First Impressions​

The Final Audio E5000 arrived at my doorstep a week ago, and they have been in my ears ever since. These are excellent IEMs, but I cannot help to mention a few drawbacks.

Firstly, soundstage and imaging are inconsistent as they suffer on darker tracks. Vocals (esp. female) can sound overly recessed/muffled. There is also a noticeable lack of energy. Next, the speed in the bass region could be slow at times. These points make the IEMs unsuitable to be an all-rounder.

The stock Final Type E ear tips are known to make the sound warmer, and they do not pair well with the E5000 due to its already dark nature. Also, the lengthened space between the diaphragm and exit of the ear tips muffles the soundstage and imaging, giving it a less 3-dimensional feel. I highly recommend swapping out the ear tips on the E5000.

Tinkering with the E5000​

I recommend pairing the E5000 with these three ear tips: Final Type E (TWS version), Whizzer EASYTIPS SS20 (Size: SS), or SpinFit CP350. These ear tips have shorter stems and reduce the distance from the diaphragm to the exit of the ear tip. This helps to increase treble, add more energy, and improve soundstage and separation.

Using the correct ear tips puts the E5000 a tad closer to a warm v-shape sound suitable for more genres. It also brings out the incredibly high quality and non-harsh treble that the E5000 offers. Bass quantity is also slightly reduced (depends on the seal). Bass and Mid-bass are less bloated as well. Changing ear tips on the E5000 is a definite must as the stock tips do not do it justice.

In addition to swapping tips, I also recommend EQ treble boost or pairing with a bright source to accomplish a more balanced, warm v-shaped sound for the E5000.

My Humble Setup​

Source: Desktop > Creative G3 > E5000
Listening Hours: Around 30 at the time of writing
Ear Tips: Whizzer EASYTIPS SS20 (Size: SS) *
EQ: Treble Boost *
* purpose explained throughout the review

Sound​

Timbre 5/5​

Timbre is what the E5000 does best, and every instrument sounds incredibly natural and of high quality. Pretty rare at this price point.

Speed 4/5​

Speed is great in mids and highs but sometimes suffers in the bass region.

Soundstage 3.5/5 (4/5 using SS20 tips)​

Depth and Height are lacking with stock tips. Changing ear tips to one with a shorter stem can improve Depth and Height, resulting in a more 3D sound.

Imaging 3/5 (3.5/5 using SS20 tips, 4/5 using SS20 tips plus slight treble boost)​

Separation can suffer in darker tracks, with the stock ear tips. Changing ear tips gives a better soundstage and increases treble, improving overall imaging.

Micro Detail 4/5​

Micro detail on these is something you'd believe only after listening to them. Final Audio has done well.

Bass Quality 4.5/5​

The bass is tight and punchy. It has well-controlled low rumble in the sub-bass region. It's also easy to differentiate the tonality of the bass. Overall, one of the best.

Mids Quality 4.5/5​

Smooth and Natural sounding. They are great, and I haven't found anything wrong with them.

Treble Quality 4.5/5​

The treble is very smooth and not harsh, even when given a treble boost—well-tuned and very natural sounding.

Bass Quantity 5/5 (4.5/5 using SS20 tips)​

Mids Quantity 3/5 (3.5/5 using SS20 tips)​

Treble Quantity 2.5/5 (3/5 using SS20 tips, 3.5/5 using SS20 tips plus slight treble boost)​

As mentioned, it's highly recommended to change ear tips for the E5000 and, if possible, EQ treble boost.

My current EQ settings are (+0.5dB @ 2K, +3.5db @ 4K, +2dB @ 8K, +1.5dB @ 16K).

This transforms the E5000 into a warm v-shape sound that is much more balanced and a better all-rounder. Connecting to a bright source might work too.

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Tracks​

Timbre and Speed


Soundstage, Imaging, Mids


Bass, Speed


Soundstage, Imaging, Speed, Micro-Detail


Vocals, Treble, Micro-Detail


Vocals, Treble, Micro-Detail, Sub-bass


Timbre, Vocals, Micro-Detail


Imaging, Soundstage, Bass, Vocals


Sub-bass, Bass, Vocals, Rap, Imaging, Micro-Detail


Sub-bass, Rap, Micro-Detail


Imaging, Soundstage
​

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INTRODUCTION
Note: I've bought the ZEX pro out of curiosity with my own money, I did not get it for free, and it is also not a sponsored review.

I am not exactly into KZ products and this is only my third KZ IEM, I do not use any KZ IEM as my daily driver as well. As for my musical tastes, I listen to classical, rock, pop, electronic.

For this review, I put on the ZEX PRO like I would with any pair of IEMs. Did not test them in a particular fashion to keep the review as neutral as possible.

These are my opinion of how it fared.

Ratings

LOWS - 3.5/5
Sub-bass and bass are nicely elevated here. The amount of rumble is just right and when the track calls for it. The lows here are pretty decent and offer just the right amount, and they do not bleed to the mids.

MIDS - 2.5/5
Mids are only so slightly recessed. Mid-bass sounds thin but the upper mids are doing okay, there is really nothing to shout about. At times, vocals can sound sibilant.

TREBLE - 1.5/5
Here is where things go wrong, it can get harsh and fatiguing because of the 8K peak and the sound coming out of these isn't very natural, it kind of spoils the entire audio if I were, to be frank. I see how this has been elevated for the listener to perceive more detail and clarity, but it has not been done well and sounds unnatural.

SPEED - 3.5/5
Speed is pretty decent as you would expect from a triple hybrid IEM with BA drivers.

SOUNDSTAGE AND IMAGING - 3/5
Soundstage is average and I would have expected better imaging, imaging suffers slightly especially on modern music and the busier tracks.

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Conclusion
The ZEX pro is far from perfect and is only average at best; that is nothing surprising for IEMs at this price. For the price point, whether it's worth, depends on your preferences and the tracks you listen to.

As hyped as it currently is, do not expect this IEM to perform at the level of sub $100-$200 IEMS; it clearly does not.

I am confused about the target audience this pair of IEM is intended for, as far as it has a somewhat neutral tuning, given the flaws, it would still be hard to recommend.