Headphone Reviews

Sound Quality
The overall tonal balance is truly excellent—among the best in the category. I'd characterize the general character as polite or mid-forward, lacking a little in both bass and treble...but just a little. There is some slight measured bass accentuation, probably not quite enough to my ears, but it also bleeds into the mids a bit making the Zoros sound very slightly thick in the lower mids. They're also slightly laid-back through the mid-treble, though the upper-treble is about where it's supposed to be, making these cans sound relaxed but articulate up top.

Even though the Zoro II HD may be more tonally neutral than some of the more expensive competitors, it also tends to lack their finesse. The Zoro II HD seems a bit grittier sounding (just a bit) than, for example, the Sennheiser Urbanite, Momentum On-ear, or Beats Solo2, which all seem to project a larger image. On the other hand, the Urbanite and Solo2 seem to have excessive bass in comparison, and the Momentum On-Ear Has a chunk of mid-range that's too recessed. Bottom line: I think the Zoro II HD performs on par (better tonal balance, but not as refined) than headphones costing twice as much.

Closer to the $99 price point are the Koss SP330 ($129) and Onkyo ES-FC300 ($149), which sit on the Wall of Fame in the on-ear, sealed category. The Koss SP330 seem a little colored compared to the Zoro having a slightly withdrawn upper mid-range/lower treble. The Zoro just seems more present and balanced here, while the Koss sounds somewhat veiled in comparison. The Koss can also sound a bit bright in the 10kHz area; sharp "ting" sounds are over accentuated. The Onkyo ES-FC300 has a definite warm tilt compared to the Zoro II HD; bass is significantly more elevated. For me, the Zoro is a clearly better sounding headphone.

Summary
At its $99 price, the Noontec Zoro II HD is well above average in styling, comfort, and build quality to my eyes. To my ears, they lead the pack under $100. The sound of these cans is marvelously neutral with a slight tendency towards a polite, mid-forward character. While it bests most headphones of this type in terms of neutrality, it's slightly gritty sound lacks the refinement of headphones 2-3 times the price. I'd say the Zoro II HD performs about on par with headphones twice its price...it's quite a good value.

I'm going to bump both the Koss SP330 and Onkyo ES-FC300 of the Wall of Fame in favor of the Noontec Zoro. Not only does it sound better, but both other headphones have some build quality, styling, and comfort shortfalls—not to mention they're more expensive. After spending some quality time with all three, I just can't ever see recommending either over the Zoro II HD in any way. Highly recommended!

Video

Resources
Noontec home page and Zoro II HD product page.
Head-Fi.org review and impressions thread.