[young59]

That's what me and Slater been saying about 200 pages ago, the ZS3 are very source dependent ! Same thing with HAVI B3...bad source and people complain about how crappy they are, good source and they rave about their abilities.

I just received GGMM A1 portable amp, i will publish my review this week or next week. So far this thing is very powerful for it's size and price Will try them with ZS3 later on...

Yeah please do post the link once its done. Right now I am looking at the fiio Q1(mark 1) it has the best power output and it can function as both amp and Dac+Amp and will probably will be enough for the foreseeable future.

 

[Ynot1]

Hi think this cable looks really nice
New 2.5mm KZ ZS3 ZS5 Cable 2pin Silver Plated and copper Cable Earphone Upgrade Cable for KZ earphone KZ ZS3 ZS5
http://s.aliexpress.com/vU36R7Fz
(from AliExpress Android)

Seems pricey just for a 2.5mm jack. Granted diy route could be more expensive if you know what I mean.

 

[loomisjohnson]

Bought 2 Swing IE800 as gifts to replace the KZ ZS5s, as they weren't fans of over ears or had tiny ears. IE800 is tiny!!!!

I took advantage of giving the Swings a whirl and I didn't want to give them away hhaha. Much smoother and natural sounding without hard treble spike of the ZS5, but perhaps slightly less soundstage and detail (slightly! Did not have more than 10hours burn-in , if that even is a thing).
I'll definitely order a new Swing for myself as they're fun to listen to without harshness as some others have reported.

Swings got blacklisted as blatant copies but the KZ are doing the exact same thing...Not saying that that is ok, but they shouldn't be snubbed.

+1. the swing is an unsung gem--everyone who's gotten one seems to love it. i wouldn't think to compare it to the zs5, which is much bigger sounding, but it's nice to see them getting some recognition

 

[Ynot1]

Yeah please do post the link once its done. Right now I am looking at the fiio Q1(mark 1) it has the best power output and it can function as both amp and Dac+Amp and will probably will be enough for the foreseeable future.

Opting to skip Q1 MK II is leaving something left on the table. Going balance means getting on the train. But which train depends on the person.

 

[Podster]

Hi think this cable looks really nice
New 2.5mm KZ ZS3 ZS5 Cable 2pin Silver Plated and copper Cable Earphone Upgrade Cable for KZ earphone KZ ZS3 ZS5
http://s.aliexpress.com/vU36R7Fz
(from AliExpress Android)

What cracks me up about Woo's ad is he is offering a 2.5 Balanced tip cable and no where in this ad does it say this cable is balanced!

 

[Slater]

What cracks me up about Woo's ad is he is offering a 2.5 Balanced tip cable and no where in this ad does it say this cable is balanced!

Also in same ad he has a nice SPC cable for $19 11.11, but when you click the link to go to the product page, the 11.11 price is not $19, but ~25% higher.

 

[Podster]

Also in same ad he has a nice SPC cable for $19 11.11, but when you click the link to go to the product page, the 11.11 price is not $19, but ~25% higher.

Hmm, bait and switch?

 

[maxxevv]

Seems pricey just for a 2.5mm jack. Granted diy route could be more expensive if you know what I mean.

Yes but if one isn't DIY inclined thats just how costs go with things.

A KZ original upgrade cable + 2.5mm TRRS plug would be less than US$10/- DIY'ed if one has the tools and ability to do it.

 

[vector84]

I received a pair of ES3s as well and have really enjoyed them during the weekend, straight out of the box I'd say I like them more than the ZS6s (talking pure sound-sig here).
The only issue I'm having is what I can only assume is a horrible driver-flex on the left piece, at worst cutting out the DD completely. If I re position the ear-piece it comes back and sounds great.
Does anyone have any ideas what to do about it?

I don't have the ES3, so I don't know if/where it's driver vents are located. But on other similar models, it's located in front of the DD driver. In any case, sometimes they get clogged with glue from the factory, and you can use a sewing needle, thumb tack, or safety pin to check the vent hole (and clear it if necessary). Just be careful not to enlarge the hole over what it is now, or you'll cause a sound difference from side to side.

