#haltechtv

Here’s the spec:

FLX: (without L.N.A, with L.N.A, with U.L.N.A)

Max rpm 12000, 1050, 900

Airflow(m3/h) 115.5, 101.9, 88.7

Noise(db(A)) 19.2, 16.4, 13.8

Static Presure (mmH2O) 1.51, 1.18, 0.89

ULN: (without L.N.A, with L.N.A)

Max rpm 800, 650

Airflow(m3/h) 79.8, 66.4

Noise(db(A)) 11.6, 9.1

Static Presure (mmH2O) 0.69, 0.42

Accessories: 30cm Extension cable, Low Noise adaptor, Ultra low noise adaptor(FLX only), Molex adaptor, anti-vibration mounts, standard screws.

Design: So seeing as both the ULN and FLX work of the same chassis it would be pointless to provide separate design reviews for each fan, so to start it off we will work inwards from the cable.

As general practice Noctua provides a 20cm sleeved cable, wired to the fan, if this is too short they also supply a 30cm sleeved extension cable as well. In my opinion the sleeving of the cables is the highest quality I have ever come across, it has a waxy feel too it and does not feel cheap by any stretch of the imagination. It also does not separate when squashed. The sleeving however finishes when it meets the fan and does not continue all the way through to the motor, although it is like this on every fan to my knowledge, I feel that Noctua have the potential to design some way of integrating the cables a little better in this respect.

On all 4 corners on each side of the fan we have the integrated anti-vibration pads first seen on the NF-F12, I did and still do to this day feel that this for some reason is my favourite feature out of every fan I have worked with, I don't know why but I feel that these while being perfect for their job, give the fan a little bit more of a 'premium' look that easily detracts from the colour scheme. Using these in conjunction with the anti-vibration mounts is definitely a cool combo to use.

At the corners again, moving in from the pads we see the stepped inlet design, another feature we first saw on the NF-F12, for future notice we will see a lot of these designs further into the review. This design is said to help direct the air into the fan in a more efficient manner. While I can not prove if this is true or not I can definitely say that just like the anti-vibration pads, these make the fan LOOK good.

Down the insides of the chassis we see the inner surface microstructures (see the previous paragraph for where we saw these last). Essentialy this is designed to create a kind of air buffer between the fan blades and chassis lowering noise from the blades. I guess it speaks for its self when we look at the performance later on.

The Above 3 create what is known as the AAO (Advanced Acoustic Operation) frame, from this I believe that we will be seeing these integrated a lot more in the future which I am happy about.

Moving on from that we have a NEW feature with this new range. It is called the flow acceleration channels and basically what they are is another feature that helps direct the airflow in a manner that reduces the noise produced while even speeding the air up through the fan. Now the shape of the blades is very curved, something I have never really liked in a fan, I am more into fans with sharp powerful looking blades. These channels however add that little extra touch that give it a bit of that feel to it.

Putting all of that to the side though and focusing on the main piece of this fan, the heart of it essentially, the motor and bearing unit. On this product we have the second revision of the self stabilising oil-pressure bearings by Noctua, these are expensive bearings compared to what most competitors use and it is reflected in the performance. To add to this we also have the bearings are surrounded in a brass shell to help  performance in the long term.

The overall chassis and build quality is to a standard I never seen on any competitor fans. The chassis does not bend at all and feels very secure.

Performance:

NF-A14 FLX: It pushes a good amount of air and at a low noise, you can't hear the motor or bearings unless putting your ear right next to the fan, this keeps the nosise the fan produces at a good low hum that is barely noticable due to it's frequency.

NF-A14 ULN: With a maximum rotational speed being lower than the FLX's lowest this fan doesn't push anywhere near the amount of air however what you get is due to the lower speed, absolutely NO noise. This is because the fan goes so slow the amount of turbulence created is so minimal you wont hear it. This fan is basically silent for all intents and purposes.

 Conclusion:  an arguably expensive fan just like most of Noctua's range, this however is a price worth paying because not only does the build quality reflect the price but so does the performance.The colour scheme is a way of making sure other people KNOW you have noctua fans, bragging rights guys...

Verdict:

Rating- 9/10

Value- 8/10

Unboxing Video: Noctua NF-A14 ULN & FLX 140mm Fan Unboxing

Closed-type Yes

Wearing style Circum-Aural

30mm & 40mm drivers in each cup

Inbuilt pre-amp including 450mAh battery

In-line smartphone compatible mic

Speaker impedance 32Ω

Speaker sensitivity 116dB @ 1KHz

Frequency response 20Hz -20KHz

Microphone size 4.0x1.5mm

Microphone sensitivity -58dB

Design: Unfortunately part of my job is to point out everything good AND bad about a product even if it's not a big deal in the real world.

