RCracer777
100+ Head-Fier
Haven't tried that yet but I can have a listen when I'm back from work as I have both the ZAX and that exact cable. But that won't be for at least another 6 hours, so you'll have to wait for a bit.
Knowledge Zenith (KZ) impressions thread
- Thread starter bhazard
- Start date
ChristianM
100+ Head-Fier
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xxAMAROKxx
100+ Head-Fier
I would like to know a well-founded opinion on heights, so I would rather wait for a review or a graph.
purplesun
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
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Yeah, benchmarking against known quantities is always smarter approach.
The ZAX is stellar with a balanced cable and the right source. I think they work well balanced, along with most of the other KZs I have.
Slater
Headphoneus Supremus
I agree, ZAX are the best KZ hybrids that I’ve heard IMO, with ZS7 and ZS10 Pro being tied for a close second. Of course, that’s just my opinion based on models I own and my preferences. I haven’t heard every model made, so take it for a gain of salt.
I just don’t think the ZAX get talked about much anymore because KZ and CCA come out with new models every month. But that doesn’t mean the previous models aren’t good. You just gotta not get distracted by all the shiny new things (like a cat), and stay focused on wading through the noise to find the diamonds in the rough.
For example, the BA10 is an amazing all-BA model, and it’s THREE years old. Who cares though? It’s not like it’s a smart phone or Intel CPU. Just because something new comes along next month doesn’t automatically nullify everything before it as ‘obsolete’.
Maybe that’s what these companies WANT us to think, in order to drive sales. But that fallacy is the furthest thing from the truth.
I just don’t think the ZAX get talked about much anymore because KZ and CCA come out with new models every month. But that doesn’t mean the previous models aren’t good. You just gotta not get distracted by all the shiny new things (like a cat), and stay focused on wading through the noise to find the diamonds in the rough.
For example, the BA10 is an amazing all-BA model, and it’s THREE years old. Who cares though? It’s not like it’s a smart phone or Intel CPU. Just because something new comes along next month doesn’t automatically nullify everything before it as ‘obsolete’.
Maybe that’s what these companies WANT us to think, in order to drive sales. But that fallacy is the furthest thing from the truth.
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Sebulr
100+ Head-Fier
Hey, I really like my original zs10, I prefer the look and fit of the pro, but the upper mids are slightly better for me than the zs10 pro for me. I had to mod my pros to tame them slightly. I still use my zs10 og as my Bluetooth, YouTube set. Note, I have massive ear holes, and they fit me OK, ymmv.
n0de5
New Head-Fier
Does the bluetooth cable sound good or is there a tradeoff in sound quality like most bluetooth audio products?
does anyone know if the Axon7 mini has a balanced audio output?
nraymond
500+ Head-Fier
Not sure how many people here know about Crinacle's free Graph Comparison Tool, but it's worth mentioning:
https://crinacle.com/graphs/iems/graphtool/
It allows you to compare up to two earphones at a time that he's measured on his rig, and he's measured a lot. It can be a useful way to understand how different KZ models (and other brands, if you like) sound. So if you have one KZ model and are thinking about getting another, you can select the one you have, and the other model and see how their frequency response compares across the spectrum, which can give you a pretty good idea. The KZ models he's tested so far:
AS10
AS16
ASF
ASX
BA10
E10
ED Special Edition
ED16
ES4
S2
S4
ZS3
ZS5v1
ZS5v2
ZS6
ZS10 Pro
ZAX
ZSN Pro
ZSR
ZST
ZSX
https://crinacle.com/graphs/iems/graphtool/
It allows you to compare up to two earphones at a time that he's measured on his rig, and he's measured a lot. It can be a useful way to understand how different KZ models (and other brands, if you like) sound. So if you have one KZ model and are thinking about getting another, you can select the one you have, and the other model and see how their frequency response compares across the spectrum, which can give you a pretty good idea. The KZ models he's tested so far:
AS10
AS16
ASF
ASX
BA10
E10
ED Special Edition
ED16
ES4
S2
S4
ZS3
ZS5v1
ZS5v2
ZS6
ZS10 Pro
ZAX
ZSN Pro
ZSR
ZST
ZSX
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Nimweth
Headphoneus Supremus
Yes, it is quite interesting to revisit older models you have. The latest models always seem amazing at first but then after digging out some older classics you often realise how good they are. ZS7, BA10 and KBEAR Diamond being examples for me recently. ZAX is excellent I agree but I still give top spot for a hybrid KZ to the ZS7. With the TRI Through cable they really do shine!
