Incase Pivot Lightweight On-Ear Headphones Review
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Incase has long been known for producing classic, clean and high quality accessories for Apple products from iPhones to Macbooks. Since introducing their headphone line, Incase has shown that they have the same mantra, producing products that have thoughtful design and are a pleasure to use. Expanding their line, Incase introduced the Pivot Headphones which are touted to be ultra lightweight and portable. Are these as good as their bigger siblings, the Sonic and the Reflex? Check it out after the break.
The Pivot headphones come boxed in simplicity. You get the headphones themselves and a space age bag with plush lining to hold your headphones when you are on the go. The headphones lie flat in the space age bag, thus making it ideal for portability. The headphones come in 5 different colors – green, pink, white, black and gray. Each of the headphones are two-toned in color, adding a nice fun and funky variation to fit different personalities. The headphones we have are the green/grey combination. You can see that the headband is a muted gray color and the earcups and cord are a matching creamy green.
Construction wise, the Pivots share the same satiny finish of its siblings, making it a pleasure to touch and handle. The headband is a solid plastic that branches into a split design that reduces weight but also adds to headphone stability while being worn. The headband extends down past the earpad portion and the cord funnels out of the plastic headband. The earcups are adjustable, so if you have a big noggin, they should fit you fine. I found that the headphones were generally comfortable on my head – although a little tight after long listening sessions.
The Pivot headphones sport an on-ear design with earcups that have a suede like covering making the headphones very comfortable to wear. After about a month of use, the earcups held up nicely. I did find that that my ears had some fatigue from wearing the headphones for an extended periods of time. Although the Pivot headphones sport the on-ear design, they do not isolate sound, so they would be ideal to use in a public setting so you can be more aware of your surroundings.
The Pivot headphones sport a strong rubberized green cord with 3-button remote/mic module to allow for on the fly volume, music playback and call adjustments. The cord terminates in a right angle plug which feels to be strong and resistant to breaking.
The Pivots appear to be a neutral sounding headphone. Driven by an iPod Classic or iPhone, the headphones are really middle of the road. Bass is evident only in bass heavy songs, and the soundstage is somewhat narrow. However, the strength of this headphone lies in its upfront mid range. Vocals are clear, and clean, and the headphones offer a dynamic, punchy sound. These headphones have a good sound quality to them – while not the best, they offer sound that is good for the package it comes in. For those who want no frills sound on the go, the Pivot headphones fit the bill nicely.
Overall, I like what the Incase offers here with the Pivot altogether – a fun and funky pair of headphones that offer pretty decent sound quality. If you have a big noggin, or spend a LOT of time listening to music, I would stay away. Nevertheless, Incase has built up a quality headphone line that is unique and made up of quality products with clear focus in design. At $59.95, the Pivot headphones are a good choice – for the right person.
