[Deckardk]

^ Thanks for your feedback.

Most owners seem to complain of the M2 hiss. Many of them on these boards. One person even said, "I can't even hear the hiss when the music is playing!" Seemingly happy that was such a good thing.

I'm interested if users hear a hiss with nothing playing. Unless they fixed it, I'll bet you will also hear it sans music.

Again, can you tell me of the NC in comparison to the D'Techs. How much better is it?

As a side note, I'm concerned that the M2s might have more bass than I would like based on your comments. Most people like more bass than I do.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

I'd be very interested in @Giogio comparing the Parrot Zik 2.0 to the various one's that he has heard, optimizing the app settings of EQ, soundstage, and reverberation to get what he regards as the best, then sharing those setting, immortalized as the "giogio" preset (you can name a particular combination of EQ, soundstage, and reverb, and many artists have!).

 

[timzigs]

I'd be very interested in @Giogio
 comparing the Parrot Zik 2.0 to the various one's that he has heard, optimizing the app settings of EQ, soundstage, and reverberation to get what he regards as the best, then sharing those setting, immortalized as the "giogio" preset (you can name a particular combination of EQ, soundstage, and reverb, and many artists have!).

For what it's worth, I just heard these in Brookstone at BWI and was amazed with the richness and depth in sound. Much better than my H8's and probably the best sounding BT headphones I have heard. It's just too bad they crap out at about 6 hours. Maybe 3.0 will resolve this.

 

[n00b2]

^ Thanks for your feedback.

Most owners seem to complain of the M2 hiss. Many of them on these boards. One person even said, "I can't even hear the hiss when the music is playing!" Seemingly happy that was such a good thing.

I'm interested if users hear a hiss with nothing playing. Unless they fixed it, I'll bet you will also hear it sans music.

Again, can you tell me of the NC in comparison to the D'Techs. How much better is it?

As a side note, I'm concerned that the M2s might have more bass than I would like based on your comments. Most people like more bass than I do.

You seem to be like me and don't like bass boosted headphones and prefer things neutral. If that is the case I'm guessing you will prefer the Def Tech. It is very neutral, you only really notice the bass when it is meant to be noticed. Otherwise it is just there. If you are specifically looking for bass it might feel like there is no bass at all but then you EQ the bass down and you can tell that is was there before adding to the music rather than trying to be noticed and has now gone completely missing. I'll try out the M2 when I get the chance now that it has arrived where I am and give a comparison. In the meantime it looks like @cehowardNote3 is the only one aside from that bloomberg reviewer who has tried them both.

 

[Deckardk]

^ Awesome. The more people comparing these top end new entrants the better.

 

[Deckardk]

For what it's worth, I just heard these in Brookstone at BWI and was amazed with the richness and depth in sound. Much better than my H8's and probably the best sounding BT headphones I have heard. It's just too bad they crap out at about 6 hours. Maybe 3.0 will resolve this.

3.0 will be too little too late for me as that's a long way off. I'm flummoxed every time I think about that battery.

And let's not forget the Parrots are unusable (sound wise) with sources that don't have their proprietary app running (such as a PC). Another baffling design choice.

Double face-palm.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

3.0 will be too little too late for me as that's a long way off. I'm flummoxed every time I think about that battery.

And let's not forget the Parrots are unusable (sound wise) with sources that don't have their proprietary app running (such as a PC). Another baffling design choice.

Double face-palm.

I am fortunate in that the clear drawbacks of the Parrot Zik 2.0 do not bother me:
 

1. Short battery life (but I don't travel several hours at once and am at home);
2. Need the app to sound decent (but an iPod is my main source anyway and I always run the app!);
3. Does not work with Windows or another platform that does not run the app (again, I only use the iPhone).

 
Sound and how it compares, optimizing through the app, is what I am most interested in.  I compared them to both the Parrot Zik originals (1.0?) and the Jaybird Bluebuds X, both with EQ/soundstage enhancement off and set where I liked, but I'd love to see some comparisons with and without the app to things like the Backbeats Pro, Sony MDR-1RBT MK2, Harman Kardon BT, Pendulumic Stance, Fidelio MT(whatever it is), Definitive Technology, or my Aunt Lucy!

 

[timzigs]

And let's not forget the Parrots are unusable (sound wise) with sources that don't have their proprietary app running (such as a PC). Another baffling design choice.

Really? I was able to connect my iPhone to the Zik without the app being installed (although it asked for it, I didn't have time to install at the airport). I may have been running with a standard Apple EQ setting, but even with that, the sound was so full and all encompassing. If I could swap batteries on long trips, I would pick these up in an instant.

 

[Deckardk]

^ Users universally report that they sound like azz without their app running. Disclaimer: Just speaking from reports, not experience.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

^ Users universally report that they sound like azz without their app running. Disclaimer: Just speaking from reports, not experience.

I agree... sounds MUCH better with the app.
 
Here is a question or surprise to me (not sure which):  I had thought you could set the Parrot Zik 2.0 to whatever combination of EQ, soundstage, reverb, and NC off/on, using the app and an iPod (or Android).
 
Then you could disconnect the Zik 2.0 from the iPod and pair with bluetooth from another source, say a Windows PC (or even a non-BT iPod like the Classic but equipped with a BT transmitter plugged into the headphone jack).
 
Then your Parrot Zik 2.0 would REMEMBER the EQ, sounstage.... settings from when you set them on the app and would continue to use them, so you could have good sound even without the app, but you just could not change it.
 
But I tried this using an iPod classic with a Sennheiser bluetooth transmitter plugged in.  (I use the BT300, picture below).
 
However, in this case, the Parrot sound YUCK, just as if the app were turned off, rather than remembering what its last state was.
 
Gotta try it again, as this seemed a sure-fire way to use the Parrot Zik 2.0 with any bluetooth, app or no app!
 

 

[n00b2]

Really? I was able to connect my iPhone to the Zik without the app being installed (although it asked for it, I didn't have time to install at the airport). I may have been running with a standard Apple EQ setting, but even with that, the sound was so full and all encompassing. If I could swap batteries on long trips, I would pick these up in an instant.

I thought the sounded absolutely horrible without the app when I tried it. Pretty much everyone I know had that same complaint. Also, I thought you could swap the batteries out on long trips for the Zik 2.0 or was that only for the original Zik?

 

[timzigs]

 
I thought the sounded absolutely horrible without the app when I tried it. Pretty much everyone I know had that same complaint. Also, I thought you could swap the batteries out on long trips for the Zik 2.0 or was that only for the original Zik?

 
Like I said, I believe the music was running through the standard iPhone EQ, so this very well could have impacted SQ (attribute it to airport rush). As far as swapping batteries, my understanding is that the batteries for the 2.0 aren't yet available for purchase. 

 

[Deckardk]

^ The battery life and app-dependency would have to both be fixed in v3.0 for me to even consider the Zik.

 

[n00b2]

^ The battery life and app-dependency would have to both be fixed in v3.0 for me to even consider the Zik.

I would be surprised if they would fix it seeing as they were some of te biggest complaints about the first model and nothing was done. Battery life might be hard to make bigger considering that the headphones are quite small and there is so much tech crammed into them. And the app is honestly the Zik's best selling point, you are able to customise your music how you like it without impacting its sound quality. Sure they can improve passive mode but then the price would likely go up as well which would count against it.

 

[Deckardk]

^ Forbes lambasted the app-dependent design choice, so not so sure it's a selling point. Most users use different sources, not just one.

And 6 hours battery life? Unforgivable in 2014 (release year).

I'm sure they sound great, but they're not for me.