[SpaceOperaVillain]

The reason being that the stock package is quite underwhelming. The stock tips are so bad that they make you think you have bought some dollar store IEM.

I'm on the other side of the fence here. I'd be thrilled to have an option to just buy the IEM in a shrinkwrap bag without tips or cables and none of the packaging. Haha

Disagree on technicalities of the NRA but I might be in a minority. I have shelved my BA10 because they don't really do anything better and have worse timbre to my ears. There's something just kind of flat / dead about KZ's ba tech that I can't get around now that I've gotten used to them. I find resolution and instrument separation to be quite good on the NRA, but the big caveat is that i listen to everything whilst EQ'd.

Heart Mirror are on the way (finally!) - I'm curious to try these out! No ZEX for me, though. I canceled my order before they were shipped. A vee shaped NRA just doesn't have any appeal, but I'm looking forward to see more impressions roll through.

I'd like to see KZ release a tribrid. Until then I feel covered between NRA, GK10, and the C12s which I keep coming back to.

 

[PhonoPhi]

Thank's countryboyhk.

I like good bass or better a full range extension, as speakers I like the full tower.

As example I love the Melody.

Considering this you say the ZAS Is Better than the ZAX?


CA16 shure PhonoPhi.

I've the CS PRO CS46L41 too, more grainy then the CX but more gentle high.

Considering what I've said to countryboyhk which are the difference between the CA16 and BA10?

Maybe could be a good idea release a short list of the very best/selected earphone V/U shaped, neutral, single/multi drivers. The ones all considering top class in the under e. 100 price range.

CA16 to me is a direct upgrade of C10 - more resolving, a tighter DD, grear DD-BA integration, and really gentle/truncated treble while still quite resolving.
CA16 should synergisr well with your CX pro.
Then, thinking about it, I can agree that Aria may be a better choice in this direction - definitely more coherent and even more synergistic with your source.

BA10 would be a different story.
To my limited preference/perception, I would take BA10 over NRA any day, with the exception of the fit.
Yet BA10 may be most suitable for classical music, with other genres it may become less of a preference.

 

[Nimweth]

For my tastes, Heart Mirror is considerably better than NRA in all departments except bass. The new KZ/CCA lows are quite delicious although it is not as clean as I would like. I'm not much of a cable believer so I can't much on what cables synergize better or not. But, NRA doesn't need any amping to drive them optimally whereas Heart Mirror requires amping to bring out their true quality. NRA is good but I think ZEX will be better and NRA Pro Plus will be even better as this seems like a alpha stage product. Yes, I agree KZ has done better job with timbre with this one. For me, Spiral Dots are perfect for NRA as it balances out everything and makes them versatile for almost all music genres. If someone listens to busy tracks then NRA's incapability to do them justice is very much evident. They're good for pop and modern music. It will suffice many new/casual folks but won't cut it through for folks who are demanding. I'm sure many would like them more than many IEMs but unfortunately I am not someone who would use my NRA for workouts.

Heart Mirror has better technicalities, comfort, overall package and tuning if you prefer bright neutral sound there's nothing like it for $50 or even $100.

I love my Heart Mirror. I have been tip and cable rolling and my current configuration is TRI Through cable and KZ large Starlines. I like a neutral-bright profile and the Heart Mirror does it so well.

 

[harry501501]

I love my Heart Mirror. I have been tip and cable rolling and my current configuration is TRI Through cable and KZ large Starlines. I like a neutral-bright profile and the Heart Mirror does it so well.

Can't remember for the life of me where these tips came from but they're great on heart mirror. They're very thin skinned and flexible and ever so slightly wide bore. I also use the FIIO cable from the FD1. Great combo. These tips especially make them less bright and more smooth/balanced.

My favourite IEM is the FIIO FH3 as it just fits my personal tastes perfect. Big musical sound, awesome bass and lots of detail without ever approaching analytical. The Heart Mirror is the only other IEM that I use in rotation these days. It just gives me a different listen. It's a little airier and open and even tho the FH3 does squeeze more detail out, the heart mirror has the bigger more vivid soundstage and a tad better separation. It's bass is nowhere near as hard hitting or deep, but that lets it breathe and it's technicalities show.

