The folks at Acoustic Research sent us a pair of their ARW200 USB 5.1 surround sound headphones to test out, and we've been giving them a thorough runthrough at the Obsessable labs. Intended to bring the depth and grandeur of home theater audio sound to you even while on the go, these headphones are best suited for movie and audio buffs as well as gamers looking for a more rich and full 5.1 surround audio experience while travelling or at home when housemates don't wish to be disturbed. Overall we were impressed with the big sound from these small cans; read on for our full review.

Specifications

Whereas some 5.1 surround sound headsets use software emulation to achieve the spatial spread of 5.1 audio, the ARW200s actually include a system of three separate speaker drivers per earcup to physically generate the soundstage. Two 16mm Neodymium drivers power the front and subwoofer audio, two 15mm Neodymiums handle the center, and two more 15mm drivers provide the surround audio. The frequency response of the phones spans the full range of human hearing from 20 Hz to 20 KHz, with a signal to noise ratio of 85-86 dB. Compatible with both the Windows (XP, Vista, 2000) and Mac OS X operating systems, the ARW200s plug into any available USB port.

What's included in the box:

• USB 5.1 headphones
• Travel case for storage
• Audio drivers disc
• User manual

Design

The lightweight, collapsible design of the ARW200s works both for and against them. The ability to fold up and store the headphones in the included travel case is certainly convenient, and the process of tucking away and unpacking again is simple. However in order to fold up properly, the earcups themselves rest on a short length of metal ending in ball and cup sockets that allow the cups to fold forward and lie flat in the case — giving them a loose, wiggly feel that works against a solid and sturdy impression. The headband is a thin piece of metal encased in plastic down near the ear cups, with two padded areas at the top of the band providing added comfort. The band contains two hinges at the midpoints on each side that allow the headset to be folded up into its compact travel size form; the joints functioned just fine over a number of packings and unpacking but are pressure points that will have to stand the test of time and again, didn't inspire that solid and sturdy impression many audiophiles look for. Overall, although we had no structural problems with the headphones during our testing window whatsoever, the tradeoff for gaining the easy portability of the ARW200s comes with some concern for their long-term durability.

Overall the ARW200s were comfortable to wear even over extended listening sessions. As someone with a relatively small head one of my frequent complaints about over the head earphones is the occasional inability to size them small enough to feel truly snug. That wasn't a problem with the ARW200s; if anything, folks with large pates might find them a tight fit, but the adjustment range seemed generally adequate. Adjustment was performed extremely easily by simply pulling the metal band in or out of its plastic casing as desired. Short cables are another common beef with headphones, but here too that was no issue even when using the ARW200s seated at a workstation with a desktop machine resting on the floor. There is ample slack for normal usage with laptops as well.

Configuration

Configuration was dead easy on a Windows PC and a relatively simple process on the Mac. Functionality is simply plug-and-play on Windows XP, Vista or 2000 — just plug the ARW200s into any available USB port and start listening. The audio drivers included on the bundled CD are optional, adding some controls and effects to the native 5.1 functionality. With the audio drivers installed you can select between stereo and 5.1 sound operation, perform an audio test, select from a number of equalizer presets or manually adjust the 10-band EQ, and select from several sound environment presets including concert hall, insulated room, cave (for that prehistoric effect!), and a few others.

On the Mac there is a one-time setup to perform after which the system should remember the settings for when you next use the headset. The configuration involves opening the Audio MIDI Setup and adjusting a few parameters — nothing too major and all clearly described in the brief user manual.

Testing methods

We wanted to get a sense of how the ARW200s performed in three specific areas: audio playback, movie playback, and gaming. A fourth goal was to find out how well the headphones sounded when playing back audio from a regular stereo source as opposed to a 5.1 surround source. We also wanted to see how they compared to a decent reference set of stereo headphones on the high end, and a typical pair of cheap earbuds on the low end. As much as possible, we listened to or watched the same section of music or film once using the ARW200s and once again immediately afterward with our chosen reference headphones, the studio favorite Sony MDR-7506s. Featuring a flat frequency response, these cans could be relied on not to overly color the sound and served as a neutral reference point for auditioning the ARW200s. We listened to at least one source in each area with a set of basic $10 JVC earbuds as well to get a comparison on the low end. Finally, we made an attempt to distribute our listening in all three major areas across both the Windows and Mac operating systems to check for any platform-specific issues.

