[Keller1]

  Got the ZS3, after the ATE-S and ZS2.
 
My initial impression: WORST. DAMN. CABLE. EVER.
 
I was used to the ATE-S and ZS2 "memory cable"... you all know the kind. In any case, that thing worked perfectly for me. And I was shocked to find the ZS3 had an actual wire in the ear "piece". And that wire would not bend correctly, and when eventually shaped, it would always somehow push the unit out of my ear, breaking the seal with any movement of the head. I had either to push them in like crazy (which didn't sound good), or constantly fiddle with my ears. The thing just wouldn't keep a proper seal for more than half a minute.
 
And just today, I had to spend an extra amount of time in public transit (~2hrs) which is where I listen to a large portion of my music, and I was slowly going crazy with that damn cable - so I ripped the cursed thing right there, with my bare hands. Now, finally, the ZS3 seals without a hitch and remains there.
 
Ugh. Talk about the cable of nightmares!
 
As to the sound itself... I don't know, I think I've just learned I kinda prefer darker headphones. Maybe. I don't know if that's the right term, but I found the ZS3 kind of unpleasant to listen to after the ATE-S (my current favorite) and the ZS2. The drum kicks, the guitars, the cymbals, all sound a bit too energetic, fatiguing after some time (at least with the albums I've listened to).
 
I don't think it's a defective pair, they sound good, I just think it's not my preferred sound signature. But I've only had the for a day, so I'm not taking a definitive stance yet.

 
You can manually remove the wire with pliers and patience if you find it too annoying - I did that to my pair and it made them very usable.


I still gave the ZS3 away but that's because i had the ZST.
 
 
That being said, on a totally different note: It's been febuary in china for over 12 hours now, WHERE IS THE ZSR ?

 

[B9Scrambler]

I got lucky with the ZS3's cable. My pair doesn't have memory wire but a preformed guide which does exactly what it needs to do. As much as I love KZ, they really need to cut it out with all the little revisions here and there. Frustrating as heck, especially when you have so many products and so many people discussing them. Opinions are all over the place as a result; ATE is a very good example with it's 900,000 versions.

 

[khighly]

  How is the soundstage and imaging between the two? Regarding the ZST do also do you get much detail when in comes to drum sounds? Does the hi hat sound along with snare and crash/ride cymbals too much crisp and sharp or does it sound natural and smooth? love when you say you get detailed sound on the ZST, might get this soon along with soundmagic e80 or the e50s for more bass since you don't get that much with the ZST's. Try to listen to matt mcguires drum covers in youtube and can you please tell me how good the ZST's are. Thanks!

I love percussion and listen to songs mostly for...percussion. The ZST really is outstanding with snares, hats, splashes, cymbals, everything.

 

[CoiL]

 
I love percussion and listen to songs mostly for...percussion. The ZST really is outstanding with snares, hats, splashes, cymbals, everything.

Hmmm... I think opposite (like we almost all the time are with khighly) - it`s the main fault in ZST sound and weakest point. And I`m certainly not the only one. 
After they have had about 80h playtime, my opinion still stays same. Auvio tips will improve highs slightly but not much improvement or "cure".
 

  That`s the one "fault" I have found with ZST - it provides good detail but it seems to have "peak" somewhere up from 7-8kHz and transition between dynamic (high-mids and low-highs) isn`t smooth either. So far have found many great mastered recordings to have too "dry" and "tsss tsss tsss" cymbals/hi-hat/crash/ride and ZST seems to lack littlebit in highs dynamics.
ZST is not harsh sounding but somewhat bright and with some recordings/instruments has littlebit sibilance (not in vocals, rather in cymbals, hi-sax and such).
Also, I have found that there is something lacking in low-mids or higher midbass. But maybe it is due to sub-bass being slightly elevated over mid-bass, which may cause some midbass/low-mids detail lost and sub-bass "boom".
Like I said, ZST seems to be something like W-shaped but in same time different.
 
Note that these are early impressions with under 50h burn-in and little listening time. Maybe it will improve later but I`d rather go with ATE 5th gen or Magaosi BK50 for Your sound preference. 

+1 Yup! That was very pinpoint true! ....I really tried to like the ZST, but not my favorite tuning.
 
Quote:

  From KZ family, I recommend to try ATE 5th gen - imo better soundstage and imaging than ED9 but lot depends on source gear being used.
ATR is more refined and detailed (more closer and "in your face" imaging) but soundstage is not much over average.
Again I have to point one IEM outside of KZ family - Magaosi BK50, for such sound signature preference.

