The relatively young company Axelvox has set itself a rather difficult task - to make high-quality sound for audio directors and professional music lovers, without forgetting ordinary users.
The start of the brand was quite good, and the company introduced four types of studio gadgets to the market with an affordable price range from 1 to 1.5 thousand rubles. It is also worth noting that the products were released with a clear claim to Hi-Fi quality. Surely the happy owners of the premium class for $ 150 and above will be very surprised that high-quality sound can produce a gadget worth several times cheaper.
Let's try to check whether the new Axelvox HD241 headphones are able to compete with venerable brands, and on what, in fact, the manufacturer saved these very one hundred dollars by releasing a remarkable gadget.
A bit of history
The company itself has been rumored by the Russian consumer for about a year or so, and it began with the refinement and sales of studio audio monitors with a wide range of additional features. We liked its products for its extensive functionality: where else for a relatively low price can you find in one person protection against overheating, an ultrasonic filter, automatic and manual power limitation, magnetic shielding and a unit to prevent any overloads?
The entire lineup of the company fit in a very small but attractive price range from 150 to 300 dollars per copy. Naturally, the brand’s products were in enviable demand, and as a result, the company discovered a new direction, more widespread - headphones. The development of activity is quite logical and does not raise third-party questions, as, for example, in the case of Arctic Sound: what did the manufacturer of coolers and pastes in the world of sound and headphones forget?
At the moment, the company can please its fan with four pairs of headphones. All of them are united by a dynamic sound and visually they differ only in their design - an open and half-closed type. The model to be tested in this article is the youngest in this short list.
So, the hero of today's review is the Axelvox HD241 dynamic headphones. Let's try to characterize all the positive and negative aspects of the model, taking into account the opinions of experts and reviews of ordinary owners of the gadget.
Key Features
The model is characterized by certain features in terms of assembly, design and sound output.
- The headphones are equipped with a neodymium drive with a small diameter (50 mm) of high resolution, which allows the model to provide more accurate vibrations of the membrane to obtain a “Hi-Fi” sound.
- The design of the gadget is made in a soft style and is extremely ergonomic thanks to comfortable cups.
- The acoustic channel has excellent factory settings, so that sound is delivered to the auricle without distortion even despite the peculiar shape of the speaker and pads.
- The sound detail is made at a good high level and ranges from 10 hertz to 30 kilohertz in a row.
- The self-regulating and comfortable arc, coupled with the proprietary design of the head, does not exceed a pressure of 3.5 N.
- Rated power - 300 mW.
- The impedance is about 32 ohms.
- The sensitivity of the Axelvox HD241 membrane (AFC) is not less than 98 dB SPL at the level of 1 mW.
- The connector is standardized, 3.5 mm, with an additional adapter in the 6.3 mm kit (in some expensive variations you can find a gold-plated plug).
- Cable of ordinary section, straight, with a total length of 2.5 meters (copper, reinforcement, nylon thread).
- Net weight - 280 grams.
Looking at the characteristics, it can be noted that almost all of them are similar to those of premium models: a neodymium drive, power and a significantly expanded frequency range more than cover the auditory capabilities of ordinary people.
Contents of delivery
The standard Axelvox HD241 Studio is sold in ordinary cardboard packaging with a plastic window, through which you can see the design and the actual size of the gadget right on the storefront. It is here that it is clear that the company did not invest extra money in the whimsical design of the box and other packaging excesses - here the savings are justified and justified.
The only thing users complain about in their reviews is the impossibility of trying on and evaluating the sound from the headphones due to the packaging features (it opens only by breaking the box).
Of the optional accessories, you will get the aforementioned 6.3 mm adapter and a rag-like, but pretty-cute Axelvox HD241 carrying case. Owner reviews note that it would be nice to add a complete set of documentation and at least some kind of carabiner for ease of use, but, again, there is savings everywhere, and any additional investment costs money.
Design
The headphones look very much like AKG flagship - the model of the K272 series: the same solid arc for the head and a separate pillow. It seems that the Axelvox and AKG series are made in the same Chinese factory. It may be so, but it is of little interest to us now.
