[Podster]

my ZSN(purple) just arrived a couple hours ago, and first impressions... not impressed.

swapped out the tips to foam since its i dont like silicone,
comfort is fine, not as comfortable as the es4 though,
my main criticism is that the vocals, claps, cymbals & saxophones felt a bit too forward or harsh for my taste
and because it has vent holes everywhere, i can hear the wind whistling (like when you cover your ears with only 3 fingers albeit quieter) though you wont hear it once the music starts playing
the bass is about the same compared to the es4 & stronger than the zs6, its also a pretty loud iem too, which makes it easy to drive
imaging is comparable to es4 & soundstage feels wider than the es4, the es4 is a very intimate sounding iem for me
and thats about it really, for now i dont really like it, it just feels average... maybe because i havent burn them in enough or its just not my sound profile, personally i prefer the es4 compared to the zsn

if i want to be even more unfair, i compared it to the V80, and this thing just get steamrolled by it in every single way (except the design)
i might make a new impression after i burn it in for a whole week

Three suggestions!

1. Keep Tip Rolling

2. 90+ hours burn moderate volume

3. Knowing the efficiency and lean to brightness use a tad less VU

If that does not bring them around for you I'd suggest staying away from any bright signatures I'll agree on the looks take for sure

 

[DocHoliday]

You are so right B9, IMHO they were putting out iem's so fast that no one really stopped to take in the ATR and all it's capabilities Now keep in mind this is just the Pods ears but ATR was a reinvented ATE with a smoothed out response in all areas. I use mine for so many things outside the house, Lawn work, Gym and shopping errands for the Mrs. They are a diamond in the plethora of lost KZ's IMO and if anyone who likes the basic KZ sound signature should sure pick a pair up

Today or rather this morning I'm enjoying me some Floyd on still my fave KZ I know we all hear them differently and YMMV on my fave

Top Pocket Party goin' on

Forgot how much I loved the ATR. And, it sounds even more AMAZING out of this Zishan DSD brick. I don't think I've ever heard it sound so full and robust.

+1 and +1.

I've always considered the ATR one of the greatest of sleepers in the KZ pantheon just like the HDS3, EDR1 and ED3 "Perfection".



The ATR is difficult to find through a reputable seller. It can be done but stock is depleting and once they're gone.......

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/knowledge-zenith-atr-in-ear-monitor.23032/reviews



Some KZ's grab you by the collar with a smile and say "let's have some fuuuuunnnnn!!!!"

The ATR stands nearby, looks down to the ground then looks out to the horizon and says to you "what should we do today?"

 

[DocHoliday]

*** edit ***

stupid "smart"-phone!!!

 

[Podster]

*** edit ***

stupid "smart"-phone!!!

LOL, ROTFLMAO May have even spit a little coffee on my keyboard

Almost forgot to mention I love that shot with your matching tips and guides DocNot too mention anyone who finds a pair out there that store probably owes you a locators fee

 

[Dobrescu George]

@eclein it's your dreaded...Fungus amungus!

Fungus Amongus?

Any Incubus fans around here?

 

[gbrgbr]

Can now confirm the A-paragraph cable fits the ZSA.

Wow, so KZ supplied a angled A-paragraph cable with the ZSA !

It's actually quite difficult to find a A-paragraph KZ Type-C cable right now. Guess the ZZ5 and ZS6 owners have snapped them up

Since I intend using the ZSA with my computer I was wondering if a cheapo PCM2706+ES9023 USB DAC would be a better option?

 

[Danfish98]

Fungus Amongus?

Any Incubus fans around here?

More of a S.C.I.E.N.C.E. fan but love me some old school Incubus. A shame the new stuff is so lacklusterlackluster in comparison.

 

[Danfish98]

Wow, so KZ supplied a angled A-paragraph cable with the ZSA !

It's actually quite difficult to find a A-paragraph KZ Type-C cable right now. Guess the ZZ5 and ZS6 owners have snapped them up

Since I intend using the ZSA with my computer I was wondering if a cheapo PCM2706+ES9023 USB DAC would be a better option?

