Subscores
Over the past several months the Spanish brand Ozone has been releasing products with impressive value for money. They may not be the ultimate references for audiophiles with deep-reaching pockets, but they do have their redeeming qualities. The Spark is case in point.
Matte black plastic can usually help make a device look better, but it won't work miracles. If the finishing or materials aren't good, the illusion fades as quickly as it came. Luckily, that's not the case here and the Spark's build is even almost impressive when you consider the price tag.
The thin headband is surprisingly well padded, covered with a nice-feeling material. Same goes for the well-built, artificial-leather earcups. Like the size adjusters, the joints appear to be well made, allowing the headphones to fold in.
And the braided cable is of excellent quality. The only thing that really could use an upgrade is the remote control—but then again, we've also seen similar quality on much pricier headphones.
Audio: Not Perfect
The Ozone Spark's sound is far from dynamic, despite all the peaks and troughs in the frequency response curve. For one thing, the bass is pretty weak, especially in the lower end of the low-end. There's a certain sluggishness that's not entirely devoid of charm, although it's certainly hazy at times.
The mids do their job, but not spectacularly so, dragging the overall rendering down to a certain extent. The highs, however, are just about right, as long as you don't turn the volume up too high, in which case they can become aggressive, with clearly noticeable sibilance.
As precision goes, the Spark is neither exemplary, nor catastrophic. The slack bass stays in check and doesn't blot out the rest of the spectrum, but the sense of vagary, no matter how slight, seems to permeate everything.
When compared with the products it's competing against, the Spark really isn't the worst headphone in the line-up, nor is it the best. Yes, it has its faults, but what are you gonna do? You can't get high performance without spending big pesos.
Design: From Ear To Ear
Matte black plastic can usually help make a device look better, but it won't work miracles. If the finishing or materials aren't good, the illusion fades as quickly as it came. Luckily, that's not the case here and the Spark's build is even almost impressive when you consider the price tag.
The thin headband is surprisingly well padded, covered with a nice-feeling material. Same goes for the well-built, artificial-leather earcups. Like the size adjusters, the joints appear to be well made, allowing the headphones to fold in.
And the braided cable is of excellent quality. The only thing that really could use an upgrade is the remote control—but then again, we've also seen similar quality on much pricier headphones.
Audio: Not Perfect
The Ozone Spark's sound is far from dynamic, despite all the peaks and troughs in the frequency response curve. For one thing, the bass is pretty weak, especially in the lower end of the low-end. There's a certain sluggishness that's not entirely devoid of charm, although it's certainly hazy at times.
The mids do their job, but not spectacularly so, dragging the overall rendering down to a certain extent. The highs, however, are just about right, as long as you don't turn the volume up too high, in which case they can become aggressive, with clearly noticeable sibilance.
As precision goes, the Spark is neither exemplary, nor catastrophic. The slack bass stays in check and doesn't blot out the rest of the spectrum, but the sense of vagary, no matter how slight, seems to permeate everything.
When compared with the products it's competing against, the Spark really isn't the worst headphone in the line-up, nor is it the best. Yes, it has its faults, but what are you gonna do? You can't get high performance without spending big pesos.
Pros
- Build, finishing, materials
- Homogeneous rendering
- Low price
Cons
- Rendering a bit hazy
- Non-pivotable microphone
- Poor stereo image
Conclusion
For an inexpensive headphone, the Ozone Spark has its merits, as long as you don't demand outstanding sound. Good value for money.
OUR SCORE
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