[xxAMAROKxx]

KZ figure out bass for sure with their double BAs.
I definitely prefer them at least to a single Knowles CI-22955.

AS12 are definitely most bass-prominent compared to C16 and AS16.
If you will ever be into more treble - you can experiment with the treble filter in AS12 (strong dampers they are!).

You may miss a bit of the bass in CA16 compared to AS12, but I hope you will like the gentle treble and the smoothness, so the foam tips may not be necessary (CA16 unlike other KZ and CCA need 4-mm ones).

Yesterday, I compared CA16 and AS16, the agility and sparkle of the latter is great to my ears (understandably, enhanced treble at 1-3 kHz is not for everyone, since I listen largely to classics - it works nicely).

I like Bass and Mids on the AS12 most. Bass is the best I've ever heard from the BA driver. Mids are way less harsh compared to AS16, but still enough screamy to add necessary energy. And I can surely imagine more extended treble. How did you get to the shels?

 

[PhonoPhi]

I like Bass and Mids on the AS12 most. Bass is the best I've ever heard from the BA driver. Mids are way less harsh compared to AS16, but still enough screamy to add necessary energy. And I can surely imagine more extended treble. How did you get to the shels?

The treble filter is accessed through the nozzle by lifting the mesh (which sticks back nicely).
Master @Slater taught me this. He has very nice photos (if he does not chime in, I'll try to find them, I think it was in a CCA thread about C16).

Removing the treble filters in AS12 makes it a treble beast

So you may want to start with puncturing and/or use your favourite dampening after.

I do think that finding your happy treble level (the strong treble BAs are there to moderate/tune) can make AS12 totally unsurpassed at $55 with those bass, mids and construction!

 

[Slater]

The treble filter is accessed through the nozzle by lifting the mesh (which sticks back nicely).
Master @Slater taught me this. He has very nice photos (if he does not chime in, I'll try to find them, I think it was in a CCA thread about C16).

Removing the treble filters in AS12 makes it a treble beast

So you may want to start with puncturing and/or use your favourite dampening after.

I do think that finding your happy treble level (the strong treble BAs are there to moderate/tune) can make AS12 totally unsurpassed at $55 with those bass, mids and construction!

 

[mikp]

Any short cable for the zs10 pro, have a 40cm mmcx cable but cant find a short 2 pin cables.

 

[jant71]

Any short cable for the zs10 pro, have a 40cm mmcx cable but cant find a short 2 pin cables.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/400...0o.store_home.productList_12878253.subject_17

 

[purplesun]

Just started listening to kz-zstx 10 minutes ago. Even freshly out of the box, it's already showing some decent capabilities.

It's as if the tuner was targeting CCA C10's balanced sound signature with this bargain-basement IEM. Treble is still a bit unsettled, but mids & bass are mostly there with C10 with a touch bigger mid-bass hump. At this price, this should be good xmas stocking fillers. Setup used: Hiby R3 Pro, balanced out with TRN copper cable playing modern pop content.

Will let it run a few more days to see if the treble settles. Note: Am somewhat treble-sensitive (eg: I don't like zsn), so factor that into your own listening preference.

EDIT:
12 hours in - treble volume seem to be rising towards my comfort limit. More sibilant now.
36 hours in - treble has reduced significantly and it's now warm-sounding. Overall, it does a decent job but not much finesse in the sound. IMHO, it's alright for the price, but I don't think it will satisfy fussy trebleheads nor demanding users. That's it for my reporting!

One last thing: I removed the meshes with a needle (after the 36 hour test). And that made the ZSTx a bit brighter & more forward. Gives the music a bit more of a sparkle, I think this sound works for me.

 

[Unolord]

Just started listening to kz-zstx 10 minutes ago. Even freshly out of the box, it's already showing some decent capabilities.

It's as if the tuner was targeting CCA C10's balanced sound signature with this bargain-basement IEM. Treble is still a bit unsettled, but mids & bass are mostly there with C10 with a touch bigger mid-bass hump. At this price, this should be good xmas stocking fillers. Setup used: Hiby R3 Pro, balanced out with TRN copper cable playing modern pop content.

Will let it run a few more days to see if the treble settles. Note: Am somewhat treble-sensitive (eg: I don't like zsn), so factor that into your own listening preference.

