INTRODUCTION

   As far back as i can remember i always watched movies (who can forget the Beverly Hills Cop, Baywatch and many other blockbusters of the 80's) with gorgeous women running at the beach in their tight gym outfits or bathing suits while listening to their favorite music using the quite famous back then SONY Walkman cassette players. In real life however and more particularly where i live (can't really speak about other places) that trend took almost 3 full decades to get here and so it wasn't until 3-4 years ago that i started seeing people do the same this time however the then classic Walkman has naturally been replaced with smartphones and MP3/4 players. No matter however how many new headsets we see get introduced into the market each day we don't really see anything unique in terms of design and for people who actually want to feel well with themselves while wearing them out in the open design and appearance does play a significant role. So to cater to those needs today we will be taking a closer look at the ET-ARHP300FS-BK Urban Zen Headphones by Eagle Tech.

   At EagleTech, it is our mission and inspiration to provide consumer electronic(CE) solutions that will deliver more enjoyable, fulfilling experiences in your life. Our journey began back in 1993 as a leading provider of power supplies, external hard drives, and other PC components to meet the ever growing needs and challenges of PC users. Since those days, we have expanded our technology and expertise to move beyond PC components. Our unique product portfolio has grown to include Bluetooth audio systems, game console, mobile, and tablet accessories – inspired by our passion in technology to create more ways for you to stay connected with the experiences and activities that you love. The growth and expansion of our company has allowed us to see the establishment of the Neptor and Arion brands. These additions to our umbrella enable us to continue delivering consumer-inspired products that to let people share their music, experiences, and lives. Under the Arion series, we created our signature line of audio systems to let you listen and experience the music like never before. When it comes to your digital entertainment, we know it is not just about the sounds, it is about connecting people together with moments you’ll cherish for a lifetime. We give you the power to be moved and inspired by your music, and to embrace all of the wonderful emotions. With our Neptor series, we used this opportunity to bring you a variety of tablet and smart phone accessories to help you stay connected and to make your life on the go much simpler. We strive to give you more ways to share information, communication, and to stay connected wherever you go. We understand there’s more to it than just accessories, it’s about providing a peace of mind and being ready when it truly matters. Here at EagleTech, we constantly challenge ourselves to advance our product design, technology, efficiency, and craftsmanship so that you get the best of what we have to offer. We are driven by more than just excellence and high standards, but by the determination to create fulfilling and positive experiences in your life.

   When designing the Urban Zen Headphone line Eagle Tech took a whole different path and focused mostly on their appearance so they hired a well-known designer based in San Francisco (Martin Hsu) to draw specific artwork for each of the 5 available headphones available currently in that line. Specs-wise Eagle Tech decided to use 40mm alnico alloy drivers featuring a frequency response of 20Hz to 20KHz and 105dB sensitivity (+-3dB) with 32Ohm (+-4Ohm) impedance. Now although i think that a 50mm driver would offer a lot more in terms of bass (clarity also) i do understand the size limitations they had to work with and so the specifications list is actually quite good. Specifications however are not the only thing that matters in headphones and sometimes numbers are just that so let's take a closer look and see just how they perform.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Eagle Tech ships the Urban Zen Samurai Song in a small yet tall cardboard box with a product picture taken from the side at the front.

One more picture is placed on the right side of the box while on the left we see a wireframe of the product when folded.

A few words about the Urban Zen headphones along with the specifications, features and bundle lists are placed at the rear.

The entire bundle is placed inside the mid-sized carrying case.

The bundle contains the carrying case, ET-ARHP300FS-BK headphones and the user’s manual.

THE URBAN ZEN ET-ARHP300FS-BK

The Urban Zen headphones are made by matt/glossy hard plastic and are quite small in size weighing just 475g.

To showcase the size of the headset we placed them right next to the also very small AIAIAI TMA-1 Studio Headphones with Mic.

A quite detailed Samurai drawing is placed on the exterior of both earcups and i have to say it looks quite nice although it would look a lot better if i was in Japan (or if i was Japanese).

The headband extends a total of 31mm on each side however there are no visible increments.

Eagle Tech has used mid-sized leatherette earpads which are quite comfortable.

The headband padding is somewhat slim but thanks to its weight and size we had no issues with it during testing.

The foldable design is quite convenient when you need to store the headphones.

An in-line volume controller is also present and certainly something we don't see much with regular headphones.

The 3.5mm mini-jack is gold plated while the 1.5 long cord is flat (again something we don't see with headphones).

The carrying case is made by hard compressed material and can be used only when the headphones are folded.

A carabiner clip is also present at the end of the carrying case which you can use to clip it on your jeans or your backpack.

CONCLUSION

   At first glance because the exterior of the Urban Zen headphones is mostly made by matte and glossy hard plastic they don't really seem or feel sturdy enough so that may not appeal to some people, however after using them for two full weeks that's not the case since they are actually quite sturdy so that shouldn't be a problem to anyone (although i can't say how they will be after 1 or 2 years’ time). Design and size wise i think that Eagle Tech really hit the nail on that since the Urban Zen headphones are small, lightweight and look great thanks to the artwork by Martin Hsu (for people that care about such things anyways). The only issue with the Urban Zen headphones is actually what matters most and that's their audio quality since it's not on par with any of the headphones we've tested lately and i really don't know the cause behind that. Sure the 40mm drivers produce good bass (however not very deep/rich) and the same can be said about it mids but unfortunately the clarity of its highs is not what it should be. It's certainly what I’d call bad and you may not notice it when listening to rock and heavy metal songs (which sound quite good actually) but when reproducing pop and instrumental songs/tunes the issue is obvious. Of course such things always come down to personal preference so what is mediocre for me might as well be very good for someone else so i strongly recommend testing them out prior to the actual purchase.

   Price-wise Eagle Tech is doing a terrific job as always and so the Urban Zen ET-ARHP300FS-BK currently retail for USD49.99 inside the USA (Purchase Directly from Amazon.com) but also as always their products are unfortunately not available inside the EU (not currently anyways). With such a price tag i really think that Eagle Tech offers a very balanced stereo headphone with great looks and good overall build quality and although i do believe that it could be better in terms of audio quality/clarity it's certainly a lot better than anything you'll find bundled with a smartphone or an MP3/4 player. So if you are on a tight budget and you care most about design and size rather than getting the best audio quality (especially since superb audio quality and tight budget are not two things that go together) then we really suggest taking a look at the Urban Zen line of headphones by Eagle Tech.

PROS

- Overall Build Quality
- Design (Artwork By Martin Hsu)
- Size/Weight
- Foldable Design
- In-Line Volume Controller
- Carrying Case
- Good Bas/Mids
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Highs Quality/Clarity Is Not What It Should Be
- Availability in the EU