Icemat Siberia - Design Notes
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So, why a multi headset? The Siberia isn't just a headset, it also includes a microphone, which I suppose puts it under the “Multi” banner. A bit cheesy, but certainly a lot more marketable than naming it the “Icemat Audio Siberia Headset with Microphone.”
The first thing that got me was the color of the headset and all accessories. White. iPod white. If you're one of the millions who received a brand new iPod for Christmas, then these match rather nicely.
Although at first these seem like closed-ear headphones, the Siberia actually employs an open ear design. Right off the bat, you'll notice the extra space and cushioning on the headphones. This way, the speakers are never actually pressing against your hears, unlike with open ear and some closed ear headphone designs. You'll also notice that the speakers are angled slightly. That's because human ears pick up sound mostly from the front, and not very well from the back, especially at close distances. (This is why most 5.1 Dolby headphones fail to satisfy users.) At a front-side angle, the sound's direction is optimized for the clearest output possible.
Looking at the back, we notice that there are five air-holes. This not only keeps your ears from getting stuffy, it also gives the sound somewhere to go, instead of bottling it up and making the sound more bass-heavy. (Lower frequencies will stick around longer than higher ones.) Needless to say, these headphones aren't for those working in a multi-user environment. They won't block sound out and it won't take much for people around you to hear what you're listening to.
When wearing the headset for an extended period of time, I found that although the headphones were comfortable around my ear, putting almost no notable pressure on my jaw or making my ears feel stuffy, the auto-adjusting head strap caused a bit of discomfort after about 30 minutes of use.
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