[Otto Motor]

Late answer but no need. hakuzen explained everything much more detailed than I could. Just read gear specifications to properly find match for ZS5v1 and You should get very nice SQ out of it (though, DAC sound signature will also affect result).
Like You can see from my profile, I run my ZS5v1 with DX5X -> WM8740 DAC (slightly warm sounding) / upgraded 2x ADA4897-1ARZ HO opamps (80mA per channel) / upgraded capacitors (smooth,detailed,large soundstage,great layering and separation), <0.5 ohm output impedance, High Gain: 3.1 V. Perfect match for my ZS5v1, beautiful clear detailed mids and punchy clear textured bass/percussion with detailed highs (not harsh/sibilant). I can honestly say - best KZ I`ve ever had and probably KZ won`t supersede it any soon, if ever.

Quite an impressive setup for such inexpensive earphones...how does it work on other iems?
As to your low output impedance: I do understand that the ZS5 generally has very low impedance profile, which benefits from the low output impedance.

As said, I shall try the ZS5 v1 with my dragonfly amp/dac (0.3 ohm output impedance), but my friend still has them. In theory, I should have a similar frequency response as you.

But: out of the box, any iem should not require a complex setup. 95% percent of people run them on their phones (at least when not at home).

And: I have some 50 earphones...impossible to tailor my setup to perfectly match each of them.

 

[mrmoto050]

Hello!

I am the happy owner of KZ ZS3 + Bluetooth module but I'm looking for spare earphones which I may need when those will be lost/broken.

I like KZ ZS3 but looking for something maybe a bit better/comparable but sounding maybe a little different. Can't find so many opinions about ZST Pro though.

I also bought ZS6 but I am forced to sell them because they are too big for my ear canals.
How about ZST Pro? Are they small like ZS3 or big like ZS6?

I'm going to buy KZ ZST Pro bluetooth module so would be nice to hear also how they sound with it! ZS3 sounds nice with bluetooth IMO.

Thanks for all the opinions!

FiiO F9 Pro

 

[Shuikit]

Hello!

I am the happy owner of KZ ZS3 + Bluetooth module but I'm looking for spare earphones which I may need when those will be lost/broken.

I like KZ ZS3 but looking for something maybe a bit better/comparable but sounding maybe a little different. Can't find so many opinions about ZST Pro though.

I also bought ZS6 but I am forced to sell them because they are too big for my ear canals.
How about ZST Pro? Are they small like ZS3 or big like ZS6?

I'm going to buy KZ ZST Pro bluetooth module so would be nice to hear also how they sound with it! ZS3 sounds nice with bluetooth IMO.

Thanks for all the opinions!

For me...
ZS3 - great fit
ZS5 - were too big for me
ZST - fit was good, but it doesn't seem to go as deep as the ZS3 which I prefer
ZSR - Good fit, but am finding it difficult to fit silicone tips over the nozzle which is a bit larger than my other KZ. It squashes out the centre part of the tip which takes some of the give out of the tip, it's a bit hard. Foam tips seem okay, but I don't get along with foam tips.

If it were ever possible, then the ZSR in a ZS3 shell would be amazing....

 

[oyobass]

Hello!

I am the happy owner of KZ ZS3 + Bluetooth module but I'm looking for spare earphones which I may need when those will be lost/broken.

I like KZ ZS3 but looking for something maybe a bit better/comparable but sounding maybe a little different. Can't find so many opinions about ZST Pro though.

I also bought ZS6 but I am forced to sell them because they are too big for my ear canals.
How about ZST Pro? Are they small like ZS3 or big like ZS6?

I'm going to buy KZ ZST Pro bluetooth module so would be nice to hear also how they sound with it! ZS3 sounds nice with bluetooth IMO.

Thanks for all the opinions!

By all accounts I have read, the ZST "Pro" is exactly the same as the ZST "colorful" and the ZST "carbon fiber". I have had both, and enjoy them equally.

If you find the ZS3 comfortable, chances are you'll like the fit of the ZSR. I had to sand down the bump facing the ear on the ZS3 to make it fit somewhat comfortably, so I'll probably give the ZSR a pass until the price drops to where I don't mind the possibility of destroying them by modding them.

