I’ve done a testing of Logitech’s Zone Vibe 100 headphones and I’ve got mixed feelings about them.
When I pulled them out of the box, I noted they only had 17% and lost 2% after about 10 seconds. However, this seemed to be because they needed a charge, so I left them charging overnight to try again the next day.
After almost an hour of use, they lost 5% which seems to be a pretty durable battery life.
They are chunky looking, and can get a bit uncomfortable after a while of sitting on your head due to the design, but while on they feel comfortable and don’t hurt the ears at all.
The ones I have are a dusty grey colour and have a soft head piece molded to the top of the head that are quite comfortable. Its headphones that sit around the ears, however, aren’t as comfortable and make you want to remove them after a while.
There is a fabric covering on the headpiece, and around the earpieces that provide extra comfort, and additionally, there is a plastic coating around the outer parts and microphone.
There is also an adjustable spring, allowing for the perfect fitting and comfort for any size head.
The microphone has a frequency response of 100~8KHz, with the speakers having a frequency response of 20~20KHz for music, and 100~8KHz for talk mode.
With a driver size of 40mm, and a built in battery made of lithium ion, the battery life is claimed to last up to 18 hours of talk time, and 20 hours of listening time, however it was hard to test this as I was only at work for approximately 8 hours and was unable to use them the whole time, however, with the loss of only 5% after almost an hour, I would stand by the battery life claims.
The Bluetooth headphones are version 5.2 and have a range of 30m in an open field line of sight, and are compatible with Windows, MacOS, ChromeOS, and Bluetooth enabled iOS and Android devices.
Offering a one year warranty, the earphones also come with a USB-C charging cable, travel bag and user documentation alongside the headset in the box.
Now onto the sound quality.
This headset has amazing noise cancellation, as just wearing them blocks out sound from my voice and the person next to me.
When music is playing, it is almost impossible to note the surroundings around me. And that’s with the volume on low!
I had the volume on four bars and was fully immersed in the music I was listening to and had no idea what was happening around me.
The outside was completely and utterly blocked out and all I could hear was the music.
Now depending on the song, you could notice more of the surroundings, like bass boosted music and upbeat songs blocked out the surroundings more than slower ballads did, but the noise cancellation was great with any song.
With some headsets/earbuds you need to turn the volume loud to produce active, working noise cancellation, but with these, it was automatic.
When it came to calls, the person on the other end of the line could hear me perfectly with and without a mask on, however I had to turn the sound up all the way in a quiet hallway just to hear them. So if you were to use these for a call on a busy train or out in public, they wouldn’t work.
When the microphone is brought down for use, an automated voice says “mute off” and when it’s positioned back up, it says “mute on” so as long as the microphone is up the headset is on mute.
Along the outside of the ear parts, there are some buttons that make it easier to do what you want to without the need to take out your phone.
There is a play/pause button for music, a volume up and down button, and a phone button which is used to make a phone call.
The on/off switch appears at the bottom of the earpieces next to the charging port, which indicates a light when on, and when charging. When it is charging it flashes, and once fully charged it just stays on. Once the device is turned off, the light will also turn off.
One thing to note, is these headphones require an app downloaded on your phone to be able to connect properly and be used.
The app indicates the percentage of the headset, and equaliser option which can be changed between ‘default,’ ‘volume boost,’ ‘podcast,’ ‘bass boost,’ and ‘custom.’
It also has sleep settings which tells the device when to sleep if it’s idle, ranging between 5 minutes and never.
There is toggle switch for voice prompts, a choice of language for the headset, a toggle for ‘rotate to mute’ and shows which devices are connected to them.
The user documentation does warn that “break-in bursts” such as sound cutting out or unexpected volume change, are possible in an unstable environment such as an airplane, and warns of possible long term damage to hearing along with a warning to not replace the battery yourself.
It also indicates a sound pressure level table versus permissible noise exposure during the day.
These can be purchased online from the Logitech website ($179.95 AUD), JB Hi-Fi ($179.00 AUD), Harvey Norman ($109.00 AUD) and The Good Guys ($107.00 AUD).
Available for purchase in graphite, rose, and off white colours.
CONCLUSION:
In my honest opinion, I wouldn’t rush out to get these, as my main use for headsets is for phone calls, which doesn’t work too well with these.
They are great for noise cancellation and music listening, but definitely fall short in some areas.
I do believe using these for extended periods of time could lead to gradual hearing loss down the track as they are excellent with cancelling out background noise.
They have a comfortable fit but for an extended period of time, they will become a bit uncomfortable, and I felt I needed to remove them for a while before continuing use.
RATING:
7/10
PROS:
- Excellent Noise Cancellation
- Supreme Music Listening
- Outside Callers Can Hear Perfectly With The Microphone
- Voice Prompts/Easy to Use Side Buttons
- Three Colours to Choose From
CONS:
- Hard to Hear Outside Callers Through Headset
- Becomes Uncomfortable After A While
- Requires An App Download
