The five-driver ZS7 is the latest flagship hybrid design from KZ (Knowledge Zenith). It employs one 10mm dynamic driver for the bass region, one 29689 midrange balanced armature, one 31005 mid/high frequency BA and two 30095 BA treble units in a four-way configuration. This contrasts with the former model, the ZS10 which uses two 50060 midrange BAs and two 30095 BAs in a three-way arrangement. In some ways, the ZS7 is a combination of the AS10 (5BA) and ZS10 in the shell of the ZS6.
The ZS7 comes in new packaging which has a more premium feel than that used in the ZS10 and other recent KZ designs. The charcoal-coloured box opens with a lid revealing the earpieces nestling in a foam cut-out below which is a KZ ZS7 identification plate. Lifting up the foam insert reveals the detachable 2-pin (0.75mm) cable which is a copper-coloured braided type featuring a right-angled 3.5mm plug. The section of cable closest to the ear is furnished with a wired ear guide, which is rather stiff. Also included is some documentation and three pairs of the Starline tips, the medium size being pre-fitted on the earpieces.
The earpieces themselves are similar to that of the ZS6 with an angled design inspired by the Campfire Andromeda. They have an attractive blue anodised faceplate and are very well constructed in a light alloy material with all components perfectly aligned. The body of the earphones is finished in black with “ZS7 1DD+4BA” written in white in a sans serif font. There are three angled vents for the dynamic driver on the rear of the earpiece which should provide an improved soundstage. There is a small pinhole vent at the base of the nozzle.
I found the pre-installed Starline tips did not give me a good fit and so I replaced them with the medium silicone tips from the TRN V80, which I have also used successfully on other IEMs. These gave a very good seal and fit and good isolation. The supplied cable is very long from the Y-split to the 2-pin plugs and is prone to tangling, so I also replaced this with a high quality silver-plated cable.
The earphones were left burning in for 100 hours before testing and included tracks of white and pink noise, glide tones and other audio conditioning tracks. After this I used a Hifi Walker H2 DAP via line out with a Topping NX1a amplifier for evaluation.
My first impressions were of a powerful, engaging sound full of detail and space, with an attractive “bloom” which endowed the lower frequencies with a rich, woody tone. The midrange had plenty of detail and the treble was extended, clean, detailed and smooth. I would describe the overall balance as mildly V-shaped but still retaining a good midrange presence. In more detail:
Bass
The bass performance of these was superb, being deep, impactful and very well textured. There was a real sense of weight, with sub-bass reaching down to the depths. A good example of this was in Kevin Kendle’s “Deserts” from his electronic album “Terra”. This is a portrait of the windswept dry landscapes of the earth. There was bass you could feel as well as hear providing a perfect foundation for the panoramic sweep of the accompanying electronic effects. Orchestral music also benefited from this superb bass extension, lending the recording an attractive vinyl-like bass response with excellent recorded ambience. The timpani at the conclusion of “Mausoleum at Halicarnassus” from Stuart Mitchell’s “Seven Wonders Suite” displayed real depth and power as well as a wonderful spatial quality. It was easy to discern the positioning of the percussion section in the recording venue. The deep bass drum and keyboard washes of “Cluster One” from “The Division Bell” by Pink Floyd were very impressive with all the atmosphere of this moody instrumental piece being conveyed beautifully.
Mids
The midrange carried on where the bass left off with a lush and highly entertaining quality and superb dynamic range. Climaxes left a great impression with impact and power. The lower mids were free from bass bleed and displayed a pleasing open quality with good separation. In “Boisterous Bouree”, the first movement of Britten’s “Simple Symphony”, the definition of the string parts was excellent, enabling the lively counterpoint to be heard clearly. The sound had great transient attack and was full of life. The ambience of the recording venue, The Maltings at Snape, was reproduced beautifully with a wide and deep soundstage. Andrew Heath is a British music artist who has produced a series of albums of ambient music featuring “found sounds” and a quiet, atmospheric quality. In “Always Falling” from his latest work, “Evenfall” the soundstage was wonderfully three-dimensional with subtle electronic and natural sounds appearing all over the stereo image. Piano and guitar notes followed a gentle melodic path which was delivered with grace and precision, enabling the listener to get lost in the music.
