I just bought a pair of these and I also own the first gen. SMARTbuds (used for 2 years)
The negative
- Zagg ZR-Six are not coated in the protective material
- The option to hang them over you neck (Hangin' Tight) is no longer available
- The volume button is removed and the “answer/pause/play” button is made of plastic and the quality seems very bad (instead of metal on the SMARTbuds)
The positive
- Like the tangle free cord (it’s flat and not round)
- The sound is better
Conclusion: Overall I'm not extremely pleased with the purchase. In my opinion the SMARTbuds is a far better product, since i usually just listen to audiobooks, so the slightly better sound is not very important to me.