[AmericanSpirit]

AST arrived, out of box impression “hmmm? Bass dominated 🌫 “
Going to do some ear tips and cable roll, I found CP100+ fits good. As original tuning is V shape.
About same size with qdc Anole VX(10BA). Size smaller than ASX, which is a huge progress Trying to benchmark AST with Anole VX with bass boost mode (1-0-0)
Trying with XINHS Graphene cable. It was $39.

 

[MacAttack7]

AST arrived, out of box impression “hmmm? Bass dominated 🌫 “
Going to do some ear tips and cable roll, I found CP100+ fits good. As original tuning is V shape.

Hurry up and review!
I'm thinking about getting a pair if they are really that much better than the ASX (which I like).

Also wondering if they will work well plugged directly into an iPod Touch.
I see they can be had for $91 with the sale going on and a coupon.
I definitely don't need them, so maybe I'll resist!

 

[voicemaster]

Anybody else try Xelastic tips on CKX? They isolate much better and just make the CKX shine! I think the CKX is KZ’s best to date myself,
anyone else feel that way?

Hmm... the AST might take that crown imho. But from practical and build stand point, the CKX is hard to beat. It is tiny that you can wear it while sleeping on your side not an issue as they are pretty much inside the ears opening for me at least.

 

[CT007]

I haven't heard all KZ or CCA, but so far it's AST/ZAX -> CKX -> AS10 for me, though I returned CKX and kept AS10.

 

[mndless]

Anybody else try Xelastic tips on CKX? They isolate much better and just make the CKX shine! I think the CKX is KZ’s best to date myself,
anyone else feel that way?

I haven't tried that many IEMs from KZ and CCA, as the CKX was my second purchase after dismissing the ZS5 as too treble-forward for my needs. A dab of EQ to level out the peaks in the treble and they sound shockingly good for their price point. I'm rocking them with the Sony Triple Comfort eartips at the moment and they get that nice bass gain without losing out on treble or mids, and the staging and placement seem better than when I was using even Spinfits. Quite comfy too. We'll see how I feel about their price/performance when some of the other IEMs I've recently ordered finally come in, but they're definitely an excellent choice for someone just starting their IEM journey, particularly due to their extremely compact size that makes them generally comfortable enough to even sleep in.

 

[voicemaster]

AST arrived, out of box impression “hmmm? Bass dominated 🌫 “
Going to do some ear tips and cable roll, I found CP100+ fits good. As original tuning is V shape.

I had that impression too when I first got it. Overwhelming bass!! But I think either I am getting used to it or the burn in is real, I don't feel the bass overwhelming anymore. I kinda like it that I can hear the bass guitar clearly with the AST.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

I had that impression too when I first got it. Overwhelming bass!! But I think either I am getting used to it or the burn in is real, I don't feel the bass overwhelming anymore. I kinda like it that I can hear the bass guitar clearly with the AST.

Hmm thanks! I may give some burning to AST Right now it’s a 🌫 festival

 

[eclein]

Bass cannons for me also out of the box, AST that is but mine settled down considerably after about 10 hours. They got more coherent, more detailed and better balanced after time.

 

[mndless]

Hmm thanks! I may give some burning to AST Right now it’s a 🌫 festival

As far as I am aware, BA drivers don't change substantially with burn-in. Still, no real harm in trying it. I expect tip and cable rolling will be where the real magic is for them. If you want a quick way to help narrow down which eartips to try out, check out This list of eartip reviews from AudioReviews.org. I found them very helpful and their assessments have matched up well with my own findings for the eartips I've tried that they've reviewed.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Bass cannons for me also out of the box, AST that is but mine settled down considerably after about 10 hours. They got more coherent, more detailed and better balanced after time.

Thanks for the tip! Yea while I rolling cables, I do feel potentials.

 

[boredbuyingstuff]

I had that impression too when I first got it. Overwhelming bass!! But I think either I am getting used to it or the burn in is real, I don't feel the bass overwhelming anymore. I kinda like it that I can hear the bass guitar clearly with the AST.

