Adidas Z.N.E. 01 ANC review: Sports buds lack staying power
Our Verdict
The Adidas Z.N.E. 01 ANC is an beauteous effort at sporty wireless ANC earbuds, but the low playtimes go far a tough sell.
For
- Dynamic audio
- Adaptable noise cancellation
- Reliable connectivity
- Sleek app with useful features
Against
- Poor bombardment life
- Spotty impact controls
- No multipoint technology or wireless charging
Tom's Guide Verdict
The Adidas Z.North.E. 01 ANC is an admirable endeavor at sporty wireless ANC earbuds, but the low playtimes brand it a tough sell.
Pros
- +
Dynamic sound
- +
Adjustable noise cancellation
- +
Reliable connectivity
- +
Sleek app with useful features
Cons
- -
Poor bombardment life
- -
Spotty impact controls
- -
No multipoint technology or wireless charging
Adidas Z.N.E. 01 ANC specs
Price:$119
Colors:Calorie-free grey and night grey
Battery life (rated): 4.5 hours hours (ANC on); 6 hours (ANC off), 20 hours (charging case)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2
Processor: Not stated
Size: 1.9 x 2.three ten i.1 inches
Weight: Not specified
Water resistant (rating): Yes (IPX5)
The Adidas Z.North.E. 01 ANC is the sportwear giant's latest true wireless release. These buds have plenty going for them, including active racket cancellation and audio anchored by Zound Industries (the same company developing Marshall headphones). Add a ruggedly charming blueprint and some serviceable features into the mix, and all signs indicate to a new entry on our best sport headphones list. Right? Let's not get too far alee of ourselves.
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Although the Z.N.Due east. 01 ANC delivers energetic sound to keep your blood pumping during intense workouts, drawbacks like finicky controls and poor bombardment life cannot be overlooked. The MSRP may also be questionable for some consumers when considering the stiff contest out there.
Keep reading our full Adidas Z.N.E 01 ANC review to come across whether information technology'southward still worth the investment.
Adidas Z.N.East. 01 ANC review: Price and availability
The Adidas Z.Due north.E. 01 ANC goes for $189 on the Adidas website, but it is currently on sale for $155 on Amazon. Color options are limited to ii: lite grey and night grey. Inside the box are a charging case, USB-C charging cable, three sets of ear tips, user guide, and warranty.
While listed lower than premium workout rivals like the Beats Fit Pro ($199), it is also more expensive than well-reviewed models like the Amazfit PowerBuds Pro ($149) and JLab Epic Air Sport ANC ($99). All these share similar traits such as ANC, personalized sound, and companion app support.
For all of the latest wireless earbuds sales, bookmark our best headphones deals folio.
Adidas Z.Due north.E. 01 ANC review: Design and comfort
I'm feeling the Z.N.E. 01 ANC'south sporty aesthetic since information technology complements the mode and function of Adidas running sneakers. Hard plastic and silicone class a durable shell that's built to have beatings, plus sweatproof and water-resistant rating (IPX5) protects the buds from moisture impairment. This is ameliorate protection than whatever Apple or Beats models.
The charging case is as well created from the same materials, keeping the outside scuff-free for the near part. Small details like the ridges on each side and soft-touch rubberized logo are nice touches. Compared to the AirPods Pro case, this one is bigger and bulkier, but not by much, and information technology secures the buds better, thanks to stronger magnets.
This model would have benefitted more from an ear hook or oval-shaped design; each is known for providing a stabler fit. Adidas' tips create a decent seal around the culvert that keeps the buds steady on your ears when exercising, but a picayune wetness causes some slippage.
Comfort-wise, the Z.N.Due east. 01 ANC is a pleasant wearable for about 2 hours straight before fatigue sets in. Depending on your pain threshold, you may feel some soreness around the concha if used multiple times throughout the twenty-four hours, but this shouldn't be a trouble for shorter sessions.
Adidas Z.N.Eastward. 01 ANC review: Controls and digital assistant
The controls are both intuitive and practical. Playback and call management are assigned to unmarried (play/pause/answer call/end call), double (skip track), and triple (previous track) taps. A custom action command (long affect and hold) enables select features, including digital help, racket control, Spotify access, and Adidas Running app activation. Oddly, Adidas made this the only customizable command on the buds.
On-ear detection is here for car-suspension/play, plus Siri, Google Assistant, and Bixby are all available for utilize, depending on your device.
The iii digital assistants respond to commands with accuracy, only the aforementioned can't be said almost the touch panels, which often misinterpret multi-tap gestures.
Adidas Z.N.E. 01 ANC review: Sound quality
Zound Industries sprinkled their sonic bear on on the Z.N.Due east. 01 ANC. Lows are emphasized and hold upward well on contemporary tracks, and mids and highs sound surprisingly practiced. At that place's enough here to satisfy your music appetite during commutes and workouts.
Green Day's "Handbasket Case" got me warmed upwards before striking the road, fueling my tank with crashing cymbals and upbeat snare strikes that didn't come on besides aggressively. Some bass junkies may discover the low end subdued, but I idea it was fairly balanced to keep production consonant. Ramping up my adrenaline one mile into a run was the pulsating bassline on Busta Rhymes' "Plow It Up/Fire It Up (Remix)." Information technology packed the right amount of oomph without compromising the track's other standout elements similar the classic Knight Passenger synth samples.