Music selections
Lacking a significant SACD library, we conducted the majority of our music-specific tests with DVD performances:

• Paul McCartney — The McCartney Years (DVD)
• Norah Jones and the Handsome Band — Live in 2004 (DVD)
• Rush — Rush In Rio (DVD)
• Peter Gabriel — Growing Up Live (DVD)
• Pink Floyd — Dark Side of the Moon (SACD)

For the audio test from stereo CD sources, we listened to a smattering of rock, metal, electronica, pop vocals, and loaded up on some jazz favorites as many jazz enthusiasts report a fondness for listening to the genre in 5.1 surround — we wanted to see if the ARW200s provided value to the listener who might lack any 5.1 jazz in their collection but would be able to gain similar acoustic benefits from these headphones.

• Charles Mingus — Mingus Ah Um
• Dinah Washington — Jazz Divas Collection
• Elvin Jones — Elvin!
• John Coltrane — A Love Supreme
• Diana Krall — When I Look In Your Eyes
• Medeski Martin & Wood — Combustication

Movie selections

• The Matrix
• Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
• Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Gaming selections

• Unreal Tournament 3
• Crysis
• Counter-Strike
• Combat Arms (free-to-play multiplayer shooter from Nexon America)
• World of Warcraft
• Warhammer Online
• Spore

 

Listening impressions

Music

One of the first things we noticed was the lack of any line noise artifacts that tend to creep in when plugging a standard 1/8-inch jack into a computer. I personally find this more pronounced on my PC than my Mac, and it was a nice change to be rid of it completely while using the ARW200s. We also found that overall, these Acoustic Research headphones required less system or application volume to achieve a comfortable level of loudness than their stereo counterparts.

In general, we found the audio quality output by the ARW200s to be quite good. Whether from a native 5.1 source or from plain old stereo, the sound was full, dynamic and deep. When listening to music on DVD, we perceived a wider and richer soundstage than experienced with the Sony MDR-7506s. As compared to the cheap earbuds, there was little contest: the ARW200s presented excellent tonal range and well-balanced audio without losing acuity in bass, mids or high frequencies. The bass representation was present and resonant without feeling either too punchy or too muffled. Reverb, panning, and other spatial effects really stood out in this headset, giving audio playback overall a more open feel than with the stereo headphones, which tended to feel tighter and more contained by comparison.

When watching concert footage, we noticed being able to hear the audience applauding behind us. In the Norah Jones live at Nashville's famous Ryman Auditorium footage, a mandolin solo played at the back of the stage really felt like it was going on spatially behind the other performers. Vocals felt full and up front while solo guitar work really stood out; listening to the stereo reference Sonys afterwards felt a bit flat. Notes from the Peter Gabriel Growing Up Live footage include experiencing a deeper overall sound, whereas the comparison stereo mix felt thinner, more treble-heavy and less balanced overall. A whistle solo during "Mercy Street" sounded rich and full yet ethereal and almost otherworldly.

Our tests with CD stereo source audio also revealed strong performance from the ARW200s as well. Spatial qualities were enhanced in the audio to various degrees depending on genre; electronica and jazz seemed to benefit the most from 5.1 simulation with rock and pop feeling somewhat richer and fuller as well. The only genre that didn't fare as well was heavy metal, which occasionally felt a bit muddy in the mid-range. Reverb and positional effects in electronica and jazz sounded especially good; we noticed in Elvin Jones's Four and Six that the bass and drums were more spatially separate and distinct with the ARW200s as opposed to sounding generally "somewhere over there on the left side" with the stereo headphones.

