[Capo Dei Capi]

With more time on Starsea tonight, here's what I think so far...

Starsea("amazing bass" setting):
+ Really good, straight up studio sound, with bumping bass(as intended..?).
+ Resolution/transparency is very impressive, at this price or whatever. Far clearer & cleaner than AST.
+ Bass is generally good, but sometimes impresses me more.
- Revealing, balanced/level treble shows all the details, therefore can become nearly fatiguing. ("Standard tuning" and "balanced" settings add brightness/fatigue, so I don't like them)
- Imaging and sense of depth/space clearly inferior to AST.
Wow Factor = ~7/10

AST:
+ Sounds like a full-on tube amp; warm, dark, and smooth like honey.
+ Bass is huge.
+ Treble is noticeably duller than Starsea; darker, smoother; beautiful and non-fatiguing.
+ Sharp imaging & great space/depth help AST come alive.
- Bass is huge.
Wow Factor = ~10/10

So what you're saying is you prefer the AST?

 

[Nimweth]

are lovely, now let me say I have a ton of KZ's as well as many other Chi-Fi iem's and what you refer to here as dark many perceive as poor tuning with inferior drivers (I'm not one of those but wanted to put that out here). The warm sounding KZ's are like a 180 turn from where KZ started with ear piercing highs for many so of course they finally came around to what many asked for way back when! Indeed Toobs are warm and sweet to the ear but for me to really reach tube sound it's in how well the music decay's. With that said this little inexpensive amp creates more tube like decay than anything I've ever owned and strange enough at any price. For me all the Walnut products I've owned have so much ambience which adds noise but has that real analog sound. Of course only the Pods take but I stand by it until something else trumps them Depending on filter selection one would be hard pressed to find a more analog/tube sounding amp than the Walnut F1



I was so surprised when it had better tube sound and decay than this actual tube amp



And to not stray too far off the thread model this all BA iem right here is still the best all BA iem I've ever heard and a dang steal at $76, I have 6, 8 and 12 BA iem's that can't hang with these for just any genre! I've heard many a CA but alas to my old ears they were no better and if you factor in price the extra cost of the CA is wasted


And you know what they say about opinions right

Yes, BA10 is hard to beat. It's the best of the 8 all BA IEMs I have.

 

[CT007]

So what you're saying is you prefer the AST?

AST impresses me more, but Starsea is definitely the more accurate, realistic one. I haven't burned in Starsea at all, but I prefer SLIGHTLY less treble brightness than it has, as a minor complaint. The huge bass of AST is a bigger offense, but that doesn't hurt your ears as much as treble can. Plus the great imaging & space make AST my choice of the 2. I've heard a sound like Starsea before(L4, S8Z, maybe 03 or Fan), but never quite like AST. I don't believe in burn-in of BA's, so I'm not expecting any change. ZAX sounds just as bright as day 1.

 

[Capo Dei Capi]

AST impresses me more, but Starsea is definitely the more accurate, realistic one. I haven't burned in Starsea at all, but I prefer SLIGHTLY less treble brightness than it has, as a minor complaint. The huge bass of AST is a bigger offense, but that doesn't hurt your ears as much as treble can. Plus the great imaging & space make AST my choice of the 2. I've heard a sound like Starsea before(L4, S8Z, maybe 03 or Fan), but never quite like AST. I don't believe in burn-in of BA's, so I'm not expecting any change. ZAX sounds just as bright as day 1.

I can get the ZAX at a good price. Is there much difference between the AST and the ZAX?

 

[CT007]

I can get the ZAX at a good price. Is there much difference between the AST and the ZAX?

ZAX is much better balanced, but has the negative of treble being peaky here & there. If you don't want overkill bass, ZAX is my pick. I feel AST has improved and "upgraded" treble over ZAX, so it's a clear cut above to me, if you are also after ridiculous bass. I have no real issue with ZAX bass, and really enjoy it.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

ZAX is much better balanced, but has the negative of treble being peaky here & there. If you don't want overkill bass, ZAX is my pick. I feel AST has improved and "upgraded" treble over ZAX, so it's a clear cut above to me, if you are also after ridiculous bass. I have no real issue with ZAX bass, and really enjoy it.

Describes my impression of AST vs ZAX too. AST with somehow “hmmm tons of bassss!” is still technically superior, and treble is better tuned than ZAX. Mid I find no big difference. ZAX at sales is $50, AST almost twice of that, so it’s ZAX(B to B+ grade) vs AST (B+ to A grade) choice, if price to value, ZAX. Better made IEM, AST.

