[r31ya]

Seeking an upgrade on my BA10. Currently tossing up between AS16 pro and PR1 balanced. Any insight is welcome. 50 euro is the limit of the budget. Open to any suggestions. Would like to try a planar.

Ruling out kz X hbb PR2 straight away.

If you want another all BA, as16pro (or its high imp ver) came very well reviewed.

PR1 pro is also pretty decent albeit with a bit recessed mid compared to pr2. Not to mention pr1 pro is easier to drive if youe source is rather modest with power output
Havent tried the pr1 bal.

 

[boodi]

I compared the as16 to ast (24ba) which I still own , depending on what you are searching in a sound tune it might be worth stretching the budget

 

[passie42]

Seeking an upgrade on my BA10. Currently tossing up between AS16 pro and PR1 balanced. Any insight is welcome. 50 euro is the limit of the budget. Open to any suggestions. Would like to try a planar.

Ruling out kz X hbb PR2 straight away.

The PR1 Balanced (non pro) sounds very good!

 

[Tamizhan]

If you want another all BA, as16pro (or its high imp ver) came very well reviewed.

PR1 pro is also pretty decent albeit with a bit recessed mid compared to pr2. Not to mention pr1 pro is easier to drive if youe source is rather modest with power output
Havent tried the pr1 bal.

Mids are not always enjoyable on these planars imo, compared to DDs. It's good for complex sounding modern music.
They are clean to the point of removing the musicality/euphonia from some songs.

 

[Nimweth]

Seeking an upgrade on my BA10. Currently tossing up between AS16 pro and PR1 balanced. Any insight is welcome. 50 euro is the limit of the budget. Open to any suggestions. Would like to try a planar.

Ruling out kz X hbb PR2 straight away.

BA10 is one of KZ's best. What aspects do you think need improving? It has great BA bass, excellent mids and smooth treble with only minimal BA timbre.

 

[4ceratops]

Seeking an upgrade on my BA10. Currently tossing up between AS16 pro and PR1 balanced. Any insight is welcome. 50 euro is the limit of the budget. Open to any suggestions. Would like to try a planar.

Ruling out kz X hbb PR2 straight away.

The KZ AS16 PRO are disastrously tuned IEMs with irritating unnatural mids. Hands off. I haven't tried the HIGH-IMP version, maybe they sound better.
In the price range up to $50 you can find such nice pieces outside the KZ stable as the Simgot EW200...

 

[4ceratops]

And if I had to force myself to make a decision within the KZ brand, Castor (bass edition) is lightly wiping its ass with the AS16 PRO. And not only in tuning, musicality, but also in technical categories. All they need are two well-chosen inexpensive dynamic drivers, feeding from a balanced output, and a little patience in selecting appropriate eartips (not from the included ones, of course).

 

[PhonoPhi]

there's still some hope for the 10k+ region. notice the adhesive ring interfering with the ports?

You are definitely right!

First, with ZAT I had to go with two bass switches down, two treble ones up for more palatable sound.
So it reminded me bass Castor - the same configuration that I find most acceptable.
Then I so much wish KZ can produce "not bass" version of ZAT (we do not need "Harman" necessarily), just better ZAX not ZAS.

Even in the mentioned extreme switch configuration, I wish to turn bass a bit down and treble up.
So removing the screens helped - ZAT is now quite enjoyable
This dense steel mesh without any other layers is subtle though. When present, this mesh cuts treble slightly somewhat reminding EST- like effect. Many may like it. So, again, ZAT is made for bass lovers with just enough treble to be there but not annoy any.

I give KZ two more attempts to get a hybrid flagship along the lines of an improved ZAX. Turn down the bass, similar to Castors, do not restrain treble, please.

Bro I for one have enjoyed reading your work on this site and would be sorry to see you go. Can't believe you ordered such expensive cables actually

I really appreciate your kind words, and I am very much with you on cables

Moving from high-resistance stock cables, like older KZ ones, the difference can be perceived and measured.
Also very important (at least to me) is a free non-restraining and non-microphonic fit. I did find flexible 16-core and 24-core one working the best for me. I always remove the air guides.
Ironically, more expensive "more fancy" cables often felt too rigid.
Then, it was expressed few times by other HeadFiers, and I am very much with it, if some company would sell customizable cables, not BS-ing about "sound", but just: $20-$30 for the main good wires and soldering, $20 for nice/fancy connectors/knobs and $20 for some other creative art, I would be very much in for those $50-$70 cables for colour therapy, enjoyment, collecting, and support of artists (one can imagine great natiional/cultural weaving patterns, etc.).
Kinera Ace was $30 on Amazon Prime, so within my self-imposed limits. It is a thinner well-fit cable, and I liked the unboxing experience, the story nice very much to order $40 Kinera Ace 2.0 (not for any sound effects claimed but for simple aesthetics enjoyment).
Kinera starting with Gumiho resonated with me. I recently got and could appreciate the tuning of Phoenixcall. So it makes me now KZ/Celest fun (again, I am absolutely not affiliated by any means with either).

Seeking an upgrade on my BA10. Currently tossing up between AS16 pro and PR1 balanced. Any insight is welcome. 50 euro is the limit of the budget. Open to any suggestions. Would like to try a planar.

