Logitech Zone Wireless Plus: fighting noise with noise
17.2.2020
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Open-plan offices are loud. Concentrating isn't easy. Headphones are often the only solution. With the new Zone Wireless Plus, Logitech offers up a good office headset that impresses with its active noise cancelling and nice sound quality.
It's loud. My desk neighbour Livia is trying to pair her new test headphones to her smartphone. Badly. This gives me plenty of time to «enjoy» some blaring EDM. Behind me, colleagues Phil and Simon are talking about their next game for digitec-plays – across five tables. My handy measuring devices hits 70 dB. Nothing unusual in our open-plan office.
Sick of and from noise
Noise can physically hurt you. Various studies have shown this. And our office is most definitely noisy. Interestingly, face-to-face interaction in open-plan offices is said to be up to 70 percent lower than in smaller ones– according to this study. But this doesn't apply to me and my colleagues. We're very good at talking. Great, even. Time to put on these headphones and fight noise with noise.
Enter the Logitech Zone Wireless Plus
Our office environment hasn't made me sick – at least not yet. However, my concentration suffers from the level of noise. Thankfully, Logitech has recognised my anguish, releasing the Zone Wireless Plus, an office headset with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC).
The ANC on this thing works well, but doesn't quite match the Bowers & Wilkins PX5, for example. I get the impression that this headset primarily filters out low frequencies. Background rumbling is reliably suppressed. If I wear the headphones with music turned off and ANC activated, it sounds like I'm holding aluminium cans to my ears: deep noise is eliminated, voices sound tinny, but I hear a very quiet hissing.
When ANC is active while listening to music, this soft hiss is no more. But depending on how loud your colleagues are babbling, you'll still be able to hear them. Understandably, filtering out voices isn't what ANC is meant to do. Contrary to Logitech's marketing promise, the Zone Wireless Plus does not provide me with a «personal little island of peace in a sea of disturbing everyday noise.» However, the headset does have some advantages.
Design and features
The design of the Zone Wireless Plus is simple. This anthracite grey headset weighs 468 grams. The silicone padded metal bracket is well made and doesn't become painful to wear even after several hours of work. Its plastic-padded ear cups are comfortable and don't build up sweat. They are flexibly adjustable and can fit most heads.
The microphone can be worn on the left or right side by rotating it around the shell. The headset automatically sets the left or right channel when you fold the microphone down to the front. No more searching for the L and R engravings required. The microphone automatically mutes when you fold it up and activates when you fold it back down. Alternatively, a mute switch is located on the microphone itself.
You'll find the controls on the same shell as the microphone: the ANC on/off button, the Bluetooth pairing button – which also functions as the power button – the charging port and the volume knobs. The device is charged via Micro-USB. It's a pity Logitech doesn't use USB-C. According to the manufacturer, you'll get 14 hours of battery life with activated noise cancelling enabled. Sounds about right.
Hidden between the volume control knobs is the button for switching between voice and music mode. Voice mode limits the frequency range from 100 Hz to 8 kHz. In music mode, this range is expanded from 30 Hz to 13 kHz. The Zone Wireless Plus can be charged wirelessly via the other shell. I can't verify this because I don't have the necessary charging station.
The ear cups can be folded in for better transport or storage of the headset. A protective carrying bag is included, along with a micro-USB charging cable and a Logitech Unifying adapter for wireless connection with computers. The headset can also be connected via Bluetooth 5.0.
For your smartphone, there's the Logi Tune app, which lets you personalize the sound of your headset with an equalizer. In addition, the app offers further options such as muting, charge status, sidetone settings and firmware updates.
Great for chatting
At work, I use the Zone Wireless Plus with Microsoft Teams. My conversation partners hear me clearly and distinctly. Background noise is reliably filtered out.
The headset isn't only designed for the office setting. Thanks to Bluetooth, you can also use it on the road. I want to know how well it performs under extremely loud conditions. Which is why I was making a phone call in the middle of rush hour traffic this morning. My friend at the other end, Raphael, says that he almost doesn't hear the cars, but that my voice doesn't come across clearly.
On my end, the sound quality is quite nice. I easily comprehend my conversation partners – even on the noisy Pfingstweidstrasse.
Great sound for an office headset
The Zone Wireless Plus has a decent sound system. It's rather bass-heavy, like most headphones these days. The trebles are also emphasized a bit too much. This causes the mids to get a little lost, missing some warmth.
Deep frequencies are loud, but not nuanced. I can't always clearly distinguish differences in this area. Where the Zone Wireless Plus really shines is in the Highs. They're clean, and even at extremely high frequencies I never get the feeling that my ears are bleeding. On the contrary: I love using them.
A comfortable headset worthy of any noisy office
I like the Zone Wireless Plus. It offers everything that an office headset needs: a comfortable feel and great sound output when making calls. In addition, the sound quality and active noise cancelling are very good for an office headset.
Is this thing worth its price tag? Depends. If you work in an open-plan office and have to make a lot of calls, this thing will shield you from the horror that is noisy colleagues. If you're not the phoning type, you're better off with headphones that focus mainly on sound and noise cancelling.
It would, of course, be more sensible not to combat noise with noise but to minimise it. But that's a story for another time.
Kevin Hofer
Senior Editor
kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.chFrom big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.
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