This might not sound like the coolest tune to bring up, but in All Night Long by Lionel R, there is so much going on in the soundstage. Little sounds and voices pinging in and out, the Heart Mirror nails this. You're enveloped by the music and it just plays out so confidently with the HM.

Something else that doesn't pop up much is the way the HM does all percussion. It's just so fast and accurate. Anyone a fan of drum solos will be impressed. In Liar, by Queen, the first 60 second drum intro is a fantastic listen. From the opening cowbell, to the timing and rhythm of the drum beats speeding up... Wow. The HM is made for this song.


Anyone expecting bags of KZ energy or simulated treble detail will not get that with the Heart Mirror. Its far more mature sounding.

 

[Barusu Lamperouge]

Thank's Barusu Lamperouge.

About the cables I may say them act as a crossover or filters and influence the tonality, many technics don't belive in this but my ears and years of experience teach me that is real

I've put a pure copper cable on the NRA and some post behind I've done a little review.

Anyway the NRA's high are at my ears limit tollerance.

I hope Heart Mirror are neutral but with enough bass and trebles are clear but not so hot.

I know is impossible have the perfect earphone, this is the reason why I'm looking for a limited bounce of iems with the best performances and technicalities to cover different musical genres and moods too at a human price.

(Forget the collect pleasure)

More power to you if cables make you enjoy music, unfortunately I can't hear any difference so I don't believe much in them. One should stick to whatever makes an IEM click. If NRA is hot then Heart Mirror will be hotter to your ears. You might want to either damp them or use foam tips. They're dead neutral with touch of brightness. I use them with wide bore tip (BGVP S07) and I find them absolutely perfect! The Pokemon trainer mentality is one of the reasons why we lurk on these forums

I'm on the other side of the fence here. I'd be thrilled to have an option to just buy the IEM in a shrinkwrap bag without tips or cables and none of the packaging. Haha

Well I don't mind this especially when it comes to cables but considering KZ used to give brilliant tips in form of Starlines and now they've ditched them for something extremely substandard makes me feel importance of having good tips OOTB.

Disagree on technicalities of the NRA but I might be in a minority. I have shelved my BA10 because they don't really do anything better and have worse timbre to my ears. There's something just kind of flat / dead about KZ's ba tech that I can't get around now that I've gotten used to them. I find resolution and instrument separation to be quite good on the NRA, but the big caveat is that i listen to everything whilst EQ'd.

Your last sentence explains everything. NRA is not bad but the stock tuning is neither great nor worse. BA10 might not compete with a DD but it's still one of the best buys under $50 especially for an all BA set IMO. I can understand that you found them boring as KZ/CCA has also improved a lot since 2018 so it is understandable as well.

Heart Mirror are on the way (finally!) - I'm curious to try these out! No ZEX for me, though. I canceled my order before they were shipped. A vee shaped NRA just doesn't have any appeal, but I'm looking forward to see more impressions roll through.

I think you might like Heart Mirror because they're that good!

I'd like to see KZ release a tribrid. Until then I feel covered between NRA, GK10, and the C12s which I keep coming back to.

Amen!

I love my Heart Mirror. I have been tip and cable rolling and my current configuration is TRI Through cable and KZ large Starlines. I like a neutral-bright profile and the Heart Mirror does it so well.

Glad you do. And yes they come into their own when used with a longer bore tip, especially the lows. Starlines, Deep Mount, and BGVP S07 would be best tips for Heart Mirror IMO.

 

[Barusu Lamperouge]

Can't remember for the life of me where these tips came from but they're great on heart mirror. They're very thin skinned and flexible and ever so slightly wide bore. I also use the FIIO cable from the FD1. Great combo. These tips especially make them less bright and more smooth/balanced.

My favourite IEM is the FIIO FH3 as it just fits my personal tastes perfect. Big musical sound, awesome bass and lots of detail without ever approaching analytical. The Heart Mirror is the only other IEM that I use in rotation these days. It just gives me a different listen. It's a little airier and open and even tho the FH3 does squeeze more detail out, the heart mirror has the bigger more vivid soundstage and a tad better separation. It's bass is nowhere near as hard hitting or deep, but that lets it breathe and it's technicalities show.

