Its refreshing to see companies join the “Green” Movement and assist in making their products more environmentally friendly. Zealsound is an example of this, with recycled packaging, fabric carrying pouch and wooden earpieces. “Going Green” is a bold statement and Zealsound HDE-300 stays bold by packing 8.5mm dynamic drivers to give big bass to the environmentally conscious consumer.
Before I begin I would like to thank Zealsound for sending them in for review. As with all my previous reviews, I will evaluate the earphones/headphones based on its price range, and its merits (be wary of the scoring).
You can check them out here for more information :
http://www.amazon.com/ZealSound-HDE-300-Noise-isolating-Genuine-Headphones/dp/B0156HK9C0
Accessories and Features:
Similar with its competitors at this price, its pretty bare bones here, with 3 sizes of silicone tips (S,M,L) , with a clothing clip and a fabric carrying pouch.
It does have a convenient and compact, 1 button universal remote for managing music and calls (for both iOS and Android devices).
Overall: 5/10
Design:
Taking accents from nature and the high end JVC woodies (earphones) I imagine, the Zealsound have a sort of rustic feel with the wooden- textured barrel, contrasting well with the more modern silver accents. The wooden accents is quite refreshing and organic compare to the influx of very synthetic or gaudy looking earphones out there
With the exception of the playful musical note, its design as a whole is more reserved compared to similarly styled earphones from “House of Marley” (without all the funky colours).
Overall: 6/10
Build Quality:
The wooden barrel housing is definitely a nice change from the predominately plastic shells found in earphones sometimes double the price of the Zealsounds. No plastic here, the nozzle also appears to be a sort of aluminum or metal, removing 1 point failure that cheaper earphones normally suffer from. The housings also have very flexible strain reliefs to help withstand daily abuse.
The fabric cable bit lacking in strain relief, that’s thin, somewhat tangle prone and retains memory, so it would be a good idea to meticulously (and slowly) wind them up and store them in their included carrying pouch. The fabric cable is susceptible to a bit of fraying over time, so that would be something to keep in mind, for prospective buyers
A compact and slender straight angle jack completes the picture, aiding in easier entry into thicker smartphones cases.
Overall: 5/10
Comfort:
The earpieces are quite large, making them easier to grasp when pulling them in and out of the ear quickly, a common occurrence on a day-to-day basis (to listen to the the overhead announcements, or to speak to someone quickly). However the larger earpieces causes them to stick out of the ear a bit, and may cause a bit of discomfort for those with smaller ears.
Overall: 6/10
Isolation:
I didn’t feel the small vent on the under side of the housing hindered the isolation too too much. Its fairly average considering they don’t sit very deep in your ears. It’s solid enough for everyday use.
I did notice moderate driver flex in both earpieces, but they are vented so that should help relieve some pressure on the driver.
Overall: 6/10
Sound Quality:
Thump, Punch, and Boom.
Many consumers want their bass to boom and their music to thump. Well, Zealsound obliged. This is the common recipe for many affordable “consumer earphones” on the market. This tuning allows the user to hear and feel a strong beat in moderate to loud areas.
These woodies, are clearly skewed towards the bass. However, they have treble that’s devoid of any sharp peaks or harshness. Laid back and easy on the ears. No “tinny” treble here.
This is ideal when watching, for example the latest viral video or listening to spotify on your lunch break. What you get is a sound that’s very warm and bassy.
The Zeal sound earphones is very rich and warm sounding and it brings a lot of bass to the table, and which doesn’t require a perfect seal. They’ll thump, and boom right out of the box.
Bass:
Average consumers will rejoice to hear a strong, thick booming bass, that cuts through loud background noise, something that their stock earphones from their iphones struggle with. Bass guitars and kick drums is in-your-face and hits hard. However, due to the strong bass thump, the bass does creep up into the lower midrange.
Midrange:
Taking a backseat from the bass, the midrange does feel left out, however this was done to give the bass immediate impact on first listen. No one is going to rave about how clean and pristine they sound, and I think that’s fine by Zealsound.
Treble:
If the midrange is taking a backseat, the treble is in the passenger seat. There’s some energy coming back up in the treble, to prevent them from sounding muffled. The treble a bit thin, and lacking in detail but on a positive note, it doesn’t exaggerate any ringing. I think consider the demographic its catering towards, it will suffice.
Overall: 5/10
In conclusion,
The Zealsound earphones doesn’t mess with the “tried and tested” consumer tuning, providing big bass punch to any top 40 song.
And I think that’s fine, because I think their unique wood accents will have their appeal, and a convenient 1 button remote adds to its value.
While there isn’t anything that makes the Zealsound HDE 300 stand out. They are simply a nice, practical stocking stuffer for music lovers that want show their support towards the green movement.
Overall: 33/60= 55%