BIG+1 --> ED9 for its versatility, ATE for that soundstage and imaging, ATR for good refined details, or for all-of-the-above....BK50's! 

 
But lot depends on source gear, genre preference, sound signature preference, file quality etc. and KZ QC & production differences could affect impressions from different ppl too.
So far haven`t heard ppl having different sounding ZST colorfuls and even later production black vs. colorful seems to be same sounding by latest impressions from who have both.
 
Like I already recommended, for such sound preference, go rather with Magaosi BK50. I`m also not only one who says good about them.

  Not always. The first IEM that comes into my mind is Magaosi BK50, like I already recommended to asker. Big "holographic" soundstage, good layering, great imaging, smooth highs and overall sound but details come out very well almost in every frequency region. Only bass area sounds littlebit "soft" and has less details/crispiness but still has nice quality and presence. 

i actually agree 100% here with coil--even as i've stepped up to triple drivers like the pmv and moni i can't say the bk50 is outclassed--it's still my go-to rec <$50. the bk35, which gets less attention, is comparable.

Those who I`m quoting are pretty well known head-fiers and have experience (more than I do with cheap chi-fi and even higher gear). Just say`n

ZST do sound very good but they have their faults. I`m trying to be objective and not run subjective hype train.
 
JMHSO

 

[Vidal]

 
Like I already recommended, for such sound preference, go rather with Magaosi BK50. I`m also not only one who says good about them.
 
JMHSO

 
To be fair this the KZ thread so it's more likely that the audience will be more positive towards the ZST over other earphones. Whilst I did have an overwhelmingly positive opinion of the sound of the BK50s, their build quality wasn't as good as the ZST. Based on a small sample that passed through my hands (4 or 5) I would say that 50% of the BKs had some sort of visual defect, usually relating to the wood finish.
 
Personally I hated the look of them as the cable had a rose gold sheen.

 

[blackbelt730]

Wait, the ZSR comes out this month? What is it supposed to be like and price range?

 

[SomePeasant]

  Did KZ update the ZS1 without anyone noticing?
Just got mine in the mail and they look noticeably different from any of the pictures online
 
Here's pictures of version 1 (brass nozzle, crossover, speaker w/ grill, memory wire)
http://mysku.ru/blog/aliexpress/36920.html
 
Here's pictures of version 2 (mesh nozzle, no crossover, speaker w/ grill, memory wire)
http://sopp06.blogspot.com/2016/06/kz-zs1.html
 
Here's mine (version 3?) :
 
 
- Neither speaker has the ATE-esque grill, instead both have a green ring.
- Nozzle is mesh like version 2
 
And the strangest part is that the memory wire is completely different:
- There's no cable weight
- You can't straighten it out or bend it into a specific shape (it retains the ear-hook shape seen in photo)
 
What's going on?

 

Yeah my ZS1's are the same as yours, no memory wire or cable weight and metal nozzle. I noticed some of the earlier reviews had the brass nozzle and thought that odd or i received wrong version.
 
I have to say they are my current fave compared to ZST, ZS3 and ATE. Much more comfortable then the others and easier/quicker to get on and off. They still sound clear and bassy even if seal is lost which i sometimes prefer depending on the song (bass head). For my ears the sound stage sitting between the ZS3 and ZST and the base is better defined/separated between sub and mids than the ZS3 probably due to the two DD.
 
Not too much talk about the ZS1's on the thread lately, what do you think of the sound?

 

[SomeTechNoob]

Wait, the ZSR comes out this month? What is it supposed to be like and price range?

It is more like "we know it's in development so maybe it'll come out after Chinese new year" thinking.

 

[MAntunes]

  It is not available yet, they will release it after Chinese New Year. It is expected to be available on Feb.
The retail price is around 599 RMB (90 USD).
They are going to high class.

 

Where did you get that info?

@robervaul said this a few days ago..

 

[VShaft]

   
You can manually remove the wire with pliers and patience if you find it too annoying - I did that to my pair and it made them very usable.
 

 
You can also do it with impatience and your bare hands. That's how I did it, and yes, they become very usable. Though I still prefer the older brownish cables of other KZ models. This dark blue one of the ZS3 is a bit stiffer in comparison.

 

[kokakolia]

To be fair this the KZ thread so it's more likely that the audience will be more positive towards the ZST over other earphones.

But how exactly did the ZST get so much hype on this thread!?

From what I read, they sound bright (too bright for some people). So it's not like the sound signature is suitable for everyone. Someone also said that the ZSTs sound really bad on bad recordings. Well, there goes 1/2 of my collection right there!

