News: 1591966806

Review With more of us taking part in remote meeting and webinars than ever, there's been a mad scrabble for a decent mic and headphones by those of us overusing the captions feature on Google meetings and Zoom.

Logitech provided this humble vulture with its Zone Wireless headset last month and I've been using it intermittently to hear colleagues' bellows and whispers in stereo at editorial meetings and conference calls. Of course, you can't hear much when they've forgotten to switch their mics on...

A lot of the thorns associated with entry-level headsets simply aren't there because these bad boys cost a pretty penny: The mic boom feels solid and not liable to break off; and the ear cups – while not as big as one might have liked – are comfortable and don't become unbearably hot and sweaty after a few hours' use.

You can also choose between pairing via a USB dongle or Bluetooth, and easily switch between the two options. Not only can you use the Zone Wireless with a phone or tablet, moving from your PC to mobile device is straightforward.

Logitech also includes a management app, called Logi Tune, which lets you twiddle EQ presets and update the device's firmware. You can also check mic and speaker levels although most VOIP apps offer that functionality.

Sound quality is similarly strong. Unusually, the headphones comes with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). Although this isn't nearly as potent as that found on premium models like the Sennheiser Momentum 3, it's good enough for standard office use.

The microphone did a sterling job of mitigating against external noises, while also limiting the intrusion you'd get from breathing too heavily. Meanwhile, the listening profile is balanced, as you'd expect from a primarily functional bit of audio kit.

Battery life varies depending on your usage patterns. You can expect to get around 14 hours with ANC on, which is more than enough for the standard working day. Charging is done via USB-C (which was a welcome discovery, given the prevalence of the increasingly ancient micro USB standard in audio kit) or wirelessly.

The inclusion of Qi charging is good, although correctly positioning the headset on a wireless charger can be extremely fiddly. Practice makes perfect, though, and after a few weeks of use, I finally cracked the code.

The Logitech Zone Wireless feels like a logical upgrade from your existing wireless headphones, delivering call quality in excess of what a humble pair of AirPods can readily deliver. That said, with a price tag of £175 on Amazon (at the time of writing), they ain't cheap and a user will need to be on the blower or in video meetings each day to justify the purchase.

Maybe your boss will get you some for Christmas. ®

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