[sgl54]

It's this one, http://www.aliexpress.com/item/KZ-ED8M-interactive-two-unit-high-end-mobile-music-enthusiast-Q-value-headset-ear-headphones-bass/32256027095.html

No idea why the url says ed8m but it's the kz z1 which I read might be an s4. Exact same piece as the pic. And the hiss is during pause, when the players are on but not playing.

The bass is pretty tight with the right tips. Still burning in tho, through the o2 odac, it sounds, to me, bright across the board and somewhat edgy.

Thanks Ipual, I'm not sure of the real name, designation of the pictured phone 8 or 4 but it's not what Kz or Kz vendors anyway have been framing as the Zn1 mini. ( I'll put a picture of a Z series at the end) that said the phone you've mentioned is cheap enough to give a try . Thanks for the input.

 

[ipaulpereira]

Welcome!

 

[fallrsk]

sgl54 the Z1 is actually the S4, it's just one of those dumb names the vendors have given it.

ipaulpereira the hiss you're hearing is due probably due to the 16 ohm impedance which requires a higher SNR compared to most every other set of phones. Use it on a phone and see if it persists.

 

[ipaulpereira]

sgl54 the Z1 is actually the S4, it's just one of those dumb names the vendors have given it.

ipaulpereira the hiss you're hearing is due probably due to the 16 ohm impedance which requires a higher SNR compared to most every other set of phones. Use it on a phone and see if it persists.

Thanks chief! Don't hear hissing on the phone (Oppo r7s) sounds pretty good actually.

 

[sgl54]

sgl54 the Z1 is actually the S4, it's just one of those dumb names the vendors have given it.

ipaulpereira the hiss you're hearing is due probably due to the 16 ohm impedance which requires a higher SNR compared to most every other set of phones. Use it on a phone and see if it persists.

Thank you, it's common for vendors to use differnt names, I have no idea why. That said I appreciate the heads up.

 

[Ahmed Waheed]

okay i was going to purchase xiaomi hybrid for 17$ but i found this thread by coincidence. there are a lot of headphones from KZ and most of them are under my budget. any recommendations?

 

[Pulpfiction]

About the ATE sounding muddy: I can understand that description ( I wouldn't call it muddy - just dark ) if coming from iem / headphones / earbuds with decent treble extention/detail/seperation. The ATE sounds pretty rolled off to me in the treble, which gives it a lack of air and a lack of that feeling of clarity and crispyness you get from other iems / buds / headphones with a different sound signature. Stock tips didn't work well for me either by the way, I ordered these at the same time as my ATE's and I'm very happy I did, they've been working out great so far http://m.aliexpress.com/item/32517832056.html?productId=32517832056&productSubject=6Pairs-12pcs-IE80-Noise-Isolating-Double-Silicone-Eartips-5mm-Comply-Ear-Tips-For-IE8-IE80-Earphones&tracelog=wwwdetail2mobilesitedetail

ATE doesn't have everything, but what it does it does quite well (a smooth mix of strong mids on a foundation of juicy but not overpowering/unbalanced bass, with decent seperation & sound stage, all presented in a non-fatigueing way).

While I still enjoy it I have been missing the treble a bit since I got them, and find myself using my VE Monks 9 out of 10 times since I got them because of their generally detailed but balanced musical sound & air they bring to the table. I use the ATE when I want improved comfort, IEM isolation & nice strong sub bass lines (present in the electronic music I listen to). Really though, for the 8$ paid I can really only recommend ATE. I'm waiting for the ZN1 Mini which I hope will expand on the ATE signature with even better soundstage but more importantly: some more treble extention.

 

[fallrsk]

okay i was going to purchase xiaomi hybrid for 17$ but i found this thread by coincidence. there are a lot of headphones from KZ and most of them are under my budget. any recommendations?

HDS1 or 3, S3 or S4, ZN1 mini, ED9, and I'd recommend the monk (although it's not a KZ) so you've got a wide array of choices here.