This might not sound like the coolest tune to bring up, but in All Night Long by Lionel R, there is so much going on in the soundstage. Little sounds and voices pinging in and out, the Heart Mirror nails this. You're enveloped by the music and it just plays out so confidently with the HM.

Something else that doesn't pop up much is the way the HM does all percussion. It's just so fast and accurate. Anyone a fan of drum solos will be impressed. In Liar, by Queen, the first 60 second drum intro is a fantastic listen. From the opening cowbell, to the timing and rhythm of the drum beats speeding up... Wow. The HM is made for this song.


Anyone expecting bags of KZ energy or simulated treble detail will not get that with the Heart Mirror. Its far more mature sounding.

+1 on HM feeling like made for the song sentiment.

On HM, I am yet to hear something sound bad/off-putting. It just makes you listen everything that is there to hear without any fuss. Simple.

In terms of treble, KZ is like a 5 year old crying for more candies whereas HM is a teen prodigy singing in full flow. It's a no contest.

 

[Nimweth]

Can't remember for the life of me where these tips came from but they're great on heart mirror. They're very thin skinned and flexible and ever so slightly wide bore. I also use the FIIO cable from the FD1. Great combo. These tips especially make them less bright and more smooth/balanced.

My favourite IEM is the FIIO FH3 as it just fits my personal tastes perfect. Big musical sound, awesome bass and lots of detail without ever approaching analytical. The Heart Mirror is the only other IEM that I use in rotation these days. It just gives me a different listen. It's a little airier and open and even tho the FH3 does squeeze more detail out, the heart mirror has the bigger more vivid soundstage and a tad better separation. It's bass is nowhere near as hard hitting or deep, but that lets it breathe and it's technicalities show.

This might not sound like the coolest tune to bring up, but in All Night Long by Lionel R, there is so much going on in the soundstage. Little sounds and voices pinging in and out, the Heart Mirror nails this. You're enveloped by the music and it just plays out so confidently with the HM.

Something else that doesn't pop up much is the way the HM does all percussion. It's just so fast and accurate. Anyone a fan of drum solos will be impressed. In Liar, by Queen, the first 60 second drum intro is a fantastic listen. From the opening cowbell, to the timing and rhythm of the drum beats speeding up... Wow. The HM is made for this song.


Anyone expecting bags of KZ energy or simulated treble detail will not get that with the Heart Mirror. Its far more mature sounding.

Those tips look like the pre-fitted ones on the some KZ models , which also came with three pairs of Starlines.

 

[Lobarkaine]

Barusu Lamperouge Reading your replay I'm sadly afraid that Heart Mirror could be really to hot for my taste.

But..as Yoda too says....the Pokémon trainer mentalità could shurely help me to adapt my ears!

Heart Mirror always in my Christmas list.


Thank's to PhonoPhi that give me the idea to change the dongle..... with the CS PRO CS46L41 NRA trebles are more gentle.

And I've added Aria and CA16 to my shopping list.

Now I may only decide what to do about ZAS and ZEX.....

 

[harry501501]

Barusu Lamperouge Reading your replay I'm sadly afraid that Heart Mirror could be really to hot for my taste.

But..as Yoda too says....the Pokémon trainer mentalità could shurely help me to adapt my ears!

Heart Mirror always in my Christmas list.


Thank's to PhonoPhi that give me the idea to change the dongle..... with the CS PRO CS46L41 NRA trebles are more gentle.

And I've added Aria and CA16 to my shopping list.

Now I may only decide what to do about ZAS and ZEX.....

Trust me, the Heart Mirror is FAR from a hot sounding IEM. It's not even close. Zs10 pro is way brighter and hotter in comparison.

I'd need to have a look, but I'll try find my c10 and v90 and try give you an idea of how they compare in terms of upper midd and treble, but from memory, both of them are brighter and looser from upper mids up.

