[MrNurse]

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if its a new device, burn in might help, but i find the bass underwhelming using headphone out to the ZO2.3 when using a portable device. If i'm mobile, I exclusively use a Line Out Dock cable to the ZO2.3. the FiiO ones are $4 on Amazon.....you can get it in a day or two and be seeing the bliss soon. You may also wanna make sure your EQ settings are correct and that the volume on your iPhone is right. 


 

Really??? I'm going to be using my Clip+

 

[Posam]

Does anybody else pick up the radio while using it? It happens in specific spots sometimes around my campus.

 

[torrez15]

Quote:

if its a new device, burn in might help, but i find the bass underwhelming using headphone out to the ZO2.3 when using a portable device. If i'm mobile, I exclusively use a Line Out Dock cable to the ZO2.3. the FiiO ones are $4 on Amazon.....you can get it in a day or two and be seeing the bliss soon. You may also wanna make sure your EQ settings are correct and that the volume on your iPhone is right. 


 

alright thx i just ordered a LOD hopefully that clears it up

 

[kenman345]

Let me restate myself. with my iPod I don't use the headphone out and the ZO2.3. I have used it with my laptop and other more powerful devices and headphone out is just fine. Not sure how the Clip+ will turn out, but I'm sure you are not the only person to have one and maybe someone has some advice and experience with the ZO2.3 and that DAP
 
Quote:

Really??? I'm going to be using my Clip+

EDIT: 

alright thx i just ordered a LOD hopefully that clears it up

Your welcome and good luck. Give some more feedback when you get it and had some time to burn in your ZO2.3. I've put about 200+ hours on mine and had a 5 hour gap between classes today at college and spent about 3 hours listening to music with my iPod 7th Gen --(FiiO L1)---> ZO2.3 -----> NuForce NE-700X (w/ Comply TX series tips) and was in absolute heaven. A few times I had to stop moving around because people were looking at me when the music was too good to just sit still.
 

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

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... and was in absolute heaven. A few times I had to stop moving around because people were looking at me when the music was too good to just sit still.

THIS, this is exactly my experiences with using ZO2, I can barely sit still myself too when listening through the ZO and that's why I love these little things, cuz it's so engaging. It has happened that my parents sneaked up on me while listening and had this weird look, then I let them have a listen and they understand why. This is what SmartVektor sound does and why I like ZO so much.
 
Try listening to something like:

 
and it would be weird if you don't feel any urge to start dancing. ^^

 

[kenman345]

What bass contour level do you find you keep your ZO2 on for most music? I tend to stray a few levels up or down from when the ZO2 is mostly yellow. Obviously the needs of different songs require some changes to the contour for optimal preference along with each setup might require a different contour to get the same feel and sound, but I've been kinda curious about other peoples setup and what levels they mainly use. 
 
Quote:

THIS, this is exactly my experiences with using ZO2, I can barely sit still myself too when listening through the ZO and that's why I love these little things, cuz it's so engaging. It has happened that my parents sneaked up on me while listening and had this weird look, then I let them have a listen and they understand why. This is what SmartVektor sound does and why I like ZO so much.
 
Try listening to something like:

 
and it would be weird if you don't feel any urge to start dancing. ^^

EDIT: 
 

using right now along with iphone4 and pro 900 and its completely underwhelming.On high gain bass is nonexistent on the lowest contour and super muddy if i go to 1st/2nd contour. i do like what it does to the mids and highs but the muddy bass just ruins it for me. will this go away with time or will a line-out change it?

I wanted to add that I didn't specifically say how much burn in I did to my ZO2.3. After about 60+ hours I saw a huge difference to how it came from factory to how it performs now. Burn in definitely was a nice bonus to the amp for me.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

What bass contour level do you find you keep your ZO2 on for most music? I tend to stray a few levels up or down from when the ZO2 is mostly yellow. Obviously the needs of different songs require some changes to the contour for optimal preference along with each setup might require a different contour to get the same feel and sound, but I've been kinda curious about other peoples setup and what levels they mainly use. 

It heavily depends on headphone I use, I don't keep changing the contour level meanwhile listening to different songs as I always find one setting optimal, but yea I keep EQing my headphones to get bass, mids & highs balance just right. I've also kept using ZO2.1 with the headphones I like the most which is M-Audio Q40 at the moment as there's no hissing issues with this 64 ohm headphone and with this combo I find the contour level just before turning fully yellow (with a tiny tiny bit green tint in the yellow) to be perfect. With XB500 for example I'd only use the 2nd lvl though.
 

