[AlexaCl]

Hey! What would you advise, for a smartphone on 660 snap (mi 8 lite) is it worth taking cca c10 ($ 15), as 06 ($ 15) or as10 ($ 23)? Or zsn ($ 8) will be enough? I’m looking for balanced in-ear headphones, because I’m listening different genres, before that I didn’t have headphones that cost more than $ 15 to form preferences.
P.S.Ahead of questions about prices: they are available only for Russia, my friend will send them to me

 

[LaughMoreDaily]

They’re not exactly the same, but they’re both wide bore. So the Whirlwind are close enough to see if you like the sound better.

Auvios:

• Have a smaller center core, so they fit a little tighter
• The shape and overall size is more similar to the KZ Starlines.
• Are longer, putting the nozzle output further from your ear drum
• Allow for a little deeper insertion (but YMMV depending on ear anatomy)

Whirlwind:

• More mushroom shape
• Center core a little larger, so it will fit a little looser on some IEMs
• Physically shorter, so they will sit down lower on the nozzle.
• A little shallower insertion (but YMMV depending on ear anatomy)

I don't have Auvios and Whirlwinds didn't work with my ZSN. However, JVC Spiral Dots worked perfectly. So far so good. They have brought the ZSN back from the garbage bin I pulled them out of. Thanks for the suggestion.

I also put my Zircon tips with the black core on my AS10 and it gives them a lot more definition and sparkle than the stock tips. Have you or anyone else tried this combo?

 

[LaughMoreDaily]

I think it's time for you to get the C10.

Wouldn't it be better value for me to buy the CCA C16 since I already have a ZSN, AS10 and ZS7 on the way?

 

[Slater]

I don't have Auvios and Whirlwinds didn't work with my ZSN. However, JVC Spiral Dots worked perfectly. So far so good. They have brought the ZSN back from the garbage bin I pulled them out of. Thanks for the suggestion.

I also put my Zircon tips with the black core on my AS10 and it gives them a lot more definition and sparkle than the stock tips. Have you or anyone else tried this combo?

Yup, Spiral dots are very similar to the Auvios. They’re basically the ‘poor mans Spiral Dots’. They just don’t have the dots.

And Zircon tips are very popular and well respected. A lot of people buy the Zircons just to get the tips. Even though the Zircon is meh, the tips are awesome.

 

[SybilLance]

Hey! What would you advise, for a smartphone on 660 snap (mi 8 lite) is it worth taking cca c10 ($ 15), as 06 ($ 15) or as10 ($ 23)? Or zsn ($ 8) will be enough? I’m looking for balanced in-ear headphones, because I’m listening different genres, before that I didn’t have headphones that cost more than $ 15 to form preferences.
P.S.Ahead of questions about prices: they are available only for Russia, my friend will send them to me

Lol! I did a double take when I saw those prices and laughed upon seeing the P.S. at the bottom of the post.

Hmm...does the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite also have that Dirac HD Sound mode that can be toggled when you access Developer Options just like in the Redmi Note 3?

Anyway, I have all in-ears you mentioned except for the AS10, but I believe I can answer your question solely based on your consideration of a balanced signature, i.e., neither the bass, midrange nor treble are emphasized or recessed relative to the others. I recommend the CCA C10. Not just balanced. It has very good controlled DD bass that extends all the way down, without the mid-bass emphasis that's characteristic of all the KZ in-ears I've heard. Mids neither recessed like most KZs nor upfront like the ZSN and quite lovely for vocals. Treble so smooth yet retains resolution and detail that you can get lost in your music for hours without any fatigue. Finally its coherence wraps everything in a nice package.

Wouldn't it be better value for me to buy the CCA C16 since I already have a ZSN, AS10 and ZS7 on the way?

Please refer to my description of the C10 above. It's a definite upgrade to the ZSN. More balanced and coherent than the ZS7. Of all my in-ears it's the only one whose sound I could listen to for hours. Fit and placement is another thing, however (stubby nozzle with awkward projection angle) but recently I got another pair of CP100 medium SpinFits that is surprisingly softer and does not hurt at all, even after extended periods. As for value vis-a-vis the C16, from my impressions so far the C16 bests all my in-ears in terms or resolution and detail. I would put it in the same level as the Simgot EM3 save for the bass. The thing is, the C16's signature is different from that of the C10. The C10 really is balanced and smooth while the C16 seems somewhat V-shaped with that great detail and resolution. Then there's the price. The C16 is at least 3X the price of the C10.

