[kokakolia]

Since I can't seem to find my Marshall Mode earbuds anymore and my KZ ED7 got destroyed a long time ago in the washing machine,

I just (pre)ordered the KZ ZS6 on Banggood. They're "only" $46...so why not!? That's kinda expensive for KZs if you think about it...They better blow my mind!

Is anyone else hyped for the ZS6!?

(I also bought a case so that I won't lose my earbuds this time)

 

[Aevum]

they seem to have released their own foam tips, im curious
https://www.gearbest.com/headphone-accessories/pp_605421.html

 

[kokakolia]

So tried to do some research on the ZS6, and I haven't found much at all.

The ZS5 and ZS6 look virtually identical however. The major difference is that the ZS6 has an aluminum housing (VS plastic on the ZS5). The ZS6 also has a huge vent.

I can't help to wonder if the ZS6 is worth the extra $$ over the ZS5? We'll see...

 

[HiFiChris]

In fairness, very few people have the v2 yet and there have been a few very happy campers too.

I am starting to wonder if some of the widely varied opinions on the ZS5(v1) might be a wider swath of QC issues though...


Maybe combined with intentionally making them more source sensitive than they should be by picking a particularly insufficient cable material...

I'd rather address this to the u-shaped tuning with hollow-ish, distant mids. Certainly doesn't go well hand-in-hand with every genre and every taste although it is fun, quite well-made and mimics another popular in-ear's response to a relatively high degree.

 

[kokakolia]

I'd rather address this to the u-shaped tuning with hollow-ish, distant mids. Certainly doesn't go well hand-in-hand with every genre and every taste although it is fun, quite well-made and mimics another popular in-ear's response to a relatively high degree.

U-shaped tuning!? Yikes! that's not what I like! Especially not in IEMS, I should have read reviews first. Ah well, hopefully it won't be as catastrophic as the ED9. At this point, I don't know what to expect because I'm getting the ZS6 (not ZS5).

 

[HiFiChris]

U-shaped tuning!? Yikes! that's not what I like! Especially not in IEMS, I should have read reviews first. Ah well, hopefully it won't be as catastrophic as the ED9. At this point, I don't know what to expect because I'm getting the ZS6 (not ZS5).

One could actually also call it w-shaped due to the upper midrange/lower treble boost - but yeah, accentuated bass (sub-bass especially) and upper treble.

 

[vector84]

I'd rather address this to the u-shaped tuning with hollow-ish, distant mids. Certainly doesn't go well hand-in-hand with every genre and every taste although it is fun, quite well-made and mimics another popular in-ear's response to a relatively high degree.

Yeah I'm not trying to downplay that part of it...

But I also wonder if there's just like... glue where it doesn't belong and such

 

[Slater]

Can anyone give a comparison of the old gold tip ZS1 and the ZSE mostly in terms of bass but overall signature and quality too? I miss the stupid amounts of bass from the gold / non mesh ZS1

Here you go:

ZSE:

• Less bass quantity and quality vs the ZS1 v1
• Really big soundstage
• Has good clarity, but ZS1 v1 is better
• Microphonic, but can be swapped left to right and worn behind ear
• Has a good "balance" of ratio of bass to mids & treble, where the bass is clearly the star on the ZS1
• Can sound a little veiled on some tracks
• Can sound a bit grainy at times
• An amp improves the sound quite a bit

ZS1 v1:

• Boatloads of clean and deep bass (as you know)
• Clarity is better vs ZSE
• Slightly better resolution than ZSE
• Very good instrument separation - sounds less crowded than ZSE
• Has superior treble compared to the ZSE
• Microphonic, but already worn behind ear so it is what it is
• Amp doesn't really improve the sound (just the volume) - sounds pretty consistent with or without
• A little darker sounding than ZSE
• Mids are a little more recessed vs ZSE
• Has really nice memory wire (one of the best on any KZ I own)

Between the 2, I prefer the ZS1 v1.

Since the ZS1 v1 is so hard to find, you might consider either the ZS1 Mini or ZS3 with 'Slater mod' as options. They are a little closer to the ZS1 v1 (with regards to the bass you're looking for), although they're obviously not exactly the same sounding. You may try poking around on the for sale board, or even asking some Aliexpress sellers if they have any old stock left. That's how I got my backup pair of ZS1 v1,

Also, don't bother with the ZS1 v2 or the ZS2. I have both and neither sound nearly as good as the ZS1 v1.

If you are willing to try a non-KZ, I know the Boarseman KR49 is recommended here all of the time (and it's ridiculously cheap). You can read more about it here: http://www.aproear.co.uk/boarseman-kr49/

 

[Slater]

Im just wondering why the ZS5 is so divisive,

50% of people say its the best thing since sliced bread, the other 50% say its the worst thing to happen to audio since Beats.

Personaly, im liking them more then my Trinity Phantom Masters., (signature wise, the PM´s have slightly more detail)

More like 80%/20% from what I've seen (on here, Reddit, YouTube, etc).

 

[Slater]

Got inspired by the sweet ATE mods on this thread, so I decided to try my own. Popped off the covers and drilled the holes for the grills, then I sanded the cover thinner, to allow for the grill to lie flush with the surface of the IEM when reassembled. However, this meant that the cover would no longer fit due to the protruding brass cable mounts... so I just cut out a slot for them. Sorry if the picture's a bit unclear. With the slimmer profile they seem to sit a lot more comfortably in my ears.

Wow, nice job! Looks great

It didn't even dawn on me to thin down the cover. Because the gold ring on you and Coil's version looks really nice vs my stainless mesh. I might have to do this method with my spare pair of ATE ;0)

So the more important question is - how do they SOUND now?

 

[Slater]

they seem to have released their own foam tips, im curious
https://www.gearbest.com/headphone-accessories/pp_605421.html

They use those on the ATE.

I refer to them as "gel foams". They aren't really gels, and not really foams. It's like a slippery foam, like a regular foam tip was soaked in gel. Kind of hard to explain.

I personally don't use them (kind of meh). They don't fit on a lot of nozzles because they don't have a rubber sleeve - it's 100% foam. So they don't always stay securely on the nozzles depending on the IEM.

 

[Slater]

U-shaped tuning!? Yikes! that's not what I like! Especially not in IEMS, I should have read reviews first. Ah well, hopefully it won't be as catastrophic as the ED9. At this point, I don't know what to expect because I'm getting the ZS6 (not ZS5).

What don't you like about the ED9?

 

[Grieflar]

Just picked up my KZ Ate from the post office and man - they sound AWFUL! No bass or mids whatsoever, only some very sharp highs.

Tried them on my iPhone 6s where my Rock Zircon and Einsear T2 perform wonderfully!

Is there some easy newbie-mistakes I might be making with these? The fit snugly and everything

 

[Apputty]

Im just wondering why the ZS5 is so divisive,

50% of people say its the best thing since sliced bread, the other 50% say its the worst thing to happen to audio since Beats.

Personaly, im liking them more then my Trinity Phantom Masters., (signature wise, the PM´s have slightly more detail)

I too feel that it's better than phantom masters. Could be because of the sound signature or because phantom masters are so heavy that I am not getting it to stay in my ears.
Still zs5 is a fun sound signature I feel.

 

[-sandro-]

Still didn't what signature it has though some say balanced, some neutral, some vshapes, some U-shaped, some treble-centered...
Oh and don't forget some dull and some fun!