If you read my introduction in the "rec" forum yesterday, you know I have a few KZ earphones. Probably a dozen by now. One of the IEMs I have is the ZS6. So when I read all the hype about how the ZS7 is the best KZ ever and marries the AS10 to a ZS6, I had to try it.
Background: I like the ZS6 earphones. A lot. I wanted to like the ZS7s, I really did.
Experience: But once I got them, I heard a click as they were inserted in the right ear. Maybe it's the tip. Switched tips to other ear, same click every time I moved the right ear. Ok, fine, it's chi-fi, quality isn't perfect, get past it and listen.
Then listened to music. Now, this wasn't hooked up to a Fiio 10,000 DAC connected over a cable of titanium. It went directly to my phone using stock cable to my ears. But the music from my sample tracks (mostly rock) was good not great. Not blown away. When I first hooked ZS6 up for a listen, I was impressed. Truly. I did not have the same experience with the ZS7.
Note: everyone is writing that the the ZS6s had major problems that were fixed by these. I never experienced those problems, probably because I'm simple and unrefined and can't hear the sound of a gnat landing on a pomegranate at 100 meters. I just want good sound and for me, the KZ6s were and still are enjoyable.
<pretend there's a picture of your ZS6 here but in blue that's all this is>
Fit: While I read and saw that these ZS7s are pretty much the same metal shells as the ZS6, they didn't stay in my ear the way the ZS6s do. Maybe the shells are slightly larger, maybe the build quality isn't uniform, maybe my ears are morphing to the cartilage of an elephant. Regardless, something was off.
Conclusion: Are these bad earphones? No. They're good, but given problems with fit, quality, and let's face it, sound-wise there was not the angels-singing step-up from the ZS6s I read about. If you have the ZS6s and are mostly happy with them, keep them. If you have the AS10s and are happy with them, keep them. If you have neither, have dabbled with under-$25 stuff and are wondering what a step-up from $20 headphone sounds like this, may be a good leap for you. Sometimes a higher model number means a breakthrough, sometimes it just means the car company just wants you to buy something because it's new.
This was my first review, thank you for reading.
Background: I like the ZS6 earphones. A lot. I wanted to like the ZS7s, I really did.
Experience: But once I got them, I heard a click as they were inserted in the right ear. Maybe it's the tip. Switched tips to other ear, same click every time I moved the right ear. Ok, fine, it's chi-fi, quality isn't perfect, get past it and listen.
Then listened to music. Now, this wasn't hooked up to a Fiio 10,000 DAC connected over a cable of titanium. It went directly to my phone using stock cable to my ears. But the music from my sample tracks (mostly rock) was good not great. Not blown away. When I first hooked ZS6 up for a listen, I was impressed. Truly. I did not have the same experience with the ZS7.
Note: everyone is writing that the the ZS6s had major problems that were fixed by these. I never experienced those problems, probably because I'm simple and unrefined and can't hear the sound of a gnat landing on a pomegranate at 100 meters. I just want good sound and for me, the KZ6s were and still are enjoyable.
<pretend there's a picture of your ZS6 here but in blue that's all this is>
Fit: While I read and saw that these ZS7s are pretty much the same metal shells as the ZS6, they didn't stay in my ear the way the ZS6s do. Maybe the shells are slightly larger, maybe the build quality isn't uniform, maybe my ears are morphing to the cartilage of an elephant. Regardless, something was off.
Conclusion: Are these bad earphones? No. They're good, but given problems with fit, quality, and let's face it, sound-wise there was not the angels-singing step-up from the ZS6s I read about. If you have the ZS6s and are mostly happy with them, keep them. If you have the AS10s and are happy with them, keep them. If you have neither, have dabbled with under-$25 stuff and are wondering what a step-up from $20 headphone sounds like this, may be a good leap for you. Sometimes a higher model number means a breakthrough, sometimes it just means the car company just wants you to buy something because it's new.
This was my first review, thank you for reading.