The new direction of the brand’s product development in the field of TWS headsets is quite natural – nowadays, few people go in for sports without their favorite music or podcasts in their ears. Adidas has introduced two types of headsets to the market, differing not only in form factor, but also in price – ZNE 01 (earbuds) and ZNE 01 ANC (in-ear with active noise cancellation). Accordingly, the first ones are more suitable for everyday long-term use, they have budget equipment and one color option. The second option aims at the premium segment, has a rich filling and two types of colors (I had a light gray in my hands). The difference between the two models is quite strong, and the price is double. Let’s see how well the brand coped with such an important parameter for headphones as ergonomics, what the novelty is capable of in terms of sound and how things are with autonomy.
Appearance and ergonomics
Adidas ZNE 01 ANC is vaguely reminiscent of AirPods Pro in its shape: the main filling is concentrated in an oblong oval body, and a microphone is located in a small leg. On the inside, there is a skin indicator that determines whether the headphones are on or off, which supports auto-pause. On the outer side of the leg, as on sportswear, there is a decorative mesh covering the microphones.
Music control is carried out by touching the touch pad. The contact zone is located on the outer side of the headphone housing, just above the microphone grid. The headset quickly and correctly detects touches, but when removing and putting on, the finger itself lies in the active area, which is why I sometimes had false positives. It seems to me that the most reliable and error-free option would be control by tapping.
A short and long single press is the same for both headphones – play / pause and turn on the transparency or noise reduction mode. A quick double-tap on the right switches the track forward, on the left – back.
Such ergonomics of earplugs has been tested not only by time, but also by other manufacturers of in-ear headphones. Adidas ZNE 01 ANC fit securely in the ear, do not fall out during outdoor sports. Including the headset is not afraid of sweat or raindrops thanks to IPX5 protection, but it is not recommended to completely immerse them in water.
The angularity of the appearance gives the headset a certain uniqueness and distinguishes it from the competition. Matte plastic perfectly resists soiling, and the ribs on the outside of the case make it easier to remove the headset from the case.
The charging case to match the headphones is made of matte plastic and has corrugated edges. This has a positive effect on the tenacity of the body, even when the hands are dry. In addition, scratches with scuffs are not visible on it and dust does not stick. The reverse side of the coin of such a design decision is a certain toy and lack of a sense of premium.
Another not very pleasant moment for me was a noticeable smell of plastic inside the case.
The manufacturer interestingly combined the brand logo with a rubberized pairing button. When connected for the first time, the headphones themselves enter the visibility mode, after which it remains only to find them in the Bluetooth settings of the smartphone.
Sound and microphone
On paper, the sound of the Adidas ZNE 01 ANC should be at the level of the market leaders, because Zound Industries, which develops such well-known brands as Marshall and Urbanears, is responsible for their filling.
The advertised 6mm driver, in my experience, tends to show brighter mids but weaker lows. In practice, it turned out to be quite the opposite. The headset has an excellent rich sound with an emphasis on bass and good mids. However, the crystal-clear sound of the ZNE 01 ANC lacks more elaborate highs. Fortunately, the proprietary Adidas Headphones application allows you to fine-tune the sound using the equalizer, where there are already prepared presets and the ability to manually adjust each.
For speech transmission, the headset has 3 microphones, 2 of which are reserved for noise reduction. In a quiet room, the voice sounds loud, but the clarity is not enough, and next to a noisy road, the noise reduction is too aggressive, which occasionally disappears the endings of words, but at the same time the volume is at a good high level.
Thanks to the in-ear form factor and snug fit in the ear, the Adidas ZNE 01 ANC are pretty good at blocking out ambient noise on their own. But the company has given the user the ability to further enhance the immersion in their own playlist through active noise cancellation. Well, as in any self-respecting sports-oriented headset, the review hero has a transparency mode in order to hear the surrounding space and not get injured, for example, while jogging or walking in the fresh air. Both modes, in my opinion, work rather weakly. I practically did not feel the difference between simple passive noise cancellation and active. The same applies to the transparency mode – there was practically no amplification of sounds, except that the high ones were slightly amplified to the ear.
autonomy
The manufacturer does not cover the battery capacity of the case and headphones, but guarantees 6 hours of operation without ANC and 4.5 with activated noise reduction. Together with the case, the total operating time can be 26 hours. In practice, these figures are not far from the truth. In my usage scenario with continuous ANC operation, the headphones were discharged by 45% in 2 hours.
And although there is no fast charging of the case (full replenishment occurs in 3 hours), but in 15 minutes the headphones are inside, they are able to work for another 1 hour.
Review
If we consider the Adidas ZNE 01 ANC as the company’s debut in the production of a premium wireless headset, then it can rightfully be called a success. It is worth paying tribute to the manufacturer, because he did not save on the stuffing of the headphones, installing high-quality speakers, microphones and a capacious battery in them. The sound pleases with juicy bass and a high volume margin, when recording speech, the voice sounds clear and loud, and 6 hours of battery life can be considered an excellent indicator. I also consider the use of matte plastic to be a good solution in terms of resisting soiling and scuffs. The negative aspect of the matte plastic, coupled with the low weight of the device, is the lack of a premium feel of the product, despite the $190 price tag.
I can add to the disadvantages the weak operation of the transparency mode and noise reduction, as well as possible false clicks on the touch control panel.
pros
- Good ergonomics with a secure and comfortable fit.
- Anti-slip case edges and lid with fixed open position.
- Bright sound with emphasis on low frequencies.
- The ability to adjust the sound in a proprietary application.
- Good voice transmission in both quiet and noisy environments.
- Long battery life of 6 hours in normal mode.
Minuses
- Indistinct operation of the transparency mode and noise reduction.
- Possible false positives of the touchpad.
- A noticeable smell of plastic inside the case.
Source: Trash Box
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
