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Performance |
There’s not much to see once the set is separated from its packaging.
The only thing tucked below the unit besides the cord is a detailed
users manual and warranty. The lengthy manual covers everything from
how to position the unit on your head to the various products and
situations that the unit may be connected to in your home. As you
can see from the close-up, if you plan on using the Theatre 6 with
anything other than your PC soundcard you’re going to need a
separate 5.1 headphone amplifier. Lucky for us, that’s the only
situation we’re going to be focusing on.
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The first thing you’ll notice when you have the unit in your
hands (no snickering!) is the length of the cord (c’mon now,
act mature!). It measures in at a good 9.8 feet! Just because you’re
wearing headphones that doesn’t mean you have to shackled to
your computer. There’s more than enough cord to allow for a
wide range of movement; that sometimes comes in handy when you get
spooked by the sound of a RPG whizzing from behind over your right
shoulder.
The next thing that you’ll likely notice is
that they tend to dangle. If held up in the air, the earpieces flop
straight downward. This can make for an interesting time when trying
to don the unit with only one hand. It’s a minor annoyance
though and can be easily overlooked.
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The headband is made with quite a large range of adjustability, a
generous 2 inches on either side. Most though will probably prefer
to keep them adjusted to the smallest setting as the largest would
easily fit my head with my motorcycle helmet on.
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The ear pads are constructed of a nice soft material that allows the
speakers to rest gently against your ears and not cause any discomfort.
My dumbo-like ears are usually bothered by most earphones but I didn’t
seem to have much of a problem with these. The outside of the earpieces
are large but stylish. Considering each side holds three speakers,
Zalman did a great job of not making them look oafish and something
you’d be embarrassed to wear in front of your peers. The contours
are nice but aren’t just for looks. They perform a vital function
in the overall surround effect.
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Pop the unit open and you can see where all the magic happens. As
I stated earlier, there are a total of six speakers enclosed in the
headset, comprised of three in each earpiece. These allow the unit
to provide “true” front, rear and center channels that
create the realistic special effects. I can defiantly see the wiring
being a weak spot in the dependability of the unit; however with proper
quality control at the manufacturer any crossed wires or similar problems
shouldn’t reach the shelves.
Here you can see where the contouring of the unit
comes into play. It helps to direct the sound from the front and
rear speakers directly towards the ear for a cleaner sound field.
The cone-shaped shroud around the center speaker helps to isolate
the three speakers to prevent the separate fields from mixing before
they hit the ear.
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The covers not only focus the sound through the center openings but
they also include convoluted “egg crate” surfaces to eliminate
unwanted reflections. Reflected sound causes standing waves that detract
from the overall sound by making bass boomy and ill-defined. It also
causes smearing and blurring of the midrange, making the sound dull
and lifeless. Having the foresight and taking the time to add these
features gives the acoustics a more realistic and detailed sound.
Bravo Zalman! |
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