Ostry KC06 vs. Zero Audio Carbo Tenore
Today I spent about an hour going back and forth between my KC06 (not KC06A) and the Tenore with various tracks. In short, I ended up preferring the KC06 by a slight margin, but couldn't pick a clear winner. Both of these IEMs are excellent and able to hold their own even against top tiers.
So here's my recommendation to those who're not in a position to buy or even try super expensive IEMs: get both of these, keep the one you prefer and you'll not miss out much, if anything.
Some things to consider:
- Isolation: Tenore wins easily, if you need good isolation, then forget about the KC06.
- Mids: more emphasized and clearer on the KC06. If you're a mids lover, you'll probably prefer them over the Tenores.
- Bass: more deep bass on the Tenores. But even though the KC06 have a tad more mid bass and slam, they steer better clear of the lower mids. Comparatively, the Tenores seem slightly veiled in that range.
- Highs: KC06 aren't bad at all, but the Tenores sound airier and smoother. Simply world-class treble on the Tenores, period.
- Soundstage: Being the less isolating IEMs, the KC06 sound more open. But despite their good isolation, the Tenores offer a very generous stage size.
- Dynamics, depth and layering: This is where both fall a tiny bit short of the best phones I've heard in that regard. KC06 are quite a bit better than the Tenores, the latter feel somewhat restricted in dynamics and depth.
- Detail and separation: very good on both, with slight advantages in their respectively emphasized ranges. (E.g. better intelligibility of vocals on the KC06 due to more mid-emphasis, clearer deep bass lines on the Tenores due to more low-end emphasis.)
That's all I can think of for now. Hope some will find it helpful.
(Disclaimer: there seem to be different versions of the Tenores out there, so your Tenore may not sound the same as mine)