[themindfreak]

Wew the new full BA KZ flagship has been confirmed. Its not 10 BA per side. Its 5 BA per side.
https://twitter.com/hckexin/status/1005020575075405824

 

[CoiL]

My original idea was modding the ZS3 into a hybrid something like that. But as you can see there's no room:

Spoiler

...so moving ZS10's drivers into ZS3's shell like @CoiL's idea will require a lot of work lol.

For me there is enough room Wide bore nozzle and lot of room inside shell for BAs and tubings + I can "extend" shell little with wood.

Spoiler: ZS3 nozzle change

 

[KipNix]

A truly mind blowing cost-to-performance-to-fun ratio for all of the genres I enjoy. Sure, it's not totally perfect, but even $1k gear isn't.

+1 for this, since looking at this "ranking list".

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/crinacles-iem-ranking-list-170-entries-11-05-update.857498/

Take a look at the signatures of the IEMs >$1000; all the way up to $3000:
"bassy"
"V-shaped"
"warm neutral"
Even "W-shaped"!
Why our KZ items are so poorly ranked I don't understand, but I suspect they wouldn't be if there was blind testing going on.
I'd like to hear your comments, brothers and sisters.

 

[s8grave]

KipNix,

Because KZs are dirt cheap, that is why)
Price is making earphones sound magical(and Placebo), not FR graphs or anything else)
I was very impressed with all this chi-fi stuff, and of course expensive gear sounds GREAT(not all of it), but KZ sounds AWESOME. I own KZ ZST, ZS5, ZSR and waiting for ED16 and ZS10 to arrive.
ZSRs I like the most for now, and prefer them to my custom Westone ES60. IMHO, and sorry for my English.

 

[mrmoto050]

Listening to Kansas-Leftoverture and Beyond Live KZ-ZSA's (JVC Spiral Dots Medium) with DX150/AMP4s combo this morning. Great synergy. Good energy.Very clear.

 

[Slater]

+1 for this, since looking at this "ranking list".

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/crinacles-iem-ranking-list-170-entries-11-05-update.857498/

Take a look at the signatures of the IEMs >$1000; all the way up to $3000:
"bassy"
"V-shaped"
"warm neutral"
Even "W-shaped"!
Why our KZ items are so poorly ranked I don't understand, but I suspect they wouldn't be if there was blind testing going on.
I'd like to hear your comments, brothers and sisters.

They just occupy a different part of the product landscape.

Like a Kia Optima Turbo and a BMW M550i. Both good cars within their respective segments, but it is not realistic to directly compare them.

I do know that inconsistent QC doesn’t help KZ any, even in the eyes of die-hard KZ fans.

 

[Danfish98]

I didn't know searching for new IEMs for work could be so dangerous. I'd been using Klipsch R6 ear buds. They were OK, but I wanted something better. Via a combination of Reddit and here I learn about KZ. Saw the ZS5 for $22 on GB a couple weeks ago and decided to give them a shot. After listening to a couple songs with the equalizer cut a couple db at 8khz I was blown away. Had the wife try them, she immediately wanted a pair, so I took that opportunity to order the zs10. Haven't received those yet but from the past several pages of this thread I decided I had to try the es4 too since they're only $14 at the moment. I guess my wallet can't hate you all too much at these prices...

 

[DocHoliday]

I guess my wallet can't hate you all too much at these prices...

You've no idea what you've gotten yourself into buddy!

 

[MDH12AX7]

Better than WHAT dear Wilson, better than WHAT?


The ES4 isn’t bright at all. In fact, it’s like the ZSR with a tighter bass and less highs.

And in fact: the ES4 sounds very similar to the KZ ZSA I’ve just gotten. I will thoroughly compare them from now on.

Though I can already say I love the metallic finish and the comfort of the ZSA. They’re really small. Snug in your ear. I haven’t gotten a KZ before that was this comfy right away.

Thank you! Just got my Zsa in last night. After a mighty long session of tip rolling I finally got them to seal. I wish the nozzles were just a tad longer. Had to use deep tips with an o-ring spacer to get a seal. They are burning in now and I will try them out tonight. I also love the look and the build quality. If they only came in purple....

 

[Slater]

People have asked me this quite a few times via PM, so I thought I would share this for the community.

Despite looking identical, the EDR1 and EDSE are different. They use different drivers, sound different, and have very minor physical differences.

To physically tell the difference, look on the underneath side of the IEM shell. Right next to the wire strain relief, you will see (1) small driver vent hole. The vent hole is in different places on the EDR1 vs EDSE.

