Getting a pair of well-designed and feature-rich Bluetooth headphones at a very affordable price seems like an almost utopian tech idea. The moment you come down the price ladder compromises creep in, whether in terms of design or performance, often both. So much so that if you are looking for a pair of reasonably good Bluetooth headphones, you generally have to pay in the vicinity of Rs 5,000 and even then be ready to feel the painful edges of corners that have been cut to arrive at that price. The Zebronics Zeb Aeon is one of the few headphones that is an exception to this general rule. The headphones come with a decent feature set and were launched a few months ago at a price of Rs 3,299. They were a good deal even at that price but have recently been made available at Rs 1,999, a discount of almost forty per cent, and with the deals at some outlets, can even be purchased at close to half their price. And at this reduced price, they are a no-brainer for budget headphone hunters. Smart-looking and well-cushioned Unlike some of their competitors in the budget wireless earphone segment, the Zeb Aeon does not compromise on headphone basics. They are made totally of plastic but have a nice solid feel to them, and as they fold inwards into a more compact form, you can chuck them into your backpack without fear. They come with not only well-padded earcups but also a reasonably well-padded headband. They are not very large earcups and if you have large ears, you find the headphones a little on the smaller side, but thanks to all that padding, they are very comfortable to wear. At less than 200 grams, they are light enough to wear for long periods of time. The headband extends a little to accommodate larger heads and the headphones do not 'press' too tightly on your head. The large Zebronics logo on each earcup might annoy some people, but otherwise, these are smart-looking. We got the beige variant, which we suspect might be a little prone to getting dusty, but they look good, and thanks to their relatively lightweight, can easily be worn around the neck for a long time, and won't look bad there either. Just remember to keep a cloth handy to keep the smudges off the beige variant (you also get them in relatively routine black and blue). Controls are button-driven and simple - there is an on/off button, a volume rocker and a dedicated button for ANC on the left earcup. Headphones with a strong bass-ic instinct The Zeb Aeon also deliver surprisingly good sound for its price point. They come with large 40 mm drivers, and while their default sound signature is bass-heavy and can overwhelm other sounds at higher volumes, we found they were actually very good for mainstream listening, and impressively loud. Purists will not like the aggressive bass signature, but if you like techno, rap, and music with lots of "beats", these will be right up your alley. They are also good for watching action films and have good enough clarity to be used for regular viewing and also for podcasts. These are not designed for audiophiles so do not expect a flat or even a balanced audio signature. If you are into acoustic, folk, jazz or classical music, then you might find these a little too warm or 'thick' for your taste - they focus more on bass than on treble, which stresses sharper sounds (often seen in stringed instruments). They are even decent enough for gaming, with not too much latency when you switch to gaming mode (a double click of the power button lets you switch between gaming and music mode). Usable ANC and calls, exceptional battery! The Zeb Aeon also come with ANC. Given its price, it is not the greatest we have experienced but, combined with the decent cushioning and the high volumes the drivers deliver, it is capable enough to kill a reasonable amount of external sound. The headphones also come with Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity and we were able to use them from 8-10 feet from our connected device without any problems, although walls did create issues. Call quality is passable, provided the surroundings are somewhat quiet - you can use them for calls in a cafe or in an office, but if you are outside with traffic in the vicinity, the people you call might not be able to hear you clearly. One of the USPs of the Zeb Aeon is their battery life. Zebronics claims the headphones can last over 100 hours on a single charge if played at around 50 per cent volume. And that seems to be broadly accurate - the headphones went past 50 hours easily even at higher volumes and with ANC switched on. They also have a fast charge option in which 10 minutes of charging delivers up to ten hours of music at 50 per cent volume. And even if you run out of charge, the headphones come with a 3.5 mm cable that lets you plug them into a device for a wired listening experience. There is also a Type-C charging cable in the box. Very handy. All of which makes the Zebronics Zeb Aeon one of the best options for anyone wanting a good pair of wireless headphones while inflicting minimum damage to their own bank balance. They look smart, are comfortable to wear, sound bass-ily good, have okay-ish ANC and call quality for their price, and come with very good battery life. At around Rs 1,999 (and lesser, with offers), that's very good value for money in our book!
