Palm Discovery would like to extend a BIG THANKS to Chris Sams of Zagg for providing the product for this review.

I’ve owned my share of earbuds throughout the years starting from the early Walkman days. Yes, I’ve been around the block for a while to remember when the Sony Walkman first came out. Anyway, I originally thought that the Sony Fontopia earbuds were great, but I’ve always struggled to get them fitted well inside my ear. I’m not sure if there are many people like me who have difficulty keeping it inside the ear without slipping or falling out but I’ve never fitted any similar styled earbuds well inside the ear, and even with the foam coverings, sometimes, they still don’t stay in. Or worse, those foam pads fall out or tear.

So, when I saw Zagg’s Z.buds, I thought they looked like something that could work for me. And since the day I’ve got them, I haven’t gone back to the old Treo headphones. The interesting thing about Zagg’s Z.buds is that the designers of the product have obviously took time to address the concerns and problems many earbud users (like me) have experienced. The Z.buds offers a combination of various features that I can’t find in any other earbud product out on the market today. The Z.buds offer innovative ways to prevent the earbuds from falling out of the ear, keeping the noise out, keeping the earbuds and wire from falling to the ground as well as addressing the age old problem of headphone wire tanges. Don’t believe me? Read on!

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Specs and Details

* 2009 CES Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase Honoree
* Built-in noise canceling mic.
* Rich, responsive sound from superior speakers
* “Hangin’ tight” wearable - wear Z.buds around neck
* Built-in music control for iPhone
* Premium length, tangle-free cord
* In-line volume control
* Multiple sliders for better cord management
* 3.5mm jack is also compatible with first gen iPhone
* Multiple earbud adapters for all ear sizes
* 45-day money-back guarantee
* Lifetime Trade-In Guarantee

Upgrade your digital music experience with Z.buds by ZAGG - recipient of the prestigious CES Innovations award for 2009. Packed with features, an eye-catching design, outstanding sound quality, and superior hardware, Z.buds are the next evolutionary step for in-ear headphones.

Z.buds feature convenient in-line volume control and a premium length, tangle-free cord. The award-winning design includes multiple sliders for better cord management and greater listening convenience — try our “Hangin’ Tight” slider alignment viewable in the images above. Z.buds Music Control for iPhone completes the experience, allowing iPhone users a seamless switch between their calls and their music.

With Z.buds, ZAGG adds another dimension to your electronics experience; combining the convenience and quality of digital music with top-of-the-line headphones so you can get the most out of your device. The hallmark of the ZAGGaudio line is rich, exceptional sound with sharp clarity, inventive, eye-catching design, and excellent value for the cost.

Earbuds

speaker diameter: 10mm
frequency response: 20hz to 20Khz
impedance: 32 Ohms
max input power: 10mW
cable length: 1.37 meters/54 inches
plug type: 3.5mm
sensitivity: 94dB +/- 3dB SPL/mW
Microphone: Noise Canceling Condenser
frequency response: 30hz to 16Khz
impedance: 10 Ohms
sensitivity: 42dB +/- 3dB

Z.buds (Black) (with mic)	Z.buds (Black) (no mic)
Z.buds (Pink) (with mic)	Z.buds (Pink) (no mic)
Z.buds (Red) (with mic)	Z.buds (Red) (no mic)
Z.buds (Yellow) (with mic)	Z.buds (Yellow (no mic)

Click on the thumbnail images for a bigger picture

Slideshow of the above pictures

Product Video

Video at YouTube

Here are my observations:

I am very impressed by Zagg’s Z.buds, first by their design and obviously by their innovative ideas and features. It’s quite obvious that their design team took a lot of time to address and deal with issues and problems most earbud users experience. First, the problem of having the earbud phones falling right out of the ears. They’ve used a soft molding earbud adapter that fits snugly inside the ear, rather than the typical Sony fontopia style which slides off for me and never fits right. Having this type of earbud also helps block out noise so that you listen to the sound coming out of the headphone instead.

Second, the other problem of having the earbuds fall right off your shoulders and on the ground. I for one, have experienced it myself a few times. I didn’t know that the earbuds slid off my shoulders (I have no idea how that happened) until I literally stepped on and tripped over my own earphone. Shocking but it does happen. Zagg has addressed this problem with their implementation of three cord sliders (I think of them more like beads) which can be used to control the cord around your body, but when used in the way they’ve described, can totally prevent the earbuds from ever falling to the ground. Check out their diagram to get an idea of how it works.

Third, having the headphone wires enclosed by a nylon wrapping definitely prevents the wire from getting tangled. It’s not tangle proof but it sure prevents tangles, that’s for sure.

There’s also a few other features like the built-in volume slider and the button loop that adds to the entire package to make it great. And of course, the sound is great. I enjoy the bass or lower end that other earbuds can’t provide.

Enough raves about the earbuds, isn’t there something not so positive about the Z.buds? Well, I guess there is. My only complaint about the Z.buds is that the call receive button is still not far enough down the wire/cord that will have it positioned close to my collarbone, like most other headphones.

Also, I’ve noticed an annoyance (and it goes with all heaphones/earbuds) that seems to be more prominent on the Z.buds (probably due to the nylon wrapping of the wires). When I’m moving my head, I will hear the sound of the wire rubbing against whatever it is running against and it’s quite annoying. What I have found that seems to work for me is to wrap part of the cord around the tops of my ears and then drop it down and fit it in. This prevents the dragging and prevents much movement of the cord/wire and the annoying sound is gone. This may look weird but I’m hoping that Z.buds may decided to add a special rubbery wrap that will work well over the ears for people like me who wish to prevent the rubbing noise but keep the earbud fitted in well.

One other suggestion is to possibly provide a retractable cord version as well? I don’t know but the thought of being able to keep everything compact and neat has always appealed to me. Or, what about having something similar to the cord slider that fits along the wire that you can use to wrap up any extra cord slack?

My only other complaint is on the packaging and not on the product itself. The earbud and accessories were inside a blister pack which, like most, are difficult to open without very sharp knives and possible self-injury. I truly dislike packages in blister packs and never understand why they can’t make them easily opened like those that come from Asia that aren’t heat sealed shut. They are a major hazard and yes, if you use those special scissors to open them, they still poke and are still sharp. Just be careful when taking out the trash. And of course, they aren’t environmentally friendly.

Review Summary

It’s no wonder why Zagg’s Z.buds received the 2009 CES Innovation’s Design & Engineering Showcase Award as I’ve found that their Z.buds are very innovative and well designed. The idea of using a nylon enclosure around the standard headphone wire/cord to prevent tangles (one of every portable music lover’s nightmare) is ingenius! I can’t say that the cord can’t get tangled, but it’s so much easier to untangle and takes much less time to untangle compared to the typical headphone wire/cord. I especially liked the soft molding and easily removable earbud adapters supplied that fit inside the ear and does a great job of blocking out external noise without feeling uncomfortable. Typical earbuds don’t fit in my ear at all and they slide and fall out so easily and quickly. These earbuds fit comfortably and stay fitted inside. The sound that comes out of the earbuds is so much better than my Treo headphone. It offers much more bass and lower end sound than any other earbud phones I’ve tried. But, I’m no audiophile so I can’t really say, although I can tell they are better than what I have and what I’ve tried before.

(EDITED April 16, 2009). Originally when I wrote this review, I was not an affiliate. I have since become an affiliate. Please keep this in mind.

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