 

[Lobarkaine]

Trust me, the Heart Mirror is FAR from a hot sounding IEM. It's not even close. Zs10 pro is way brighter and hotter in comparison.

I'd need to have a look, but I'll try find my c10 and v90 and try give you an idea of how they compare in terms of upper midd and treble, but from memory, both of them are brighter and looser from upper mids up.

Thank's a lot harry501501!

 

[harry501501]

More power to you if cables make you enjoy music, unfortunately I can't hear any difference so I don't believe much in them. One should stick to whatever makes an IEM click. If NRA is hot then Heart Mirror will be hotter to your ears. You might want to either damp them or use foam tips. They're dead neutral with touch of brightness. I use them with wide bore tip (BGVP S07) and I find them absolutely perfect! The Pokemon trainer mentality is one of the reasons why we lurk on these forums

Well I don't mind this especially when it comes to cables but considering KZ used to give brilliant tips in form of Starlines and now they've ditched them for something extremely substandard makes me feel importance of having good tips OOTB.

Your last sentence explains everything. NRA is not bad but the stock tuning is neither great nor worse. BA10 might not compete with a DD but it's still one of the best buys under $50 especially for an all BA set IMO. I can understand that you found them boring as KZ/CCA has also improved a lot since 2018 so it is understandable as well.

I think you might like Heart Mirror because they're that good!

Amen!

Glad you do. And yes they come into their own when used with a longer bore tip, especially the lows. Starlines, Deep Mount, and BGVP S07 would be best tips for Heart Mirror IMO.

Admittedly, I'll never go down the route of crazy expensive cables, and that they'll magically transform an IEMs sound. Most I've paid for a cable is £25 and only cos I liked the look and feel and comfort. Anyone who spends hundreds of pounds on cables to me could just spend the money on another IEM, tho I'd never criticise them as it's their money and if it adds to their enjoyment then all power to them.

I do think cables can have a sonic effect tho when paired with different earphones and this may be taken as an "improvement" if it gets a specific IEM to sound a certain way to a certain individuals taste. I do buy into copper bring warmer and silver brighter from experience, so that material most likely had an effect.

The Tripowin c8 cable I just bought cos it looked great had a very unpleasant bloated quality when paired with my FH3. The FIIO cable that came with it broke within days so I wanted to try something else as couldn't be bothered sending it away to be fixed. I actually use the cable that came with the SMABAT NCO and it pairs nicely.

Again, I don't think expensive cables bring out more detail, or improve bass or soundstage. That's my personal opinion tho.

 

[Lobarkaine]

Admittedly, I'll never go down the route of crazy expensive cables, and that they'll magically transform an IEMs sound. Most I've paid for a cable is £25 and only cos I liked the look and feel and comfort. Anyone who spends hundreds of pounds on cables to me could just spend the money on another IEM, tho I'd never criticise them as it's their money and if it adds to their enjoyment then all power to them.

I do think cables can have a sonic effect tho when paired with different earphones and this may be taken as an "improvement" if it gets a specific IEM to sound a certain way to a certain individuals taste. I do buy into copper bring warmer and silver brighter from experience, so that material most likely had an effect.

The Tripowin c8 cable I just bought cos it looked great had a very unpleasant bloated quality when paired with my FH3. The FIIO cable that came with it broke within days so I wanted to try something else as couldn't be bothered sending it away to be fixed. I actually use the cable that came with the SMABAT NCO and it pairs nicely.

Again, I don't think expensive cables bring out more detail, or improve bass or soundstage. That's my personal opinion tho.

I agree with you Harry501501 about don't go mad with crazy expensive cables, these are not necessary and there is no magic cables to transform any sound.

Cables, as any others components, help the quality of the sound and I mean trasparency, details, tonality.

A worst iem will play more worst with a more revealing cable, the same with a bad mastering.

Pratically bigger is the cable less is the resistance, twisted cable avoid the skin effect, copper cable have more warm sound, more is pure the copper more details may retrieve, pure silver cables are more cold or transparent and detailed (Audio Note trasformers and line signal condensers are made in pure silver), silver plated cable are middle way, simply they transfert the signal they receive and nothing can't do more then this, they act as resistors.

