INTRODUCTION

   Although i do enjoy listening to my favorite tunes while on the road in my car with the volume turned all the way up i can't say that i feel just as comfortable doing so when I’m on foot since where i live people tend to stare if they see you wearing headphones especially if it's a bulky model. Because of that I’m always trying to use the smallest headphones i can get my hands on without of course compromising on sound quality at the same time (doing so would be like missing the point). Unfortunately small headphones equal to small earcups and small earcups in turn equal to small driver units used (at least the majority of times) which naturally can't perform exactly like the ones used in larger models so up till this day i have yet to find the perfect headphones for me. Well the people over at Attitude One seem quite confident that they can change that with their brand new Almaz Stylish Headphones.

   Attitude One was founded in USA in 2011. With many years of experience from the computer and gaming business we decided to start Attitude One. Thanks to our knowledge and our connections in the industry, we can offer products and technologies that are always top of the line. With our unique design and memorable product names our products spread throughout markets of the world.

   At first glance the Almaz Stylish Headphones look really nice thanks to their compact size and glossy exterior (and the many available colors) but that changes right after we take a look on the inside since it's not the first time we've encountered similar specifications. So Attitude One has chosen to use two 40mm drivers featuring a frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz, sensitivity of 111dB (-+3dB) and impedance of 16 Ohm but unlike most other similar headphones the Almaz comes with a fully detachable Omni-directional microphone with a sensitivity of -42dB. This microphone may look somewhat strange and I’m quite positive that not many people would like to use it out in the open (not that you can since it has separate 3.5mm plugs) but on the other hand its design, length and onboard mute/volume controls should make it ideal for use with online games and/or PC calls. So the Almaz looks great and its microphone may actually be the best in its class which is all the more reason for us to move forward with this review.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Regardless of what color you decide to get the Almaz Headphones arrive in a white box with a product picture at the front (this shows the color of the unit inside).

The specifications of the Almaz along with the bundle contents are listed at the rear in 7 languages.

As expected the front of the box opens to reveal the features and the headphones behind a clear plastic window.

Attitude One has placed the Almaz and the detachable microphone inside a piece of foam while the rest of the bundle is placed inside the cardboard at the bottom.

The bundle is very rich and so leaving the Almaz headphones to the side Attitude One also gives you an 7 meter 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable (with an 6.3mm plug attached on one end), two idevice compatible cables with in-line controllers with mic (1.2m and 0.9m long), two android compatible cables with in-line controllers with mic (1.2m and 0.9m long), detachable microphone (connects to the PC via headphones/mic 3.5mm plugs) and an carrying cloth pouch.

THE ALMAZ

Although the Almaz weigh just 201g they do feature a nice glossy plastic exterior placed over an aluminum frame.

Size-wise they may not be exactly as compact as the REVO Wireless by Jabra but they do come very close.

The company logo is placed on the exterior of both earcups.

You can plug the available idevice/android cables or the detachable microphone at the base of the left earcup.

The Omni-directional microphone may not look great so it was never ment for use outdoors but thanks to its flexibility and range of movement it's ideal for use with a PC.

It also features a mute switch on its exterior and a volume control knob at the rear.

For me the thing that really steals the show is the leather earpads (although somewhat small in size) along with the cloth cover used inside since i haven't seen such quality many times at least not with similarly priced headphones.

The headpad is very thin but after using the Almaz for a few days i found it to be quite comfortable.

Left and Right markings are placed on the interior over each earcup.

The headband can extend for a total of 30mm on each side via 10 increments.

There are no visible increments on the outside but there are on the inside as seen above.

Much like many other similarly sized headphone sets the Almaz folds to save space when stored (and also to fit inside the carrying pouch).

Both the idevice and Android cables come with a simple media playback in-line controller (play/pause/volume up/down), built-in microphone and have gold plated plugs.

Attitude One has tagged the cables to make it easier for people to use them with compatible devices.

CONCLUSION

   Quality-wise Attitude One has released a headset which is actually much better compared to their Tunguska Gaming Headset so we really have nothing bad to say about the Almaz here. The design and its compact size also add to the overall aesthetics of the headphones while the large variety of detachable cables is a very nice touch which many people will surely enjoy (especially the 7m Hi-Fi cable is something we haven't seen in the past at least not at anywhere around the same price range). Audio quality is also very good with crisp and accurate mids/highs and although the 40mm drivers lack the amount of bass for my taste still that shouldn't be much of a problem (unless you really enjoy listening to heavy metal music). The removable microphone may not look as good as the headphones themselves but it's one of the best we've ever encountered with similar devices (we have also used better ones however) so do feel free to use it while playing online games since it will not disappoint with its performance. We thought it was needless to say that the in-line mics didn't perform as well as the detachable one but we've yet to see a perfect in-line mic so that was expected. Comfort is also one of the Almaz strong points since thanks to both its compact design and the 210g weight you can use it for long periods of time without issue.

   Unfortunately since Attitude One is very new in the market their products are not very widely available currently so we don't have a real retail price tag at hand (not at the time of this review). However Attitude One has placed a recommended price tag of 110Euros+Local VAT so if our calculations are correct you should be able to find the Almaz for slightly over 100Euros inside the EU (USA price and availability not yet known) which is not bad for a you are getting. Of course we are not referring just to the Almaz headphones but also to the very rich bundle which is really unique for its category (kudos to Attitude One for that). Overall the Almaz is a very good set of headphones with very good build and audio quality designed especially for people who want to use it both while on the road to listen to their favorite tunes and while at home while playing their favorite games online with friends and since the price is also right we can't deny them our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Aluminum Frame)
- Design
- Accurate And Crisp Mids/Highs
- Comfortable (Just 210g)
- Detachable Omni-Directional Microphone
- Carrying Pouch Included
- Can Fold (Less Space Required)
- Gold Plated Connectors
- Available In 6 Colors
- Rich Bundle

CONS

- Lack of Bass
- Current Availability