n0de5
New Head-Fier
I just tried on the ZS10 pro's and I was blown away from the sound. Keep in mind that my reference was a pair of M30x's. There was more detail (prob because the V-shaped frequency response) and it felt like a breath of fresh air. Thanks to @voicemaster for sending these over!
Sebulr
100+ Head-Fier
I use the 12 quid kz type b I think. It has quite of electronic noise floor. It is only really obvious when voices are played, and can be a bit annoying. But I don't really notice it when music is playing. I think the noise floor is at a constant volume, that is, it doesn't get louder with an increase in volume. The sound quality through apt x is quite good, I can't really tell the difference between wired, apart from the noise floor, at low listening volumes. Can't really tell with aac either. We'll maybe, if I listen really hard.
I'm quite surprised there isn't more talk about the EDX on Head-Fi?
I know it's not the IEM of the year, it's not a revolution in itself and the highly competitive Chi-Fi world, but for its price it's a real gem (to my ears at least) and I'm glad I bought one a few months ago to "see" (or hear, in that case) how they sounded, thinking I wasn't risking much @ $5.
But I wasn't expecting so much, these earphones are warm, have a really great tonality, the overall sound has a good body, it's bassy but not dark, the bass isn't boomy at all and they have good details overall. They also fit my ears almost perfectly (which isn't oftzn coming from KZ earphones as they almost always have a too large nozzle, which is painful in my ears.
At this price, except the Sony MH750, which are a "No Go" for other reasons (the short "J-Cable", the fit, the fact that they are prone to wind noise when used outside), I don't see any other IEM that good!
Perhaps most of HeadFiers have so much good gears that they don't bother with IEMs this cheap?
When listening to the EDX, I always wonder why KZ doesn't take the single DD market seriously and builds something around the much acclaimed XUN driver?
(I don't have any of their sets with this XUN driver, so I can' say if it's that good or not, but it would be great to see what they could do with it?)
I know the newly released DQ6 does have a XUN driver, so perhaps is it the set I'm talking about?
I know it's not the IEM of the year, it's not a revolution in itself and the highly competitive Chi-Fi world, but for its price it's a real gem (to my ears at least) and I'm glad I bought one a few months ago to "see" (or hear, in that case) how they sounded, thinking I wasn't risking much @ $5.
But I wasn't expecting so much, these earphones are warm, have a really great tonality, the overall sound has a good body, it's bassy but not dark, the bass isn't boomy at all and they have good details overall. They also fit my ears almost perfectly (which isn't oftzn coming from KZ earphones as they almost always have a too large nozzle, which is painful in my ears.
At this price, except the Sony MH750, which are a "No Go" for other reasons (the short "J-Cable", the fit, the fact that they are prone to wind noise when used outside), I don't see any other IEM that good!
Perhaps most of HeadFiers have so much good gears that they don't bother with IEMs this cheap?
When listening to the EDX, I always wonder why KZ doesn't take the single DD market seriously and builds something around the much acclaimed XUN driver?
(I don't have any of their sets with this XUN driver, so I can' say if it's that good or not, but it would be great to see what they could do with it?)
I know the newly released DQ6 does have a XUN driver, so perhaps is it the set I'm talking about?
I have finally received my package with KZ ZAX, Ibasso DC03, KBEar 16-core copper cable and Spinfits CP100/145/800(the latter was a wrong choice but it's too late).
So uh.
My micro review: KZ - "ZS5v2 vs ZAX".
