[skajohyros]

That marketing literature for the "new" driver for the EDR1 is very old. They changed to the "new" driver almost 2 years ago. I've bought multiple EDR1s - from Aliexpress, ebay, and Gearbest - and they all sound identical and use the same "new" driver.

So I think you're safe - just pick up a pair and enjoy the $4 awesomeness that is the EDR1 haha

Is there a difference between the edr1 and edr2?

 

[Otto Motor]

Quite the contrary, I love EQ. It's great for squeezing the most out of your purchases, vs just continuously flushing money down the toilet always looking for the "perfect" sound.

And it's so easy with something like Rockbox, which allows you to make changes to a custom EQ profile, and then save that profile to the name of your headphone.

What's a good EQ app/player with EQ for the iPhone? So far, I found the Onkyo player quite decent.

 

[Otto Motor]

Is there a difference between the edr1 and edr2?

EDR1 is a bit heavier and feels more substantial while not being too heavy in the ears. Looks better than the cheaper appearing EDR2. Both designs are very simple and appear sexy mainly to purists [Bauhaus meets Mao]. Way sexier to me than the KZ ES3, for example, which look like the latest overbred Nike basketball sneaker whereas the EDRs look more like classic adidas sneakers such as the Gazelle.

In terms of sound, they are close to identical, the EDR1 may be a bit slimmer in the bass department but it is still relatively bass heavy. Sound is not a concern.

The EDR2 with mic/remote is easier found online. The EDR1 with mic I only found on eBay.

What sets them apart from the other KZ lines is that these are disappearing. They surely have been discontinued and still come in the classic minimalist maoist blue cardboard box.

 

[Slater]

Sure. When you use micropore, bass and sub come up to a slightly warm level (perhaps 2-3dB more than ideal flat) and the whole balance goes from neutral/bright to neutral/warm. The problem is that bass gets a subtle bloaty boom to it (not a big deal honestly) but the perceived imaging and detail and resolution take a serious hit. Piercing a small hole in the tape is a very solid middle ground between modded and stock - you end up with a smaller vent hole but it is still there and sound gets a tiny bit more bass than stock.
What makes T2 seriously good is how the slightly reduced bass brings up everything else and you only get a small headroom to play around until all the magic is gone to the bass presence.
AudioBudget's graphs show a 15dB boost @50Hz with blu tack for front vent, that is 2.5 times more bass than stock - getting into a heavy V shape territory easily and T2 is just not made for this.

I understand the value of this kind of sites but I realized that how I hear things and how it's written on AudioBudget is very different in some crucial areas, most importantly the perception of overall tonal balance. I am not saying that I'm dismissing everything on that site, there is still lots of info there that has some weight, but not nearly as much as I thought before.

My experience with audiobudget (and I'm not the only one to mention this) is that Igor prefers BOOM BOOM BOOM bass, which seems to color/influence a lot of his opinions of gear. That's not necessarily a negative thing, it's more just something people should be aware of as it pertains to reviews.

It's helpful to know (and thus keep in context) the sound preferences of ANY reviewer. For example, @Vidal loves bright treble, and that often factors into his recommendations and opinions. Again, nothing wrong with that, it's his style and he mentions it throughout his site.

But it highlights an important point that I've learned. You generally have a much better chance of getting gear you actually like if you figure out 2-5 people (reviewers, HF members, etc) that have your same basic basic tastes (in music genre, same bands, headphone sound profile etc).

Even if those handful of people don't have large review sites/blogs. If they post on HF and say "OMG, I LOVE this; it makes X band sound like heaven" or "don't bother with this, I don't like it at all", then you know there's a high likelihood that you'd feel the same way too. That person doesn't have to go into fancy technical descriptions, supported by calibrated frequency graphs and whatnot. That level of detail isn't for everyone, and often confuses people.

What good is someone who makes a glowing review of particular gear on a flashy blog/website, when (unbeknownst to you) all they exclusively listen to is harpsichord solos, while you listen to nothing but rap?

And yes, I know we all hear things differently and blah blah blah. But that just backs up my point. If you find that you and your "few other people" are always spot on with one another's recommendations, then that means you DO hear things the same as those people. Maybe it's a perfect combination of ear canal structure, genres, and frequency range due to age or something - who knows, who cares - in the end if you like the gear they do that's the important thing right?

 

[Slater]

How do you remove the red nylon nozzle? Peel it off with a needle?

And, can you buy "KZ starline tips" somewhere? Can't find them on aliexpress.

Yup, you just lift the edge with a sewing needle, and it peels right up. The adhesive stays on the little round mesh 90% of the time, so you can save the stock mesh pieces on a piece of wax paper or parchment paper and reuse them on something else (or even put them back on for whatever reason).

