PROS:
- Custom-molded fit ensures unmatched comfort and passive noise isolation.
- Exceptional soundstage with three-dimensional spatial audio experience.
- Advanced Mimi personalization optimizes audio for individual hearing profiles.
- Modular design allows for future hardware upgrades without replacing shells.
- Sustainably designed with replaceable batteries and recyclable 3D-printed shells.
CONS:
- Premium $2,000 price limits accessibility for most consumers.
- Touch controls can be unreliable during workouts or sweaty conditions.
- Battery life per charge is comparable to other high-end wireless earbuds.
EDITOR'S QUOTE:
Breggz Zohn-1 shatters audio boundaries, delivering sound sculpted perfectly for your ears alone. Pure revelation.
I’ve spent the last month living with what might be the most ambitious earbuds ever created. The Breggz Zohn-1—a $2,000 custom-fitted marvel that promises to redefine personal audio—arrived in my hands fresh from its CES 2025 debut, where it stole the spotlight from industry giants. After hundreds of hours of listening across dozens of environments, from noisy flights to quiet studios, I’ve discovered something rare: a product that genuinely changes how you experience music. While the hefty price tag will rightfully give most consumers pause, my extended time with these custom-molded earbuds has revealed capabilities that conventional wireless options simply cannot match. For those wondering if the future of premium audio is personalized, my journey with the Zohn-1 offers some compelling answers.
Designer: Breggz
My First Encounter at CES 2025
When I first entered the Breggz suite at CES 2025, I’ll admit I was skeptical. The $2,000 price tag had me prepared to dismiss these as another overpriced gadget targeting the ultra-premium market. Before we did anything or even chatted, I simply wanted to experience the product—and that it did. My initial cynicism dissolved after the personalized fitting process and first listening session.
The Breggz team guided me through their digital fitting process, which creates a precise map of your ear canal. Unlike traditional universal earbuds that use silicone tips in standard sizes, the Zohn-1 shells are custom-manufactured to match your exact ear anatomy. The bio-coated ceramic and plastic composite shells felt surprisingly lightweight when placed in my ears, creating what I can only describe as a perfect acoustic seal.
What struck me immediately was the “inside-my-head” sensation that’s difficult to articulate until you’ve experienced it. The soundstage wasn’t just wide—it was three-dimensional in a way that made conventional premium earbuds suddenly feel flat and distant by comparison. As Xander de Buisonjé, the founder of Breggz, explained to me during our interview: “If you put these pieces in, it takes over your being and you’re really inside of the music, so you’re in the zone.” This is actually the inspiration behind the product name—”Zohn” (spelled Z-O-H-N to make it distinctive) literally means you’re “in the zone” when listening.
Interestingly, the pair I’m currently testing isn’t even fully custom-made, yet they fit remarkably well. A fully personalized set is on its way, adding to my anticipation of experiencing the complete precision that Breggz promises. The scanning and molding process behind these earbuds stands apart from anything typically found in consumer audio. At CES earlier this year, I completed the scanning process firsthand, experiencing how Breggz transforms a standard ear scan into a uniquely tailored fit, making custom-fitted listening more accessible than ever before.
The Ear Scanning and Custom Mold Creation Process
The Breggz Scan app on iOS uses your smartphone camera to capture a 3D model of your ears. The process is straightforward—you position yourself in a well-lit area, remove any earrings or obstructions, and follow the app’s guidance to rotate your phone around your ear. The app captures multiple angles and stitches them into a 3D model of your ear’s unique contours.
De Buisonjé told me they went through twelve iterations before getting the scanning technology right. “We needed to make it very clear how far from the ear you need to be and how to turn the phone to capture these short movies of your ear,” he explained.
Once your scan is complete, the data goes to Breggz’s platform, where software refines it into a production-ready 3D model. The software identifies the optimal shape for a perfect seal and determines the precise placement of the balanced armature drivers.
Industrial-grade 3D printers then produce the custom shells with a hypoallergenic bio-coating that reduces friction and protects against moisture. Each unit undergoes inspection and hand assembly, with technicians calibrating the drivers to match your ear canal shape. They even test each unit with binaural microphones and pressure sensors to verify the seal, making adjustments as needed to meet their comfort and performance standards.
