The Basics (continued):
We've covered the key components to the Icemat Siberia In:Ear Headset, but there are a few more things packed in there. As shown in the image below you receive a small fleece bag for storing everything, and two spare sets of ear sleeves with a slightly more traditional design. Although they are also quite comfortable and do greatly decrease the whistling experienced with the ribbed ear sleeves, they do not stay in well while running, so I have stuck with the ribbed set so far.
I previously mentioned keeping the cables organized, and I found this to be a bit of a headache. All of these long, thin cables were easily tangled and I found myself constantly fighting to keep things straight. There isn't much that can be done, but with the headphones and microphone on separate leads, they become knotted up, and adding the extension cable just makes it that much more work. An early mistake I made was to stuff everything into the pouch shown above, and when I went to get everything out again I pretty much had a knotted ball. Lesson learned... Coil your cables before storing.
Other Observations:
While discussing the components in "The Basics" section of the review, I mentioned a few observations regarding the use of the Icemat Siberia In:Ear Headset. In addition to the few items mentioned, the headset was put through a more extensive test based on every day use. The headset was used in three ways; with a portable MP3 player, connected to a PC for audio playback, and connected to a PC to make Skype calls.
Two issues previously discussed (wind whistling noises and cord tangling) were related to portable MP3 player use. Other than these issues, I really enjoyed the Icemat Siberia In:Ear Headset when used in this manner. Sound quality was quite nice, with a full sound that surprised me, especially since it had passable bass. I have lowered expectation when it comes to earbuds, and the bar was raised to a much higher level thanks to my experience in this review. In addition, the headphones were very comfortable, and I could go for several hours without feeling like I needed a break from the headphones.
While connected to a PC for audio playback I had zero complaints. The sound was great, the comfort level was high, and I was able to enjoy the music for extended periods without getting uncomfortable ears. The best part may be the noise blocking provided by the ear sleeves. Even with no audio coming through the headphones, the outside world was blocked out as the noise level was easily dropped by several dB. It not only helped me get focused on whatever else it was I was working on, it also allowed me to play the music at a lower volume since I wasn't trying to drown anything out.
The final mode of operation was with Skype IP telephone software. I used both the headphones and microphone to complete a variety of PC to phone and PC to PC telephone calls. In general I use a USB Skype phone, and although it works very well and is very convenient, it isn't the best piece of electronics on the market. The Siberia In:Ear Headset may lack the convenience of a touchpad and a LCD screen, but it easily beats the Skype phone for audio quality. I obviously was wasting one earbud since the calls were not stereo, but the incoming and outgoing sound was very clear... not a single person complained during the conversations I had.
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