Reviews
Altec Lansing AHS602
This headset’s beauty is marred by a few ugly warts
W
hen we first received the Altec Lansing AHS602 headset, we
marveled at how attractive it looked in its packaging. We were
especially impressed by its large headphone speakers, com-
fortable looking headband, and shiny silver accents. Unfortunately, this
attraction quickly turned into horror when we extracted the AHS602 from
its packaging and discovered an inline remote the size
of a small Caribbean island attached to the headset’s
wiring. It’s not that we’re opposed to the idea of an
inline remote—when properly designed and imple-
mented, it can be an indispensable feature—but this
one is way too clunky.
To be fair to Altec Lansing, a functional reason exists for the remote’s
presence and size. It not only contains the volume controls for the
headphone and the microphone, but also acts as the battery pack that
powers the headset’s integrated SRS Headphone technology. The SRS
effect is an audio enhancement standard that is supposed to improve
the listening experience in two ways: first, it adds spatial positioning to
simulate surround sound effects; and second, it bolsters the device’s
soundstage, leading to fuller-sounding audio.
This all sounds great in theory, but in practice the AHS602 falls short.
For instance, while the normal audio output of the AHS602 sounded
decent in our subjective listening tests, it left us disappointed with its
weak bass production. Activating the SRS effect did have a positive
effect on the audio output and led to greater fidelity and a discernible
surround sound field. Unfortunately, even with SRS on, the bass still left
something to be desired. We also noticed that the SRS rendered certain
sound effects at high
volume—such as shotgun
blasts—intolerably harsh and
piercing to our ears. Furthermore,
raising the volume past the midway point made
the audio crackle in games like Doom 3.
Not everything about the AHS602 is disappointing. As we said,
remote notwithstanding,
it’s attractively styled, and
the microphone performed
admirably in our tests,
offering good pickup and
response. However, these
positives don’t make up for
the AHS602’s lackluster audio
performance.
—TAE K. KIMAttractive design, and good microphone performance.DETROIT PISTONSDETROIT TIGERS
Anemic bass output, bulky remote, and imperfect
SRS effect.
$100, http://www.alteclansing.comMA XIMUMPC VERDICT 6
The Altec Lansing AHS602’s
attractive styling can’t mask
its disappointing bass response
and imperfect audio output.