[peskypesky]

Just got my ZS5.

TERRIBLE! Oh god, this hype train is still the same as when I got the ED9!
Really, What! It sounds sooo sibilant and cheap! Distorts when i increase the bass. No clarity too!

I mean.. whaat? Is this what you were guys praising? Comparing it to 200$ IEMS?

Heck, my Earpods are better. My Panasonic HJE125 (costs around 9$) is better! There's not a single aspect where I see the ZS5 is better. Not a single.

My silver upgrade cable is on the way. 33$ in water. ****.

Lol.

You probably have them plugged in wrong.

 

[peskypesky]

I love both my KZ ED9s and ZS5s. Incredible sound for the low prices. I'm a fanboy.

 

[firgoe]

I received my zs5 few days ago. When i listened the first time, it was ok. I found it very slightly better than the zst i own. I didnt use it alot yesterday but than today when i listened to it... i found it imbalanced.. the left channel is weaker than the right one. With my cayin i have to dial the balance to L05. Im using the upgrade silver cable.

Will it improve overtime as it burns in? Or i just toss it away? I tried to unplugged and plugged the connector but no difference.

 

[Francisk]

How do I connect it properly? I connected it as per the instructions on some user's signature.

I think I connected it properly. :|

EDIT: Sometimes there's some clipping sound on the left earpiece.

My first set of ZS5 had an issue of the drivers connected out of phase from the factory and there's an easy fix for it, just reverse the polarity of one side of the cable and all is good. Here's the link to the post where I shared the fix: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/kno...essions-thread.698148/page-1226#post-13557868

Hope this helps.

 

[firgoe]

No problem now, I managed to fix it with a very sophisticated technique.

2 hard taps on the earphone while i used it then the problem went away suddenly.

 

[Francisk]

No problem now, I managed to fix it with a very sophisticated technique.

2 hard taps on the earphone while i used it then the problem went away suddenly.

That's surely a quick fix

 

[Deveraux]

I'm amazed that you can actually get the Sony XB75AP at a price so close to the Zs5.

Sure you're not referring to the 55AP instead ??

Yes, XB75AP. 15$ off from the MRP. Got it for <47$.

If you've tried reversing cable and checking for polarity issues, you may also check whether the driver is flexed. I have a friend experiencing driver flexing that affects the sound too which makes it sounded muffled. Sometimes could be poor QC that makes the driver flexes easily. Can try blowing through the nozzle as i find it works for my friend's case. Just to share some of my experience.

Something must be seriously at issue if the earpods are better as the fit is much better with the ZS5(Although fit isn't the only parameter when comes to performance). I suggest trying various types of tracks and some tips rolling if you haven't already done so.

I put my money down on QC, but also it could be that the sound sig doesn't work for you.

Whoa there... clipping?

We were just talking about how it should be almost impossible to make them clip... pretty sure that means you've got a dud


Definitely give other sources a shot but... clipping is not an issue that's been talked about in relation to the ZS5 and given their specs would tend to suggest that there's something very broken inside.

Lol.

You probably have them plugged in wrong.

My first set of ZS5 had an issue of the drivers connected out of phase from the factory and there's an easy fix for it, just reverse the polarity of one side of the cable and all is good. Here's the link to the post where I shared the fix: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/kno...essions-thread.698148/page-1226#post-13557868

Hope this helps.

Well, the sound isn't terrible by any means like I exaggerated at first. After some hours of listening it definitely has its plus points. Clipping hasn't occurred after the one or two times it happened.
Like Silverears said, maybe I'm not used to the sound signature yet. But almost on every review of the ZS5, I see thy have listed sibilance as the con. Maybe I'm extra sensitive to sibilance.
If there wasn't that much of sibilance, I'd have loved it.

Take back my words which said Panasonics sound better. They don't. The resolution and clarity is much better on the ZS5. Like some people say, it's only when you go back to cheap earphones you can appreciate the sound of the better one. Guess I've to train my ears to better sound.

But my point is that, they're definitely not worthy of the praise they're getting here. If I've to convince myself so hard that IT IS good.....

Worth the 20$ price. Not more than that imo.

My younger sister listened to it for sometime and she said it's the best sound she ever heard. Maybe I'm very picky about my sound :|

No problem now, I managed to fix it with a very sophisticated technique.

2 hard taps on the earphone while i used it then the problem went away suddenly.

Damn! I was about to write the same problem you had and now after I saw this post, did exactly like you did. It worked! On the left earpiece that is!

 

[SilverEars]

My younger sister listened to it for sometime and she said it's the best sound she ever heard.

Haha. I've heard of iems with worse sibilance(AT-CK10 comes to mind, which was fairly bright sounding), and it doesn't seem that prominent of sibilance than avg, but like you say, your ears may be a bit sensitive to that. I've switched between the Andromeda, and the mids a bit behind or the Andromeda has slightly elevated mids from leveled. This is what happens when you switch between iems with some signature differences(it seems considerable due to the immediate contrast, and may think it's wrong in some way, but this changes when you keep listening to them).

You are susptable to make quick impressions when you are used to one signature, and then switch to something that has considerable difference, the immediate switch makes impressions stronger than it is when it was listened for a bit.

 

[Francisk]

Yes, XB75AP. 15$ off from the MRP. Got it for <47$.
Well, the sound isn't terrible by any means like I exaggerated at first. After some hours of listening it definitely has its plus points. Clipping hasn't occurred after the one or two times it happened.
Like Silverears said, maybe I'm not used to the sound signature yet. But almost on every review of the ZS5, I see thy have listed sibilance as the con. Maybe I'm extra sensitive to sibilance.
If there wasn't that much of sibilance, I'd have loved it.

Take back my words which said Panasonics sound better. They don't. The resolution and clarity is much better on the ZS5. Like some people say, it's only when you go back to cheap earphones you can appreciate the sound of the better one. Guess I've to train my ears to better sound.

But my point is that, they're definitely not worthy of the praise they're getting here. If I've to convince myself so hard that IT IS good.....

Worth the 20$ price. Not more than that imo.

My younger sister listened to it for sometime and she said it's the best sound she ever heard. Maybe I'm very picky about my sound :|




Damn! I was about to write the same problem you had and now after I saw this post, did exactly like you did. It worked! On the left earpiece that is!

Have you tried it with the Comply T400 tips yet? If you haven't then try it, you won't be disappointed

 

[TheWongWrong]

One of the strands on my silver cable just frayed at the jack. :/ disappointed. Strain relief is supposed to prevent that but it's just too stiff. Now I know why the copper oxidisation on my cable started near the jack, because of an actual opening to the cable. Started hearing cutting out about a month ago and now it's pretty much unusable. Very unhappy with this because it's supposed to be an upgrade cable but now I'm back with the stock one. Oh well.

 

[TheWongWrong]

Has anyone got the new metal connector ZST cable? Might buy one soon but only concern is how massive the jack looks in pictures

 

[firgoe]

Yes it was the left earpiece ... they need to put this in the manual.

 

[vector84]

Well, the sound isn't terrible by any means like I exaggerated at first. After some hours of listening it definitely has its plus points. Clipping hasn't occurred after the one or two times it happened.
Like Silverears said, maybe I'm not used to the sound signature yet. But almost on every review of the ZS5, I see thy have listed sibilance as the con. Maybe I'm extra sensitive to sibilance.
If there wasn't that much of sibilance, I'd have loved it.

Take back my words which said Panasonics sound better. They don't. The resolution and clarity is much better on the ZS5. Like some people say, it's only when you go back to cheap earphones you can appreciate the sound of the better one. Guess I've to train my ears to better sound.

But my point is that, they're definitely not worthy of the praise they're getting here. If I've to convince myself so hard that IT IS good.....

Worth the 20$ price. Not more than that imo.

My younger sister listened to it for sometime and she said it's the best sound she ever heard. Maybe I'm very picky about my sound :|

Kinda sounds like you might be looking for more bass? Might be worth trying a bit of tape over the back vents in that case.

Tips can change this too, and/or help you get a better fit, which is very needed to get decent bass from the ZS5.

 

[SilverEars]

It sounds to me that either I'm sensitive to bass or you like good amount of bass vector. I thought the bass was plenty on the ZS5(this maybe because a set of the tips fits me quite well). Or there could be QC issues(as couple others banged on the driver and came alive? LOL). I love the stock tips for the ZS5. I use for the Andromeda since their provided tips suck(and that includes spin fits).

Wouldn't shutting off the opening close off the dynamic driver from sucking in more air reducing the bass? Or is that for other purpose? IE800 had ports in the back to dip resonance peaks.

 

[vector84]

It sounds to me that either I'm sensitive to bass or you like good amount of bass vector. I thought the bass was plenty on the ZS5(this maybe because one of the tips fits me quite well). Or there could be QC issues(as couple others banged on the driver and came alive? LOL). I love the stock tips for the ZS5. I use for the Andromeda since their provided tips suck(and that includes spin fits).

Wouldn't shutting off the opening close off the dynamic driver from sucking in more air reducing the bass?

Ohh I don't really like them with that much bass, but it kinda sounds like he might

The tape mod came up a while back - ChrisHiFi posted some frequency response graphs of it even, around +5dB gain in bass.
(can't comment on the mechanics of why — too far outside my wheelhouse)


And I agree that Starlines are great once broken in (they get much softer). It took me a while to come to that conclusion though, in their straight out of the box state I found them quite uncomfortably hard.