About the same size as a typical set of full-size headphones, the AHS602 features sealed, ear-cupping drivers that completely cover your ears, effectively blocking out background noise and limiting sound leakage into the room. The padded, adjustable headband enhanced the 'phones' comfort, but this reviewer's ears felt clamped down after about an hour of continuous wear. The boom mic, which is attached to the left earpiece, can be swiveled up and out of the way when it's not in use.
One 2.3-foot cord segment connects the control module to the left earpiece, while a second, 5.3-foot segment emerges from the control module and splits into a 1/8-inch stereo headphone plug and a 1/8-inch mic plug for two-way communication through consumer computer sound cards. The in-line control module allows you to adjust the overall playback volume, the microphone volume (mute, low, high), and the SRS 3D surround effect (includes on/off and level controls). A single AAA loads into the control module to power the headphones' active circuitry.
In our testing, the AHS602's respectably large 40mm drivers set this model apart from the cheaper, smaller two-way headsets that are better suited for less engaging applications such as VoIP and voice recognition. While the SRS circuitry added some extra depth to the soundstage in Unreal Tournament 2004, it fell short of delivering a convincing surround-sound simulation.
