TREBLAB Z2 Review – The Perfect Workout Companion

The Treblab brand has been in the market since 2015. Within that short time, Treblab has come up with several headphones, earphones, and Bluetooth speakers. The Treblab Z2 is one of their successful headphones around and is one of the best over ear headphones for working out. So whether it is the gym, running, or any other workout, the Treblab Z2 is a worthy option to consider. In this review, we’ll cover the design and build quality, comfort and fit, connectivity, and sound quality, and more.

If you are someone who’s always on the road, we also have an article for the best bluetooth helmet speakers.

TREBLAB Z2 Specs

Driver Type: Dynamic driver
Driver Size: 40mm
Headphone Type: Over-Ear, Closed-Back
Impedance: Unknown
Sensitivity: Unknown
Frequency Response: 20 – 20000 Hz
Headphone Connector: 3.5mm
Wireless Connectivity: Yes, Bluetooth 5.0 aptX
Wireless Range: 33 feet/ 10m
Battery: 620 mAh, Up to 35-Hours Playtime
Water Resistant: Yes, IPX4
Color options: 2, Black & A-Black
Headphone weight: 252 g / 8.9 oz / 0.55 lb

See the TREBLAB Z2 on Amazon

Design

Looks and Build Quality

The Treblab Z2 is built entirely from plastics save for the headband sliders, which are made of brushed aluminum. The Treblab Z2 is a closed-back headphone with an over-ear design. This helps by keeping out ambient noise while working out and also improves the comfort levels over time.

Despite the low price tag and the plastic build, the Z2 has a decent build quality. First, the headband is well-padded, and the sliders can be adjusted to fit most head sizes. The earcups are decently comfortable despite a shallow and small earcup opening. The Treblab Z2 is a very lightweight headphone, which mostly improves its fit.

To control the headphones, the Treblab Z2 comes with several controls and inputs both on the right and left earcups. On the right, you get volume up/next, power/play/pause/phone, and volume up and down. Input ports for the 3.5mm aux cable and USB charger are also located on the right earcup. The left earcup houses the active cancellation function with an On/Off switch.

The buttons are easy to use and can easily be distinguished, so you can tell which button you are using without looking. When you reach the maximum volume, the Treblab Z2 gives you an audio cue to let you know. When using the provided 3.5mm cable, the earcup controls do not function, and all controls are left to the inline remote/mic and your playback device. The inline remote is a little disappointing because it does not provide volume controls or track skipping.

Running Use vs. Gym Use

The Treblab Z2 is built mostly to target sport, workout, gym, and running users. If you prefer using earbuds over headphones when working out, then you might want to try the Treblab Z2. First, it is lightweight and comfortable to wear when working out. Most over-ear headphones look bulky or stupid, but the Treblab Z2 is an exception.

They also feature easy to use controls so you can change tracks mid-workout or adjust the volume as needed. The headphones are also stable on the head, so you do not have to worry about them falling off.

If you sweat during workouts, then the guys at Treblab have also added something for you. The Treblab Z2 is sweatproof with an IPX4 rating, which protects the headphones from water and sweat. This, however, does not mean they are water submersible.

Connectivity

The Treblab Z2 has two connectivity options, both wired and wireless. For the wired option, the package comes with a 3.5mm aux cable. The cable, as pointed earlier, does not offer a lot of functionality, which is a disappointment. The earcup controls are also disabled when using the wired option.

Treblab-Z2 charger and 3.5mm aux cable

On the plus side, the Bluetooth connectivity of the Treblab Z2 is very good. The headphones can connect to two devices simultaneously and also support aptx-LL for much lower latency. With Android devices, the latency is very low compared to iOS devices. Provided your playback device supports aptx-LL, you should be fine to use the Treblab Z2 without noticeable lag.

Battery Life

One of the strong features of the Treblab Z2 is the battery life. Once we got our model, the first thing I did was to charge it to full capacity. If you spend most of your time traveling, the battery life is as crazy as advertised. The battery lasted a little over 20 hours on a single charge with ANC turned on, which is remarkable. They are advertised to last up to 35 hours without ANC, which is very good.

On the negatives, once you get a low battery, you will hear “battery low” several times until they die. Considering the is’s set at 5 or 10%, this is still a significant amount of listening with intrusive “battery low” notification.

The other downside of the Treblab Z2 is it does not support fast charging, and takes over four hours to fully charge them. This is time-consuming, especially when you forget to charge them when not in use. On the bright side, they support a 3.5mm connection.

Another great headphone for working out with an adequate battery life is the JBL T450BT and we have a in depth review of it also.

Comfort and Fit

The comfort of the Treblab Z2 is very good. They are lightweight and well-padded.

Treblab Z2 Earpads

The earcups have nice cushions and are wrapped in a nice pleather material. They are good for long travels or long workouts where comfort is crucial. Though the earcups have a large opening, people with larger ears might have a problem getting a proper fit. The good news is that even when they sit on the ears, they are also very comfortable to be worn for long sessions.

The headband is also well padded with a soft leatherette material. The weight of the headphones is also very nicely distributed over your head by the headband. It can be adjusted to fit bigger heads, and it also has a good clamping force to keep the headphones on your head securely.

Sound

Audio Quality

For what you pay for, the overall sound quality of the Treblab Z2 is very good. Unlike most consumer headphones in this price range, they are well-balanced. This makes them good for a wide range of genres and content. 

Low-End (Bass)

Unlike most sports headphones that reproduce a boomy bass, the bass of Treblab z2 is well balanced and punchy. Though it could be improved, it is quite good for a headphone in this price range. For bass-heavy genres, the Z2 might fall short of your expectations. Overall, most music genres will get justice when reproduced by the Treblab Z2.

High-End (Treble) and Mids

The midrange reproduction is excellent. This gives vocals and instruments clear sound without sounding distant or muddy. The treble, though decently and clearly reproduced, can be a little piercing or very dull for some instruments. 

Noise-canceling

The passive noise isolation performance of the Treblab Z2 is not the best. They do a good job of blocking out background chatter and high-pitched frequencies. Construction noises or engine rumbles are only slightly lower. However, if you plan to use the Z2 in the gym, it should do a good job of isolating the sounds of a fan or an AC unit.

Treblab Z2 ANC Switch

The Treblab Z2 also features active noise cancellation. The ANC feature works well, save for some minor crackling or a distracting buzz in one ear or sometimes both. This is the case with many wireless headphones that feature ANC circuitry. Another thing I noticed is that with ANC turned on, the sound quality degrades, especially the bass. Again, this is to be expected of most ANC headphones, so really just a nitpick.

Microphone and Call Quality

The Z2 features an integrated microphone on the left earcup as well as an inline microphone on the included analog cable. The integrated microphone is subpar, and listeners had a hard time sometimes hearing, and you have to speak up louder to be heard. This might not be a deal-breaker if you’re looking for workout headphones. However, for gaming or conference calls, you might want to check other options.

What We Like:

• The price of the Z2. They are cheaper/budget-friendly headphones for working out or traveling.
• Comfortable design that a good fit for most people
• Excellent sound quality
• The overall battery performance of these headphones is good.
• Sweatproof with IPX4 water resistance

What We Don’t:

• Battery low prompt is annoying and unnecessarily early
• Low-volume microphone
• No fast charging

Comparison Table

Check Our Best Over-Ear Headphones for Working Out