Personally I find the KZ USB C cables to be rather bright. For the less bright options like the ES4 or ZS10 it's great. Turns the ES4 into a detail monster and I'll evaluate the ZS10 as well if I can handle the awful fit for long enough to form an opinion. As for the ZSA, I don't like what it does to the sound at all. The ZSA treble is already borderline and this cable/DAC crosses it over into the sibilant territory.

 

[Zerohour88]

my ZSN(purple) just arrived a couple hours ago, and first impressions... not impressed.
comfort is fine, not as comfortable as the es4 though,
my main criticism is that the vocals, claps, cymbals & saxophones felt a bit too forward or harsh for my taste
and thats about it really, for now i dont really like it, it just feels average... maybe because i havent burn them in enough or its just not my sound profile, personally i prefer the es4 compared to the zsn

lucky KZ makes the ES4 for people who might like a different sound sig then. Funny that the forward mids are my fav parts of the ZSN (due to my love for earbuds).

Is the AS10 being super sensitive to noisy source a common observation? I have an ES4 and an AS10, and use them on my Samsung Galaxy S9. I can't really fully enjoy the AS10 with songs that have parts of it being low volume (Within by Daft Punk being my go-to example, but podcasts in general will exhibit the hiss too), because the background hiss is far too obvious. The hiss is imperceptible using the ES4. It's a shame because I really like how the AS10 sounds. Listening to music that are consistently "busy" like KPop is fine.

I'm obsessed with finding low-cost solutions for the hiss, and my inline volume control is on its way from eBay (found one with TRRS plug so that it works with my 3rd party cable that has clicky volume buttons and play/pause), but am reading that it will somehow affect the sound output. Really don't want to dump money on an IEmatch, considering the IEmatch is almost twice the price of an AS10 lol.

For a low-cost IEMatch (or a headphone attenuator, as its called), you can make it yourself using this guide

I just made mine a few days ago using supplies from the local electronic shop (being a rural area, they didn't have much, so I had to make do with stuff like low-quality resistors and that god-awful bulky 3.5mm female port)

Cost was usd$4 or so? probably even cheaper, but it was cheap enough that I didn't take note. Soldered everything up (no high-quality silver solder here) and improvised as I went.

completely removed all hiss from my source to the Andromeda (didn't imagine it could even more resolving, but it did, probably due to the now-black background), quite happy with the results, even if I might've preferred something more elegant-looking. Might just order all my parts online next time and make something prettier (if I get the mood for it).

for now, this will get some heat-shrink wrap and epoxy cement, but that's about it, I guess.

 

[Slater]

+1 and +1.

I've always considered the ATR one of the greatest of sleepers in the KZ pantheon just like the HDS3, EDR1 and ED3 "Perfection".



The ATR is difficult to find through a reputable seller. It can be done but stock is depleting and once they're gone.......

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/knowledge-zenith-atr-in-ear-monitor.23032/reviews



Some KZ's grab you by the collar with a smile and say "let's have some fuuuuunnnnn!!!!"

The ATR stands nearby, looks down to the ground then looks out to the horizon and says to you "what should we do today?"

Since the latest version of the ATR has the exact same driver as the ATE, it may be easier/cheaper to find an ATE.

 

[DocHoliday]

LOL, ROTFLMAO May have even spit a little coffee on my keyboard

Almost forgot to mention I love that shot with your matching tips and guides DocNot too mention anyone who finds a pair out there that store probably owes you a locators fee

Thanks Pod.

Those are Rock Zircon eartips. I used the Rock Zircon for a few hours last week and have come to the conclusion that they are awful in-ears. Hard to believe that I thought they were OK a few years ago. At least it wasn't a total waste of $20. They've contributed to a relatively inexpensive education about sound signatures and the unique Zircon eartips are great. If I can find the Zircon for less than $10 then I might pick up another set just for the eartips.

