[bsoplinger]

…
Just a question if I may..
Does anybody knows where to find some XL eartips that fits my ZS6? I really don't like foam, never tried gel. the best would be 14mm or more... My ear canal is apparently like Falcon heavy stage one.

Hope this helps, and thanks for any help for my tips!

V

I assume you've tried the included KZ Starline tips. You got 3 pairs total, M already on the ZS6 shell and a S and L in a plastic pouch. The KZ Starline L aren't as noticeably larger than the M compared to other brands ear tips but if you put them side by side you can see that the body of the L is more bulbous and does indeed take up more room in the ear.

If those are too small you may have to go with foamies to get a decent seal. About the only larger size I know about but have never actually seen are the JVC Spiral Dot ones. And those basically require ordering then shipping from Japan. There are a few sellers on Amazon and eBay that order in a lot and sell them for more than the direct from Japan price but usually not too much more. But they come in 5 or 6 sizes so the more quickly delivered ones vary based on who knows what reason the domestic sellers chose whatever size they have.

 

[Strat Rider]

Nice experiment there

I've tried every method imaginable for enameled wire. The method which I've found works best is to separate the colored wires and get any kevlar/nylon strands out of the way. Then hit it with a lighter to burn off the enamel, blowing it out before it burns down too low. Then take a regular uncoated aspirin tablet (old school aspirin; not Tylonol or Advil). Set the end of the wire on the aspirin tablet, and heat it (right on the aspirin tablet) with the soldering iron for 2-4 seconds. The arpirin will melt in that spot and turn into a brown liquid. Do it in a well ventilated areas (or use a vapor hood), because the vapors that come off the aspirin tablet will make you choke. Anyways, the aspirin cleans the end if the wire and you will be able to tin the wire easily. You can save the aspirin tablets and reuse them dozens of times (the brown burnt part is perfectly fine, because when it cools it recrystalizes). I just keep them in my soldering toolbox in an empty pill bottle for reuse later.

I assume the aspirin is acting like the "acid core" in flux core wire, cleaning the oxidation and carbon deposits off. Anyways, I've been doing it this way for years and it works awesome. I'll never go back to all of the other methods I used to use.

In high volume factories they just dip it in solder pots and knock it all out in 1 step, but that's totally overkill at the volume I solder at.

@Slater, you may not be the master of disguises, but you have so many tips and techniques, you appear to me as the ieMacGyver .
I always wondered how I could rewire some tossed-in-a-box in ears I have. No wonder I gave up on enameled wire, My lame soldering techniques, were uh....lame?

Thank You

 

[Strat Rider]

I would agree if you were talking about ZS5 v2s. But v1s are infinitely better.

+1, I also have both, and, I fear wearing out the ZS5 v1.
OTOH my cat will have an easier time finding my ZS5 v2. (They gave up their case for a pair of ZS-6)

 

[Crumblenaut]

Does anybody knows where to find some XL eartips that fits my ZS6? I really don't like foam, never tried gel. the best would be 14mm or more... My ear canal is apparently like Falcon heavy stage one.

Hope this helps, and thanks for any help for my tips!

V

The only tips i've found big enough for me are the pretty expensive Spiral Dots mentioned by bsoplinger above, and these:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/White-Noise-Isolating-Silicone-Earphone-Earbud-Tip-In-Ear-Cover-100-Pcs/162959127774?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649
Rather cheap at £4.36 for 50 pairs, and these work better on my ZS5's than the Spiral Dots do.

 

[oyobass]

Hi people, Just got my pair of ZS6, I am new to KZ brand so I will just post here my first impressions after one hour of listening.

My previous Iems are:
Monoprice 8320, absolutely love them but they are uncomfy, dated and technology is now one step over them.
Xiaomi Hybrid HD pro, Good clarity but totally no deepness. garbage for my ears. sent back to amazon.
Panasonic 5 dollars miracle, good but really really cheap. and dated as well.
MEElectronics M6 pro, super comfy, light, small, sound good but can't feel half of the middle frequencies.

So I decided to buy those new ZS6.

After playing a bit, I realized how good they are in responding to EQ. You rise bass and bass is rising. powerfull middle freq and boomy when needed. I am actually kind of basshead, I was a bit scared about many reviews about the high freq pitching a lot but, IMHO, I didn't find so much of a problem in those frequencies. The highs are clear and defined, but not problematic or hear fatiguing. they actually respond less to eq but i guess is normal.
They are now burning some hours of general music at 50% volume level so I'll see how they will change tomorrow and the next days.
Definitely a good buy for the price.. I decided to get them on amazon in case I did not like them and I paid 42 euros.. a bit more than the average but you know amazon service. Can't really complain about the sound quality, I like them.
On the other side, the box, the tips and the cable are absolute garbage.
Cables, bluetooth device and more tips are on their way from china. didn't need amazon reliability for those.

Just a question if I may..
Does anybody knows where to find some XL eartips that fits my ZS6? I really don't like foam, never tried gel. the best would be 14mm or more... My ear canal is apparently like Falcon heavy stage one.

Hope this helps, and thanks for any help for my tips!

V

I feel your pain. Every silicone tip I use won't seal and/or just falls out of my ears, especially on the relatively heavy ZS6.

On most IEMs I've tried the only thing that works is foams, most of the time turned around backwards on the nozzle to get enough diameter to make a good seal.

