Altec Lansing is obviously looking to harness the power of the blogosphere… and I’m more than happy to help! A few weeks ago they sent me the XM3120, and Tuesday these sexy headphones were waiting at my door.
First off, I’m a sucker for good looks… and the AHP612 cans are pretty sleek other than the prominent “Altec Lansing” advertising on both ears. (I wonder if some nail polish remover could take care of that.) They also happen to feel pretty good — not too bulky, heavy, or constricting though my ears did get warm after prolonged use. Three included AAA NiMH rechargeables supposedly provide 8 hours of listening time, though I didn’t put that claim to the test. For charging, the headphones easily drop into their powered cradle. As you can see from the pics, each ear has a variety of buttons (and lights!), including the all-important volume up/down which work as advertised.
As far as performance goes, the clarity of the audio and the wireless range surprised me. Because the AHP612 headphones operate at 900Mhz, they shouldn’t interfere with WiFi gear or modern cordless phones. In testing I found the signal to be perfect in all areas of my 1100 sq. ft. apartment. To further test the range (listed at 150′), I visited the apartment two floors down and maintained excellent reception. Now the bad news… I’m no audio snob, yet even I can tell you the audio quality is just average. Perhaps that’s the trade we make for wireless freedom.
The AHP612 (couldn’t they have come up with a more memorable name?) retail for $150, though a quick search of Froogle shows several listings under a hundred. Overall, I think these are pretty slick if you have a need for wireless headphones. Since I don’t, I’m gifting them to Kevin over at jkOnTheRun — keep an eye out for his opinion in the coming weeks!