Also, +1 on the ZS6 being an absolute favorite. It's one of a handful of trusted in-ears when I want to "just be" with the music.



The BA10 seems to have calmed and truth be told, once it settles it can proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with the ZS6 as its sibling. The ergonomics and spotty feedback mean that the BA10 will likely become an overlooked KZ.......which is a pity. It really is one of KZ's best despite the ergonomics. It will be another missed opportunity for most but it gets just as much playtime as my ZS6 these days (not on my phone or power-efficient DAPs). Give it a low ouput impedance source, let it settle and you're golden.

p.s. - the upper-midrange and lower-treble are on the edge so 8 out of 10 listeners should be using foamies. I hate foamies but, FYI, the olive shaped foam eartips fit the best on the BA10.

 

[SybilLance]

Is the AS10 being super sensitive to noisy source a common observation? I have an ES4 and an AS10, and use them on my Samsung Galaxy S9. I can't really fully enjoy the AS10 with songs that have parts of it being low volume (Within by Daft Punk being my go-to example, but podcasts in general will exhibit the hiss too), because the background hiss is far too obvious. The hiss is imperceptible using the ES4. It's a shame because I really like how the AS10 sounds. Listening to music that are consistently "busy" like KPop is fine.

I'm obsessed with finding low-cost solutions for the hiss, and my inline volume control is on its way from eBay (found one with TRRS plug so that it works with my 3rd party cable that has clicky volume buttons and play/pause), but am reading that it will somehow affect the sound output. Really don't want to dump money on an IEmatch, considering the IEmatch is almost twice the price of an AS10 lol.

I've noticed that too, this is how I realized that my AC is noisy as hell, so I can't use my magni 3 to use the as10 on my desktop...
But on my fiio X1II, there is 0 background noise, it's dead silent. That one of the perks of having a separate music player
I've seen some people say that having a "bad" cable can reduce the noise (a cable that takes more power, I don't really know how it works but I'm sure someone can help you)

It seems like you and Tihstea all have the same problem with your AS10. I'm curious: Is the hiss audible with the volume turned all the way down? Or does it manifest only with music?

The AS10's published impedance of 14 Ohms and sensitivity of 104 dB (assuming these are accurate) would already mark it as a sensitive in-ear. If the actual sensitivity were higher (which is probable) maybe that might account for the hiss. If it were some other background noise maybe the actual measured impedance of the AS10 is lower and there might be a poor match between it and your source gear. Going by the 1/8th Rule, the source output impedance should be at most 14 Ohm/8 = 1.75 Ohm. That's quite a low requirement (I remember reading somewhere—reddit, perhaps?—that the S9's 3.5 mm audio jack has a rather high output impedance, but I'm not really sure). Furthermore, the all-BA design of the AS10 means it is rather prone to large (hence, audible) frequency response deviations with higher source output impedance.

The sad thing is only a few companies publish the output impedance specification of their audio products.

Some (like me, before) try so-called passive "impedance adapters" to resolve a headphone noise problem. Others get pricey commercial gadgets like iFi Audio's iEMatch. Many with the necessary skills like Zerohour make their own version thereof. Most I suppose (like me, now) look for better-engineered gear.

 

[SybilLance]

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/kno...essions-thread.698148/page-2507#post-14577673

For best results, the memory wires need to be removed. Otherwise, the dye cannot get under the shrink tubing that encases the wire.

Removing the memory wire significantly increases comfort though, so it’s a win-win. Also, that flat braided cable is heavy enough that the memory wires are not even necessary.

It is still possible to dye the cable with the memory wire - the only difference is the short memory wire section stays the original silver color (including any green oxidation).

Thanks! I'll study the guide.

Unfortunately, metallic colors (and white) are not possible. Any other color is ok though - green, purple, orange, brown, black, blue, red, etc.

It would be possible to do a transparent black dye (vs opaque). It would be like a very light window tint. In this case, it will be possible to see the metallic silver wire underneath (in bright light).

