[EISENbricher]

I downloaded this when I first saw it mentioned in this thread. Its a nice idea and seems a decent enough implementation but do they really expect you to not use your phone for 4 days or however long it takes for the cycle? Or since it has both a pause function and can keep track of multiple earphones that you'll plug in and let the program run overnight then pause it for your normal daily use then plug back in at night, etc? Because that'd extend the 4 day cycle to 12 assuming that you're without your phone for 8 hours a night.

You can pause and resume. Even if you terminate/exit the program without pause, it's not an issue. Next time when you plug in the earphone, it'll begin from the exact time, step and will show you the remaining time.

Like you mentioned I used to keep ZS5 on burn-in during night times as the phone would be in use at daytime.

 

[CoiL]

Unfortunately, I can't help you with those questions - I have no IEM gear in that price range (yet), nor have I heard any of the gear you mentioned on your radar.
@crabdog or @peter123 would be good sources to check with - they play with mid-price ChiFi gear like you're talking.
I definitely love my Pioneer CH9T though! And I do have Magaosi K5 on the way (which WILL be my 1st IEM gear in that price range).

But how is CH9T compared to your modded ATE and ZS5v1? Does CH9T have similar imaging(out-of-headstage) and soundstage(large with good frontal depth).

I`m already following crab, b9s and peter long time and I know their own individual "quirks" about sound they like, so, I can "translate" their reviews&impressions into "my experience and taste".

Some burn-in time later I can now present the the not so astonishing results

The first measurement was done at approx. <1h playtime, the second one about 20-30h of burn-in later. Each channel was placed in the coupler and measured 4 individual times the reduce the effects of positioning. The final measurements are averages over all measurements and channels, so 8 individual measurements total.

"No burn-In" in green, "burn-in" in blue:



As can be seen the burn-in has changed nothing. Before commenting with something like "but there's less treble above 10 kHz!", take a look at this graph:



The above graph shows 4 individual measurements of the left earpiece after burn-in. As the earpiece was taken out and placed again before every measurement, small deviations in the FR occur because of a slightly different positioning. High frequencies are particularly sensitive to this effect. I can absolutely not ensure that the positioning before and after burn-in is the same, hence the small deviations are to be attributed to the positioning in the coupler rather than to burn-in. Mind that temperature and other environmental influences do affect measurements as well.

I gonna tag @Brooko, @castleofargh and @hakuzen here as I think you guys might enjoy some "burn-in" measurements

PS: THD measurements didn't change either.

Thanks! Just what I was afraid - no real effects of burn-in - rather brain-burn-in and foamies (which both I don`t like).
Going to stick with my ZS5v1 and wait for green ZSR.

 

[vladstef]

I don't think it's a good practice to just look at the FR and determine that burn in is not effective. The bigger change might be happening when driver is playing complex sounds and not just sine wave, but it is still probably a minimal change in sound.
I've noticed a slight difference with ZS5v1 in the first 30 min of listening and it is probably similar to ZS6 given the same drivers - the bass got slightly tighter. Outside of that, I couldn't notice any sound changes, especially not treble which was the same 100h in as it was on first listen.

 

[mbwilson111]

Got my MEMT X5 today. Sound-wise, the KZ ZS5 v1 is probably my preference, being a bit more balanced across the spectrum. X5 has more bass, while the ZS5 has more mids and treble sparkle. The MEMT X5 are impressive for their size though. The ZS5 is just huge and can look a bit ridiculous to onlookers.

Still waiting for my ZS5 (presumably v2) from GearBest from the 11/11 sale.

I bought the MEMT X5 for sleeping because of the small size. I am able to do that... even on my side. I was not too worried about the sound because as someone in here (or another thread) said "what does the sleeping brain know?" Anyway, like you are, I was quite impressed with the sound quality. But what does the tired brain know? lol

Because this is actually the KZ thread, I will say that my KZ ZS6 (green) are definitely superior but I could never sleep with them!

My companions when my husband is working nights:

 

[Vytautas]

Does using 64 Ohm adapter has negative affects on SQ? Is it a good way to make ZS6 less sharp? Which one to use?

@HiFiChris and @hakuzen: Yes, really nothing one wouldn't expect

On a slightly different topic: I've attached a file that can be used with EQ APO to gather the effect of a 64 Ohm impedance adapter with the ZS6. That might be handy to do quick comparisons or for everyone that hasn't the appropriate resistors on hand. Just load the file via the include-dialog of EQ APO.

The file will give your ZS6 the light green FR:

Edit: Attaching .txt doesn't seem to work, so I've uploaded the file here: KZ ZS6 64 Ohm EQ APO.txt

 

[kokakolia]

I eagerly await the day that KZ finally gets sick of engineering advice from unqualified youtubers and releases the ZSTroll. Just jam five or six identical BAs in the nozzle. Stagger them behind each other if need be. Be sure to have one or two firing backwards into the housing which of course looks identical to the Marshall Mode.

