ZHIYIN Z5000 Tesla Drivers Earphones

It's kinda interesting that they came with earbud foams included.
They definitely sound better with those on.
But why were they made into an IEM?

REVIEW OF ZHIYIN Z5000 :




SOUND : 8.5/10
CONSTRUCTION: 10/10
VALUE : 10/10

EDIT: First, I lower from sound rating from half star due to extremely hardcore competition we find today so Z5000 feel less miraculous. I give extra rating for construction because its simple an INVINCIBLE iem.
AND must of all, I do a comparaison of the other Z5000 V2 model (wich do not worth it to care about IMO)

INTRO :

I take risk more than one time because of my passion about audio, especially in a portable form, because for home use i’m way less impulsive than in IEM or DAP world, especially in wannabe-hifi chinese audio market. Since the very begining of my headfi journey, my obsession is SOUND VALUE, wich some people don’t even believe in, but my theory about these people is either they are obsess by brand authority like kids in school wearing expensive jeans to feel confident or that money just can’t have relativity to their eyes and even less for there ears. Me, i’m a dude that don’t know how to make infinite money, but know how to spend it wisely when he can. Sure I have spend lot of money on single pair of IEM or headphones in the past, and to be honnest, must of time I feel betray, only exception being when I buy it used at a very lower price, like 300$ for the Grado GS1000 that sure was an upgrade in sound compared to my Grado SR325e, but not in term of construction, wich kind of frustrated me about fact that high end company take us for fools or spoiled rich ass.

These days, more than ever, were in a ideology war, at one side the luxury market try to explode and make new valuable technologies only accesible for the rich or ultra rich, this hype is mostly due to occidental way of life that wanna make a statement about their money power, but this capitalist winners that wanna make statement making accesible supposed miracle only to the one that have lot of gold -but not golden ears- isn’t must of the time really passionate about sound rendering, proof is that they will stick diamonds, use gold or other absurd compenent to push the price to extremely highs level.

To me, this is contradictory BS, and even if I consider that a Campfire Polaris at 600$ isn’t overpriced, I know when the BS occur, Campfire do not use plated gold and all bling bling features to give credibility about there products, its the sound and always the sound. SO, one advice for people that wanna pay a credible price for sound value, just don’t go GOLD and use diamonds only for your jewellery or turnable stencil.

At the other side of the audio market, there the humble manufacturer that give all there energy about sound value and maximise there profit little margin in number of sale, wich mean, they wanna make accessible the good sound to the mass, and today, the mass is worldwide market, so, they don’t need to make american crazy, just to be heard and beleive. But being heard for chinese brand isn’t simple, as must of time you make a blind buy and just cross your finger that a promising product will be of good quality, and yes, even if less frequent than before there still crappy dishonnest chinese seller that create cheap OEM or dollar store quality crappy earphones, with time I did not encounter them often, but I see plenty of them on Aliexpress or Ebay. So, when I begin chifi I mustly buy from Gearbest as I know their no fake there and shipping is faster, but my curiosity for more obscure chifi IEM make me buy fake Xiaomi Piston 2 one time (get reimburse) and some IEM that fall apart after 1 minutes of use, but in total I have 3 bad experience out of 50 on AE, wich is better than Ebay when you buy defective used headphones and have to pay for shipping to send it back to Germany for example….

Anyway, all that to say that on 11/11 Ali sale I decide to take risk for the Sub-100$ chifi thread and buy unknow IEM name ZHIYIN Z5000. It’s a small all-metal low profile looking IEM that hide a tesla supermagnet in its body like the one you can find in Beyerdynamic Xelento or new Ibasso IT01. I did not have lot of attempt, and order them especially because I was curious about sturdy looking construction as well as sound technologies improvment. At the very second I put the Z5000 in my ears I know I find something exceptional for the price, and as I was begining to get bored about similarly unbalanced or bright or too V shaped or congested or clumsy soundsignature of lot of multi drivers chifi IEM, these one was a very welcome revelation.

Now, I feel its time I write a full review about this supreme bang for the buck Z5000.

Hum, now, about this ZHIYIN brand, it’s hard to find info about the company wich from Hotfi seller it’s call HEYGEARS. But they have more than one model, there the well receive budget IEM call ZHIYIN Z3000 and the high end ZHIYIN QT5 that receive mixed review.