Here's what it looks like on the ZST (click photo for larger view):

Slater is spot on about what's wrong with them, but I feel the need to point out (and you can see something similar in those pics) that the ES3 has a fabric mesh covering the hole - this mesh is likely clogged with glue, causing flex (and elevated bass response), but you can't just punch it out to the size of the hole it covers - you will lose all bass if you do that (no, seriously, all bass on the ES3...).

I had a crude test setup to retune mine, but I can at least share what generally worked based off one (and only one) side being clogged this way for me:

Punching through the fabric and glue clog with a relatively thin sewing needle (much smaller than the actual hole in the plastic) came quite close to proper tuning. However I ended up punching it out too much, and having to cover the vent in some tape and punch a hole in the tape to get them tuned right.


Punching through a working unclogged mesh likewise dropped bass by an enormous amount btw... I did some tinkering with my ES3s

 

[Podster]

You know it's been over a year since the Head-Fi Mods banned this AliEx seller and I'm surprised no one has caught on that he just added the Woo in front of his old name! I'm pretty sure it was something like this that got him banned originally, iirc it was another AliEx seller that got mad and exposed some shenanigans like this I may not be 100% right on this but it was for shady dealings for sure. I know for a while the minute his name was mentioned you were cautioned by a Mod

 

[CoiL]

Guys, what is the consensus @ KZ HD9 ? I still haven`t tried it but it is tempting me with its price 5.2$ @ 11.11
Maybe going to try out HD9 with white shells and see if they are "improvement" to ATx line, if not, will open the guts.

 

[HerrWallen]

I don't have the ES3, so I don't know if/where it's driver vents are located

Yeah, the vent on the ES3 is pretty much in the same location, good to know that there is some remedy here.. I'll give them some surgery and hope that fixes it! Thank you for your detailed explanation!

the ES3 has a fabric mesh covering the hole

Are you talking about the vent or the nozzle? I can't see a mesh inside the housing at the vent atm, need better lighting for that.

 

[HerrWallen]

I can't see a mesh inside the housing at the vent atm, need better lighting for that.

@vector84 duh, ok I can see now exactly what you mean .. I'll go slow with a tiny needle Thank you!

 

[vector84]

@vector84 duh, ok I can see now exactly what you mean .. I'll go slow with a tiny needle Thank you!

If there's just glue in the hole itself you might just be able to clear it too, without punching through, but mine had a glue clog on the back side of the fabric.

 

[oyobass]

The M6 Pro is the most balanced of the group listed by a considerable distance. Both the Zs3 and Zst are V shaped and bass heavy. Having said that, the M6 pro I have sits in my drawer untouched and unused as it is quite possibly the most clinical, analytical, and outright boring headphone I own.

I own the M6 Pro, ZST and ZS5. In order of time spent using them, it is:

1) ZST- by a large margin (most fun sound signature, better isolation, better fit, stays in my ears better. Best for casual listening and monitoring in a live band situation.
2) ZS5- More detail, less bass. More recessed upper mids. Best (to me) for classical, ambient and acoustic music, anything that benefits from airy detail and enhanced soundstage
3) M6 Pro- Sits in the junk basket in the bathroom, with spare change, beard trimmer, fingernail clippers and extra speaker cable pin connectors. Used to be my go-to stage monitors but I was always disappointed by the sound and the way they fit my ears. Tried every tip they came with... the best fit I could get was with large New Bee foams turned backwards, but the seal and the fact that I always had to reseat them between/durring songs really killed any trust or enjoyment of them. On the bright side, I still use the nice case and shirt clip daily with my ZSTs. Soundwise, with a good (temporary) seal, they sounded okay, but with a lack of low bass and an upper mid/low treble spike that irritated me like fingernails on a blackboard. I really tried to like them and used them often before the KZs, but I'm glad they're on backup-to-the-backup status now.
As with anything, YMMV,etc.. We all hear things differently and form our own opinions. That is what makes this hobby so interesting...