Review: AtomicX Headphones
Cables. Alas, they’re a necessary evil in our world. And cables can be a real drag, especially when it comes to headphones. I hate ‘em. On more than one occasion, I have found myself getting caught up in headphone cables, or accidentally popping them off when I’m listening to music while on the go. In short, I find wearing corded headphones to be both cumbersome and restrictive.
So when the folks at iDeaUSA approached me to review their
AtomicX noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones 
The box arrived within a few days. As a design nerd, I was impressed by the clean and professional packaging aesthetics.
What’s in the Box
Open the box and you’ll see the headphones.
Remove the headphones from the box, and you’ll see the included accessories: a miniUSB charging cable, a pair of male-to-male 1/8” audio cables, an air travel adapter, a carrying pouch and a quick start instruction manual. Inside the headphones is a 300 man lithium ion battery. Everything you need is in the box. Also included is a 30 day money back guarantee and a 1 year warranty against defects.
I found the build quality of the AtomicX headphones to be solid, on par with my pair of well worn, beloved Sony MDR-7506 cans. The headphones themselves are of the over ear variety, and made of a soft, breathable polyurethane leather material that I found to be very comfortable, even after wearing them for several hours. (No ear sweat!) Each headphone “can” has a two way pivoting system that allows for further adjustment, should you need it.
The headphones are also easily adjustable to accommodate different users and fits. One one side, you’ll find a port to plug in a 1/8” headphone jack (for wired operation).
On the other side, you’ll see a miniUSB charge port, a noise-cancelling switch and an indicator light.
A well placed power button serves double duty. Pressing it once will turn the headphones on. Pressing and holding the power button for four seconds will pair the headphones to your favorite device. The AtomicX headphones easily paired with the three devices I tested it against: an iPhone 6s, a Macbook Pro and and an early 2008 Mac Pro.
Hear, Hear
Testing audio is always a subjective experience. I tested the AtomicX headphones with various audio tracks on my iPhone and my Mac. To my ears, with mid and high frequencies, the audio sounded crystal clear, especially when listening to classical Indian instrumental music. Zakir Hussein’s tabla drums have never sounded so vivid and alive. Also true for Don McLean’s “American Pie” track. The mid and upper range produces crisp sounds. Spoken word and podcasts sound great, too. If you listen to music with a lot of bass, though, you will be disappointed. Heavy bass tracks sound a little muddy to my ears.
I tested the unit with noise cancellation and found that it did a good job minimizing surrounding ambient noise. You can still hear people talking, which is good for safety reasons.
In terms of range, I was able to use the AtomicX headphones throughout my house. There were a few dropouts when I moved past the advertised 30 feet range, which I fully expected.
I found the AtomicX headphones to be light and comfortable to wear, particularly for longer listening sessions. I can’t say the same for my Sony MDR-7506 headphones, even though I love ‘em.
Battery life on the AtomicX is also pretty good. I’ve been wearing these headphones on and off between home and work throughout the past week, playing music and podcasts for about an hour each day and I’m still on my initial charge. The unit can go up to 16 hours on a full charge, and up to 250 hours on standby.
One qualm I have with the AtomicX is the length of the included miniUSB connector. It’s too short to use comfortably while charging.
Closing Thoughts
Overall, I’m pleased with the AtomicX headphones. If you listen to classic music, rock and spoken word, the audio sounds great. I do wish that the bass response was a little better, especially on tracks that push the low frequency end. The miniUSB cord could also be a little longer, to accommodate simultaneous charge / listening.
Quibbles aside, for the price, it’s a good set of “cans” to have around. The best part about these headphones is the freedom it now gives me; I no longer have to be tethered by wires when I’m listening to music. The AtomicX Bluetooth, Noise-Cancelling Headphones earn a 4 out of 5 Bob Weiners.
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