Here's a photo showing what to expect (whats handy is that the screen sticks to the sewing needle after you pry it up, making it easy to transfer it to wax paper or whatever).



You can use the reverse method to apply the new tip to the nozzle - just stick the new stainless mesh to the tip of the sewing needle, and you'll have much more control to maneuver it into place when applying it to the IEM nozzle. Then when it's in place, gently hold it with your finger, slide the sewing needle out of the way, and gently press down on the mesh with your finger to get the adhesive ring to stick all the way around it's circumference.

As far as the tips, just search for "KZ ear tips" on Aliexpress, and you'll find them easily by looking for the picture of which tips are Starlines.

This is also how you find the other KZ tips Turbos/Whirlwinds, foam tips, "red core" silicone tips, coreless foam tips (ie marshmallow tips), etc.

 

[Otto Motor]

My experience with audiobudget (and I'm not the only one to mention this) is that Igor prefers BOOM BOOM BOOM bass, which seems to color/influence a lot of his opinions of gear. That's not necessarily a negative thing, it's more just something people should be aware of as it pertains to reviews.

It's helpful to know (and thus keep in context) the sound preferences of ANY reviewer. For example, @Vidal loves bright treble, and that often factors into his recommendations and opinions. Again, nothing wrong with that, it's his style and he mentions it throughout his site.

But it highlights an important point that I've learned. You generally have a much better chance of getting gear you actually like if you figure out 2-5 people (reviewers, HF members, etc) that have your same basic basic tastes (in music genre, same bands, headphone sound profile etc).

Even if those handful of people don't have large review sites/blogs. If they post on HF and say "OMG, I LOVE this; it makes X band sound like heaven" or "don't bother with this, I don't like it at all", then you know there's a high likelihood that you'd feel the same way too. That person doesn't have to go into fancy technical descriptions, supported by calibrated frequency graphs and whatnot. That level of detail isn't for everyone, and often confuses people.

What good is someone who makes a glowing review of particular gear on a flashy blog/website, when (unbeknownst to you) all they exclusively listen to is harpsichord solos, while you listen to nothing but rap?

And yes, I know we all hear things differently and blah blah blah. But that just backs up my point. If you find that you and your "few other people" are always spot on with one another's recommendations, then that means you DO hear things the same as those people. Maybe it's a perfect combination of ear canal structure, genres, and frequency range due to age or something - who knows, who cares - in the end if you like the gear they do that's the important thing right?

I agree on all points. Igor loves stuff he can measure and we had a discussion on soundstage, an important factor he and the phonograph don't mention ("can't be measured"). But joy also cannot be measured and it exists.

Igor loves drum & bass and techno type stuff which does not really test the authenticity of music reproduction. For example, I used Dick Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" to test my UE900S. A great exercise for detecting separation, layering etc. Igor may have shot away his gunpowder a bit early in the season by crowning the Rock Zircons as the king of budget - while never revising this after so many better models were released. The Rock Zircon may have ben sensational at the time but they are somewhat vulgar to me...find the EDRs at 1/3 of the price match better sounding.

And yes, Vidal loves it bright and there is nothing wrong with that as long as the reader is aware of it. And he lets us know.

As to the many reviewers...here an analogy from science: a bad model is better than no model. That's why we should appreciate the work by Vidal and Igor and others, even if they have a different taste. Ideally, a review should be independent of taste, though.

 

[Slater]

EDR1 is a bit heavier and feels more substantial while not being too heavy in the ears. Looks better than the cheaper appearing EDR2. Both designs are very simple and appear sexy mainly to purists [Bauhaus meets Mao]. Way sexier to me than the KZ ES3, for example, which look like the latest overbred Nike basketball sneaker whereas the EDRs look more like classic adidas sneakers such as the Gazelle.

In terms of sound, they are close to identical, the EDR1 may be a bit slimmer in the bass department but it is still relatively bass heavy. Sound is not a concern.

The EDR2 with mic/remote is easier found online. The EDR1 with mic I only found on eBay.

What sets them apart from the other KZ lines is that these are disappearing. They surely have been discontinued and still come in the classic minimalist maoist blue cardboard box.

Actually, my latest pair of EDR2 from Gearbest came in the new style white box, which tells me that KZ is still actively manufacturing them (at least the EDR2).

 

[skajohyros]

Actually, my latest pair of EDR2 from Gearbest came in the new style white box, which tells me that KZ is still actively manufacturing them (at least the EDR2).

What is your take on these two?

 

[Slater]

I agree on all points. Igor loves stuff he can measure and we had a discussion on soundstage, an important factor he and the phonograph don't mention ("can't be measured"). But joy also cannot be measured and it exists.

