[Willber]

Thanks for the link - good stuff.
I'll trade you this:

 

[DocHoliday]

@DocHoliday Quite a bit off topic, but been awhile since I've thought about Sneaker Pimps. I listen to the current project of one of the old band members that goes by IAMX nowadays.

Good to know I'll check them out.

Seeing that Nellee Hooper had a hand in that project, perhaps you may be familiar with this track. I believe he had a hand with this one also. Again, the ES3 really kicks the low end into gear.

 

[stryed]

ZS6 is still surprisingly pricey. 35usd for the Grey

I'll leave that to someone who owns the ZS5(ii) and the ZS6(i). I don't know how the soundstage was effected by relocating one of the ZS5's BAs.

I can tell you that in my ZS6(i) the soundstage is quite wide but psycho-acoustics, I think, alters soundstage perception because the vocals are more forward. It's not necessarily a mid-centric IEM because the lows and highs have a lot of presence. In my ZS6(i), the vocalist is clearly standing a few feet in front of the entire ensemble almost as if the vocalist is looking at you and reaching for your hand as he/she croons or unleashes their fury.

These two songs are a good example. Pay particular attention to the vocalists position in your minds eye.





In my ZS5(i) the vocalist is sometimes standing in the midst of the band and sometimes just a few feet behind the band. My own opinion is that the soundstage is actually the same but psycho-acoustics plays on how you hear and interpret that soundstage based on where your attention is directed.

Just one man's opinion.

Neat! New stuff to listen to I'm all for mids even if it costs me a bit of psychoacoustically modified soundstage.

Having lost a pair of KZ5s and using my backup (both v2), I'm hesitating on going for the KZ6. Apparently the grey version is tuned differently? Waiting for a price drop and some comprehensive comparisons with these batches.

 

[canzz]

After reading many reviews in here I went ahead and purchased both ATE S and ZS6.

I am impressed with both but the overstated treble is really annoying. I read few reviews mentioning the over-stated treble (sibilance?) decreases over time but I am not so hopeful of that, to be honest.

Currently ATE has an annoying sibilance on some tracks and ZS6 treble is unbearable in most tracks with vocals (even at the medium volume on mac). I heard the treble complaint many times but this does not sound like it could be improved with time or different cable to the point it will be comfortable to listen. Is there really a huge difference in treble between these two or there is something wrong with the unit I got?

Is there a comparison of sound signatures between KZ earphones here somewhere? I wonder which model sounds like ATE and also have replaceable cable. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[canzz]

I've retired my Meizu EP-51 and switched to KZ ZS3 + Spinfit CP100-L + Bluetooth cable for gym sessions. They have a very firm fit, which is nice. The ZST tended to slip out sometimes, and the Ep-51 is just a strage IEM/earbud hybrid.

Do you mind sharing why you choose to go with the ZS3 instead of the ZS6 (or ZS4,ZS5) ?

I recently purchased ATE-S and ZS6, to try, and hoping to make the ZS6 my new exercise earphone with the Bluetooth cable. ATE sounds good, ZS6 has incredible potential but unfortunately, the over-stated treble is hurting my ears. I am considering to try different models that are compatible with the Bluetooth cable. Cheers!

 

[DocHoliday]

After reading many reviews in here I went ahead and purchased both ATE S and ZS6.

I am impressed with both but the overstated treble is really annoying. I read few reviews mentioning the over-stated treble (sibilance?) decreases over time but I am not so hopeful of that to be honest.

Currently ATE has a disturbing sibilance on some tracks and ZS6 treble is unbearable in most tracks with vocals (even at medium volume on mac). I heard the treble complaint many times but this does not sound like it could be improved with time or different cable to the point it will be comfortable to listen. Is there really a huge difference in treble between these two or there is something wrong with the unit I got?

Sounds like you have a preference for a warmer sound signature. If I am correct then you should be looking at the original ATE or ATR. In the meantime pick up a set of foam eartips for your ZS6. The ATE-S isn't particularly bright so I think you should give them some time and come back to them after a while. I remember when I first started out I loved warmer sound signatures but my tastes have adjusted the deeper I delved into this hobby, so don't despair , just seek out what you enjoy and sample your other inventory once in a while and you might just be surprised at what you find.