I'd say the HDS3 out of those that I have (including ED10, ED4, ZS1, Monk, P2, and P3 and used to have Zircons) is the most comfy followed by the P3 and ED4 and the ED10 and P2 being least comfy (weird pressure points). The monks are awesome in their own weird way that I prefer to use them for silent cinema over my HD598's due to the small size/comfort, open sound and actually playing well with dolby headphone for a surround feel.

ED9 is a good place to start, as well as the HDS1/HDS3. I'd say those first 2 are the most highly recommended.

 

[carltonh]

I was just doing some A/B comparisons, (all un-amped) and the HDS3 sounds most similar to my Sony XB90, minus just a little subbass kick and volume. The XB90s are more balanced than people assume, their bass monster status comes from their abilities once amped and EQed.
 
More time and hours with the ED4, and although I like them, they are too similar to the ED10, but a little more V-shaped, a little more of a treble peak somewhere around 6K, and thus not as good. Still otherwise quite accurate  and extended. Their moderately wide size isn't any smaller than the ED10, which are shorter, so I'm not sure anyone would prefer the ED4 over the ED10.

 

[Ahmed Waheed]

HDS1 or 3, S3 or S4, ZN1 mini, ED9, and I'd recommend the monk (although it's not a KZ) so you've got a wide array of choices here.

I'd say the HDS3 out of those that I have (including ED10, ED4, ZS1, Monk, P2, and P3 and used to have Zircons) is the most comfy followed by the P3 and ED4 and the ED10 and P2 being least comfy (weird pressure points). The monks are awesome in their own weird way that I prefer to use them for silent cinema over my HD598's due to the small size/comfort, open sound and actually playing well with dolby headphone for a surround feel.

ED9 is a good place to start, as well as the HDS1/HDS3. I'd say those first 2 are the most highly recommended.

 
thank you so much!

 

[fallrsk]

So, I got bored and decided to finally play a little shootout between all my iem's. Playing "Magnets" by Disclosure and Lorde, in 320 kbps through Foobar at 24/96 on my smsl m2.
 
ED4 with knockoff hybrids
The highs and bass are present in quite a normal fashion with the mids definitely sucked out after listening to my monks and HDS3. This makes the iem sound so dead and dull; indifferent.  Lorde’s vocals seem behind me but sound pretty normal and have a decent weight to them without a sibilant sparkle to be heard. All the drums in the mid are completely sucked out and it’s hard to really hear them coherently. All I hear is the sub bass thump of the drums really, yet the high mids going into the treble are definitely there but seem to get a little mixed up together, making them a bit incoherent. The high treble seems a bit rolled off too, although I originally found it a bit sibilant. I think it’s just the song.
 
HDS3 with stock tips
 
It just feels right, lol! The sub bass isn’t as apparent, seeming to trade weight to give the mids space to breathe and be heard. I can hear Lorde literally singing into my ears, but there’s a certain piece of percussion that seems sucked out or drowned out which just happens to be my favorite instrument in the entire song. It’s like two metal dowels being struck together and just seems to be a bit lost in the iem’s presentation. It might be due to a slight V shape in the sound signature, with the apex being on this single instrument’s part of the spectrum. All the sounds are well separated, although it sounds a bit congested at times with too many sounds occurring at once.
 
ED10 with blue whirlwinds
 
Is there a sub in my room or am I just confused.. Lol! There is so much sub bass, I forgot how fun these things sound! There is beyond enough bass to motivate anyone to bob their head with the beat and burst out into dance, with a super lively V shaped presentation. The mids get a little lost, they get drowned out a bit by the sub bass and sparkly, slightly sibilant highs. I really forgot how much I enjoyed these iem’s since I got the ED4’s! If you’re a basshead that loves a decently coherent iem and can tolerate the fit, these are definitely a need to have. If you DJ, these should probably be a force to be reckoned with as a monitor for basslines.  The fit really turns me off as it hurts my ears after a while, and I’m a bit sensitive to the extra sparkle on the top end of the treble.
 
