[notreal]

Guys, looking for your EQ settings for KZ ES4.

 

[Zerohour88]

Mine hasn't shipped yet either. Not officially released yet are they?

They have, its probably just reseller being a bit slow to get stocks. Impressions have popped up on the official KZ store and several taobao resellers (common theme among the impressions is more/better bass?).

 

[hiflofi]

They have, its probably just reseller being a bit slow to get stocks. Impressions have poppedup on the official KZ store and several taobao resellers (common theme among the impressions is more/better bass?).

Reading through the Taobao reviews right now. I don't understand Chinese, so I'm using Google Translate, but they have some buzzwords that are pretty commonly used. Plus, the translations are actually not awful if you use some imagination with the metaphors.

Indeed, the reviews do have a lot of talk about the bass.
One of them says "the BA (they call this moving iron) bass of the AS10 is stronger than the DD (they call this moving circle) bass of the ZS10. This is praise".
There's also another that says "vocals are better" and the "bass is stronger than imagined". It also says that "sense of space is low". I'm assuming that's soundstage.
Another saying "the low frequency of this headphone is really too sensational, the high frequency is also good".

I think there's a consistent theme in these reviews with the bass indeed.

EDIT: I think I'm personally leaning towards skipping the AS10. Seems like it has a different sound to the one I prefer. Will wait for more reviews though.

 

[fluteloop]

Gotta agree with this. When you first mentioned the naming scheme, I was doubtful they'd run with Knowles without making it a big marketing headline, and so I also took a look at the prices. They're running on very thin or non-existent margins if they're using Knowles.

Wishful thinking on @Drumkrunk's part.

I honestly was answering someone elses question with a suggestion, nothing is impossible with the right agreements. if anyone needs components, it's kz. speculating what suppliers and contracts they are able to acheive is probably time best spent elsewhere.

 

[pbui44]

While at CanJam@SoCal 2016, I was bringing the finished contest cards for the raffle at the main stage, when someone (@Watagump?) told me to check out the CA Andromeda, which was a prototype at the time. I said I would, but forgot. Since then, I always had a need to try out the CA Andromeda...until I first saw the KZ ZS6.

I had just traded my JVC FX700 wooden in-ears and needed another open-back IEM to replace it, which the ZS6 looked to fit the bill. I then looked at a diagram of the ZS6 internals and saw the nano-tube attached to the divider between the dynamics and it reminded me of the JVC FXT90/100/200, making me want the ZS6 even more. Then I found out about the green one, which looked like a regular CA Andromeda, and that made me want that one.

Well, the green model was rare to find at that time and I did hear about KZ QC problems, which further complicated the seemingly complex design of basically three systems: dual-BA, nano-tube, and vented area centralized to open up the dual-BA, nano-tube-6mm-driver, and 10mm driver sounds. I bit the bullet on an expensive $48 green KZ ZS6 that I eventually found out had a rare nozzle lip that also required $7 shipping, making it a grand total of $55.

Top that off with a three week wait and I was wondering if this sound experiment was going to be worth it. When I got it, it sounded fun, but harsh from the cheap and unrefined BAs and the entangled nano-tube-dual-dynamic mess hitting the vents like a hot mess breaking the glass tray for more coke. So I had to add an extra week of constant-album-play-burn-in and it finally sounded much more settled, but then the housing fittings were not great with the stock eartips, so I rolled eartips for weeks in an effort to get the best sound and fit.

I had a Linum 2-pin ultra-thin cable laying around and it helped a lot on comfort and microphonic sound, but I had to keep them from constantly popping out of place. It was so bad that the nozzles were eating away at my IE80 small foam eartips to the point of outer-layer-exposure, requiring tiny dabs of super-glue to fix the ZS6 nozzle gashes.

