[Slater]

I just found the KZ IE80 for sale on AlieExpress and is it worth buying?

I thought this was discontinued years ago?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Ori...lgo_pvid=a8c1b343-9ac8-4a74-96b1-4144584f1854

Sorry for the super long link.

Also like the EDR1 that Slater posted 2 posts up, are they still worth buying just for a pair of backup earphones considering I already have a bunch of KZ's?

It’s just old stock. And really only worth getting from a collectibility standpoint. KZ has come a looooong way since the IE80.

 

[Mellowship]

I have two ZS5v1 and would only sell one for no less than $100.

So, now we have at least 5 of them in the same town.

 

[Mellowship]

It’s just old stock. And really only worth getting from a collectibility standpoint. KZ has come a looooong way since the IE80.

I myself like them a lot, but they are not worth that price when compared to other IEMs. 15 - 17 would be the maximum I'd pay for them, considering they are not for every ears, they have a strange fitting, the lack of sub bass, problems with the polarity of the cable (kz being kz...). But their mids are great, soundstage is wide, the bass adjustment screws do work, and they are quite enjoyable.
I still use mine from time to time.

 

[Mellowship]

Still not true. The codecs are available baked into Android, but the hardware itself does not support it. The A2 lite is an Android One/Project Treble phone. There are options in my Snapdragon 821 Pixel for LDAC, however the Snapdragon 821 does not support it. Qualcomm based SoC's will not support Sony's LDAC. Snapdragon 835/845 also do not support LDAC, but do support aptX and aptX HD, however, these chips are only in very high end phones.

The Honor 9 is unique in that it does have a bunch of hardware supported codecs, however most Android phones do not.

My Honor 8 (kirin 950) has all bt options since the Oreo update, and when I chose aptx from the developer menu, it will keep that choice with aptx devices. It only reverts to sbc when I connect something that is not aptx, like the kz bt cable. With my AKG Y45BT, which is one of the oldest headphones with aptx, that selection will activate. Is it possible that I'm not getting aptx even when the software tells me that I am? Is the system fooling me?

 

[Slater]

I myself like them a lot, but they are not worth that price when compared to other IEMs. 15 - 17 would be the maximum I'd pay for them, considering they are not for every ears, they have a strange fitting, the lack of sub bass, problems with the polarity of the cable (kz being kz...). But their mids are great, soundstage is wide, the bass adjustment screws do work, and they are quite enjoyable.
I still use mine from time to time.

Also the AT style cable is very fragile and breaks easily.

 

[Mellowship]

Also the AT style cable is very fragile and breaks easily.

Mine didn't have the chance to break, never used it for more than 10 minutes until figuring the polarity issue. Dreadful cable... Had to put the shells aside while waiting for a third party one to come in the slow boat from China. Even with all these drawbacks I could not quit the IE80. And yes, I love my '93 Corolla...

 

[mbwilson111]

Sorry for the super long link.

What we are supposed to do with those super long links is remove everything after the .html

 

[sino8r]

My Honor 8 (kirin 950) has all bt options since the Oreo update, and when I chose aptx from the developer menu, it will keep that choice with aptx devices. It only reverts to sbc when I connect something that is not aptx, like the kz bt cable. With my AKG Y45BT, which is one of the oldest headphones with aptx, that selection will activate. Is it possible that I'm not getting aptx even when the software tells me that I am? Is the system fooling me?

The only way it SHOULD do that is if you are connected, you select the option, and it reverts back. At least that's what it does in developer options. Sometimes they are greyed out depending on the device.

 

[Mellowship]

The only way it SHOULD do that is if you are connected, you select the option, and it reverts back. At least that's what it does in developer options. Sometimes they are greyed out depending on the device.

With the AKG, I can select from sbc, aac and aptx. When I toggle between them I'll ear a beep on the headphones. The other codecs are not greyed out but I can't choose them. Once I chose aptx, it will keep it steady.
With the kzs, only sbc and aac are possible.

 

[sino8r]

With the AKG, I can select from sbc, aac and aptx. When I toggle between them I'll ear a beep on the headphones. The other codecs are not greyed out but I can't choose them. Once I chose aptx, it will keep it steady.
With the kzs, only sbc and aac are possible.

That does sound strange. I wonder if you tried a different source if it would show then?