 

[fredhubbard2]

... struggling to work out how ive got so much audio refinement for £15!....bizarre

 

[C2thew]

Just a bit of experimentation.

The ZS3 housing will have an effect on soundstage and perhaps some frequencies will move slightly to the forefront while other frequencies get slightly recessed. Combine those ingredients with the ZS3's uncanny ability to isolate better than earplugs and I may just end up with an all-time favorite KZ yet.

The ZS3 is the IEM I use when I get out the leaf blower which is four hours once a week these days and it blocks 90% of the noise.

^ This. The ZS3's were my first IEMS from KZ and my GO-TO IEMS when I want to isolate the sound as either earplugs or if i'm doing any active sport such as running. They just have the right fit/seal so that the earphones don't fall out of your ear! I now own the KZ ZS6's and while they do have more detail, the ZS6's don't have that magic seal that the ZS3's have. I also noticed that the bass on the ZS3 seems to have the sound that i'm after when I'm working out.

I'm still working on writing a summary on my ZS6 as i've had about a weeks worth of listening to these iems. I just wish that KZ would use the ZS3 housings and just perfect those IEMS with additional drivers for clarity.

 

[DocHoliday]

Late answer but no need. hakuzen explained everything much more detailed than I could. Just read gear specifications to properly find match for ZS5v1 and You should get very nice SQ out of it (though, DAC sound signature will also affect result).
Like You can see from my profile, I run my ZS5v1 with DX5X -> WM8740 DAC (slightly warm sounding) / upgraded 2x ADA4897-1ARZ HO opamps (80mA per channel) / upgraded capacitors (smooth,detailed,large soundstage,great layering and separation), <0.5 ohm output impedance, High Gain: 3.1 V. Perfect match for my ZS5v1, beautiful clear detailed mids and punchy clear textured bass/percussion with detailed highs (not harsh/sibilant). I can honestly say - best KZ I`ve ever had and probably KZ won`t supersede it any soon, if ever.

I'll have to order a new ZS5 to see for myself whether or not a new ZS5 differs from ZS5(ii),

but in the meantime.....

My take on the ZS5:
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/knowledge-zenith-zs5.22479/reviews#review-19993

 

[mbwilson111]

If you find the ZS3 comfortable, chances are you'll like the fit of the ZSR. I had to sand down the bump facing the ear on the ZS3 to make it fit somewhat comfortably, so I'll probably give the ZSR a pass until the price drops to where I don't mind the possibility of destroying them by modding them.

Even though I found the ZS3 to be uncomfortable for me, I am very happy with the fit of my ZSR. I like the sound of both.

 

[TikPandora]

Got the ZST today, and I have to say I absolutely love them. The fit, for me at least, is far better without that bump in the back. That, and I also prefer the way that they sound. With the silver upgrade cable these are gonna be little beasts to beat for sure.

 

[oyobass]

Even though I found the ZS3 to be uncomfortable for me, I am very happy with the fit of my ZSR. I like the sound of both.

Good to know. Thanks!

 

[Slater]

Just a bit of experimentation.

The ZS3 housing will have an effect on soundstage and perhaps some frequencies will move slightly to the forefront while other frequencies get slightly recessed. Combine those ingredients with the ZS3's uncanny ability to isolate better than earplugs and I may just end up with an all-time favorite KZ yet.

The ZS3 is the IEM I use when I get out the leaf blower which is four hours once a week these days and it blocks 90% of the noise.

Keep a eye on tingling/numbness (neuropathy) in your hands caused by the vibrations from the blower.

A friend of mine was a commercial lawn guy and he used a blower about that much and now he has nerve damage from the vibrations.

You can buy special foam padded “vibration-isolating” work gloves that make a huge difference in preventing any hand damage.

 

[szyblaszczyk]

By all accounts I have read, the ZST "Pro" is exactly the same as the ZST "colorful" and the ZST "carbon fiber". I have had both, and enjoy them equally.

