[DaveLT]

Sounds great, looking forward to it!
I got both - here is my brief comparison.

To my preference, it is definitely standard/Harman - just totally amazing not only for under $15, and $20-25 (that, again, where its not promotional price would be), and it is at the level to me, where it can be one IEM to enjoy your music.

I am sure I would like Pianist. I will just wait for 5+BA hybrid KZ IEM with the XUN DD as in Krila, as the next generation of ZAX.

Similarly, for Krila - one would rather love this engaging V sacrificing mids, or totally not. If not - Castor Standard is likely your IEM.
I aporeciate both. I find it very rewarding to find the ways how different IEMs can be enjoyed (people whine about TOTLs as $5 IEMs...)

It is a hobby after all, and KZ, since I discovered them, is a very important/instrumental part of my HiFi journey, huge thanks to them!

You would not. The Pianist is beyond sibilant. I've not heard anything this sibilant in a while! My ears was in actual pain after a while
And others reported the pianist is similarly sibilant.

 

[lushmelody]

You would not. The Pianist is beyond sibilant. I've not heard anything this sibilant in a while! My ears was in actual pain after a while
And others reported the pianist is similarly sibilant.

Concluding: budget BAs are still too metallic

The multi DDs releases are though. Castor bass ver. is exactly what I think would be Kbear Rosefinch perfected (and cheaper)

 

[PhonoPhi]

You would not. The Pianist is beyond sibilant. I've not heard anything this sibilant in a while! My ears was in actual pain after a while
And others reported the pianist is similarly sibilant.

I understand your point, but coming from old KZs and finding great use (and enjoyment) in IEMs like, CCA A10, I would most definitely be OK with Pianist's treble.

Listening experience comes from the music one listens to, sources, IEM and then personal hearing, anatomy, and preferences.
I listen largely to classical music, where many recordings of golden era are quite void of sibilance not to annoy listeners.
I also started my HiFi journey with a quite warm DAP. I do have quite high tolerance for the pinna gain.
So I was gravitating to brighter IEMs a lot, I learned how to enjoy them and I still use and like them.

Concluding: budget BAs are still too metallic

The multi DDs releases are though. Castor bass ver. is exactly what I think would be Kbear Rosefinch perfected (and cheaper)

Steel strings are still used in guitars and violins. With all the advances in polymer cores (or movement back to gut strings), steel E strings are hard to replace in violins.

Steel gives more of higher overtones due to its rigidity. Those overtones feel more penetrating, and thus are commonly less preferred by many listeners.

Yet, that is also how violins sound up close - with more higher overtones, and with all nuances of the string attack, bow moving, release, etc.

I mentioned few times that my IEM quest is largely centred to reproduce violin sound with some reasonable similarity to listening to violins up close.
That is where those fast overtone-rich "steely" BAs do a very good job for me.
Piezos can work great as well. Hopefully, we will see more advanced in their integration with other drivers.

 

[Okcerg]

Silver Castor is less bassy than the black one. But are silver upper mids and treble also less aggressive than black? I'm bad at reading graphs lol.

 

[ext23]

One side of my Krila died, after only maybe 20 hours of use. Get some very unpleasant intermittent static hissing through the right earbud.

I thought they sounded good for the price and they were my first hybrid IEM, but a broken IEM is just money down the drain, even at $12 or whatever. I won't be buying another KZ for a while.

 

[greymousetaxi]

One side of my Krila died, after only maybe 20 hours of use. Get some very unpleasant intermittent static hissing through the right earbud.

I thought they sounded good for the price and they were my first hybrid IEM, but a broken IEM is just money down the drain, even at $12 or whatever. I won't be buying another KZ for a while.

message judy@kzhifi.com and ask for a replacement since its still under 1yr warranty

 

[ext23]

message judy@kzhifi.com and ask for a replacement since its still under 1yr warranty

I bought them on AliExpress...

 

[r31ya]

I bought them on AliExpress...

If its from kztws or kzofficialstore in ali. Its still under easy coverage.
Just email the contact with video/image of the defect, on several case is enough.

But kz global store, kz franchised store, and others are third party store.
Sometimes, you need to send them the defective unit back before able to get replacement

 

[greymousetaxi]

a return to the abc names

 

[Carpet]

a return to the abc names

But will anyone like the sound of ZAT?

 

[boodi]

If its from kztws or kzofficialstore in ali. Its still under easy coverage.
Just email the contact with video/image of the defect, on several case is enough.

But kz global store, kz franchised store, and others are third party store.
Sometimes, you need to send them the defective unit back before able to get replacement

can't find kztws store in aliexpress though

 

[r31ya]

can't find kztws store in aliexpress though

https://kziems.aliexpress.com/store/1358152

their only official store on ali express

 

[r31ya]

a return to the abc names

well, Z-series return

last one was, ZAR if i recalled it right,
this time its a 1DD+8BA.
i hope this tuned great to compete with Simgot EM6L

 

[BrunoC]

I like the badass design. Interesting...

 

[DaveLT]

Concluding: budget BAs are still too metallic

The multi DDs releases are though. Castor bass ver. is exactly what I think would be Kbear Rosefinch perfected (and cheaper)

Krila is fine, pianist just got messed up somewhere

I like the badass design. Interesting...

Yes that's because its the return of the ZS10 Pro design...

I understand your point, but coming from old KZs and finding great use (and enjoyment) in IEMs like, CCA A10, I would most definitely be OK with Pianist's treble.

Listening experience comes from the music one listens to, sources, IEM and then personal hearing, anatomy, and preferences.
I listen largely to classical music, where many recordings of golden era are quite void of sibilance not to annoy listeners.
I also started my HiFi journey with a quite warm DAP. I do have quite high tolerance for the pinna gain.
So I was gravitating to brighter IEMs a lot, I learned how to enjoy them and I still use and like them.

Listening on a better source made it worse.
The only more tolerable way to listen to it is literally off a high impedance output. Not a good sign.
It isn't just subjectively poor, its objectively not great and finding music to suit it is literally cherry picking to bend round the flaws of the pianist...
Reminds me of the issues of the old ZS10 Pro!
What was acceptable then isn't acceptable now anymore