EDIT:
12 hours in - treble volume seem to be rising towards my comfort limit. More sibilant now.

I got through three albums with the ZSN Pro before I ordered the ZS10 Pro. That treble would trigger headaches for me.

Right now though it's all about the CCA CA16 love for me.

 

[moleface]

I'm so disappointed - after excitedly watching my mailbox for two months, my new ZSX abruptly developed extreme bass distortion on the right side after only a month of light indoor use. I couldn't have logged more than twenty hours on these.

I've had countless $5-10 Chinese IEMs over the years and they'd just develop shorts after half a year or so, but a driver would never just outright fail like this. I'm very disappointed, because I really liked how these sounded but there's no way I'm dropping more money on another ZSX that may fail in a matter of weeks. So I guess this is goodbye.

I switched from the silver upgrade cable to the original and the distortion only got worse. You can hear the buzzing from a couple feet away.

I bought them the official KZ store on AliExpress. Is anyone here from the USA who's used their warranty? I'm assuming that it entails mailing them back to China at my expense.

Are these known for poor QC, or did I just get unlucky? My ZSTs are still fine after four months.

 

[Unolord]

That sucks.

I'm so disappointed - after excitedly watching my mailbox for two months, my new ZSX abruptly developed extreme bass distortion on the right side after only a month of light indoor use. I couldn't have logged more than twenty hours on these.

I've had countless $5-10 Chinese IEMs over the years and they'd just develop shorts after half a year or so, but a driver would never just outright fail like this. I'm very disappointed, because I really liked how these sounded but there's no way I'm dropping more money on another ZSX that may fail in a matter of weeks. So I guess this is goodbye.

I switched from the silver upgrade cable to the original and the distortion only got worse. You can hear the buzzing from a couple feet away.

I bought them the official KZ store on AliExpress. Is anyone here from the USA who's used their warranty? I'm assuming that it entails mailing them back to China at my expense.

Are these known for poor QC, or did I just get unlucky? My ZSTs are still fine after four months.

That sucks.

I have 5 diff sets of KZ products including the ZSX and aside from the crap battery life and weak BT connection on the KZ S2 they're all fine (knock on wood).

The only real issue I've ever had in the short time I've bought Chi-Fi IEMs was with the Macaw GT600s from Drop. The sound in the left IEM was very faint. After seeing a comment on Drop recommending sucking on the ear tip because the driver had prob caved in I gave it a try and that solved the problem weird as it may sound.

I would contact the KZ store. Of course with the nightmare that is Covid shipping, sending them back and/or waiting for replacements will be brutal.

Two AExpress orders I made on May 1st just arrived in Canada on July 18....

 

[Slater]

I'm so disappointed - after excitedly watching my mailbox for two months, my new ZSX abruptly developed extreme bass distortion on the right side after only a month of light indoor use. I couldn't have logged more than twenty hours on these.

Extreme bass distortion sounds like it could be the dynamic driver’s diaphragm is crinkled.

 

[purplesun]

I got through three albums with the ZSN Pro before I ordered the ZS10 Pro. That treble would trigger headaches for me.
Right now though it's all about the CCA CA16 love for me.

I'll probably get the CA16 at some point.

But I am well covered for now: CCA C10 has been my go to for just about any kind of music. While having BL03 for atmospheric stuff and watching TV (binging Westworld S3 + BL03 ) and CCA C16 (I call it my "stethoscope") is when I want to dig out tiny treble detail that nothing else can hear.

And, of course, I am also waiting for the mythical CCA C20 that was teased many months ago! Couple of us saw that web announcement and I/we still won't let it go

EDIT:
Oops! Just realized I was off-topic for the entire post.
- I use KZ AS10 when I want a bit of tube-like tonality in my music.
There, fixed it!

 

[axhng]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001268584207.html

 

[PhonoPhi]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001268584207.html

An exciting development!
Now eagerly anticipated is a logical culmination of the series: ZSN Pro XXX (may come rated only for very mature audiophiles)

 

[raccoon city]

The black looks good, but the gold looks gaudy in my opinion.
(I'm not a fan of the color gold in general.)
I'm glad KZ is coming out with more wired IEMs.

 

[DynamicEars]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001268584207.html

They just implement the new 10mm XUN driver everywhere huh?

But the matte dark knight color option looked cool