No ADEL. W/ Universal I find that the pressure doesn't seem to build up as bad as the customs (I use comply tips) so didn't feel need for ADEL. and the bass is already light enough w/o ADEL for my tastes (slight V or L sig) so I'm thinking I wouldn't like that version. I'm hoping one of these new EE prototypes is like a Zeus with more bass haha
Congrats on your purchase. But before you sell it off (I saw your listing, good price), I sincerely hope you can give them more time.
I understand where you are coming from, as I have been there too. Similar to you, I came from IEMs with significantly more bass quantity - Westone UM3X, SE846, K10. They are all great, great IEMs and I really dig their sounds, especially their bass. And I listened to a wide variety of music, from western EDM to the oriental K-Pop, from Linkin Park and Muse's hysterical rock jams to the buttery smooth Chinese audiophile recordings. It was a leap of faith (or rather, an example of poor decision making) when I bought a second hand Zeus R universal. I didn't like the sound signature due to the lack of bass presence. As soon as I confirmed that the lack of bass is not due to eartip seal, I listed it on Headfi for sale.
However, as days went by, I found that where the bass quantity of Zeus was lacking, its bass details made up for it. It was something phenomenal for an ex "bass-quantity-head" like me. Hearing the nuances in the bass was a whole new level of enjoyment to me. It was not as significant an event as Columbus' discovery of the new world, but it was surely equally exciting to me. Maybe my taste changed, or call me fickle-minded, but I don't care, cuz whatever I was hearing, I loved it.
In the end, I sold the Zeus R universals anyway.
Because I ordered a custom pair.
Now 2 weeks into using the Zeus R as my daily driver (after extensive burning-in), I think that if Zeus' bass quantity was to be as high as that of, say, K10, it wouldn't fit so well into the overall transparent sound signature. Linkin Park's bass drum still blows with authority and slam. David Guetta's mixes still sound as lit as ever. Zeus R (non-adel) doesn't give me the closed-in, ultra-intense effect when I listen to EDM on Westone UM3X, but it definitely doesn't sound lean or open either. As I am writing this, I am listening to Secrets by Tiësto & KSHMR feat. Vassy directly from MacBook Pro. The synth leads and electronic snares sound sick AF and the house beats simply attacks my brain from all directions.
The Zeus R sound signature will slowly grow onto you. Trust me, or at least trust the effect of brain burn-in.
On a side-note, if you believe in cable rolling, try out the PlusSound Gold-plated-copper 4 braid. It increases the bass quantity by a significant margin. (Not my personal favourite though, as it smoothes out the sparkles of Zeus R.) Or perhaps the silver Agni cable made by Hans Sound (a Taiwanese company). It is a very warm silver cable that increases the midbass but slightly reduces instrument separation.