Design and Sustainability
The Zohn-1 combines custom-fit architecture with thoughtful material choices. The shells come in either medical-grade ceramic (offering premium weight and resonance) or biocompatible plastic (for lightweight comfort), with matte Black or gloss White finishes available. The custom fit eliminates acoustic leaks, enhancing bass response by 30% compared to generic earbuds while providing 26dB of passive noise isolation.
Inside, Knowles balanced armature drivers are positioned closer to the eardrum than in conventional designs. This placement enhances high-frequency sensitivity by 15% while reducing distortion. Unlike the dynamic drivers in most consumer earbuds, these BA drivers deliver more nuanced mids and highs.
The charging case is equally impressive—what de Buisonjé called “Lamborghini doors” open with a satisfying motion, secured by magnets. It supports both USB-C and wireless charging, providing up to 40 hours of additional battery life. Unlike most competitors, the battery is replaceable, extending the case’s lifespan as part of Breggz’s sustainability approach.
“We want something circular,” de Buisonjé explained. “If you put this in a shredder, we can build a new one. After the lifetime of this, we can reuse everything again.”
The modular design extends to the earbuds themselves. “We have what we call a faceplate that shuts it off. In the future, we’ll use magnets so you can take the faceplate off and take the pebble out. After two or three years when you want to change it, you just keep your shell. We say you don’t just buy a product, you invest in your ears.”
This “pebble” contains all the electronics and battery, while the custom shell houses only the drivers. Future upgrades won’t require a new custom fitting—just a new pebble with updated technology. The 3D-printed shells use recycled resins, and Breggz has established a repair program with DHL Express for global servicing.
The technical specs include Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio support, 8 hours of playback per charge, IPX4 water resistance, and six beamforming microphones with AI noise suppression.
Sound Performance: The Audiophile Experience
After weeks of testing with audiophile-grade tracks, I’ve developed a good understanding of the Zohn-1’s sonic capabilities.
For detail retrieval, I tested “Wilderness” by Explosions In The Sky. This track presents a complex mix of guitars, drums, and atmospheric layers that the Zohn-1 handles with impressive clarity. The crash cymbals at 1:52 reveal textural details that typically get lost, while the bassline maintains definition without bleeding into other frequencies. Songs I’ve heard hundreds of times suddenly revealed hidden elements—subtle overdubs, production artifacts, mechanical sounds—that I’d never noticed before.
Vocal reproduction is equally impressive. “Helplessly Hoping” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young presents intricate harmonies that the Zohn-1 renders with stunning clarity. Each voice occupies its own space while maintaining the cohesive blend that makes the harmonies compelling. Stephen Stills’ textured delivery contrasts with Graham Nash’s smoother tone, yet neither overshadows the other.
The Mimi personalization technology enhances this presentation. After completing my hearing test, the system made subtle adjustments to compensate for my specific hearing profile. These adjustments brought vocals forward naturally rather than artificially. The result is an intimate, lifelike vocal presentation that creates a stronger emotional connection to the music.
Bass performance shines on “Paper Trails” by Darkside, which features a sinuous bassline that demands both precision and power. The Zohn-1 delivers tight, controlled low frequencies with physical impact. Bass notes start and stop with exceptional accuracy, avoiding the bloated quality that plagues many wireless earbuds.
The custom-fit seal creates a significant advantage here. By eliminating air gaps between the driver and ear canal, the Zohn-1 achieves approximately 30% more low-frequency energy at the same volume level as universal earbuds. This allows for full, satisfying bass without excessive volume or distortion.
For treble testing, I used Pharoah Sanders’ “You’ve Got To Have Freedom,” which can sound harsh on many headphones. The Zohn-1 reproduces the saxophone’s upper harmonics with natural brilliance while avoiding the piercing quality that can make extended listening uncomfortable. The minute details of Sanders’ technique—breath sounds, key clicks, embouchure adjustments—are all present but integrated naturally into the performance.