INFO :



Brand Name: HeyGears

• Is wireless: No
  
  
• Support Apt-x: No
  
  
• Support APP: No
  
  
• Function: HiFi Headphone,For Mobile Phone,Sport,For iPod
  
  
• Line Length: 1.2m
  
  
• Model Number: zhiyin z5000
  
  
• Frequency Response Range: 10-30000Hz
  
  
• Volume Control: No
  
  
• Resistance: 32Ω
  
  
• Plug Type: Line Type
  
  
• Sensitivity: 108dB
  
  
• Waterproof: No
  
  
• Connectors: 3.5mm
  
  
• Wireless Type: None
  
  
• Active Noise-Cancellation: No
  
  
• Communication: Wired
  
  
• Style: In-Ear
  
  
• Support Memory Card: No
  
  
• Vocalism Principle: Dynamic
  
  
• 10mm tesla technology driver
  
  
• With Microphone: No

CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN :



No need to talk about accessories or unboxing experience here, the Z5000 can be bought with or without cable and came with a protective case and some eartips. You really just buy the product nothing else, wich keep the price very low, and I suggest you to buy a good braided cable with them so you can wear it over ear or the standard way.

In hands the Z5000 feel extremely sturdy, it have weight to it because it isn’t a light alluminum housing, but a thick brushed metal that will not win a beauty contest but not look cheap as well, personally I like the look and feel, and as i’m the kind to throw IEM everywhere when I change cable between IEM this one feel they can be beaten up alot and survive to everything but water because of the hole at their back.



Isolation is average because of venting hole, but do a great job especially if you use foam tips.

MMCX connection is of good quality and I never struggle to disconect the cable even if it click well and stay solidly connected.

Nozzle is all metal as well as mesh and all in all you feel you have a great quality IEM even if I read complaint about little scratch on the housing.

For fitting, some will prefer over ear other the standard way, as housing is little heavy it will perhaps be prompt to fall from ears of some, I did not have this problem, but some silicone eartips if too small will surely do this so you need PERFECT fitting, shall it be with foam or silicone tips. To note too that eartips will inflict greatly on sound signature, especially bass and soundstage.

So, for 40$, I feel this IEM really give an incredible construction value in term of durability and sturdiness, not in term of design or esthetic, wich don’t look to be a priority for this IEM, I prefer having a so so looking that is not plain ugly than a sexy fragile IEM and the Z5000 sure fit my preference as well for its versatile wearing style, because I feel over ear concept IEM can sometime feel restrictive.


SOUND-SOUND-SOUND!!!!!!!!!!!



I can’t exactly say why this IEM fascinate me THAT much, its really a love story and with love you close your eyes and enjoy life, but as other headfier have this love story too perhaps its the way musicality feel joyfully free and versatile with the Z5000. Are they colored? Yes. Are they bassy? Yes. Are they neutral? Not exactly. Are they ultra detailed? Not really. Did they have a wide deep soundstage and smooth but sparkling highs? Ultra Yes. Here, we have a special sound presentation, that feel organic and natural even if it have a U shaped soundsignature and surely a strange frequencies curve. The bass is very thick and impacfull and move some air but never drown the sirupy mids that feel quite airy too, out of no where you heard microdetails you never hear before, soundstage is around your head and feel full of air and deepness and you find yourself thinking about audio terminology that do not fit togheter, like, warm and sharp, dark and trebly...wich shoud create an audio disaster and not a miracle, but, here a miracle happen.

PS : There 2 types of soundsignature with the Z5000. With Silicone tips=Bassy and airy with recessed but clean mids. With memory foams tips= Punchy with less airy and more intimate soundstage, more textured detailed mids and highs and better layering and balance. I Love both soundsignature and can’t decide the one I prefer unfortunately….will say silicone tips for electro and memory foam for all the rest (but I listen alot of electro). For the sound description above I will use silicone tips because its people use them more often.



USED GEAR : Well everything I have since it make 4 months I own the Z5000, but lately I use them more with Xduoo D3, Xduoo X20 and Ibasso DX90.


BASS is the master of the show and go extremely deep with a great control from both buttom. When rumble is needed, you will have it, and the weight is fabulous, it is thumping type of bass with extreme extension but without a badly emphased lower end, so the sub extend well. Really, this bass can be enjoy by anybody, its muscular and thick but do not break your skull, its warm, lush, slightly textured, very wide sounding and must of all : it do not bloat the liquid mids. Personally I do not like boomy IEM, so the Z5000 even if weighty in this region have a masterfull control that is utterly impressive and much needed in the U shaped soundsignature IEM. This earphones aren’t boring and yes they aren’t perfectly neutral, but it feel your in an room with an hifi soundsystem with top notch subwoofer. This bass is addictive to say the least, and make the Z5000 an excellent all-arounder because it give body to cello for classical, and incredible energy to beat driven music. On the other side, bass is a little slow, but I like it this way, it do not feel like a percolator like some too sharp and fast sounding IEM, and they are far from sounding slappy or uncontroled. It must be noted that burn in will tame a little the bass wich at first listen can feel overwhelming, having use the Z5000 for more than 200H, they are even better than before and way more balanced.



