Finally KZ got it right with their double digits drivers IEM. While I do like the ASX, but so many people hated it and found it sound bad. 15 drivers per side next?It’s a good investmentI can say AST is not embarrassed by claiming itself a 12BA IEM.
If the volume is loud enough, and the impedance of your player is low enough, why would you need any additional power?
It maybe loud but it sound constrained at times. I haven't tried using my phone as source, I was using bluetooth adapter on my PC. It plays just fine on my old DX50.
I would absolutely LOVE for CCA to pull some of the 3D sound tube printing tech and these retuned KZ and Bellsing drivers to a refresh of the CKX. I adore how compact these things are, and their performance is already pretty great. Enough that they only needed some tip rolling and a modest amount of EQ for them to surpass my TRI Starseas by my reckoning. Their mid and treble tonality isn't as superb for vocals and acoustic instrumentals, but the bass impact and layering that you get from three times the number of BA drivers is impossible for the Starseas to overcome, even with the same efforts spent rolling tips and EQ-ing them. I think if they managed to redesign the CKX to more effectively use the space available so they could pull back the BAs from the nozzle into the body of the shell, they may become one of the best sub-$100 IEMs to buy (Though I already rec them anyway, because they're so damn comfy.) I'd also like to see them try to copy what Sony did with their custom BA drivers with their top-ported single-BA drivers and super-tweeter BA drivers. Apparently they offer spectacular performance, but I've not had the luxury of listening to any of the IEMs equipped with them. Just from a personal preference standpoint, I'd also like to see them make the nozzle a tiny bit slimmer and about 1.5-2mm longer.Agree with your comment
-25hours of burn-in, this is third session I put AST on, for well over 4 hours
-compared to benchmark fully burned-in qdc Anole VX and my reference IEM for monitoring: Softears RSV. So that it’s not my brain-burn in as I have clearly comparable scale next to AST
-Treble is the speciality of AST; great sensation of warm and calm tuning with astonishing detail retrieval that can well expected from properly tuned multi-BA, the open vent 6 packs of missile launcher-ish tweeter unit indeed is some interesting gimmick that KZ came up with, this is why I’m sticking with KZ even with series of “painfulspiked extreme house V-tuning” experiences. Some R&D taking place and it works!
-Mid, uppe-mid is OK, I could use a bit lifted 3khz pinna gain area, but I was able to find my comfortable tuning with SpinFit Cp100+(known as vocal booster) & DAP’s low-pass filter in Short delay Sharp Roll-off mode(which I don’t usually use) to have piano&vocals show clarity
-Bass is another “wow” factor of AST, well controlled, good texture, the weakness of BA bass (plain and lacks impact) seemed blurred by simply amp it to taunami class massive quantity —which works
-Thanks to multi BA, the elevated bass does not totally overshadow mid/treble, as the other range also has some presence
-I’m now more confident to refer AST is power hungry IEM, (similary to ASX, but much more power-thirsty than ASX); this could divide impressions to day and night,
With less powered source:
one may say “ahh it sound muddy, everything is off focus, with one note bass “boom”
With high powered source:
one may say “it’s the one of the best sub $300, specialized in resolution/ brain shaking bass / hard to attain multi-layering capability which only kilo buck 8+BA IEMs could offer.
I think AST is well worth $100 tag, and compared to $129 monster TRI Starsea(it hits A- in my list), AST still can justify its raison detre by layering / separation and impactful bass.
compared to $169 widely proclaimed best-value-to-money See Audio Yume(I could only rate Yume to C+, A+ for tuning but technically C-), AST is well above Yume in terms technicality, tuning is personal flavor so I’d leave it. AST still can justify @ $169
compared to $299 Mangird Tea / $319 Moondrop Blessing2/ $330 Moondrop Blessing2 Dusk: I can still justify AST for multi-layering for music with complex composition, but overall I found Tea/ Blessing2/ Dusk a little better made, like 10% better if pulling out a number.
compared to DUNU Studio SA6 $549 : SA6 is better tuned and balanced, as one of the sub$1000 benchmarks to beat, AST is still not there, not depressingly far, 15% more to hit. It comes to coherence / positioning/ transient that could set AST behind SA6.
I'm waiting to hear TheVortex's review of his recently received GS Audio GT12, as they're pretty much the only other somewhat reasonably priced 12BA IEM. They certainly aren't as affordable as the AST, but for IEMs using Sonion and Knowles branded drivers, they're quite "affordable". His quick and dirty assessment was that they reminded him of a better balanced Audiosense T800. I'm curious what his thoughts will be once he's had more of a chance to listen to them and maybe burn them in. I don't think Sonion and Knowles BA drivers are expected to change their performance all that much after burn-in, but it'll be good to see what his set does.It’s a good investment
If you want a rec for a somewhat reasonably priced DAP that you can use, check out the Hiby R3 Pro Saber. I absolutely love mine, and you can set the balanced output to low or high gain mode if you need more oomph behind the signal. I've found that just about any IEM I've enjoyed on my FiiO LC-BT2 sounds leagues better on the HiBy R3 Pro Saber. For around $200, it's a pretty sound investment, as it'll happily drive the vast majority of IEMs with a decent amount of headroom, but it also offers flexibility in how you can use it. You can use it as a DAP, a DAC, a USB Bluetooth transceiver for PC or Mac, or as a bluetooth transceiver for a wired headphone connection. And it'll support LDAC for all of those bluetooth modes, which is nice if you, like me, enjoy the luxury of owning a bluetooth IEM neckband adapter which supports LDAC. There are better options, but you certainly wouldn't be disappointed with it. If you just want a cheaper, but very high spec USB C wired DAC+amp, check out the Hidizs S9 Pro. It's currently around $110, and it'll do quite well for everything short of extremely high impedance, low sensitivity headphones.
I rarely use DAP. I usually just use my S21Ultra + galaxy buds live/pro for portable use.
SadGot some news from a KZ rep:
The KZ SK10 will be releasing next week. 1 BA + 1 DD hybrid configuration. Could this be the CSN in TWS form? Also is still AAC limited and might actually be using the same chip as the AZ09. Pricing would be about 40 USD, give or take.
EDIT: NVM. It doesn't use the same BA as the CSN.
I'll be able to share my impressions a week after it releases (review unit)
Oh, another update for those interested in their wired IEMs - I was told that KZ is currently focusing on Bluetooth transducers. So the electrostatic (if it will push through) might not be seen in the near future
but as a business decision that’s rational… bluetooth TWS has huge chunk of market that KZ could establish some strings of revenue string, vs very sizable few(maybe less than 1,000) challenging EST model
If moondrop failed to tune Sonion EST, and treble becomes pitch dark, there maybe a chance
Mine will arrive on Monday(sigh)
Isn't the FR of Variations kinda similar to AST? AST has a rolled off on the upper treble, but I hear those treble just fine.If moondrop failed to tune Sonion EST, and treble becomes pitch dark, there maybe a chance
Looks like it's more similar to the Etymotic ER4, which is a more relaxed treble but should not be dark.
It is not dark at allIf moondrop failed to tune Sonion EST, and treble becomes pitch dark, there maybe a chance
. So far I think the lower treble has the highest resolution amongst all the frequencies, has some magic on male vocal. I swapped cable to lower the bass and everything is much more under control now.
