NOONTEC ZORO

It’s clear from the styling of the Zoro headphones that Noontec took a series of long, sideways glances at the ubiquitous Beats brand during the development process. That isn’t necessarily a point against it, though, as it’s left the Zoro as a sleek, elegant-looking set of headphones. Where Noontec hasn’t aped Beats, however, is in the sound quality. The Zoro pumps out plenty of bass, but the low frequencies aren’t matched by quality in the high and mid-ranges, making the overall mix seem wallowy and lifeless. Mid-tones in particular sound neglected, with much of them crushed down into the lower registers, making vocals and acoustic guitars sound lacklustre.