[Slater]

On a different matter, this part in ES4 descriptions is bull, right?

By bull, what do you mean?

Lots of IEMs and headphones use graphene drivers. They all use a graphene spray coating on top of a normal polymer diaphragm. It’s not a lie, not false advertising. It’s just not pure graphene (Ora is the only one with that process right now).

Basically think of it as laminated wood products (like instruments or furniture). You can have a stringed instrument that is laminated with a thin layer of expensive wood (curly maple, Hawaiian koa, etc) on top a cheaper type of wood. And then you have others that are 100% solid curly maple, koa, etc. There’s pros and cons to each.

 

[rayliam80]

How is iBasso IT01 isolation versus ZS3/4? I like the graph of IT01 much better, but I also like isolation. And stuff that costs 10x less than other stuff. That too. Need to get that 11.11 list straight, anyhow.

With the right tip, the ZS3 isolates much better than the IT01. Out of my personal IEM collection, the ZS3 is the most isolating among everything I own. But the timbre and dynamics of the IT01 surpasses it quite easily. If isolation is a big priority, go with the ZS3.

 

[HungryPanda]

KZ ES4 mids are fine with a wide bore tip, with a narrow bore the bass is too strong

 

[zazaboy]

guys I finally tuned my kz zs6 with eq and used kz ate foam tips if you lower the bass a lot they sound much better.. they have still bass but not overpowered it doesnt mess with other frequencies now.. instruments sound really clear and give good synenergy....... they are soo good now with well mastered songs... the soundstage is amazing like full sized headphone.. its really great now.. btw I use moderate volumes.. at max volume they dont sound good at all.. frequencies mess with each other maybe because they are maybe too bright.. or maybe because I am using a smartphone as a source..

now my question is can the kz as10 the kz zs6 surpass this.with better mids.. I heard they have lower bass which I prefer to kz zs6.. I am particulary searching for good mids and soundstage.. any suggestion is appreciated.. maybe other iems are better.. but I doubt it.. kz zs6 is really in my top 3 now..

 

[BrunoC]

guys I finally tuned my kz zs6 with eq and used kz ate foam tips if you lower the bass a lot they sound much better..... they are soo good now with well mastered songs... the soundstage is amazing like full sized headphone.. its really great now.

guys I finally tuned my kz zs6 with eq and used kz ate foam tips if you lower the bass a lot they sound much better.. they have still bass but not overpowered it doesnt mess with other frequencies now.. instruments sound really clear and give good synenergy....... they are soo good now with well mastered songs... the soundstage is amazing like full sized headphone.. its really great now.. btw I use moderate volumes.. at max volume they dont sound good at all.. frequencies mess with each other maybe because they are maybe too bright..

now my question is can the kz as10 the kz zs6 surpass this.with better mids.. I heard they have lower bass which I prefer to kz zs6.. I am particulary searching for good mids and soundstage.. any suggestion is appreciated.. maybe other iems are better.. but I doubt it.. kz zs6 is really in my top 3 now..

I agree. I use a TRN black cable and comply tips and after listening to countless other KZ's and other chifis, the fact is: Only ZS10 and E-MI c880 may be on par. I must be one of the 32 persons in the world that don't find the ZS6 piercing. The detail and separation still blows me away. It's like being on the first row of the show.

PS: I didn't mod my beautiful black ZS6.

 

[maxxevv]

Just received the AS10's a few hours ago and had about 30~40 minutes on them compared to the ZS10's.

Certainly less rolled off in treble and a more forward sounding mid (comparatively of course). But on some tracks they have a very feint hint of sibilance which were completely absent on the ZS10s. (But these are tracks with known sibilance issues for earphones that exhibit it.)

It certainly fits my ears better compared to the ZS10, as such its isolation is obviously better (for me) too.

Its less rolled-off treble and prominent bass makes it sound more energetic and also, I didn't have to turn the volume up as high as on the ZS10.

And because of the above, it doesn't sound as laid back nor as " spacious" as the ZS10 either.

These are very early impressions but so far a mixed bag, though its generally a very good sounding earphone in my books.

Attached are some picts for comparison.

 

[CoiL]

Really weird looking nozzle grill @ AS10.