The pair of headphones as shown in the spec feature an in-line microphone which IS compatible with smartphones due to the 4 point connection on the 3.5mm jack, I really like this feature as it opens the headset to a larger market.

The small compartment holding the mic also holds a hidden button to use for voice control and such on your smartphone, for a 'gaming' headset this is seeming even more of an adaptable everyday use headset which I like.

Here's a few niggles for you though. With the 3.5mm jack needing to be split into mic and headphones for a computer when gaming,video calling etc. it comes with an adaptor which seems good quality but just stands out like a sore thumb. The NC2-2's have a custom molded connector but the adaptor is a generic adaptor with no branding or anything, I would have liked to see this custom aswell, maybe a sort of 'lock and key' style adaptor that fits perfectly with the shape of the headset jack.

I have the same issue with the charging connector for the battery, no custom styling either and it feels very thin and stiff comparatively.

Focusing back on the headset now we have the 1.2m cable. The 3.5mm jack, cable and headset connection all feel sturdy and secure giving me no reason for concern at all.

The cable leads into the left ear cup which houses the controls for the power, volume and bass. For those who aren't already aware these headphones feature 2 speakers in each cup (Bass & Treble) and have a pre-amp to amplify the bass.

The power button has a nice click to it and you don't see any lag to turn them off or on. The volume and bass controls while being a nice feature I feel that the controls themselves and the cuts in the plastic have a cheap feel to them, this is just aesthetics though and not a functional issue.

From this point on most of my thoughts on this product are nothing but good which in this case is impressive so props to Oblanc on that.

Part of the cups on the NC2-2's is glossy and can come in various colours (see the Oblanc website for options) giving me an idea that as they have various different versions for the same chassis, maybe they could release some special editions colours or some colours limited to the higher up versions.

Being designed around the 'UFO' they have a few metal grill sections which on the left side hides the LED which lights up blue when on, Red when charging or purple when mixed through doing both. Being metal grills this going back to what I said before could be an idea for special editions or for those modders out there an opportunity to paint and customise yourself.

Where the headband connects to the cup it is similar in design to the HA-S4X and has a nice range of movement giving a good fit but staying strong at the same time.

The Oblanc logo is just about everywhere on these headphones yet they have managed to pull it off and make it look good which I like.

Metal is yet again featured in the sliders on this headset which could also maybe be painted. I like seeing metal in these kinds of products but it also makes me question the strength of the plastic and why or if metal was actually necessary

The top of the headband and cups feature a leatherette style padding, making them comfortable to wear however for me they feel a little tight and over long periods of time I do need to take a rest from wearing them.

On the right side we have the micro usb charging port for the internal battery.

Performance: This is where most companies fail when it comes to entering a new market, Oblanc definitely have not failed here. they sound as good as the more well known competition and better in a lot of cases.

Most companies when implementing more than one driver in each cup have issues with making them sound balanced, Not these.

When the pre-amp isn't in use by turning the bass down to its lowest we have a pair of headphones perfect for use during phone calls, listening to music, video editing and such, then when we turn up the bass and activate the pre-amp we have a pair of headphones perfect for games, movies, music where we want that extra bit of 'oomph'.

With the bass turned up full I actually feel my head and ear lobes shaking like crazy and get scared I'm going to damage my hearing even more than it already is.

Active noise cancelling isn't a feature with these headphones but I don't feel that it's necessary because with the headphones turned up I can't hear anything from the outside. Noise isolation is a problem though. Even though these headphones are stated to be closed-back the noise isolation is about as good as an open pair.... so not very good.

Conclusion: For a companies first range of headphones these are very impressive, they remind me very much of Fractal Designs Define series, They released a good product that caught everyone's attention and although it had they few problems and possible improvements they were good cases. The issues here are just little niggles I had that companies only really improve upon through experience in the market.

The headphones are very impressive and have a long list of features making them a great choice for just about everyone no matter what area of the market your looking at.

Sound quality is excellent and the bass control is just an added bonus to the whole experience.

Verdict:

Rating- 8.5/10

Value- 9/10

Unboxing: Oblanc NC2-2 UFO Unboxing