No "wow effect" right off the bat and mixed feelings. But!
It was immediately noticeable that ZAX is waaaaaaay more comfortable than ZS5s that have their sharp shell design stolen from CA Andromeda. Even though ZS5s were exceptionally robust(except for the nozzle, ha-ha), I don't think I would pick them again for their comfort, ZAX on the other hand...
Right after that, it's easy to notice that ZAX is way better in terms of details and superior in instruments separation. An example that I used for testing instruments separation was "Lilium - Sleeping Inside" - even through YouTube "quality" sound it's really noticeable. I wasn't completely stunned by this, but it was a surprise nonetheless.
Subbass seemed to be lacking remarkably on ZAX, though. This issue was fixed by replacing the stock Starline tips with foam tips that I'm already quite familiar with.
This slightly elevated the bass, and I also had a better fit, because out of the box ZAX comes with M-sized Starline tips and my ears are only comfortable with L size.
I didn't believe in that at first glance but replacing the stock cable with KBEar 16-core followed with an improvement in the bass frequencies.
This cable came with the additional soft bag as a gift. Which is a really nice move from the manufacturer, since you're buying an upgrade cable, this means you already think about your earphones and their quality, and you need to store them somewhere, right?
But even then, it seemed that ZS5 is better in low frequencies, at the same time ZS5 is muddier than ZAX probably because of 2 DDs versus 1. Well, of course, the difference is in their overall construction & setup too. ZAX has more space inside, has x3 times more BA drivers. Also, ZAX seems to be more punchy in the entire spectrum. Especially on any drums(cymbals) and on the bass. I'm not sure if that's the right word, but their speed characteristics feel generally better. After listening for 40 minutes, I started to have some sort of a headache - my ears adjusting to a new sound or something else, but it's just a thing to notice. Later on, I didn't have pretty much any discomfort.
I have tried stock Starline tips, foam tips that were included in the package by the seller as a gift(these ones are your more standard-ish foam tips, they have this slow memory foam effect, I used to own a similar pair but they were more sturdy and I bet they would sound better). Finally, we have Spinfits CP100 - I had a feeling that low and mid-bass aren't just there, I have replaced them with CP145 and "wow" effect came in. I bet it's because of the fact that their nozzle is wider.
Sound is well-detailed, crisp and bright. There's no "overwhelming bass" that people were telling in their full-of-hate reviews, mids are relaxed but not really drowned & veiled. Fit is comfortable. They're not completely closed and they, indeed, lose some of their isolation. For example, without anything playing, I was able to hear some noise coming from my PC. Again, foam tips would have probably fix that. There are some signs of sibilance here and there but not nearly as terrible as with ZS5v2. I can't say that ZAX just completely eliminated ZS5v2 in every aspect, I would say ZS5 were already absolutely insane for their 28$.
I also do think that by replacing all BAs in ZAX for Knowles we could probably have an entirely different level of sound. With the price skyrocketing at up to 12 or 15 times more.
I would absolutely recommend the cable I mentioned because it's really soft and looks superb.
Testing tracks:
CHVRCHES - Never Say Die:
(my crash-test of any earphones on the planet, if there's sand or sound gets mushy on the chorus - test failed). I think they passed, but they have slight issues with the vocals and upper mids. There's a lack of brightness, but hey, a horrific amount of sibilance with a lot of air & brilliance coming from ZS5 or the more balanced sound of ZAX. My brain needs to readjust itself to something flatter on highs.
Bury The Light(OST from Devil May Cry V):
There is no lossless version, which is very unfortunate. But still, there are issues with mids and upper mids. I can't get my head around why they sound relatively bad on this.
MOON - Hydrogen:
My usual track for bass testing, I know there are better examples in different genres, but I'm stuck with this one. They sound great on this, but it was highly expected.
I was also trying some EDM music, I guess EDM is a sweet spot for these. Just because of "Bury The Light" I think metal music will be difficult. Pop music sounds great, too. I definitely need to check some classical music & jazz.
