Knowledge Zenith (KZ) ZEX

Today we're going to review KZ's latest release on their budget lineup, the KZ-ZEX. I was quite fascinated by these because they have these cool faceplate and good color options and I got the Rosegold one to make things different
since this color way is new to KZ.

DISCLAIMER : THIS IS NOT A PAID REVIEW AND EVERYTHING HERE IS MY HONEST OPINION ON KZ'S IEM. THIS IS A REVIEW UNIT SENT BY KZ. Thank you so much KZ!

Build : ZEX has aluminium faceplates with a smooth matte finish and resin shells with a Dynamic driver + "electrostatic" hybrid drivers as well. What I don't like here is the nozzle especially the mesh cover since it looks thin but at least these solves the issue that some nozzles seem to pop out on some KZ models. I still like the metal mesh though.

Accessories : The unboxing experience with these pair comes with your average KZ packaging. Inside the box we have 3 pairs of silicone tips, and 1 attached to the unit itself which I recommend you to change because I did not like it myself. However, the new release of KZ's unit comes with these incredibly made cable unlike the braided one that comes with their older models, this is quite an upgrade of quality. This review unit came with a free foam tip as well.



Lows
The bass is punchy. Midbass bleed on the sub-bass and lower mids sections which make it sound fuzzy and warm especially on busier tracks.
These are probably one of KZ's best IEM with good and behaved bass when paired with good tips. Although, the stock tips are already good enough.
Mids
ZEX had surprisingly good mids especially on female and acoustic tracks, it has more emphasis on the upper mids without sounding too harsh to the ears. Lower mids can sound a bit thick and warm due to the mid-bass bleeding but it is not enough to make it sound muffled and still well presents well. It is actually rare to find these kind of mids on its budget range.
Highs
The highs on ZEX are rolled-off compared to their ZSN Series making these pair much more forgiving but detail retrieval is lesser on the treble region. But hey! At least you don't have to suffer from fatigue and harshness. ZEX has that crispy and smooth treble that doesn't sound fatiguing. So far, I haven't experienced sibilance on these pair especially when you use foam tips. I can use these pair for hours without fatigue.

Soundstage : KZ ZEX has wide and well-rounded soundstage making it very surprising for an IEM so cheap to have this wide stage.

Imaging : Has average imaging, struggles on busy tracks. But is clean enough to pick out the positions for each instruments.

Isolation : Little to no environmental noise, very great isolation. No sound leaks can be heard as well. Very great for commuting if you hate hearing the busy bustling of the city life.



To conclude this review, ZEX is a good piece made by KZ and a great buy to those who wanted an affordable IEM. Sturdy build, good cables, and amazing sound that you can buy that won't break your bank. I am currently using this as my main driver when commuting and it dos block out all the environmental noise and it looks good too! Good job for making this amazing and affordable IEM, KZ!

KZ is perhaps the most popular chi-fi manufacturer and in terms of sheer number of models available I think they got everyone beat. I did not keep up with their hectic release schedule for the better part of the year, but the KZ ZEX did catch my attention. Why, you ask? The EST (Electrostatic) buzzword, of course.

Most IEMs in the budget range go for a single-dynamic or a balanced-armature hybrid setup, so the ZEX is a refreshing change of pace. Let’s see if the sound quality is as good as it’s supposed to be.

Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. KZ sent me the ZEX for evaluation.

Sources used: Hidizs AP80 Pro
Price, while reviewed: $25. Can be bought from KZ’s Official Website.

Click to expand...

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES​

The packaging is no-frills but has all the necessities. You get 3 pairs of Starline tips (white) and a 2-core SPC wire. The cable itself is rather nice, especially given the price and how some manufacturers cut corners here. I wish there was a carrying case, but I am nitpicking here.
4/5

BUILD QUALITY​

The KZ ZEX have plastic shells (including the nozzles) with a metal backplate. The finish is good with no visible seam between the plastic shell and the metal backplate. At the bottom of each earpiece you’ll find the 2-pin port (protruted ones, sadly). There are no vents which is surprising given the existence of a dynamic driver inside. A pretty generic build overall but it’s well-executed.
4/5

COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT​

Due to their lightweight nature and lack of vents, the KZ ZEX are very comfortable to wear and they isolate well. There is some pressure build-up but it only occurs occasionally. Not bad for a vent-less shell design.
4/5

SOURCE AND EARTIPS​

The ZEX is very easy to drive and shouldn’t need any special source to sound its best. For the review I primarily used the Hidizs AP80 Pro. As for tips, I used the stock tips and they worked well.

DRIVER SETUP​

KZ ZEX is a dual-driver hybrid, with a 10mm dynamic driver in charge of the lows and mids, and a 6.8mm “electrostatic” driver in charge of the highs. In reality, the electrostatic driver is a magnetostatic one and operates similarly to the principle of electret mics (just reverse-engineered). Despite the misleading marketing, the driver combination is quite rare in the budget realm and warrants a closer look.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES​

The KZ ZEX has a V-shaped signature with the mid-bass bloom dominating the sound signature.

I usually start my sound section with the bass and then I go upward, but this time I’ll change things around a bit. The treble will be the highlight here for me because the KZ ZEX has a quite interesting treble response. In moderate listening volumes (around 70dB or so) the treble has a nice attack and sounds crisp without being overbearing or fatiguing. However, as you push the volume up, the treble becomes even more peaky ~5KHz and loses its composure.

I believe that this particular electret/magnetostatic driver is not suited for high SPL listening. So perhaps this is something to take note of when auditioning the ZEX. As for the midrange – it is not well-tuned. I am not a fan of the scooped out male vocals. Moreover, the upper-mids sound suppressed in high-pitched vocals, resulting in a boxy vocal reproduction.

The bass response, meanwhile, is mostly mid-bass focused and sub-bass rumble is not prominent. Bass lacks texture and has slow decay so bass notes can smear into each other. The emphasis on the upper-bass is a bit too much (rising from 700Hz almost) and this masks lower-level detail.

Speaking of detail, the ZEX isn’t particularly resolving even for the price. Dynamics sound compressed due to aforementioned upper-bass boost. Soundstage is below-average whereas imaging is basically left and right. Not much to write home about here.

Bass: 3/5
Midrange: 2/5
Treble: 3.5/5
Staging: 2.5/5
Imaging and Separation: 2.5/5
Dynamics and Speed: 2/5

SELECT COMPARISONS​

vs BLON BL-03​

The BLON BL-03 have been one of the few hype-trains that did not get derailed. It’s been a couple of years now that the BL-03 has remained the de-facto budget IEM recommendation.

In terms of overall build, comfort, accessories – the KZ ZEX are superior to the BL-03. The BLONs require a cable and tip change as the stock ones are horrible. When it comes to sound though, these IEMs go for different direction.

BLONs go for a slightly V-shaped tuning with warm mids and slightly rolled-off treble. The KZ ZEX on the other hand goes for a more pronounced treble response. In terms of midrange tuning and timbre, the BL-03 trounce the ZEX. I do think the ZEX has more sparkle in their treble. BL-03 bass is also more textured and doesn’t sound as smeared as ZEX.

Staging is middling on both whereas imaging is better on the BL-03. BL-03 also sounds more dynamic and less compressed than the ZEX. So apart from the treble, the ZEX is not really an upgrade over the BLON in most factors. Rather the opposite is often true.

CONCLUDING REMARKS​

The most interesting part about the KZ ZEX are their driver configuration and their treble response (in moderate listening levels).

Sadly, the midrange tuning isn’t up to the mark with overly recessed male vocals, and the bass is just slow and texture-less. The treble itself can get grainy once the volume is pushed up, so the ZEX have caveats all around.

The KZ ZEX falls victim to poor tuning decisions in the bass and mids despite having a fairly novel driver configuration. I hope KZ goes back to the drawing board and fixes the tuning issues in the upcoming model. For now, I cannot recommend the KZ ZEX.

Disclaimer : The unit was provided by ConceptKart as a part of a review tour. All thoughts and opinions are my own. You can purchase the KZ ZEX here.

Build and Fit
I wasn't expecting a metal chassis at this price point, but the ZEX has just that. The sheathing on the mic cable has a rubbery texture to it. As a result the cable is rarely tangled but it is impossible to wind them and stow them away elegantly. It's always a rat's nest. Fit is pretty standard, nothing worth noting in this aspect.





Amp Needs
ZEX is very efficient and it works fine off phone. No dedicated amplifier is needed.

Sound Quality
Mightily impressed by the budget offering from KZ, namely EDX, I was expecting an upgrade to the sound. The ZEX tuning unfortunately isn't what I would call balanced. There is a strong midbass boost which hits quite hard but it sounds bloated to me and it masks details and throws the sound off balance. There seems to be a peak in the treble region which adds a ringing to the cymbals and is quite unforgiving if the recording quality is poor on top of that.
One peculiarity worth noting is that the treble sounds a bit disjoint from the rest of the sound, it is not the last word in coherence. The treble seems fast and substantially resolving while the low-mid region seems to have slower decay. Speaking of midrange, the ZEX will not pair well with music that needs lush and open midrange reproduction, partly because the bass hump shadows it, making the midrange sound a bit veiled. However, this kind of sound (read : fun and enjoyable) might exactly be the thing that rocks your socks off. There are genres that can take advantage of this tuning and present a very enjoyable experience.





Conclusion
The ZEX isn't for people who are looking for a balanced sound; the tuning makes the ZEX sound quite colored with hard hitting bass and forward treble. Maybe that is exactly what you will want in your music if your music benefits from a tuning such as this.

Having rocked the TRN MT1s for a while, I decided to upgrade to the KZ ZEX. The KZ ZEX is an interesting IEM - it is really warm but has great vocals, albeit a little hot, with great detail retrieval. The mids are great, and the highs are really nice most of the time. It performs really well on metal and pop songs.

For the cons, there is a bit of sibilance occasionally, for example on ESCAPE PLAN. Travis Scott's voice is especially spicy on the S's. Cymbals are also handled terribly by the ZEX, at high volumes they're very spicy. This might be because I am quite treble sensitive, and if you're coming from an pair like the ZST X's, you should be fine as this is less spicy. Theres also crazy bass, which can come off as bloated sometimes depending on the song. It's hard to explain - theres a heavily extended bottom end which is overwhelming at times.

Personally, I prefer warm IEMs, but I also really enjoy a good vocal presentation. I'm both treble and bass sensitive - I have tried both the BLONs and the Tin T2s and I found them too hot or sibilant/sparkly for me. The TRN MT1s were amazing for me, not too boomy but also not sibilant, but lacking in details. Coming from that, it took a while to get used to the ZEX's highs. When listening on one ear the cymbals can sometimes drown out everything else, which made it hard to listen to but that only happens occasionally.