Are you plotting murder on me?

 

[Spelaeus]

Are you plotting murder on me?

I can barely manage to plot breakfast.

 

[bartzky]

Does using 64 Ohm adapter has negative affects on SQ? Is it a good way to make ZS6 less sharp? Which one to use?

If the ZS6's upper treble is a bit too bright for your taste, a 64 Ohm (or similar values) will have a positive effect. It is indeed a good way to make the ZS6 less sharp, though it might not be effective enough for treble sensitive people.
If you know how to solder, you can easily build an adapter yourself. Otherwise you might find some DIYers that will build an adapter for you or find already assembled ones on eBay or similar places. You can search for a P to S converter (the thing for Etymotics' IEMs) as well. It's 75 Ohm and has about the same effect as 64 Ohm.

 

[jmwreck]

I just got my zs6 and all I can say is that I'm impressed by the presentation and soundstage, it's big (huge) enough for me to be satisfied. The treble peaks are there but it's bearable. The bass is deep and engaging. OT : Have you guys tried the Mpow bluetooth receiver? I'm listening to it right now while typing, together with my Xperia Z2 and Poweramp (tone on, bass and treble at 12:00 position), volume at 3:00 and EQ off, perfect combo as of the moment.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

They are just being pragmatic.

Typically, mass market items correctly priced will outsell "halo" products 100: 1. And by percentage margin, have better margins due to the savings from marketing, and customer service as well as packaging.

We all want out Ferrari's and Bugatti's for cars but hey ... the most profit car company is Toyota. KZ wants to be Toyota. Their flagship at this point is still the Corona, the Camry hasn't been born yet. Until then, we won't see them spawning a Lexus.

Sure, but the thing is KZ already has a ton of products in that price range. If you've got $20 to spend KZ's got you covered in several directions.

I'm not asking for a Lexus or Ferrari, that's the Campfires and 64s of the world. I'm asking for a simple Mustang or a Challenger.

 

[mbwilson111]

I just got my zs6 and all I can say is that I'm impressed by the presentation and soundstage

that was my immediate reaction... and I have found the treble to be beautiful and I am definitely not a treblehead.

...and that bass! deep and engaging like you said.

 

[Slater]

I think it's fair to say that the KZ ED8 and ED10 are dead, can't find them anywhere to buy. Damn wish I found out about KZ earlier so I could get that full experience

Don't know about the ED8, but I think you aren't missing much by not owning the ED10. Imo one of their weaker IEMs.

Agreed. You're not missing anything with the ED10.

 

[CoiL]

Slater, I got my ZS3. What mods did You do to them? Sorry, haven`t kept eye on ZS3 posts Link to Your mod post maybe, please?
Soundwise, they are OOTB nothing special but not rubbish also, kinda typical V-shaped IEM but soundstage and imaging are quite ok.
But the SHELLS.... oh man, most comfort IEM I have ever tried! Definitely will mod them and use other drivers ;P I got glossy black ones.

Now I`m definitely waiting to buy green ZSR.

 

[bsoplinger]

I finally found foamies that work for me. The dealer @Slater recommended:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/20-...-earphones-enhanced-bass-Ear/32741636522.html

tl;dr I got some in T200 and T300 size. These have nozzle diameters of 4.0mm and 4.5mm instead of the more typical T400 / T500 4.9mm size. I figured if the standard size ended up slipping off the smooth nozzle of my ZS6 (and much more expensive LZ A4) perhaps one with a slightly smaller diameter would do the trick. The dealer did great. I ordered 2 sets to cover the different options and asked for S, M and L in both T200 and T300 sizes with mixed colors. Got 4 larger plastic boxes with S and M and 2 smaller ones with L. And they stay on!!! I can finally spend some time listening to the ZS6 without being uncomfortable. They squish way down and rebound slowly enough that they're easy to insert. I like them more than the New Bee brand. I'll report back if they don't last long or there's some other issues but I think these will be a winner for me.

Short version… If you have issues with foamies staying behind in your ear canals try this seller and get tips in the smaller nozzle diameter(s).

 

[nkramer]

Slater, I got my ZS3. What mods did You do to them? Sorry, haven`t kept eye on ZS3 posts Link to Your mod post maybe, please?
Soundwise, they are OOTB nothing special but not rubbish also, kinda typical V-shaped IEM but soundstage and imaging are quite ok.
But the SHELLS.... oh man, most comfort IEM I have ever tried! Definitely will mod them and use other drivers ;P I got glossy black ones.

Now I`m definitely waiting to buy green ZSR.

i really like the shells as well. has anybody successfully opened the shells without really messing up the seam where the 2 halves go together?