 

[kenman345]

 
Quote:

It heavily depends on headphone I use, I don't keep changing the contour level meanwhile listening to different songs as I always find one setting optimal, but yea I keep EQing my headphones to get bass, mids & highs balance just right. I've also kept using ZO2.1 with the headphones I like the most which is M-Audio Q40 at the moment as there's no hissing issues with this 64 ohm headphone and with this combo I find the contour level just before turning fully yellow (with a tiny tiny bit green tint in the yellow) to be perfect. With XB500 for example I'd only use the 2nd lvl though.
 

You own a ZO2.1 and 2.3? 

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

 
You own a ZO2.1 and 2.3? 

Yea, I won a ZO2.1 and bought 2.3. Also have ZO1!
 

 

[phrosty]

I've posted a long review of the ZO 2.3, pairing it with the Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro 80Ω, Superlux HD-668b, AKG K81 DJ, Etymōtic ER-6i IEMs, and Logitech Z-5300 speakers.

 

[MrNurse]

Do any of you notice a big change with burn-in on the ZO2?
 
I just received my ZO2 and the bass gain is definitely more than my E5 and there's more tactile feedback- the bass is more responsive, but the bass is much thinner sounding than with my E5. The sub-bass sounds like high bass and no longer vibrates my ears. It sounds like it's trying to force bass out of headphones that normally don't have much bass.
Right now I prefer my E5 by a pretty big margin with my Pro 900.
 
I'm using:
Clip+ > ZO2 > Pro 900.
 
It's the same story with my HFI-580's but not nearly as noticeable as with the Pro 900's.
 
 

 

[phrosty]

Quote:

Do any of you notice a big change with burn-in on the ZO2?

 
I've used my 2.3 for 20+hr and haven't noticed any burn-in. I haven't experienced any reduction in sub-bass, unless you mean the rolloff that occurs on the first one or two contours?

 

[MrNurse]

Quote:

 
I've used my 2.3 for 20+hr and haven't noticed any burn-in. I haven't experienced any reduction in sub-bass, unless you mean the rolloff that occurs on the first one or two contours?

I'm currently in the higher contours. I've been playing with different contour levels and different Bass settings on my Clip+ and the bass is just muddy and not hard hitting compared to my simple E5.
 
I expected it to sound much better being $75 more.

I'll give it some time, if not I'll have to go for an E11.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

I'm currently in the higher contours. I've been playing with different contour levels and different Bass settings on my Clip+ and the bass is just muddy and not hard hitting compared to my simple E5.
 
I expected it to sound much better being $75 more.

I'll give it some time, if not I'll have to go for an E11.

For me it was the opposite, I absolutely hated the E5 and thought it muddied up the mids so never ended up using it. The ZO2.1 needed some burn-in to sound good I remember basswise, it was overhelming at first but didn't experience lots of change in burn in with ZO2.3.
 
Are you using low gain mode btw? Sounds like you're in low gain based on "lack of punchiness". The high gain mode has more punch in the bass.

 

[MrNurse]

Quote:

For me it was the opposite, I absolutely hated the E5 and thought it muddied up the mids so never ended up using it. The ZO2.1 needed some burn-in to sound good I remember basswise, it was overhelming at first but didn't experience lots of change in burn in with ZO2.3.
 
Are you using low gain mode btw? Sounds like you're in low gain based on "lack of punchiness". The high gain mode has more punch in the bass.

Low gain and high gain doesn't make a difference for me in terms of bass quality.
 
To describe the bass, it sounds like you take very cheap headphones and try to boost the bass up. There's no impact, and it sounds like the drivers are straining.
 
Again, this is with my Clip+ > ZO2 > Pro 900.
Clip+ Bass EQ: 10-15 dB
 
With my iPhone 4S LOD > ZO2 > Pro 900 in high gain the volume does not get loud enough. It's the same story with low gain.
 
 
Could I have a defective unit? How could I even tell if it just sounds horrible with the Pro 900 or if my ZO2 is defective?
 
**I just switched back to my E5 Amp and for sure it sounds cleaner, punchy, and has 2-3x more impact. Of course I'd have to increase the Bass EQ on my rockbox by about 10 dB but the bass is much better. It sounds slightly muddier, but the bass sounds much more full.
Clip+ Bass EQ: 24 dB.