Some poor soul will buy the ZSTs and be terribly disappointed. It's not unlike me with the ED9s.

I just want to know what ZST owners listen to.

 

[fredhubbard2]

But how exactly did the ZST get so much hype on this thread!?

From what I read, they sound bright (too bright for some people). So it's not like the sound signature is suitable for everyone. Someone also said that the ZSTs sound really bad on bad recordings. Well, there goes 1/2 of my collection right there!

Some poor soul will buy the ZSTs and be terribly disappointed. It's not unlike me with the ED9s.

I just want to know what ZST owners listen to.

Well you cannot please all the people all the time, but if you like big soundstage, fairly good detail and fairly tight bass they are amazing for the price. Its not kz's fault your music collection isn't up to scratch. no one is forcing anyone to buy them. I inly paid £10 for mine hardly a great loss if I thought they were rubbish. They're not mind

 

[Saoshyant]

But how exactly did the ZST get so much hype on this thread!?

From what I read, they sound bright (too bright for some people). So it's not like the sound signature is suitable for everyone. Someone also said that the ZSTs sound really bad on bad recordings. Well, there goes 1/2 of my collection right there!

Some poor soul will buy the ZSTs and be terribly disappointed. It's not unlike me with the ED9s.

I just want to know what ZST owners listen to.

 
You either have to be one of two types when it comes to listening to bad recordings.  You either just accept there are flaws with the recording and enjoy the music, or you don't use something detail-oriented which accentuates the flaws.  I personally prefer to focus on the fact that I love this album even with it's flaws.
 
The reason I bought the ZST is my first couple experiences with Hybrids were unsatisfying.  I found the Dunu DN-1000 somewhat lifeless no matter what I tried, and the Astrotec AX-35 flat out boring, not sure why I haven't given it away by now actually.  After a few years I figured I'd give hybrids a shot again with a rather expensive one, which ended up being a basshead hybrid that quite caught me by surprise.  With various companies producing truly budget hybrids like the ZST and Urbanfun, I figured I'd see without much risk if something inexpensive might have a sound I enjoy, which the ZST does.  It's detail quality for the price is decent, but still certainly has a fun sound to it which I prefer.
 
As far as a sound signature suitable for everyone, that just doesn't exist.  Everyone has different tastes, where an iem might have too much bass for one person, and too little for others.  And of course the same goes for treble levels.  You can't please everyone all the time.
 
Edit:  Having finished the poorly recorded album I was using for reference, I really don't feel like ZST is going to murder a bad recording, although the flaws will be exposed.  So at that point, it's just a matter of how picky you are.  All in all, was quite an enjoyable listen for a mid-90s alternative album.

 

[Vidal]

But how exactly did the ZST get so much hype on this thread!?

From what I read, they sound bright (too bright for some people). So it's not like the sound signature is suitable for everyone. Someone also said that the ZSTs sound really bad on bad recordings. Well, there goes 1/2 of my collection right there!

Some poor soul will buy the ZSTs and be terribly disappointed. It's not unlike me with the ED9s.

I just want to know what ZST owners listen to.

 
Every person is different, also people's experience with other earphones will also differ. It's all subjective, there are no definitives when it comes to this sort of thing.
 
To those who are sensitive to treble either due to lack of experience with brighter earphones or just by the fact they can't hack brightness the ZST will be too bright. I can handle brightness so the ZST are fine with me.
 
ZSTs are good earphones especially for their price, however I've heard more earphones than most people so I also know that these aren't perfect, soundstage isn't as wide as it could be. If your experience is limited to the ZST and some crappy Skullcandies then yes they'll seem like something special.
 
As for sounding bad with poor recordings, they're accurate so you'll hear what's recorded warts and all. Time to upgrade your collection to better recordings.

 

[chickenmoon]

To those who are sensitive to treble either due to lack of experience with brighter earphones or just by the fact they can't hack brightness the ZST will be too bright. I can handle brightness so the ZST are fine with me.

ZSTs are good earphones especially for their price, however I've heard more earphones than most people so I also know that these aren't perfect, soundstage isn't as wide as it could be. If your experience is limited to the ZST and some crappy Skullcandies then yes they'll seem like something special.

ZST aren't bright. An isolated 10khz peak in the highs is not brightness, it is dreadful tuning. Nobody complained about their brightness if i am not mistaken.

To me they aren't worth the money, for what they cost me on 11//11 at reduced price I could buy myself today a backup pair of both LG Quadbeat 3 and HTC One M7 which would have been money much better spent.

Hopefully the Urbanfun HiFi I have on order will not prove a similar disappointing purchase. :rolleyes: