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Knowledge Zenith (KZ) impressions thread
Oct 14, 2017 at 8:39 AM Post #23,448 of 63,830
Damm the resistors I will be getting have these values
Screenshot (25).png

Guess I am gonna have to use weird combination of these.
 
Oct 14, 2017 at 8:46 AM Post #23,449 of 63,830
snip3r77 said:
Very good insight.

So at the end if you have a choice which should one pick if one likes abit more bass and forward mids.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that particular combination is represented in this group of earphones.
My feelings on each as succinctly as I could put them are:


BGVP DM5, - quite mid forward (particularly upper mids in the vocal registers). These lack a bit of the bass extension of others here but do have a nice low rumble when called upon, but the mid-bass is way less spectacular than the K3 or the F9. Very comfortable and a very pleasant signature without adjustment.
Plus - great sound signature out of the box without some stray peak in an odd location.
Minus - Mid bass is less refined than others on this list.

Magaosi K3 - A full step above everything else on the list. These have a coherency to their sound that just isnt normally found at this price point and a really balanced signature. They are mid forward but are just shy of having the bass punch you are looking for. Not that they are bass light, just that they are well in proportion to the rest of the signature and couldnt be considered bass heavy.
Plus - Best signature I've heard in a sub-$200 in ear. Draws comparisons to the LZ-A4 and the SWIII.
Minus - cable could be a bit better but at $100 - this is nitpicking

Fiio F9, - Similar to the Zs6 in sound with a prominent treble spike (albeit at a bit lower frequency so even more annoying at times). Reacts well to EQ and has a very listenable shallow V shaped signature. Not as mid centric as the K3 or DM5 but a comfortable long session user once tuned a bit.
Plus - Well composed sound signature with good balance of mid to bass without a pronounced mid-bass hump.
Minus - 7kHz spike really cannot easily be ignored and must be adjusted for.

TFZ series 2 - similar to the DM5 in that the sub-bass is not super extended, but it does have a bit of rumble to balance the profile out. Mids are the highlight and it does vocals with an ease that isnt present in the Zs6. Treble is well behaved but again not super extended and it loses a bit of crispness on cymbals due to the roll-off at the top end.
Plus - Vocals oriented sound signature good for long listening sessions
Minus - could use a bit more bass and a bit more extension on both ends

For sake of fair comparison;

Zs6 - Very good bass extension but well proportioned to the rest of the signature, a slight mid-bass hump that bleeds into the lower mids although not nearly as pronounced as a lot of other budget earphones. Upper mids take a back seat to treble which is over-stated and can become sibilant without some tuning efforts.
Plus - Extension on both ends
Minus - control at the upper end

For me the order would be K3, DM5, F9, TFZs2, Zs6 if I were purchasing them today.
 
Oct 14, 2017 at 8:52 AM Post #23,450 of 63,830
young59 said:
Damm the resistors I will be getting have these values


Guess I am gonna have to use weird combination of these.
Click to expand...
The low value resistor sets the output impedance, you want something around 2 or less for low coloration.
Ratio between resistors sets the attenuation factor, so you could use 22+2 for example.


And if anyone else is playing along here and wondering why you should buy the iFi product if you can afford it: build quality and manufacturing tolerances are on another level compared to DIY stuff :wink:
 
Oct 14, 2017 at 9:28 AM Post #23,452 of 63,830
Superluc said:
I don't know if what you can build may be better, but it's a DAP that can be used also as a USB DAC or standalone AMP.
You can also eventually do a mod to it, but at least you can start with something ready-made and portable, for a fair price.
Click to expand...
Doesn't the Zishan Z1 have like 100 ohms output impedance? Great for pairing with a ZS6, really not great for a ZS5?
 
Oct 14, 2017 at 10:04 AM Post #23,454 of 63,830
Superluc said:
Yes, but my point is that, before try to create something all by himself, it can be better to buy a thing like that, more easy to mod.
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Oh, I see where you're coming from now. Yeah, DIY DAC+AMP builds are pretty far out of the scope of this thread.
(@young59 you might need to find some more DIY focused forums for that)

I just meant that he's probably going to want the voltage divider anyway so probably best to start there especially with most of the parts in hand already.:wink:
 
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Oct 14, 2017 at 10:33 AM Post #23,455 of 63,830
vector84 said:
I just meant that he's probably going to want the voltage divider anyway
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Of course, i was wrong to omit it in the first place ( i wasn't thinking specifically about the ZS5 ), but the earphone used can also not be for forever.
We don't know the budget, but a cheap Zishan plus an iFi Ear Buddy just seem an easier choice. Then the Ear Buddy can be used for other IEMs, or the Zishan eventually upgraded with better components.
Overestimate their own capability may compromise the results.
 
Oct 14, 2017 at 10:51 AM Post #23,456 of 63,830
Thanks @Superluc and @vector84
Yeah I know I cannot match the quality of a actual machine production product with my diy hand soldered creations.But I really want to get into the audiophile realm but right now diying is my only way.And if Zishan Z1 can be used as a DAC with a pc will definitely look into it.
 
Oct 14, 2017 at 11:01 AM Post #23,457 of 63,830
Oct 14, 2017 at 11:32 AM Post #23,459 of 63,830
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