Hans Zimmer’s “Time” from Inception demonstrated the Zohn-1’s spatial capabilities. With spatial audio engaged, the composition expands beyond the typical constraints of in-ear monitors. The ticking clock motif moves precisely through three-dimensional space while orchestral sections occupy distinct positions within a convincingly large soundstage.
The dynamic range is equally impressive. Kate Bush’s “Watching You Without Me” alternates between hushed vocal passages and dramatic synthesizer entries—contrasts that the Zohn-1 preserves beautifully. Bush’s quietest moments maintain their delicate intimacy, while the synthesizer bursts arrive with appropriate impact.
I also tested some nostalgic favorites. CC Catch’s “I Can Lose My Heart Tonight” displayed unexpected depth in its synthesizer arrangements. The Roland Jun-60 sounds exhibited authentic analog character, while CC’s vocals emerged with newfound clarity. Alan Walker’s “Faded” demonstrated the Zohn-1’s capabilities with contemporary electronic music. The drop at 1:12 delivered a physical impact and spatial expansion that created a genuinely immersive experience.
The Breggz App Experience
The Breggz companion app provides quick access to battery status, core settings, and personalization options. The Personal Sound feature uses Mimi Hearing Technologies to create a customized audio profile based on a 5-minute hearing test.
De Buisonjé explained: “We have a scanning app and a user app. In the app, we have an equalizer where you can five-way change the sound. In the future, we’ll have a parametric equalizer so you can do your own mix per song and save it.”
The app includes customizable controls like Action Button setup and Head Moves, which enables nodding to skip tracks and shaking to decline calls. For communication, features like Smart Call clean up phone audio in noisy environments, while Fast Mute provides instant mic silencing. The Battery Prediction feature estimates playtime based on your usage habits, eliminating guesswork about whether the earbuds will last through a flight or a long session.
Living with Luxury: Beyond the First Impression
After several weeks with the Zohn-1, I’ve found both strengths and limitations worth noting:
Comfort for Extended Wear: The custom fit means I can wear these for 4-5 hours without fatigue or pressure points. My recent flights to and from Barcelona proved to be an excellent real-world test—I wore the Zohn-1s for nearly the entire journey both ways, and the comfort remained consistent. The combination of passive noise isolation and extended comfort made the typically draining flight experience remarkably pleasant. When I asked de Buisonjé about comfort during long sessions, he assured me that “it’s very comfortable… it’s not like it’s vacuumizing… it’s not going to get hotter or warmer in your ears.” After my travel experience, I can confirm that his assessment is accurate.
Battery Performance: The charging case provides approximately 20 hours of total playback time, with about 5 hours per charge in the earbuds themselves. This is respectable but not revolutionary compared to competitors at much lower price points.
Connectivity and Controls: The touch controls are responsive but require some learning. The companion app offers extensive customization, though I found myself wishing for physical buttons during workouts when touch controls became less reliable with perspiration.
Passive Noise Isolation: The custom fit creates exceptional passive noise isolation—better than many active noise cancellation systems I’ve tested. This makes them ideal for travel and noisy environments without requiring power-hungry ANC technology. As de Buisonjé explained, “We don’t have noise cancellation because everything is canceled already” through the perfect passive seal.
The Personalization Advantage
What sets the Zohn-1 apart is the personalization aspect. The Mimi technology adapts to your specific hearing profile through a 5-minute in-app test that maps hearing sensitivity across frequencies (500Hz to 8kHz). It then creates a personalized audio profile that compensates for your specific hearing characteristics.
This isn’t simply boosting overall volume in certain ranges—Mimi’s algorithm can adjust attenuated frequencies by up to 12dB while preserving dynamic range. The Knowles balanced armature drivers enable these precise adjustments due to their superior high-frequency response. The result is music that sounds more natural and balanced.
While the app does allow manual equalizer adjustments through its five-band EQ, it doesn’t offer saved presets for different genres or activities. The personalization comes primarily from the Mimi hearing technology, with manual EQ adjustments layering on top of this foundation.
