[actorlife]

Good thing is that they are cheap. PHEW Stll must resist(doing mummy walk).

 

[Shawn71]

What about ZS3 vs W1 Pro? Yes I love my ZS3 but the mic button is hard to press for tracks change, and getting a new 7$ cable while a W1 Pro iem is at 6$...

My zs3's single click remote is good and even better than brainwavz.......smooth,responsive and easy locatable button unlike brainwavz which is flush.

 

[SpiderNhan]

Just received a ZS3 and a ZST Colorful (that I needed to vent with a needle) yesterday and I was expecting to like the ZST more, but initial impressions have me leaning toward the ZS3 by a wide margin. The ZST sounds a bit incoherent whereas the ZS3 has a smooth, bassy, easily enjoyable sound. I'm actually pretty surprised by the sonic discrepancy.

*Update: Turns out the ZST is source dependant. From a Galaxy S6 Active, Galaxy S3 rooted with Viper4Android and a V-MODA​ Vamp Verza the sound is merely okay. The 10 ohm impedance of the Verza probably doesn't help.

Plugged into a Dragonfly Red the sound really opens up. The soundstage is huge, for an in ear, and overall sound becomes much more coherent and lively. This may explain the numerous mixed reviews about the ZST. With the proper source they sing and now I'm glad I have both the ZSXs to play with.

 

[ahmadairfan]

I like my W1 Pro. It's very underrated.

Dirt cheap (under $5) and sooo comfortable. I often sleep in mine because they are so flat & comfy. I just wore mine today playing 54 holes of disc golf. I didn't even notice they were in, whereas when I wear the ZST, ZS3, ZN1, etc I have to take them out after 60-90 mins because my ears get sure. The stock cable is pretty nice too.

In stock form it sounds really 'meh' because it's a completely sealed housing (very compressed & slightly tinny). You simply make (2) tiny 1mm vent holes on each ear piece, & it turns the thing into a monster (once modded it sounds basically identical to the ZS3). You can use a 1mm drill bit (often included in Dremel accessory kits), or a needle works too.

You can make the vent holes anywhere on the housing. On original pair, I made them at the bottom in the skinny section below the words 'W1 PRO'. Sometimes my ear covers one of the holes though.

My 2nd pair, I made the holes identical to the Magaosi K3 PRO (which looks like the exact same shell as the W1 Pro):


See the 2 little vent holes? If you put them there, you don't even have to take apart the shells if you are careful and don't jam the drill bit in too far. Just pull the drill bit out the instant you pierce the plastic. If you do it that way, all of the plastic shavings stays outside too. The shells are easy to open up though - you can bite them in your teeth & they pop right apart if you really want to.

The vents don't need any mesh either, because they're so small.

Did this with needle (<1mm). Doesn't seem to improve clarity much (?) I even added another vent.
But one thing I am sure, the driver flex is still there.
EDIT: changed rubber tips -> silicone tips. This is what I'm looking for the mod seems to give a little bit more airy feeling.

 

[SpiderNhan]

From the looks of it I think these would be compatible with the Z3 and ZST, but I need confirmation before ordering them. I like the looks, moreso than the SPC cable offered by KZ, but I'm also interested in the SQ upgrade the SPC cables offer. If only the cables for the ZS3 and ZST were the same, then I could just order one of each. Thoughts?
 

 

[Slater]

As long as they are both 2-pin 0.75mm cables, then they would work.
 
But as you pointed out, the ZS3 and ZST cables have different ends (one straight and one 90-degree):
 
<-ZST    ZS3->
 
And if you look at these photos, it looks like the cables won't fit cleanly around the ear when switched between models because the angle on the jacks):
 
<-ZST    ZS3->
 
Specifically, the ZS3 looks like it needs a straight jack. If there was a sharp 90 degree jack on the ZS3, it probably wouldn't go up enough to clear the top of the ear. I guess your ear size would matter on this, as I am just basing this on the above photos - maybe the people in the photos have ears with odd proportions.
 
The good news is that it DOES appear that the straight cable from the ZS3 will fit the ZST (and have more than enough room to clear the top of the ear). The only problem might be too much stress on the cable when it has to bend to go behind the ear. The of lack of a proper strain relief on the straight KZ cable does not instill long-term confidence.

