1clearhead
Headphoneus Supremus
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- Apr 5, 2013
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The CCA C10 definitely improves with time!...Don't give up on them!I received the AS10, C10 and ZS7 this week. Have been using them with the basic silver KZ balanced cables on my FiiO X7 MK II.
These are my first impressions after using them for a few days, they could change after using them for a longer period of time.
The ZS7 and AS10 should be pretty similar sounding, with the same BA setup, just a DD driver for bass and a different housing, but they don't at all. Maybe the ZS7 sounds more like the BA10, but I haven't heard that one.
The ZS7 is exciting sounding. It has a very nice (at times holophonic) soundstage and good instrument separation, it sprinkles details all around you. The treble is clear and it is a bit forward sounding. The bass is powerful and deep and has a very good slam to it, a bit surprising for a dynamic driver. It is not forgiving; bad recordings will sound unpleasantly bad. However, good recordings that were unremarkable before now suddenly grab your attention. It is not neutral or flat sounding, but full and a bit warm in a very pleasant way. I find myself wondering what certain songs will sound like on the ZS7. It is especially good for electronic music, percussion and music with strong bass.
Treble might not be the most accurate, though that could still improve with more use, its other traits more than make up for that, I am surprised and impressed by it. I personally like the metal industrial looking design a lot, it is smaller than I expected and very comfortable to wear. Build quality feels great. Haven't moved the crossover boards out of the way yet.
The AS10 grabs you and says, okay, seriously now, let me give you a bit more neutral representation of your music. It has stronger mids than the ZS7, but treble is more recessed, It doesn't seem to be especially accurate or smooth sounding, slightly harsh at times, no sibilance though. It does sound a bit more dark, which I find surprising for a five BA driver earphone. It is more neutral and flat sounding than the ZS7, but also more congested sounding. The soundstage is smaller, with less instrument separation. Bass is less powerful, but tight and punchy with a nice texture, but it lacks the slam and sub bass of the ZS7. Percussion sounds nicely sharp. The sound of the AS10 is less in your face than the ZS7, it should be less fatiguing, but is also less exciting. Wind noise is quite bad when riding a bike with them, haven't tried with the others yet. Build quality seems good, they are light, not as solid and premium feeling as the ZS7 and C10 with their metal parts.
The C10 is a favorite on Head-Fi. It is a very polite sounding earphone, very smooth, but also a bit unexciting. It has a nice soundstage that can sound holophonic at times, though instrument separation is not that great. Bass can be strong and textured if needed, but it lacks the slam and tightness of the ZS7. It is refined and relaxing sounding, with some nicely rendered textures, which can grab you at times. Treble is forgiving, it is not very detailed or accurate sounding, it doesn't sparkle like the ZS7. Mids are pretty recessed, voices can get drowned a bit by instruments. Mine has very annoying driver flex in the right phone while inserting, it even made my ear ring. It needs a bit more power than the AS10 and ZS7. Build quality is great.
All in all, the ZS7 is the big suprise to me right now. I was expecting to like the AS10 the most, because I love BA sound and I like an accurate neutral sound (loved my Etymotic ER4 and have really been enjoying my Phonaks). I thought the only difference would be the bass. I'm currently a bit underwhelmed by the C10s, after all the hype here. My wife and a colleague have listened to them and were unimpressed. I hope they will still improve with time.
I ordered the **** as well on the 21st of Januari at AliExpress, but the seller still hasn't sent them. I suppose it will take another week. If it wasn't for the good price I got, I would have cancelled and ordered somewhere else. I am not impressed with their service. VS Audio Store, NiceHCK, MissAudio and the official KZ store have been great though.
Suffering from GAS for the C16 now though, sounds like it improves the parts of the AS10 that are lacking. Though I wonder if it could rival the spacious sound of the ZS7 and its bass slam.
Listening to them for the first few hours will definitely come off as sounding boring as this is my same experience. But, break them in for at least two weeks or so, then you'll see why they are as good as many say they are. The BA armatures sounds cleaner and clearer, the MID's opens up and gets livelier, and bass gets bunchier with plenty of texture. Remind you, my reference is with the default tips that came installed on them.
Hope this helps...
-Clear
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