If you find the ZS3 comfortable, chances are you'll like the fit of the ZSR. I had to sand down the bump facing the ear on the ZS3 to make it fit somewhat comfortably, so I'll probably give the ZSR a pass until the price drops to where I don't mind the possibility of destroying them by modding them.

Thanks a lot (you and everybody else who helped me to make a decision)!

I saw photos of "naked" ZST and they're not going to fit me ear canals for sure.

The question is now how big are ZSR without silicone tips? Are they the same like ZS3?

The next question is: is it worth to pay double price for ZSR? I also need to buy seperate bluetooth module for them (different connector type). What's the sound characteristic compared to KZ ZS3? KZ ZS3 with the same amount of bass (so bassy and with a "punch"!) but a bit more detailed would be something which absolutely fit me!

And the last question - are there any cheap silicon/foam tips which are going to be more fitted in ear than stock ones? I tend to lose ZS3 after 1-2 hours of listening because of "oily" inside of my ear canals. Sorry if it sounded a bit disgusting but I clean my ear canals two times a day so it's not about my lack of hygiene. It's just skin type I'm afraid as same problems persists with my hair. Anyway... no more details any advice would be really appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Thumpsy]

I often use a bit of distilled witch hazel on a qtip to clean my ears. It seems to help with oilyness and other skin issues. I'm not a doctor though so please take this with a grain of salt.

 

[snip3r77]

My friend did quick and dirty preliminary impedance measurements of the KZ ZS5, KZ ZSR, and EDR2: plotted are frequency [KHz] vs. impedance [ohm].

The single-driver EDR2 shows a flat response.

The triple-driver ZSR has rather high impedance that drops above 3 KHz. This means that, if you increase the output impedance of your player, you get a drop in the treble on your frequency response curve.

The quad-driver ZS5 has a rather low impedance that starts climbing beyond 1 KHz. This means that, if you increase the output impedance of your player, you get increased mids and treble on your frequency response curve...that's what Coil always tried to tell me with his setup for the KZ ZS5.

My iPhone 5S has an output impedance of...hmmm...either 1 ohm or 2.3 ohm.
Putting my audioquest dragonfly in front of it yields an output impedance of 0.3 ohm.
I'll have to try both on my ZS5, but they are still with my friend.


IMPEDANCE FOR DUMMIES (including myself)
I really had problems understanding the read-ups, therefore here in simple terms...I hope it is understandable.

1. The output impedance of a player determines how much voltage arrives at the earphones.
2. A low output impedance is desired, which means a high voltage arrives at the earphones.
3. A single-driver earphone has a flat impedance across the frequency spectrum and the player's output impedance does not influence the frequency response curve.
4. Multi-driver earphones have funny impedance-frequency curves.
5. For any given output impedance: the higher the earphone's impedance at a certain frequency, the louder the signal will be at this frequency. If the source is 100 ohm, then the voltage (loudness) in the earphone will be higher at, let's say, 600 ohm on the curve than at 300 ohm.
6. If the output impedance of the player is increased, there is less juice entering the earphones and the voltage (loudness) drops, but less so at 600 ohm compared to 300 ohm.
7. Points 5 and 6 appear to not make any sense: if the earphone's impedance (resistance) is increased, this should result in a drop in voltage/loudness, but the opposite is the case...the trick is that the resistor is BEHIND the earphones' coil and not in front of it. The innerfidelity graphic below shows this quite well.
8. This can be compared to a bathtub. Water (voltage) comes under pressure out of the faucet (player). The plug in the bathtub that keeps the water in can be compared to the impedance in the earphone. The better the plug seals, the more water (voltage/loudness) there is in the earphone/bathtub. And all the fun is in the water...

Damn good explanation

 

[szyblaszczyk]

Found the (nozzles) comparison of ZS3 vs ZSR.

http://www.thephonograph.net/kz-zsr-vs-kz-zs3-comparison/

No way I'm gonna fit those huges nozzles into my ears.

ZS6 too big, ZSR and ZST too.

What's left for me for an improvement above ZS3 in KZ series?