When comparing Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7B vs Parrot Zik 3, the Slant community recommends Parrot Zik 3 for most people. In the question“What are the best over-ear noise canceling headphones?” Parrot Zik 3 is ranked 7th while Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7B is ranked 9th. The most important reason people chose Parrot Zik 3 is:
The Zik 3 features a solid build. The headband is made out of metal and can flex a good bit without breaking. Headband adjustment is quite stiff, which ensures that your adjustments stay in place. The ear cup surfaces are covered with leather which makes the headphones look and feel premium.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Exceptional mic
The microphone has good clarity and can actually be used for tasks other than talking on the phone - like recording podcasts on the go for example.
Pro Comes with two different cords
One cord comes with an inline mic and with controls, and the other cord is your standard audio cable. This inclusion not only allows you to pick a cable to best suit your use-case for the headphone, but this also ensures that you have a spare cable should one get damaged.
Pro Good bass reproduction, warm mids and smooth highs
The bass of these headphones is pretty good. Bass drum hits have good power to them, yet they do not muddy up the sound. The mids are warm and forward, and should present vocals and mid-range sounds quite well. The highs do not have a lot of sparkle, but they are clear and present a good level of detail.
Pro Can effectively cancel out noise
With these headphones it will be much easier for you to focus on your music, or whatever it is that you are listening to. Combined with the closed back design, airplane/train/bus engine noises are effectively cancelled out.
Pro A good number of accessories are included
Along with the two headphone cables, you get a carrying case, an airline adapter and a 6.3mm plug. These should help make the headphones easier to transport and also make them compatible with a wider range of audio sources.
Pro Very good build quality
The Zik 3 features a solid build. The headband is made out of metal and can flex a good bit without breaking. Headband adjustment is quite stiff, which ensures that your adjustments stay in place. The ear cup surfaces are covered with leather which makes the headphones look and feel premium.
Pro Interchangeable battery
You can remove the right ear cup cover to gain access to the headphones’ battery. You can replace the battery if the performance is diminishing, or you can bring a spare, charged battery to swap in with the depleted one for longer playback use.
Pro Punchy bass with good clarity
The bass reproduction is full and punchy, yet does not get overpowering. Bass hits sound tight, fast and have fairly good depth. The mids sound natural while the highs are clear, yet a bit rolled-off. This allows the Zik 3 to deliver fairly clear sound without getting harsh.
The punchy bass makes these heapdhones work well with popular modern genres like EDM, hip-hop and the like yet can still work well with pop, jazz, classical and similar music genres.
Pro Good at blocking ambient noise
The noise cancelling is fairly effective. While it does not cancel out all ambient noise, the feature reduces a good chunk of it, so it does not interfere too much with your music.
Pro Gesture controls on right ear cup
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 Wired and wireless connectivity
The Parrot Zik 3 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 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 3's Presence Sensor detects such motions, negating the need to manually pause/play the music.
Pro Decent battery life
From a full charge with all of the audio features on, you can get around 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.
Cons
Con Requires an amp for optimal volume/sound quality
If you really want to get the best sound quality as well as volume from these headphones then you will need a decent headphone amp. The impedance of these headphones is quite high at 300 Ohms, so these require a good bit of power to function optimally.
Con Can get uncomfortable for people with larger ears
The ear cups of these headphones are quite compact, and may rub against the ears of some users, which can get quite uncomfortable.
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 3 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.