Overall, the ZEXs are actually quite a good pair of IEMs, when they're not sibilant. It's a very fine line, they could either have just enough treble extension to be eargasmic or just plain sibilant.


SONGS TESTED:


Sanctuary - Joji: The low end is really good this song, not extremely boomy but just warm enough to be pleasant. Joji's falsettos are controlled superbly by the ZEX, with a hint of sibilance at high volumes. Soundstage is wide for this price range.

ESCAPE PLAN - Travis Scott: Travis Scott is the archenemy of the KZ ZEX. His voice is constantly sibilant, and listening at high volumes is quite challenging due to his sibilant S's. (Although it is probably arguably fine compared to IEMs like the ZSN or EDX.)

Taman Rashidah Utama - Wings: This is a metal song which is handled exceptionally by the ZEX. All the metal songs I've tried have given very very satisfactory results, with great vocal performance. Songs like Black Sabbath's Symptom of the Universe is also very pleasing to listen to.

KZ ZEX delivers quality treble performance and a powerful punchy bass response. The look of the ZEX is awesome. I purchase zex at the price of 1949 from conceptkart, this model coming just under 2000 rs gives a punch performance with a smooth and energetic sound tuning.

Hi there so it's me again Berry White. Today we're going to be reviewing the knowledge ZEX.

So I was lucky enough to get a review unit from KZ and it's been quite a while or it's been a long time since I actually wanted to try another kz unit. The last one I actually reviewed was KZ EDX.

SPECIFICATION
Model KZ ZEX
Wear In-ear
Resistance 25Ω
Sensitivity 103dB
Frequency 20Hz-40kHz
Plug Type 3.5mm
Pin Type QDC 0.75mm
Line Length120±5cm
Cable Double line silver-plated cable

WHAT'S INCLUDED
IEMS
Cable
4pairs of ear tips
paperwork

PROS
Matured treble response.
Fast Bass response.
Good instrument tonality
Good for punk, grunge, ska, reggae
Tangle free cable
No Sibilance
Easily driven
Has a HUGE potential to get better with modification

CONS
Recessed Mids
Poor detail retrieval
requires ear tip rolling
Scratch magnet
QDC ports
Plastic shell and nozzles
Intimate staging
Poor layering and imaging

Bass ★
Mids ★★
Trebles ★
Imaging ★★
Layering ★★
Micro Details ★★
Soundstage ★★
Spatial Panning ★★
Timbre ★★
Tonality ★★
Affordability ★★
Overall rating ★★

and, by the way, right now, I'm using the Otter application for Android it transcribes the words that you're saying into text. So far, it's actually doing a good job.

Now going back to my review kz ZEX is one of their newest IEMs and it uses a hybrid setup that uses one dynamic driver and another Magneto magneto static driver.

Anyway, it's sold at $20 and to me at that price point, it it can be better.

So, right off the bat, it's not really hard to drive using my LG V 50.
Although, I usually listen to music in mid level but I'm always looking for better mids and better micro details. And apparently those are the weak points of ZEX. So I would tend to Max up my volume just to get what I want.

Luckily ZEX doesn't have that much of sibilance like ZSN Pro so I can handle it within my threshold.

Regarding the bass, the bass is actually fast. It leans more towards quantity rather than quality. Again, it lacks details it lacks texture, but it has the speed that one would need. Okay. The bass has the THU-- but not the THUMP.

It's actually okay with genres like ska, punk, grunge, thrash metal and even metal with fast beats.

However, going to the mids uhm I have a lot of reservations regarding the mids because just like what I mentioned(and will mention over and over), the mids is very recessed.
That's why I tend to max up the volume just to get what I want.

Also, again, it lacks texture and micro details. So you wouldn't expect texturing when when you're listening to midcentric songs

what else regarding the troubles the troubles is actually tamed unlike unlike in ZSN pro the trebles is more matured in ZEX.
It has the right amount of shimmer that I prefer, so all right.
it's good. I mean it. I like the trebles.

I like the bass, I mean it's OK. I like the treble but I don't like the mids

Regarding micro details, ZEX actually failed that segment too

again, I had to max up the volume just to get the necessary details actually even if even if I max up the volume, the micro detail seem lacking so let's move on to soundstage, the sound stage is pretty much intimate.

It lacks imaging as well.

So will not expect ZEX to to give you fast transitions or any bineural effects that much.

If you're the type of listener that needs, micro details, mids or technicalities, ZEX is not the one for you ZEX is for me it's like buds. Alright. It's like an earbud that you can wear as in ears. because for me most most of the buds I have actually tried lacks imaging and layering. And that's what ZEX is actually missing.

Let's let's go to the tangible parts. I like the aesthetics, although it doesn't fit my ear that well.

It actually required lots of hours of tips rolling until I ended up with spinfits, the small ones. Because since since ZEX is lacking mids and micro details in the imaging, I had to insert it real deep in my ears. That's why I had to have to choose the small size for spinfits.
Somehow it increased the details that I'm getting from it.

Also about the cable. The cable is it's not the typical kz cable that you would get years ago. You know the brown ones.
Right now they're using a different style. It's it's not braided anymore. Alright. It actually resembles the typical Christmas light cable. But, but, but I love it compared to the older kz cables.
And like the fact that it's not it's not easy to get tangled.

Also, it has a good microphone in it. It registers clean vocal recordings.

What else also kz ZEX still using the QDC terminals, which I don't really prefer because back when I was using the Ks ZSN pro, it didn't even last a year. Especially if it's going to be your daily driver. QDC pins will most likely break on its own. it'll get brittle, and will break in a few months leaving you with exposed terminals.
So I don't I really don't like the part where kz have to choose QDC pins the I would advise them to use point 78 pins instead. I would also prefer recessed point 78 pins instead because it provides more stability for the connectors.

What else the face plate it's actually made of I think it's made of aluminium

although the paint gets easily scratched, if let's say you're not putting it in its own container or in its own case. If it gets mixed up with coins or keys, you would expect the face plate to get scratched in just minutes.

Also the shell they I don't know why they decided to use plastic shells with plastic nozzles

I'm actually worried that the nozzles might break if you sleep on it because it's made of plastic and the angle doesn't fit my ear canal.
that's the reason why I really had a hard time tip rolling also apart apart from using the typical kz starline tips, this time they're actually using a different tips. it's almost the same shape as the reversed kz starline tips and I can tell that they actually tried to please the people but for me it lacks proper sealing. Somehow it's actually thin. It's thinner than the black ones that they used to provide in their other IEMs. It's like sealing is depriving most of the details to reach your your eardrums.

So there you go. I tested it for two weeks straight.

I had to make sure that I'm able to absorb everything that ZEX actually offers. So you can expect that I've basically tried almost all genres within that two weeks of testing. mostly MQA Tracks from Tidal thru UAPP.

I listened to classical, musical, unfortunately, did not give justice in the technical side but I like how I like how ZEX portrayed the tonality of the instruments. Alright. In this review, you would notice that I actually focused on the cons or I would say the room for improvements.

Because I believe that ZEX actually has a HUGE potential of being a good IEM if they actually used different shells maybe a resin or it may be if they use metal nozzles. It may actually contribute on how the acoustic chamber is performing. So I would say the plastic shell may have contributed to lessen its technicalities, mids and micro details.

I also tested other genres like pop 90s music at music and metal even electronic music actually sounds good because of the fast bass and it doesn't require much of being mid centric

but the again, it it missed the side of being technical

what else Oh, I also tried lots of female artists. It can be a hit or miss. Alright. So yeah, but again, if they will be changing the shells were how it was actually implemented.

I would assume that ZEX would perform a lot better.
There's a plastic casing inside, which separates the two drivers.
I think that's the main purpose of it to avoid the two magnets from pulling each other.

I think that plastic casing can have an upgrade or it can be modified that way more details can be absorbed by our ears.

What else? So if you ask me $20 For this, I am I think it's actually cheap considering that it's using a different type of drivers but again, it can be improved.

I don't have any IEMs that I want to compare with ZEX, but rather I would compare it with by the budget and I would compare it with GIRFTU's graphene flatheads. It lacks imaging in mids. But those flat heads are cheaper like 50% cheaper than ZEX and that it's semi open as well.

What else if I would compare this to snow Lotus. Snow Lotus have better mids Section, but it lacks the speed for the bass
but it's also cheaper. It's like 70% cheaper than ZEX. Well, because these buds only have one pair of drivers. Again ZEX uses two types of drivers drivers per side.

And if I would recommend ZEX i would recommend ZEX for punk listeners. Ska listeners. Grunge listeners or any other genres that doesn't require technicalities nor mids

also, I want to highlight that if you use ZEX on Zen DAC
it will provide you more texture, more details but the mids are still recessed.

I don't recommend maxing up the volume because there's a tendency for the drivers to flex and it can damage your hearing senses.

So this is my review of kz ZEX and I hope you all were able to get
some nice information from my review.

Thank you again, Jeff, for sending me these
and I wish to review more kz products for my budget conscious audience.

thanks again and keep it rolling.

You can buy it here:
https://kz-audio.com/kz-zex.html

Hello, I'm Ah Hui aka Mr Wong. I'm a K-pop fan and audiophile from Malaysia.

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to KZ for Sending me this review unit and giving me the opportunity to review the KZ ZEX .

This is my first time working with KZ thus why I am very excited. My first ever KZ IEM is ZSN and ever since then, there've been many releases from them that I have not working. Today is a great day as I can review and listen to their KZ ZEX. Hopefully we can work again in the future

Configuration of IEM : 6.8mm low-voltage electrostatic unit + 10mm dual magnetic dynamic unit

Price of IEM : US $21.99 from KZ AliExpress official store .

FRONT OF BOX


BACK OF BOX

accessories

WHEN OPEN THE BOX WILL SEE


DESIGN OF IEM

Comfort: Comfort is great. It fits securely in my ears and I dont feel any sort of fatigue after long hours .

Design : Dark faceplate look like shell .Typical In Ear Monitor sharp .

PRO:
layering sub bass , punchy sub bass , laid back vocal present ,deep soundstage
CONS:
unnatural treble , stock eartips not suitable for me

**Disclaim : This reviews done by TRN white eartips (L size) and stock cable .

BASS: The bass here is punchy and well layered.Bass response is fast . When I listen to Daft punk - Give Life Back To Music ,I can feel the sub bass is punchy ,layered and rumbly . The Bass details on track is decent .

MIDS : laid back mids present ,details and crisp of female vocal present .When i listen to this Female Vocal track called Diana Krall - I'm an Errand Girl for Rhythm . I really enjoy the vocal present on here as it is balanced , details and crisp present here .However I more prefer body female vocal present . How about Male vocal ? Male vocal also good present , it's details crisp when I listen 许冠杰 - 梨涡浅笑 I truly enjoy the vocal present here . it's good male vocal present .