I loved the sound, but the fit was getting to me. I tried some small foam-hybrids from a Moster SuperTip back I found from years ago and it was almost perfect, but still moved the housings a little bit. So I traded eartips with @loomisjohnson and he gave me small (yellow bore) SpinFit CP100Z. Boom! I finally found my perfect fit with the ZS6! They move around a tad, but sound is now just a matter of background extensions, so i can definitely live with that. So after nearly four months of rolling eartips, rolling in-ears, and rolling free time, I finally found the perfect IEM setup.

So KZ-ZS6=fun-design=fun-look=fun-internal-parts=fun-sound, making an equation I dig, dig, dig!

 

[mathi8vadhanan]

Where are you getting your figures from?

mouser.com
Like many others have pointed out, these do not appear to be knowles. If it were, they would have advertised it everywhere. I checked bellsing as mentioned by @B9Scrambler, they are using the same driver names as knowles.
http://www.bellsing.com/en/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&catid=283&id=118

 

[dhruvmeena96]

Can you upload a pic of what you did widen?

I think its not that clear...but see the one vent with white mesh behind. I enlarged it without hurting the mesh...

Lowered the bass bleed so some bass relieving and some clarity on mid that side.

But my left vent was smaller than right, that why I scratched and made it a little bigger.

Second is spinfit cp240(narrow bore but long bore fix the bass) so treble is sibilant but also fix the fitting issue without creating vacumm effect

 

[dhruvmeena96]

While at CanJam@SoCal 2016, I was bringing the finished contest cards for the raffle at the main stage, when someone (@Watagump?) told me to check out the CA Andromeda, which was a prototype at the time. I said I would, but forgot. Since then, I always had a need to try out the CA Andromeda...until I first saw the KZ ZS6.

I had just traded my JVC FX700 wooden in-ears and needed another open-back IEM to replace it, which the ZS6 looked to fit the bill. I then looked at a diagram of the ZS6 internals and saw the nano-tube attached to the divider between the dynamics and it reminded me of the JVC FXT90/100/200, making me want the ZS6 even more. Then I found out about the green one, which looked like a regular CA Andromeda, and that made me want that one.

Well, the green model was rare to find at that time and I did hear about KZ QC problems, which further complicated the seemingly complex design of basically three systems: dual-BA, nano-tube, and vented area centralized to open up the dual-BA, nano-tube-6mm-driver, and 10mm driver sounds. I bit the bullet on an expensive $48 green KZ ZS6 that I eventually found out had a rare nozzle lip that also required $7 shipping, making it a grand total of $55.

Top that off with a three week wait and I was wondering if this sound experiment was going to be worth it. When I got it, it sounded fun, but harsh from the cheap and unrefined BAs and the entangled nano-tube-dual-dynamic mess hitting the vents like a hot mess breaking the glass tray for more coke. So I had to add an extra week of constant-album-play-burn-in and it finally sounded much more settled, but then the housing fittings were not great with the stock eartips, so I rolled eartips for weeks in an effort to get the best sound and fit.

I had a Linum 2-pin ultra-thin cable laying around and it helped a lot on comfort and microphonic sound, but I had to keep them from constantly popping out of place. It was so bad that the nozzles were eating away at my IE80 small foam eartips to the point of outer-layer-exposure, requiring tiny dabs of super-glue to fix the ZS6 nozzle gashes.

I loved the sound, but the fit was getting to me. I tried some small foam-hybrids from a Moster SuperTip back I found from years ago and it was almost perfect, but still moved the housings a little bit. So I traded eartips with @loomisjohnson and he gave me small SpinFit CP100s. Boom! I finally found my perfect fit with the ZS6! They move around a tad, but sound is now just a matter of background extensions, so i can definitely live with that. So after nearly four months of rolling eartips, rolling in-ears, and rolling free time, I finally found the perfect IEM setup.

So KZ-ZS6=fun-design=fun-look=fun-internal-parts=fun-sound, making an equation I dig, dig, dig!