I've been listening to my AST since friday and at first it seemed to me a little muffled compared to the ZSX which sounded more "airy". I don't know if my brain adjusted to the sound of the AST but it is so much "airier" now and sounds cleaner comparing to the first two days. For me there's no turning back to the ZSX as the AST seems an improvement in every single way to it and I'm just loving it.

By the way, I'm listening to it plugged directly from the 3.5mm port on a Samsung Chromebook and I can't go above 45-50% or it's too loud for me... I got a DAC incoming so let's see if the AST will change then.

I can't wait to hear your impressions!

 

[boredbuyingstuff]

Thanks for the tip! Yea while I rolling cables, I do feel potentials.

As for cables, I started using XINHS 8 core copper & pure silver cable and then switched back to the stock cable which I've been since and honestly the sound is absolutely the same.

I have been using Spinfit CP360 L since the beginning and didn't even bother trying the stock ones.

 

[mndless]

I've been listening to my AST since friday and at first it seemed to me a little muffled compared to the ZSX which sounded more "airy". I don't know if my brain adjusted to the sound of the AST but it is so much "airier" now and sounds cleaner comparing to the first two days. For me there's no turning back to the ZSX as the AST seems an improvement in every single way to it and I'm just loving.

By the way, I'm listening to it plugged directly from the 3.5mm port on a Samsung Chromebook and I can't go above 45-50% or it's too loud for me... I got a DAC incoming so let's see if the AST will change then.

I can't wait to hear your impressions!

I've got a HiBy R3 Pro Sabre that I've been using when I want the best SQ, and even compared to running my IEMs off the usually spectacular "quad DAC" output from my LG V30, the difference is staggering. Much more detail in every frequency range, more powerful bass and less aggressive treble compared to the V30's output with the same cables. Everything is just tighter and more controlled. I do think everyone should have a DAP or DAC like that, even if it isn't your daily driver, if only for sanity checks. Plus, the R3 can be used as a USB transceiver that supports LDAC when connected to Windows, Mac, and Linux. It's not even crazy expensive to get the R3 Pro Sabre model for the slightly more analytical nature of the ESS DAC/amp combo chips.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

that’s exactly what I’m doing.
Tried 10-20 cables, and went back to stock cable, the 10khz+ with stock cable is more elevated, making it bit more resolving. But the overall tuning now I feel it L(U) shape with recessed 10khz+. Compared to ZAX type it’s definitely darker same to ASX.
KZ probably heard many voices of “KZ treble is too peaky” and darkened that part I guess.
At current state, there is a huge gap between my midrange multidriver benchmark Mangird Tea(Dark signature) and AST(bass boost and dark)
12BA does add separation capability but the separation is not coherent, so instrumental separation (for classical music and large scale ensemble) is a bit hard to ask. Works great for electronic music.

I’d try burn AST in for 30 hours and see if the veil is gone.

 

[boredbuyingstuff]

I've got a HiBy R3 Pro Sabre that I've been using when I want the best SQ, and even compared to running my IEMs off the usually spectacular "quad DAC" output from my LG V30, the difference is staggering. Much more detail in every frequency range, more powerful bass and less aggressive treble compared to the V30's output with the same cables. Everything is just tighter and more controlled. I do think everyone should have a DAP or DAC like that, even if it isn't your daily driver, if only for sanity checks. Plus, the R3 can be used as a USB transceiver that supports LDAC when connected to Windows, Mac, and Linux. It's not even crazy expensive to get the R3 Pro Sabre model for the slightly more analytical nature of the ESS DAC/amp combo chips.

I don't know if what I bought count as a real DAC as I got a Hidizs S9 Pro as I wanted something as mobile as possible and without any non-replaceable battery inside. I considered the Astell&Kern PEE51 but since it was only available through some shady Aliexpress stores I decided to get the Hidizs.