ZhiYin Z2016

The Z2016. A strange beast that did have some potential

 

Introduction

Zhiyin is a name that has recently caused quite a stir here on Head-Fi after releasing their flagship model the QT5. Some claimed it was a giant killer and the hype train accelerated rapidly. It was during this period that I discovered the QT5's little sibling the Z2016.
 
When I first saw the Zhiyin Z2016 on Aliexpress their design grabbed my attention. They looked as though the build was very solid, rugged and would be suitable for holding and protecting all the goodness inside. The QT5 was out of my budget so I thought the Z2016 might be a great way for me to taste some of the greatness. I ordered them from the HCK store on Aliexpress. 
 

 

Review

This will be short and sweet as for reasons which will be revealed below I did not spend a lot of time with these.
 
The package was delayed at Guangzhou airport for almost a full week which caused me concern. When the package finally arrived it appeared as though it had been run over by several trucks.
 

 

 
Fortunately the unit was undamaged by the apparent abuse.
 

 
They arrived in a generic clamshell case with a large and well known "S" on the top (if ya know what I mean). There were quite a few different types of eartips included but since they were all too small for me I settled, as usual for my large, stock ROCK Zircon tips to get a good seal.
 
Specification:                                                                                      
 
  1. Product Name: ZhiYin Z2015/Z2016 Hybrid drive unit in ear earphone
  2. Type: In-ear  
  3. Brand: ZhiYin
  4. Model: Z2015/Z2016
  5. Impedance: 60Ω 
  6. Headphone sensitivity: 98dB/mW
  7. Frequency range: 20-20000Hz
  8. Interface: 3.5mm 
  9. Cable Length: 1.2m±5cm
 10.Weight: 30g
 11.Color: Gray,Silver,Gold
 12.Whether with Mic: No
 13.Headphone plug type: Straight type
 14.Headphone Interface type: MMCX Interface
 15.Drive unit: 
      Z2015: 1 DD + 1 BA hybrid drive unit  
          Z2016: 1 DD + 2 BA hybrid drive unit
 

Ergonomics and fit

The casing is quite large on these and might be an issue for people with small ears. There were no sharp edges and so were fairly comfortable for me despite being rather heavy. The provided cable is longer than usual above the Y-split, suggesting that these are meant to be worn over the ears, however due to the metal cylinder attached to the top of the cable I could not wear them in this fashion. So I wore them cable down which is my preferred style for this type of iem. I did have another MMCX cable on hand and with that one I was able to wear them over-ear easily.
 
Nozzle size is about average so it was easy to do tip rolling.
 

Sound

This is where things start to get awry. These were tested with my XDuoo X2, Galaxy Note 5 and desktop pc. The soundstage is about average and separation was quite good, allowing the listener to determine different instruments in songs.They have a forward bass and very forward mids which left the highs feeling understated. The overall experience is rather strange and unnatural.
 

Bass

The bass is somewhat bloated and loose although it did seem to improve a little after 20+ hours burn-in. Sub bass was present but rolled off too early for my liking and didn't have enough satisfying rumble behind it. The mid bass was exaggerated and not overly fast.
 

Midrange

Midrange on the Z2016 is very forward making vocals and warm instruments prominent in the music.It just sounds unnatural and overshadows everything else. Vocals sound strange as though the performer is singing through a large PVC tube which adds a reverb effect to everything. This also carries over to other sounds in the mid frequencies and feels totally out of sync with the tidy treble. I don't know what the producers were going for here but it does not work and makes things sound broken.
 

Treble

The treble is actually quite good. Details are impressive and this more than anything gave me the impression that the Z2016 actually had potential if not for the awful tuning and execution. There isn't any hint of harshness or sibilance in the treble but the detail is still there. Unfortunately it's so far behind everything else that it often goes unnoticed.
 

Conclusion

I don't like the Z2016 at all. On certain tracks I thought they were about to come alive (remember the magical QT5 unlocking?) However on other tracks everything sounded wrong and made it impossible to enjoy even the best music.
 
The build quality is very good and the earphones feel premium to the touch, albeit fairly heavy. Comfort wise they are pretty good - probably more so when worn over-ear but that is near impossible with the default cable provided.
 
My recommendation for the Zhiyin Z2016 would be to stay well clear of them and Zhiyin products in general until the engineers have their ears tested. Don't waste your hard earned money on this strange beast.