HIGH : Treble is quite well extended .But the clarity it's unnatural I feel the treble is unnatural .When I listen Daft Punk - Beyond I can feel the background of treble it's quite unnatural but well extended.

SOUNDSTAGE : it is deep and wide. When listening to the Caroline Henderson - Be Here Now i feel the backgroud is deep and wide it's more space on background .

IMAGING : it's about decent .When I listen to Daft punk - Motherboard ,I can pinpoint the instrument and the singer on stage .It's stereo position

Details : detail retrieval here is about decent When I listen to some tracks, I can pick up on the micro-details.

Conclusion:
Overall I feel the sound signature of KZ ZEX It's fun and relax sounding , quite enjoyable it's suitable for listen long time session .But just complain the treble part ,the treble tonality quite bad , I hope KZ will improve on next coming IEM .

# Tested by FiiO X1 II with stock cable and TRN White Eartips L size .

- Test songs :
Diana Krall - I'm an Errand Girl for Rhythm
许冠杰 - 梨涡浅笑
Daft punk - Motherboard
Daft punk - Give Life Back To Music
Caroline Henderson - Be Here Now
Daft Punk - Beyond

When I heard kz will have magnetostatic driver hybrid iem I got excited , I waited patiently for the beautiful pink color which took a while to come out probably in demand the most . The when I saw the right moment I ordered it from here : https://kz-audio.com/kz-zex.html. it came in a week and when I got it I opened it asap and took pictures and listen to it. Accessories are minimum which is what I like and build quality is great , tips are ok medium density and efficiency is good too.



Sound:



Bass: the bass on the composite DD is deep and flexible with tight midbass and great texture , I don't hear any subbbass roll-off so that's nice and bass doesn't bleed into midrange. Bass quantity will depend on the recording , can be balanced one time and powerfully big the next.



Midrange: the midrange is flat and even with both male and female vocal on same level , the mids are open and clear , can also be intimate depending on song , can be recessed almost depending on song too.instruments have weight and texture and can be felt.



Treble : the treble is extended and crispy , it has weight and texture too . Treble can sound open and near depending on song as well and smooth or crispy depending on song too . I haven't found it peaky yet even on bad recording.



Conclusion: kz has been coming out with awesome releases lately and also listening to the community to improve on any problems that people have with there products if any . The zex is one example of great value and sound on a budget with breaking the bank

10 second read.

Bass: punchy but bloated

Midrange: it's boosted some but still maintains a V shape

Treble: Is rather weird, It's boosted in some frequencies but rolled off at the top. Typical of the tricks lower end manufacturers use to add the sense of detail. If you listen close, these aren't very detailed...but again passable for $20ish bucks.

Don't believe the hype train. There's a lot of hypetrain youtubers that claim these beat better gear. Probably one of the worst examples I've seen recently is: . They beat the Sundara in detail retrieval? Come on! Join the fun in his comments! Anyway, as usual Crinacle gave his take , which is accurate to my ears also...and yea, about that "electrostat" driver...Crin explains.

So buy the ZEX if you want to blow away even the highest end TWS out there, using something like a BTR5 or even KZ AZ09 Pro....however don't expect true audiophile performance.

Specification:



Source Used:
Acoustic Research AR-M200
XDuoo X3 (CS4398)
Realme 6 (Normal Smartphone DAC)
Foobar2000
Tidal, Spotify,Qobuz,Deezer & Apple Music
(MP3 320kbps, FLAC 16bit,FLAC 24bit,WAV,DSD256)


Build:

KZ ZEX provides a decent looking build of shells with a combination of smoked-gray transparent shells & black metal faceplate labelled with the KZ Logo and curved design. KZ ZEX comes with a decent L-type QDC 2-pin cable which some of consumers might not like it.

Sound Quality;

Well done V-shaped to U-shaped, sound may vary depending on the pairing of the source used and eartips.

Lows:

Lows has fast attack & fast decay bass, has a good bass extension and controlled compared to other KZ Model such as the famous ZSN Pro. Bass is well tuned, i love how clean the lows in this IEM without mixing too much in the middle frequency section.
Subbass is enjoyable too but i think it is better if they add slight amount of rumble for the bass heavy tracks like EDMs.

Mids:

KZ ZEX has a relaxed, recessed mids which makes its sound signature V-shaped, but aside from their typical V-shaped tuning, ZEX is less offensive compared to EDX and ZSN Pro, which makes it my favorite KZ model as of now. Instruments and vocals has a good timbre but not-so natural sounding.

Treble:

Highs or treble is non-fatiguing, controlled and does have some sparklings too.I didnt expect to hear some airyness of treble instead of sibliance, which proves that KZ improves their tuning on these IEM. Hi-hats and cymbals has a nice attack and distance without losing its control.

Soundstage & Imaging:

Soundstage is not that wide, but enough for most of the songs nowadays which is digitally mastered. Instruments has a distinguishable placement. Despite of its average soundstage, the airyness of the treble helps to add more width and to make the tracks more alive.


Conclusion:

KZ did a good job on this ZEX. I love how they improve their tuning from most of their IEMs, I think Electrostatic Driver from Knowledge Zenith is well implemented on this.

If you are looking for a good starter iem or just want to add on your collection, i recommend getting these pair specially if you love listening to kicks and snare of EDM and similar genres. I think KZ ZEX can compete other IEM which is twice its price range. I highly recommend the KZ ZEX on 20 USD budget category, it is way better than the other of IEM on its price range that I've tried. I hope KZ will cintinue to release budget friendly IEMs like this ZEX.


Test Tracks
Getting Older - Billie Eilish
Foxey Lady- Jimi Hendrix
First of the Year - Skrillex
The Husk - Rings of Saturn
Airplane Mode - Cory Wong
The Crying Machine - Steve Vai
Take the "A" Train - Nikki Yanofsky
A Little Piece of Heaven - Avenged Sevenfold
PLUR POLICE (Jauz Remix) - Knife Party
It's Oh So Quiet - Björk


Thank you for reading!

​

KZ ZEX Review!​

Disclaimer/s:

• KZ (Love Jr David) sent this review unit to me free of charge, aside from the shipping/postage fees in exchange for an unbiased, honest review. Rest assured that everything I say and write about this IEM will be true and free from any bias/es.
• No money is/was involved during and after the creation of this review.
• KZ does not have any control over anything that I am about to say in my review. My review is created, written, and owned by me and me alone.
• Your mileage may (and always will,) vary.

Source/s Used:

• Not-By-VE Avani Realtek DAC
• Samsung Galaxy S3 (WM1811 DAC)
• Realme 5i (non-Hi-Fi smartphone)

Burn-in/Audition Time: 15 hours, for 3 days.

Sound signature: Fun-sounding, V-shaped sound signature, but can also be U-shaped depending on your setup. Big, controlled bass, warm, slightly recessed mids, extended highs.

Lows:
- Lows are definitely elevated with decent depth. It shows a slight dominance of midbass over sub-bass on most tracks. Subbass is present when needed with above-average rumble. Bass overall is controlled with fast decay. The lows can satisfy EDM tracks.

Mids:
- Mids are warm and slightly recessed. Little to no midbass bleed are present. Despite being recessed, the mids did not sound muffled or boxed at all. Lower notes have an accurate depth. Upper mids exhibits average clarity and sparkle. Sibilance and peaks are present on sibilant-prone tracks but less frequent compared to the EDX-Pro.

Highs:
- Highs is also elevated and bright, with rare instances of peaks on tracks that are prone to peak. Treble is also well extended and exhibits decent air to it. Detail retrieval is also average and enough for casual listening and most tracks.

Soundstage, Imaging and Separation:
- Soundstage is wide, a little bit wider than the EDX-Pro. It has good width with average depth. Separation is average and can handle busy tracks fairly well. Imaging is also accurate with the ability to discern 5 instruments at most with little to no congestion.

Pros:
- Very easy to be driven properly, easier than the EDX-Pro
- Fun, all-rounder sound
- Spacious, clear mids compared to its predecessor/s.
- Warm mids (subjective)
- A bit wider soundstage
- More controlled lows
- Decent imaging and separation for its price (20+USD)
- Better ear tips. I think KZ listened to the community. It comes now with a set of reverse-Starline-looking ear tips which improved the sound.

Cons:
- There is still a little bit of mid-bass bleed.
- Sibilance on upper mids is present on sibilant prone tracks.
- Nozzle lip could be a bit thicker/better for aftermarket ear tips.


Additional Photos:

DISCLAIMER:

I did not buy this product. It was provided as a review unit for me to keep. Much thanks to Jeff Yang for providing. I am not compensated in any way. My thoughts and opinion here are not influenced by any form of incentive.



Manage your expectations as what works for me, might not work for you. We all have different perception when it comes to sound. My setup and gears may not be the same as yours, and that plays a big role in what I hear. I have learned lately that source plays a big role in this as I have been exploring different music streaming platforms. So, as we reviewers always say, take this as a grain of salt.



INTRODUCTION



I first heard heard of Knowledge Zenith or in short KZ from my fellow musicians from church. They are one of the companies that provided decent sounding IEMs for very affordable price range. The brand made a big impact on the community of musicians here in Philippines and almost everybody in my circle, have this as their go-to IEM for studying our roles in a band.



Though i have not checked out KZ’s products for some time now, and I have explored other chi-fi products, I did not turn a blind eye when I was offered to review one of their new product, the ZEX which I have now in my hands and sharing my thoughts. If you like to hear a musician’s perspective on this one, please do read on.



One more thing to clarify is their claim that this pair has a configuration of an electrostatic driver. I must disagree with this as the more correct term will be an electret driver. I must admit I have not dig deep to explain how this driver works as I focus more on what I hear than the physics and tech that comes with the gear. Moving on..



SPECIFICATIONS:



Driver: Hybrid set-up 1 Dynamic driver + 1 “Electret” driver

Impedance: 25 ohms

Sensitivity: 103db

FR range: 20hz-20khz



For more details, please visit this official link:

https://kz-audio.com/kz-zex.html





INCLUSIONS and PACKAGING:

I have received the official packaging on this one. As this is my personal unit. Again it was provided by Jeff Yang. Thanks again mate. It is the usual inclusions typical from KZ. Very barebone. It could have been better but hey, this is an entry level IEM. I feel there is no need to be so demanding on this.



THE TIPS:

We have 3 pairs of spare tips here. S, M and L sizes. They are on the soft side of things, which personally I don’t prefer much, but was surprised end up satisfied. I used the M size tips for this review. I can’t say much about the tips but the one attached by default on ZEX is different from the extra tips. The one attached they say is a Starline tip. This is the one I used on this review. Many other reviewers have tip rolled so if you are into that, feel free to tip roll to modify the sound signature of ZEX.



THE CABLE:



The cable is a SPC. I prefer the braided ones as this feel quite thin and I think will be vulnerable to abuse. As a gigging musician, some abuse to gears comes with the territory. Cables is one thing I make sure that are sturdy and need to withstand some abuse. Extra care is suggested. Configuration is a 2 pin but QDC type. Some don’t favor this one specially those who are into cable rolling.





THE SHELL:

The faceplate is made of magnesium alloy, with a nice curve. For some reason I see a “dolphin” kind of curve here. Fits well on ears, more of this later. The base part has that smokey transparency again. I think this is becoming a thing now as I have reviewed IEMs with this look. It has a nice weight that gives you a sense of sturdiness and good quality. It does not feel cheap at all for me and my wife, who is the true owner of this IEM, loves it. LOL



Now on to how it sounds…



TREBLE/HIGHS – 4.5/5



This is where the ZEX shines. With their “electret” tech, highs are very open here and has a nice sparkle. Almost to none sibilance and harshness. KZ line up has been criticize for their sibilant nature. They are on the right track on this one. Vocals did not sound veiled. Micro details are audible. Treble heads will start to smile on this one.



On studio work though, which depends on the mix of the sound guy on the board, highs can tend to be piercing at times but studio work is different from listening to mastered tracks. Just tell the sound guy to adjust his mix and all is good.



Conclusively, highs are very admirable, enjoyable and impressive.



BASS/LOWS – 4/5



Lows has good extension here. Authoritative on bass heavy tracks. And yet controlled on classic tracks. On my past experiences with KZ products, bass tends to be bloated. As in almost all tracks are really bass boosted. I was honestly surprised how controlled the lows are. Is it for bass heads? Hmmm maybe but not quite. But for mature listeners, this will be right up their alley.



Conclusively, bass is on the matured side here. Which makes this set not only for the consumer taste, but can be admired by mature listeners as well even though this set is a V-shape tuning.



MIDS – 3/5



Mids are recessed on this set. To my liking, I prefer my mids forward. While there is nothing undesirable to be said here, I feel some sense of lack to the body of mids here.



Vocals are fine both male and female. Male vocals has a natural nature, while female vocals are favored on this one. I think because of the “electret” driver that the female vocals sounded more commendable.



Instruments have good timbre. But not enough separation in my opinion. Contrast of instruments and vocals seems below average as they lean to stick together rather than well separated.



Conclusively, mids are the weak point on this set. But nothing to hate here in particular.





SOUNDSTAGE AND IMAGING – 3/5



Stage is average here. You can sense the panning of instruments and depth. You can feel the reverb of instruments on tracks that emphasize on reverberation. Nothing holographic here or 3d. For a musician like me, this is constructive. For music appreciation, you might want to tip or cable roll for more staging and imaging. Another choice is the Hiby music player app which in my experience, offer added stage to your listening.



FITTING/ISOLATION



Fitting is good. Not perfect but very comfortable to wear. This set has a good weight into it. Not too light, not too heavy. Never fell off my ears unexpectedly.



Isolation on the other hand is average or even below average as I can hear the noise around me. I have to put up with loud playing to shut off the noise. A quiet surrounding is preferred here.



Here are some TRACKS that I used for reference. Allow me to share you some notes I’ve taken.



1. Tomorrow Comes by Edie Brickell (16bit/44khz offline FLAC via UAPP)

• Drum kick sits on the mid bass part. Well controlled.
• Bass guitar has weight and rounded. Has a subtle rumble.
• Imaging is decent.
• Organ sound is places at the far left of the stage.
• Vocal is distant. Airy.
• Guitars are warm and rounded. Very organic
• Snares is with less impact but organic and warm.

2. Whip Appeal by Babyface (16bit/44khz Tidal Masters via UAPP)

• Bass guitar is well rounded and has nice weight.
• Drum kick has nice thump.
• Treble extension on this track is very commendable. Vocals are sparkly.
• 80’s electric piano as the primary instrument is well presented.
• Subtle rumble is audible.
• Imaging is average.
• 
  3. Love Bites by Def Leppard (16bit/44khz Tidal Masters via UAPP)
• Drum kick sits on the mid bass. Has nice thump and punchiness.
• Electric guitars are very warm and natural. A bit less textured.
• Bass guitar has nice weight and timbre.
• Cymbals are not shouty. Well controlled.
• Vocals are distant yet well presented.
• Lows here are nicely presented. Full and good body.
• Imaging and stage is on the average.

And many more... Below are some of my favorite test tracks.

Lingus by Snarky Puppy
Thriller by Dirty Loops
Redefine by Incubus
Never too Much by Luther Vandross
P.Y.T by Michael Jackson
I'm not in Love by 10cc
Alice in Wonderland by Bill Evans
Pressure by Paramore
The Chain by Fleetwood Mac
Adia by Sarah McLachlan
Love Bites by Def Leppard





SOURCES AND GEARS

• LG v30 Quad Dac as my main player (high impedance mode on)
• Tidal Master subscription
• Offline Flacs and DSD
• UAPP app
• Hiby Music Player app

VERDICT

The ZEX is on the right track and KZ got it right this time. For those who are coming from KZ products, this is a must on your arsenal. For the casual listener, this is a very easy pick for go-to music appreciation. Surprisingly mature listeners will not grin on this one. This is a mature v-shaped tuning set. For the analytical, this will fall short when it comes to technicalities.



Do I recommend it? Well yes I would, considering the very modest price tag. The inclusions could have been better but the “electret” driver alone makes up for its short comings.



Did I like it? Somewhat I did folks. Though it did not fall under my sound signature preference, I have kept an open mind and didn’t narrowed my liking even though it is a V-shaped tuning. For musicians like me, who have been following KZ for some time now, I bet they will love this set.



Bass heads? You might crave for more here. Treble heads? You will nod here positively.



This set came with the ZAX and I gave my wife a chance to choose between the two. My wife as a casual listener, the ZEX was an easy pick for her even though the ZAX has a higher price tag. So that is a good example how easy it is to love this set. I am hoping for more innovative products from KZ from here on out. Keep up the good work. You are on the right track KZ. (applause)



If you plan to purchase ZEX, here are the official link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HHBNXVJ


Shopee for ASEAN market:

https://shopee.ph/kzearphone.ph

KZ ZEX Review

Tl;dr : 20 USD. U-shaped signature. Rolled off sub-bass with mid bass focus but doesn’t texture well. Lean tonality. Vocals are presented well. No upper midrange thinness. Treble extended until borderline, exhibits air well but can be detached from the signature and loud with certain tracks and albums.
A bit of background and disclaimer:

KZ Audio sent this KZ ZEX as a unit to review and evaluate, rest assured they won’t influence my review. I hope my criticisms can be used to improve KZ’s future releases and current ones, and guide some curious consumers. You can buy the KZ ZEX @ KZ Audio!

Packaging:

· The ZEX came in the standard KZ small-box affair with the earpieces encased in a plastic moulded holder with the transparent starline tips attached, SPC cable, extra 3 pairs of tips (which is completely different from the starlines already attached), and papers. Overall, not surprising and just okay value wise. I wish they just included more of those transparent starlines on the package.

Build:

· The shape of the shell should be very familiar if you used KZ’s ZSN lineup, but KZ improved upon it by making the nozzle longer for people with big ears, well done KZ! The whole shell consists of a black painted faceplate with lines with the KZ logo engraved and a glossy black resin body made out of 2 parts (nozzle, top body). It accepts QDC connectors.
The cable is a 2 core SPC cable with transparent ridged sheathing in QDC. I like how microphonic and tangle free this cable is, it's also very soft to the touch. Miles better than the ugly old KZ 4-core cables imo.
I can’t help but complain about the use of QDC since my right piece got a little crack on its connectors. At least KZ made a good move not placing those QDC together with the faceplate because you probably can’t sleep with it without busting the faceplates open. I did try and slept with it just fine until I suddenly woke up to the feeling that I’m using an IEM that’s likely to break when I sleep, thankfully I just scratched the faceplates.

Fit and isolation:

· They fit my ears really well with the pre-installed transparent starlines, combined with the nozzle length. The ZEX doesn’t really mute the surroundings with my good fit, so it’s kinda average in terms of isolation. Thankfully I don’t need further tiprolling in my case, but be prepared just in case the transparent starlines and the bundled TWS-like tips which are soft and don't fit my ears well.

Sound:

A bit of background for the source, I used my Meizu DAC and Zishan U1 (on my phone and laptop) and my Huawei Y9 Pro 2019 for the testing.
You could drive this well with a smartphone and gets loud easily but improvements are noticeable on amp usage but not really drastic that I would require them all the time.
My library consists of MP3 and FLAC albums on 16/44khz and few 24/96khz ones and also streaming on Spotify since I prefer its convenience. Here is my lastfm account to see what I listen to: https://www.last.fm/user/varia_ble

- Bass: The bass on these is lifted but not the usual level that KZ does surprisingly. The sub bass seems rolled off compared to the mid-bass but still has some heft in various tracks. The texturing however, is a bit muddy. I personally think it needs more tightness for better definition of texture, because the decay of 808 kicks and other bass focused instruments/elements are a bit slow.

- Mids: On the leaner side, and this is where you get the feel of its U-shape signature. There is minimal warmth in this section but never cold, and KZ struck balance on this one finally. The bass does not interfere with the midrange performance. Vocals are more forward to female vocals than it is to male ones, and to my surprise, KZ didn’t overcook the upper-mids so good job KZ!

- Treble: Well extended near the borderline. I personally think this is the star of the show for the ZEX. It’s a treble that I haven’t heard from KZ that always does the same things, the same sibilant-riddled signature for years and they finally did an actual treble tuning with these magnetostatics. Cymbals and Ssses are handled well and the presence region is not too lifted but the borderline I mentioned really shows with some tracks. Air is present on the treble performance too, and I don’t know if the magnetostatics really do work but I definitely feel the upper treble extension! Though I notice at times that the treble can be detached from the signature, maybe crossover issues?

- Soundstage, Imaging and Separation: The soundstaging is average as any IEM feels to me, but the air in the treble helps to make it less claustrophobic.
Imaging is good, spatial cues are presented well but movement of some elements are limited.
Separation is excellent, it layers the various elements well without effort, and it might be due to the treble.

Thoughts:

This surprised me alot honestly. I have tried various KZ products in the start of my audio journey and found them very lacking or even overbearing with treble presence and upper mids but the ZEX proves otherwise. I think I can finally recommend a KZ to a budding audio enthusiast with this model without the usual KZ pitfalls, but I cannot recommend these to someone who has other models and has already experienced something beyond the 20 USD price range since there are still better performing pairs out there.
I thoroughly enjoyed the companionship of ZEX in my work and my college classes. I had fun listening through various albums with it and that’s all that matters. I’ve been listening to
DJ PicaPicaPica’s Planetary Natural Love Gas Webbin' 199999 DJ compilation of eclectic EDM music and the ZEX made it an enjoyable experience throughout the listening sessions.
Hope you enjoy the music as I did!

Thanks for reading!

(edit: fixed the formatting)

Sometimes you meet new people and immediately start to love them. This occurs in a state of psycho-emotional uplift. With this person, you quickly find common topics, you listen to each other, you develop sympathy for him (I'm not talking about sex...it could just be friendly sympathy). Such a quick fascination often ends in a breakup, as soon as you begin to get to know the person better, his true face

True and loyal friends come into your life differently, at work, with negativity or without apparent sympathy for you...

Today's hero is an example of such a friend. He does not promise all the best, although he looks like a glamorous and deceiving comrade

The design is very beautiful, a little catchy because of the pink gilding (there are other colors), but personally I like this color the most, it gives the personality of this model

The overall sound is reminiscent of CCA NRA, but with a slight difference in tonality, but I can barely pick it up

The sound turned out to be balanced for two drivers, single DD and single Electrostat. The high frequencies have an incipient layering, the middle has a pronounced texture, the bass is of medium depth, but has a good weight

These hybrids are a great find for those who want new hybrids, but have a hard time with the BA sound. Here, the treble is finely detailed for the price, but lacks the peaks that some people can very painfully tolerate

This is the bottom rung of Hi-Fi, but the rung that will guide you in the right direction

In the process of photographing, I dropped ZEX several times on a granite tile from a height of 1 meter, on the ZEX not that there were no chips, but even scratches, there were no traces on the gold faceplate either. Recently I dropped expensive IEMs on the same tile, the result was sad. Therefore, as for the IEM for $20, they are very durable, like everything that KZ/ CCA is currently producing now

Now on the market, ZEX have many competitors, both in price and in sound. But you will no longer find absolutely the same character of sound on the market, it is in the sound of ZEX and NRA that there is some kind of invisible charm, velvet and lamp-like

Shells have a very ergonomic shape, small size, 95% of people will fit. The supplied cable is very simple, but reliable, it is advisable to change it right away. If you swap it out for something over $15, you will feel a slight boost in sound quality, treble reproduction, tighter bass, and cleaner mids. I recommend Silver Plated Copper Cable for ZEX, not Pure Copper

In conclusion, I will only say that 15 years ago I could not even dream of such a sound for $20. Brands such as KZ offer the opportunity to take the audiophile path in exchange for little money. They also have more expensive solutions, but we will not talk about them today. ZEX is a real non-expensive nugget without gold (okay, there are a couple of microns of gold on the contacts lol). By purchasing ZEX or NRA you will not regret it

Remember, true friends come quietly, but they shine for a lifetime

Appreciate the small and you will touch the great ©

Link to store:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HH9271K

#KZzex #KZearphones #KZiem @KZearphones

Intro

This unit was sent to my by KZ for review. However, I will not sugarcoat my impressions. An honest review will benefit both the community and the company. I will stand by that.

I do not have the professional experience of doing reviews, but I have enough reference for sound and music. I may not have heard as many iems as others, but I have heard enough to give comparisons.

First, let me tell you guys that these are not really resolving sets. The tonality is mildly v shaped with bass emphasis.

However, they have an interesting tuning, reminiscent to an old home theatre setup with surround sound 5.1 channel speakers. It has a quality that defines space. I don’t know if that description even exists..


IS IT WORTH TO BUY THEM?

-If this will be your first set, then definitely yes.

-As a gift for you girl? Yes for the pink!

-Different tuning experience? yes

-Side grade? Yes

-Upgrade from sub $20? Yes

If your question is not here, then probably a NO or maybe. Up to you.


WHAT KIND OF MUSIC IS IT GOOD AT?

1. EDM 5/5

2. Hip hop/rnb 5/5

3. Live albums 5/5

4. Pop 4.5/5

5. Kpop/jpop 4/5

6. Rock and alternative 4/5

7. Metal 3.5/5

8. Jazz n blues 3.5/5

9. Vocals 3/5


OBSERVATIONS:

My observations are based on using **** 8 core spc cables and a short flanged wide bore tips. The stock cables are said to be SPC too, but I think the quality is not that good. With the stock tips and cables, honestly, it was hard for me to write about them. The stock is not bad at all, it was just not for me because they sounded “veiled”. KZ should have included better quality cables, but from the price point, I understand this decision.


DAP &Dongles used:
-Shanling M3x (balanced and SE, linear phase and apozing filters)
-Jcally JA21
-Jcally JM04 pro
-Jcally JM20
-VE OHD


OKAY LET’S START WITH TECHNICALITIES

-because they have a role to play in every frequency spectrum I will be explaining later.

SEPARATION, STAGE, IMAGING and LAYERING

- The stage has a really good depth, width and height. It’s a kind of 3D? . The presence region gives the “space” enough definition, and it can really get engaging when you lock you ears to the vocals, tho theyre recessed.

- This kind of 3D effect in stage is present in some TOTL sets, and this is what surprised me the most. Although they are v-shaped, the airiness of space gives the mids that 3D effect, making you perceive they sound forward, but actually they are not. It really feels like you are in a home theatre setup.. I was really enjoying listening to Bon Jovi’s “Living on a prayer”. The ZEX sounded like an expensive IEM on that track.

- The imaging and separation in these are really good for the price. Although it may sound unnatural relative to mainstream tuning, but the coherency of the DD and electret driver is so well done. They weave like yinyang seamlessly. In paramore’s “my heart”, the vocals are not really intimate, they are recessed, but I can really feel her presence.

BASS

- Bass is elevated, with good texture. There is definitely enough bass body in Billie Eillish’s Bad Guy. You just feel the “oomph”. The quantity is a bit too much for my taste tho. It was hard for me to catch bass lines really. Yes there is quantity, but I can’t say much about the quality. With the stock cable, the bass bleeds to the mids, but with my **** spc, it is cleaner.

- EDM sounds really good with ZEX.

MIDS

- Again, the Mids are a bit recessed, but because of the 3D effect, they kind of float around in space. If they were just as resolving as Heart mirrors, ZEX will be the new budget king even until $100. The snare sounded dull using stock tips and cable, but improved a lot when I changed them.

TREBLE

- The treble is gentle in contrast to being edgy. The transients are not really that good. But then again that spaciousness of the stage keeps up for it. The zex catches echoes and reverbs well. Again on paramore “my heart” at 2:30 echo and 311 “I’ll be here for a while” at 1:50, I can hear those “woah woah” from keyboards well. The cymbals of “pardon me” by incubus sounded plasticky at first, but were “kindof” resolved with tip ang cable change.

SUGGESTIONS TO SOUND BETTER

-As you can see, they really benefit with tip and cable change. As for the tips, you need a short flanged wide bore tips. If you use regular flanged tips, they will be hanging on your ears because the nozzles are already long. If you want, you can also reverse the stock tips, just so that you can have enough distance from the mesh, tho they are kindof annoying every time you take them out. See pictures.





I also suggest using hiby or UAPP with them for improved clarity. Using Tidal or apple make them sound thicker.

Using balanced on my M3X brings them to another level. Overall clarity improved. Bass became tighter, vocals gained more transient response, and treble extends well. So yeah, I think it is safe to say they scale well with power.

SHOULD YOU BUY THEM?

- With all the needed tweaking to make them sound better, do you think they are worth? Well if you already have extra spc cables and tips, they are worth the try for the experience.

FINAL THOUGHTS?

These are definitely a KZ redefined, in a good way. It is a safe buy for $20, but not more than that.

Where to buy:

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/910329131

https://kz-audio.com/

https://shopee.ph/ccaofficial.ph?categoryId=100535&itemId=10962565586

Intro​

ANOTHER KZ in the house! This time, things are a little more exciting with a brand new driver set up. The KZ ZEX is a budget IEM at $22 packing a hybrid of a low-voltage electrostatic driver and a dynamic driver within. This is the first electrostatic driver implementation at this price point (together with the sister brand CCA NRA). I can't wait to see what they have done with this pair.

Build Quality (Score: 9/10)​

The build quality of these buds was honestly very impressive. These felt NOTHING like 20 dollar earphones. The shells have a very hard almost glass-like resin, giving it a good amount of heft to them. They also seem a little brittle and might shatter if you drop them from a height (please don't try it). This is a good upgrade from the cheaper plastic shell we are more used to on IEMs like the ZX10 Pro, and EDX, among many others.

The faceplate is a matte aluminium material and the whole aesthetic just flows. Absolutely stunning product design. The ZEX also sports the new KZ cable, which is much more durable and less prone to tangling than the previous ones. These look and feel great and I'm really loving this new direction and approach KZ has taken. The one downside to the cable is that it is a little springy and doesn't coil up as well.

Fit (Score: 8/10)​

The fit is quite comfortable despite the buds being on the heavier side. It is compensated with a slightly longer than the normal nozzle to ensure a deeper fit and a good seal. I didn't experience any issues with the buds threatening to fall out of my ears so good job with the weight distribution. The cable has a stiff ear hook but it didn't affect the comfort.

Sound (Score: 7.5/10)​

Sources

• Lotoo Paw S1
• SMSL M200/Schiit Magnius

Music listened to

• Chicago Symphony Orchestra – Beethoven Symphony 7
• Boston Symphony Orchestra – The Nutcracker Suite
• The Vamps – Cherry Blossom
• Paul Kim
• NEEDTOBREATHE
• McFly
• Vivaldi’s Bassoon Concertos
• Greenday
• Joscho Stephan
• Family Company
• etc

Bass

The bass notes are weighty and extend quite deep with a satisfying rumble and punch. However, the decay is a little slow and come across as a little muddy, especially evident in drumsets and tracks with fast-moving articulated basslines like a double bass. The bass is boosted and authoritative, pretty much in line with the KZ house sound. Instruments like bass guitars have a weighty and sub-bass element that supports the music well without overdoing or overpowering. It will certainly scratch that itch for a full lower end. That said, there is quite a bit of midbass bloating and can come across as a little too muddy at times, but nothing too terrible at this price range.

Mids

Mids are quite an interesting experience. The melody lines are quite rich and warm, with vocals quite bodied and well supported. In fact, the vocals are really tastefully presented and I especially enjoyed male vocals which were lush and rich. I honestly didn't expect myself to enjoy these so much. This is quite unusual from the usual deep recession in the mids that KZ IEMs typically have. The ZEX has got to be one of the more balanced sets. "KZ IS BALANCED?" haha not exactly but relatively yes.

However, I find the music occasionally a little too coloured for my tastes. The tonality in the midrange is slightly off, and is apparent on certain genres, making them sound a little weird and warped. This is especially on songs that I'm familiar with and would pick up these issues really easily. Despite my best efforts to ignore it and let the “brain burn-in” do its job, I still found the sound a little too off. It doesn’t always sound bad, but it's certainly how it's meant to be. (or how I’d like/expect it to sound at the least).

Treble

Treble is rolled off and very subdued. This brings about a very dark sound, further adding to the colour of the sound. On certain tracks, this makes the sound a little too skewed and a little satiating. I would’ve loved more representation here actually, not even considering the sparkle or shimmer that you guys always wanna hear. Cymbals and high hats just fall flat and seemingly have their characteristics stripped from them. One positive thing I'd give it is that these don't have terrible metallic or peaky like tonality to keep the tuning relaxed and pleasant.

Overall

The biggest flaw of the ZEX is the midrange tonality issue and accuracy. Of course, in terms of detail retrieval, there is much room for improvement, but considering the price point, expectations have to be managed and I'd say it’s passable.

Conclusion​

The ZEX really has a lot of potential. For 20 dollars, this IEM exudes quality in its build and features one of the best budget IEM stock cables I’ve seen. And to top it off the ZEX doesn’t sound bad. While there is much room for improvement in the tuning, KZ certainly proved that they are onto something with the ZEX. I very much prefer this to some of the metallic timbres that some of their BA hybrids have. Now perhaps that can work towards a slightly more accurate tonality and I’m sure they would have a hit in their hands.

This is got to be one of the best thought out and constructed budget IEM KZ has put out in a while. No harm going out to grab one of these, they won't be replacing or toppling any higher priced IEMs, but I found these really enjoyable, which I'd say speaks volumes for itself.

Overall Grade: B-

Click HERE for our grading list for earphones

Introduction

Knowledge Zenith or simply KZ, a company whose name needs not much introduction as it stormed a wave of Chinese Hi-fi or “Chi-FI” gears in successions in the audiophile community targeting starters (“newbies”) up to a notch with their budget Mid-Fi series. While not the “de facto” pioneer, it has been a household name for not only those in the audiophile scene but as well as its targeted mass market such as music lovers and even musicians who use them not only for its technicality and availability but also because of its competitive priced point.

KZ has recently dipped its feet on the electrostatic drivers with their new hybrid offering aptly named ZEX, while the electrostatic term is indeed there in its marketing sheets, this is by no means a true electrostatic IEM. In fact, it’s far from a true electrostats or “estats” as they require a charge from an external source to power them properly.

Meanwhile these might seem to be “electrets “, these new type of drivers that holds its own charges within itself needing an audio signal to move and function. They aren’t real estats but they are a welcome addition to the portable audio industry where the driver supremacy of Dynamic, Planar, BA and Hybrid combinations are being enjoyed and offer more choices. These electrets make the treble sound pleasing without sacrificing too much extension. Electrets merely pulls back the forwardness of the BA tuned trebles thus making them more enjoyable for longer listening sessions.

Disclaimer

The unit was provided free of charge by KZ through Love Jr David of KZ Earphones with the agreement that my views and honest opinions will not be affected or swayed and I am free to write my honest opinion of the review unit.

You can check them at Shopee PH - https://bit.ly/3D2z0Hk or at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3pMit5a

Package and Build Quality

Like all Chi-Fi gears that are being sold, the simple packaging is limited to a white box with a with big image of the KZ ZEX In-Ear Monitor (IEM). They included a black rubber carrying case when they sent the unit.



At the back we can find the specifications chart and the manufacturing details of KZ company in Chinese and English respectively

Opening the box, we are greeted with the KZ ZEX in flat Black, the KZ ZEX is available in different color way options and mic/non mic variants. The other colorways to choose from are Rose Gold and Graphite. The unit sent to me has a mic option.

Inside the box we can find the included cable with an L-type 3.5mm jack, a slew of tips, KZ Manual (looks more like a spec sheet).



The included cable is a QDC type 2pin 0.78mm white SPC flat Cable with an L-type 3.5mm jack. The cable is supple to the touch and did not exhibit any microphonics when connected during audio listening and voice calls. These are welcome iterations from the usual twisted black iterations that are usually bundled with different chi-fi IEMs.



The KZ ZEX comes with stock white Starline Tips, and three pairs of a similar wide bore or an iteration of a reverse Starline tips.



The KZ ZEX shell is quite robust with a nice thick metal faceplate and sexy curve lines above the KZ Logo. The shell is not too thick and not.



Specifications

Model: KZ ZEX
Drivers: Hybrid Drivers (1 x 6.8mm Electret (Low Voltage Electrostatic Driver) and 1 x 10mm Dual Magnetic Driver
Wear: In-ear
Resistance: 25Ω
Sensitivity: 103dB
Frequency: 20Hz-40kHz
Plug Type: 3.5mm
Pin Type: 0.75mm
Line Length: 120±5cm
Cable: Double line silver-plated cable

Microphone Use

The unit sent to me has a microphone option which I tested during Zoom, Meet, Viber and regular Telco calls. Specification says these are HD Condenser Microphones and offer high definition quality voice during calls.

Testing the microphone during virtual meetings like Zoom, Google Meet, Viber, Messenger Calls yielded a good experience especially during virtual meetings where the ZEX seal and comfort where evident during the long sessions while there was no audio distortion during talking with the mic despite the phone and speakers within short range. Voice is very audible and was heard loudly and clearly all throughout the sessions Talking Calls (TELCO Based) when using it a smartphone even during calls is clear. Despite the lack of ANC specifications, the microphone performed at par during commutes with calls being very audible despite the noisy environment.

Microphone Controls are easy to adapt and tested well during the course of use with the following button press and its equivalent action:

• Answering and hanging up requires a single press
• Rejecting a call requires a long press
• Play and Pause requires a single press
• Next Track requires 2 presses
• Last Song requires 3 presses

Testing Gears and Methodology:

There would not be an out of the box impression as I’ve stayed away from the NGS or (New Gear Syndrome) and left the gears in the burners with a repeat for a period of not less than 180 hours before I listen to them

For this review, Tips used are spiral dots++. I tried a slew of tips from the stocks, Acoustunes, Final E, Double Wall, Azla, Spinfits, Ortofuns, Wide Bores and decided on the spiral dots for the whole listening impression.

• DAP – Ibasso DX220 (AMP1MKII), iPhone 7
• DAC/AMP – Xduuo XD05+
• Dongle - Avani, Abigail, CX Pro

Test tracks: (offline FLAC/WAV files)

• Hotel California - Eagles
• Real Love – Paulinho Da Costa
• Wasted Time – Skid Row
• I Have Nothing – Whitney Houston
• Butterfly Mariah Carey
• Sahara Nights – F.R. David
• Friends – Amy Stewart & Mike Francis
• Over the Rainbow, Jane Monheit
• Footloose – Kenny Loggins
• Walk this Way – Run DMC

Sound Profile

Bass

The low end spectrum for the ZEX is handled by the Dual Dynamic drivers which it also shares with the midrange.

Bass has slower decay. The bass punch lacks weight despite having more body. Bass on tracks like Sahara Night, Friends and Hotel California lacks details. The sub bass seems to roll off and lacks depth.

While it presents a fun sounding low end presentation as you breeze through Run DMC featuring Steven Tyler on Walk This Way, the lingering bass attack isn’t my cup of tea as I generally like my bass to have a faster attack and decay while punching deep. This is by no means for bass heads nor is it for those who like fast and articulate bass presentation.

Mids

The Midrange is a little recessed but it seems to have a slight emphasis on female vocal presentation.

Vocals tend to lack the luster and weight especially vocal jazz and audiophile tracks that highlight the female vocals. In some cases, you can hear the vocal presentation to be shouty, like Mariah Carey’s Butterfly that tends to be in your face on higher volumes. Some of the female vocal tracks tested has good clarity but they seem to lack depth and note weight. Whitney Houston’s transition from sustain to vibrato lacks the weighty vibration and grit in addition is the lack of dynamic range and detail exhibited by both tracks that was overshadowed by the rather shouty presentation.

On Male Vocals, Kenny Loggins maintains his presence despite being flooded with a multitude of instruments panning left to right. The initial chords and the transition to the next instrument can be heard from start to the songs finish

Sebastian's Vocal Technique is on full display on the track Wasted Time, the diaphragmatic breathing coupled with his open throat and smooth transitions from chest tone to head tone makes the high notes so easy for him. The presentation by ZEX of Sebastian’s voice is in full display.

The Mids and Low end are coherent thanks in part to the dual diaphragm dynamic drivers that go so well. The coherence spreads up where the electret tries to usher a treble smooth presentation making the transition very efficient.

Treble

The Electret driver handles the treble giving it quite a smooth presentation. Clapper ticks are bodied while Cymbal splashes have good extension and clarity. Micro detail retrieval isn’t part of its technical abilities despite exhibiting a decent detail retrieval in in Over the rainbow and Hotel California.

On sibilant tracks where the vocals are nasal, the “KZ DNA” suddenly makes quite an appearance but with a slightly smoother tone than the normal piercing treble you usually hear. Take for example Jan Monheit’s rendition of Over the rainbow, while the sibilance is prominent there is a inoffensive presentation easing the S… experience.

Horn and other wind instruments are well extended with slight offensive peaks. The ivory on piano keys lack some luster. Despite the smoothened presentation without sacrificing the extensions, treble energy is lacking.

The Electret hybrid ushers in a treble pleasing sound that doesn’t sacrifice too much of an extension making the experience devoid of the forwardness of BA tuned treble for longer listening periods, it failed to capture the treble essence of a well-tuned silky smooth BA driven IEM.

While detail retrieval on these may not be as detailed or as clinical, they offer good technical capabilities if paired correctly.

Soundstage and Imaging

Soundstage has descent width and depth. Not the widest when you track how the sound pans from left to right. Height is not the tallest, as it tries to promotes an intimate staging in most tracks. Although some tracks exhibit an above average amount of height, it still feels cramped from the head down.

Imaging is good as you can pinpoint the locations well. However, it seems to struggle on busy tracks finding itself in a loop merging with some of the presented instruments spatial locations.

Seal, Fit and Isolation

KZ ZEX is quite a good fit and does not protrude much of the ear. Seal on the stock tips and its accompanied tips leaves much to be desired. Could use more tips choices to help with isolation.



Conclusion and Rating

KZ undoubtedly wet its feet with this one eyeing to make a niche in the market with a good offering without its patented formula. Surprisingly it punches wat above its price point but it won’t get perfect marks nor would slay giants. It’s a safe bet on the tilt leaning to a fun and engaging daily driver that’s put premium on a long listening sessions for a multitude of genres such as EDM, Rock, and Pop.

Is it the best KZ out there yet? Nope, but it might be going in the right direction with some twists that need to straighten as it treads the bumpy road ahead. Is the KZ ZEX exactly the kind of ZEXperience worth than its more popular identical namesake, I’d say it’s no. But if you ask me if it’s gonna please a lot those looking for a cut beyond the normal Chi-Fi, then I’ll gladly say yes.

Relax, the KZ ZExperience offers you a relaxed, engaging, fun sound coupled with a good looking pair and a not so typical Chi-Fi sound signature.

Once upon a time, in a very far galaxy I’ve decided to try out the new for the time brand in IEMs – Knowledge Zenith. It happened around 3-4 years ago and the unit was KZ ED16. I was never willing to try anything from this brand since than. Why? KZ ED16 turned out too piercing for me on treble, with highly accented V-shaped signature, holding quite bad against its rivals those days.

Although, time goes by, KZ has grown significantly, right to the point that I can easily purchase most of its products in local audio store of my country (Ukraine). Furthermore, lots of talks about this brand, lots of users and fans, lots of reviews and posts. Heard many good things lately which has inspired me to accept the last call from KZ reps to review their recent product. I also cannot forget the fact that KZ was founded by an engineer that worked for Audio Technica and whose idea was to develop affordable high-quality IEMs for masses. Such initiatives are the main driving force for implementing various technologies that once were unattainable in personal applications and making those much cheaper.

All of that is the reason to give KZ another chance with their new IEMs – ZEX. Another reason for me personally – it would be the first hybrid model in my practice that uses dynamic driver for mids and lows together with electrostatic unit for treble. Tried everything – armature, dynamic, piezo, planar – but never had an opportunity to play with electrostatic drivers yet. Let’s see how it goes…



KZ ZEX specs:

• Model: ZEX
• Drivers: 10mm diaphragm, dual magnetic dynamic unit + 6.8mm low voltage electrostatic unit
• FR Range: 20Hz – 40KHz
• Impedance: 25Ohms
• Sensitivity: 103dB
• Passive noise reduction: 26dB
• Cable: detachable, 2-pin, 0.75mm
• Cable options: mic, no mic
• Plug: 3.5mm
• Materials: zinc alloy + resin
• Colors: rose gold, black, graphite

Note: electrostatic drivers are still quite rare in IEMs for its complexity, power draw and cost. In terms of sound, such drivers are more accurate, producing more details, have very fast transient speed, almost no distortions and inertia. In fact, KZ might be declared a pioneer in the field of mass hybrid IEMs with such type of driver involved.



Packaging and design:

I admire how KZ packs its IEMs. Boxes are small, yet neat, rigid and cute at the same time. Whole packaging consists of outer wrap layer with product graphics, information and logos. Inner box has a transparent cover on the facing side for extra protection. IEMs rest in dedicated cutouts of soft foam layer, all accessories located underneath. This bundle includes:

• KZ ZEX IEMs
• audio cable with 3,5mm SE plug
• 4 pairs of silicone tips
• short user manual

KZ ZEX IEMs shells consist of zinc alloy facing plate cover, transparent resin middle insert and base with output nozzle. Those are the first IEMs ever in my hands which shells consist of three parts. My guess for such structure is the modular approach in KZ design to reach some degree of versality and save R&D cost by sharing same shell parts across different models.



Zinc alloy plates look gorgeous, feels like aluminum and contain machined KZ logo and folds as central design elements. This plate have different color options (rose gold, graphite, black) and mine is graphite. Middle resin insert is transparent with blue tint and holds 2-pin cable connector. My opinion, that having such protruding type of connector is more reliable rather than drowned one since it is more convenient to aim and the pins on the cable are protected by outer guiding housings.



Truthfully speaking, middle insert feels a bit odd in this shell compound (tint is a way off), as if it was deposited from another model. Nevertheless, it perfectly fits the shape and exposes the internals which are accurately accomplished. Soldering looks neat, cables moved apart, both drivers sit straight at their places. The only untidiness spotted are the signs of glue that keep shell parts together. It doesn’t worry me much since there is no influence on the sound. Resin base is transparent as well but has brown/gray tint with quite long protruding molded output nozzles which are covered with aluminum mesh. Found single compensational opening between the top zinc cover and middle insert.



KZ ZEX fit is quite comfortable and tight. Guess why the most of KZ IEMs are having similar “custom”-like design… I had around 100 pairs of IEMs by now and can tell you for sure that this shape in a combination with ear hooks is the most universal one. Nothing to worry about here.



Stock cable have two options: mic/no mic and considering the price of ZEX IEMs I would say that mic version is more reasonable – most of the people would use ZEX everyday and it would be more convenient to have the ability to answer calls. Anyway, cable seems to be built pretty well, connectors and plug has the necessary cable protection, claimed to be gold-plated and feels durable. Definitely, not a competitor to expensive thick twisted upgrade cables with lots of mixed silver/copper strands but interchangeable and seems good for this budget, at least.

In overall, the design, even though not having much unique details, didn’t disappoint either. Moreover, I would say that there are some much more expensive IEMs with less accurate crafting and cheaper feel. Therefore, I am giving it 10 out of 10. Shape is perfect, so is the fit, cable looks nice and durable, bundle is regular for any kind of budget and the packaging is one of the most logistics-friendly and optimal for this type of a product. Believe me, when you keep around 100 pairs of IEMs on the shelf – this parameter is vital indeed. I could have stored four times as much if all IEMs packaging were similar.



Sound:

Tested with: Hidizs AP80, HiBy R5, Dethonray Prelude DTR1+ DAPs, xDuoo MT602 tube amp.

Lows and midbass:

Deep bass is large with high amount of textures. Bass amount and presence are quite overwhelming and higly accentuated. Сontouring of midbass is very precise, good layering allows to distinguish different instruments performing in this range. Subbass reaches good depth and have quite good decay speed. Lows remind of full-sized closed-back headphones with slightly congested but powerful presentation. This range has the most weight in overall sound picture. Midbass section is adequately articulated, full-bodied, perfectly detailed and powerful. Drum sections sound pretty natural, creating a good feel of overall dynamics.



Mids and vocals:

Mids are less upfront than lows. Male vocals sound a bit thin and more distant than female ones which adds more emphasis on clarity and emotional appeal. Resolution is enough but there is feeling that it is achieved artificially but emphasizing lower-treble. Still voices, strings and blow instruments sound pretty impressive. There is no excessive harshness on upper mids which I didn’t like in KZ ED16, but the sound is still prone to sibilance, especially on female vocals. At the same time, such tuning adds the exceptional clarity to most of the instruments in this range which also brings good layering, instrument separation and stage depth.

Treble:

The most intriguing in ZEX is its treble performance. Twofold impression there. Good are the treble micro dynamics and resolution. Bad is the limited extension and slightly weak emphasis on this range in the entire mix. Treble sounds bright and crisp, but gets shaded by lows and mids in some tracks. The transparency and brightness is highly dependent of the record. The best results were achieved with the brighter source such as AP80 DAP in jazz, rap, blues compositions (low amount of instruments, large spacing). In overall, I can admit that I was expecting more of electrostatic treble driver.



Soundstage:

ZEX show moderate stage width and good stage depth. Instrument separation and layering are good but the lack of transparency on treble and limited extension on both ends makes the stage more congested.

Sound in overall:

KZ ZEX sounds pretty well detailed, with tendency towards lows and dark tonality, emotional and resolving on mids, with impressive mid bass range and crisp but less accented treble.



Compared to…:

Actually, I have nothing to compare ZEX with for now. Most of my IEMs are far more expensive and definitely have more strength in different aspects of the sound. Perhaps, only the Hidizs Seeds that were released quite ago with single dynamic driver and discounted down to the same budget now… Seeds have less comfortable fit, integrated cable and not as resolving and heavy on bass but those are more balanced, have more delicate tuning in overall, thicker mids and more extended and airy treble (even despite it is based on single DD unit).



Conclusion:

Have KZ evolved into more respected products with more mature sound – definitely yes. Do I like it more now than 3 years ago – definitely yes. Now I can state that KZ ZEX IEMs are pretty fine for my liking, although with some rough points that I would still like KZ to polish further. Sibilance effect, emphasized V-shaped tuning, better extensions… At the same time, ZEX are impressive and sound decent on rap, jazz, blues and any other genres with limited amount of instruments. Considering this, I would tell that it is good budget choice for everyday mobile use which is actually the target for this model. Therefore – great bargain. I would still vote for something better for long and calm listening but I would definitely won’t be afraid of having ZEX as main IEMs with fun and juicy sound on the go.

KZ ZEX available at KZ official store on Amazon USA:LINK

KZ ZEX available at KZ official store on Amazon GERMANY:LINK

KZ ZEX available at KZ official store on Aliexpress:LINK

Review: KZ-ZEX Disclaimer:
This product is sent by KZ Official store, but in not anyway the review will be biased.
Only honest and based on my experience. Listening experience may vary. Out of the box: Good looking. The black color really suits the metal faceplate on this IEM.

- V-shaped sounding for me, as usual. But boy, i was in for a surprise.
- Knowledge Zenith, or KZ implemented a new set of drivers called "Magnetostat" Drivers.
- Easy to drive. Really easy. I've tried this bare on my phone, with a dongle, and a dap.
- Mids are a bit recessed. - Vocals are clear, specially female tracks.
- When i said i was in for a surprise, Kz surprised me on the tuning of these. Kz's budget items like the kz zsn pro has aggressive tuning, and that makes the experience uncomfortable at longer periods.
- There is still a noticeable "shouty" treble, but it is negligible and is a lot better. Good job Kz!
- Compared to Zsn Pro, Zsn Pro X, Zs10 Pro, I would pick this any day.
- Nozzle is a bit narrow for me. Could be better next time
- Stock tips are better than the black ones, but still not my taste of choice. Tried with Final E tips. They're better for me.
- Bassheads may or may not like this. The bass is "boomy" more than "punchy"
- I believe this will shine so better with a colorful source. I tried with AP80 and it was really dry.
Build: Quality: Price, Affordability: Overall:
Thoughts: If you're looking for a starter iem, can never go wrong. Great for the price.
KZ You can purchase this at: https://shopee.ph/kzearphone.ph?smtt=0.0.9

Disclaimer

• I like to thank kzearphone.ph for providing me a review unit of the ZEX.
• Jeff from KZ sent this unit for my honest opinion and assessment.
• Rest assured that this review will be bias-free.
• As always, since our ears have different shapes and resonances, your mileage may always vary.
• This is my first review here, so take my review with salt and always cross reference

Preliminary
Before the review, I have continuously used ZEX for 3 days and burned in with pink noise and multiple tracks. Stock thin tips and cable were used; any modifications and mods will be written down below if any. My library mainly contains Japanese music, so if you're a fan of them like me, we might have the same experience.

