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The back is dominated by the two earpieces. The metal mesh protects the actual speakers and the soft outer rubber earpiece surrounds are replaceable. Three different sizes are included making it pretty easy to find a good fit. Since these are hook-less earphones, a good fit means no slipping and improved sound quality. I found the default fit to be snug and comfortable too. The small hole on the left side here is actually the microphone.
The left side contains all of the controls. the left dial above controls the volume as expected but pushing the button will also start a call. In music mode this button is used to select from the four XEN™ 3D Sound modes. The right dial will provide the music control and also doubles as a call end button. The headset power switch is located on the top of the unit directly behind the power/connectivity light.
The right side is much simpler with no controls but it does house the USB style port for charging the headphones. Lubix claims a 6 hour talk time and a massive 150 hour standby time. More than enough time to get a good days worth of play for most users.
Here you can see the included replacement earpiece surrounds. The headset is designed to hang around the neck like a pendant when not in use. The length of the loop can be adjusted using the rubber choker seen here in the left. The full loop can be set to just over 2 feet or anything shorter. In addition to the shown parts, the NC1 also comes with a USB cable and a wall adaptor for easy charging.
I figured rather than stare at my ugly mug, I would sweet talk my wife Deborah into modeling the NC1 for you all. Needless to say, I may be busy with chores for a while in trade! Here you can see the NC1 hanging at full length. This is about where I like it but my wife is a much shorter 5'1. Despite the clean look, I must admit I felt a bit silly wearing them as a necklace so they ended up under my shirt. The blue power light is just strong enough to show through some shirts too which can prompt some interesting conversations!
With all of the electronics in the earpiece the NC1 is larger than a standard Bluetooth earpiece as seen here. I found them to be easy to get comfortable with after just a few minutes but Deb felt they were a bit bulky for lengthy wear.
Here is a shot of the front view when worn. They conceal rather easily if you have the hair and don't look too bulky from the front. Since I am used to a variety of Bluetooth headsets with my phone, I found the added size about equivalent to a forward mic design in size. By now you may be wondering how they sound.. Testing: I tested the phone connectivity on my HTC Wing (P4350 Herald). Bluetooth Paring was easy and the device detects as "Lubix Bluetooth Headset" on the first try. For phone to phone calling the NC1 sounds clear and offers a wider than expected volume range. Over several calls both to land lines and other mobile phones I got mostly positive reviews with only one mobile sounding hollow to the other caller. Listening to music from the Wing was just as easy and clear with the four sound modes make only minor differences to the sound. The NC1 offers multiple device pairing so you can listen to music from a different device and interrupt the music to answer your phone. Since I don't have a Bluetooth MP3 player I tested the Bluetooth stereo with my PS3 and a session of Warhawk. Again I found the pairing easy and fast. The in game communication was quite clear and no complaints about the quality of the mic were heard over several maps. That's better than the included mic has gotten me! Conclusion: Lets face it, today's top mobile phones are really just miniature PCs right? So why not get the best possible sound when using your phone or mobile music player. The NC1 headphones are easy to use and offer a unique way to store your headphones when not in use. You will probably make the call on a set like this bases on just how cool you think the necklace setup really is. The Lubix NC1 Stereo Headset is a competent Bluetooth phone system and the stereo setup is more than capable of bringing a clean music experience to you as well. For a more demanding user, Lubix also offers the LC1 with an Organic LED display for additional capabilities like Caller ID display .
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