Logitech Zone Wired Earbuds Review
Logitech's latest work earbuds designed to be used with Microsoft Teams
Verdict
The Logitech Zone Wired Earbuds are great for work use, with integrated mute and Microsoft Teams buttons making it easy to join your morning work calls. However, not everyone will be sold on the wired aspect, and anyone wanting to listen to music as they work may have to look elsewhere.
Pros
- Handy mute button
- Options to use various connection ports
- Magnetic earbuds can hang around your neck
- Very accessible when using Microsoft Teams
- Clear audio and a clear microphone
Cons
- Even the smallest option didn’t fit my ear
- Earbuds would fall out unless forced into your ear
- Wired connection isn’t for everyone
- Can’t listen to music
Availability
- UKRRP: £89.99
- USARRP: $99.99
- EuropeRRP: €99.99
- CanadaRRP: CA$129
- AustraliaRRP: AU$126.95
Key Features
- Logitech pouchCome with compact pouch for portability
- Magnetic earbuds Magnetic backs for easy accessibility
- Developed for Microsoft TeamsCertified for Microsoft Teams, supported on Zoom and Google Meet
Introduction
Logitech introduces the Zone Wired Earbuds as the next addition to the Zone lineup. Designed for work, they feature handy buttons to make joining calls even easier.
I’ve been using the Zone Wired Earbuds for the past few weeks with my work laptop. Here’s how I got on.
Design
- Magnetic earbuds
- Choice of three ports
- Storage pouch comes included
- Four tip sizes to choose from
These earbuds have been designed for office use, which is the reason they sport a sleek and discrete form that won’t look out of place during online calls. They come in a portable Logitech pouch, which made it easy for me to take them in and out of the office without fear of them becoming tangled or damaged.
Inside the pouch, you’ll find four different silicon plugs, in XS, S, M and L. Try as I might, none of them would fit and remain inside my ear, specifically my right ear, which meant that particular earbud failed to sit right and would constantly fall out my ear. I will say that since I have small ears I often suffer such issues with silicon plugs – generally, the only earbuds I can get to stay put in my ears are hard plastic units, such as the AirPods 2.
So with that in mind, if you know that gummy earplugs work for you then you’re less likely to encounter such problems; but if you’re small-eared like me then you might want to test out some alternatives before committing to a new pair.
Other than the large silicon plugs, the overall design of the Zone Wired Earbuds impresses, with the magnetic backs on each earbud proving handier than I’d expect. Not only did it eliminate almost all tangling, I could hang the buds around my neck when not in use or when I needed to quickly lend an ear to the world around me.
Offering a choice between a USB-C, USB-A and 3.5m headphone jack connection, Logitech has made it so almost everyone can use the Zone Wired. The earbuds come with a USB-C end, although in the pouch is a USB-C to USB-A adapter. If you don’t want the accessible mute button, which I’ll touch on later, you can remove a section of the wiring and use the headphone jack instead – so all bases should be covered, regardless of the device you use.
I used these buds with my Huawei MateBook 14s and MateBook X Pro (2022), but Logitech says that these earbuds will work with most laptops or mobile phones that come with the previously mentioned ports.
As you can determine from their name, the Zone Wired earbuds aren’t wireless, which I’m not used to. The full cable measures in at 145cm, although this reduces by about 50cm if you’re connected via the headphone jack. Considering they’re intended for office use, and I only used them while sitting at a desk, the fact that they’re wired wasn’t an issue. In addition, I didn’t feel that my experience with them would have been improved significantly had the offering been wireless.
Features
- Inline remote
- Designed for Microsoft Teams
- Logitech Logi Tune software
What distinguishes the Logitech Zone Wired buds from many others is the four-button inline remote that comprises a mute button, a play/pause for audio, volume, and a centre button that opens up Microsoft Teams.
I primarily use Zoom, so didn’t get to fully test their compatibility with Microsoft Teams, although I did start a few Teams calls to see if the inline remote made the process much easier. Overall, it wasn’t hugely helpful, as the main button can only open Teams and join Teams calls that are currently happening – which I could have done using my trackpad.
The mute button proved far more helpful, since it saves you having to frantically look for said functionality for those rare times you’re called upon mid-call. My only annoyance here was that the earbuds state ‘You are muted/You are unmuted’ every time you press the button, which can be distracting if you’re answering questions mid-meeting.
Not surprising, the volume buttons and pause buttons are useful, too, although since I rarely ever listened to music using these earbuds, they didn’t get the most use.
You can also download the Logitech Logi Tune software, which will keep you in the loop on any firmware updates. Seeing as the software can only be used to configure the sidetone audio, which is the feedback your own voice creates when using the microphone, I don’t think it’s terribly useful, and it didn’t make the experience of using the headphones any better than if I didn’t have it.
Sound and Microphone Quality
- Focused, clear audio with emphasis on voices
- Not ideal for music/media
- 6mm drivers
- Clear microphone
The sound quality the Zone Wired deliver for calls impressed. While on work calls, the voices of my co-workers shined through clear as day, with vocals to the fore. I wore these buds both at home in quiet spaces and while in busier environments, and in neither scenario did I find it difficult to hear what people were saying, with the silicon earbuds doing a decent job of blocking out external noise – when the buds managed to stay in my ears.
Considering call audio was so impressive, my expectations for use on the leisure front were high. So I was shocked to learn that listening to music or watching media with these buds is quite a poor experience, with music specifically sounding bland and almost distorted. There’s a noticeable lack of bass, with high notes sounding warped and hitting the ear incorrectly, no matter the position of the earbuds in your ears.
Listening to a show or a podcast was better, but blandness remained an issue – this resulted in me either turning them off altogether or switching over to other means, specifically the Razer Opus X.
Moving onto how my voice was delivered to those on at the other end, the omni-directional microphone picked up my voice without distortion every time. There were never any complaints about the quality of my voice through work calls, but by running my voice through an audio editor such as Audacity, I could see how even and balanced the microphone was, with no big dips or cut-outs during my minutes of talking.
And again, even in louder environments the microphone picked up my voice and filtered out any ambient noise, which will be particularly helpful for those living in a busy space.
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Should you buy it?
You want a no-nonsense pair of earbuds for use with Microsoft Teams If you’re a frequent user of Teams and are in the market for a pair of work earbuds in particular, the Logitech Zone Wired are a decent option – sleek, discrete and they come with a handy carrying pouch.
You want to listen to music Those looking for a multi-use pair of buds, so they can skip from a work call to their favourite album, would be better off considering models from other brands such as Sennheiser or Sony. Note that those with small ear canals should also be wary, since these weren’t a comfortable fit for me.
Final Thoughts
I had high hopes for the Logitech Zone Wired Earbuds – I’ve been a fan in the past of some of the company’s gaming audio, such as the Logitech G733 and Logitech G335 headsets.
Ultimately, though, these earbuds disappointed. Anyone looking for a pair of “work” earbuds will appreciate the Zone Wired since audio during calls was pretty much perfect, with a responsive and clear microphone to boot.
However, if you’re someone who likes to listen to music through your work earbuds, the Zone Wired fail to live up to expectations; bass and treble in music is flat and sometimes distorted. The fit was also an issue for me; I couldn’t get the Zone Wired to stay in my ears, so those with small ears may want to steer clear.
FAQs
Yes, the company claims that the earbuds will work with mobile devices, so long as they have support for one of the ports, which include USB-C, USB-A and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Inside the Logi pouch, there are four different silicon plugs to choose from, in XS, S, M and L.
Yes, you can buy the earbuds in either Rose or Graphite. We tested out the Graphite earbuds.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
