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When it comes to headphones, comfort is always important. While neckband headphones aren't exactly new, they aren't common either as they can be quite uncomfortable due to the force applied to your ears. The P324 BT headphones do not solve this problem unfortunately.
After extended periods of use, I did find my ears getting a bit sore due to the force of the over the ear hooks. Over time, I did get used to wearing them but if your ears are particularly sensitive, then this is worth watching out for.
That said though, I do think that there is sufficient cushioning on the ear pads themselves. As far as neck band style headphones go, the design is on par with other options out there.
So why would Arctic choose a neckband design over something objectively more comfortable? Well these headphones are specifically made for those who live an active lifestyle. Not everyone likes ear buds, but you couldn't exactly go for a run with a traditional pair of over the ear headphones as they would just fall off.
With this in mind, the Arctic P324 works very well. I took these out in to the wild myself with a little help from my sidekick, Oscar (my dog). While running around, the ear hooks do a good job of keeping the headphones in place, I did not feel like they were slipping off of my head at all during use.
The fact that these headphones are wireless is an added bonus as it means you won't have any cables flailing around. I found wireless battery life to be very impressive as well. Assuming that you go out for an hour or so with these on each day, then you could easily make it through a week on a charge.
That wraps it up for comfort and usability. To round things off, lets talk about sound quality. The P324 BT headphones are very capable in this aspect, although there is only so much you can expect from a £20 pair of headphones.
Listening to podcasts was a joy with voices sounding accurate and clear. However, listening to more complicated tracks can reveal some flaws. I found that while listening to songs from the likes of Blink-182 or Bowling for Soup, the P324 comes across as very bass heavy. The sound also gets a bit ‘muddy' at times as the drivers struggled to clearly produce sounds in the mid to high frequency ranges.
This trend isn't limited to one genre though, these sound characteristics were consistent across the board.
Like I said though, there is only so much you can expect from a £20 pair of headphones. These are common flaws that you will find in many of the budget offerings available on the market. Overall, I preferred the sound coming from the P324 headphones compared to my generic Apple ear pods, which I usually use while I am out and about.
This is a sports headset through and through, you won't want to really use these for gaming. However, for casual music listening while you are on the move, these work very well.