Do slater mod and viola...
Or if you can do soldering, add a 18mm smd metal film resistor to BA.

KZ should have added the BA in series instead of parallel.

This was corrected by PHB by niceHCK which does sound way better than KZ ZS6 and has hefty but comfortable build with way better QC and soundstage....and MMCX

Because 2pin betrayed me became very loose on ES4 left side.

I feviquicked the both socket since I dont need detachable cable with KZ style QC

 

[dhruvmeena96]

These are not Knowles driver... KZ takes Knowles driver and make there driver to KZ standard.

But they now make some good BA since the ZSA and updated ES4.

The pic is of updated ES4. There is no KZ logo on BA and mids are way cleaner than @audionab burned ES4

The KZ 30095 gets affected by burn in and are harsher and Decayed than Knowles 30095

22955 & 30095 are Knowles.
22955 - http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/218/-532680.pdf
30095 - https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Knowles-Johanson-Manufacturing/WBFK-30095-000?qs=Q97emo0LRppk1/KuN5A0rw==

 

[Pacalwb]

Just received the ED16 and the new BT cable. I really hate the memory ends on both bt and standard cable. Who even came up with this crap. I use vsds5 so it just has normal cable and I feel like the ends on these are really heavy and it just forces the headphones out of my ears. Not sure how to properly model it so it's not so irritating.

 

[loomisjohnson]

Just received the ED16 and the new BT cable. I really hate the memory ends on both bt and standard cable. Who even came up with this crap. I use vsds5 so it just has normal cable and I feel like the ends on these are really heavy and it just forces the headphones out of my ears. Not sure how to properly model it so it's not so irritating.

most folks peel off and remove the memory portion--slater et. al. have posted instructions on how to do so on this thread.

 

[Podster]

@Podster

Then my test tracks are ones from boombox cartel like:
- moon love
- nbd (atliens remix)

Here i hear my memt x5 digging so hard down, wanted to know how zsa digs here.
It's just their soundstage is crap and mids are too much recessed

Well with those tracks and obviously your love for low end rumble the ZSA may not be your cup of tea, bass goes down but only by the assistance of that sweet and clear sub bass that the ZSA offers. For me the strength in the ZSA lies from the upper range of sub bass to the lower range of the high frequency driver. When I'm talking dynamic I'm talking the mid-centric sound signature. If you don't like it loud of overly bass laden then the ZSA will pay you back in spades on vocals and the crispness around the edge of instruments Not being a reviewer with technical lingo this is the best idea of what the ZSA sounds like (least to my ears)

Exactly @loomisjohnson

@Strat Rider , really hope you like your ED9's with one of the two filters and right tips. I stand behind them to this day as possibly one of the best bang for your buck of that year for sure

 

[Wiljen]

Guys, looking for your EQ settings for KZ ES4.

for me,
-4db at 150Hz - 250Hz reduces mid-bass bloom
-2db at 1k to pull just a tad of extra energy out and remove a bit of nasal vocals
-4db at 5k to reduce the aggressive presence a tad

That formula comes as close as I have found to providing a near flat profile.

 

[Podster]

for me,
-4db at 150Hz - 250Hz reduces mid-bass bloom
-2db at 1k to pull just a tad of extra energy out and remove a bit of nasal vocals
-4db at 5k to reduce the aggressive presence a tad

That formula comes as close as I have found to providing a near flat profile.

This is why I don't write formal reviews, I could never pin down this much detail on an un-EQ'd pair much less pinning db ranges Good ear @Wiljen

 

[Wiljen]

This is why I don't write formal reviews, I could never pin down this much detail on an un-EQ'd pair much less pinning db ranges Good ear @Wiljen

I'd love to take credit, but it is much more trial and error than anything else. You do get so you know what frequencies should cause a certain reaction so when they don't you know the headphone doesn't respond to EQ, but every different one requires a slightly different tweak to do its best so still comes down to fiddle until you find it.