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Kozee Sound Solutions ** MAJOR CS ISSUES - NOT RECOMMENDED (info in first post) ** Custom IEMs & Reshell review
Mar 12, 2011 at 1:06 PM Post #46 of 852
Thanks for the impressions Joker. I've been trying to get used to the sound for the last few days (coming from triple driver or more customs), and I agree with your comments for the most part. I like very many things about what I'm hearing, but there is something I don't like which I can't fully articulate yet. Maybe a harshness at certain high frequencies? It's very elusive, only showing up on some music but not limiting itself to any one genre. 
 
For example, I was listening to the song "To Sand We Return" by Project 86 (the band), from their album Picket Fence Cartel. It sounded pretty smooth until the climax of the song, where singer Andrew Schwab yells "Who do I belong to?" At that point there are layers of extremely loud guitar with plenty of distortion (intended). But the X1 seems to be adding a certain hard edge to the guitar, almost as if it is breaking up or clipping. I can't blame the recording because it doesn't happen with other headphones. Lowering the volume makes it more tolerable but does not completely remedy it. The next few songs in my playlist happened to have heavy guitar as well - Man Alive (punk band from Israel) and then Meshuggah (Metal band from Sweden), and neither of those tracks exhibited the same problem. I'm going to have to break out some test tones and see if I can isolate it, because I've noticed it a few other times as well.
 
Aside from that, I'm really pleased with the performance with most music. Listening to some ska and classical earlier today, I enjoyed the bite of brass instruments and the clarity of vocals. It's an interesting presentation and I need more time to get acquainted with it, but I'm certainly enjoying it.
 
Mar 12, 2011 at 2:30 PM Post #47 of 852
The reshell fixes the three issues I had with the TF10...recessed mids, bass extension (no matter the tips or angle, including triple flange tips) and the sometimes too sparkly treble.  The texturing of the bass is a little better, but not on par with my customs.  I never listen at loud volumes except for test/review purposes, so for me loud volume playback is not important.  The reshell does greatly improve isolation as well.  I thought I was going to need a new cable to help bring out the mids, but the reshell did that with the stock cable.  I wonder if Adam can figure out a system to reshell to slightly change the sound to preference.  
 
Adam did take a long time for all of us initially, and I plan on sending my TF10 back today, so I will see how long it takes for the rework.  He said my JH16 reshell should take about 2 weeks.  
 
@ aleki - it is probably best to get them reshelled and listen at lower volumes to preserver your hearing!
 
Mar 12, 2011 at 2:32 PM Post #48 of 852


Quote:
project86 said:
Thanks for the impressions Joker. I've been trying to get used to the sound for the last few days (coming from triple driver or more customs), and I agree with your comments for the most part. I like very many things about what I'm hearing, but there is something I don't like which I can't fully articulate yet. Maybe a harshness at certain high frequencies? It's very elusive, only showing up on some music but not limiting itself to any one genre. 
 
For example, I was listening to the song "To Sand We Return" by Project 86 (the band), from their album Picket Fence Cartel. It sounded pretty smooth until the climax of the song, where singer Andrew Schwab yells "Who do I belong to?" At that point there are layers of extremely loud guitar with plenty of distortion (intended). But the X1 seems to be adding a certain hard edge to the guitar, almost as if it is breaking up or clipping. I can't blame the recording because it doesn't happen with other headphones. Lowering the volume makes it more tolerable but does not completely remedy it. The next few songs in my playlist happened to have heavy guitar as well - Man Alive (punk band from Israel) and then Meshuggah (Metal band from Sweden), and neither of those tracks exhibited the same problem. I'm going to have to break out some test tones and see if I can isolate it, because I've noticed it a few other times as well.
 
Aside from that, I'm really pleased with the performance with most music. Listening to some ska and classical earlier today, I enjoyed the bite of brass instruments and the clarity of vocals. It's an interesting presentation and I need more time to get acquainted with it, but I'm certainly enjoying it.
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I hear the X3 to have a little bit of an analytical edge to it at times unlike my EM3 Pro, which is very liquid (yet detailed) or my Fabs which are very balanced between analytical and liquid.  
 
 
Mar 12, 2011 at 2:50 PM Post #49 of 852


Quote:
average_joe said:
I hear the X3 to have a little bit of an analytical edge to it at times unlike my EM3 Pro, which is very liquid (yet detailed) or my Fabs which are very balanced between analytical and liquid.  
 
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Maybe that's just a part of the KSS sound signature then. I hear a hint of edginess with the Westone ES3X and LiveWires Trips when I don't use a good enough source, but what I'm experiencing on the X1 is much worse. The odd thing is, I'm not getting a lot of the usual symptoms like sibilance on "S" and "T" sounds or harsh trumpets.
 
I'm speculating it might be some type of distortion confined to a very small frequency range. That way it hides itself well most of the time, but when it shows up you really notice it. This is all preliminary anyway so I hate to speak as if I know what I'm talking about when I only have maybe an hour on the poor things. 
 