Right before AST arrival my whole interest was on Moondrop’s new killer IEM blessing2-EST with LCP bass, but since Shenzhen audio screwed up with back order and shipping, my interest is on well made AST now.

KZ really started to hit my spot starting from SKS then this AST (they both share same tuning).

Now KZ-EST is something I’m waiting with high expectations as my long followed Dongguan IEM company.

My guess is initial offering for KZ-EST: KZ-brand EST x2 + that matrix treble tweeter (50024s x6) + quad mid BA + Dual-XUN bass(if works, if not single XUN )

2EST+10BA+2DD , 14drivers. For $199, then later reduced to $139

 

[sutosuto]

2EST+10BA+2DD , 14drivers. For $199, then later reduced to $139

It will be gigantic then I guess

 

[CT007]

No thanks to EST. Haven't heard one I liked yet(in an IEM, that is). =p But those BA's..?

 

[mndless]

Describes my impression of AST vs ZAX too. AST with somehow “hmmm tons of bassss!” is still technically superior, and treble is better tuned than ZAX. Mid I find no big difference. ZAX at sales is $50, AST almost twice of that, so it’s ZAX(B to B+ grade) vs AST (B+ to A grade) choice, if price to value, ZAX. Better made IEM, AST.

Right before AST arrival my whole interest was on Moondrop’s new killer IEM blessing2-EST with LCP bass, but since Shenzhen audio screwed up with back order and shipping, my interest is on well made AST now.

KZ really started to hit my spot starting from SKS then this AST (they both share same tuning).

Now KZ-EST is something I’m waiting with high expectations as my long followed Dongguan IEM company.

My guess is initial offering for KZ-EST: KZ-brand EST x2 + that matrix treble tweeter (50024s x6) + quad mid BA + Dual-XUN bass(if works, if not single XUN )

2EST+10BA+2DD , 14drivers. For $199, then later reduced to $139

That would be interesting, but I suspect you'd end up with too much treble if they used 6 of the 50024s BA drivers on top of a pair of EST drivers. I suspect a more conservative driver config would be their first attempt, so probably only a pair of BAs for lower treble, mids, and mid-bass each, then add in the DD. Given the prevalence of the dual-BA coupled drivers, this would make for one of the more cost-effective options that give them adequate gain to match the EST drivers and DD. Still would be a ridiculous configuration for any other manufacturer to consider tackling, but KZ has a history of doing weird things with their IEMs to the acclaim of the masses.

 

[mndless]

No thanks to EST. Haven't heard one I liked yet(in an IEM, that is). =p But those BA's..?

Have you heard the Kinera NanNa 2.0? I found them to be ridiculously pleasant to listen to when my friend let me demo his.

 

[saldsald]

AST changed drastically through burn-in (just a bare 12hour session) compared to ASX, it did make AST a brighter one all of sudden though.
Now I feel it's a tad darker than ZAX, brighter than CCA CSN.

Interesting, it is hard to believe from the FR that it is brighter than the CSN. Oh man, I may just get a pair too......

 

[AmericanSpirit]

I had that impression too when I first got it. Overwhelming bass!! But I think either I am getting used to it or the burn in is real, I don't feel the bass overwhelming anymore. I kinda like it that I can hear the bass guitar clearly with the AST.

Agree with your comment
-25hours of burn-in, this is third session I put AST on, for well over 4 hours

-compared to benchmark fully burned-in qdc Anole VX and my reference IEM for monitoring: Softears RSV. So that it’s not my brain-burn in as I have clearly comparable scale next to AST

-Treble is the speciality of AST; great sensation of warm and calm tuning with astonishing detail retrieval that can well expected from properly tuned multi-BA, the open vent 6 packs of missile launcher-ish tweeter unit indeed is some interesting gimmick that KZ came up with, this is why I’m sticking with KZ even with series of “painful spiked extreme house V-tuning” experiences. Some R&D taking place and it works!

