[TwilightAudio]

------ These were my initial impressions. I will not edit them out as I think it shows how small mistakes can make massive differences and completely ruin someone's experience. My updated review after finding and fixing the issue that caused the impression below is posted as a response to the thread. Here is a link to the revision: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/kz-...d-to-rival-nothing.905995/#post-14945138-----

If I were to judge on build quality alone I’d give this 7 stars. For the money this level of fit and finish is absolutely astounding. Too bad then, that they sound as poor as they do. This is my first foray into super budget iems from China.

Given the solid performance we get in EarPods, or any of the other earphones thrown into phone boxes from lg, Samsung, and one plus, I was expecting at the very least to get something that rivalled those. Nope.

The ZS 10 Pro has a fairly strong bass response. Treble is also decent if a bit on the tinny side. But the mids. Did KZ try to design this IEM to remove vocals from tracks? Everything in the mids region is so recessed you could very easily mistake them as ambient sound instead of part of the track. There is also the question of the awful imaging. While the soundstage is wide, sound appears to only come from one of 3 spots. Dead center, far left, or far right. Also the balance is off as the right sounds significantly closer than the left. This I felt in my music but I had to use some simple channel testing tones to make sure. Of course I double checked with my gr07 to make sure it wasn’t my hearing that was causing this effect.

If you asked me to recommend something under $75 I would recommend hunting for a thrown away pair of phone bundle earphones, or something like the $5 vemonk before I recommend this. Given the price though you could buy them just to jazz up your collection from a visual standpoint. Just don’t ever plug em in.

 

[moisespr123]

Give it a few hours Mine was having kind of a messy sound but eventually it settled. I was coming from the ZS7 which has a bit more bass and vocals are more forward than what they seem to be with the ZS10 Pro. At first, it seemed like if vocals were shifted to the highs somehow, but now it's allright and I'm enjoying it. Just getting used to not having that bass on some tracks as they were in the ZS7.

 

[eclein]

Isn’t it obvious your pair most likely has a defect. It happens in/from every country.
Why are starting a new thread thats only bashing the ZS10 pro? Your recommending OEM earphones over the ZS10 pro without even hearing a proper pair, so your really just posting this thread to turn people off?
If you consider earpods to be better than a 5 a side hybrid iem without hearing anything else in your “first foray to super budget iems from China” , wait you’ve never heard one yet?
I apologize for my rant but KZ produces some of the most amazing sounding iems and does it so anyone can hear what used to cost thousands for substantially less.

 

[Courage09]

Maybe you connected the cable out of phase or you got defective pair.

 

[redrol]

Try the Sony MH755 for about $10 shipped from ebay. Amazing cheap IEMs.

 

[TwilightAudio]

I've tried overnight pink noise in the hopes of fixing the problem and have played music for over 10 hrs. I've spent quite a while trying different EQ settings as well but it is very obvious that the mids on this are either tuned horrifically or I have a lemon. There are other reviewers who have noticed the lack of midrange presence, so it's not like I am alone in my assessment.
As for your comment about the earpods - Yes, they are definitely a far better-rounded product in that at least music is recreated with a semblance of accuracy. 5 a side BAs mean nothing if they are poor quality BAs or poorly tuned ones. I have nothing to gain from posting a review one way or the other. Perhaps KZs other products are good I am not denying that as I don't have any experience with them. The unit I got was not good. I hoped it was as it is definitely a solidly built product but the sound did not measure up to my expectations and fell far below.

If I have an opportunity to test another set of the ZS 10 Pro, and I find that they are sonically very different I will, of course, indicate in my review above that a QC issue may have led to my observations. I understand the sentiment of wanting to believe that a $50 IEM has the potential to rival TOTL products but at this stage, I don't believe that to be the case. KZ has plenty of fans so I am willing to re-evaluate the product or their other offerings as the opportunities present themselves but I don't feel that their success means that I am bound to offer a positive perspective. If my issues are a result of QC then the onus is on KZ to ensure defective products don't reach the market.