ZS1 with KZ comply style foams
 
These actually have more in common with the ED10 than anything else I own, if I may say so. A few head-fi’ers know how I feel about the sound of these but they fit almost perfectly with this song.. What is happening!? The bass doesn’t seem to drown out as much of the music as the ED10’s but the midbass is boosted a bit too much and just booms too much. Lorde’s voice doesn’t sparkle as well, I’m guessing it’s due to the sub bass and midbass being so heavily boosted that everything else sounds a little off. Previously, I thought that these sounded hollow but it’s actually due to the midbass booming so heavy that it seems to give sounds a sort of echo.
 
VE Monk with full foam cover
 
These sound a bit like the HDS3, if they were wide open. The sub bass isn’t very apparent as I don’t get a good seal without holding them in. When I do hold them in, the subbass is well extended but a tad boosted possibly, with an added sparkle on top that I’m not overly fond of but can definitely tolerate. These sound a lot more like my HD598SE than the others, and the open back sound is definitely a favorite for me nowadays. The music can breathe and just resonates beautifully. Lorde’s voice is just right infront of my face and every single instrument has beautiful separation with room to breathe. The sound gets a little congested at times but it’s not as bad as any of the other iem’s. Comfort definitely varies for this pair of buds as I just lay them in my ears and can wear them forever, but if I vie for a complete seal, they’re easily less comfortable than the ED10’s. Also, these play beautifully with Dolby headphone/virtual surround due to the openness and allow for a great immersion in video games or silent cinema.
 
P3 with knockoff Hybrids
 
I really haven’t listened to these since I’ve chanced upon KZ and I definitely forgot how good these really are. Once again, Lorde’s voice is in my head but sounds great. The mid bass is just barely boosted but the sub bass rolls off so quickly that there’s barely enough weight to hear it.. I think all I can hear is the midbass, really. The highs seem to roll off smoothly and don’t interrupt the song’s presentation and all the instruments are separated just enough to hear everything. They’re unbelievably light and so comfortable and sound good, a bit like the HD3 I’d say, just missing some highs and lows. (No highs, no lows; must be Bose LOL)
 
Best overall – HDS3 tied with the Monks, I’d just say they’ve got different things that they equally excel at.
Bass – ED10 by far, the midbass boom on ZN1 is just a pita for me.
Comfort – P3 or HDS3, they’re just so light and vanish into your ears.
 
Order I’d rate the earphones I’ve owned:
HDS3, Monk
Zircons (no longer have, can’t really say much)
P3
ED4
ED10
ZN1, P2
Assorted Skullcandies
 
 
Funny how carltonh just hit the nail on the head as I got ready to post this lol! The ED4 just sound bland missing their mids, imo.

 

[kaiteck]

okay i was going to purchase xiaomi hybrid for 17$ but i found this thread by coincidence. there are a lot of headphones from KZ and most of them are under my budget. any recommendations?

KZ ate if you like classical music.

 

[Ahmed Waheed]

KZ ate if you like classical music.

 
i like electro and alternative rock more. i am also ordering xiaomi piston 3 so i have 10$ left if you have any recommendation
 
also i will use it in public transport a lot

 

[kaiteck]

   
i like electro and alternative rock more. i am also ordering xiaomi piston 3 so i have 10$ left if you have any recommendation
 
also i will use it in public transport a lot

 
public transport? Then, you're looking at the right place. Not sure about other IEMs' performance, but kz ate Microphonics is close to none when used with a pair of ear guide.
 
you may wanna take a look at what other people say about ed9 and zs1.

 

[MoshiMoshi]

I'm thinking of getting the ed11 and hds3 as my first KZs, what do you guys think? I want them to be comfortable, isolate+cancel noise, and have a clear/fun sound.