I belive expensive cables are only market inventions for audiophile addicts, but Is possible find a usefull cable coerent with the iem price.

I don't spend more then e. 10 for a cable, possibly less, an honest 8 core cable is more then enough.

My cup of tea are pure copper or mixed silver plated 8 core TRN cables cost around e. 7.50/8 on AliExpress and they do the job.

Be shure they affect the sound as required.

As example to tame a little down the NRA trebles I've used foam tips, CS PRO CS46L41 dongle and an 8 core pure copper cable and now for my personal taste the sound Is detailed and pleasant enough to enjoy this iem.

 

[SpaceOperaVillain]

BA10 would be a different story.
To my limited preference/perception, I would take BA10 over NRA any day, with the exception of the fit.
Yet BA10 may be most suitable for classical music, with other genres it may become less of a preference.

For Bach, the BA10 stands peerless among my other sets. Shelved is not sold ... I just don't find myself using them very often.

In my review I described the NRA's bass as Goldilocks levels, and I stand by that for my own preferences. OOTB is perfect. I don't find quantity to be lacking on heavy electronic music, either. From 500 Hz down to 20 the NRA is better than BA10 in every way, at least for my ears. Even in terms of raw speed I don't hear a lot of difference. In terms of slam and impact, BA10 is doing well for a BA - certainly better than my old etys, which was just missing below 100Hz being a single driver.

Mids resolution is better on BA10 than NRA, but it doesn't really best the GK10, which I still hold as the reference for mids among my budget gear.

Reed instruments like oboe, clarinet, and bassoon all sound more natural in timbre on GK10 and the NRA than the BA focused sets of my KZ. There is speedier articulation than NRA in the mids but it's only by a hair and I have to really listen out for it. I also note than C12 and BA10 are virtually identical in upper mids and treble.

My go-to album for congestion tests is Mastodon's Crack the Skye. NRA pulls this off great without EQ. I was honestly shocked when I heard it the first time because I expected disappointment. GK10 was a huge fail but it's getting better after that coming to grips with source and tips. C12 stumbles big time. The 7mm just trips over the bottom end and lower mids. ZAX keeps up but is a bit looser than the NRA on the bottom end, but has more instrument separation in the mids. It's perfectly acceptable. The most boring thing about ZAX is its easy going competency. That leaves the BA10, which is "best" of all my sets on this album, but really it's just by a hair, and only due to the fast decay of the BAs. There's so much going on. Kick drum and bass pulls are a little soupy on the recording itself so the BA's are no problem there. The mids feel like there are 100+ tracks overdubbed into everything. It's a raucous affair to be sure with a ton of effects, parts, and even a few Yes-like odes to prog rock.

With EQ: NRA reclaims considerable amount of sound stage, guitars are blazing, somehow I can still hear every fill hit from the drums through a deafening mix of bass and rythm guitar. A big part of why I went for Heart Mirror is based on my experience with the new DD that shipped in the NRA. Can't wait to try them out. I'm also still waiting for more reviews to roll through for KBEAR's Aurora. There are a couple of stinker reviews on it that I think probably aren't doing it justice. Will wait and watch a bit.

The GD3A is up next on my list after getting a feel for the Mirrors.

 

[Lobarkaine]

For Bach, the BA10 stands peerless among my other sets. Shelved is not sold ... I just don't find myself using them very often.

In my review I described the NRA's bass as Goldilocks levels, and I stand by that for my own preferences. OOTB is perfect. I don't find quantity to be lacking on heavy electronic music, either. From 500 Hz down to 20 the NRA is better than BA10 in every way, at least for my ears. Even in terms of raw speed I don't hear a lot of difference. In terms of slam and impact, BA10 is doing well for a BA - certainly better than my old etys, which was just missing below 100Hz being a single driver.

Mids resolution is better on BA10 than NRA, but it doesn't really best the GK10, which I still hold as the reference for mids among my budget gear.

Reed instruments like oboe, clarinet, and bassoon all sound more natural in timbre on GK10 and the NRA than the BA focused sets of my KZ. There is speedier articulation than NRA in the mids but it's only by a hair and I have to really listen out for it. I also note than C12 and BA10 are virtually identical in upper mids and treble.

