INTRODUCTION

   With the summer period already opening its arms to welcome us more and more people are looking to buy wireless Bluetooth headsets for use while in the house, on the go or while working out. Now although Jabra recently released the quite remarkable REVO wireless Bluetooth headset the market is not really filled with such solutions, at least not powerful enough solutions for people who really want to listen to their tunes without volume restrictions. Granted the REVO is perhaps the best Bluetooth wireless headset out there but its rather high price tag makes it very hard for people on a tight budget to look at it as a valid solution so we searched around to find a Bluetooth wireless headset that shares most of the features found in the REVO but at half its price tag, if not less. Well it seems that the NC2-3 U.F.O Bluetooth Stereo Headphones by Oblanc just might be the right ones for the job.

   The name Oblanc originates from the highest peak near the border of Paris, Italy and Switzerland-- Mont Blanc. Oblanc implements the spirit, strength, and determination it takes to conquer a mountain to each new headphone it creates. At Oblanc, we are committed to bring premium audio experience with stylish designs to our customers. With strong R&D capability and leading technology, it enables us to produce premium headphones for the music and gaming industry at a lower cost, thus our customers can enjoy the same premium headphones without spending large amounts of hard earned money. In the competitive headphone industry, we believed quality is the key to success. We are constantly searching and developing our headphones using the latest technology and finest material to ensure Oblanc headphones meet our customers' expectations of quality assurance. Each headphone is carefully crafted and undergoes extensive testing for its longevities and durability. We understand our relationship with our customers and we do not stop after each sale by asking for feedback to improve our product. For that reason, a dedicated service team is established to quickly and effectively respond customers’ inquiries. We also spend countless hours on studying how our customers use our headphones and troubleshoot the problems they may encounter. This allowed us to provide better service to our customers and build up our brand. We are convinced that once you have tried the Oblanc headphones, you will experience a new innovative musical life!

   Oblanc is certainly not one of the most popular brand names (unlike Mont Blanc which comes to mind almost immediately) especially since we just heard of them a few months back but if we've all learned something over the past few years is that we shouldn't judge a company solely based on the how long they've been around. So the closed design NC2-3 U.F.O Bluetooth stereo headphones feature Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, two 50mm 32Ohm neodymium drivers with a frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz, a built-in noise cancelling microphone, media/call buttons and an 450mAh polymer lithium ion battery which gives the unit a total of 10 hours of continuous music playback (always according to Oblanc). So time to see just how well this wireless headset performs always compared to other similar ones we've tested in the past.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

You can see half of the headphones from the front and right side of the box via two small clear plastic windows.

The features and specifications of the NC2-3 U.F.O are placed at the rear in 3 different languages.

Inside the box Oblanc has placed the NC2-3 U.F.O Bluetooth headphones, user's manual, warranty card, micro-USB charging cable and a small rubber key tag.

THE NC2-3 U.F.O

The NC2-3 U.F.O Bluetooth stereo headphones look quite nice but are also quite bulky compared to other similar ones like the REVO wireless.

Oblanc has placed their logo on the lower end exterior of both earcups.

The on/off button which can also be used to answer/end calls along with the volume control buttons are placed at the front of the right earcup.

A reset button is placed just in front of the buttons.

The micro-USB charging port is placed on the base of the right earcup.

Both earcups are fitted with large leatherette pads which are quite comfortable.

The headband can extend a total of 35mm on each side but unfortunately there are no increment markings on it.

On the interior of the headband you will find the usual L/R markings.

Oblanc has used thick leatherette padding for the headband.

CONCLUSION

   The first two things you will notice when using the NC2-3 U.F.O Bluetooth wireless headphones are its bulky size and the not so great quality of the media/call buttons. Of course i didn't expect Oblanc to match the quality found in other more expensive Bluetooth headsets like the REVO wireless by Jabra but still i think they could do better. Build quality aside the headphones produce a very good level of bass with clear mids and plenty of volume (no doubt thanks to the large 50mm neodymium drivers) but unfortunately the same does not apply for its highs and so while listening to my favorite pop/rock tunes i felt like something was missing. Certainly this applies with most Bluetooth wireless headsets currently available in the market so it's not something isolated to the NC2-3 U.F.O but after using the REVO for 3 months now such things are very easy to notice. One of the things we all liked was its battery life since after just 3 full recharges we managed to hit slightly over 8 hours of use at maximum volume levels (Oblanc obviously measured 10 hours of life but with less volume). The NC2-3 UFO is also quite comfortable thanks to the large leatherette ear pads although their size may not appeal to some people. We also tested the noise-cancelling microphone and although far from impressed since the people on the other end felt we were standing a couple of meters away from the headset we've seen a lot worse.

   Right now the Oblanc NC2-3 U.F.O Bluetooth Wireless Headphones retail for USD117.27 inside the USA (Purchase Directly from Amazon) but unfortunately we were unable to locate them on any of the known online stores inside the EU. So as you can see the price tag may not be low but considering that Oblanc offers a wireless Bluetooth headset with 50mm neodymium drivers and good overall build quality it's not really that much. Of course i do think that it would help Oblanc a lot if they were to drop the price of the NC2-3 U.F.O beneath USD100 but that's not really up to us to decide. Bottom line if you like the way the NC2-3 U.F.O Bluetooth wireless headphones look and you want plenty of volume and bass with good audio clarity then they just might be the right ones for you. As for us we think that Oblanc has the capability to build an excellent Bluetooth wireless headset but due to the small issues we talked about the NC2-3 U.F.O walks away with our Golden Award. 

PROS

- Build Quality (Overall)
- Design
- Available Colors (Yellow/White/Green)
- 50mm Neodymium Drivers
- Very Good Bass
- Volume Levels
- Good Mids
- Noise Cancelling Microphone

CONS

- Media/Call Button Quality
- Not So Crisp Highs
- Availability in the EU
- Price (For Some)