MIDS if a little warm do not feel veiled or too far at all, they are very clear and organic sounding and you never struggle to find vocal in any type of track. Vocal aren’t bright and perhaps will lack some texture for some, but this approach permit to have no harshness or sibilance, even if you got little welcome brillance and decay to it that make them shine. They are perfectly separated from rest of sound spectrum, wich is incredible for a single dynamic driver. Using memory foam tips will make them even more foward, but the laid back presentation of Z5000 is so delicious that it isn’t needed. Mids got body and thickness, they feel quite wide as well and very inviting, another time the Z5000 excell in musicality and surpass any IEM I ever heard in term of warm, detailed rendering with airy and wide soudnstage and incredible but smooth layering. Even if it make months I rave about the Zhiyin, i’m still impress everytime I listen to them.



HIGHS are well extended and have a magical treble that permit to retrieve details in a very sparkly way. This is part of the Z5000 charm, even if bass is thick and impactfull, mids clear and warm, highs have hint of sharpness and great brilliance that never feel clinical but alway exciting. It give energy to upper region and because of 3D soundstage and great instrument positioning, we have a luscious and detailed sound presentation that is generous in every frequencies range. How can we have this microdetails without any sibilance or peakyness is just a puzzle to me, this is why I feel the Z5000 can compete with real high end earphones of any price range without looking as a midget, he’s more a prodigious artist that know how to use color of sound to paint musical masterpiece that aren’t too cerebral or naive. Yep, the Z5000 are poetical in how it use it’s fascinating treble curve.



DRIVABILITY :

I feel it’s important to underline another important aspect, the Zhiyin Z5000 are SUPER easy to drive and will shine with ANY audio source that know how to deliver music seriously. This is very surprising due to it’s 32ohm impedance, but soundpressure of 108db and especially tesla powerfull magnet surely have something to do with this fact. So, NO, they will not benifit from amping and perhaps even the opposite, as I don’t use high gain with them on my Xduoo X20 or Ibasso DX90 because I feel clarity will be less good.



COMPARAISONS :



VS TINAUDIO T2 :

I really like how the T2 sound, less so how they fit my ears, but anyway, both this IEM have great construction that is very rare to find in sub-50$ IEM. I feel the Z5000 win in this section because of type of metal used, it happen that I drop them and its like droping a little rock, i’m never afraid they will break, with T2 if I step on it it will surely break, not with Z5000, even an elefant would not be able to break this little tank and i’m not joking.

About sound :

BASS of T2 is dryier and feel a little weak, especially with beat driven music, where the Z5000 excell, have thickness and impact and a round exciting body. T2 is more textured in low end and will give more details for cello, but less body. Sub is quite dark with the T2 comapratively to Z5000.

MIDS are more fowards and grainy with the T2, making it more mid centric than the Z5000, but in another hand it is less lush and a little harsher and can create ear fatigue at high volume, its feel less thick because of lack of bass that embrace 1-2kz low mids, wich give warmnest to Z5000 and body to male vocal. I like the vocal of T2 even if it feel a little dryish.

HIGHS are brighter with T2, making it a more agressive IEM even if far from being in a bad way. Instrument separation is faster and more detailed than Z5000 but have less deepness wich can make complex track feel too saturated, as well, treble is more grainy and sibilance can occur, so I can’t really listen for long at high volume.

All in all, I prefer the Z5000 from a big margin because of a simple subjective fact : I can listen to them for hours and hours without any issue while I can’t listen the T2 for extended time period.



VS KINERA H3 :

Hum, the H3 cost 100$ and have an incredible cable with it, housing is well made but that’s about it for positivity because the sound engineer of these IEM weren’t ready to balance properly 3 drivers (1DD+2BA) IMO. They aren’t bad sounding with everything, but yes, far from sounding good with most of music because of peircing highs and mids and weak bass with low emphasis that lack tighness.

BASS of H3 is ackward sounding and very dry, so yes it have texture but in a bad way, it feel sloppy and too slow where the Z5000 feel faster, tigher and thicker-rounder.

MIDS are even worse with emphases on upper region that create hissing and an overall displeasant artificial and nasal rendering. Z5000 feel liquid, clear and inviting and wider compared to it.

HIGHS are the better part and can give great details rendering, even if upper region can be peircing some time. Layering isn’t bad because of an ultra wide soundstage. Still, it lack sparkle and feel sometime too agressive.

All in all, Z5000 feel like a TOTL IEM compared to Kinera H3 that feel like a prototype IEM with good potential.



VS HIFIMAN RE-2000 :

Sometime you got some lesson in life, like one that don't look to follow rational law, like a 40$ earphone being able to seriously compete with a 2000$ one, and your like: What? Here this situation occur, Z5000 did take a good fight with RE2000, even if he did not win in term of final sound quality, he sure did in term of sound value, as he was far from being K.O with one solid punch from RE2000. In fact, even if worth 50 times less than Hifiman TOTL iem, he's been able to stay solid on his feet for a long pleasant battle with the big boy RE2000!

Bot have single dynamic Driver, Z5000 is suppose to be a Tesla tech. driver with more than 1.0 tesla of force while RE2000 use a topology diaphragm that permit to sculpt the sound more precisely, so both this IEM have interesting technologies that suppose to upgrade sound in somemagical way....

When I first heard Z5000 I barely fall of my chair, I couldn't beleive these IEM cost only 40$ (without cable) and offer such a high quality bassy sound with easy going micro details and wide soundstage, musicality was addictive and still is, and from 50 pair of chifi IEM these are among my 5 favorite and I wouldn't find it shocking if they were sell 100-200$, sound is in another league in term of value here. So, they were my chifi IEM I was must curious to compare with 2000$ hifiman, and to my surprise, comparatively to other IEM that sound very inferior and shouty, the Z5000 was still sounding excellent and musicaly impressive, and soundstage, strangely, was looking wider and deeper, as if treble was presented in a very different way. Instrument separation is more discernable with RE2000, and it have more texture and grain to whole soundsignature, i'll say RE2000 are more trebly but in a strange smooth non sibilant way. The ZhiYin have more sound pressure and are easier to drive, while the RE2000 with his 60ohm need more volume, wich perhaps explain why even if kind of bright the Hifiman do not feel too agressive, its still mellow and musical with fast dynamic. Z5000 are nervous iem, in a hurry to show there beautiful sporty soundsignature, sound is less perfectly detailed than Hifiman but still with above average clarity and highs sparkle. The musicality is widly presented with excellent imaging and details, impact in bass and mids are very impressive and vocal are airy, textured and fowards, when used with memory foam tips bass is tamed in a good way and do not veil other frequencies as with silicone (still, it can be interesting for beat driven music), even with silicone tips Z5000 are detailed and very capable, far from sounding boomy and bloated. Overall, Re2000 feel more tigher and dynamic but just slightly, and have a smoother musical presentation that never lack in energy and can make any music exciting and engaging. Z5000 are perhaps a little harsher and fowards, but its far from being sibilant or agressive, its just that RE2000 have an overall more mature and muscular sound presentation, with body and impact, and quite ultimate instrument separation, were the Z5000 feel more airy brightish and bassy (and perhaps wider in soundstage). If I was blind testing them, and having to guess price, the result would surely be disruptive. I enjoy both, and would use both daily...but on the street, perhaps I would be sometime paranoid with the RE2000 lol. About construction, bot are heavy & sturdy, the RE2000 are way bigger but not that heavier, Hifiman is a mix of special plastic and golden metal while the Zhiyin is 2 piece of solid metal solidly stick togheter, housing is brushed metal and feel very solid in hands, like, throw it on the floor no problem, not sure for the RE2000 because firstly I would not throw them on the floor at this price value & secondly as its plastic and metal perhaps it will make more esthetic damage to it (or more). For comfort, Hifiman are ultra comfy and Z5000 are quite too, as Z5000 can be worn over the ear as well as standard way, well, can't say wich one is better here.

Both these earphones offer a similar soundsignature but in a different register, Z5000 are more fowards and wide sounding while RE2000 are warmer with better imaging and dynamic but have less air between instrument as the treble is more ''grainy''.

All in all, there no doubt that the Z5000 are best sound value and price value than RE2000, and I would surely say the same thing even if the Z5000 were selling for 500$usd.



CONCLUSION :

The ZHIYIN Z5000 are an exceptional IEM for the price and would still be at 100-150$. I have heard lot of different earphones in the 30-70$ price range and none of them impress me that much. Since I buy them they are use everyday and I feel it can be end game for people that search a very musical IEM that can deal with any type of music and can be use for long listening period without any ear fatigue. As said, the drivers will benifit from at least 50H of burn in, wich will make the bass less loose and proeminent and vocal more clear and present. For me, this is the Holy Grail of sound value and perhaps the end of my quest in sub-50$ price range. This is all about musicality, and being able to compare the Z5000 with the Hifiman RE2000 and RE800 confirm that they are a unique exception in chifi audio world, because even a 2000$ IEM will not sound perfect and tend towards musicality over monitor like technicality. I prefer the Z5000 over the RE800, and cannot choose wich I prefer between RE2000 and them. I’m not lying here and has you know, i’m rarely THAT enthusiast, in fact, i’m quite disapointed must of the time because something always feel distracting in soudnsignature of must IEM I test or buy. Perhaps the Zhiyin engineer just have luck with this IEM, but I really hope they will stay on market for a long time and always use same pĥenomenal tesla drivers. At 40$ this is the supreme no brainer, and i’m very happy to have help making them more recognize by yealing like a crazy how i’m in LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!!!!!!!!!! Only people I will not suggest them its for ultra details addict that cannot stand warm IEM, but I was thinking being one of these people before falling on the Z5000, that even if not analytical sounding do feel revealing enough to fascinate the ears, and even more, the heart. So, if you search for an extremely musical, well resolved IEM with great and muscular bass extension, smooth, organic vocal and sparkling but non-fatiguing high, all of this presented in a wide and well layered soundstage that can be enjoy for hours and hours without ever feeling boring, the Zhiyin Z5000 could be the best buy you ever made in you budget audiophile life.


ZHIYIN Z5000 V2 IMPRESSIONS:


Z5000 V1 VS V2 :

After having spent some time with Zhiyin V1 and V2 there is my impressions about there difference.

For construction it’s near identical but polish metal of V2 is more mate as well there L and R marking at the side of mmxc connection. All the rest is the very same IEM.



Sound in another part is different, but not to the point of feeling it do not have same drivers but who know because V2 tend towards a more neutral soundsignature with a smoother treble, less sub bass, gentler impact, more present mids and slightly better imaging due to less bass echoing. Both are still organic sounding and have warm airy soundstage, they are not make for critical listening so V2 will still not please to the people find V1 sounding dark (wich isn’t my case) as well as sounding less fun and impactfull.



BASS is more smooth with V2 and have less impact and can be shyly hide under the mids when vocal and drum occur, its still warm as the V1 without lot of texture without some bass bleed on mids wich is a plus and a minus at the same time due to the fact it stole some much needed extra body to this region and make some type of vocal feel thiner. Mid bass lack impact and due to its warmnest it make the punch feel lifeless. For example cello sound better on V1 because of extra body that compensate for lack of texture, wich question me about the goal of an earphone upgrade without treble upgrade.



MIDS of V2 are clearer but thiner, it have better transparency as well and the layering is better due to more space between instruments. It feel less thick and full bodied than V1 even if slightly less recessed, in fact, V1 have little more texture than V2 and I prefer them for classical even if they are far from being perfect sinergy for this music style. Impact and decay of V1 have more energy and control than the V2 wich feel warmer in this aspect.



HIGHS are less sparkly with V2 and some instrument like harpsichord can sound dull behing violin and cello trio, this is like if Zhiyin give everything to get rid of bass and some treble peaks that make the V1 special sounding and unique, as even if not very detailed, we can be impress by some micro details poping up in music as well as enjoying an organic sound with enough clarity in upper spectrum even if bass rumble in heavy track can warm whole sound. Listening to heavily detailed Elysia Crampton last album, the V1 clearly sound more detailed than V2 as well as having more energy, this album is near impossible to deal with with bright IEM and the V1 deal well with it even if not the clearest in term of imaging due, V2 make it sound darker and less dynamic and well, vain to listen to.



CONCLUSION is not really an applause here, Zhiyin have stole the fun factor of V1 and now I feel there nothing interesting to find in them in this price range where lot of sub-50$ sound way better in every aspect even with good bass impact. The fact that treble is poorer is a very big mistake IMO as well as not having push the mid bass more fowards to compensate the more bassy and thick approach of Z5000 V1 sound. Perhpas some will prefer V2 to V1, but after a year now I conclude this Z5000 perhaps have getting too much hype for what they are, wich is suppose to be a fun, dynamic, ultra bassy iem with organic unique soundsignature that is hit or miss depending of audio source and music style. I still use them regularly because they are extremely easy to drive and sound great with my Ibasso DX90 and Xduoo X20, but they are sure not kind of sub-50$ iem in today ultra competitive chifi universe.