See the photo for the location of the vent holes:



It used to be possible to be able to tell them apart by measuring the length of the IEM shell, but KZ has made a minor change to the EDR1 shell length in recent production runs. Therefore, the vent hole is the most reliable way to tell them apart.

 

[MDH12AX7]

just ordered the ES4 and ZSA if they are as good as everyone claims I'll get rid of my ATR, ZST, ZS3(black), ZSR(green) znd ZS10(blue) and just keep those two.

Es4 is my favorite KZ atm..... Waiting for the Ed16 tho....

 

[nkramer]

just FYI, massdrop is running the Venture Electronics (the ones that make the monk) IEM Cables drop again. they have 2 pin (yes, .78mm) in standard 3.5mm as well as 2.5mm TRRS (balanced)
i got one on the last drop and they are so much nicer than the KZ cables. much softer (not as stiff as the clear or "smoke" cables) and with the color you don't have to worry about the green that was discussed for pages on end, plus, no ear wires to remove.

here's the links & a pic:
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/venture-electronics-iem-cables


or you can get the espresso edition on Ali
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/VE-Basic-0-78-2-5trrs-3-5trrs-cable/32822038909.html

 

[MDH12AX7]

Yo guys
My credit card is going to expire in july, and i'm actually thinkin about what can i buy in order to use the last €€ i got on it.
I have like 20 euros there that i saved to buy some audio stuff but i'm really confused.

I saw zsa and es4 came out while my choice would have been zsr, even if i think it will be so painful to my ears as i have small years.

I have at the moment a pair of memt x5 which i love with foam tips, but i wanna do a little step up.

I listen to edm melodic tracks and raw tracks such as future bass, bass house, dubstep, progressive house, future house, trap and chill trap.
So it's needed a good bass which can go pretty low for the great 808 extension, good mids for clear synths and voices and good treble for claps, hats and so on.

What would you tip me?
Zsa? Es4? Zsr (even if big)?
Can u tell the differences between these? Which of them can satisfy a basshead?

Ps: i can't get comfy with silicon tips, i always find out a garbage vacuum feeling like the common driver flex problem and even opening my mouth while putting in my headphones doesn't help..

Es4 or ZSR for big bass. I think the Es4 has better mids and relaxed treble. If you want sharper treble the ZSR might suit you better. Es4 is more natural sounding and ZSR is kinda larger than life, hyped bass and treble. Also, the Es4 is smaller and more comfy, for me at least.

 

[Slater]

Does the trn cable actually sit fully within the ZSA? The kz upgrade cable doesn't fit properly and so keeps coming off for me

@scottySK

The pins for the TRN cable are slightly longer too.

"You can also take the KZ 8-braid silver upgrade cable, and trim the plastic off of the plug like many of us do. After doing that, the pins are even longer than the TRN (and have no problems fitting anything)! A little later, I'll post a comparison photo of all 3 side by side to show the differences."


Here is that photo as promised.

You can see the different pin lengths of the following:

1 Unmodified KZ cable (stock and KZ upgrade cables)
2. Modified KZ 8-wire braided upgrade cable (with plastic shoulder cut off)
3. TRN cable (black and silver)



Ignore the shoulder type (ie ZST vs ZS3); just look at the length of the actual pins.

You can use the longer pin lengths to fit IEMs that fit too loosely (with the stock cables) and on IEMs they were not designed for (like one that was intended for the thinner ZS3 shoulder). And no, it does not hurt the IEM in any way to use the longer pins. The KZ 2-pin female socket is incredibly deep, and can accommodate the long pins with ease.

In other words, the modified cable (#2) is the most "universal". The only downside is that once you trim off the plastic shoulder, you cannot tell the proper direction of the pins to ensure you are plugging them in properly (ie not out-of-phase). Therefore, what I do BEFORE trimming off the plastic, is mark the cables by scratching a mark on the aluminum shoulder where the "rounded" end would normally go using a sharp tool (like a sewing needle). If you have no idea what I'm referring to, check this link: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/kno...essions-thread.698148/page-1194#post-13516067

 

[1clearhead]

Just tried my new KZ ED16 (aka ZS7) for several hours.

Organic, luscious, with plenty of details!...Wow! These are a serious "game changer" for KZ! I'll be burning them in for at least 100 hours before determining their status. I seriously have to try these against my beloved ZS5 to see if they are worthy of the KZ throne.

-Clear