When comparing Parrot Zik 2.0 vs Bose QuietComfort 25, the Slant community recommends Bose QuietComfort 25 for most people. In the question“What are the best headphones for blocking out open office noise?” Bose QuietComfort 25 is ranked 6th while Parrot Zik 2.0 is ranked 8th. The most important reason people chose Bose QuietComfort 25 is:
The traveling case is small and provides room for spare batteries and other components. This makes it pretty portable, for those that can't or don't want to leave their headphones at work.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Detailed highs and punchy bass
The highs are the highlight of the Parrot Zik 2.0's sound signature. They are very clear and crisp without adding any harshness to the sound. The bass is also very good as the headphones can produce a very satisfying rumble and punch in the low end. The mids are slightly recessed, so instruments like guitars and the vocals are not too prominent, but are still clear.
Pro Decent battery life
From a full charge with all of the audio features on, you can get anywhere from 5 to 7 hours of listening time. However, if you choose to run these in airplane mode (wired connection with noise cancellation) you can get around 16 to 18 hours of use.
Pro Music automatically pauses when taking these off
When you take the headphones from your head or put it back on, the music can automatically pause or resume. The Zik 2.0's Presence Sensor detects such motions, negating the need to manually pause/play the music.
Pro Tapping on the outsite of the cup activates Siri or Google Now
Pro Wired and wireless connectivity
The Parrot Zik 2.0 features Bluetooth as well as NFC connectivity for wireless use, which is great for modern smartphones or devices. If your music player does not have wireless connectivity, a 3.5mm jack can be used.
Pro Light and comfortable
Pro Excellent adaptive noise-cancellation
Consisting of 8 microphones (4 inward facing, 4 - outward) these headphones have excellent noise-cancellation. A feature called "Street Mode" uses the microphones to add noise from the outside to whatever's currently playing allowing you to be aware of your surroundings. You can also adjust how much outside noise you wish.
Pro Informs of who's calling
Pro A number of color variants available
Aside from the sleek looking design, the Zik 2.0 also comes in a number of colors including black, white. blue, red and many more. These options are great if you have a specific color preference.
Pro Right ear cup accommodates gesture controls
You can swipe left or right for previous or next track, tap to play or pause as well as answer calls with the headphones on. This can be very convenient, as you do not need to deal with small and difficult to press buttons.
Pro Companion app offers lots of customizability
There are iOS and Android companion apps for advanced settings. These allow for equalization, virtualization, turning noise-cancellation on and off, changing output frequencies and sound stage among other things. These settings can be applied on an artist/album/song basis and shared with other owners of Zik headphones.
Pro Good portability
The traveling case is small and provides room for spare batteries and other components. This makes it pretty portable, for those that can't or don't want to leave their headphones at work.
Pro Battery is easily replaceable
These headphones use a triple-A battery to power noise canceling. Should it run out of charge, it can easily be replaced.
Pro Active noise canceling is very good
With the feature switched on, you can really zone in on the music. Noise canceling is very effective at blocking out ambient noise, especially the lower frequencies. On a flight for example, engine noise is drastically reduced, as well as most of the sound from the conversations in your vicinity.
Pro Plenty of comfort features
The QC25 feels comfortable even after wearing it for several hours. The pads go over the ear and feel soft, as the ample cushioning is covered with supple and high quality synthetic leather. Aside from the usual headband padding, it also has an inner Alcantara lining that feels really nice on the skin.
Pro Noise canceling levels can be adjusted
You have a number of options as to how you want to use these headphones' active noise canceling feature. You can either have the feature on or off while you are listening to music, or have noise canceling on without audio. This is a nifty feature if you just want to enjoy some peace and quiet when in a noisy place.
Pro Light and easy to wear
These headphones will not tire your head or neck out, even if you wear them for quite some time. These are pretty light at around 196 grams.
Pro Fun sound with boosted highs
Sub-bass is a bit laid back, but the overall low-end production is punchy and with good extension. Mids are clear and forward so vocals, guitars and keys sound good with these. The upper treble is boosted, which results in good detail, but can also give harshness to the sound.
Overall, this is a really fun set of cans to listen to, especially if you just want to have a fun music listening experience.
Cons
Con Charging can be slow
You may need to remember to charge these headphones on a frequent basis. It takes around two and a half hours to charge this battery from empty to full, which may be too long, especially if you are always on the go.
Con Presence Sensor can be too sensitive
At times, even slight unintentional movement of the head can trip off the Presence Sensor, pausing the music. This can get very annoying if it happens frequently.
Con Can be a hassle to take on the go
The industrial design of the Parrot Zik 2.0 looks amazing, but also comes at the cost of the portability. The ear cups cannot be folded into the headband. You will need to account for its size when travelling. An alternative will be for you to hang these off your neck while on the go, which may not always be comfortable.
Con Audio has not enough power on some phones
Takes a lot of power for volume. Not all phones have enough audio output to reach high volume.
Con High frequency noise may still mix with audio
While low frequency sounds are effectively blocked, high frequency ones can still be heard. Female voices and high pitched noises may still get in the way of your music.
Con No noise canceling auto shut-off
The feature continues to drain battery even if the headphones are not used. Turn this off before storing.
Con Noise canceling is uncomfortable for some users
A number of users complain about the headphones' noise canceling having a feeling of pressure in the ears, which they find to be quite uncomfortable.