[BadReligionPunk]

I find the ZSN the most comfy KZ iem, but yea nozzle placement makes a difference. The C10 nozzle was different and I had to ultimately go to a slightly smaller tip to get a good fit. Luckily ES4 fits me well with M Spiral Dots.

Fittement is the main reason that over ear IEMs will never be mainstream. I have like 15 IEMs that I have taken to work to give away for free to co-workers and everybody looks at me like...

 

[DocHoliday]

I've been reflecting lately on the curious case of the BA10. Upon first hearing it (and reviewing it) I was somewhat undecided about whether or not lightning had actually struck twice for KZ (the ZS6 being the first lightning strike). After evaluating the BA10 for several months I can confidently say that the BA10 holds up incredibly well. Yep, I can wholeheartedly say that "yes", indeed lightning has effectively struck twice for KZ Acoustics with the BA10, albeit the second time around it was more of what I'll refer to as a quiet storm. I'd like to see KZ revisit the BA10 tuning but this time in a more ergonomic housing since the BA10's unorthodox approach to housing was so polarizing.

That said, I have no complaints or concerns regarding fit or comfort with my BA10.

Looking at how the 10Pro and C16 have been so well-received, and rightfully so, I'd like to see KZ simply double the driver count on a BA10 replacement to further increase definition, separation and perhaps layering. Truthfully, I don't know if they can pull it off; I'm almost certain that the aluminum housing, lack of tuning tubes and unused space (40%+/-) inside said housing contribute to the homogenous and cohesive sound that pours through the nozzles. The BA10 is a very good IEM but in all candor, I doubt KZ can pull off duplicating the sound.......but I can hope.

Bottom line:
If KZ can duplicate the BA10's sound signature with the minor improvements mentioned above AND keep their legendary price to performance ratio (perhaps $90+/-) then it'll be a landmark IEM.


.......but it MUST BE ALUMINUM (and SHOULD have the vented faceplates) and it MUST BE ERGONOMIC or it simply won't work for interested parties.

The BA10 sound signature....

It's lover'ly

 

[eclein]

I’m with ya Doc 100 %!

 

[katatonicone1]

That said, I have no complaints or concerns regarding fit or comfort with my BA10.

I've been pretending for more than 6 months that I'm ok with the comfort of BA10 Then I bought ZS7 and I tossed BA10 away

 

[PhonoPhi]

I've been reflecting lately on the curious case of the BA10. Upon first hearing it (and reviewing it) I was somewhat undecided about whether or not lightning had actually struck twice for KZ (the ZS6 being the first lightning strike). After evaluating the BA10 for several months I can confidently say that the BA10 holds up incredibly well. Yep, I can wholeheartedly say that "yes", indeed lightning has effectively struck twice for KZ Acoustics with the BA10, albeit the second time around it was more of what I'll refer to as a quiet storm. I'd like to see KZ revisit the BA10 tuning but this time in a more ergonomic housing since the BA10's unorthodox approach to housing was so polarizing.



That said, I have no complaints or concerns regarding fit or comfort with my BA10.

Looking at how the 10Pro and C16 have been so well-received, and rightfully so, I'd like to see KZ simply double the driver count on a BA10 replacement to further increase definition, separation and perhaps layering. Truthfully, I don't know if they can pull it off; I'm almost certain that the aluminum housing, lack of tuning tubes and unused space (40%+/-) inside said housing contribute to the homogenous and cohesive sound that pours through the nozzles. The BA10 is a very good IEM but in all candor, I doubt KZ can pull off duplicating the sound.......but I can hope.

Bottom line:
If KZ can duplicate the BA10's sound signature with the minor improvements mentioned above AND keep their legendary price to performance ratio (perhaps $90+/-) then it'll be a landmark IEM.


.......but it MUST BE ALUMINUM (and SHOULD have the vented faceplates) and it MUST BE ERGONOMIC or it simply won't work for interested parties.





The BA10 sound signature....

It's lover'ly

I thought, and still hope, that CCA A10 can do some of it (ordered mine more than two weeks ago...)