My go-to album for congestion tests is Mastodon's Crack the Skye. NRA pulls this off great without EQ. I was honestly shocked when I heard it the first time because I expected disappointment. GK10 was a huge fail but it's getting better after that coming to grips with source and tips. C12 stumbles big time. The 7mm just trips over the bottom end and lower mids. ZAX keeps up but is a bit looser than the NRA on the bottom end, but has more instrument separation in the mids. It's perfectly acceptable. The most boring thing about ZAX is its easy going competency. That leaves the BA10, which is "best" of all my sets on this album, but really it's just by a hair, and only due to the fast decay of the BAs. There's so much going on. Kick drum and bass pulls are a little soupy on the recording itself so the BA's are no problem there. The mids feel like there are 100+ tracks overdubbed into everything. It's a raucous affair to be sure with a ton of effects, parts, and even a few Yes-like odes to prog rock.

With EQ: NRA reclaims considerable amount of sound stage, guitars are blazing, somehow I can still hear every fill hit from the drums through a deafening mix of bass and rythm guitar. A big part of why I went for Heart Mirror is based on my experience with the new DD that shipped in the NRA. Can't wait to try them out. I'm also still waiting for more reviews to roll through for KBEAR's Aurora. There are a couple of stinker reviews on it that I think probably aren't doing it justice. Will wait and watch a bit.

The GD3A is up next on my list after getting a feel for the Mirrors.

I have eard the track on Spotify and I agree with you SpaceOperaVillain.

I made a comparison between KS10 pro, Melody and NRA.

NRA is the winner, second place for the Melody last one the KS10 pro.



Same think with this track, with the NRA you may ear the different skin set used on the drum.

 

[SpaceOperaVillain]

Your last sentence explains everything. NRA is not bad but the stock tuning is neither great nor worse. BA10 might not compete with a DD but it's still one of the best buys under $50 especially for an all BA set IMO. I can understand that you found them boring as KZ/CCA has also improved a lot since 2018 so it is understandable as well.

Definitely - I think it's still a solid recc and I'm not at all disappointed to have a copy; I'll be keeping them. If I wasn't clear earlier too I don't think that "BA bass" is really much of an issue with this set. It's nitpicking in the timbre; I notice it most in vocals and strings in chamber music. It's not wrong and it's not off, it's not inaccurate, its not unnatural. It's none of those things. It's still damned good, in fact. It's just missing that small something extra sweet around the edges of the notes. When I plug in GK10, that something is very obvious in the quality of a single sustained tone. It's not tonal balance or frequency response, but the best way I can describe it is that KZs strip any fuzz or harmonics off the edges of the notes themselves. It's very subtle and most people probably aren't going to notice it after brain burn in, but if I jump from BA10 to the bizarro-tech of the GK10's and the NRA, I hear it.

Caveat 1: even I have to listen hard to tell the difference.
Caveat 2: this is all subjective opinion on acoustic music that falls within my preferences.

Example track: Lou Donaldson's Autumn Nocturne. It just sounds better to me on the GK10 and NRA. I suspect this will also sound better on Heart Mirror's DD.




As for cost - that's a slightly different story. I paid 61 euro for the BA10 which made them a $70 set for me with VAT and shipping to the EU. The Heart Mirror was about 20 euros less; I found one for 42 euro ($48.69 as of right now).

I think you might like Heart Mirror because they're that good!

Indeed, I have high confidence that I'll enjoy these.

NRA is the winner, second place for the Melody last the KS10 pro.

I don't have KS10 Pro, but I think that big vee and recessed mids is going to hurt on a track like this for sure. I have a pair of wired Marshall Major II's that I think are probably similar to KS10 Pros. I wore them out. Those are an emergency pair now occupying a corner of the living room, but I spent enough time listening to them that the ear pads and sheathing on the wires are totally shot. Mastodon is terrible on those, too. Just no definition in the mids at all. Mids soup.

edit: just saw the vid you stuck in there! I'll have to check it out a bit later!