 
 
Mar 12, 2011 at 3:52 PM Post #50 of 852

 
Quote:
project86 said:
Thanks for the impressions Joker. I've been trying to get used to the sound for the last few days (coming from triple driver or more customs), and I agree with your comments for the most part. I like very many things about what I'm hearing, but there is something I don't like which I can't fully articulate yet. Maybe a harshness at certain high frequencies? It's very elusive, only showing up on some music but not limiting itself to any one genre. 
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Yep, I know what you mean. These are not smooth on a microscopic level... not at all. I haven't had time to listen to them since last night (had to go get another set of impressions done for my CT200s) but I haven't yet figured out if they're actually adding grain/roughness or just are more revealing than my HF3s.
 
Mar 12, 2011 at 6:35 PM Post #51 of 852


 
Quote:
average_joe said:
 
@ aleki - it is probably best to get them reshelled and listen at lower volumes to preserver your hearing!
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They're with Adam right now. Hopefully he tunes mine using your universals as a reference
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What bugs me is that I cant really tell how loud they get because my ears dont give me any indication of pain or fatigue when I max it out on my PC; although I have never maxed them out on my laptop it sounds a bit excessive beyond 60%. I mostly play my music anywhere from 5-25% depending on the ambient noise.
 
PS: I use the line attenuator, airplane plug, on my PC to block out unwanted noise. The volume does seem to plateu a bit beyond 65%; I wonder if that's the attenuator doing its work?
 
Mar 12, 2011 at 11:38 PM Post #52 of 852
I too find the TF10s highs to be border sibliance at times, though for some songs that extra sparkle makes it sound better and I would miss it but I could trade off a bit of that for better mids, so I guess when I come back from my holiday it's reshell TF10 + SF5 Pro time =)
 
Mar 13, 2011 at 12:05 AM Post #53 of 852
I'm leaving to Jakarta tonight and I found a guy wanting to sell his JH11's for $400... I'm thinking maybe I should get these and reshelled through kozee?.. hmmm decisions decisions...
 
Mar 13, 2011 at 4:22 AM Post #54 of 852
Agh so the X1 is treble-heavy and bass-lean? I'm a little disappointed, but this was within expectation as it is a single-driver BA. That said the Klipsch X10 gave me smooth highs and rich bass, and that was single BA as well. 
 
Anyone heard what the X2s and X3s sound like? I am looking into Customs but I want something in the sound sig I prefer, which is laidback and bassy -- typically the domain of dynamics.
 
Mar 13, 2011 at 9:31 AM Post #57 of 852


Quote:
matto said:
I'm leaving to Jakarta tonight and I found a guy wanting to sell his JH11's for $400... I'm thinking maybe I should get these and reshelled through kozee?.. hmmm decisions decisions...
Click to expand...



If the workmanship of my X1s is any indication (and based on the pics of Average Joe's X3 and reshelled TF10 it is), I have no reservations about recommending Kozee for a reshell. Very nicely done and for one of the lowest prices around. This is all for acrylic though, we need more impressions/pics about the silicone option.


Quote:
mochan said:
Agh so the X1 is treble-heavy and bass-lean? I'm a little disappointed, but this was within expectation as it is a single-driver BA. That said the Klipsch X10 gave me smooth highs and rich bass, and that was single BA as well. 
 
Anyone heard what the X2s and X3s sound like? I am looking into Customs but I want something in the sound sig I prefer, which is laidback and bassy -- typically the domain of dynamics.
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Check Average Joe's thread, it's linked around here somewhere. He has the X3 and says they are also a bit analytical (but with deep bass too), maybe that's just part of the Kozee sound signature. I wouldn't exactly call the X1 bass lean, although it is lacking in the very lowest region (but so are many other IEMs). It's actually got a surprisingly flat/even sound for a single BA design. 
 
For laidback and bassy though, you probably do want to look somewhere else. Or maybe reshell something that you already know you enjoy.

 
Quote:
trillian said:
what are the cables they sell for $30?
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They aren't listed on the website at this point, so I'm not positive. But the ones that came with my X1 are just like JH Audio cables, with the same exact Y splitter and clear plastic slider. EarSonics uses the same cable as well, and probably a few others that I'm forgetting. 
 
 
Mar 13, 2011 at 11:31 AM Post #58 of 852


Quote:
mochan said:
Agh so the X1 is treble-heavy and bass-lean? I'm a little disappointed, but this was within expectation as it is a single-driver BA. That said the Klipsch X10 gave me smooth highs and rich bass, and that was single BA as well. 
 
Anyone heard what the X2s and X3s sound like? I am looking into Customs but I want something in the sound sig I prefer, which is laidback and bassy -- typically the domain of dynamics.
Click to expand...


The X3 is not flat, it is bassy!  But the mids aren't laid back, they are on the forward side while the treble is not recessed, but not quite up to the level of the mids.  Adam designed them to sound enjoyable and somewhat live.  With the executive option, they do sound very spacious and I am quite liking the sound signature and they fun sound, especially for pop and electronic, although rock, easy listening, etc. still sound great.  And I measured the bass with test tones and I didn't hear any roll off all the way down to 20 Hz.  There is an analytical edge to them that chances with the quality of the source.
 
Here is my custom resource thread where I have listed information about all the customs I have and will update as I get more.
 
 
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