An equalizer is congenital into the companion app to customize sound. At that place are half-dozen presets to choose from: Adidas (the default), Stone, Pop, Electronic, Hip-Hop, and Vocal Boost. Unlike rival EQs, the Adidas version doesn't let you manually tweak frequencies and create your own sound profile. This isn't a dealbreaker, especially since the presets exercise a solid chore with their targeted music genres. Hip-Hop gives bass some extra punch and Vocal Boost is a no-brainer for ballads and podcasts.
Adidas Z.N.Eastward. 01 ANC review: Agile noise cancellation
From the looks and audio of it, these buds carry the aforementioned noise-cancelling engineering as Marshall'due south Motif A.N.C. wireless earbuds. There are ten levels of ANC that can be adjusted in the app to control the amount of dissonance you desire neutralized. The feature is constructive for distraction-costless listening during workouts, but only at Max level.
Low and mid frequencies were handled with finesse. Noises similar household appliances (e.grand., blenders, vacuums) and washing auto rumble didn't break my concentration when using the buds effectually the business firm. High-pitched conversations sounded muffled, along with my baby son's cries during nap time, but any tantrums he threw exterior of the plant nursery were perceptible.
Other loftier frequencies crept onto the soundstage equally well. Thankfully, sounds like bird chirping and whistles weren't disruptive and blended into the background of most tracks. That doesn't hateful the occasional ambulance siren won't catch your full attention.
Sensation is Adidas' version of transparency mode, and it is a viable solution for joggers that desire to keep their ears open to what'south happening effectually them. Y'all can suit the feature to decrease or increase the amount of racket yous desire to hear. Beingness able to keep tabs of oncoming traffic during runs felt great, merely it was the alertness these buds provided during afternoon strolls with the infant that put my heed at ease. My only complaint is that voices didn't come in conspicuously, and that made it difficult to communicate with people on the go.
Adidas Z.N.E. 01 ANC review: App and special features
Downloading the Adidas Headphones app will grant you extended functionality. There are several features to toy with, some of which were previously discussed such as adaptable ANC/Awareness, equalizer, and command customization. What else is at that place? Very little.
Bombardment indicators for each bud, toggle controls, a music actor, firmware updates, and interconnectivity with the Adidas Running app round out the app. The latter is the well-nigh appealing, acting as a shortcut to the Running app that will start/stop runs when enabling the custom activity command. Don't wait meticulous results because all fitness activity is tracked through your smartphone.
In that location is likewise an "eco charging" setting that caps bombardment life at 80% when charging to extend the buds overall lifespan.
Adidas Z.Northward.East. 01 ANC review: Bombardment life and charging example
Battery life is the Z.Due north.Eastward. 01 ANC's Achilles heel. A full charge only generates four.v hours of ANC playtime. Nosotros're talking AirPods Pro numbers here. Disabling the feature extends information technology to 6 hours. Loftier volume and other special features drop playtime by about 30 to 45 minutes.
You'll need to ever keep the charging case on hand, and brand sure it'due south fully charged. I stress that because the Z.Due north.E. 01 ANC'southward case holds a measly 20 hours. Anything lower than the AirPods Pro case (24 hours) is considered abysmal. Furthermore, quick charging isn't equally powerful as other rivals: 15 minutes nets you i hour of playback. Wireless charging doesn't come up role of the deal either.
Adidas Z.Due north.Due east. 01 ANC review: Call quality and connectivity
Adidas isn't known for their call quality, and then to see the Z.N.Due east. 01 ANC non brand our best headphones with a mic for vox and video calls list isn't shocking. The mics are sensitive to ambient noise and motility, creating lots of muffling, as per my wife's feedback during indoor and outdoor chats. Staying in identify provided clearer results. Video calls were ameliorate with several clients stating how loud and crisp my voice sounded, though they could hear my babe crying in the background.
The Z.N.E. 01 ANC comes equipped with Bluetooth 5.two for lengthy range (45 feet) and instantaneous pairing with compatible devices. Dropout rarely occurred when streaming music and walking around the firm.
Google Fast Pair would take been appreciated for 1-touch pairing with Android phones. The same applies to multipoint technology for pairing the buds to ii devices simultaneously.
Adidas Z.Due north.Due east. 01 ANC review: Verdict
All things considered, the Adidas Z.Northward.Eastward. 01 ANC is a respectable racket-canceller that serves well for fitness buffs that want strong audio and ANC in a sturdy bundle. Having the ability to personalize either through the Adidas Headphones app is huge, and not something you lot'll find on many sporty models.
If just Adidas focused that much attention on other fundamental areas. There's no excuse for why these buds come with the aforementioned ANC playtime every bit the AirPods Pro and mediocre quick charging. The lack of modern novelties like wireless charging is forgivable, but some won't feel the same way about the finicky impact controls.
The $189 asking price besides feels like a reach for Adidas, particularly since the field is loaded with heavy hitters that offer more functionality for less. Adidas enthusiasts will become some satisfaction out of the Z.N.E. 01 ANC, merely others may want to wait for a big toll drop — or consider Jabra's Aristocracy seven Agile as their next conditioning companion.
- More: The best noise-cancelling earbuds
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/adidas-zne-01-anc
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