The Inateck Lacerta noise isolating earphones are a corded headset that features a dual dynamic driver that deliver high-definition sound quality. The headset also supports hands-free calling.
The quality of build with the Lacerta earphones feels solid with wire-wrapped cords for extra durability. Available through Amazon.com, the Inateck Lacerta earphones produce quality sound, offer a comfortable fit and at just over $20 USD, the earphones are also budget-friendly.
We recently covered Inateck's Bluetooth Weatherproof Headphones and now check out a wired solution for your audio needs. The Inateck Lacerta offers a dual dynamic driver that delivers noise-isolating, high definition sound quality. According to the company, this offers clear mids, sufficient bass and transparent treble. In using the Inateck Lacerta earphones, this translates to pretty decent sound quality.
The design of the Lacerta earphones doesn't stray too far from your traditional style of earbud headphones. The earphone's cord is wrapped with a thin wire to give the earphones a textured feel and a little more durability than your average set of earphones. The body of each earpiece is made of what appears to be aluminum. Soft silicone tips offer a comfortable and secure fit for the Lacerta's earpieces. You also have an adjustment slider on the Lacerta's cord to allow you to reduce or increase the amount of loose cord between the earpieces.
About six inches down from the right earpiece you will find Lacerta's control panel that will control your hands-free calling features and playback control. The controls on this panel include volume controls and a multi-function button that takes care of answering calls, play/pause, and audio track movement. Audio playback is paused for incoming calls and resumed once the call is ended.
The Lacerta earphones have a comfortable fit and feel solidly built. The earphones come packaged with a carrying case, a small assortment of different sizes of ear tips, a clothing clip, and a headphone airline adapter.
Performance
Sound quality with the Inateck Lacerta earphones is good; probably a step or two above your standard earbud headphones. The earphones also filter out noise nicely, allowing you to tune out the world and concentrated on your audio playback. While the sound quality is the Lacerta's strength, the earphones fall a little short with the control panel.
While you have dedicated volume up and down buttons, the center multi-function button takes on a heavy workload. For audio playback, the center button controls your play/pause features as well as your track advancement or replay feature. To advance to the next song, you will need to quickly tap the center button twice and to move to the previous song you need to quickly tap the button three times. This system works, but I often found myself pushing the button too slow, which paused the audio.
You need to quickly tap the center button three times to move to the previous song.
For hands-free calling, the volume buttons continue to control the volume. The center button controls your answer and end call feature as well as the reject call feature. And that summarizes the Inateck Lacerta's hands-free calling features. The earphones lack any re-dial functions or Cortana access.
As far as hands-free calling performance, the Inateck Lacerta earphones performed rather nicely. The microphone that is positioned on the right earpiece did a good job of picking up my voice, and calls came through in a clear manner.
One final note on the Lacerta's control panel is that the unit has an A/B switch on the back side of the panel. If you are inclined to use the earphones with an iPhone, for compatibility purposes, the switch needs to be set in the A position. When used with a Windows Phone (or Android device), the switch will need to be set in the B position.
Overall Impressions
The Inateck Lacerta earphones offer appealing sound quality in a durable, comfortable package. While they lack the wireless convenience of a set of Bluetooth headphones, a wired connection isn't necessarily a bad thing. You don't have to worry about losing connection or the battery running low with wired earphones. You also have the versatility of using the earphones with other devices that sport a 3.5mm headphone jack.
While build and sound quality are a notch or two above your standard earbud styled headphones, the only drawback to the Inateck Lacerta earphones is the control panel. As designed, the panel relies on the center button to control too many features. The layout works but will take some time to get used to. I would have preferred a slightly longer control panel to accommodate a second set of buttons to control track management.
Priced at $21.99 through Amazon.com, the Inateck Lacerta earphones are priced slightly higher than some earbud styled headphones, but they remain budget friendly. If you prefer a wired solution for your audio enjoyment and hands-free calling, the Inateck Lacerta earphones are worth considering.
