If they’re not the best sounding earbuds you’ve experienced… we’ll give you your money back. That’s what Zagg says on the product page for theIR ZR-SIX earbuds. It is a bold claim to make under any conditions, but considering the ZR-SIX earbuds are under $60 it is actually a remarkable claim; I am left wondering if the claim can hold up in real-world use.
Are Zagg’s new ZR-SIX earbuds “the best sounding earbuds I’ve experienced? Read on to find out.
Inside the box you’ll find the ZR-SIX earbuds, two additional sets of ear cups, and a nice zippered protective case. I like the fact that on sub-$100 earbuds the company still didn’t cheap out on the carrying case!
The Zagg ZR-SIX Earbuds earbuds have a flat 1.2-meter tangle free cord. The cord is not as thick as the one on the Munitio SV Mobile Performance Earphones I reviewed last month (read the review), but they are certainly thick enough to stay tangle free and to endure a fair bit of use and abuse.
The right angle 3.5mm plug on the ZR-SIX earbuds is great at keeping the everything neat, tidy and flat when the Zagg ZR-SIX Earbuds are plugged into your smartphone. Honestly I don’t know why anyone would make a straight connector, since it is more likely to get bumped and put stress on the 3.5mm plug.
ZR-SIX earbuds have an inline microphone and remote. The remote offers play, pause and skip functionality but does not include volume up/down control. I found this odd at first, but then realized that any time I have had an inline remote feel cheap and delicate it has been the result of one small piece of plastic having to toggle in three directions. This inline remote feels solid, and it is likely simply because there is one button rather than three.
The Zagg ZR-SIX Earbuds are bright! Personally I’m not really a fan of the colored accents, and I would have much preferred the ZR-SIX earbuds in solid black or white. Here’s hoping Zagg is successful enough with these earbuds that they decide to come out with other color options!
This is all good and well, but the real question about the ZR-SIX earbuds is… are they “the best sounding earbuds you’ve experienced…”? The short answer is — I won’t go so far as to say they are the BEST earbuds I have ever experienced (I would need to line up every single pair I’ve ever used and compare them all before making such a claim), but they are damn good at any price … and downright amazing for earbuds that cost less than $60.
The ZR-SIX earbuds offer a sound that is bright, lively, and full. I compared them to the $120 Munitio earbuds, and found that the ZR-SIX earbuds were more “alive”. Music coming from the Munitio earbuds (which I happen to love) seemed further away, while the music coming off the ZR-SIX earbuds was brighter and seemed closer. No, these aren’t the earbuds for people who crave mucho bass (the Munitios do a much better job in that department), but for casual listening the ZR-SIX earbuds are pretty amazing; this is especially true when you take the price into consideration.
The reason the ZR-SIX earbuds sound so good us the fact that, according to Zagg, they are engineered with “Reflective Acoustics, an advanced audio technology that formulates sound based on the fundamentals of human hearing”. That means the 11mm drivers reflect sound off a “micro acoustic panel to magnify sound waves”. The result is sound with “accurate tonal balance, even dispersion, natural clarity, and a rich, dynamic range”.
All I know is that the Zagg ZR-SIX earbuds sound great. Add in the fact that they are comfortable, promise to be quite durable, and they come with a good carrying case, and you have an excellent new earbud offering from Zagg. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that they are the “best sounding earbuds I have ever experienced”, but I can pretty safely say they are the “best sounding sub-$60 earbuds I have ever experienced”. Seriously, they are that good.
The Zagg ZR-SIX Earbuds are available directly from Zagg and other retailers.
MSRP: $59.99
What I Like: Sound great; Comfortable; Tangle-free cable; Inline microphone and remote; Right-angle 3.5mm plug; Under $60
What Needs Improvement: No volume controls on the inline remote; Light on the bass
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample