KZ ZS1 In-Ear Monitors

I am not an audiophile, just an enthusiast so you may not be able to take my idea about these headphones as a professional review. Reason for me to buy these because i felt almost everything i listened to was too bright. I can listen to them but then i get the fatigue quickly. After doing a bit of research someone recommended me KZ ZS1. Out of curiosity i bought them. It is exactly what i need for my treble (Highs) sensitive ears. They sounds so warm, mellow and laid back with heavy bass sound and they also sound dark. I can listen to them all day if i want to without feeling any listening fatigue.

Build quality is ideal for its price and i really wish they had detachable cables so i could replace them without replacing the monitors when something happens.

I highly recommend this to anyone who feels everything is too "BRIGHT".

( I am comparing them to KZ ZS5, KZ ATR, KZ ZS3, Panasonic RP-HTX7, Audio Technica S600, Philips SBS-HP200 (VERY OLD) )

KZ ZS1 Review :
 

 
 
God bless KZ for their incredible value earphones that open doors to audio enthusiast from around the world that haven't enough money to buy 100$ big boys earphones. This chinese brand have made some of the best earphones out there that can be find under 20$, at a point that they even made a Dual Driver one that can be find under 15$, it is name the KZ ZS1 and have already made some buzz here on Headfi for his nonsensical value. The ZS1 is one of the earphones under 50$ with the bigger soundstage and have plenty of bass to please pop oriented listener, this IEM are quite big but produce big sound too, if you can find them for about 12$ (Gearbest) like me, don't abstein yourself from trying them because their soundsignature will surely have a place in your earphones collection.
 
Packaging :
 

 
No a lot to say here, little box, the earphones and 3 extra eartips.
 
Construction and Design :
 

 
Good overall construction, like all KZ it use the same cable, earshell are made of all plastic (2 part stick togheter) and look well made with his venting port but don't step on it cause it will break. I can't say the construction look sturdy and have a long life because it isn't but all in all it is well made and if you take care of your gear it will surely be okay. Earshell are very big and can be a struggle for some to find the good fit with the earhook, I finally use memory foam tips to have a better seal and stability, otherwise the KZ was prompt to got out of my ears.
 
SOUND IMPRESSIONS :
 
DAP use : ONN X5, Xduoo X3, Ibasso Dx90
Earphones for comparaison : Somic V4, Tennmak Pro
 
 
LOW :
The KZ have big vibrant bass that hit hard and take lot of place, it do bloat a little the mids cause it is pumped up alot, this is near basshead earphones and this aspect is not a quality in my dictionnary. The bass isn't very well controlled and will sound muddy with some complex track that have lot of sub-bass roaring. Still, because it have lot of air between instruments, the sound is not overly congested by the clumsiness of bass performance, but I still feel that even if the bass is big it lack thickness and roundness wich will help to give energy and resolution to the sound, in comparaison the Tennmak pro can have sub-bass and mid-bass sounds playing at the same time with good roundness without cinterfering with each other, soundstage feel a little smaller cause of this but is more fuller in fact. The Somic V4 sound anemic in bass region compared to the ZS1 dark and wide performance, it is more punchy but have less decay and air, anyway, the Somic are more detailed and natural sounding, just not made for rap or big beat.
 
MIDS :
So, for a V shaped soundsignature the mid frequency are quite present, wich make the ZS1 perfect for pop and rap music, with there wide soundstage and foward vocal it is well suited for not too complex track. Mids Texture isn't very fowards and resolution is on the warm side but I find the vocal performance better than with other iem of this price range. With the Ibasso Dx90 it do not sound good at all tough and the mids take a back seat and feel very far away, with the Xduoo X3 and especially the ONN X5 (mid foward) vocal have more authority and presence. Anyway, the bass can interfer with sound presentation like it do with the jazz signer I listen right now were the sub bass have too much decay and stole the show to everyboy else. Both Tennmak Pro and Somic V4 are way better in this frequencies range.
 
HIGHS :
So it look like KZ have pushed the treble foward a little wich can give too much texture to background noise or unwelcome details, even if the overall sound is dark and laid back with a little roll off in upper frequencies, some microdetails that do not feel natural can appear were it is not needed (hit hat and cymbals are spot on). This make the listening session a gamble because we do not know if the earphones will accept the music we trow at it or make it sound not natural. Anyway, this is far from being analytical earphones or bright sounding one.
 
FINAL WORDS:
 
The KZ ZS1 give a very exciting listening experience for a very little price and it will be hard to not suggest them to any beat driven music fan, this earphones are more meant for audio enthusiast than audiophile and will impress them by the wide soundstage and big bass it produce. It is the less expensive Dual Drivers on the market today wich is why I respect the ZS1 that much. For more serious listeners the KZ ED9 is a more neutral choice with a better construction and changeable nozzle for different soundsignature.
 
Anyway, at the less than 10$ price that we can find them at Gearbest it is a supreme no brainer and a must for any IEM collector:
http://www.gearbest.com/earphones/pp_273867.html

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Greetings Head-fi!
 