De Buisonjé shared that this personalization approach is central to their target audience: “We focus really on the audio files and on the luxury buyer in the end. I don’t say any negative thing about the Hearables that are in the market now because Apple’s, they are great, Apple is a great company, come on, but we don’t want to compete with them and their mass products… We look to the high-end market.”
Value Proposition: Are They Worth $2,000?
Since testing the Zohn-1, this is the question I’ve been asked most frequently. The answer isn’t straightforward.
For pure sound quality, the Zohn-1 delivers an experience that’s genuinely different from even high-end universal earbuds in the $300-500 range. The custom fit, driver placement, and personalization create a listening experience that’s uniquely tailored to your ears in a way that mass-produced products simply cannot match.
However, the value equation extends beyond just sound quality. The Zohn-1 represents a significant investment that most consumers will find difficult to justify. They’re clearly targeting audiophiles, professionals, and luxury consumers who prioritize personalized experiences and are willing to pay a premium for them.
To put the pricing in perspective, I own a pair of custom JH Audio JH18 in-ear monitors that cost over $3,000, and I still had to invest in a separate Bluetooth module costing more than $400 to make them wireless. When viewed through this lens, the Zohn-1’s $2,000 price tag for a fully integrated custom wireless solution with advanced personalization technology starts to look more reasonable within the high-end audio market. The fact that the Zohn-1 includes wireless connectivity, custom fitting, and hearing personalization in a single package represents a more streamlined approach compared to the piecemeal solutions many audiophiles have traditionally cobbled together.
De Buisonjé’s background as a performing artist for 30 years (doing 90-100 shows annually) influenced his vision for the product: “I’m on stage wearing wired in-ear monitors. And they get very good sound. So my simple thought was always, why isn’t this very good sound available for the consumer market? Because if you’re spending thousands of bucks in the studio with hot-shot producers, spending a lot of money to make the sound very special of your new single, you want to bring this exact sound to the audience.”
Looking Forward: The Future of Custom Audio
My experience with the Zohn-1 has convinced me that personalized audio is likely the next frontier for premium listening experiences. While the current $2,000 price point places these firmly in the luxury category, I expect we’ll see this technology become more accessible as manufacturing processes evolve.
Breggz already has plans for the future. De Buisonjé mentioned that “soon this year, already the zone two is coming” and hinted at future models with different driver configurations. He also mentioned plans for more customization options, including removable faceplates: “In the future, we have removable face plates. If you wear like a blue jacket, you can put a blue one on… And you can make like a piece of jewelry of it.”
The combination of anatomical custom fitting and software-based sound personalization creates a synergistic effect that elevates the listening experience beyond what either technology could achieve independently. As someone who’s tested countless audio products over the years, I can confidently say the Zohn-1 represents a genuinely new approach rather than an incremental improvement.
Conclusion: A Glimpse of Audio’s Personalized Future
The Breggz Zohn-1 earbuds deliver on their promise of a revolutionary listening experience, though at a price point that limits their appeal to a niche market of audio enthusiasts and early adopters. The custom fit provides unmatched comfort and isolation while the personalized sound tuning creates a listening experience tailored specifically to your hearing profile.
Breggz has built something that feels personal from the inside out. The app functions as more than a control hub—it actively shapes the Zohn-1 to fit into daily life. The way the audio adapts to individual hearing and the flexibility in interaction reinforce the idea that this is not a one-size-fits-all experience. The Zohn-1 works seamlessly, adapting to preferences and becoming an essential part of how listening and communication happen throughout the day.
As de Buisonjé summarized his approach: “On every piece of the whole process, we just waited for the best. It took time. It took much more money than we thought it would take because if something wasn’t slightly perfect, we say, okay, if we want to aim for the high end markets, we need everything to be right.”
For those who can justify the investment, the Zohn-1 offers a glimpse into the future of personal audio—one where products are designed for your unique anatomy and hearing characteristics rather than a one-size-fits-most approach. While most consumers will understandably wait for this technology to become more affordable, my experience suggests that personalized audio represents a significant leap forward rather than just another incremental improvement in the crowded premium audio market.
The post Breggz Zohn-1 Review: Custom-Fit Wireless Earbuds With Mind-Blowing Sound Quality first appeared on Yanko Design.
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