The design of the Axelvox HD241 does not allow you to adjust the headphones in a horizontal plane, that is, you can’t turn the speaker to listen “with one ear”, as was done in the versions for DJs. But as an alternative, you can simply wrap one ear per head, since the arc allows you to do this. The main adjustment takes place in a vertical plane (in height), and in whatever position the arc is fixed, the headphones do not fall off and sit comfortably on the head.
The interlayer in the arc is made of artificial leather and reaches a wide place of 60 mm, so even with prolonged wear, the Axelvox HD241 headphones will not cause inconvenience or other discomfort. One interesting detail is also worth noting: the mechanism responsible for adjusting is not fixed, so each time you remove the headphones, it returns to its original state.
Speakers
Both speakers are clearly fixed on the arc, but not tightly, which allows you to rotate them horizontally or vertically by no more than 20 degrees, which is convenient when you need to adjust to certain anatomical data.
On the reverse side there are holes that are involved in the speaker system, and because of them, the headphones are considered half open. Also, these holes allow you to slightly reduce the sound pressure on the ear membrane. This, by the way, distinguishes many premium gadgets, not just the Axelvox HD241 headphones. Reviews about the dynamics of the device are mostly positive, and the user sees minor flaws only after switching from VIP positions to this model.
Ear pads
The gadget ear pads have a toroidal shape - a circle in one and the next sections. For many, this form is unusual and, as they say, “for everybody,” the bulk prefers oblong headphones.
The material from which the ear pads are made is very soft and easily creasing, but you can’t say to the touch that it will tear in a few days. Under them is visible a well-made speaker with a diameter of 50 mm.
Connection
The Axelvox HD241 model has a one-way connection with a durable and high-quality cable, which consists of copper veins and a reinforced nylon thread. The length of the headphones is enough for working on a computer and even in the most unfavorable locations of the system unit, a 2.5-meter cable will not pull or cause any discomfort.
The original version of the headphones is equipped with a gold-plated 3.5 mm jack and a 6.3 mm adapter. The cable, coupled with a plug, creates a very favorable impression of the reliability of the entire structure.
Using the Axelvox HD241 Headphone
A review of use should begin with not very pleasant moments. Headphones are clearly not designed for a small skull, that is, they will not work for fragile girls and children - the range of adjustment of the arc is not enough, but for wide faces - that's it.
Also, many users note in their reviews that due to the lack of sensible ventilation, their ears begin to sweat after a while along with the skin under the ear pads. So if you plan to watch a video or an online game for a long time, it’s quite difficult to do without a short break. Another point related to the design and the mechanism of self-regulation: if you decide to drop the headphones around your neck, they can begin to strangle you, so turning your head in this position or starting talking will be problematic.
Positive features
Other qualities and characteristics evoke only positive emotions from the Axelvox HD241 model. Warming up occurs in a matter of seconds, the weight of the gadget is very small, the head does not get tired of prolonged wearing, the adjustment mechanism is well thought out in terms of ergonomics and does not put pressure on the ears or head. When you need to answer a phone call or keep abreast of what is happening nearby, you can easily take one speaker behind your ear, and the second will not even budge.
Another important quality of studio headphones is noise isolation. Our model copes with this perfectly - you won’t feel the vacuum, but extraneous noise will distract you from work or games. In urban conditions (noise, cars, trams), the model also showed its best side: extraneous sounds did not distract from listening to music, and at the time of pauses, outside noise from the street was clearly audible, which indicates the balance of the gadget. The only thing that the owners of the device note is that they are not so good in underground conditions, but here rare studio headphones can protect you from the roar of trains in the tunnel, so you have to put up with it.
Summarizing
We can say with confidence that you can buy good and high-quality headphones for 1,500 rubles, and the Axelvox HD241 is proof of this. Of course, no one forbids adding a little money in order to purchase a venerable brand such as AGK, Sony or Philips, but if you do not follow the principle, you can get almost all the advantages (in sound) of expensive companies represented by the HD241 model from "Axelvox."
In general, it can even be argued that if you need a gadget for watching videos, games at home and just to listen to music, then the hero of the review will fit and even pleasantly surprise you with the sound quality. So you decide - a famous and trusted brand or a nice and high-quality newcomer to the gadget market.