The instant I heard the ZS1 I was enamored. It's not often I come across an earphone that instantly plants a massive smile on my face, and continues to do so each and every time I listen to them.
 
They transported me back to a time when I used to chill in university with my old-school Creative 2.1 system listening to Crystal Method, Evil Nine, Massive Attack, Rage Against the Machine, The Prodigy, and numerous other groups. Back then I was more focused on the music than the source, and while I appreciated great sound, that appreciation went mostly towards full-sized stereos and not headphones. The ZS1 is exactly what I needed to return to my roots and start enjoying music again.
 
This unit was purchased through AliExpress. I am in no way affiliated with Knowledge Zenith or any AliExpress sellers. All options within this review are just that, opinions.
 
A Bit About Me:
 
I like to think I'm starting to get a grasp on this whole portable hi-fi audio thing, and can thank Knowledge Zenith and their army of budget earphones for helping me find my preferred signatures. My gear is constantly improving. I have finally upgraded to a quality phone, the HTC One M8, adding the Topping NX1 as my go-to amp. I primarily listen to EDM (liquid drum and bass ftw), hip hop, and classic rock, but have been known to dabble in metal and jazz. While I enjoy a good sounding earphone, physical design is also key. If they look boring but sound great, that's cool, but I would like to have something interesting to look that is also great sounding.
 

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About the ZS1:
 
**Edit: The ZS1 has been updated since this review. It seems the newest version of this model has removed the brass ring in the nozzle, and the crossover covering the back of the tweeter. If the model you pick up has traditional mesh in the nozzle, I recommend looking into feedback on the ZN1 Mini and how it sounds. That should be more applicable.**
 
Normally this is where I'd dive into packaging, build quality, and accessories, but given this is a simple earphone this will be a simple review. Please do not read simple as bad, because the ZS1 is awesome *if you enjoy bass heavy earphones*. KZ products are also not really known for their consistency regarding packing and accessories. Were I to outline what mine came with, you may find your experience varying greatly.
 
The ZS1 is a well-built iem made of quality plastic, and if you have at minimum average sized ears should be pretty comfortable. For me personally they can be used for hours on end with no discomfort. I love the cables KZ uses, but I know others find them sickly and sticky. This particular cable is a KZ standard but is hindered by one very important aspect; memory wire.
 
I'm not a huge fan of memory wire. I understand why it's used but find it leads to issues with fit and boosts microphonics. The memory wire on the ZS1 is overly long, a couple mm more so on the left, but on the plus side it does stay in place once formed and if used correctly can be shaped to press the housing tightly into your ear. This does a great job of ensuring there is no risk of them popping out during movement.
 
Isolation and wind noise are a mixed bag at best. With music playing, even at reasonably low volumes, I found them to isolate decently; average you might say. Turn that music off and isolation is minimal at best. When walking into the wind, the four vents at the front of the ZS1 whistle and interrupt your music quite significantly. Angle your head and wind is much less intrusive on your listening experience. I love the semi-open design, but I wish KZ placed those portholes in a less wind-happy position.
 
Sound Quality:
 
Let me get this out of the way right now; the ZS1 is NOT for everyone. Think back to that 2.1 sound system reference and that should give you an idea of what to expect. Their defining feature is warm, relentless, thundering bass that neglects to consider mids and treble in it's pursuit towards aural domination. Others have noted that there is a slight dissociation between the two drivers. While normally I would count this as a knock against an earphone, in this case I think that is what gives the ZS1 their character and the impression of containing a dedicated subwoofer.
 
If you use an equalizer to nullify the bass, you will find that treble and mids are well-balanced with each other. Treble rolls off early and lacks any sense of sibilance. Mids are warm, lush, and especially pleasing with female vocals. Both are reasonably detailed, not to the extent of KZ's own ED9 or HDS1, but it works with the thumpy club sound the ZS1 portrays. Despite being so unnecessarily boosted, bass doesn't bleed into or distort the other frequencies. It may overlay/overshadow them, but it doesn't interfere. It just thunders along in the foreground leading the charge.
 
Oh yeah, they also have an expansive soundstage which further adds to the unique atmosphere. Most of my other uber-bassy earphones (pretty much everything from the JVC XX series, Sony XB50/AS800AP, SUR s808, etc.) have either concentrated to average soundstages. Nah son, not the ZS1.
 

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Overall Thoughts:
 
The ZS1 is a very relaxed, inoffensive sounding earphone that does bass-heavy music great justice. They're not suitable for a ton of genres, they might fit you well or not at all, the memory wire is mildly annoying until you set it correctly, and their bass output is ridiculous. This is an earphone packed to the brim with character, and is one which I cannot seem to put down despite owning earphones that are technically vastly superior. There is something about that bass that draws me in and won't let go. I will happily set aside my other bass-head earphones and pledge my allegiance to Lord Bass (courtesy of DaveLT).
 
Thanks for reading!
 
- B9Scrambler