Zvox AV52 Noise Canceling Headphones Review

Price at the time of review

$ 69.99

Best Price Today: Zvox Model AV52

$ 79.99

free

There is an old saying that you get what you pay for. With the comfortable Zvox model AV52 for the price, if you’re willing to live with the major Pekkadiro, it could be a little more than you pay. Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is slow to engage and when it does, it changes the EQ considerably.

The sound with ANC is more than enough, but the bass is pretty low and the volume jumps loudly.

This review is part of TechHive’s article on Best Noise Canceling Headphones, which includes a review of competing products, as well as a buyer’s guide to features to consider when buying this type of product. increase.

design

The AV52 I tested was black, but there are also rose, white and blue. These are in a convenient carrying case, as shown below, and Zvox can use both a USB-A-USB-C charging cable and a TRS (chip / ring / sleeve) 3.5mm cable by wire.

The controls (volume up / next track, volume down / previous track, right earcup power / pair / voice assistant, left ANC toggle button) look a bit cheap at first, but are easy to touch. You can find it and operate it. I always prioritize efficiency over style and appearance. The Zvox AV52 controls next to the joystick on the Marshall headphones are my favorite. Well done Zvox.

There is also a small indicator light for ANC status and power, the latter also serving as Bluetooth status. It also has a USB-C port for charging and a twin microphone for handling phone and Google / Apple voice commands. There is no doubt that at least one has been adopted by the ANC, but the hard specs weren’t available on the Zvox website or weren’t announced by the manufacturer by the deadline.

The AV52 headband (shown above) articulates just above the cup. In other words, they fold to fit in the case. There are plenty of pads on the cup and headband, and even a little on the speaker grill. Despite the tight fit, I found them to be more comfortable than most others.

Sound and battery life

AV52 is number one-It’s a headphone with the sound I tested, but it was a lot of fun to listen to a batch of test songs without using ANC. There’s plenty of bass and the mid and high definition isn’t that sharp, but the overall sound is certainly acceptable. Volume is enough, but if you’re looking for a blaster, don’t buy these.

The problem starts when I use ANC. You will hear the AV52 switch mode and it will take about 1 second for the ANC to fully operate. The processor does not seem to compensate for the increased strength of the combined signal, so the volume will increase significantly when booted. (ANC uses two anti-phase signals to cancel the noise.)

The timbre also changes, the perceived bass is reduced, and the midrange is slightly lighter.I wouldn’t call AV52 in ANC mode Can’t hearBut I much liked the more complete non-ANC signal.

To be fair, Zvox’s ANC significantly reduces ambient noise (especially in the bass). Zvox’s AccuVoice boosts the frequency at which audio is present. Perhaps the designer expects to be watching a movie on an airplane when ANC is involved and needs a clearer dialog. Perhaps, but the choice shouldn’t be made for you. In any case, I call the AV52 ANC livable, but it’s not optimal.

On the other hand, the AV52’s excellent fit is so great that it blocks out ambient sounds, so you may find that ANC is almost unnecessary. In other words, you can get some bass if you want, but it’s just a little more noisy. Battery life is also good. I was counting in 12 hours with 40% battery left (without ANC).

No problem for normal listening

For the price, the model AV52 sounds good. Not great, but I’m only paying $ 70. ANC is viable, if not ideal for music. When you don’t want to put your expensive headset at risk, I would call them great travel options.