This was the 1st day. If things would be better, I will make an update post.
So uh.
My micro review: KZ - "ZS5v2 vs ZAX".
No "wow effect" right off the bat and mixed feelings. But!
It was immediately noticeable that ZAX is waaaaaaay more comfortable than ZS5s that have their sharp shell design stolen from CA Andromeda. Even though ZS5s were exceptionally robust(except for the nozzle, ha-ha), I don't think I would pick them again for their comfort, ZAX on the other hand...
Right after that, it's easy to notice that ZAX is way better in terms of details and superior in instruments separation. An example that I used for testing instruments separation was "Lilium - Sleeping Inside" - even through YouTube "quality" sound it's really noticeable. I wasn't completely stunned by this, but it was a surprise nonetheless.
Subbass seemed to be lacking remarkably on ZAX, though. This issue was fixed by replacing the stock Starline tips with foam tips that I'm already quite familiar with.
This slightly elevated the bass, and I also had a better fit, because out of the box ZAX comes with M-sized Starline tips and my ears are only comfortable with L size.
I didn't believe in that at first glance but replacing the stock cable with KBEar 16-core followed with an improvement in the bass frequencies.
This cable came with the additional soft bag as a gift. Which is a really nice move from the manufacturer, since you're buying an upgrade cable, this means you already think about your earphones and their quality, and you need to store them somewhere, right?
But even then, it seemed that ZS5 is better in low frequencies, at the same time ZS5 is muddier than ZAX probably because of 2 DDs versus 1. Well, of course, the difference is in their overall construction & setup too. ZAX has more space inside, has x3 times more BA drivers. Also, ZAX seems to be more punchy in the entire spectrum. Especially on any drums(cymbals) and on the bass. I'm not sure if that's the right word, but their speed characteristics feel generally better. After listening for 40 minutes, I started to have some sort of a headache - my ears adjusting to a new sound or something else, but it's just a thing to notice. Later on, I didn't have pretty much any discomfort.
I have tried stock Starline tips, foam tips that were included in the package by the seller as a gift(these ones are your more standard-ish foam tips, they have this slow memory foam effect, I used to own a similar pair but they were more sturdy and I bet they would sound better). Finally, we have Spinfits CP100 - I had a feeling that low and mid-bass aren't just there, I have replaced them with CP145 and "wow" effect came in. I bet it's because of the fact that their nozzle is wider.
Sound is well-detailed, crisp and bright. There's no "overwhelming bass" that people were telling in their full-of-hate reviews, mids are relaxed but not really drowned & veiled. Fit is comfortable. They're not completely closed and they, indeed, lose some of their isolation. For example, without anything playing, I was able to hear some noise coming from my PC. Again, foam tips would have probably fix that. There are some signs of sibilance here and there but not nearly as terrible as with ZS5v2. I can't say that ZAX just completely eliminated ZS5v2 in every aspect, I would say ZS5 were already absolutely insane for their 28$.
I would absolutely recommend the cable I mentioned because it's really soft and looks superb.
Testing tracks:
CHVRCHES - Never Say Die:
(my crash-test of any earphones on the planet, if there's sand or sound gets mushy on the chorus - test failed). I think they passed, but they have slight issues with the vocals and upper mids. There's a lack of brightness, but hey, a horrific amount of sibilance with a lot of air & brilliance coming from ZS5 or the more balanced sound of ZAX. My brain needs to readjust itself to something flatter on highs.
Bury The Light(OST from Devil May Cry V):
There is no lossless version, which is very unfortunate. But still, there are issues with mids and upper mids. I can't get my head around why they sound relatively bad on this.
MOON - Hydrogen:
My usual track for bass testing, I know there are better examples in different genres, but I'm stuck with this one. They sound great on this, but it was highly expected.
I was also trying some EDM music, I guess EDM is a sweet spot for these. Just because of "Bury The Light" I think metal music will be difficult. Pop music sounds great, too. I definitely need to check some classical music & jazz.
This was the 1st day. If things would be better, I will make an update post.
