I feel like, this is a good time to compare the swing800s and Zs5's, (Note: I only own Zs5 v1)
Even though im not as good as
@vector84 and his indepth analysis or as knowledgeable as
@Slater in terms of mods and hardware, i will try my best and objectively define the two
I will also post my preferences and songs used at the bottom for reference
Build
Swings: For starters, the swings are a bit cheaper or around the same price as the Zs5s. I bought the Swings for $18 AUD and the Kzs for $30 respectively. Now before we get into the sound, i must admit, the build on the Swings were a complete mixed bag. Its got an
amazing aluminium shell, and a good looking cable, however here is where the praise ends. Arguably the most important aspect is how well the cables perform. The swings have a very thick rubbery coating which introduces a lot of microphonics when moving around. Its also very very sticky, even stickier than the stock KZ cable. And normally that would not be an issue, except it sticks to literally everything. Even when im listening whilst in bed (and reading), i often find myself getting annoyed by the fact i have a to fiddle with a
cable sticking and pulling the headphones out of my ear. Another thing to note is the insanely
cheap looking microphone, which breaks the illusion of an expensive iem. These are the achilles heel of the Swings. Now, Forget running, let alone having a smooth walk with these, these are for stationary listening. However, one advantage is, how amazing its
anti-tangle properties are. It almost never tangles up.
KZ: The Zs5's on the other hand, have a plastic housing and decent build quality. The
plastic does feel cheap, and the Zs6 is a huge improvement over this with its aluminium body. However, thats not really an issue, and it looks very good and clean in person. I dont care about the plastic build too much, and its major advantage are the removable cables. This extends its life by quite a bit, and the upgraded silver plated cable is actually very nice. It does tangle a fair bit in my pocket, however, there is
0 cable noise which is huge improvement over the stock cable. I can ever run with them and their over-ear designs lead them to not falling out of my ears. Now to be clear, they don't feel like they will break on me, but the build does require a lot to be
desired. However, the Zs6 does address and fix all these issues.
Sound
Swings: In terms of sound, the swings are absolutely phenomenal. I would describe the sound to be V-shaped and with vibrant highs. I think these house a single dynamic drivers (not sure) and they do pack a punch. The highs are a bit bright, but not piercing or sibilant at all. The mids do lack an extra oomph and the vocals sound recessed. However, the bass is very quick and deep, which makes it super fun to listen to. Infact, ill say it here: These sound like
closed back SHP9500s to some extent (not in soundstage per say, but soundwise to me, they do resemble my Shp9500s vaguely). They sound identical to my senheisser momentums and provide around the same sound stage, which in short is excellent. However, it does slightly lack bass extension, and sub-bass is minimal. The overall sound is superb and Jazz sounds amazing with these.
KZ: These also sound stellar, and pack a punch far above their weight. The Treble is very bright and sparkly, and on some tracks even sound sibilant to me (Like Fallout Boys: Last Of The Real Ones). I actually needed foam tips to tame that, and now i must say, its not just bearable, but rather very fun to listen to and an absolute pleasure if appreciate good highs. It has 4 drivers, 2BA and 2DD. The mids are very neutral and to my ears sound very good. The bass and sub-bass is where it dominated the swings. The sub-bass is phenomenal, and extends very deep (Upto the 30-50khz). Infact, i can feel my
ears shaking and rumbling when i test 20khz samples on it, which is mighty impressive. Bass is also very well defined and works really well on genres such as pop and rap, however, the bass is a bit
slower (compared to Swings), which could have helped with EDMs (Halsey Colors: Audizen Remix). The soundstage is also very very wide. When listening to tracks such as Donald Fagens: I.G.Y. You can trace all the elements in play and there is fantastic
instrumental separation, more so than the sennheiser and swings. Overall, it is possibly the best iem i own, and it gets very loud on weak sources as a bonus (Neutron+Phone).
Overall
It is a very amusing predicament where i can not simply recommend one over the other. The swings should honestly be enjoyed irrespective of its price. Its an actual gem and i could have not been any more impressed with it. The KZ's are also solid. It sounds great with almost anything i throw at it and it continually amazes me with how well it performs, specially considering it can now be bought for $19 AUD on deals.
If i had to recommend anyone of them, id say:
Get the KZ, if your'e not treble sensitive or dont mind using foam tips or eq (Highly recommended). However, i can
not guarantee you will get the v1 hence everything stated here would not apply to them. Also i did go through 8 pairs of tips before i settled on foam, hence be ready for tip rolling.
Get the swings, If your'e afraid of getting the V2 or dont like too much treble. In all honesty, the Swings are insanely amazing and It should be enjoyed
irrespective of price.
However, if you can, i would get both of them at such cheap prices.
Songs Used/My Preferences
I listen to a lot of Rap, Rock and most Pop songs. I also listen to EDMs from time to time and appreciate my drumstep, those are my preferences and they influence how i perceive these headphones
Songs used:
1: Post Malone Rockstar, other releases
2: XXXTentacion- Roll In Peace
3: A$AP Ferg- Plain Jane, Yammy Gang etc
4: Fallout Boys - Almost all their releases
5: Linkin Park- All releases
6: Aesop Rock-None Shall Pass and other releases
7: Jazz - numerous songs
8: Donal Fagens:I.G.Y
9: Numerous EDMS - Including Tristam, Braken, Teminite, Panda Eyes
10: Vivaldi - Four Seasons
Source:
- Spotify Premium with highest preset
-Galaxy Note 5 International With Wolfson Dac
-My Amp is on its way, and i will re-edit this to include any improvements/changes that it brings