-Mid, upper-mid is OK, I could use a bit lifted 3khz pinna gain area, but I was able to find my comfortable tuning with SpinFit Cp100+(known as vocal booster) & DAP’s low-pass filter in Short delay Sharp Roll-off mode(which I don’t usually use) to have piano&vocals show clarity ( I have a feeling mid range BA might have intentionally set to negative polarity in order to reproduce darkness, so by tilting the phase delays, it somehow matched back the off-tuning )

-Bass is another “wow” factor of AST, well controlled, good texture, the weakness of BA bass (plain and lacks impact) seemed blurred by simply amp it to taunami class massive quantity —which works

-Thanks to multi BA, the elevated bass does not totally overshadow mid/treble, as the other range also has some presence

-I’m now more confident to refer AST is power hungry IEM, (similary to ASX, but much more power-thirsty than ASX); this could divide impressions to day and night,

With less powered source:
one may say “ahh it sound muddy, everything is off focus, with one note bass “boom”

With high powered source:
one may say “it’s the one of the best sub $300, specialized in resolution/ brain shaking bass / hard to attain multi-layering capability which only kilo buck 8+BA IEMs could offer.

I think AST is well worth $100 tag, and compared to $129 monster TRI Starsea(it hits A- in my list), AST still can justify its raison detre by layering / separation and impactful bass.

compared to $169 widely proclaimed best-value-to-money See Audio Yume(I could only rate Yume to C+, A+ for tuning but technically C-), AST is well above Yume in terms technicality, tuning is personal flavor so I’d leave it. AST still can justify @ $169

compared to $299 Mangird Tea / $319 Moondrop Blessing2/ $330 Moondrop Blessing2 Dusk: I can still justify AST for multi-layering for music with complex composition, but overall I found Tea/ Blessing2/ Dusk a little better made, like 10% better if pulling out a number.

compared to DUNU Studio SA6 $549 : SA6 is better tuned and balanced, as one of the sub$1000 benchmarks to beat, AST is still not there, not depressingly far, 15% more to hit. It comes to coherence / positioning/ transient that could set AST behind SA6.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

It will be gigantic then I guess

hopefully not but yea maybe ASX class… i still see some rooms for AST though

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Interesting, it is hard to believe from the FR that it is brighter than the CSN. Oh man, I may just get a pair too......

It’s a good investment I can say AST is not embarrassed by claiming itself a 12BA IEM.

 

[voicemaster]

Agree with your comment
-25hours of burn-in, this is third session I put AST on, for well over 4 hours

-compared to benchmark fully burned-in qdc Anole VX and my reference IEM for monitoring: Softears RSV. So that it’s not my brain-burn in as I have clearly comparable scale next to AST

-Treble is the speciality of AST; great sensation of warm and calm tuning with astonishing detail retrieval that can well expected from properly tuned multi-BA, the open vent 6 packs of missile launcher-ish tweeter unit indeed is some interesting gimmick that KZ came up with, this is why I’m sticking with KZ even with series of “painful spiked extreme house V-tuning” experiences. Some R&D taking place and it works!


-Mid, uppe-mid is OK, I could use a bit lifted 3khz pinna gain area, but I was able to find my comfortable tuning with SpinFit Cp100+(known as vocal booster) & DAP’s low-pass filter in Short delay Sharp Roll-off mode(which I don’t usually use) to have piano&vocals show clarity

-Bass is another “wow” factor of AST, well controlled, good texture, the weakness of BA bass (plain and lacks impact) seemed blurred by simply amp its to taunami class massive quantity —which works

-Thanks to multi BA, the elevated bass does not totally overshadow mid/treble, as the other range also has some presence

-I’m now more confident to refer AST is power hungry IEM, (similary to ASX, but much more power-thirsty than ASX); this could divide impressions to day and night,

With less powered source:
one may say “ahh it sound muddy, everything is off focus, with one note bass “boom”

With high powered source:
one may say “it’s the one of the best sub $300, specialized in resolution/ brain shaking bass / hard to attain multi-layering capability which only kilo buck 8+BA IEMs could offer.

I think AST is well worth $100 tag, and compared to $129 monster TRI Starsea(it hits A- in my list), AST still can justify its raison detre by layering / separation and impactful bass.

compared to $169 widely proclaimed best-value-to-money See Audio Yume(I could only rate Yume to C+, A+ for tuning but technically C-), AST is well above Yume in terms technicality, tuning is personal flavor so I’d leave it. AST still can justify @ $169

compared to $299 Mangird Tea / $319 Moondrop Blessing2/ $330 Moondrop Blessing2 Dusk: I can still justify AST for multi-layering for music with complex composition, but overall I found Tea/ Blessing2/ Dusk a little better made, like 10% better if pulling out a number.

I agree with AST is really power hungry IEM. I have paired it with TRN BT20S pro and the sound is good but it is not as open as using my P1. The bass is the best imho in this AST. It has speed as it is BA driver and also the impact, airiness and decay of DD driver's kind of bass.