[teesui]

Hi fellow Head-fiers,

This is my very first post here, but I am lurking in the KZ thread for more than a year hence I have collected some of the chi-fi iems like ATE, ZN1 mini, ED9, ED3c Acme, EDR1 & 2 and reviews of the ZS5 convinced me to get them from GB. It has been a while since I have ordered them, so I got v.1 with 1BA in the nozzle.

After +100 hours of the listening to the ZS5 (just a little burn-in, but I am not a true believer if u know what I mean) I have started to notify that it produces some kind of bloated bass without force of bass drum and also recessed mids with unnatural (maybe holographic is the right word) vocals. So a started to think that I have to give them away. The decision was made after one night - I am going to open it (grills, backs everything…). The one BA in the nozzle was closer to the grill on the left side than on the another side. No big deal since it wasn’t in contact with the grill. Anyway… I opened up backs and removed the inside tape (which preventing a socket contact with a smaller DD) mainly because it prevents driver from proper “breathe” in my case. Then I desoldered wires from the socket and soldered it back with use of heat shrink tubing. Inspirited by the ZS6 back vents I drilled backs from the ZS5 and used 3M car foil from the drawer on the flat area of the backs. Then glued tuning foam from VE Monks+ to inside of the backs and voilà ZS5 v1 modded.

Hearing test & some thoughts…

Mids are no longer recessed with more natural female vocals and also bass really kicks in with a precise of a hammer. The bass is definitely not overwhelming and bloated as before. The DDs needed to breathe properly, but unfortunately the shell was almost sealed off in the original design. Long story short the modded ZS5 v.1 produces nice open sound with better mids and more precise bass with higher dynamics as it supposed to.

Btw. In my modest opinion the mod itself can almost vanish the potential sound differences between ZS5 and ZS6. Metal shell could change sound purity but who knows… Time and reviews will tell… Cheers

Edit: links

Wow! Great work!

 

[TimeSnow]

It's like he doesn't even need Zs6.

Maybe he can mod the 6 to block the holes?

 

[Slater]

Maybe he can mod the 6 to block the holes?

And also move 1 of the BAs from the nozzle into the body next to the DD drivers haha

 

[ReBreaker]

Yay looks amazing.. I wanna try!

Glad to help!

And that's a really nice job! Impressive!

Wow! Great work!

Thanks guys! I appreciate that

 

[Fox2twenty]

Thanks guys! I appreciate that

Is the red stuff what you are calling 3M foil?

 

[Sylmar]

Interesting, I get hot spots with ZS5.. I can lay on my side work ES3.

Goes to show that not only tastes in sound differ, so do ear shapes. What a complicated hobby we have.

 

[Holypal]

Hi fellow Head-fiers,

This is my very first post here, but I am lurking in the KZ thread for more than a year hence I have collected some of the chi-fi iems like ATE, ZN1 mini, ED9, ED3c Acme, EDR1 & 2 and reviews of the ZS5 convinced me to get them from GB. It has been a while since I have ordered them, so I got v.1 with 1BA in the nozzle.

After +100 hours of the listening to the ZS5 (just a little burn-in, but I am not a true believer if u know what I mean) I have started to notify that it produces some kind of bloated bass without force of bass drum and also recessed mids with unnatural (maybe holographic is the right word) vocals. So a started to think that I have to give them away. The decision was made after one night - I am going to open it (grills, backs everything…). The one BA in the nozzle was closer to the grill on the left side than on the another side. No big deal since it wasn’t in contact with the grill. Anyway… I opened up backs and removed the inside tape (which preventing a socket contact with a smaller DD) mainly because it prevents driver from proper “breathe” in my case. Then I desoldered wires from the socket and soldered it back with use of heat shrink tubing. Inspirited by the ZS6 back vents I drilled backs from the ZS5 and used 3M car foil from the drawer on the flat area of the backs. Then glued tuning foam from VE Monks+ to inside of the backs and voilà ZS5 v1 modded.

Hearing test & some thoughts…

Mids are no longer recessed with more natural female vocals and also bass really kicks in with a precise of a hammer. The bass is definitely not overwhelming and bloated as before. The DDs needed to breathe properly, but unfortunately the shell was almost sealed off in the original design. Long story short the modded ZS5 v.1 produces nice open sound with better mids and more precise bass with higher dynamics as it supposed to.

