[PhonoPhi]

How is its technical ability? I'm thinking of modding mine, but I'll planning on reducing the bass and probably treble.

The technical ability is great, as for all all-BAs. Timbre is the most limiting. I found my first AS12, that I got when it was first introduced, limited with low orchestral brass, so I removed the treble filters.
The recent AS12, perhaps a newer version, I really liked "as is", though with the more transparent source.
With the recent sales, AS12 has a good value "as is", and really an excellent potential for modding, in my opinion.

I recently acquired the AST. I am finding it excellent for classical music. In this piece, the AST managed to reveal all the layers in the dense scoring:


And this is a delightful piece, the AST's reproduction of the woodwind is beautiful:

AST can shine with the brighter transparent powerful sources indeed

 

[Jansvast]

The ZEX pro must be an experiment by KZ, whether people can hear incoherency between drivers and different driver type timbre. It was a single DD all this time

KZ using their reputation to pull off a literal scam...

 

[jananan78]

The ZEX pro must be an experiment by KZ, whether people can hear incoherency between drivers and different driver type timbre. It was a single DD all this time

KZ using their reputation to pull off a literal scam...

so the weird timbre that i was hearing in the zex pro was not from the est after all ? although my zex pro is the non crinacle original kz zex pro.

 

[Jansvast]

Well must have been something else XD. Also the ZEX pro and CRN are the exact same iem.

 

[InvisibleInk]

It's at times like this when I wish Knowledge Zenith had a customer representative here on Head-Fi to respond to the latest findings of the community.

 

[DeltaAudio]

KZ has really done it this time..

 

[r31ya]

The ZEX pro must be an experiment by KZ, whether people can hear incoherency between drivers and different driver type timbre. It was a single DD all this time

KZ using their reputation to pull off a literal scam...

If ZEX Pro have non functional BA/Magnetostat, i have to put my hats off to that single DD because the separation and imaging is great in ZEX Pro
And makes Aria (1DD) feels lacking in that department.

The question is, is it really dead BA/Magnetostat with waste of crossover, or it just tuned that even if they died it won't change much of FR.
Again, if that the case, that single DD is super aweseme.

 

[morphon]

If ZEX Pro have non functional BA/Magnetostat, i have to put my hats off to that single DD because the separation and imaging is great in ZEX Pro
And makes Aria (1DD) feels lacking in that department.

The question is it really dead BA/Magnetostat with waste of crossover, or it just tuned that even if they died it won't change much of FR.
Again, if that the case, that single DD is super aweseme.

Agree 100%.

This is what I don't understand about the big "controversy" - they sound the way they do. They cost what they do. Do I really care about what EXACTLY is in the shells and how it works? Nope. I still have a VERY hard time finding a better rec in the $35 range.

Deceptive marketing - ok, clean that up, sure. If they're passive radiators then cool, whatever. If they sound good for the price I really can't see what else I'm supposed to want.

 

[Ymzable]

I am not surprised at all as I have seen an 8-core cable with only 2 cores connected to the connectors.

 

[UnderpathBum]

If it's proven KZ Zex Pro and DQ6 have units just for decoration and marketing purpose only, I don't believe KZ is the only company does this. The whole Hi-Fi industry needs to sell new items. Consumers always look for solutions to fix what's lacking in their existing iems, and not many knows how impossible to shove a real crossover circuit into a tiny iem shell, let alone making the added units work cohesively with the existing DD. Can people really tell the added EST/BA or two made any difference? Yes if the brain tells so.

 

[seanwee]

hi everyone, it's been a minute. i'm thinking of upgrading my IEMs – im currently using ZAX (i sold my ZSX and ZS10 pro). are there any new ones that are better than ZAXs?

CCA CRA + nozzle mod

 

[Steve1976]

Well I literally just ordered one yesterday and saw this huge flop today.

$35 isn't much money but I am sure if the false marketing is true, a lot more products with much higher price tags are probably also having similar shady business.

 

[seanwee]

Well I literally just ordered one yesterday and saw this huge flop today.

$35 isn't much money but I am sure if the false marketing is true, a lot more products with much higher price tags are probably also having similar shady business.

I'm of the opinion that as long as it sounds good at the price point its sold for, who cares? Its not a loss to the consumer.

If KZ wants to waste good drivers for decoration and marketing its their choice.

That said, their advertising is misleading and I think thats the problem that most people here are taking issue with.

If they advertise a product with a new driver, more people will be intrigued and buy it to see what the new driver brings to the table. Compare that to saying that its still a 1DD iem, just with a different tuning. I'm sure far less people will give it a try.

Its been working wonders so far no?

 

[Steve1976]

If they advertise a product with a new driver, more people will be intrigued and buy it to see what the new driver brings to the table.

True, the companies are pushing new products way too often now. DAPs with minor changes refreshing every year to keep jacking up the price and preventing consumers buying used "outdated" ones.

 

[seanwee]

True, the companies are pushing new products way too often now. DAPs with minor changes refreshing every year to keep jacking up the price and preventing consumers buying used "outdated" ones.

Well that's because many daps needed a refresh due to an AKM Dac shortage. Otherwise the product line would have just ended there.

Personally I think that the DAP life cycle is pretty slow. Typically they go 4-5 years before a successor is released.