 

[neo_styles]

I must be one of the 32 persons in the world that don't find the ZS6 piercing. The detail and separation still blows me away. It's like being on the first row of the show.

You're not the only one. I've been reaching for the ZS6 more than any of my other IEMs. Only reason I didn't bring it to work today was the realization that I'd shelved my Porta Pros for months and they were begging for my attention.

The ZS6 also calms down quite a bit with either Complys or Dekoni memory foam tips. The Dekoni are kinda weird since they don't really handle being rolled up the same way Complys are, but it's really easy for me to get a proper seal with them. Seems to have just enough diffusion to tame that sibilance. The DAP you choose will also make a difference. My M0 seems much brighter to my ears on any pair of ear/headphones; the A45 more laid back, which makes the A45 and ZS6 a stellar combo.

 

[jeromeaparis]

KZ ES4 mids are fine with a wide bore tip, with a narrow bore the bass is too strong

Yes, I agree, I was using too the whirl tips on my ES4 with the stock cable (new twisted cable, copper color)
But when I tried the silver plated KZ cable (same look as stock cable, but "iron grey" color), it did change and inprove the sound a lot, then I had to change back the tips for the stock "starline" otherwise the low would be too thin.
For me, the new KZ silver plated cable is a must with the ES4

they say it is OFC 25 copper cores x4, pure silver plated 0.214um

https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/KZ-1...5b1d-4ccf-8899-1c8931664e3e&priceBeautifyAB=0

 

[re.on]

Just a little haul from AliExpress recently. PHB EM-023 in Green, KZ AS10 black no mic, TRN V80 with mic, TRN cable no mic and new KZ solid case.

I am impressed with all three so far and I think they all beat my HiSenior B5+in my opinion...........

I have an mmcx issue with PHB EM-023. The right piece is unstable. I tried different cables, but the terminal is too tight and springy I had to push the connectors with force. After several tries, the mmcx from my **** worked, but now it’s stuck and I can’t remove it.

 

[Slater]

I have an mmcx issue with PHB EM-023. The right piece is unstable. I tried different cables, but the terminal is too tight and springy I had to push the connectors with force. After several tries, the mmcx from my **** worked, but now it’s stuck and I can’t remove it.

This is what you need to remove stubborn MMCX connectors: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/11P...-Connector-Pin-Extractor-Kit/32820553714.html

Credit goes to @HungryPanda for turning me onto them.

 

[re.on]

This is what you need to remove stubborn MMCX connectors: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/11P...-Connector-Pin-Extractor-Kit/32820553714.html

Credit goes to @HungryPanda for turning me onto them.

Thanks! This is my first time on Head-Fi! I have decided to give my PHB earphones to a friend. It’s uncomfortable and for the price, it’s not worth it imo. I’m currently looking for CAD $50-$100 earphones. Any recommendations?

 

[Slater]

Thanks! This is my first time on Head-Fi! I have decided to give my PHB earphones to a friend. It’s uncomfortable and for the price, it’s not worth it imo. I’m currently looking for CAD $50-$100 earphones. Any recommendations?

Sure, there's some decent stuff in that price range. What kind of sound signature do you prefer? What about musical genres?

 

[re.on]

Sure, there's some decent stuff in that price range. What kind of sound signature do you prefer? What about musical genres?

Awesome! I mostly listen to funk, jazz, and hip-hop music. I want something that has decent bass, wide soundstage, and clarity on highs and mids (sorry, I’m not sure if I’m using these words to describe a sound signature correctly.)

 

[RvTrav]

Awesome! I mostly listen to funk, jazz, and hip-hop music. I want something that has decent bass, wide soundstage, and clarity on highs and mids (sorry, I’m not sure if I’m using these words to describe a sound signature correctly.)

I see you are from Calgary. Visions Audio have the NAD VISO HP20 on sale for $64.00. I've had these now for about 2 weeks and am quite impressed they have really great bass and good clarity on the highs and mids. I don't know whether Visions will give you an opportunity to listen to these before purchase or what their return policy is but if you can have an opportunity to try before your buy or return if not satisfied with the sound then I would suggest giving them a try.