Treble
The high frequencies of the ZS7 were very extended, lending this part of the spectrum a clarity and sparkle which contrasted well with the powerful bass and expressive midrange. The resolution was very good with excellent micro-detail. There was no sign of harshness or sibilance and no discernible peaks. The treble was a little above the midrange in level but not so much as to dominate, in fact, the effect was quite well-balanced. Jonn Serrie’s “Fantasy Passages” from his album “And the Stars go with You” begins with deep bass and electronic effects and then opens out into a strong melody, accompanied by sparkling synth effects which came over beautifully with real incisive impact. The clean tonality and crisp sonorities were testament to the ZS7’s treble extension. The high violin harmonics at the conclusion to Finzi’s beautiful “Introit”, performed by Lesley Hatfield with the Northern Sinfonia under Howard Griffiths were wonderfully reproduced, giving a natural and believable timbre to the instrument and an open, airy acoustic.
Soundstage
The ZS7 had a superb soundstage and stereo imaging. Listening to “The Watchers” from Jean-Michel Jarre’s “Equinoxe Infinity” my ears were assailed from all sides by electronic effects, synth washes, percussion beats and lead synths, producing a jaw-dropping experience! Recorded ambience was also excellent, with instrumental positioning being precise and well-rendered. “Enchanted Forest” from Jeff Clarkson’s electronic album “Peace and Quiet” had a holographic soundstage with nature sounds and electronic percussion accompanying the synth strings and electronic woodwind leads. The sense of space and movement was remarkable and created a magical atmosphere. The positioning of instruments of the orchestra in Holst’s “Saturn” in a recording by the Vienna Symphony under Herbert von Karajan was very impressive, with each orchestral section occupying its correct place in the beautifully spacious stereo image.
Comparisons
ZS10
The ZS10 was the first five-driver model from KZ and has a 10mm dynamic bass driver and four balanced armatures (2 x 50060 and 2 x 30095). Its bulbous body and short nozzles make choosing tips problematic, but with an acceptable fit a good result can be obtained. It does carry the classic KZ DNA, however, of a prominent lower bass and a mid-bass emphasis which can bleed into the mids, which tend to be recessed. The treble does suffer from some harshness and peaks with an emphasis in the presence region and spikes around the crossover region which can cause some edginess. It is a classic KZ V shape as seen in the ZST, ES3 and ZS4. The tuning of the 30095 BAs has certainly been improved in the ZS7 which does not suffer from these artefacts.
CCA C10
The CCA C10 is, like the ZS7, a five-driver IEM, with a 10mm dynamic bass driver and four BAs (2x 50060, 2x 30095). Its signature is well-balanced and it has a mild V shape with a warm bass and relaxed treble, which, although rolled off, displays plenty of detail and air. It is not as extended in the bass and treble as the ZS7, but its genre-friendly tonality makes it a relaxing listen. The 30095 BAs have been tuned very well here. There is good separation and imaging in the mids and it is one of the most accomplished IEMs in its price range and is certainly preferable to the ZS10. It does not have the impact and flair of the ZS7, however and might be considered as having a “safe” tuning in comparison.
CCA C16
The C16 is an ambitious design featuring eight BAs per side, and has been voiced with a natural, neutral tuning with a bright upper register. Its detail retrieval is probably its strongest suit along with its clean, tight bass and excellent soundstage. Separation, precision and imaging are top class. The ZS7 is warmer in tone with greater impact. In comparison the C16 can sound slightly clinical and analytical. Having recently been using the CCA C16 as my reference IEMs, the bass impact of the ZS7 was a revelation. The C16 has a clean, accurate and neutral sound in the bass but does err on the safe side. The ZS7 has a more extended response at both ends of the spectrum, leading to a more V-shaped profile, but with the midrange still clearly delineated. At around half the price of the C16, the ZS7, although having a different presentation (V shaped rather than balanced) represents excellent value.
Conclusion
The ZS7 is the newest hybrid model from KZ and is their best so far that I have heard (I have not heard the AS10). Its presentation gives music, especially large-scale orchestral works and instrumentals, a wonderful cinematic feel, in the words of the song “Stereophonic Sound” from the film “Silk Stockings”, you get “Breathtaking CinemaScope, Glorious Technicolor and Stereophonic Sound”. It is a presentation which is larger than life, and although V-shaped in the traditional KZ style, the midrange does not come over as recessed. It is certainly, as some have described, a “fun tuning” but does display excellent detail retrieval and an unusually fine soundstage. It is a different tuning from the more neutral and balanced C16, C10 and **** which I have been listening to recently but it has reminded me just how important it is to enjoy music as well as appreciate the technical prowess of a set of IEMs. These are definitely earphones for music lovers!