ATR

ATE-S has red strain reliefs near the cable entry. If yours have gold colored grips then you have the ATE and not the ATE-S. The ATE-S has a slightly brighter sound signature than the ATE.

 

[Podster]

After we received a few reports, we've gone through and moderated a number of posts in the thread. There are some brands that are banned on Head-Fi due to their past practices. ****/**** and sibling brands have come up a number of times recently, and we've edited or removed references to them and their brands. We appreciate future posts refraining from linking to or mentioning these products. We prefer not to moderate when possible, so thanks everyone for helping us keep the discussion flowing smoothly.

THX Axel, I never post his links anymore but am guilty of referring to the one not to be referred too! I have given myself those 30 lashes with a wet noodle

@DocHoliday you liking those blue whirlwind tips? So ready for my Gray Bass Enhanced ones from GB to get here

 

[Podster]

ZS6 is still surprisingly pricey. 35usd for the Grey

IMHO worth every penny then some, remembering this thread starting out back in 2014 and within a couple pages everyone saying KZ shoots way over their price range not unlike NAD has with home gear from it's inception then before you know it everyone's dreaming/wanting of KZ making a hybrid and what do you know they came and concurred again in just a few short years with many surprises in between

 

[DocHoliday]

THX Axel, I never post his links anymore but am guilty of referring to the one not to be referred too! I have given myself those 30 lashes with a wet noodle

@DocHoliday you liking those blue whirlwind tips? So ready for my Gray Bass Enhanced ones from GB to get here

I love them because they improve soundstage. The key is I only put them on IEMs that have clear mids and highs and the lows have lots of presence, otherwise the bass gets diffused and then the whole presentation lacks warmth which is key to sounding natural.

 

[canzz]

Sounds like you have preference for a warmer sound signature. If I am correct then you should be looking at the original ATE or ATR. In the meantime pick up a set of foam eartips for your ZS6. The ATE-S isn't particularly bright so I think you should give them some time and come back to them after a while. I remember when I first started out I loved warmer sound signatures but my tastes have adjusted the deeper I delved into this hobby, so don't despair , just seek out what you enjoy and sample your other inventory once in a while and you might just be surprised at what you find.

ATR

ATE-S has the red near the cable entry. If yours have gold colored grips then you have the ATE and not the ATE-S. ATE-S is slightly brighter than the ATE.

Thank you for the suggestions I generally listen EDM, mostly Trance and ATE sounds good for me and if the sibilance decreases a little, I would like them even more however, ZS6 is plain unbearable

I feel like my unit is defected because I honestly don't think anyone would appreciate the sound coming from my ZS6 as of now! Medium volume on mac (spotify 320) and most tracks with Vocals are hurting my ears with the hissing noise!

I noticed that the cable is not working properly on my iPhone. There is no issue with use with my computer but when I connect the ZS6 to my iphone, audio decreases and goes back up again every second, if I press and hold the control button, it continues, and the control doesnt work on my iPhone. I wonder if this cable problem has to do with the treble problem I am having. It works fine with my mac though.

It seems like you also enjoy some EDM (seen the A&B track on one of your photos) I wonder your thoughts on other KZ earphones ZS2-3-6 signatures. It seems like I need to order a new one :/

 

[B9Scrambler]

ZSR in the house. 1st impressions, all of which are just my opinion and subject to change as I spend more time with them;

- Like the other KZ hybrids she's got some sizzle in the treble; more than the ZST but less than the ZS6
- Bass is more restrained than I was expecting; decent extension that's not quite as good as the ZS6; more textured and dynamic than the ZST, and about on par with the ZS6
- Mids are physically more forward but not really any more prominent than they are on the ZS6 or ZST; has a bit of added warmth/weight which makes them really quite nice
- What is this space? These sound even larger than the ZS6 though not quite as accurate with imaging, or with quite as good of layering or separation; ZST is completely outclassed here
- ZS6 is still better with picking up micro-details, esp. in the mids
- This housing is butt ugly imo (got it in black) and really thick, like, fully wireless iem style bulk
- I can see the two vents on the bottom being blocked by some ears depending on how they sit; doing so seems to lead to less overall bass quantity but I need to test that more
- Personally I like the ZS3's housing a lot more

