[steviewonderbread]

Enjoying my zombie-KZ firesale iems! (Estron/Timmkoo EST). Shortcomings come in the form of hot upper mids and shimmery/grainy timbre that these Bellsing BA drivers sometimes exhibit. Strengths are comfort, smooth bass and highly competent imaging/staging. These will be perfect for sleeping and workouts, and fun to keep as a collectible.

 

[lgcubana]

nice photoshop!

jk.. lol

1 thing that made me confused. Lot of users said vents are real thing, yes. But lot of user also said no sound leak from the vents, and when vents are closed, there are no differences in sound. How come?

The music that's being used could be one factor. Something with a lot of low end (like Angel, Massive Attack) could help in picking up the difference.

Angel (2019 remastered), Massive Attack

 

[ricemanhk]

KZ ZAX in the house! Still need to run them in but initial impressions are very good. Some key points:
- vents are real, sound does come out of the vents. There's a tight mesh of course so it isnt like a fully open back but the airyness is there and isolation is less than normal IEMs like my AS10s. Putting tape on the vents do make them sound more isolated so the vents are indeed functional
- the casing is the size of zst! Some minor differences but overall size and shape are the same, this surprised me alot as I thought they would be quite big with DD+7BA. Picture attached next to AS10. My ears aren't big and zst/zsr size has always been best for me so I'm happy!
- sound is great, wide sound stage as others reported and I love the vented design as I do prefer open back headphones. Well controlled treble and i haven't heard any sibilance yet, bass is present but not in your face, overall I think quite balanced with a slight warmth and slight V, but will need more time to tell. Quick AB test I do prefer these over AS10, the SQ is better but for me I think its mainly the airyness. Separation is good, imaging and resolution is very clear, though top and low end will need a bit more run time to clear up

Overall very happy with the zax and they will be my daily drivers!

 

[chinmie]

that settles it

 

[unifutomaki]

vents are real, sound does come out of the vents. There's a tight mesh of course so it isnt like a fully open back but the airyness is there and isolation is less than normal IEMs like my AS10s. Putting tape on the vents do make them sound more isolated so the vents are indeed functional

Good to hear, at least one person can hear a difference, hopefully that will calm the skeptics finally

 

[citral23]

nice photoshop!

jk.. lol

1 thing that made me confused. Lot of users said vents are real thing, yes. But lot of user also said no sound leak from the vents, and when vents are closed, there are no differences in sound. How come?

Mystery intensifies

 

[citral23]

Now where are the matte black cables on Ali

 

[Nimweth]

KZ ZAX in the house! Still need to run them in but initial impressions are very good. Some key points:
- vents are real, sound does come out of the vents. There's a tight mesh of course so it isnt like a fully open back but the airyness is there and isolation is less than normal IEMs like my AS10s. Putting tape on the vents do make them sound more isolated so the vents are indeed functional
- the casing is the size of zst! Some minor differences but overall size and shape are the same, this surprised me alot as I thought they would be quite big with DD+7BA. Picture attached next to AS10. My ears aren't big and zst/zsr size has always been best for me so I'm happy!
- sound is great, wide sound stage as others reported and I love the vented design as I do prefer open back headphones. Well controlled treble and i haven't heard any sibilance yet, bass is present but not in your face, overall I think quite balanced with a slight warmth and slight V, but will need more time to tell. Quick AB test I do prefer these over AS10, the SQ is better but for me I think its mainly the airyness. Separation is good, imaging and resolution is very clear, though top and low end will need a bit more run time to clear up

Overall very happy with the zax and they will be my daily drivers!

These look interesting, vented and 4-way crossover. The spiritual successor to the ZS7, perhaps? I'm finding the C10 Pro the successor to the ZS10 Pro or perhaps the C12 with its big bold V shape and bright top end.

 

[unifutomaki]

These look interesting, vented and 4-way crossover. The spiritual successor to the ZS7, perhaps? I'm finding the C10 Pro the successor to the ZS10 Pro or perhaps the C12 with its big bold V shape and bright top end.

The ZAX sits alongside my T2+ on my list of "IEMs I would simply buy again if something untoward happens to them"

Absolutely chuffed to bits, easily the most refined and easygoing KZ I've heard, while not completely losing the fun factor.

 

[xxAMAROKxx]

KZ EDX is out. It's nice to see new 1 DD iem.

 

[khighly]

Any comparisons of ZAX to Starfield yet?

 

[Tonymac136]

KZ EDX is out. It's nice to see new 1 DD iem.

Yep. It would be nice to see KZ REALLY go for it with a 1DD but apart from a bit of weirdness in the upper mid range (recessed, poor separation, can be improved with EQ but not eradicated completely) the EDX is a fine buy. I just want to see KZ try and out-BLON BLON or out-Tin Tin.

 

[revand]

Thank you! I can’t seem to find L spiral dots. Where do you get them?

I bought them from here.
The largest size they sell is ML, but it worked for me (1 mm less than L). Free shipping worldwide!

I found the JVC Spiral Dot tips as best for TWS-s, and almost as good for my KZ ZSX as the Comply Comfort, but Spiral Dot is much more comfortable..
For me this are the best silicone eartips.

 

[voicemaster]

Just got my ZAX and did my first listening with it and I am really impressed. This is the first KZ that doesn't sound weird OOTB. Usually, they have bloated bass or piercing treble, but the ZAX has tight bass and smooth treble OOTB, which is really nice. So many online "reviewers" dissed an IEM with only limited amount of listening time and most often the IEM is not even burned in yet.
The sound signature is pretty similar to the ZSX, but it has a little bit more forward mid, but the difference is very very small. What really noticeable to me is the soundstage and overall airiness of the treble of the ZAX compared to ZSX. I also compared the sound leak and the ZAX does leak more sound when the eartip is covered. Will do more listening time and compare it to the CCA CA16 which hopefully coming tomorrow.

 

[purplesun]

Quick impression of KZ ZAX. To my ears, it's a more athletic version of C10. More agile and textured across the same frequency ranges. Plus, it extends the treble performances into the airy ranges (past 10khz) while maintaining impressive treble control. That is, to me ears, sibilance, metallic brilliance, graininess and harshness are very well tamed. (Note: am treble-sensitive, so factor that into your own treble preferences)

The other aspect I like about ZAX is, it's surprisingly small & light for something crammed with so many drivers.

Just about the few negatives I can think of is: the warmth-level may not be strong enough to excel in intimate performances and the low rumbling bass levels (<50Hz) may not be strong enough to satisfy humpback whale music lovers the sound signature is quite source-dependent, especially at both ends of frequency spectrum.

Sources used (SE output): SR25, AP80, R3Pro, DF-Red, Atom Pro, ALC4040 dongle, Benjie X3 & T6.