Customer Reviews

Ultrasone Zino S-Logic Natural Surround Sound Portable Headphone

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

After a disappointing experience with the Senheiser PX200s, I placed an order for the Zinos. I was a bit skeptical about them at first, not having any experience with Ultrasone in the past. I was looking very hard at the AKG K450, but decided to try the Zinos before I made the jump in price to the AKGs after having read some good things about Ultrasone online. I do not regret that decision.

My main set of headphones are the AKG K701. They're probably one of the best headphones you can buy, but not very portable. The Zinos are exactly what I was looking for. They're lightweight, portable, and pretty handsome looking as well. They have great sound quality. And they price is reasonable for what you're getting. The sound doesn't match the K701s, but the Zinos are the best portable headphone I've heard yet.

I listen to a wide range of music. Contemporary jazz, alt, rock, trance, some hip hop, even a bit of country, and this is what I've found. The low end is accurate and solid. It's not overwhelming like so many 'phones these days; if you're looking for huge thumping bass, these don't do that. The midrange is a bit forward, but not too much so, and it's smooth and detailed. The high end is smooth, clear, not overly bright. A very pleasant sound overall. The sound-stage is a bit wider, more "out of head" than most headphones because of the positioning of the transducer in the headphone. Ultrasone calls is S-Logic. Some may not like this, but I don't find it objectionable. It lends a nice spactiousness to the sound I think.

These headphones are a bit larger than what you may typically find for a portable on ear headphone; they cover my entire ear. They are very comfortable though, the padding is thick and covered in cloth, instead of vinyl, so they don't get hot or moist like most other headphones after long periods of use. They are very light as well, without feeling cheap or fragile. I can barely feel them when wearing them.

The only downside that some may find is the size again, especially the case, which is a bit large. If these are too big though, you're probably best of going with a set of earbuds anyways.

If you care about good, accurate sound, and are looking for something more portable than full sized reference sets, these are definitely highly recommended!

If you are looking for a high quality, Very comfortable and stylish headphones with Great sound you are in luck. The Germans know how to make nice stuff. Because of this Ultrasone suceeds with the Zino which was designed to work with Ipods, Zunes, and all other MP3 Players. I noticed many new sounds while listening to my music that I had never heard before. The bass is not overbearing and the S-Logic Tech makes the music sound more spacious and awsome. To test these headphones I listened to a wide range on music from each genre. Eminem and Fitty Cent sounded awsome with the bass at the right levels. The Eletronic/House music of Daft Punk and Justice sounded extremely Detailed and despite the fast pace and numerous sounds never sounded convoluted or muffled. Rock/ and Metal sounded awsome with the guitar riffs of Led Zeppelin, Disturbed and AC/DC. Overall any type of sound that eminates from these headphones sounds great. You get what you paid for and these headphones at $100 dollars are worth the cost. These are not sound-isolating headphones however and other people will be able to hear the music you are listening to. If this is a problem I recomend getting other headphones. The headphones are VERY comfortable and I forget I am wearing them sometimes. You can also fold them up and put them in a small case. I do not recomend these headphones for running as they are not designed to stay on your head during exercise.

Overall Great Product. 90/100

These are the greatest portable headphones I've owned. I own the Ultrasone PRO-650s and was blown away from the sound they delivered. I wanted the 650's experience in a more portable format as the 650's are huge and not conducive outside of a studio/home-listening environment. I have to say I am very impressed by the sound produced from these cans. These are open so you will have little in terms of sound reduction form the outside world. As far as the size goes, I have been wearing them now for an hour and they feel great. Some of the other reviews mentioned the discomfort due to head size and I can see where they are coming from. If my head were bigger I would imagine the pressure over the ears. I think they would have to be broken in. The material used to cover ear pads feels very nice for prolonged sessions as so far I can barely tell they've been there. The openness of the fabric lets your skin breathe not allowing sweat and heat to be bothersome. Overall, they are very comfortable. The great part is the sound quality. It might be an acquired taste but the being able to hear all of the bass and highs at low levels without blasting my ears to smithereens is true genius of Ultrasone's products. I have not tried the Akai, Grado or Sony line for long periods of time but doing a brief sound check of those lines (can't remember model numbers, this was years ago) the Ultrasone line sounded the best to me. I listen to many electronic genres if that helps anyone. I have so far listened to 2562's "Unbalance" album and FaltyDL's "Bravery" and am very satisfied with the sound production. Going to be moving on the Paul White's "The Strange Dreams of Paul White" album next with anything from Burial, The xx or Leyland Kirby to end the night and do not see any issues coming from these cans. If there is anything to wonder about purchasing these it is the following. First, the cord is long enough for portable MP3 players meaning the cord will reach into a pocket (around waist level, cord length is 1.2m) and that's it. The phones come with a hard case but with phones this size the case looks like a mini hip-pack. Easily carried in a bag (I will be throwing these into my bag for work). Also, unlike the higher end Ultrasone's, the ear cups, cables, etc are not user replaceable. Enjoy!

I originally pre-ordered these and haunted headphone sites trying to see if anyone had received their copy yet. Well, this was my first Ultrasone headphone, and my second experience with S-Logic having also ordered a pair of the Nu-Force version. I would slightly favor these over the Nu-force version, the drivers and the driver housing are slightly larger. The bass seems a teeny bit deeper on these to my ears. Maybe the Nu-Force UF-30's needed more break-in? I did put less hours on them than the Zinos. The slightly larger headphone speaker housing are just a bit more comfortable for me. But the Zinos are more expensive by $20.00 at this writing .

