[AudioObsession]

+1.
and DC resistance of the removed BA, by using a multimeter, would also be interesting (we could know rough dynamic drivers resistance with that info).
i guess the 4 drivers in ZS5 are in parallel, no crossover. for instance, if dynamic drivers were 30ohm, and BAs are 14 ohm (which are realistic values), total DC Resistance would be 4.77ohm (close to 4.5ohm).

That was a bit harder to do because they are about the size of a grain of rice, but I was able to do it on one of the BAs and it read @
12.8 Ohms.

 

[AudioObsession]

Great job! Nice to actually know that KZ got their own BA drivers. Can't wait to see what more new stuff they have for us.

It's funny, but I can't even see the writing on those BAs because they are so darn small!
I mean, even under a fairly powerful magnifying glass I still cant see anything.. But in the super-macro view on my camera, I clearly read the KZ logo and the numbers:30095.. So I guess it is true that they make their own BA's...

 

[vector84]

@AudioObsession, @hakuzen,

Those numbers strongly suggest the v2 does indeed have a crossover, unless I'm missing something?

If they were just in parallel like the v1, ripping out that BA would've taken it to around 7.5, I think?

 

[djmakemynight]

@AudioObsession, @hakuzen,

Those numbers strongly suggest the v2 does indeed have a crossover, unless I'm missing something?

If they were just in parallel like the v1, ripping out that BA would've taken it to around 7.5, I think?

I believe there was a picture somewhere earlier in this thread that showed the guts of the ZS6 and it was agreed there was a crossover which the drivers were wired to.

I might have remembered wrongly so please feel free to correct me if I am wrong. I will try to see if I can dig up the picture.

Edit: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/kno...essions-thread.698148/page-1433#post-13721898

 

[djmakemynight]

It's funny, but I can't even see that writing on those BAs because that are so darn small!
I mean, even under a fairly powerful magnifying glass I still cant see anything.. But in the super-macro view on my camera, I clearly read the KZ logo and the numbers:30095.. So I guess it is true that they make their own BA's...

Yeah, that is an awesome camera you got there! Thanks for sharing the mod. It is always fun to see people mod stuff even though my heart is too weak to do it myself.

 

[AudioObsession]

@AudioObsession, @hakuzen,

Those numbers strongly suggest the v2 does indeed have a crossover, unless I'm missing something?

If they were just in parallel like the v1, ripping out that BA would've taken it to around 7.5, I think?

I would think so.. But that said; I forgot to measure them before I removed the BAs so I have no idea what they were before I violated them..

In all honesty, I never wanted to remove the BA's I just couldn't get them to sound good no matter what mod I tried..
I even tried pushing the BA's way down into the nozzle and that's when I discovered they were glued with rubber cement to the sides of the nozzles..
After I pushed one of the BAs too far inside the nozzle, I panicked because it was just rattling around in there..
So I decided to firmly (but carefully!!) remove the nozzle, unfortunately one of the BA's remained glued to the sides of the nozzle and so the wires broke on the BA when I removed the nozzle..
I thought I had ended them!
So, I figured I'd just cut the remaining wires from the removed BA so they wouldn't short on anything...
And when I put it together and plugged it in; it worked beautifully!

So I decided to do it to the other one (the right side)..

I decided to seat the remaining BAs back against the edge of the nozzles using 3M contact cement... I also put them back in a little deeper then factory spec, so I could get one or 2 of my micro foam discs on top of the BA in case I needed added sibilance filtering..
It was perfect!
I rarely find myself even using my EQ now.

Anyway sorry for the looong reply, I just wanted to give a few more details...

 

[AudioObsession]

I will try to see if I can dig up the picture.

Edit: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/kno...essions-thread.698148/page-1433#post-13721898

You know, I did remove the back plate on the left-side of my ZS5 V.2 but I cant remember if I could see the SMT style crossover in there or not..
Looking at that green ZS6 it does look very similar to the guts of my ZS5 V.2..
What if they both have the same guts with only different shells???

Unfortunately I super-glued the plate back on so I don't want to open it up again but maybe @hakuzen will be willing to do some "exploratory surgery" when he get's his ZS5 v.2??

 

[HiFiChris]

Once again, amazing reply and spot on. After hearing this, I might get a pair of B 100 myself, but from you're reviews I think b200 is where the games at (even though that's 150$)

I agree that sound can be very subjective and I'm quite happy with the zs5 and their performance on quick tracks like edm and pop. I think I would love the brainwavz b - series lineup as well, due to their natural tonality (for Jaz of some mellow music I listen to often)

I also find it very interesting how you evaluate the apple ear pods. Tbh almost everyone just hate them because they are made by Apple. Me personally tho, I hold no opinion. I don't use earbuds at all, and the shape of the apple pods make my ears hurt, but they aren't bad at all. I just prefer iems over earbuds in general

I was reading you're yin yooo zw and pennon bs1 review, and I was surprised you didn't compare them much with the monks. Maybe I was thinking I should give the monks a try since they are dirt cheap, but dunno if the new monks+ are worth it over the older ones.