As far as oxidation, it actually helps protect the wire.

Think of wire like a garden hose. The electrical energy traveling through the wire is like water inside the hose. Oxidation is on the outside of the wire conductor. This is like painting the outside of a garden hose, or the hose getting dirty. This has no effect on the water inside of the hose - it doesn’t affect the volume of water, it’s cleanliness, the water pressure, etc. The outside of the hose is cosmetic.

The only exception to this is with crimped connections. Since crimped connections make physical contact with the outside of the wire, these types of connections are definitely degraded as the wire oxidizes. However, this does not affect our audio gear as they use soldered connections.

On second thought, if the entire cable would eventually turn into a nice green color, it would be perfect for the green ZS6. The question now is: how long..?

lucky KZ makes the ES4 for people who might like a different sound sig then. Funny that the forward mids are my fav parts of the ZSN (due to my love for earbuds).

For a low-cost IEMatch (or a headphone attenuator, as its called), you can make it yourself using this guide

I just made mine a few days ago using supplies from the local electronic shop (being a rural area, they didn't have much, so I had to make do with stuff like low-quality resistors and that god-awful bulky 3.5mm female port)

Cost was usd$4 or so? probably even cheaper, but it was cheap enough that I didn't take note. Soldered everything up (no high-quality silver solder here) and improvised as I went.

completely removed all hiss from my source to the Andromeda (didn't imagine it could even more resolving, but it did, probably due to the now-black background), quite happy with the results, even if I might've preferred something more elegant-looking. Might just order all my parts online next time and make something prettier (if I get the mood for it).

for now, this will get some heat-shrink wrap and epoxy cement, but that's about it, I guess.

I wish I have the skills to do what you can do, make my own electronic thingamajig from scratch.

 

[Podster]

Thanks Pod.

Those are Rock Zircon eartips. I used the Rock Zircon for a few hours last week and have come to the conclusion that they are awful in-ears. Hard to believe that I thought they were OK a few years ago. At least it wasn't a total waste of $20. They've contributed to a relatively inexpensive education about sound signatures and the unique Zircon eartips are great. If I can find the Zircon for less than $10 then I might pick up another set just for the eartips.

Also, +1 on the ZS6 being an absolute favorite. It's one of a handful of trusted in-ears when I want to "just be" with the music.



The BA10 seems to have calmed and truth be told, once it settles it can proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with the ZS6 as its sibling. The ergonomics and spotty feedback mean that the BA10 will likely become an overlooked KZ....... which is a pity. It gets just as much playtime as my ZS6 these days.

That Hooligan mix is nice and calming Yeah the Rocks are great for kids who like Hip Hop and bass heavy stuff but to me they sound like mud Shells are sweet and those tip are good, seal well. I keep going back and forth on the BA10, I'm one of the oddballs that actually likes the toaster design But just can't seem to bite on a KZ costing more than $40 As a fan of the Beastie Boys, Max Headroom and the Fun Lovin' Criminals MC900Ft Jesus makes my day every time I play them As always YMMV

So if you've not heard him/them let me give you my morning selections today

 

[DocHoliday]

I keep going back and forth on the BA10, I'm one of the oddballs that actually likes the toaster design But just can't seem to bite on a KZ costing more than $40

LOL, "toaster" design is about the best description I've heard to date.......cracked me right up.

That Hooligan mix is nice and calming Yeah the Rocks are great for kids who like Hip Hop and bass heavy stuff but to me they sound like mud

Agreed, the Rock Zircon's should be shipped with rubber boots and a shovel.



With the BA10, as is usual with KZ models, some will hate them and some will love them (ZS10, ZS6, etc.) but no need to rush. Wait until the price drops to $60+/- and pick up a set. The ZS6 is only $30 and the ZS10 is approximately $30+/- today, so.......

That Hooligan mix and these little ditties are chill out staples for me...

Spoiler

...mostly enjoyed via my ZS6.

Thanks for the tunes. I'll check them out.