This article was published on February 24, 2017

Review: EOZ One headphones are where form meets function


Review: EOZ One headphones are where form meets function

When you make the claim your product is the most stylish in its segment, you’re setting the bar high. Luckily, for EOZ One, that segment happened to be Bluetooth headphones, where aesthetics go to die.

For what it’s worth, though, the statement is on point. The EOZ One is, without a doubt, the best-looking Bluetooth headphone I’ve seen to date.

Yep, fair enough.

But looks aren’t everything.

What are they?

EOZ One is a Kickstarter-backed Bluetooth headphone with a focus on design and utility. Whereas most Bluetooth headphones bear more than a passing resemblance to hearing aids, EOZ managed to deliver a great-sounding in-ear monitor that didn’t skimp on style. In fact, after trying these out for the past couple weeks, it’s clear to me EOZ didn’t really skimp on anything.

 

 

After raising more than €53,000 on Kickstarter, the Barcelona-based EOZ sent me a pair to try.

Looks

Mine came in a leather case with a zipper that tucked away easily inside my laptop bag. Inside were some truly gorgeous headphones. EOZ called them the “Noir” edition, a brushed metal finish dressed in all black with subtle chrome accents designed to tuck behind your ear.

The monitor itself was light, and comfortable. I actually forgot I was wearing it more than once. That’s not to say it’ll be comfortable for everyone, as it’s quite difficult to design a one-size-fits-all approach to the human ear.

For me, though, it was a snug fit and one I felt would stay in place even without the over-the-ear wire designed to keep it from falling out. Mine were mostly used at my desk, but even with quick and jerky movement I can’t imagine them falling out. For workout buffs, the fit, accompanied with the sweat-proof design, should make these more than adequate to use both in the office and at the gym.

Sound

Sound was great, if a little bass heavy. It wasn’t an overwhelming experience, and it’s one EDM, hip-hop, and pop listeners could quite enjoy. For rock, classical, and acoustic or folksy music, the bass could get a bit overpowering at times, although never to the point where I wanted to switch headphones. If forced to make a comparison, I’d say the sound profile is a little Beats-like, although not quite that bass-heavy.

Clarity was very good, no matter what I was listening to. The soundstage also seemed accurate. Sound reproduction was about what I’d expect, and I had no issue picking out what sound was coming from which instrument, or where it was in the virtual space.

I did experience a slight hiss on occasion at higher frequencies, but I’m not sure it’s something I would have noticed if I weren’t looking for it. It only happened once or twice, and just momentarily.

Features

EOZ One has all of what you need, without a lot of frills. The built-in remote does what you’d expect — raise/lower volume, skip tracks, answer/hang up/reject calls, etc. — and pairing was a breeze. After holding down the button for around 5 seconds, my phone discovered the headphones and paired to them without fail each time I tried.

Results were the same on my desktop and laptop computers.

There aren’t a lot of bells and whistles to speak of. To be honest, EOZ doesn’t need them.

The product does just about everything right, and at $119 they might be the best blend of forum and function I’ve seen in this price range. You can pick yours up at the EOZ Audio website.

 

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