Movies

The headphones continued to perform well when watching film footage in native 5.1 surround sound. We perceived greater vocal resonance and presence, a fuller sound and wider soundstage, and an overall greater depth of perceived detail than with the reference stereo headset. The haunting choral passages littering The Lord of the Rings' score sounded enveloping and ethereal. Orchestral passages seemed to carry more weight, and action-oriented sounds tended to have more impact. The added spatial orientation effects were a notably nice enhancement; for example, in Lord of the Rings when Gandalf and Pippin walk into Gondor's hilltop palace to confront Lord Denethor and the stately doors close behind you, they really close behind you.

Overall we report a similarly enhanced experience in watching movies as we did when listening to music through the ARW200s. The soundscape felt wide and enveloping, making you feel almost placed in the center of the action as opposed to being a mere spectator of events. Most of the benefits audiophiles and home theater buffs report from 5.1 channel surround are successfully replicated by these headphones, and we enjoyed our experience with them in the realms of both music and movies.

Gaming

Beyond merely sounding nice, surround audio carries with it some actual utility into the gaming realm. In first-person shooters and many MMOs, as well as in action, adventure and other titles where you may confront enemies, it can be to your advantage to be able to "hear behind you." We found the ARW200s performed well in this role, alerting us to foes approaching from the back or sides earlier than we might have listening in plain stereo. Spatially orienting other aural cues can be useful as well, so that you might be able to tell that the river you're looking for is specifically behind you and not in front.

Some games were more spatially enhanced than others — Warhammer Online sounded incredible while Unreal Tournament 3 sounded only marginally better than when listening in stereo, for example — but overall the 5.1 surround effects were quite decent. Hearing speech off in the distance was both often crisp and clear as well as accompanied by a more clear sense of directionality; I got the impression that I could tell more assuredly where the voices were coming from, whether it be to seek out or actively avoid them. Combat sounds were lively and engaging, and the extra level of detail in the ambient sound I could discern added to the gameplay experience. Switching over to the stereo reference headphones specifically when nearby a water source, the rushing water sounded like white noise in the stereo headset as compared to the distinctly crisp and clear sound perceived in the ARW200s.

What's missing?

There's not much missing from the Acoustic Research ARW200s. Configuration is simple, the sound quality is excellent, and the headphones are comfortable to wear at long stretches. There is one notable downside to these headphones though, which is that they are not noise cancelling — and because the earcups are relatively small and do not fully enclose the ear, they don't do a very good job of blocking out ambient noise. We spent most of our testing time in a quiet room where this wasn't an issue, but when outside sounds were present they were noticeable. We would have liked to give the ARW200s the true travel test to check out how they fared with ambient noise on a plane, but we weren't able to do so during the time window we spent with them. Depending on where you might use these earphones the most, you may be bothered by ambient noise to varying degrees. If your typical use case is in a quiet hotel room, at night while others are sleeping or in other relatively quiet or controlled spaces, this shouldn't be as much of an issue for you.

What we'd like to see in future versions

Perhaps the most obvious wishlist feature for the ARW200s is some form of noise cancelling; or perhaps even making the cups a bit larger to more fully surround the ear would help block out more outside noise. Of course, larger earcups would negatively affect the clear goal of achieving easy portability in these headphones, which leads to our second wishlist request for a more solid and sturdy design overall. At a relatively inexpensive $99 MSRP (and spotted as low as the $60-70 range from online retailers) for impressive 5.1 surround sound, we get that costs may have to have been cut somewhere to offer these earphones so affordably. However, we can imagine audiophiles and movie enthusiasts on the go being willing to potentially part with some extra cash in exchange for additional peace of mind regarding build quality.

One other wishlist item would be the inclusion of, or possibly a different version of these headphones with, an attached microphone for voice applications commonly used while gaming. Without a microphone, the ARWs have less utility for gamers who use VoIP to communicate during sessions.

Obsessable recommendation

With their ease of use and great immersive audio quality, we would recommend the Acoustic Research ARW200s to music and film buffs who travel frequently or often require their listening habits to avoid disturbing housemates or neighbors. We would also recommend them to gamers who don't need to do a lot of voice chat while playing. Even beyond travel use, these headphones could provide a cost effective 5.1 surround sound experience in the home for anyone who frequently watches movies, listens to music or games on a laptop or desktop.

Obsessable Rating: 8.5 out of 10