Take a closer look at the Zino headphones from Ultrasone.
Donald Bell
Donald Bell has spent more than five years as a CNET senior editor, reviewing everything from MP3 players to the first three generations of the Apple iPad. He currently devotes his time to producing How To content for CNET, as well as weekly episodes of CNET's Top 5 video series.
Ultrasone's Zino headphones strike the perfect middle-ground of performance, style, and convenience for earbud-eschewing connoisseurs of portable audio.
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Ultrasone Zino headphones
The Zinos borrow heavily from their previous effort, the Ultrasone iCans. Fortunately, the Zinos do well to steer clear of the cheeky name and conspicuous white and chrome looks of the iCans, opting instead for a gunmetal gray finish with a black headband and cable. The sound, however, is still unmistakably Ultrasone--which is a very good thing.
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Ultrasone Zino headphones
Part of the Zino's comfort can be attributed to the headphone band's slightly squared-off shape (a change from the original iCans design), but what seals the deal are the 1/4-inch thick soft foam pads on each earpiece, covered in a silky-smooth nylon mesh.
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Ultrasone Zino headphones
The Zino's sides are each hinged at the headband to that the earpieces fold inwards like a pair of sunglasses. It's hard to compete against a pair of earbuds that fit inside your fist, but the Zino's collapsible design will at least fit in your pocket.
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Ultrasone Zino headphones
The hardshell case included with the Ultrasone Zino reminds us of a fanny pack and adds an unnecessary amount of bulk to an otherwise beautiful and compact pair of headphones.