 

[eclein]

I've tried overnight pink noise in the hopes of fixing the problem and have played music for over 10 hrs. I've spent quite a while trying different EQ settings as well but it is very obvious that the mids on this are either tuned horrifically or I have a lemon. There are other reviewers who have noticed the lack of midrange presence, so it's not like I am alone in my assessment.
As for your comment about the earpods - Yes, they are definitely a far better-rounded product in that at least music is recreated with a semblance of accuracy. 5 a side BAs mean nothing if they are poor quality BAs or poorly tuned ones. I have nothing to gain from posting a review one way or the other. Perhaps KZs other products are good I am not denying that as I don't have any experience with them. The unit I got was not good. I hoped it was as it is definitely a solidly built product but the sound did not measure up to my expectations and fell far below.

If I have an opportunity to test another set of the ZS 10 Pro, and I find that they are sonically very different I will, of course, indicate in my review above that a QC issue may have led to my observations. I understand the sentiment of wanting to believe that a $50 IEM has the potential to rival TOTL products but at this stage, I don't believe that to be the case. KZ has plenty of fans so I am willing to re-evaluate the product or their other offerings as the opportunities present themselves but I don't feel that their success means that I am bound to offer a positive perspective. If my issues are a result of QC then the onus is on KZ to ensure defective products don't reach the market.

I was out of line, my apologies, sometimes I just go over the top. You have every right to vent- it is evident on more than one occasion that KZs quality control is sketchy with so many things being out of phase lately. I have no way to adequately test mine for phase issues and soldering mistakes and my peripheral neuropathy makes buttons and even snaps problematic.
Good luck I hope you get a good set shortly so you can hear what KZ does correctly.

 

[TwilightAudio]

I also apologize for my hot response.
I guess we can all be a bit quick to jump at others at times.
Again I can only imagine they do something very well to garner so many fans. I was just personally let down. Maybe I will get a chance to change my mind.

 

[Courage09]

Contact your seller and get a pair which is not broken. Then let us know.
Edit: Found him on Amazon. Seller already offered him warranty service.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-...iewpnt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B07QLTSZY4#R13O5WFHNQF3ON

 

[TwilightAudio]

So, KZ's bundled cables, at least in the unit I received and reviewed, are mislabeled. Because the cables have a predetermined curve and need to be plugged in a specific way for the IEMs to fit in your ear, the mislabelling caused not only a right/left switch, but also a phase shift.
After identifying and rectifying the cabling error I have only one thing to say: Wow.

These are genuinely mind-blowing. Below I've listed some of my test tracks and my impression of those tracks through these IEMs. For this testing, I am running them through a Schiit Magni3/Modi3 stack. All files are FLACs that I rip myself using EAC for anyone that wonders.

Dire Straits - Money for Nothing: The guitar at the start comes across clearly and there is an appreciable amount of weight to them. On the downside, the guitar comes across as fairly smooth instead of having the gritty, crunchy texture that I am looking for. There is an astounding level of clarity through the entire track. The KZ ZS10Pro picks out details that many other IEMs have not. Notably at 5:19 there is a soft clicking that sounds almost like a muted cowbell. Many oft-hailed sub-200 IEMs from popular brands fail to pick this up with the same amount of definition. The lead singer sounds a little quieter than I like (possible lower mid dip?) but is still plenty clear. Not at all recessed as my initial impression suggests.

Crooked Still - Little Sadie: The opening line of this song is voice only. On good gear, before the instruments come in, the singer's hyper enunciation can create an astounding effect. These IEMs deliver that opening without blinking. Everything is crystal clear from the "S" sound in the word Sadie to the quick inhalation of the singer. That "S" sound also highlights sibilance issues very well and I can say with confidence that this set does not have any that I can make out. Once the instruments do kick in, the massive soundstage becomes quite evident. The issue with sound placement and imaging I spoke of in my initial review are completely gone. Placement is good. Not holographic or breathtaking but still accurate and natural sounding.

Ludvig van Beethoven / Carlos Kleiber, Wiener Philharmonic - Symphony No. 5, Allegro con Brio: The placement of sound on this track is very important. Kleiber's vision for this masterpiece comes across beautifully through the KZ ZS10 Pro. The soundstage is also front and center in this track. If you close your eyes, you can place yourself smack dab in the middle of the concert hall. The ZS10pros are exceptionally agile too. The sudden changes between pianississimo (very very quiet) and fortississimo (very very loud) are handled without any noticeable hiccups. The one flaw this track highlights is that the ZS10 Pro does not have an exceptionally black background. it is not bad by any means but it is far from being silent.

In general a very, very good IEM. crisp vocals, excellent instrument separation, and the ability to resolve a lot of detail are some of the highlights here.

Now onto some unpleasantness. KZ. Please do some Quality Checking. this was a small mistake that very nearly made me think everyone that has ever praised your gear was lying. It is inexcusable to send out a device with cables labeled in a way that leads to phase issues. I triple checked to ensure I wasn't the one making a mistake. For the asking price, these tick enough boxes to make them an easy recommendation but the cable issues mean I cannot confidently say that everyone that buys them will have a good experience unless they know to swap the cables if the phase issues are evident.

 

[xxAMAROKxx]

I have both zs10 and zs10 Pro and after a couple of weeks I can say, I like the original zs10 more. The main reason is that they have calmer heighs - better balanced for a longer listening sessions or for a travelling.
(Using zs10 with a silver cable and foam tips)

 

[TwilightAudio]

Contact your seller and get a pair which is not broken. Then let us know.
Edit: Found him on Amazon. Seller already offered him warranty service.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-...iewpnt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B07QLTSZY4#R13O5WFHNQF3ON

Not sure why you think the seller offered me anything. They did not. I fixed the problem through some trial and error on my part.

 

[Assimilator702]

So, KZ's bundled cables, at least in the unit I received and reviewed, are mislabeled. Because the cables have a predetermined curve and need to be plugged in a specific way for the IEMs to fit in your ear, the mislabelling caused not only a right/left switch, but also a phase shift.
After identifying and rectifying the cabling error I have only one thing to say: Wow.

These are genuinely mind-blowing. Below I've listed some of my test tracks and my impression of those tracks through these IEMs. For this testing, I am running them through a Schiit Magni3/Modi3 stack. All files are FLACs that I rip myself using EAC for anyone that wonders.

Dire Straits - Money for Nothing: The guitar at the start comes across clearly and there is an appreciable amount of weight to them. On the downside, the guitar comes across as fairly smooth instead of having the gritty, crunchy texture that I am looking for. There is an astounding level of clarity through the entire track. The KZ ZS10Pro picks out details that many other IEMs have not. Notably at 5:19 there is a soft clicking that sounds almost like a muted cowbell. Many oft-hailed sub-200 IEMs from popular brands fail to pick this up with the same amount of definition. The lead singer sounds a little quieter than I like (possible lower mid dip?) but is still plenty clear. Not at all recessed as my initial impression suggests.

Crooked Still - Little Sadie: The opening line of this song is voice only. On good gear, before the instruments come in, the singer's hyper enunciation can create an astounding effect. These IEMs deliver that opening without blinking. Everything is crystal clear from the "S" sound in the word Sadie to the quick inhalation of the singer. That "S" sound also highlights sibilance issues very well and I can say with confidence that this set does not have any that I can make out. Once the instruments do kick in, the massive soundstage becomes quite evident. The issue with sound placement and imaging I spoke of in my initial review are completely gone. Placement is good. Not holographic or breathtaking but still accurate and natural sounding.

Ludvig van Beethoven / Carlos Kleiber, Wiener Philharmonic - Symphony No. 5, Allegro con Brio: The placement of sound on this track is very important. Kleiber's vision for this masterpiece comes across beautifully through the KZ ZS10 Pro. The soundstage is also front and center in this track. If you close your eyes, you can place yourself smack dab in the middle of the concert hall. The ZS10pros are exceptionally agile too. The sudden changes between pianississimo (very very quiet) and fortississimo (very very loud) are handled without any noticeable hiccups. The one flaw this track highlights is that the ZS10 Pro does not have an exceptionally black background. it is not bad by any means but it is far from being silent.

In general a very, very good IEM. crisp vocals, excellent instrument separation, and the ability to resolve a lot of detail are some of the highlights here.

Now onto some unpleasantness. KZ. Please do some Quality Checking. this was a small mistake that very nearly made me think everyone that has ever praised your gear was lying. It is inexcusable to send out a device with cables labeled in a way that leads to phase issues. I triple checked to ensure I wasn't the one making a mistake. For the asking price, these tick enough boxes to make them an easy recommendation but the cable issues mean I cannot confidently say that everyone that buys them will have a good experience unless they know to swap the cables if the phase issues are evident.

I guessed you had them plugged in wrong. It’s a common problem. My set shipped with the wrong cable that has the wire installed and the curve was in the wrong direction. So someone not realizing this could easily make that mistake. If the correct wire with the preformed memory hooks is included this problem should be eliminated. L and R indicators should be facing out. It’s funny how the ZSN and ZSN Pro and CCA CA4 sell for less than 1/2 the price of the ZS10 PRO but the correct cable is included in the box while the ZS10 PRO apparently has the wrong cable packed in the box quite frequently. One email to Linsoul will have the correct cable at your doorstep in less than 2 weeks. Other retailers should provide the same level of service.

 

[TwilightAudio]

I guessed you had them plugged in wrong. It’s a common problem. My set shipped with the wrong cable that has the wire installed and the curve was in the wrong direction. So someone not realizing this could easily make that mistake. If the correct wire with the preformed memory hooks is included this problem should be eliminated. L and R indicators should be facing out. It’s funny how the ZSN and ZSN Pro and CCA CA4 sell for less than 1/2 the price of the ZS10 PRO but the correct cable is included in the box while the ZS10 PRO apparently has the wrong cable packed in the box quite frequently. One email to Linsoul will have the correct cable at your doorstep in less than 2 weeks. Other retailers should provide the same level of service.

I appreciate the info.
It is disheartening that KZ does not pack their boxes carefully. But the quality of the IEMs themselves is very very high. I am still astounded that these cost 50 bucks. Thanks to everyone for suggesting I may have a cabling issue. Prompted me to experiment with them and discover the reason behind my lackluster initial impression.

 

[Assimilator702]

I appreciate the info.
It is disheartening that KZ does not pack their boxes carefully. But the quality of the IEMs themselves is very very high. I am still astounded that these cost 50 bucks. Thanks to everyone for suggesting I may have a cabling issue. Prompted me to experiment with them and discover the reason behind my lackluster initial impression.

If you think the ZS10 PRO are impressive @ $50 you owe it to yourself to find out what $22 gets you with KZ. ......and a ailable for less on Aliexpress if you don’t mind the wait. The ZSN PRO is basically the same sound signature with a less boosted treble which gives percussion like cymbals more weight but no loss of brilliance or top end when it’s in the recording. The ZS10 PRO has more width and a touch more detail but if you’re not looking for particular details in tracks it’s just as enjoyable and preferable with material that has a good amount of treble energy. All the new KZ and CCA are worth checking out especially the CCA C10 the ZS10 PRO’s warmer brother. And the CCA CA4 @ less than $20 on Amazon is just as good as the ZSN PRO, just a slightly different tuning but no slouch. I haven’t heard the C16 but that might be next for me. These things are like Hot Wheels.....once you have one or 2 you just gotta try them all.