 

[archdawg]

My ZS7 after the first 4 days ...
Everything seems MUCH more relaxed, balanced and accurate now ... well almost. There's one slightly sharp treble peak left and so I ran a 2-channel 7-9kHz sine sweep through those guys and there it was, pretty narrow and centered at ~7.9 kHz. I changed tips, went through the sweep again with the same result. Something worse, this peak is about 6dB stronger on the right side, damnit. So far I haven't made up my mind if I'm going to replace those 2 30095 BA with some better paired Knowles armatures I have lying around here since that means quite a bit of work - I guess I'll wait at least until my 10Pro arrive.
Bottom line: before I finally ordered the 7s some weeks ago I was afraid that their treble would be rolled or rather cut off too radically but gladly that's not the case, at least not on my copies. To me they don't really seem less airy than any of my 6s but render especially all sorts of cymbals distinctively more natural and less sharp and splashy than their predecessors.
After those first 4 days I'm really digging these great IEMs, especially their speed, dry warmth and beautiful spatial representation with that extra depth - 31€ VERY well spent.

 

[courierdriver]

I find the ZSN the most comfy KZ iem, but yea nozzle placement makes a difference. The C10 nozzle was different and I had to ultimately go to a slightly smaller tip to get a good fit. Luckily ES4 fits me well with M Spiral Dots.

Fittement is the main reason that over ear IEMs will never be mainstream. I have like 15 IEMs that I have taken to work to give away for free to co-workers and everybody looks at me like...

LMAF! Great pic and totally get the reaction. Is she your daughter? That face is precious!

 

[Lunar Eclipse]

I've been holding off on the BA10 because I'm worried the fit will be uncomfortable. I have medium large ears but not sure that even matters. I do have the ZS6(and ZS3) with 1 ba blocked and foam tips. I just love, LOVE the comfort and sound. Perhaps one day the BA10 as a counter to the ZS6 will be mine. Because of the retro aluminum look and your enthusiastic review, that day may be soon.. Thank you Doc

I've been reflecting lately on the curious case of the BA10. Upon first hearing it (and reviewing it) I was somewhat undecided about whether or not lightning had actually struck twice for KZ (the ZS6 being the first lightning strike). After evaluating the BA10 for several months I can confidently say that the BA10 holds up incredibly well. Yep, I can wholeheartedly say that "yes", indeed lightning has effectively struck twice for KZ Acoustics with the BA10, albeit the second time around it was more of what I'll refer to as a quiet storm. I'd like to see KZ revisit the BA10 tuning but this time in a more ergonomic housing since the BA10's unorthodox approach to housing was so polarizing.



That said, I have no complaints or concerns regarding fit or comfort with my BA10.

Looking at how the 10Pro and C16 have been so well-received, and rightfully so, I'd like to see KZ simply double the driver count on a BA10 replacement to further increase definition, separation and perhaps layering. Truthfully, I don't know if they can pull it off; I'm almost certain that the aluminum housing, lack of tuning tubes and unused space (40%+/-) inside said housing contribute to the homogenous and cohesive sound that pours through the nozzles. The BA10 is a very good IEM but in all candor, I doubt KZ can pull off duplicating the sound.......but I can hope.

Bottom line:
If KZ can duplicate the BA10's sound signature with the minor improvements mentioned above AND keep their legendary price to performance ratio (perhaps $90+/-) then it'll be a landmark IEM.


.......but it MUST BE ALUMINUM (and SHOULD have the vented faceplates) and it MUST BE ERGONOMIC or it simply won't work for interested parties.





The BA10 sound signature....

It's lover'ly

 

[courierdriver]

My ZS7 after the first 4 days ...
Everything seems MUCH more relaxed, balanced and accurate now ... well almost. There's one slightly sharp treble peak left and so I ran a 2-channel 7-9kHz sine sweep through those guys and there it was, pretty narrow and centered at ~7.9 kHz. I changed tips, went through the sweep again with the same result. Something worse, this peak is about 6dB stronger on the right side, damnit. So far I haven't made up my mind if I'm going to replace those 2 30095 BA with some better paired Knowles armatures I have lying around here since that means quite a bit of work - I guess I'll wait at least until my 10Pro arrive.
Bottom line: before I finally ordered the 7s some weeks ago I was afraid that their treble would be rolled or rather cut off too radically but gladly that's not the case, at least not on my copies. To me they don't really seem less airy than any of my 6s but render especially all sorts of cymbals distinctively more natural and less sharp and splashy than their predecessors.
After those first 4 days I'm really digging these great IEMs, especially their speed, dry warmth and beautiful spatial representation with that extra depth - 31€ VERY well spent.

