SomeGuyDude
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2012
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The ASX has my attention, but as a fan of the ZSX and (currently) the ThieAudio Legacy 3, I'm torn.
For vocals, especially male vocals, I listen to songs from artists that I have seen perform live in small venues. I know how their voices should sound.
I picked three in-ears in order to compare tonality and a "sense of realism" with Streisand's voice and the instruments contained in her "second-hand rose" recording.
The three in-ears were the Sony MH755, KZ AS12 and KZ ASF.
The tonal balance on the MH755 was somewhat of a benchmark in this admittedly subjective experiment but I did this experiment knowing that there would be much to discuss regarding the differences in presentation despite the fact that both the AS12 and the ASF are all BA offerings from the same company. Both in-ears contain KZ's 29689 mid frequency BA (the ASF has the 29689s) and the 22955 lower frequency BA (the ASF has the 22955s). The ASF does contain an additional 31736s mid-high frequency BA that is absent in the AS12. I didn't focus on upper-treble because the high frequency BAs are not the same.
AS12:
ASF:
Here's the thing. The ASF and AS12 sound nothing alike. Not even close.
I picked these two in-ears because the ASF presentation is as if you are in a very intimate venue, like your local pub, that has a low ceiling. A venue that would be crowded if 30 people show up for the performance. The AS12 presentation, on the other hand, is as if you are a few rows back from the stage at a much larger outdoor concert. It is almost as if each instrument is being presented via its own speaker at this event. Great soundstage width instrument separation on the AS12 but when comparing it to the ASF you know the AS12 is delivering the performance via onstage speakers. This is not the case with the ASF. With the ASF it is almost as if Barbara does not have a microphone. Almost.
It's just you and the performers. No microphones. Just a stage and the performers. Maybe Barbra is using a microphone. Maybe.
My Klipsch eartips have a very narrow opening and they give the vocals a somewhat concentrated delivery. It's fine but I prefer a wider aperture when it comes to eartips so the music can breathe. I need to hunt for better eartips.
Still, the presentations are night and day.
Focused (ASF) vs Diffuse (AS12).
Bright and cheerful (AS12) vs warm and intimate (ASF)
The tone is pleasant on both models but the end result is completely different. Despite the BAs numeral classification I don't deem the BAs characteristics to be similar.
Resolution? Sure.
Delivery? No. They are decidedly different.
This could be a great shift in offerings from KZ. I'm trying to imagine the AS12 being offered with the new BAs and that's an exciting thought.
Maybe it would work. Maybe it wouldn't. I'd just love to hear the new BAs presentation with a wide soundstage. That might just be a welcome revelation if it's done right.
Bass presentation, vocal positioning and vocal warmth share some characteristics but, again, the delivery is decidedly different, even in more popular music.
Do you think the KZ foam tips are also ok i have them lying around and dont know if i should order some other onesYes, the ASX and ASF have that realism on their sound especially vocal that make you think you are in the same room as the singers. The ASX is even more noticeable than the ASF imho.
If you are okay with foam tips, I highly recommend this tips:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RXKF79T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_ywdQFb6QN57A9?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I am not sure becauseI don't have KZ foam tips. I've used the cheap newbee foam tips and got a good result, but it does make the iem sticking out a bit. You can cut it and it will be the perfect length or buy the foam tips that I suggested earlier.Do you think the KZ foam tips are also ok i have them lying around and dont know if i should order some other ones
Yay for Newbee foams! I use them on ALL my iems. Absolutely love em. Me and silicones just don't get along. My ear canals get sweaty with silicones and the iems eventually fall out. Love my Newbee foams on everything I own.I am not sure becauseI don't have KZ foam tips. I've used the cheap newbee foam tips and got a good result, but it does make the iem sticking out a bit. You can cut it and it will be the perfect length or buy the foam tips that I suggested earlier.
I used to use silicone tips but then at one point I couldn't stand it anymore. But the AZLA xelatech is a bit different tho, it doesn't irritate my ears even after long hours (6+ hours) of usage.Yay for Newbee foams! I use them on ALL my iems. Absolutely love em. Me and silicones just don't get along. My ear canals get sweaty with silicones and the iems eventually fall out. Love my Newbee foams on everything I own.
How do I get it for $41?Pulled a triger on ASF, for 41$ could not resist the temptation
I used a 3$ coupon and -10% discount in coins in Nicehck audio store.How do I get it for $41?
KZ ASX came and what can I say: they are very muddy, and it's simply impossible to listen to them. too dense and intrusive sound, female vocals acquire a masculine accent, a lot of bass (although this can be recorded as a plus). the fit is comfortable, you need to use attachments one size smaller. to be honest, they aren't even worth half their cost. it's just a failure...
despite the huge number of drivers, you will not find beautiful high frequencies here. As it seems to me, the driver coordination is very poorly tuned, because I hear that sometimes there are shouts and synthetic noise. sorry, but even BGVP DN2 sound much more detailed and balanced and cost less