[Nimweth]

From your list, I own the CCA C10 and can only speak for that model plus KZ AS06. Both bring out the mids, with guitar and mellotron on Genesis, Yes, 80s King Crimson and Tool. Sub-bass is great with Rutherford's bass pedals on Seconds Out, for one example. FLAC files only.
From what I'm hearing, the ZSX (and I'll throw in C12, too) should be exquisite.

+1 for the ZSX, but BLON BL-03 is good too!

 

[Keputs]

Awesome! Thank you. I put a pair of CP100 on and holy hell the sound turned into a woolly mess.

Dunno why but these large spinfit cp155s fit my ears and KZs (ZSX, ZSN and ES4) perfectly. The length (11mm) penetrate deep enough and the wide base (13mm) plug the holes to add an additional layer of isolation. And, based on my hearing , SQ improved adding some more warmth which I prefer. Of course this is not an endorsement of the brand lol. Hope you find the best fit

for your ears, Bud!

 

[SomeGuyDude]

From your list, I own the CCA C10 and can only speak for that model plus KZ AS06. Both bring out the mids, with guitar and mellotron on Genesis, Yes, 80s King Crimson and Tool. Sub-bass is great with Rutherford's bass pedals on Seconds Out, for one example. FLAC files only.
From what I'm hearing, the ZSX (and I'll throw in C12, too) should be exquisite.

Extreme metal listener here. My primary genres are death/black/sludge and their respective subgenres. The ZSX (paired with a Dragonfly in my case) is absolutely godly for metal.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

Dunno why but these large spinfit cp155s fit my ears and KZs (ZSX, ZSN and ES4) perfectly. The length (11mm) penetrate deep enough and the wide base (13mm) plug the holes to add an additional layer of isolation. And, based on my hearing , SQ improved adding some more warmth which I prefer. Of course this is not an endorsement of the brand lol. Hope you find the best fit

That would be because the CP155 have a much wider bore than the C100 haha. I'll try a set out soon. The C100 is way too narrow and strangles the sound.

 

[1clearhead]

I have C12 and ZS10 Pro, and to me C12 is a significant step forward: a bit faster bass, a bit more emphasis on sub-bass, and noticeably more refined treble - less V-shaped overall.
(A tentative consensus is that C12 is a bit more aggressively tuned than ZSX, and I would not have less.)
ZS10 Pro is edgy and engaging, I do appreciate these traits.

+1 I have both the ZSX and the C12 and a "step-up" definitely go's to the C12.

 

[Slater]

Get the red color one if you can. It seems more durable than the black one for some reason. For newbee foam tips.

That’s quite interesting! I wonder why that is?

 

[voicemaster]

That’s quite interesting! I wonder why that is?

Its a mystery for me too. The black one is more prone to tear in my experience. It is softer and the coating is more glossy than the red one. The red one looks more matte.

 

[Slater]

@Slater

Hey man
I know you have the Bluetooth cable and have done a mod on it

Have you done anything to shorten the cable by any chance?
It's so damn long, I used to have the jaybirds x3 and while they were horrible and disconnected all the time, I could shorten it to the point that they wouldn't hang at all, and be pretty tight to the back of my head

Also, do you know if there's a way to remove the memory wire?


Ps: I did all your mods on the shl 3300, turned out great pair of cans

I have not shortened the KZ Bluetooth cable, but it’s definitely possible. You would do it at the microphone/control pod. Just pop that open, desolder the cable where it connects to the circuit board, shorten it as much as you want, resolder the cable to the circuit board, and snap the control pod back together.

I did remove the memory wire from mine back when I still used the KZ Bluetooth cables. The procedure is exactly the same as the regular KZ upgrade cables:

https://www.audioreviews.org/removing-memory-wire/

I’m glad the SHL3300 mods turned out OK for you! It’s a great budget headphone, especially with a few simple mods

 

[Slater]

I never understood why people think it's bad that headphones can also be a fashion accessory. If you can make 'em look pretty and stylish, that's a great bonus.

Don’t get me wrong; I don’t think it’s bad at all.

A good looking headphone is A-OK in my book, and I do a lot of cosmetic mods to my gear.

What’s not ideal is to have audio gear that sounds horrible (or doesn’t even make sound at all; see the last entry below). Yet it’s worn as a fashion statement only. After all, audio gear is, by definition, for audio.

That includes the designer gemstone-encrusted dollar store headphones:



The earphones with pearls stranded into the cable:



And face-palming atrocities such as this:

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/en...we-have-questions_uk_5d80950ee4b03b5fc8890a67

 

[HungryPanda]

ZSX today, Queensryche, Rick Miller and Rishloo all sound utterly brilliant

 

[gazzington]

Extreme metal listener here. My primary genres are death/black/sludge and their respective subgenres. The ZSX (paired with a Dragonfly in my case) is absolutely godly for metal.

I'm an extreme metal listener too. Are these even good for black metal?

 

[SomeGuyDude]

I'm an extreme metal listener too. Are these even good for black metal?

Sure are. Spend the last few days listening to the likes of Coldworld, Mizmor, Mgla, Shining, Forgotten Tomb, Falls of Rauros, Misthyrming, Winterfylleth, all sounded gorgeous.

 

[Mouseman]

I'm an extreme metal listener too. Are these even good for black metal?

I'd say yes, although I don't know who exactly you're listening to. I listen to a lot of metal, although I usually stop short of death metal. I just pulled up some Death Angel, Rivers of Nihil and Anthrax -- it sounds amazing balanced from the R5 through the ZSXs. For example (not death metal but darn fast) -- at the the start of Painkiller by Judas Priest, you can hear every drum and cymbal hit with almost palpable force, and the bass drum riffs and tom runs are well separated. And I'd have to say that's not even that great of a source recording due to the era.

 

[gazzington]

Sure are. Spend the last few days listening to the likes of Coldworld, Mizmor, Mgla, Shining, Forgotten Tomb, Falls of Rauros, Misthyrming, Winterfylleth, all sounded gorgeous.

What dap and other iems do you use. Finally a metal head to ask!

 

[SomeGuyDude]

What dap and other iems do you use. Finally a metal head to ask!

My usual IEMs to now were the Mee P1 or the 1More Quad, through a Dragonfly Red at the desk or just out of my phone otherwise (I don't have a need for a dedicated DAP, if I'm at the gym or whatever I use Bluetooth). Full-size are either VModa M100s or my ol' HD650s with an Aune T1 MK2.

Right now the ZSX/Dragonfly combo is in 2nd place behind the Senn/Aune pairing. These things are the real deal. They are absolutely giant killers for a metalhead like me.

If you've got any fave bands/albums you'd like me to test out let me know. I've been on a big atmo/depressive black metal kick lately (currently listening to Unreqvited), but even my minor dabbling in death/doom went exceptionally well.