miles of strangely knotty cable can anyone explain just how headphone cables do get in such tangles?Today i am taking a look at one of their headphones, more specifically the Pulse Bluetooth Headphones.



Available in a range of five colors.Sporting 40mm drivers and Supporting Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP), Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP), Hands-Free Profile (HFP) and Headset Profile (HSP),Antec hasn't cut any corners when selecting the materials and functions for the Pulse headphones core components.Capable of outputting frequencies from 20Hz-20KHz,the Pulse's specifications look promising. Can Antec's lightweight Pulse headphones deliver the performance that audio fanatics insist upon?




Unboxing

One of the set's ear cups is pictured on the front of the box with Pulse's logo emblem on display.



Key features and specifications are located on the box's rear side.



It's quite hard to tell from the pictures but the actual packing itself is extremely sturdy and has a nice weight to it.There's no reason to believe the headphones could be damaged in transit.



With the top cardboard flap lifted up your presented with the itself, this too hidden under a cardboard layer again.The above layer lifts off much like a cake box and we get a proper look at the headphones, microphone and accessory box at the bottom.



The bundled accessories are protected inside a carrying case.



A small flyer detailing the product.



A warranty paper.



A manual.



Also we can find one micro-USB charging cable,a 3.5" audio cable and one airline adapter.




The Headphones

Pulse headphones feature a striking black colour scheme which oozes elegance.When not in use, this headset can be folded into a smaller shape making it easier to be packed away when in transit.This feature is achieved by the simple method of swivelling each ear piece so that it resides alongside the headband rather than protruding from the ends.The headphones finished off with an Pulse logo.



The slight gap between the ear piece and the headband allows for some rotation both inwards and outwards and back to front.



The joints where the headphones break-in to collapse down can be seen just within the metal area above the R and L prints.Although almost exclusively for looks, having an aluminium runner going through the headset should help with build quality rather than a straight plastic system.



Prior to using this headset for the first time, by the way it does arrive partially charged, you will need to charge its internal Li-polymer battery which is located in the right ear piece.A 55cm USB lead is provided for this purpose.The lead has a micro USB connection at one end for attaching to a socket in the right ear piece and a standard USB connection for linking to a computer or mains power outlet with an appropriate adapter when charging.A red light is displayed during charging which can take up to five hours.The light changes to a blue glow when the process is complete.Up to 12 hours of playback should be available from a single charge which is a reasonable return on the charging time.Along with the USB socket, the right ear piece has a socket for connecting a 3.5mm jack audio lead (also supplied) for use with devices that do not support Bluetooth connectivity. A built-in omni-directional microphone, for use with telephone calls, is concealed within the right ear piece.Even when the battery runs out, you can simply whip out the 3.5" audio cable to continue enjoying the music playback.



Audio controls allow you to adjust volume, pause and skip tracks, as well as take calls without ever touching your phone.There's a round button in the center which can be pressed to answer calls, or double-tapped to reject. You can also press above it the buttons to adjust the volume, or double-tap to skip to the next track or rewind when playing music on your mobile. The up/ down buttons aren't marked on the headset though, so most people will only realise this functionality if they read the user manual, or accidentally stumble upon it.



Bonus shot with a nice serving of ear padding.Ergonomic ear cushions create a superior seal, isolating ambient noise and providing superior audio detail.



A padded strip on the inside of the headband does provide some comfort when wearing this headset.



The Pulse is definitely aiming at the newly and ever popular headphone crowd then where aesthetics is concerned.They certainly look the part, for better or worse, but how do they perform?




Testing

The sound from the Pulse was better than I expected if not quite good. The headphones themselves are definitely tuned towards a more bass-orientated performance but the bass was nice, thumpy and full. The sound didn’t feel like it was constricted in anyway for being closed back in design and mids sounded quite good too where music is concerned with their being a respectable performance in highs also.Turning the aural exercise machine that is Battlefield 4 and the Pulse were impressive here too. Guns and explosions all ring out and ooze with that Battlefield goodness and the sound produced from the Pulse only helps to increase the grin on your face as your run away from a building collapsing that you shouldn’t have escaped.Mixing and matching between the in-game equaliser settings also provided some good fun, with the ‘war tapes’ setting providing more of an engrossing experience thanks to the bassy nature of the Pulse rather than a specifically competitive one. If your source material is going to be making the most of the lower frequencies the Pulse appear to have you covered.



Now that we know how the headphones sound, time to plug in the wireless module.I was fully expecting a drop in performance compared to using the cable considering the lossy nature of the Bluetooth audio transfer. Fortunately, I didn’t get any, at least none that is worth mentioning.When paired with an iPad Air, the tablet displayed a tiny battery meter for the headphones next to its own on the screen.The audio quality was top notch, clear and crisp, with tight punchy bass and clean mids and highs.This is easily one of the best wireless sound I’ve heard.Antec claims a battery life of 12 hours with continuous use.Surprisingly, I managed to get close to 13 hours, even after pushing the volume fairly high.This was with continuous use so on an average you should be able to get 2-3 days of regular usage on a full charge.The tiny battery inside the module takes about an 3-4 hours to charge.I felt that the headset was comfortable even when used for lengthy sessions. Although there was some reduction in any extraneous noise when wearing the headset, I did not feel totally cut off from the rest of the world.I could still hear and respond to a door bell or other interruptions when wearing the headset.



As well as providing the various telephonic options, depending upon the number and length of presses, the central control doubles as the on/off and pairing point of access.A five second depress of this area will either turn on or off the headset.By holding down this area an additional three seconds, the headset will enter Bluetooth pairing mode as a light flashes alternatively red and blue.There is also support for NFC technology for activating contact.The headset supports Bluetooth 3.0.I found connections to be generally quick and, if necessary, the standard default “0000” password can be used to complete the linkage.This was not required with the various Android devices I used when testing this headset.The headset has the usually 10 metre Bluetooth range before the signal starts to disappear.The Pulse supports aptX compressed streaming, as well as AUX pass-through when you're out of battery.The microphone on the Pulse also worked well.




Final Thoughts

The Antec AMP Pulse headphones were a bit of surprise to me.I was surprised by how light they were, and the foldable design should come in handy, too.To start, for 80 British Pounds the Pulse is a solid shout for anyone looking for some on-ear headphones with the mobile capacity to boot.The 40mm drivers deliver excellent sound quality.The set’s range of tones was impressive.Pulse’s ability to effectively balance the levels of bass and treble was also superb.Whether it’s games, music or films, the overall show from the Pulse is a positive one.Comfort is another positive for the Pulse headphones.The unit’s ear cups’ orientations and positions are foldable adjustable by a good degree, making a comfortable fit a possibility for most users.Soft foam in the headband ensures that the top of a user’s head doesn’t get scratched or irritated during usage.Being able to adjust system volume and answer a call via the buttons are functions that are to be expected from a pair of headphones of this calibre.The only negative is the tiny size of the buttons.



This is easily one of the best sound I’ve heard from a wireless Bluetooth headset and you could also use them as standard headphones when the battery runs out or you have a source that does not support Bluetooth audio, such as an old MP3 player or a desktop computer.The Antec AMP Pulse are also very comfortable and have decent battery life.