PARIS: French electronics manufacturer, Parrot has unveiled its new Zik 2.0 headphones. The Zik 2.0 headphones are Bluetooth wireless, controlled by a sophisticated app, and renowned designer Philippe Starck has made them look gorgeous enough for the catwalk.
In sunshine yellow pads and curved steel swivel hooks earned compliments for its fashion credentials; most notable in the styling is the absence of wires, which lets fans walk around with total freedom and answer phone calls hands-free.
The fit is superb and the noise cancelling function bang on; with four microphones to assess ambient noise, it’s precise enough to silence a humming fridge while you’re next to it, which makes the Zik a great choice for long-haul flights.
Under the magnetic ear cover users will find a lithium battery, which is easily replaced if they need more than 10 hours of charge.
The app interface is easy to navigate, with a circle that lets you control the sound – use thumb to mix between vocal sound for podcasts and deep punchy bass for hip-hop, or add some room acoustics for more tone and reverb.
The audio presets include a “golden voice” selection created by 2014 Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst, which the Austrian drag queen says she adapted to suit her favourite diva voices, Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand.
For smartphones with NFC, pairing is as a simple as touching phone to the left ear cover. A proximity sensor shuts the headphones down when you take them off your ears, to save battery life. Another nice touch is the soft-touch slider for volume control on the earpiece.
For people with big heads, Zik’s sizing may be on the small side. But if the Zik fits, and fans can fork out $500, there’s plenty of flair and tweakability on these stunning designer headphones. RRP $499.99 at Apple, Myer, Tech2Go and audio stores.
