[PhonoPhi]

a little PSA, KZ eartips is not that good.
for ESX, if the bass a bit obnoxious, you will get better experience with it if you use widebore eartips like KBEar07/AET07.

Apparently it will sound a bit better with Impedance adapter (18~-30 ohm), or using high power source like TK-2?
And it seems the target IEM for AS16Pro is QDC V14, i wonder if someone here have heard it and can compare

I have literally "undusted" my impedance adapters of 20 and 75 Ohm. I also have a resistor box to get any arbitrary values.

Quite a bit of a limitation is that all impedance adapters, that I am aware of, are unbalanced, and the circuit with two resistor box is rich. Perhaps, another audiophile direction, more meaningful than cables at least

Anyhow, sorry for the digression, testing unbalanced with my Tempotec E44 and the recording cited above: it surely sounds different - the bass is more suppressed and mids are more emphasized with 20 Ohm for more leanness and clarity. At 75 Ohm, high-mids feel even more prominent, 75 Ohm may be too much.
I prefer the original tuning, the lean BA bass lovely tuned warmer, I am not giving it back. I have Dioko for the lean signature with its undertuned midbass (I am not adding midbass there either).

Then, in my opinion, all all-BA IEMs sound differently with different source impedances, and all are very amenable to digital signal processing, including equalizers.
So equalizers are arguably a much simpler and more flexible and instructive way to enjoy different tunings other than the stock signature.

P. S. It is possible to speculate that KZ used 18 Ohm source impedance to produce the graph more likeable by "graph aficionados" and then the warmer tuning for the most of the listeners - actually, a smart strategy and a good crossover design (AS10 are surely different, for instance).

 

[RikudouGoku]

Anyhow, sorry for the digression, testing unbalanced with my Tempotec E44 and the recording cited above: it surely sounds different - the bass is more suppressed and mids are more emphasized with 20 Ohm for more leanness and clarity. At 75 Ohm, high-mids feel even more prominent, 75 Ohm may be too much.
I prefer the original tuning, the lean BA bass lovely tuned warmer, I am not giving it back. I have Dioko for the lean signature with its undertuned midbass (I am not adding midbass there either).

They actually tuned it with 18ohm in mind. Which is why they weren't happy with reviewers graphs at 0-2 ohm.

 

[PhonoPhi]

That would be quite strange.
How many sources are out there with 18 Ohm? Older ones were 100 and 50 Ohm, and newer ones are few Ohms. My 20 Ohm adapter was quite a rarity to find few years ago.

So I am still with my simpler conspiracy theory that I added as a postscriptum above before your post

 

[RikudouGoku]

How many sources are out there with 18 Ohm?

Exactly, It is honestly quite the bad move to tune it with that in mind...

 

[r31ya]

Exactly, It is honestly quite the bad move to tune it with that in mind...

from the dicussion in the discord, i think it was default setting on their tuning gear and didn't realize it will sound different in normal gear.

 

[PhonoPhi]

Exactly, It is honestly quite the bad move to tune it with that in mind...

I like the end results a lot, and their process was always a bit of a "black box" or "trial & error".
I would be curios to know if they or someone else give the parameters of the crossover to predict the power distribution at different source impedance.

 

[Plumbus the Wise]

a little PSA, KZ eartips is not that good.

If you use the screw method and flip them inside out they work MUCH better. Comfort wise and seal wise.

 

[PhonoPhi]

So few points and thoughts about AS16 pro and impedance adapters.

1. My "20 Ohm" adapter (labelled on the package) actually measures 30-31 Ohm. The 75 Ohm (Dunu) is 75 Ohm. The most standard values ard 75, 150 and 300 Ohm. 30 Ohm can be found, as my mislabeled 20 Ohm.
I actually tried to order JCally 8 and 16 Ohm some time before - the order was not shipped and refunded by the seller.
So getting 10-20 Ohm adapters is hard. It can be perhaps a new line of audiophile business.

2. I spent more time with the 30-Ohm adapter, the difference is definitely there, pethaps not overly prominent, especially compared to 75 Ohm that is to much for upper mids (petfect level matching is another problem there for reliable comparison).
I perceive the difference as less bass and more upper mids with the impedance adapter, closer to original AS16 and the bass in BA10. Both sound signatures are nice, the warmer one without the adapter is more likeable to me.

3. Perhaps, it is a fortunate coincidence that KZ used 18 Ohm, so most would experience a warmer signature, so the reviewers would complain less about dry bass and emphasized treble as for AS16.

4. Perhaps, surprisingly low prices (to me, I would pay $70-80) is in part due to this impedance. Well, better for the consumers, and then I never experienced perfect KZ, just great ones

5. At the same time, it is hard to image engineers and/or tuners so unaware of common sources - testing with real devices is an expected routine.

6. Well, KZ is KZ, I was happily surprised that they communicate with reviewers - a good step forward, perhaps
Whatever their process, I have high respect for their results.

7. Equalizers should be perfectly able to mimic resistive loads, so anyone can experiment with these signatures without the hardware.

8. Finally, I will take some break from HeadFi enjoying the music with AS16 pro and my other IEMs, rather than trying to figure out adapters and their effrct on sound signatures

 

[r31ya]

So few points and thoughts about AS16 pro and impedance adapters.

1. My "20 Ohm" adapter (labelled on the package) actually measures 30-31 Ohm. The 75 Ohm (Dunu) is 75 Ohm. The most standard values ard 75, 150 and 300 Ohm. 30 Ohm can be found, as my mislabeled 20 Ohm.
I actually tried to order JCally 8 and 16 Ohm some time before - the order was not shipped and refunded by the seller.
So getting 10-20 Ohm adapters is hard. It can be perhaps a new line of audiophile business.

2. I spent more time with the 30-Ohm adapter, the difference is definitely there, pethaps not overly prominent, especially compared to 75 Ohm that is to much for upper mids (petfect level matching is another problem there for reliable comparison).
I perceive the difference as less bass and more upper mids with the impedance adapter, closer to original AS16 and the bass in BA10. Both sound signatures are nice, the warmer one without the adapter is more likeable to me.

3. Perhaps, it is a fortunate coincidence that KZ used 18 Ohm, so most would experience a warmer signature, so the reviewers would complain less about dry bass and emphasized treble as for AS16.

4. Perhaps, surprisingly low prices (to me, I would pay $70-80) is in part due to this impedance. Well, better for the consumers, and then I never experienced perfect KZ, just great ones

5. At the same time, it is hard to image engineers and/or tuners so unaware of common sources - testing with real devices is an expected routine.

6. Well, KZ is KZ, I was happily surprised that they communicate with reviewers - a good step forward, perhaps
Whatever their process, I have high respect for their results.

7. Equalizers should be perfectly able to mimic resistive loads, so anyone can experiment with these signatures without the hardware.

8. Finally, I will take some break from HeadFi enjoying the music with AS16 pro and my other IEMs, rather than trying to figure out adapters and their effrct on sound signatures

They communicate in the Discord, a bit defensive but its understandable.

But funnily, i think the tuners and the PR people is not in sync when he was asked about the as16 pro graph.
the PR people have defensive reaction upon being notified on the graph difference. noting possible difference in tools and method.
It was until someone they trust post their result, the PR decided to ask the engineers and only then the PR people points out the 18 ohm image at the as16pro packaging.

unnessesary short drama but yeah.
anyhow thank god KZ first foray to hybrid (post drama) turns out pretty good. kinda regretting not taking it when it was $40.

 

[ScrofulousBinturong]

This is yet another KZ trick, bait and switch. The early batch of AZ09 pro has the aptX Adaptive. So when the words are out, they disable aptX Adaptive on those in the later batches. People like me read about the aptX Adaptive on AZ09 pro are disappointed when we realized it only supports classic aptX. However, I have to say this is still a pretty good BT adapter. My other complaints are the bright LED and the flimsy control buttons.

Why on earth would they spend extra time in manufacturing to change something that works to make the product worse?

It's absurd.

 

[Carpet]

They communicate in the Discord, a bit defensive but its understandable.

