Cygnett GrooveZone

Featuring a "funky moulded retro design" and claiming to provide an acoustically stable listening environment, Cygnett's GrooveZone headphones are supposed to deliver quality sound. They fall somewhat short of achieving this, but the noise cancelling works reasonably well for the asking price.

These headphones stand out thanks to design that is all-white design except for the black band and ear cups. Cygnett claims the headphones mould to the contours and curves of your ear. After using these for a prolonged period, we're inclined to agree — despite being quite large and bulky, they are very comfortable to wear for long listening periods. In particular, the soft ear cups and over-the-head band contribute greatly to a comfortable listening experience.

Despite the ergonomic design, the headphones don't feel sturdy. The plastic construction feels hollow and flimsy; we noticed that the off-white colour scheme tends to age quite quickly. Our unit became scratched and marked after only a little use. We do like the cable though. In addition to being an appropriate length, it was thick and soft, meaning it's not easily tangled.

Sound quality is average. For the relatively inexpensive asking price, these headphones do a decent job; audiophiles won't be impressed, however. The overall tones produced are somewhat muddy and instrumental separation isn't the best. Bass reproduction and volume are solid, with no evident distortion at higher levels. Treble is even and doesn't sound harsh until high volumes, although it is quite muffled and lacking in clarity. This creates an echo and distant sound effect.

Cygnett markets the GrooveZone as a set of noise cancelling headphones; they do a reasonable job in this regard. They don't stack up to competing models with a dedicated switch to activate noise cancelling, but the individual ear cups block out a fair bit of noise. They are definitely good enough to block out noisy school children on a train, for example.

The headphones come with a convenient zip-up case and a range of accessories, including a double-headphone adaptor, an aeroplane double plug adaptor, an extension cable and a 3.5mm to 6.5mm plug.