[SomeGuyDude]

The ASX has my attention, but as a fan of the ZSX and (currently) the ThieAudio Legacy 3, I'm torn.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

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.

FWIW this is a really, really bad way of "judging" headphones, because of the immense difference in the way live sound is reproduced versus the way it's done on a recording. You have no idea what microphones were used, the production treatment, or what the temperament of the recording engineer was. Comparing your memory of live concerts to recordings just is not a good way to decide how accurate any speakers are. What you're hearing in the headphones might be absolutely nothing like what it sounded like on the studio monitors, but you think it's "right" because the coloration of the headphones matches what you recall of hearing it live.

 

[Alpha Whale]

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 they sound markedly different.

The ASF presentation is as if you are in a very intimate venue (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. The presentation is wide and open and almost as if each instrument is being presented via its own dedicated speaker at this event.

Great soundstage width and instrument separation on the AS12 but it is as if 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 (the listener), Barbra and the performers. No microphones or speakers. 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 everything has room to breathe. I need to hunt for better eartips.

Still, the presentations are night and day.
Focused (ASF) vs Diffuse (AS12).

Bright, cheerful and wide open (AS12)
vs
warm, welcoming and intimate (ASF).

The tone is pleasant on both models but the end result is completely different. Despite the BAs having similar numeral classifications I don't deem all of the BAs characteristics to be identical.

Resolution? Sure.

Delivery? No.

The AS12 and ASF offer completely different experiences

This shift could usher in some great 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 AS12's wide soundstage presentation with these new BAs . 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. The intimate approach vs the wide open approach holds my interest.




Edit: Just listened again and yes it sounds as though Barbra is definitely using a microphone. Her vocals are more forward and projected beyond the nearby surrounding instruments. The instruments play a supporting role in the ASF whereas they are almost on equal footing with Barbra via the AS12. I like both presentations but they are simply very different. Almost apples to oranges different.

 

[voicemaster]

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.

Yes, 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

 

[Alpha Whale]

WOW!

Just, WOW!

I typically dislike foam eartips but upon your recommendation I attached a set of Comply T-100 eartips to the ASF and they've unexpectedly given me the best presentation thus far. Oddly enough they pull a slight bit of weight/body from the presentation without making the delivery sound unnatural.

Thanks for the recommendation. I never would have tried the foams on my own. I bought a set of Comply T-100 foams several years ago for a set of Klipsch earphones but I didn't like the synergy. The T-100 is near perfect for the ASF. Now I can put the T-100s to use.

Comply T-100

That being said, I think I'll put in an order for the Comply TSX-100 to see if the round foam eartip will improve the seal further and perhaps improve low frequency depth.

Comply TSX-100

Thanks again.

Corey Daye sounds surreal on the ASF with the foams.

 

[Jonatan]

Yes, 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

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

 

[voicemaster]

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

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.

 

[courierdriver]

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.

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.

 

[Gummybuns]

Hi I'm kinda liking the ASX, sure it's bit of dark iem but aside from the imaging and details, it kinda looks like a glorified AS10 at least when I AB them side by side. It's not so bad. Comparing it to AS16, of course the latter will sound muddy but then again, KZ did tune AS16 differently. I guess my point is some might like ASX, some might not to each is own, right?

 

[voicemaster]

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 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.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

I've had an issue with Xelastec warping. It's weird but the material seems to almost "melt" after a little while.

 

[BubisUK]

Pulled a triger on ASF, for 41$ could not resist the temptation

 

[MacAttack7]

Pulled a triger on ASF, for 41$ could not resist the temptation

How do I get it for $41?

 

[BubisUK]

How do I get it for $41?

I used a 3$ coupon and -10% discount in coins in Nicehck audio store.

 

[shinewallace]

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...

Spoiler

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

At the beginning, I had the same feeling as yours... However, after running the ASX for few days, it seemed to be better.
Don't know whether you believe it or not, ASX seems that it needs to be burnt-in for the units to warm up.........