Btw. In my modest opinion the mod itself can almost vanish the potential sound differences between ZS5 and ZS6. Metal shell could change sound purity but who knows… Time and reviews will tell… Cheers

Edit: links

Very impressed! You have good skills.

When my ZS6 arrive and if I'm not happy with it, I'll mod ZS5 as you did.

 

[Fox2twenty]

Very impressed! You have good skills.

When my ZS6 arrive and if I'm not happy with it, I'll mod ZS5 as you did.

Yay! In for comparo.

 

[CYoung234]

Hi fellow Head-fiers,

This is my very first post here, but I am lurking in the KZ thread for more than a year hence I have collected some of the chi-fi iems like ATE, ZN1 mini, ED9, ED3c Acme, EDR1 & 2 and reviews of the ZS5 convinced me to get them from GB. It has been a while since I have ordered them, so I got v.1 with 1BA in the nozzle.

After +100 hours of the listening to the ZS5 (just a little burn-in, but I am not a true believer if u know what I mean) I have started to notify that it produces some kind of bloated bass without force of bass drum and also recessed mids with unnatural (maybe holographic is the right word) vocals. So a started to think that I have to give them away. The decision was made after one night - I am going to open it (grills, backs everything…). The one BA in the nozzle was closer to the grill on the left side than on the another side. No big deal since it wasn’t in contact with the grill. Anyway… I opened up backs and removed the inside tape (which preventing a socket contact with a smaller DD) mainly because it prevents driver from proper “breathe” in my case. Then I desoldered wires from the socket and soldered it back with use of heat shrink tubing. Inspirited by the ZS6 back vents I drilled backs from the ZS5 and used 3M car foil from the drawer on the flat area of the backs. Then glued tuning foam from VE Monks+ to inside of the backs and voilà ZS5 v1 modded.

Hearing test & some thoughts…

Mids are no longer recessed with more natural female vocals and also bass really kicks in with a precise of a hammer. The bass is definitely not overwhelming and bloated as before. The DDs needed to breathe properly, but unfortunately the shell was almost sealed off in the original design. Long story short the modded ZS5 v.1 produces nice open sound with better mids and more precise bass with higher dynamics as it supposed to.

Btw. In my modest opinion the mod itself can almost vanish the potential sound differences between ZS5 and ZS6. Metal shell could change sound purity but who knows… Time and reviews will tell… Cheers

Edit: links

Nice work. One question: Were all of the drivers hooked up and working? There has been a lot of controversy over this, and it looks like you disassembled things clean enough to be able to see it....

 

[Toretoshark]

I've testet a few my zs5, sound is good but there are really uncomfortable, any tip of three fits or hold it, it's too big and heavy it moves affecting noise quality so if tips does not fit bass dissapears...I hope I can find a solution if not it will never replace my Xiaomi Hybrid....

 

[Superluc]

I have pair of kz zs6, Im a bit late to the KZ party. After buying a pair of zs5 that had a problem with a rattling driver in the left piece I asked to have them changed for the zs6. I'm liking them so far, I can say that they are pretty well balanced only if the fitting is tight, if its a bit loose the mid lows just go away and they become the famous "highs cannon" people talk about. Any questions about them?

What about comfort ? They are heavy ? From some pictures the shell seem a bit more thin than the ZS5's one, but may be the perspective.

Any harshness in the sound ? Aside high presence, do you feel some sibilance ?

 

[Fox2twenty]

What about comfort ? They are heavy ? From some pictures the shell seem a bit more thin than the ZS5's one, but may be the perspective.

Any harshness in the sound ? Aside high presence, do you feel some sibilance ?

All good questions

 

[westsenkovec]

What are the opinions on ZSE?
I bought them on sale because I didn't think they would stay cheap lol.
I don't like how they sound and I'm wondering if that's price related.

 

[SomeTechNoob]

nah all kzs drops in price pretty quick and stay there.

 

[BrunoC]

I've testet a few my zs5, sound is good but there are really uncomfortable, any tip of three fits or hold it, it's too big and heavy it moves affecting noise quality so if tips does not fit bass dissapears...I hope I can find a solution if not it will never replace my Xiaomi Hybrid....

Just do this and be happy.