When Philippe Starck lends his creative ingenuity to the world of technology, you birth the latest in sound that’s not only fashionable ‘ear candy’ and pleasing to the eye, but completely wireless superior sound; the result…the Parrot Zik 3 headphones.
Zik 3’s reinvention dubbed ‘everything a pair of headphones should offer’, is the latest instalment by Parrot, a Paris based tech company specializing in designing and developing advanced wireless products. When the guys at Red Agency Sydney called up and offered to road test these beauties, how could I say no.
Visually, it’s hard not to gravitate to any of the designs on offer. With some of the current market headphone feeling and looking a little plastic fantastic, the crocodile texture, overstitched detail or leather grain finish in a range of colours, makes these even more worth the dollars.
Comfortably cupping the ear, then came the sound. Needless to say, they are amazing. But it’s not just the sound that gets most people moving, from finger touch technology, skipping your tracks is done by swiping you earpiece left or right, volume moving up or down and the auto noise cancelling technology makes this set a pretty adaptable pair. Plus everything is completely wireless, even the battery charging.
To make sure I share with you guys the exact specs and in-detailed functionally this awesome creation can deliver, I got the full tech text on precisely what these puppies can do and what you should expect if you pick up a pair for yourself:
Completely wireless and super-intuitive
Wireless charging:
Parrot Zik 3 is compatible with wireless Qi chargers. Charging time is 2 hours for 18 hours of autonomy.
Bluetooth & NFC connections:
Parrot Zik 3 is compatible with all mobile phones available on the market and accepts a variety of music sources (audio via Bluetooth and through a three-point minijack cable for connection to all audio and video systems, like those available in planes). Parrot Zik 3 also embeds NFC technology for easy pairing.
A capacitive command panel:
Located on the entire surface of the right earpiece, a touch panel allows easy access to the Parrot Zik 3’s basic functions in a very intuitive manner. A vertical movement of the finger adjusts the volume, a horizontal swipe changes tracks and a tap pauses the music.
Head detection:
The Parrot Zik 3 detects when you remove the headphones and automatically pauses the music. Putting them back on your head prompts the music to resume playing.
Highly technical for quality audio without compromise
Automatic, adaptive, active noise control:
The Parrot Zik 3 benefits from powerful adaptive noise control. The headphones’ microphones capture surrounding noise and an algorithm combines these signals to generate opposing acoustic waves, creating noise reduction up to 30 decibels.
The ANC can be managed manually with the dedicated app or left to automatically adapt to surrounding noise.
Street Mode:
A patented algorithm compensates for the isolation from the earpiece by re-injecting part of the surrounding noise. This algorithm also removes the occlusion effect, commonly experienced with closed headphones. During a phone conversation, for example, this mode enables a natural perception of your own voice, offering optimised listening comfort and eliminating sensations of isolation.
USB audio compatible:
The Parrot Zik 3 allows you to listen to your music in lossless Hi-Fi quality with a virtual 5.1 surround sound and charge your headphones at the same time.
HD telephone:
Whether you are on a noisy street, in a windy place or on public transportation, phone conversations are crystal clear thanks to powerful algorithms isolating your voice from surrounding noises.
Compatible with ‘Voice HD’ technology, the Parrot Zik 3 offers a natural voice quality during calls, as if the person on the other line was seated next to you.
A dedicated application compatible with ‘modern’ devices
The dedicated ‘Parrot Zik’ app for smartphones and tablets is now compatible with Apple Watch and Android Wear!
It enables you to ‘tune’ your headphones to your musical tastes and to listen to music tuned by artists.
Parrot Concert Hall:
Recreates the acoustics of a living room, a concert hall or a jazz club.
Equalizer:
Enables to adjust the sound of Parrot Zik 3 in a fast and intuitive way.
Producer Mode:
Tune your headphones like the professionals do in studio thanks to a high-performance five-band, full-parametric equaliser combined with a proprietary spatialisation effect.
Tuned By:
Access audio presets created by artists and listen to their music the way they want it to sound on the Parrot Zik. You can also download presets created and shared by other Parrot Zik users.
In the package
40 mm neodymium speakers
32-bit processor
Frequency range of 20Hz – 22kHz
Width: 175 mm, Height: 202 mm, Depth: 39.3mm, Weight: 275g
Works with a rechargeable Li-Ion battery.
The headphones come with:
1 Li-Ion battery (830mAh) 1 USB/micro USB cable
1 three-point mini jack 3 cable 1 protective pouch
1 quick-start guide
Pricing
Well like I eluded to earlier, they don’t come cheap; but as we all know if you’re after quality be it suiting, shoes or headphones, you may just have to put in a couple of extra hours behind the desk. With an approx price tag of $599 AUD, possibly share your Christmas wish list early for the saving to start.
Stay dapper gent.
Robbie – Dapper Lounge.
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