Cheers meeting you again, I'm trying to make a list of good iems under 50 and maybe 1 over 100. Wanna see what I can buy during the 11.11 sales, any recommendations you have? Any iems you think are amazing at the 50 range you would recommend?

Yeah, the B200 is kind of the logical step up from the B100 - and still cheap given its technical abilities. Don't know if the updated version with removable cables differs from the older one in terms of sound (maybe due to a slightly different acoustic enclosure), but definitely and easily worth the money.

- - -

If you get the ZS5 or ZS6 (whose metal shells are by the way excellent when it comes to build and finish), definitely think about investing in one of the cheap KZ upgrade cables since the stock mic cable is more or less garbage (not really flexible and stuff).

- - -

Yep, I don't hate the EarPods at all. And I'm neither an Apple fanboy nor hater. For their price and with that excellent remote control unit, the EarPods are definitely not a bad choice at $30. Certainly not perfect though with their lower treble/upper midrange spike and there are better Chi-Fi options when it comes to earbuds solely for listening to music, but for casual commuting or sports, the EarPods are not a bad deal. And they fit comfortably, too.

The reason why I don't really compare most earbuds with the Monk + earbuds is because they are honestly not all that great. Good deal for $5 and with a quite tight bass and really nice build quality, however their sound is nothing special. Tuning is not that dissimilar from the EarPods, however the Monk + earbuds are on a lower level when it comes to technical performance. By the way, some time after purchasing the Monk + earbuds, I gave them a full review (written in German but with a Google Translate widget option below the status bar). You can check it out here [http://kopfhoerer-lounge.blogspot.com/2016/05/VE-MonkPlus.html] if you want.

- - -

The Earmax ER580 are a cheap single-BA option for a fairly neutral, UE600-like sound with good performance (however with a roll-off towards the sub-bass that is however more than acceptable given the low price), the Fostex TE-02 and its Pioneer twin are great budget options for neutral and technically very capable dynamic driver IEMs, and last but not least the Fidue A65 is a nicely balanced (but can also be bassy, depending on how much its vent is covered by your ears) in-ear that is heading into the darker direction, with a small but precise soundstage.

 

[young59]

I do have the ZS5 v2 and a cheap multimeter I can try to provide the dc resistance but somebody has to tell me what to measure.

 

[vector84]

I do have the ZS5 v2 and a cheap multimeter I can try to provide the dc resistance but somebody has to tell me what to measure.

(one lead to left -top part- or right -center part-, one lead to ground -bottom part- of the 3.5mm jack). this also would confirm if it has a crossover.
v1 measured 4.5ohm this way. if it had a crossover, measurement should be around 14.2ohm (like ZS6).

Unless something really strange is going on, it will probably be around 14.
Left or Right to Ground: (mic'd cables should be CTIA)

And unless the ZS5v2's impedance differs significantly from the ZS6, adding resistance might be an option as per the ZS6 ??

 

[djmakemynight]

You know, I did remove the back plate on the left-side of my ZS5 V.2 but I cant remember if I could see the SMT style crossover in there or not..
Looking at that green ZS6 it does look very similar to the guts of my ZS5 V.2..
What if they both have the same guts with only different shells???

Unfortunately I super-glued the plate back on so I don't want to open it up again but maybe @hakuzen will be willing to do some "exploratory surgery" when he get's his ZS5 v.2??

AFAIK, the conclusion was that there is no crossover in the ZS5, at least for the version 1 with only 1 BA in the nozzle. Only the ZS6 is known to have it at this point.

 

[young59]

Well I got interesting results my multimeter wires have a resistance of 1 ohm so subtract those from the calculation.But the interesting part is Left and right channel showing diffrent resistance. Probably means something wrong with my pair.

 

[vector84]

Well I got interesting results my multimeter wires have a resistance of 1 ohm so subtract those from the calculation.But the interesting part is Left and right channel showing diffrent resistance. Probably means something wrong with my pair.

If you hear a significant channel imbalance, there might be something wrong, otherwise they might just be on either end of tolerances.

Sure looks like there's a good chance the ZS5v2 and ZS6 are pretty much the same internals in different shells ?

 

[young59]

If you hear a significant channel imbalance, there might be something wrong, otherwise they might just be on either end of tolerances.

Sure looks like there's a good chance the ZS5v2 and ZS6 are pretty much the same internals in different shells ?

So does that mean I don't have to spend an entire day researching before buying a dac+amp/amp?

And Can I just add resistance in series instead of making a voltage divider?

 

[vector84]

So does that mean I don't have to spend an entire day researching before buying a dac+amp/amp?

And Can I just add resistance in series instead of making a voltage divider?

Yup, that's what it should mean unless something very strange is going on that I'm missing.