Parrot Zik 2.0 is now slimmer and prettier

Home / News / Parrot Zik 2.0 is now slimmer and prettier

I’ve already got some decent headphones. Why should I get these?
Oh yeah, stick with what you’ve got. What do any of us really need, anyway? Food in our bellies, a roof over our heads and a job in order to pay the taxman. Maybe a Nokia 3210 for those times when a written letter is just a little too slow to tell her that you’re running late for your date. Bit of Snake for entertainment on special occasions. Perfect, yes?

Oh. One of those days, is it?
Well, the cloud of dismissiveness in which you live is poisonous to us. Just look at these colourful cans! Don’t they just make you think, before hearing anything about their capabilities, that they’ll bring incremental gains to your pursuit of happiness just by being on your noggin?

The previous Ziks were rather austere, weren’t they?
Apart from the latter-day gold versions, yes. And a little chunky, too. But that’s been refined for the 2.0s. Philippe Starck is still involved in the overall design, but they’ve slimmed down from 325g to a more lug-load compliant 270g. The soft-touch plastic has been replaced by a leathery something, and the cups have been made more comfortable. But it’s not all colour and cosiness, the new versions are yet more capable of conjuring up a capital cacophony.

Well, that’s good to hear.
The headphones have no fewer than eight microphones for measuring ambient noise levels, as well as a bone conduction microphone for better voice clarity during handsfree calls. There’s a better DAC onboard, and an improved Android/iOS app that lets you muck about with the equaliser and noise cancellation levels. That is, unless you’ve downloaded your favourite band’s custom EQ – a original Zik feature that continues with the new version. The swipy touch-sensitive music controls on the headphones also remain.

Hmm, lots going on. Does that mean poor battery life?
Well, kind of. Bluetooth 3.0 is your wireless option, and with that going on you’re only looking at six hours of playback. But you can plug in the bundled audio cable and listen for up to 18 hours, without sacrificing the app features or noise cancellation. Hooray!

Have you cheered up a bit now?
Yep! Consider the air well and truly cleared and gadget joy levels restored. The only cloud is that the Zik 2.0 won’t be available until November. But at least the £230 price tag is on the money for big tech drum-bumpers like these.

About

Fraser used to wear a Psion Series 3 palmtop in a shoulder holster. Perhaps he still does.Either way, his lifelong mission - including fourteen years for Stuff - has been to see whether the consumer electronics industry can ever replicate that kind of cyborgian joy.So far: nope. Despite a plan to combine a action camera and Olympus Eye-Trek goggles to become Man Who Sees The Vision Of A Man Three Inches Taller Than Himself.He also likes mountain bikes, motorbikes, cars, helicopters. Still thinks virtual surround is witchcraft. Dislikes jetskis, despite never having been on one.