Padacs is a company that specializes in the production of iAccessories, more specifically accessories for iPad and iPhone 4. Though it seems like this company has come out of nowhere, we were pretty impressed with their Rubata iPad Keyboard, which we reviewed last week. Reviewing their Aksent High-Definition In-Ear Headphones was an equally positive experience. These inexpensive earbuds have special foam ear cushions that mold to the inside of your ear, making for a more comfortable and improved listening experience. It was no surprise that the Aksent’s sport a microphone and a music control button. It was, however, surprising to see a volume control slider on the headphones as well–a cool addition.
The minimalistic packaging includes the Aksent Headphones, three sets of foam ear cushions (small, medium, and large), a carrying pouch, and a cable clip. The carrying pouch is constructed of a durable black fabric with a lining and a drawstring. The lining has a divider in case you want to keep your headphones separate from the extra ear cushions. The ear cushions are all a bit over-sized, this is their expanded size. You can squish the cushions before inserting the buds into your ear; within seconds they’ll expand and mold to your ear canal, delivering the perfect fit. I found the small ear cushions to fit perfectly.
The ‘high-quality driver’ must be pretty large in these headphones, because the actual ear buds are relatively larger than most. For me, large ear buds are synonymous with ear buds that don’t stay in my ear. This was not the case with the Aksents. The ear buds have a pretty sharp design with their gun metal grey casing and black tips. The headphones are Y-shaped, with the Volume/Mic/Music Controls at the intersection point. The controls are on a black rectangular bar. The play/pause/track control button is small, square, and easy to press. Below that is the microphone, and below that is a small volume slider. The volume is independent from the volume on your iDevice, and will go from 0% to 100%. The headphone cable is nothing special; it’s of average thickness for inexpensive headphones
The seal created by the foam ear cushions work to block out a good amount of ambient noise. For the price, the audio quality is great. The bass is powerful and rich without overshadowing the music. This, too, is complemented by the superior ear cushion fit. The trebles are clear and there is no noticeable distortion. Voices all come out very clear as well. Using the headphones as a headset to make phone calls on iPhone worked just as well as the Apple Earbuds or ThinkSound’s TS02+Mic. I had no issues, and received good feedback from my callers.
If you are looking for a very nice step up from the Apple Earphones, Padac’s Aksents would do an absolutely superb job without breaking the bank. They cost $49.95 which is a pretty solid price for everything you get. The audio quality alone is comparable to headphones that would cost a bit more than $50. In addition to quality, you get Padac’s unique foam ear cushions, a music control button, a microphone, and even volume controls. The audio control button and microphone work with iPhones, iPads, newer iPods, and MacBooks (Late-2008 models and newer). The foam ear cushions are not just comfortable to wear, but they make music sound better and keep the ear buds firm inside your ear. The Padac Aksent High-Definition In-Ear Headphones are currently available from Padacs.com and come with a one year limited warranty.
The Good: Sound Great, Comfortable, Stay in ear, Audio Controls and Mic, Volume Slider, Good Price
The Bad: Inclusion of an Extra-Small Earbud size would be nice
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