I guess you simply have to think about your criteria and options and weigh them accordingly.

 

[hakuzen]

Yes, those bold blue 4 cores are really thick. Was thinking they would be great with my HE-400i, if converted.

Anyway, I asked a local store here at Shopee.ph that sells that Y**** 16-core cable (at a much cheaper price than even in AliExpress) if it has a chin slider. I didn't get any reply, so I told them I'll just buy from others. What I did buy were 3 of those 8-core JC Ally SPC cables, for a total of only ₽855 ($16.25), using my vouchers and coins. That's just ₽285 or $5.42 per cable. And I get a free case for each. Very good bargain, don't you think?

i checked the prices from your links, and yea, they were a lot cheaper than in AE. excellent buy.
i'll report after trying the 4 thick cores cable, but i think your he400i deserves a better cable. the difference between their stock cable and cable 133 (gucraftsman) of my list, was abismal

 

[DynamicEars]

Yup, Spiral dots are very similar to the Auvios. They’re basically the ‘poor mans Spiral Dots’. They just don’t have the dots.

And Zircon tips are very popular and well respected. A lot of people buy the Zircons just to get the tips. Even though the Zircon is meh, the tips are awesome.

OMG this helpful kind man @Slater got 10k + likes!! you deserve JVC FW-10000 from this community!

yes, if you got spiral dots already its better than auvio, you're pretty settle with it.

 

[LamerDeluxe (tm)]

Wouldn't it be better value for me to buy the CCA C16 since I already have a ZSN, AS10 and ZS7 on the way?

I enjoy my C16 more than my C10, mostly because of the better instrument separation, details and holophonic soundstage, plus nicely tight, textured bass. The C10 has very smooth treble, and a bit stronger/deeper bass, but overall I find it a bit too laid-back sounding. I'm not sure if the C10 is less v-shaped sounding, I'd have to compare the two some more.

 

[AlexaCl]

Lol! I did a double take when I saw those prices and laughed upon seeing the P.S. at the bottom of the post.

Hmm...does the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite also have that Dirac HD Sound mode that can be toggled when you access Developer Options just like in the Redmi Note 3?

Anyway, I have all in-ears you mentioned except for the AS10, but I believe I can answer your question solely based on your consideration of a balanced signature, i.e., neither the bass, midrange nor treble are emphasized or recessed relative to the others. I recommend the CCA C10. Not just balanced. It has very good controlled DD bass that extends all the way down, without the mid-bass emphasis that's characteristic of all the KZ in-ears I've heard. Mids neither recessed like most KZs nor upfront like the ZSN and quite lovely for vocals. Treble so smooth yet retains resolution and detail that you can get lost in your music for hours without any fatigue. Finally its coherence wraps everything in a nice package.

Thank you very much for your reply and help. Will buy cca c10
Unfortunately, I did not find any information about the Dirac HD Sound mode in xiaomi mi 8 lite, either in the developer menu or on the Internet.

 

[mono-type]

Dunno if this was asked before since it's been a while since I posted in this thread, so excuse me if I interrupted on whatever you're discussing currently, guys. Is it still worth to get the ZS7 if I already own a ZS6? I'm kinda tempted on buying a ZS7, even though I own many KZ IEMs already. Thanks in advance.

 

[Slater]

OMG this helpful kind man @Slater got 10k + likes!! you deserve JVC FW-10000 from this community!

yes, if you got spiral dots already its better than auvio, you're pretty settle with it.

