Logitech Zone Wired
With sound quality like this, the Zone Wired makes a compelling case for wired headsets in a wireless age
SCORE
PRICE £99 (£119 inc VAT) from logitech.com
One year ago, I reviewed the Logitech Zone Wireless headset ( see issue 299, p69), which justified its £199 price in part due to the focus it would give employees. No more distractions from office colleagues as its active noise cancelling (ANC) and high-quality audio would let your staff keep working while always being ready to pick up a call.
Evidently Logitech has realised that not everyone needs or even wants wireless headphones, or perhaps that not everyone is willing to pay almost £200 for them, and so released this wired follow-up. You lose the ANC, and the Zone Wireless’ key attraction of being able to simultaneously pair
with your phone (just as the
Adapt 660 set, above, can), but in return comes hassle-free setup and no more worrying about battery life.
It helps that Logitech includes a generous 1.9m cable, so people can get up and stretch without being tugged back to their PC. Another plus is that accepting a call is now a simple matter of tapping the button in the middle of the inline control, which you can also use to pause, mute the mic and adjust the volume.
You can mute the mic by lifting up the boom if you prefer, which has the advantage of moving it out of the way. It’s a high-quality mic, recording your voice clearly if you want to dictate (or even take part in a podcast), and giving you an extra touch of authority if you’re on a conference call. It cleverly reduces background noise too, while the Logi Tune software allows you to adjust the “sidetone”, which controls how much you hear from the mic when speaking.
With videoconferencing now a key part of our working lives, it’s notable that Logi Tune provides mini how-to videos on how to make Zone Wired the default headset for Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and
Logitech clearly has its eye on Teams in particular: its logo is on the call accept button. When set up, you can use this to launch Teams directly.
As you’d expect from Logitech, audio quality is extremely strong. Voices come through clearly and listening to music is a pleasure – it’s particularly suited to classical pieces. Where the headset falls behind Epos Sennheiser’s Adapt 660 set is for bassy, poppy songs, as it doesn’t fill your ears with the same immersive sound.
I also found the Epos headset more comfortable for extended periods, with the Zone Wired pressing down a little too firmly on my ears despite the cushioned memory foam.
The Zone Wired set isn’t perfect, just as it isn’t cheap, but if you want a professional headset to help keep you or your staff focused – whilst being ready to pick up a call – they’re an excellent choice.
“It’s a high-quality mic, recording your voice clearly if you want to dictate and giving you an extra touch of authority if you’re on a call”