Join the Borg: Saitek A-350 wireless headphones
Some rather sleek-looking wireless headphones from Saitek -- they make you look like you've been absorbed into a cyber-race, and they sound pretty good too. Shame they feel like they're just about to fall off...
Ah, wireless headphones. We know what we want -- high-powered, tiny devices that relieve us of the perils of a dangling wire on public transport. They should disappear into our ears like a Babelfish, provide excellent sound, and look discreet but stylish.
Saitek's latest offering is the A-350, featuring the company's trademark stylish shiny black 'n' red design. The unit dangles from the top of your ears onto the back of your neck, and you plug a small transmitter into your MP3 player via a standard 3.5mm audio jack. This gives you a wireless connection with a range of about 10m, and Saitek reckons the rechargeable batteries will give you about six hours of battery life.
We like the way it has an up volume on one earpiece and a down volume on the other -- that's smart, as fiddling with a dual-direction control on one ear would be very difficult, but unless there's something about the shape of your head which means these things fit like a glove, we're not sold on the fit. If you've got the right-shaped head, your A-350s will set you back £80.
The last pair of wireless headphones we looked at were from Logitech. They felt more secure on the head, but they had an annoying transmitter that snugged neatly on top of your iPod -- and obscured the hold switch. We prefer the way these Saiteks have a little cable to connect to your player, so they won't block the controls. And Saitek does win on style: the Logitech earphones look like medical equipment. We'll keep dreaming of that perfect wireless headphone that is to come. -MP