Parrot Zik Wireless Headphones by Starck

Reviews for Parrot Zik Wireless Headphones by Starck

Customer Reviews and Ratings

4.0 out of 5 stars

Based on 63 reviews

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  • 3.0 out of 5 stars

    Works best with iPhone

    • Written by from Byron

    I bought these mainly for use in my office where I listen to music on my MacBook Pro (mostly because my music collection will not fit on any other device). My conclusion is that they do indeed work with iTunes on my MBP but they don't work great. First, while pairing is easy, connecting is cumbersome at best. You must pull down the Bluetooth menu, select the ZIK, then Open Sound Preferences and make adjustments (mute internal speakers, turn up headphone volume). Then there is usually some initial BT rejection and after going through the process again it will connect. Unfortunately it doesn't always make the most stable connection so once in a while it will just cut out and need to be manually restarted. But when it works, it works well and sounds good.

    In use with the iPhone 4s connection is flawless and simple. I actually once tried to connect to my MBP [right in front of me] but accidentally connected to my iPhone sitting on the charger in a room over 40 feet away and it sounded great. Of course the iPhone has the Parrot ap which allows dynamic adjustment to the sound along with battery monitoring. It should be clarified that there is currently NO software available to adjust sound nor monitor battery on the MBP.

    Battery life is disappointing; about 6.5 hours with all the sound enhancement/noise canceling on. Considering I am working at my desk about 9+ hours a day, this is annoying (especially considering that while listening on the MBP there is no way to know the battery level... it just quits). I would get a second battery but there is currently no way to charge a second battery outside the headphones.

    Like I said, when they work they sound really good and do what they are supposed to. My hope [and reason for keeping them] is that Parrot is paying attention to reviews like this and will offer firmware/software to amend the annoyances as well as an external battery charger or extended life battery unit. For now, I give them 3 out of 5 stars for being rather pricey headphones with great sound quality but poor battery life and slightly flawed functionality on a device they don't appear to be focused towards.

    237 of 270 people found this useful

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  • 3.0 out of 5 stars

    Batteries ??????

    • Written by from Bethel

    Great headphones, but if you need spare batteries forget it. Apple doesn't carry them and Parrot won't have them until Christmas (maybe). I spent up to an hour on hold with Parrot so I'm lucky it wasn't a technical problem, they work but a battery in the bag would be a good thing to have. Wait awhile to buy these to see if Parrot gets in gear and backs up their products.

    27 of 33 people found this useful

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  • 3.0 out of 5 stars

    Amazing product!! But.......

    • Written by from København V

    Just plain and simple an AMAZING product!

    The sound quality is as good as it gets when wireless connected! They are incredibly comfortable! The build quality is just unmatched!! And the wow factor is a sure hit every single time I show these to a friend! ;-) But........

    For some reason, and I have now been trying hard for 2 weeks now, I cannot connect these to my PC (Windows 7) at work, where I want to use'em for Skype and just music playing! They work flawlessly with my iMac at home and incredibly straightforward with my iPhone, but for some reason Windows is not an option!!! I have been told by Parrot customer service in an email, that they "can" work (it felt like something they weren't to sure about!!)... but NOWHERE can I find any explanation on how to get them to work with Windows! A REAL disapointment!

    I really wanna rate them with not just the 5 stars available here, but 6 stars, since I Honestly enjoy them to bits, but I cannot give them more than 3 before they solve this problem... (and truthfully, but of less importance to me, the battery problem allready mentioned by others)!!

    25 of 31 people found this useful

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  • 3.0 out of 5 stars

    Not ready for the real world yet

    • Written by from New York

    This is a good product in many ways, don't get me wrong. In some cases it may not be the products fault that it is not a transparent user experience. Here are my impressions...

    Pros
    Sound is good
    The fact that you can tether it to a sound system with a stereo cable when batteries are dead is great.
    Battery charged with a micro USB
    Auto shut-off/pause seems to work well.

    Cons
    Bluetooth connections still take too long to setup and are kludgy. Switch from a mac to an iPhone and you'll have to do lots of shutting off and on to get them to work.
    The movements across the capacitive panel are just OK. No manual adjustments mean that you are hostage to the panel in the cold etc.
    When using the headphones to talk on the phone the voice is not fed through the headphones making you feel like you are underwater. You get no feedback of your own voice
    They are constructed well, but also in such a way that you only have one option to wear them; on top of your head. Other comfort positions or less dorky ones like around your neck are impossible.

    26 of 35 people found this useful

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  • 3.0 out of 5 stars

    If these were 200.00 they would be acceptable.

    • Written by from EAGLEVILLE

    The headphones are pretty great, the fit the app and the noise cancellation. The only complaint I have is the sound, which is after all why you buy headphones. You have to individually adjust volume on the headphone and on the iOS device. The max volume isn't loud and the bass distorts before even adjusting the EQ. It thumps and makes listening uncomfortable. I am not a bass fanatic but I do enjoy listening to bass without it sounding like the speaker is going to explode. I was pretty disappointed as I looked forward to buying these for a while but I think I am going to stick to my P5's until I pull the trigger on high end Sony bluetooth headphones.

    8 of 10 people found this useful

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  • 3.0 out of 5 stars

    It really depends on what you are looking for.

    • Written by from Winnipeg

    If you want a pair of headphones with great design, the ZIK will be the one you are looking for.

    BUT

    If you want at least good quality, well i will suggest you to look for something else.

    the bass is decent, but it just not powerful enough to deliver just a little bit more when you are pushing.
    the high range is enough aswell, but the sound "breaks" like glasses when you turn up the volume.

    mid range is quite good, nothing to complain yet.

    I currently own this ZIK, B&W p5, and the sennheiser Momentum, sound quality wise the zik is the least excellent. or should i even use the word excellent ?

    7 of 11 people found this useful

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  • 3.0 out of 5 stars

    Great design, but the sound doesn't match

    • Written by from Mississauga

    Right out of the box, everything seems magical. The design is incredible, the feel is high end, and it seems like you'll be keeping these forever. Every inch of the design from the speakers to the wires, the look is like no other. However, when turned on, it's another story. The sound isn't terrible but it's not great. It lacks the wow factor, in others words, it does not pack a punch. Great headphones, if you're not into high quality sound, but who isn't at $400 a pop. In conclusion, at that price, I expect a lot more. The Bose QC3 is a much better buy.

    4 of 8 people found this useful

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