Pretty much same physical design between Ultrasone and Nu-Force. You get a carry case from both companies. I'm probably making too much over the sound differences and physical differences between the Zino and the UF-30s. My daughters got my two extra pair of the Nu-Force and they like them a lot!

I really like the open sound of these with not only music, but streaming video from Netflix and Hulu. They are very comfortable, but fit a bit loose. I find myself occasionally re-adjusting them. I found them to be great in-bed headphones as my other standbys are just too big when using pillows to prop up my head. Now my standbys are standing by as I like these so much.

They fold like glasses. So they are probably not as compact as you might like compared to some other designs, and semi-hard case is going to take up more room in your laptop bag than you might want to give them. However, hanging them off your laptop bag is easy as they even supply a little carabiner. Just a little thing to help you transport them. They are open headphones so you get no sound isolation from the outside world and the outside world gets none from your music. I go to in-ears or closed headphones when I want isolation.

They sound great with my Headroom Total Bithead headphone amp. But can be driven with my iPhone 3Gs at about 3/4th vol. with no problems. All in all these are a bargain and more than well worth the money. You could spend more and be less impressed. Best of all I can listen to them for many hours without any fatigue.

I bought these Zinos as a direct response to that closed feeling you get from earbuds. They definitely have an open spacious sound and if your mood and the tunes match up just right you can hear the effects of the off center driver Ultrasone use to deliver thier S-Logic Natural Surround Sound. Certain sounds can seem to come from above or below. It's a nice effect and does add to a nice sound stage.

The phones are light,comfortable and seem well built. I do wish they fit a little bit snugger as when you push them into your skull just a touch the bottom end pops just a bit more. Otherwise they are a little light on bass response. They are smooth in the mid range and high frequencies and not very tiring to listen to. I was able to compensate for the lack of bottom end with the onboard EQ on my Creative Zen.

The phones are a little too big and unwieldy for me to want to take them with me. I wind up taking my earbuds on the go and using the Zino's around the house or for some early morning tunes out on the deck so I don't disturb my neighbors.

The $100 price tag is a bit much I think, but if the extra few bucks isn't that big a deal, I think these phones will grow on you. I'm even thinking I'm liking these phones a bit more than I thought I did at the beginning of this review.

I have a relatively large head (hat size = 7.75). These headphones sound great, but they are not very comfortable -- especially when worn for more than one hour. Even with the length maxed out, they are barely big enough! They also weigh more than other portable headphones, which causes them to press down on the top of my head. If there was a little padding, it wouldn't be a big deal, but these headphones have ZERO cushioning on the top ridge.
I work in an open office environment and wanted headphones that would not disturb my co-workers when the music was cranked up. The Zino doesn't leak as much sound as my PX100s, but my co-workers can still hear it when the music is cranked.
As far as portability goes, these things take up WAY more space than I expected, and the case doesn't protect them from getting smashed.

FINAL SCORES
Sound......... A
Comfort... ... D
Portability.... D
Price........... C

If you've got a big head, go with the Sennheiser PX 100 Collapsible Headphones. They are inexpensive, lightweight, comfortable, VERY portable, and sound fantastic. The only drawback is the open-back design, which can be a problem if you like to crank the tunes but don't want to disturb people around you.

I liked the way the Zino's sounded - especially for the podcasts I listen to most frequently. Music did sound more spacious than other headphones I've used (mostly Sennheiser PX100). I could listen to podcasts and music for long periods of time without strain. They are moderately comfortable but a little heavy and could have used a touch more padding across the top band. Unfortunately, after four months one of the 'speakers' stopped working in an annoying, intermittent manner so I had to stop using them. The chord failed at the plug side as I can jiggle the wire and sometimes get them to work. I may be rough on headphones, as the PX100s tended to last even less time before the cables wore out.

I bought the Zino headphones in Feb. 2011 and enjoyed their sound quality and comfort very much. I used them primarily with my iPod and laptop computer. At the time I purchased these headphones they were marked down to 59.09 so the price was attractive. Since then the price has been raised to 99.99. The point of this review is, after moderate but careful use the right channel is dead thus rendering the headphones useless. I am trying to determine if they have a 1-year warranty because if they do I may be in luck. I have owned them for 51-weeks. However, the Ultrasone website does not mention the Zinos as being a current product so I cannot determine the warranty period from either Amazon's site or Ultrasone's site. It's too bad they were not built to last longer than this because while they worked I really liked these headphones.

I purchased two pairs of Ultrasone ICANS a few years ago, one for me and one for my wife. The headphones come in a very nice and well padded display case. What sold me was the detailed information about the safety(for your ears) of these headphones. The icans performance features "protect" your ears unlike any other headset on the market. Supposidly the sound is directed toward your outer ear, not the middle ear, therefore, decreasing the chances of direct hearing damage. The headphones are super comfortable, easy to wear for hours on end. I really think Ultrasone produces a high quality product, from decent sound dynamics to overall aesthetic fit and finish.

I have gotten 2 of these headsets. First for personal use 18 mos ago and one 2 mos ago as a gift.
Pros: Good sound, on ear design partially blocks out background noise
Cons: I don't like the thickness of the cable or the material it's made of. It's too thick and it does not bend easily.

Since I use it mainly in the car (I use Bose for flying), the ability to hear some background noise is a good balance. The bulky cord isn't too much of a distraction since I'm not moving around in the car.