Ruling out kz X hbb PR2 straight away.

To state what you are loooking for moving from BA10 would be very instructive, if not essential.
BA10 are a great IEM, as stated, first KZ $100 IEM and still actual, if one is actually OK with the fit (its main weak point).
AS16 pro and KZ planar ones would be more of sidegrades relative to BA10, IMO.
AS16 pro is a warmer and gentler, and very much enjoyable all-BA.
I am not bothering to argue with the last comments about AS16 pro, I can only mention that I have 3 copies of AS16 pro bought with my own funds. The screen removal is a "must" for me to free the treble and enjoy AS16 pro fully.

So if you have 50 euro to spend - my advice (for what it is worth) would be to get a better source, some CS-based DAC, starting from AP10 (if you are with JCAlly) or Tanchjim Space or Tempotec BHD pro, whichever you can get a better deal on. It would help.to enjoy any IEM more.

 

[Hung Tuan]

i bought the CCA BTX to use with my KZs. Everything is good except for KZ PR2. It boosts the sub-bass too much that make the low end muddy .

I checked the review from MD Jacques and found the AZ20 also has the same issues.

Btw, can anyone compare the EW200 with D-FI no switch? A question from my friend.

 

[baskingshark]

i bought the CCA BTX to use with my KZs. Everything is good except for KZ PR2. It boosts the sub-bass too much that make the low end muddy .

I checked the review from MD Jacques and found the AZ20 also has the same issues.

Btw, can anyone compare the EW200 with D-FI no switch? A question from my friend.

Simgot EW200 kills the D-Fi in technicalities and resolution. Also EW200 is brighter at the upper mids/lower treble. (might be a bit too bright for treblesensitive folk though)

D-Fi has thicker note weight and a more lush timbre.

 

[DynamicEars]

i bought the CCA BTX to use with my KZs. Everything is good except for KZ PR2. It boosts the sub-bass too much that make the low end muddy .

I checked the review from MD Jacques and found the AZ20 also has the same issues.

Btw, can anyone compare the EW200 with D-FI no switch? A question from my friend.

I bought the AZ20 blindly since there were not so many reviews, and some of them are advertising review because of free stuff, as usual
the AZ20 have similar shape like the CCA BTX, and the AZ20 have very boosted treble that muddy everything.
Fit is nice, light and firm, connection is great lot of improvements from past KZ bluetooth module and TWS, but the sound tuning really weird. It boost the mid bass so much until the IEM become super muddy, it turned my Mest become like a failed cheapo chifi.
And the drive power is very weak. I tried with PR2 also, max volume, no dice. I just bought it to pair with Castor Bass, but I didn't expect that bad non neutral tuning.
The technicalities are pretty good actually, only they boosted the midbass so much until super bleed into mids and trebles.
So I only use the AZ20 with EQ from my phone, combined with Castor, make a solid budget TWS, nice sounding and technicalities after I lower down the 125hz -10db (what?? yes -10db on 125hz)

 

[Anycolouryoulike]

BA10 is one of KZ's best. What aspects do you think need improving? It has great BA bass, excellent mids and smooth treble with only minimal BA timbre.

I had hoped the more recent kz offerings were an improvement?

BA10 are by far my best iem. They are superior to the zs10 pro X and 7hz salnotes zero I also own.

The Jcally jm25 is a fine DAC. Lovely stage. Happy with it. I think I will try the vxs.
No one has convinced me the kz planars are worth the time of day.

 

[Brain Damage]

I have to say the ASTs are also up there. I've reunited with them over the last few days or so. I've been listening to a lot of music with my monolith cans of late, so really not used iems for a number of months. The ASTs paired with the Ztella - wow! They sound 3-4 times their price. Instrument separation, clarity and soundstage are all great. But what's more impressive is their balance across the entire frequency spectrum. Loving this synergy

 

[boodi]

I had hoped the more recent kz offerings were an improvement?

BA10 are by far my best iem. They are superior to the zs10 pro X and 7hz salnotes zero I also own.

The Jcally jm25 is a fine DAC. Lovely stage. Happy with it. I think I will try the vxs.
No one has convinced me the kz planars are worth the time of day.

I own both zs10 pro x and heard ba10 ast is superior. May need eq to shape the bass on personal needs..but have all ( sub bass , kick , open midrange and super smooth highs )

They sound great out of the phone but scale well and will let you hear the source
More then BA10

Ast do not sound like their price suggest

 

[Nimweth]

I had hoped the more recent kz offerings were an improvement?

BA10 are by far my best iem. They are superior to the zs10 pro X and 7hz salnotes zero I also own.

The Jcally jm25 is a fine DAC. Lovely stage. Happy with it. I think I will try the vxs.
No one has convinced me the kz planars are worth the time of day.

I have AST (12BA) and Castor which are more recent. They are both good in their way but do not beat the BA10 or the ZS7. AST is a good all BA set if you want one and the Castor is the best DD from KZ I have heard. ZAX and ZSX are good hybrids, although I have not heard any of their recent multi-hybrid offerings, but the Krila 1DD+1BA is also very good.