IdeaUSA S204 Bluetooth Headphone Review

Fresh off the truck is a pair of IdeaUSA S204 AtomicX Bluetooth headphones. The S204 is an over the ear style unit with a built-in microphone, Bluetooth connectivity, accepts a 3.5mm auxiliary jack, and a micro USB charger. It is also portable and comes with a clam shell carrying case. Let’s take an in-depth look at what IdeaUSA is offering with the S204.

Specifications & Features

Packaging & Contents

The Packaging for the AtomicX S204 is a cigar style box with a magnetic closure flap. It is of good quality and should protect the headphones well from the normal bangs and bumps associated with shipping and handling. Features for this headset are printed on the top and bottom. Opening the box we find the headset, micro USB charging cord, audio patch cable, manual, and warranty card all neatly packed away inside a carry case.

A Closer Look

With the packaging set aside lets take a closer look at what IdeaUSA offers us in the S204.

Headset

The headset is an over the ears “can” type. The ear pieces are padded with a vinyl-like material that is soft and comfortable. They fold in toward each other for storing or transporting. The frame looks to be a black brushed aluminum with the AtomicX logo printed in white on each side. The right and left side are adjustable up to one inch to fit most every head. The crown of the frame is padded in more of the vinyl like material and is equally as comfortable. Located inside the frame an “L” and “R” are stamped to notify the wearer which side is which. At the back of the right earpiece from top down is the multi-function button, LED indicator, volume up/next track button, and volume down/previous track. The very bottom of the right earpiece is where you find the micro USB port, microphone, and 3.5mm audio jack.

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Carry Case

The carry case is black and made of a semi-firm fabric that resembles a much stiffer denim. There is an IdeaUSA logo printed on the top in white and utilizes a zipper for the closure method. The front of the clam shell case features a small nylon loop presumably for attaching a D-ring or other device. The inside is lined completely in a soft cotton. Located inside the lid is a mesh pocket for storing the USB and audio cord.

USB and Audio Cord

The micro USB charger is 70cm long and can only be used to charge the S204, not transfer audio. The 3.5mm audio cord is 130cm long and is used to transmit audio from both the earpieces and microphone when not using Bluetooth. It is also useful when the battery to the headset runs out as it will then function as any other headset.

Operation

The S204 Headset is turned on by pressing and holding the multi function button. This is the top button and has an image of a phone. Once on, there is an audible tone and the LED indicator begins flashing blue. This is how you know the headset is on. The LED will indicate that it has entered the discovery mode. This is when you should scan for devices with your Bluetooth compatible phone, tablet, or whatever device you chose to use. Once paired there will be another audible tone and the LED will change its flash sequence.

With the headset paired up, all audio will be transmitted through the headset. When there is an incoming call press the multi-function button to answer. During calls and/or gaming the microphone will be active. Adjusting the volume is exactly as you would expect, volume up to raise the volume, and volume down to lower it. To mute the microphone either in game or during a call simply press and hold the volume down button for two seconds. There will be an audible tone to notify you that the microphone is muted. Every few seconds the mute tone will sound to remind you that you are muted. To un-mute simple press and hold the volume down again for two seconds until the sound is heard again. Pressing the multi-function button during a call will end it. If you wish to reject an incoming call press and hold the volume up button. You can also use the volume up button to transfer a call.

If using the headset to listen to music you can skip to the next track by pressing the volume up button. Of course you can also listen to the previous track by pressing the volume down button. During playback the multi-function is used to engage the pause and play.

The 3.5mm audio cable is great for listening to music or even for phone usage with the headset off as it functions as a typical headset with microphone. Using the headset in this manner disables the buttons and will conserve the battery life for your extended gaming sessions. You can expect to get roughly 10 hours of Bluetooth usage in before the battery finally needs to be recharged.

Conclusion

I’ve found using the IdeaUSA AtomicX S204 to be enjoyable. Music sounds fantastic through these cans and while gaming I noticed only minor delay which was also present with conventional headphones. To tell the truth I generally don’t enjoy the larger “can” style headphone as my ears and head get too warm fairly quickly. Still, this set seemed to be of little bother concerning that and I was able to game for several hours at a time before needing a break. They are very comfortable. The ear and crown padding is soft but holds firmly in place.

This headset is easy to use and the buttons are a different enough size to easily determine which button is which without having to remove the set from your head. I found the 3.5mm audio cable to be a little short for gaming usage and should be another 100-150mm longer. This is only minor as most users will only use the audio cable if they forget to charge the battery or if they game excessively long sessions. Amazon currently has the IdeaUSA S204 listed for $58.90 with free shipping. At this price range it is a very good bargain and well worth the small investment.

– Blaylock