My Target Sound Signature
I like IEMs with brightish neutral to Harmanish tuning to them. However, V-shaped or U-shaped will also work as long as there are sufficient technicalities. Congestion, bass bloat, and muddiness are a big no for me.

Equipment

• Avani DAC (Realtek AL5686)
• Samsung Galaxy Note 9
• Generic Dell Laptop

Players
Tidal (For More Note Weight), Hiby Music (Transparency), and Apple Music (Warmth)
I will rotate between these players since they present music in a different but subtle way.



Thy Frequency Spectrum
You can call ZEX the monochrome of the night. Even if its bass drive is quite enthusiastic, details still pop up like stars in the night. Vocals differentiate themselves like a monochrome between the colors provided by the upper and higher registers of the frequency spectrum. ~~

Bass: 5/5
ZEX bass is prominent, plumpy, and entic- I mean enthusiastic. The bass is tight yet well-textured; the sub-bass rumbles down to 30 Hz. Bass does not congest or bloat another part of the spectrum. It stays in the back of your head and rumbles cleanly. Midbass bleed is minimal but still present in some tracks. ZEX bass is also authoritative; it hits very hard. Recommended for bass heads. Kudos to KZ for this type of bass.

Midrange: 4/5
This is what surprises me the most. It is unlike any other KZ I've heard. It's not recessed at all. Instruments fundamentals are weighted and rarely show signs of thinness. Male vocals are properly represented without any signs of harshness or honk; it's clear and natural. Female vocals, on the other hand, are kind of average. It somehow lacks the sparkle and bite.

Treble: 3.75/5
Treble is kind of alright, not the highlight of this IEM. Air and harmonics are kind of muted in some tracks. It feels like there is a roll-off around 10k up. However, due to the nature of the treble, the sound is relatively smooth and unfatiguing, perfect for long listening sessions.

Technicalities
Soundstage: Wide >> Deep > Tall : Above Average Soundstage
Separation : Closed-in > Separated : Average Separation
Imaging: Pinpoint << Foggy : Average Instruments Imaging
Coherency: Smooth >>> Dry : Impressive Coherency between the Estat and DD Driver

Music Analysis


1. Daydream by Kenshi Yonezu (Played in Tidal Masters)
[Male Vocals, Staging, Imaging]
The starry night-like atmosphere at the first part of this track is beautifully portrayed by the ZEX. The bass drive is quite fantastic at the first beat drop. It's so textured yet does not overpower Kenshi and the other instruments. Kenshi's voice sounds so natural and weighted. Drums are playing at the back of my head, and I can adequately locate where the cymbals are coming from. Cowbells at the chorus part are still audible even with Kenshi taking the front stage.

Replay Rating: Excellent



2. Howl at the Moon by Yorushika (Played in Tidal Masters)
[Female Vocals and Bass Response]
The back voice at the start is somehow tickling my ears. Again the bass drive of ZEX is quite fantastic in this track. Suis' voice is warm and clean; however, it lacks the zing (that HM somehow provides). Imaging is quite good throughout the track; however, the stage is relatively narrow for my taste. There are some micro details (reverb of the guitar) present at 02:48. However, it's muted with ZEX.

Replay Rating: Average



3. Escape by Yorushika (Played in Tidal Masters)
[Female Vocals, Stage, Treble Quality, Mids Quality]
The atmosphere that the guitar provides at the start is mesmerizing. Suis' voice is clear and well nuanced throughout the track. Bass drive is again the star of the show here, the bass notes hit cleanly, and the sub-bass rumbles nicely. Like in Howl at the Moon, I kind of like the wider staging of instruments and more air with this track; however, ZEX does not provide that. Instruments fundamentals in this track are thick and perfectly nuanced.

Replay Rating: Above Average


4. Sunset Chant by ShibayanRecords (Played in HibyMusic)
[Treble Quality and Imaging]
Wow, that drum and cymbals combination at the first part is fantastic with ZEX. The said instruments carry such a thick note weight and nuance that it feels like they are in my front. Instruments imaging is quite okay, but they are cramped due to the intimate stage of ZEX. There are some micro-details present at 00:15; however, it's again not present with ZEX.

Replay Rating: Below Average


5. Hysteresis by Treow and Nagi Yanagi (Played in HibyMusic)
[Bass Quality, Female Vocals, Driver Speed]
Nagi's voice is clear and clean throughout the track, but again, it lacks the zing. Bass is quite fast without overpowering other parts of the spectrum. Due to the narrow stage of ZEX, I feel somehow claustrophobic when listening to this track; a little more distance between the instruments is a warm welcome. Chorus of this track tests the driver's speed, and ZEX passes the test with flying colors; Nagi's voice remains precise even with the bass hitting as hard as it can.
Track Link: Hysteresis

Replay Rating: Above Average


6. Hello Euphoria by Turnover (Played in HibyMusic)
[Timbre, Male Vocals, Mids Quality, Driver Speed]
What is this, maaaannn it's beautiful, the timbre of ZEX with this track is fantastic I can't. You can also hear the little nuances in the drums. The harmony between the guitars, vocals, and drums is just euphoric with ZEX. I can't describe what I'm hearing...If you like Turnover, just buy the ZEX and be satisfied.

Replay Rating: Superb Excellent


7. Camomille Moody Afternoon by ShibayanRecords (Played in HibyMusic)
[Timbre, Imaging, Staging]
The ultimate test for timbre, staging, and imaging by the legendary ハム (Hamu), unfortunately, ZEX does not play this track well. The bass drive is so strong that I am losing focus on the other instruments. Imaging is excellent and accurate; however, the small stage bothers me so much. For the timbre of the instruments, yeah, nope, some harmonics are muted, and there's a warm coloration in the instruments, which I don't quite like (Honestly, HM plays this track like a SIGMACHAD).

Replay Rating: Meh

Playlist for the Test Tracks: https://music.apple.com/ph/playlist/test-tracks/pl.u-oZylD69FGm3JmKX?ls&fbclid=IwAR3hmHfOWpqNAtxXI8HKaDXaBvwfIVjFLVNTpLJeNnjhRYcuNaqYp9f0reQ

My IEM Benchmark

CCA C12: For bass attack and quantity.
Heart Mirror: For stage depth, driver speed, imaging, and treble quality.
Blon BL-03: Lower mids performance and timbre.
KZ EDX: Bass quality and price to performance correlation.
Tingo TC200: For stage tallness and width. (Yes, it's an earbud, cause why not?)

Comparison

CCA C12 vs. ZEX
Bass is more authoritative in the C12s. ZEX is also authoritative but somehow lacks the sub-bass of the C12s. C12s bass has faster decay, ZEX bass has slower decay but has more texture. C12s bass attack quite hard, which makes it fatiguing sometimes; ZEX bass is softer and more satisfying. ZEX wins.

Blon BL-03 vs. ZEX
Male vocals and lower-pitched instruments are better in ZEX by a small margin. They are quite neck to neck with the Blons. Timbre still goes to BL-03, but ZEX is not bad. ZEX wins by a small margin.

KZ EDX vs. ZEX
ZEX is quite an upgrade to EDX if you want more enthusiastic bass. If you also find the EDX kind of peaky at the upper mids, then ZEX fixes that issue. The stage is wider in EDX; imaging is quite the same. Go for ZEX if you want a more refined version of the EDX. Tie

Heart Mirror vs. ZEX
Okay, this is where the ZEX regime ends. HM crashes the ZEX when it comes to technicalities. HM driver is amazingly fast that you can hear every minor detail in the instruments. The imaging of instruments is also precise, like a laser pointer. ZEX is quite clear but nowhere near the level of the HM. Female voices in HM are more lovable (it is like the singer is in front of you) compared to ZEX. HM also has a deeper and wider stage compared to ZEX. Heart Mirror also reveals more layers in the music; layering in ZEX is quite average. The only thing that the ZEX beats are the bass drive and lower mids. Heart Mirror easily wins.

Tingo TC200 vs. ZEX
Night and day, why am I comparing this. TC200 staging is tall and wide; it is like you're wearing a headphone, however it lacks bass; ZEX is quite intimate when it comes to staging, its like there's a subwoofer beside you. There's also more depth with ZEX. This is an apple vs. oranges comparison so just buy both, lol.



Mods
You can somehow change the sound of ZEX just by changing the ear tips. Listed below are the tips I've tried so far.
1. KZ Thin Tips (The one that comes from the box)
The best ear tips for me so far, make the ZEX more balanced while turning down the enthusiastic bass drive. Adds more treble sparkle and somehow adds more space between instruments.

2. Spinfits CP145
Like 1, but more treble sparkle and taller stage. Mids are also crunchier than 1.

3. Sony EP-EX11
Lite version of the KZ thin tips, instruments are more close to each other, treble are more tamed down than 1.

4. KZ Starline Tips (Default one inserted when you open the box.)
Somehow okay? However, the bass drive is quite annoying in some tracks. The vocals are also more distant compared to other tips.

5. KZ Reverse Starline
This will make your ZEX bass drive go to 11. If you're a bass-head, use these ear tips. The stage will also widen a little. However, the bass decay will slow down, and the bass will bloom more.
Mod Tutorial:

Cable
I've tried the ZEX using my Nicehck 8 core cable and Heart Mirror Stock cable; however, the differences I've noticed are quite subtle, so if you really want to somehow change the sound of ZEX, just use different ear tips.

Source
ZEX is quite efficient; it will sound good even with low-powered sources like mobile phones. Connecting it to an amp or dongle DAC will tighten the bass a little and will widen the sound even more.

Recommend Tracks/Genres

1. Indie/Alternative Rock
2. Modern Pop
3. Rock
4. Techno
5. Live

Shop Links

Thank you again KZ for providing me a review unit.
https://www.kzheadphones.com/products/kz-zex

Overall Rating
A+ (Relative to My IEMs)
S (Relative to Price)
Recommended!

Final Words
Hey, thanks for reaching this part! Hope you enjoy the read, even if it is quite long.... All I can say with this IEM is, if you like Rock just buy it. Its tuning is catered for such genre.

Addendum
Appearance
Quite cool. I like the texture in the front plate, quite minimalist, KZ please continue this type of design. Thank You.