Zeus Outdoor vs Sony WH-1000XM2

The Zeus Outdoor combines Bluetooth connectivity, water resistance and active noise cancelling with a thumpy sound signature. These are fun to listen to, convenient to use and can resist damage due to moisture at a good price.

These connect to a sound source via Bluetooth, so only a very short cable connects the two earpieces. This can help improve your mobility and minimize cable-related distractions.

Ambient sound leaking in to your music can be drastically reduced by the active noise cancelling feature. You can better focus on your music, as well as your run/work out.

These have an IPX7 rating which makes them water resistant so they can be used while running, even when it's raining. Do take note that submerging these headphones beyond a certain depth will negate their water resistance.

Bass hits are powerful and forward, which should complement the upbeat and thumping music that most people listen to when working out. Highs and mids are recessed though, so these are best for bass lovers.

Ear hooks are attached to the earpieces which provide extra grip over your ears, so these will not fall off easily. The short connecting cable also minimizes the weight that may pull down on the earpieces .

You get a number of silicone ear tips in different sizes, some foam ear tips as well as a carrying case.

These can last up to 8 hours of continuous music playback.

The bass has good punch and control which works really well with most genres of music. The mids are slightly forward at just the right levels, which ensures that vocals can be clearly heard. The highs are emphasized and sound great with a lot of clarity and detail, especially on the upper registers.

Swiping or tapping on the right ear cup's surface can pause or play track, go to the next track or go back to the previous one and can control volume levels as well. Also, the right ear cup has more of a textured surface compared to the old MDR1000x model's smooth, leather-like surface. This makes gesture control much more accurate on the WH-1000XM2.

If you need to talk while using these, all you need to do is to cover the right ear cup with the palm of your hand. This activates Quick Attention mode which cuts off the music and amplifies voice for easy conversation. To get back to listening to music, all you need to do is to remove the palm from the ear cup.

Aside from just turning noise cancelling on or off, users can set it to Ambient Sound which offers 2 further options.Normal Mode allows some outside noise through, while Voice Mode allows voice frequencies through the noise cancelling.

The WH1000XM2 comes with a companion mobile app that allows you to easily tweak the various settings of the headphones including EQ and noise cancelling levels. The app can also take advantage of the accelerometers in your smartphone as you move, adjusting noise cancelling and audio settings on the fly to give you the optimal listening experience.

These have great noise isolating properties and can block out a good amount of sound even with the noise cancelling off. The ear cups are closed back, while the ear pads go over the ear and seal well, awhich effectively minimizes sound leakage to and from the headphones.

The ear cups can be folded into the headband. This reduces the headphones' size so that it can easily fit inside bags.

The WH-1000XM2's active noise cancelling is one of the best in the market today. With the mode activated, a significant amount of outside noise is blocked, allowing you to really enjoy your music with minimal distractions. The Bose QC 35 II slightly edges out the Sony in this aspect though.

There is a built in microphone which negates the need to remove the headphones to answer a call.

You can use these headphones wired using the detachable 3.5mm cable or you can go wireless with Bluetooth.

The internal battery can last up to 30 hours of listening to music in wireless mode with noise cancelling on. This number goes up to 40 hours in wired mode with noise cancelling activated.

This comes with a carrying case that is made from high quality materials. It should provide extra protection to the headphones against scratches and minor impacts, which are quite common when taking these while traveling.