If you do find anything, report that treasure back here, please. TIA!

 

[Slater]

Seems like the ZSE was unburied lately... I got curious about the latest impressions and went to pick my ZSE that has been in the "KZ drawer" since last autumn and rocked them all day yesterday.

These are weird curious little IEMs. I find them dependent of everything. Tip dependent, source dependent, mood dependent, musical stile dependant... I get a lot of mixed feelings about them, really.

When I got them, I went to pick them up at the mail station and tried them with their standard tips (the black starline) and with the Benjie S5, and out of the box I found them great. Fantastic mids, good aggressive punch but not as strong as the double dynamics suggested, smooth but accurate treble, rolling off in a close signature to the original ATE. I thought I had an updated version of the good old ATE (I really love the old first version ATE) in my hands. Got home, connected them to the FiiO x3II and... the magic is gone... . To a Topping portable amp, and... nothing to write home about. Listened to various musical styles and the same dull sensation. Tip Rolled them and with foams the good mids were gone. I don't remember more details, but I got unimpressed with them...

Yesterday I used them with the very same settings, black starlines, Benjie S5 with Flac files, and hey, they're good. Tried them on my phone (Honor 8, nothing special), and... they're rubbish. Tried them on my DIY desktop amp (Grado clone), and they're bad. Same tips, same files...

See, when they are on they're best behaviour, they excell the old ATE. But the ATE plays with everything you throw at them, considering you have the right wide bore tips. The ZSE does not.

You know, believe it or not I played with them the whole day a few days ago (based on the ZSE talk a few days ago). I basically came to the same conclusion as you. I havent't found a tip or source combination where they consistently sound the same. They are ridiculously temperamental; like a 2 year old child. Sometimes sweet, sometimes lovable, sometimes not nice at all.

I also found that they are very insertion sensitive. At 1st I thought there was a ~25% channel imbalance. I reinserted them and they were perfectly balanced. Then a little bit later they were out of balance again, but this time the other side. I changed tips and they were perfect again. Even turning my head or moving my mouth can cause them to do odd things. The most consistent insertion I got was using foams, because once you have them inserted they stay 'locked' in place. But the sound isn't as good with foams.

I finally got fed up with them and put them back in the 'drawer of forgotten IEMs'.

It's sad though, because when they sound good they sound good. But it's like a random lottery if and when they are going to sound good. I would rather just use an IEM with a consistent IEM (like the ATE as you mentioned).

Note: I think what may be happening is there is a pressure buildup (while moving around, turning my head, etc), and it's causing resistance on 1 or both of the drivers. I may make a very small vent hole near the nozzle to reduce any pressure effect.

 

[Daniel Gur]

its April, still waiting for a new kz release

Edit: wait, seems like they have a ZS10 presale on gearbest
https://www.gearbest.com/earbud-headphones/pp_1707254.html

 

[Storyteller]

I've been trying ZSE today again. They have a strange shape but somehow has decent isolation from exterior sounds using foam tips. I would not dare to use silicon tips wearing them outside. Those things dance and fall from your ears so easily. Anyway I tend to use foam tips outside home for better isolation and to stick the IEM in place.
The foam tips (New Bee M regular ones) don't really fit in the nozzle, so I push them to the end of the plastic canal. That may change the sound a bit, improve the fit and put them closer to the ear so isolation is better, but it feels weird, like I'm "holding it wrong".
These are really strange IEMs. But they still sound bizarrely good to my ears compared to Swing IE800 and ZS3 (Shiny model + Slater mod + premium cables). Of course they don't compete with the rest of 15-30€ favourites, but I bought them for 3€ in a Flash Sale + Points.
Yes, they are very weird.

 

[handwander]

Some non renders. Interesting look.

 

[Makahl]

@Slater Do you have any trick to remove the left/right tags from ZS3? I've tried using alcohol isopropyl and acetone but neither of them could remove it. I remember the ZST was really easy to remove it using isopropyl though.

 

[Adide]

About proper fitting, cable matters as much as the right tip.

I very much like around the ears type because I mainly use iems while comutting and this style is more secure.

I ilke memory wire and recently got a cable with preformed tubes instead of metal inserts. They are incredible in achieveing the proper fit, the iem just snaps right in. Also shirt clips and chin straps can aid in holding cables down and secure a proper position.

Don't forget these details when looking for the best fit.

 

[Slater]

I'm happy with the the ZS5 after my simple mod.

What mod?

 

[Slater]

@Slater Do you have any trick to remove the left/right tags from ZS3? I've tried using alcohol isopropyl and acetone but neither of them could remove it. I remember the ZST was really easy to remove it using isopropyl though.

I buffed mine off using plastic polish. You have to cover the vent holes, nozzle, and cable plug jacks so no polish gets in them.

 

[Slater]

Hey KZ-aholics, have you got QKZ sets as well? What do you think of them?

I have two:
- QKZ DM1 is good for the money (€4). Very mid centered, although with a very very tight soundstage.
- QKZ DM9 are so-so, even for €6. Very dark, the bass can become overwhelming and the IEM loses it with complex pieces.

What are your thoughts?

I have a number of QKZ. I think they are all very mediocre with the exception of the W1 Pro and DM200.

 

[Viber]

What mod?

Foam around BAs