But funnily, i think the tuners and the PR people is not in sync when he was asked about the as16 pro graph.
the PR people have defensive reaction upon being notified on the graph difference. noting possible difference in tools and method.
It was until someone they trust post their result, the PR decided to ask the engineers and only then the PR people points out the 18 ohm image at the as16pro packaging.

unnessesary short drama but yeah.
anyhow thank god KZ first foray to hybrid (post drama) turns out pretty good. kinda regretting not taking it when it was $40.

AS16 pro isn't a hybrid, it's an all BA set. So it didn't raise the question of whether the DD was carrying the whole show, with BAs included as baggage to pump the price. I'm regarding money not spent on a new KZ, as part payment on an all BA set from AudioSense.

 

[r31ya]

AS16 pro isn't a hybrid, it's an all BA set. So it didn't raise the question of whether the DD was carrying the whole show, with BAs included as baggage to pump the price. I'm regarding money not spent on a new KZ, as part payment on an all BA set from AudioSense.

Ah, sorry multi drivers.
Not sure why, but i always refer to those as hybrids

 

[1clearhead]

So few points and thoughts about AS16 pro and impedance adapters.

1. My "20 Ohm" adapter (labelled on the package) actually measures 30-31 Ohm. The 75 Ohm (Dunu) is 75 Ohm. The most standard values ard 75, 150 and 300 Ohm. 30 Ohm can be found, as my mislabeled 20 Ohm.
I actually tried to order JCally 8 and 16 Ohm some time before - the order was not shipped and refunded by the seller.
So getting 10-20 Ohm adapters is hard. It can be perhaps a new line of audiophile business.

2. I spent more time with the 30-Ohm adapter, the difference is definitely there, pethaps not overly prominent, especially compared to 75 Ohm that is to much for upper mids (petfect level matching is another problem there for reliable comparison).
I perceive the difference as less bass and more upper mids with the impedance adapter, closer to original AS16 and the bass in BA10. Both sound signatures are nice, the warmer one without the adapter is more likeable to me.

3. Perhaps, it is a fortunate coincidence that KZ used 18 Ohm, so most would experience a warmer signature, so the reviewers would complain less about dry bass and emphasized treble as for AS16.

4. Perhaps, surprisingly low prices (to me, I would pay $70-80) is in part due to this impedance. Well, better for the consumers, and then I never experienced perfect KZ, just great ones

5. At the same time, it is hard to image engineers and/or tuners so unaware of common sources - testing with real devices is an expected routine.

6. Well, KZ is KZ, I was happily surprised that they communicate with reviewers - a good step forward, perhaps
Whatever their process, I have high respect for their results.

7. Equalizers should be perfectly able to mimic resistive loads, so anyone can experiment with these signatures without the hardware.

8. Finally, I will take some break from HeadFi enjoying the music with AS16 pro and my other IEMs, rather than trying to figure out adapters and their effrct on sound signatures

+1 I'm really enjoying the tuning of the AS16 PRO as well. Finally, BA done right by KZ!

-Clear

 

[1clearhead]

Has anyone got the AS16 Pro and is able to compare it to the BA10?

I have both and I can say that the AS16 PRO plays in the same ballfield as the BA10, but they do have their different flavors. If you check out @PhonoPhi https://www.head-fi.org/threads/knowledge-zenith-kz-impressions-thread.698148/post-17074362 ...I couldn't have said it better myself.

Personally, I still like the BA10 for its' unique approach at the time they were made for an all BA set, but the AS16 PRO just takes many of the songs I have to another level. In an eerie way, they remind me of my LZ A6 which at the time they came out cost more than 6 times the price of the AS16 PRO today. I'm not saying they sound exactly the same knowing that the A6 includes piezos, but they definitely come close. So, that puts the AS16 PRO as an all BA game changer for KZ, IMHO.

-Clear

 

[nihil23]

Why on earth would they spend extra time in manufacturing to change something that works to make the product worse?

It's absurd.

You might not know, but often qualcomm sells the same soc with different licenses, maybe KZ just didn't pay for aptx adaptive support. Therefore, they were forced to disable it in new versions.