Overall? So far so good. As long as you're okay with a bit more treble than what the ZST offers, this feels like a decent step up from that model. Also feels like a good alternative to the ZS6 due to the lessened treble energy, though it's not so much less that the treble sensitive out there will be okay. Still too agro for you methinks. If you want something less treble-heavy, ZS3 or ZST are probably still the way to go.

 

[DocHoliday]

THX Axel, I never post his links anymore but am guilty of referring to the one not to be referred too! I have given myself those 30 lashes with a wet noodle

@DocHoliday you liking those blue whirlwind tips? So ready for my Gray Bass Enhanced ones from GB to get here

Also, I won't use them on the BossHiFi B3 or Urbanfun Hybrid, but I'm looking forward to using them on the ZSR. So far the consensus is that the ZSR have a huge soundstage. Huge soundstage coupled with slammin' bass and even wider soundstage due to these eartips means I should get a mostly out-of-head experience which is what I loved about my HDS3. If I can get a refined HDS3 experience then I'm all in.

 

[DocHoliday]

Thank you for the suggestions I generally listen EDM, mostly Trance and ATE sounds good for me and if the sibilance decreases a little, I would like them even more however, ZS6 is plain unbearable

I feel like my unit is defected because I honestly don't think anyone would appreciate the sound coming from my ZS6 as of now! Medium volume on mac (spotify 320) and most tracks with Vocals are hurting my ears with the hissing noise!

I noticed that the cable is not working properly on my iPhone. There is no issue with use with my computer but when I connect the ZS6 to my iphone, audio decreases and goes back up again every second, if I press and hold the control button, it continues, and the control doesnt work on my iPhone. I wonder if this cable problem has to do with the treble problem I am having. It works fine with my mac though.

It seems like you also enjoy some EDM (seen the A&B track on one of your photos) I wonder your thoughts on other KZ earphones ZS2-3-6 signatures. It seems like I need to order a new one :/

Back to work for me, but I'll answer this later when I get back.

 

[DocHoliday]

ZSR in the house. 1st impressions, all of which are just my opinion and subject to change as I spend more time with them;

- Like the other KZ hybrids she's got some sizzle in the treble; more than the ZST but less than the ZS6
- Bass is more restrained than I was expecting; decent extension that's not quite as good as the ZS6; more textured and dynamic than the ZST, and about on par with the ZS6
- Mids are physically more forward but not really any more prominent than they are on the ZS6 or ZST; has a bit of added warmth/weight which makes them really quite nice
- What is this space? These sound even larger than the ZS6 though not quite as accurate with imaging, or with quite as good of layering or separation; ZST is completely outclassed here
- ZS6 is still better with picking up micro-details, esp. in the mids
- This housing is butt ugly imo (got it in black) and really thick, like, fully wireless iem style bulk
- I can see the two vents on the bottom being blocked by some ears depending on how they sit; doing so seems to lead to less overall bass quantity but I need to test that more
- Personally I like the ZS3's housing a lot more

Overall? So far so good. As long as you're okay with a bit more treble than what the ZST offers, this feels like a decent step up from that model. Also feels like a good alternative to the ZS6 due to the lessened treble energy, though it's not so much less that the treble sensitive out there will be okay. Still too agro for you methinks. If you want something less treble-heavy, ZS3 or ZST are probably still the way to go.

B9, your input and Wiljen's input help paint a more accurate picture.

Much appreciated.

 

[Limjialok]

Hi, does any managed to use right angled kz iem(zsr,zst,es3) to use with straight connector bluetooth kit?
I removed the memory wire from my straight bluetooth meant for my zs3 and i wanna upgrade to zsr but keeping bluetooth kit as it a bit amnoying to remove the memory wire from the angled bluetooth kit again. I know it can fit, but Is it comfortable?