Damn! After so much going back and forth in my head, and resisting buying the ZS7, posts like this make me constantly reconsider. My biggest worry is about the fit. My ZS10 PRO is very comfortable, as is my Moondrop KPE. I dont want to take a chance on something that doesn't fit my ears well. But from all that I have read about the ZS7, these are a really good set. I think I'm gonna try to resist them, cause I want my new DAP instead. But after that, I can definitely see these as being a part of my iem collection.

 

[BadReligionPunk]

LMAF! Great pic and totally get the reaction. Is she your daughter? That face is precious!

Haha no. Just one of many super famous memes running around. But it seriously explains how most people look at you when you bring up over ears. Everybody, at least where I work, want earbuds or wire down, and always all of them need controls.

 

[courierdriver]

Haha no. Just one of many super famous memes running around. But it seriously explains how most people look at you when you bring up over ears. Everybody, at least where I work, want earbuds or wire down, and always all of them need controls.

Well, thanks for that pic. That's priceless! Personally, I cant do earbuds or straight down hanging earphones. They get pulled out too fast from MY ears anyway. I've tried them before, but they kept getting snagged in the zipper of my jacket or the collar of my shirt, whenever I turned my head. Over ear iems work much better for me. I don't much care for the built in control pods in a lot of cables either. I think it's just another degradation to the overall sound that is fine for convenience, but not the best potential for sound quality. That's just my opinion, but I know alot of people who feel they need to be constantly connected to their phones and such, so for them, I guess I get it. Me, I want the purest and best sound possible at the price. And when I'm listening to music and relaxing, I don't care who is trying to reach me. They can leave me an email or voice message, and I'll get back to them when it's convenient for me.

 

[LaughMoreDaily]

The BA10 sound signature....

It's lover'ly

Since most of us havent heard it, is there another iem that is similar? If not, maybe say if so and so iem had a baby it'd be the BA10, etc.

 

[LaughMoreDaily]

My ZS7 after the first 4 days ...
Everything seems MUCH more relaxed, balanced and accurate now ... well almost. There's one slightly sharp treble peak left and so I ran a 2-channel 7-9kHz sine sweep through those guys and there it was, pretty narrow and centered at ~7.9 kHz. I changed tips, went through the sweep again with the same result. Something worse, this peak is about 6dB stronger on the right side, damnit.

I was comparing the Moondrop Crescent to the ZS7 and also noticed a peak. I didnt really notice it without comparing. I am still unsure if I like the Crescent better but it sounds more natural (better tuned?) with no weird peaks and its smooth as butter but I still love the musicality of the ZS7.

 

[gourab1995]

I was comparing the Moondrop Crescent to the ZS7 and also noticed a peak. I didnt really notice it without comparing. I am still unsure if I like the Crescent better but it sounds more natural (better tuned?) with no weird peaks and its smooth as butter but I still love the musicality of the ZS7.

Moondrops may be better tuned. They follow the Harman frequency curve for their iems. I wish kz would take up on that.

 

[Makahl]

Moondrops may be better tuned. They follow the Harman frequency curve for their iems. I wish kz would take up on that.

Well, isn't the KZ ZS10 Pro going towards the Harman target as well? Give a look at Moondrop KP (which follows Harman FR target) x ZS10 Pro:

The KP follows the target at mid-range better but... it's the advantage in using 1 DD instead of BAs (which personally I prefer the DD coherence/timbre). With all this trend of good single DD drivers recently like Moondrop (Crescent, KP, KXXS),Tanchjim (Cora, Oxygen), TFZ (No.3), Sony MH, I really hope to see a new KZ model using only 1 DD well tuned in the future following this path.