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

How do you like the ZSA? I see they are sold for around $15 but no one is talking about them here.

Don't hang in there for a coupon code, order the ZSN if you want them.

I really like the ZSA, it's too bad they don't get as much love around here as they should. I think the 'problem' with them is that they are the middle child in the KZ lineup. I have three IEMs in my daily rotation: ES3, ZSA and ZS5. In terms of over all sound quality ZS5 is my favorite, I like the soundstage/deep bass and detailed treble but it can get fatiguing. The ES3 is more chill in terms of sound, it fits better and it's more isolating. It has a smoother sound and I sometimes wear them all day. The ZSA slots right in the middle...it's closer in sound to the ZS5 (I think of it as my mini ZS5) bass/treble/soundstage are similar just scaled back a bit in every regard. (soundstage I think is noticeably better on the ZS5, but on a daily driver IEM that's the last thing on my list of concerns)
I like their small size, (it's pretty tiny for an IEM of this type) they are easy to put on, comfortable, and they stay in place relatively well. In terms of form factor/ergonomics, it's right in the middle of the three.
In the best way possible, it's the middle child of my three IEMS...sounds better than the ES3, not quite as good as the ZS5, fits better than the ZS5, not as good as the ES3...if I could only have one iem out of the three, it would probably be the one I keep...but I 'like' the other two more...maybe?

 

[khighly]

My Honor 8 (kirin 950) has all bt options since the Oreo update, and when I chose aptx from the developer menu, it will keep that choice with aptx devices. It only reverts to sbc when I connect something that is not aptx, like the kz bt cable. With my AKG Y45BT, which is one of the oldest headphones with aptx, that selection will activate. Is it possible that I'm not getting aptx even when the software tells me that I am? Is the system fooling me?

I don't know about the Honor 8, but what you're describing sounds like expected 8.0+ behavior. aptX should stay on in developer options when an aptX capable device is connected with an aptX capable phone. It will change back to another codec after awhile if it's not the right codec.

The device has to have bluetooth circuitry capable of streaming high bit rates, many cannot do LDAC because of its high bitrate, some cannot even do aptX. While the codecs are software, hardware is required to stream at high bitrates. I imagine every BT 5.0 device will be capable of all current codecs, though the licensing will be necessary.

 

[B9Scrambler]

I understand your comparison, but isn't it off? When are people passionate about Toyota's? They sure are passionate about the ZSN...

Tons of people are passionate about Toyotas. Here's one you might know of. Corolla Levin AE86; https://www.carthrottle.com/post/this-is-why-the-toyota-ae86-is-so-damn-legendary/

My personal fav is the 2nd gen Celica Supra. This late '85 I owned very briefly (and the '98 Corolla you can barely see as well, which stuck around in our family for a looooong time):



Had some uncommon features like a fully digital dash and some other cool stuff. Unfortunately that bit of rust bottom of the rear fender was just a small sample of the rot going on beneath the interior panels in the rear . Too costly to save. One day I'll find another one in better condition. Hard to get in Canada though. Thank you government and their love of salting roads...m*******s.

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

Tons of people are passionate about Toyotas. Here's one you might know of. Corolla Levin AE86; https://www.carthrottle.com/post/this-is-why-the-toyota-ae86-is-so-damn-legendary/

My personal fav is the 2nd gen Celica Supra. This late '85 I owned very briefly (and the '98 Corolla you can barely see as well, which stuck around in our family for a looooong time):



Had some uncommon features like a fully digital dash and some other cool stuff. Unfortunately that bit of rust bottom of the rear fender was just a small sample of the rot going on beneath the interior panels in the rear . Too costly to save. One day I'll find another one in better condition. Had to get in Canada though. Thank you government and their love of salting roads...m*******s.

a good friend of mine had a Celica Supra back in the late 80s and I had an 87' Sirocco ...between the two I liked mine better, it felt more planted and seemed to like to be pushed harder...but the Celica Supra is a forgotton gem.

 

[B9Scrambler]

a good friend of mine had a Celica Supra back in the late 80s and I had an 87' Sirocco ...between the two I liked mine better, it felt more planted and seemed to like to be pushed harder...but the Celica Supra is a forgotton gem.

Supra wasn't really a performer. Too long and heavy. More of a cruiser Siroccos were pretty boss. There are a few kicking around here still.