 

[SpiderNhan]

  As long as they are both 2-pin 0.75mm cables, then they would work.

Thanks! I didn't know what size the connectors on the ZSX's were. The two cables I listed were 0.78mm so no good. Venture Electronics only has one 0.75mm option and it's a this one:

Makes things much easier. One angled VE cable and one straight KZ cable. Done!

 

[Slater]

Did this with needle (<1mm). Doesn't seem to improve clarity much (?) I even added another vent.
But one thing I am sure, the driver flex is still there.
EDIT: changed rubber tips -> silicone tips. This is what I'm looking for

the mod seems to give a little bit more airy feeling.

It definitely got rid of the driver flex on mine, and made a noticeable improvement to the sound.
 
Are you sure the holes on yours were going all of the way through? And I would recommend the holes be 1mm minimum, not <1mm. This would be especially true when using a needle, as the point of the needle narrows down to probably 0.1mm even if the body of the needle is 1mm. That's why I personally prefer drill bits vs needles.
 
I originally tried mine with (3) 2mm holes based on the KZ ZN1 and ZS1, but it made the bass too overpowering (and I would have needed to add mesh for long-term safety from dust). It did sound like the ZS1 though. I filled the 2mm holes with glue & redrilled them as (2) 1mm and got the results I was looking for.
 
Yeah, changing the tips is a great way to modify the sound too. I have the stock tips on 10% of my IEM collection The rest all have different tips for better comfort, better sound, or both.

 

[vegetaleb]

There's a Remax model that uses the same housing. Maybe they'd sharing their tuning too?

http://www.head-fi.org/products/remax-rm-s1-pro-sports-in-ear-wired-earphone-portable-music-corded-headset-hd-microphone-red-color

From the very few reviews (remax) it sounds pretty good, and for 4s it's dirt cheap!!

 

[Slater]

  Thanks! I didn't know what size the connectors on the ZSX's were. The two cables I listed were 0.78mm so no good. Venture Electronics only has one 0.75mm option and it's a this one:

Makes things much easier. One angled VE cable and one straight KZ cable. Done!

 
It's hard to tell from your photo, but do you know if the tip of the cable you bought 'thins down' right at the tip (as seen in this closeup photo of the KZ end):
 

 

[SpiderNhan]

   
It's hard to tell from the photo, but do you know if the tip of the cable you bought 'thins down' right at the tip.

I have no idea. It's the only option available on the order form at VE Clan. I haven't ordered it yet. Guess I could always email and ask them.

https://www.veclan.com/engappliance_sel_one?eng_ApplianceVo.eac_id=8

 

[Slater]

  Guess I could always email and ask them.

 
It couldn't hurt to ask for a few closeup photos of the tip. Or if they're willing to take measurements on their tip using a caliper, I'll measure my KZ tips and then you'll know for sure.
 
Although at the link you posted I was able to pull this photo, which looks pretty close to the KZ (same basic 'narrow down' shape anyways):
 
<--VE Clan   KZ-->

 

[SpiderNhan]

   
It couldn't hurt to ask for a few closeup photos of the tip. Or if they're willing to take measurements on their tip using a caliper, I'll measure my KZ tips and then you'll know for sure.
 
Although at the link you posted I was able to pull this photo, which looks pretty close to the KZ (same basic 'narrow down' shape anyways):

I emailed VE. I'll post the answer once he replies.

 

[SomeTechNoob]

It couldn't hurt to ask for a few closeup photos of the tip. Or if they're willing to take measurements on their tip using a caliper, I'll measure my KZ tips and then you'll know for sure.

Although at the link you posted I was able to pull this photo, which looks pretty close to the KZ (same basic 'narrow down' shape anyways):


<--VE Clan   KZ-->

I'm pretty sure those are HD 6x0 and will definitely not fit in a kz lol

 

[Slater]

  I emailed VE. I'll post the answer once he replies.

OK, in the mean time here's the measurements from the KZ plugs (excuse the quick and dirty drawing; the measurements are accurate):
 

(click for larger view)