Igor loves drum and bass & techno type stuff which does not really test the authenticity of music reproduction. For example, I used Dick Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" to test my UE900S. A great exercise for detecting separation, layering etc. Igor may have shot away his gunpowder a bit early in the season by crowning the Rock Zircons as the king of budget - while never revising this after so many better models were released. The Rock Zircon may have ben sensational at the time but they are vulgar to me.

And yes, Vidal loves it bright and there is nothing wrong with that as long as the reader is aware of it. And he lets us know.

As to the many reviewers...here an analogy from science: a bad model is better than no model. That's why we should appreciate the work by Vidal and Igor and others, even if they have a different taste. Ideally, a review should be independent of taste.

Well said. I tend to read a number of reviews as possible, because it is helpful and invaluable to get multiple opinions (especially if you see a common theme/pattern between them all; positive or negative).

It's also appreciated when reviewers point out NON-SOUND related things that you may not have thought about or known, such as build quality, poor or great fit, fragile cables, microphonics, crap accessories, etc.

But at the end of the day, it's how YOU hear the gear that's ultimately important. That's why it's nice to pay particular attention to your handful of "twins/clones" - when they like or dislike something, you should take note if that makes sense.

 

[Otto Motor]

Another reason why everybody on this discussion list should order an EDR1 or EDR2: because the best earphone is many earphones. And these $4 USD jewels help build experience in order to be able to competently evaluate the more expensive models. They should be used as one reference standard. I use them as well as certain highly-praised brandnames as testing reference (e.g. the Soundmagic E10C for the cheap KZs; the latter are better at 1/10 of the price).

Second, everybody should get one, because they are great and cost next to nothing. As simple as that.

 

[Slater]

What is your take on these two?

By 2 I assume you mean the EDR1 and EDR2?

I've said it many times - you won't find a better IEM for the ridiculous $4-$5 price.

With cable or without cable, EDR1 or EDR2. Doesn't really matter much. Just pick which color your like better, and if you like a mic or not. You really can't go wrong.

They are both excellent sounding, both built like an army tank, both are comfortable and fit well (without behind-the-ears design or annoying bendy memory wires to fuss with), both drive easily from any source, and both are very easy to listen to - fun, energetic, engaging. Basically IEMs that will put a smile on your face that aren't going to offend anyone with their sound signature.

And if and when they break or die, you are out a few dollars. Every one of my personal ones are still going strong, and I find myself reaching for them a lot.

 

[Slater]

What's a good EQ app/player with EQ for the iPhone? So far, I found the Onkyo player quite decent.

Unfortunately I really don't use the iPhone for "serious" listening. Just when out and it's inconvenient to use my DAP or DAP+AMP. So like at the park, while waiting at the Dr's office, streaming with Bluetooth, etc.

In those cases, I just leave the EQ flat or else find one of the cheesy built in iPhone EQ presets to tweak the sound (such as "bass booster" for something bass-anemic like 80's new wave for example, or "Electronic" preset for other stuff for example.

I don't even know if there are specific EQ apps for the iPhone (along the same lines as PowerAmp, etc). Others would have to chime in on that one.

 

[Otto Motor]

Unfortunately I really don't use the iPhone for "serious" listening. Just when out and it's inconvenient to use my DAP or DAP+AMP. So like at the park, while waiting at the Dr's office, streaming with Bluetooth, etc.

In those cases, I just leave the EQ flat or else find one of the cheesy built in iPhone EQ presets to tweak the sound (such as "bass booster" for something bass-anemic like 80's new wave for example, or "Electronic" preset for other stuff for example.

I don't even know if there are specific EQ apps for the iPhone (along the same lines as PowerAmp, etc). Others would have to chime in on that one.

I have the audioquest dragonfly but only use it at home as the dongle setup is a bit clunky. Outside, in the Canadian winter, it may freeze and break off . As said (kind of), the Onkyo player has an built-in EQ, and it also sports eq settings by some VIP musicians. I am sure, it is also available in an android version - and it is probably as good as it gets.

The fact that the $400 UE900S have iPhone controls means that the iPhone is good enough to be used with them.

 

[glorfybe]

edr2 pound for pound is the real mvp

You've convinced me! Used 50 points at GB to knock them down to £2.22! Not the biggest risk ever

 

[waveriderhawaii]

HAHA!! I won!! So, there's this website called https://hot-china-dealz.com/ where you can sometimes find coupons and stuff. They had a KZ ZSR drawing/giveaway and I won!! <-- me with my new ZSR's when they arrive.


************************************************************************
KZ ZSR Hybrid HiFi Earphones Giveaway Entry

Hey _________,

You won! Congratulations!
Just give us your complete adress.

Thanks a lot!
*******************************************