Parrot Zik Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones with Touch Control – Black/Silver
Designed by Philippe Starck, the Zik headphones host the most state-of-the-art technologies Embedded Jawbone Sensor (view larger). 4 microphones, 2 internal/2 external (view larger). Parrot, along with world-renowned French designer Phillipe Starck, have collaborated once again to create Zik, headphones combining advanced technology and sleek design. Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) Zik headphones feature four active
Designed by Philippe Starck, the Zik headphones host the most state-of-the-art technologies 
Embedded Jawbone Sensor
(view larger). 
4 microphones, 2 internal/2 external
(view larger).
Parrot, along with world-renowned French designer Phillipe Starck, have collaborated once again to create Zik, headphones combining advanced technology and sleek design.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
Zik headphones feature four active microphones – two internal and two external – to make this patented Parrot technology one of the best in its class in ANC. The Zik provides up to 98% noise reduction, isolating external sound almost completely.
Innovative Interface
Parrot Zik features an intuitive touch-sensitive panel, located on the right ear cup. When connected via Bluetooth, you can simply swipe up and down to increase and decrease volume, or forward and back to skip tracks.
A head detection sensor is discretely incorporated in the foam of the ear piece, allowing the Zik to automatically detect when you are wearing the headphones and when they are removed, pausing and restarting music or switching to a call.
Unique Listening Quality
To recreate true-to-life sound, the Zik features a unique quality called the “Parrot Concert Hall” effect. This effect mimics the sound of a live concert, with the music seeming to come from directly in front of you, rather than from the sides, as with standard headsets. This innovative acoustic sound provides a more natural way of enjoying music.
Free Yourself from Wires
Listen to music or make crystal-clear calls wirelessly with the Zik via Bluetooth. Choose whether to control your calls and music manually from your device, via voice recognition, through the earphone touch panel, or from Parrot’s Audio Suite App, available for iPhone and Android smartphones. Bluetooth streaming is available with all Bluetooth compatible devices. Parrot has also integrated NFC into the Zik headphones, allowing you to pair, connect, and play music from your NFC-compatible device with a simple tap to the Zik.
Parrot Hands-Free Calling
The Parrot Zik is specifically engineered for crystal-clear conversations. Equipped with two directional microphones and a Jawbone Conductor, the Zik captures the vibration of the jawbone and merges it with the sound of your voice for clearer calls. With the embedded head detection sensor, if you receive a phone call while listening to music, you can simply remove your headphones and your call will be automatically switch to your smartphone.
Exclusive Downloadable App
The Parrot Audio Suite is a unique downloadable app for your smartphone, allowing you to control your music wirelessly. Using the Parrot Audio Suite, you can adjust your audio settings to customize the sound or simulate a virtual music scene to create your desired sound depth.
Key Features
Sleek design Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) Intuitive touch-sensitive panel Head detection sensor “Parrot Concert Hall” effect Bluetooth connectivity NFC capability Parrot Audio Suite
Specifications
Frequency Range of 10 Hz-20 kHz 3.5 mm analogue line-in Lithium Ion Battery 6-hour usage time with all features activated 18-hour usage time with only ANC activated 24-hour standby time Bluetooth V 2.1 with AVRCP, A2DP, and HFP profiles Applications for iPhone and Android smartphones What’s in the box
Mini jack cable designed by Starck, micro USB cable for charging and updating, lined pouch to protect Zik, quick start guide in eight languages
Product Features
- Highly performing active noise control, “spatialized” musical image
- Tactile touch panel that enables sensual movements, head detection sensor
- Bone conduction sensor, five microphones and a powerful digital signal processor
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A bittersweet affair: Lots of hits, 1-2 misses, an Achilles heel = BIG question mark I’d like to get this out of the way first: I am not an audiophile and my review is not based on any scientific audio tests – just my subjective enjoyment or lack thereof. I’d also like to say that I’m harsh in my reviews of products because I expect a lot, especially for an item as expensive as this. I gave this a 3 but I think it is really deserving of a 3.5 (Amazon does not allow for 0.5 increments in ratings, so I erred on the conservative side).I’m an early adopter of technology, so I bought this `sight unseen’ the moment it was released. I had been in the market for a good wireless headphone/set and had been disappointed with what’d I’d experienced so far (most recently with the Novero Rockaways). So while I waited and tested other products, I continued to use my Bose QC2s. Ultimately, what I was looking in a headphone/set was (1) solid sound, (2) wireless/Bluetooth capabilities, and (3) solid headset capabilities. Fit was also very important and one of the reasons I…
Unexpectedly brilliant, at least for an iOS device Let me preface this review by saying for a long time I wished Aliph would make a version of their excellent Jawbone headset in a closed-back stereo headphone with noise cancelling. And quite frankly I’m surprised they still haven’t. Because even though their noise “assassin” technology works brilliant for the person you are speaking to, the conventional mono-headset configuration doesn’t help the speaker hear the calling party in the extremely noisy environments they market their product. I have even emailed Aliph about this years ago as a suggestion as i felt they could OWN the market if they expanded their product line to a pair of noise cancelling headphones with their Jawbone technology.Another disclaimer: I don’t have experience with other noise cancelling headphones, this is my first pair.So, when I heard that Parrot was going to pursue something like this last year, I was intrigued. I have experience with Parrot’s noise cancelling technology with my cars…
My first NC headphones – beautiful design and solid I am somewhat of a headphone junkie. I own a number of headphones in 2 primary styles – in-ear monitors and closed. I have 4 pair of in-ear monitors (Shure SE535 and S530; Etymotics HF3 and ER-4P), 2 pair of closed (Shure SRH840 and SRH940). And now the Zik noise cancellation.I prefer blocking outside sound as much as possible to reduce having to listen at high volume. This especially helps phones calls. IEMs are best and I like the small size for convenience and traveling. They fit well in my pocket when I am not using them. Even though I see travelers with full size headphones, most are too large for my taste – I leave mine at work and at home.The Zik are very stylish and while they cover my ears (barely), they fold flat and are the most compact full size headphones I own. I like the wire/wireless design. This will be handy when traveling by plane. One problem with my Shure S530′s and several pairs of Etymotics is the wires eventually degrade. In most cases…