Haha, thanks guys I’m humbled

 

[hakuzen]

zs6 highs peak was excessive. but after our discussions, kz decided to roll-off highs in every posterior iem.
please, don't ever mention that zsn have treble cannons (which is completely false, it's the opposite, treble is rolled-off), or treble will disappear completely in next kzs. at last, kz will end making old fashion muddy bloated bass iems..
i'm not going to purchase kz anymore, till they restore acceptable treble levels

 

[nraymond]

zs6 highs peak was excessive. but after our discussions, kz decided to roll-off highs in every posterior iem.
please, don't ever mention that zsn have treble cannons (which is completely false, it's the opposite, treble is rolled-off), or treble will disappear completely in next kzs. at last, kz will end making old fashion muddy bloated bass iems..
i'm not going to purchase kz anymore, till they restore acceptable treble levels

If you look at the reviews of the ZSN here and elsewhere there were a lot of compliments about the treble along with comments about the treble being enhanced over what people considered neutral, but no real consensus on whether the treble was rolled off:

"Some occasional sibilance (especially with female vocals)"
"Treble is still more aggressive than need be and can be sibilant at times"
"Steely Treble"
"Emphasis on the Sibilants, sometimes sharp trebles and strong peaks"
"If you want to get picky, occasionally harsh in the upper mids and treble"
"Treble is more prominent than midrange, but its tuning makes it so that it is not that noticeably in front of mids. Extension is in fact very limited and this leads to a situation where the lower treble is emphasised, mid treble is recessed and upper treble is almost non-existent."
"The ZSN’s treble is probably better than it should be for a $20 IEM as well. It’s crisp and lively with good extension but doesn’t have any harshness."
"The KZ ZSN highs are very bright and resolve a nice amount of detail. These are not rolled-off sounding earphones yet they do not become nor overly fatiguing. People looking for bright highs will like the KZ ZSN. Piercing highs might show up from time to time, as expected with this style of tuning but, unexpectedly, they did not show strong nor frequent sibilance."

It's possible that the disagreements about treble have to do with the shape/fit in people's ears and/or their age (the older you are, the more high frequency hearing you loose, so the ability of a listener to determine if a headphone has excessive highs is reduced the older they get - i.e. you could make headphones with a nasty 19kHz peak and people over 40 would never know).

 

[hakuzen]

If you look at the reviews of the ZSN here and elsewhere there were a lot of compliments about the treble along with comments about the treble being enhanced over what people considered neutral, but no real consensus on whether the treble was rolled off:

"Some occasional sibilance (especially with female vocals)"
"Treble is still more aggressive than need be and can be sibilant at times"
"Steely Treble"
"Emphasis on the Sibilants, sometimes sharp trebles and strong peaks"
"If you want to get picky, occasionally harsh in the upper mids and treble"
"Treble is more prominent than midrange, but its tuning makes it so that it is not that noticeably in front of mids. Extension is in fact very limited and this leads to a situation where the lower treble is emphasised, mid treble is recessed and upper treble is almost non-existent."
"The ZSN’s treble is probably better than it should be for a $20 IEM as well. It’s crisp and lively with good extension but doesn’t have any harshness."
"The KZ ZSN highs are very bright and resolve a nice amount of detail. These are not rolled-off sounding earphones yet they do not become nor overly fatiguing. People looking for bright highs will like the KZ ZSN. Piercing highs might show up from time to time, as expected with this style of tuning but, unexpectedly, they did not show strong nor frequent sibilance."

It's possible that the disagreements about treble have to do with the shape/fit in people's ears and/or their age (the older you are, the more high frequency hearing you loose, so the ability of a listener to determine if a headphone has excessive highs is reduced the older they get - i.e. you could make headphones with a nasty 19kHz peak and people over 40 would never know).

upper mids / low treble are boosted, even reaching 8kHz (treble area) in some cases. that's why they show some sibilance. but highs harmonics at 10kHz have disappeared in kzs after zs6.
i do like zsn for their price, but miss treble extension. my age is respectable, but i can hear that treble extension in other iems.

 

[Barusu Lamperouge]

Zsn are bright but harsh? Not at all. For treble sensitive folks, foam tips would solve 99% issues and also bumps up sub-bass. Before C10s and **** spoiled me to the core, ZSN always made me smile while listening. That happy grin full of amazement. Wondering how did they pull it off? And after losing my C10, they straight away slotted as my daily driver. Very versatile and bang for the buck.