[duyu]

I've just uploaded some photos here sent by a friend of mine who has torn down a pair of LZ-A3.

 

[Koolpep]

  I've just uploaded some photos here sent by a friend of mine who has torn down a pair of LZ-A3.

right. So the whole design thingy, is just for show. No clever sound canal, no reverb chambers or whatever just a BA combo in front of a dynamic. Well, it's honest and if it sounds better than the LZ-A2 certainly worth it. 
 
My LZ-A3 has reached UAE shores now. Should have it next week.
 
Cheers!

 

[Bribo]

Thanks duyu those photos are great. Was your friend disappointed in the sound ? That's quite a bit more destructive than I had invisioned for a new pair of earphones.where those balanced armatures Knowles or Knockoff ?

 

[duyu]

Thanks duyu those photos are great. Was your friend disappointed in the sound ? That's quite a bit more destructive than I had invisioned for a new pair of earphones.where those balanced armatures Knowles or Knockoff ?

Perhaps, he is able to install other drivers. 

 

[duyu]

 
right. So the whole design thingy, is just for show. No clever sound canal, no reverb chambers or whatever just a BA combo in front of a dynamic. Well, it's honest and if it sounds better than the LZ-A2 certainly worth it. 
 
My LZ-A3 has reached UAE shores now. Should have it next week.
 
Cheers!

Yes, I also thought the inner design is fancy. But it isn't. 
Look forward to your impressions!

 

[amature101]

Never mind so long it sound good, that matters.

 

[amature101]

Ho's mee p1 compared to lz a3?

 

[FUYU]

  I just looked through your review of the TK11, and I had the impression that the A3 was more mid-centered - warmer sounding, and less bass. Is the tuning really similar to TK11?

Yeah, they truly sound similar in some aspects. However the upper-mid/treble sibilance is quite a bit less pronounced on the A3s. Also, the mids are lifted slightly in comparision - although i have not
had the chance to listen to many of my vocal tracks. They sound really good on alot of my acustic stuff though.

 

[FUYU]

Another note: The A3s are seriously tip-dependent. I'm constantly switching between Foamies, Widebores and the yellow tips.
The included wide-bores are not really working as they don't fit the nozzle. Foamies are working, however the best sound (to me atleast) is being achieved with the yellow tips. YMMV

 

[RedJohn456]

As promised earlier, I have done a three-way comparison between the MusicMAKER Shockwave SIII, LZ A2 and LZ A3. I have tried to be as objective as possible and may have gone overboard in verbiage but it is what it is lol. Enjoy  Also I am terribad at spelling, so apologies in advance
 
 
 
 

Battle Royale - Rumble in Chinatown​

 ​

​

 
 
Regardless of how you might feel about any particular iem or brand, it is hard to deny that the recent crop of chinese iems have been beating the pants off of offerings from bigger companies, and redefining what bang for your buck really means. No-where was this more apparent than the LZ A2, which was the biggest surprise for me in the last year or so. So hence why each and every discovery is exciting because its possible to get performance previously only found in much higher price tiers at very affordable prices.
 
So today we have an all out brawl between the LZ A3, LZ A2 and Shockwave SIII. I will be discussing the Z0A2 separately, with the price disparities being what they are it's not really fair to pit it head to head against the big boys. For my comparisons I used Geek Out V2 + Macbook pro running tidal and the song “Driving towards daylight” by Joe Bonamassa to help me compare the iems.
 

 
 
With that said, lets get this party started!!
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MusicMAKER Shockwave SIII
 

 
 
First of all I would like to give a shout out to @Skullophile who very generously let me borrow the SIII and let me keep it an extra week past our trade back date, for the purposes for this shootout.
 
The shockwave III is a 5-driver hybrid consisting of 4 Balanced Armature drivers and 1 Dynamic Driver. You might be thinking, wow 5 drivers! Must be pretty dope right? Well not necessarily, it is not the number of drivers you have that matters but how you use them! Didn’t your mother ever teach you that? No? Well erm I may have made that saying up so… anyway lets move on lol. That is not to say the SIII is good or bad, but just a general principle that its always in the implementation and execution.
 
The SIII is noticeably more expensive compared to the other popular iems from the DIY scene, and this of course begs the questions why? Why does the SIII cost that much more than its competitors, and can it back up the price with its performance? If you had asked me yesterday, it would have been a flat out no. But now my answer would be…it depends. Let me explain.
 
I was able to really put the SIII through its paces today and I discovered something interesting. It is STUPIDLY source dependent. It sounded remarkably different out of say my BlackBerry Z30 vs iPhone 5S vs Macbook Pro alone vs FiiO e17k + Macbook. After a lot of trial and error I settled on using the Macbook Pro + Geek Out V2, as it gave the most even response relatively speaking.
 
The SIII has a large housing, which is understandable given that it houses a large number of drivers. But despite that, it is quite comfortable to wear for long periods of time, especially if worn cable up. If worn cable down, be prepared to deal with a lot cable noise.
 
Speaking of the cable, it has a decent cinch to secure the wires around your neck and it bothers me to no end if I see a manufacturer not include one. The strain relief on the input jack is adequate at best and the ones near the driver-housing is downright disappointing, especially in light of the fact that is a NON-REMOVABLE cable. Yes you read that right a non-removable cable at this price point, which is a big no no for me! Which is worse, when combined with the less than adequate strain reliefs at the driver housing end. But the cable is overall not hard to deal with, relatively soft and pliable and doesn’t hold memory.
 
 
Okay lets cut the small talk and get to the good stuff… how does it sound?
 
To my ears the Shockwave III is on the brighter side of neutral with excellent treble extension. I would characterize it’s sound as v-shaped.
 
But the treble can vary depending on your source, ranging from slightly north of neutral to being strident. With the X7 + K5, it sounds more controlled but at times it can be a tad sibilant, but more often than not it comes ever so close to sibilance without crossing the line. It has excellent detail retrieval with a good amount of micro detail. It’s not really what I would consider analytical in the traditional sense, but it has a good amount clarity, which extends through the entire range.
 
My biggest issue with the shockwave III’s treble is that it sounds somewhat artificial or metallic at times, especially for songs with lots of cymbal crashes, and at times splashy. With the added energy up top I find myself listening at lower volumes, as it can get shouty at higher volumes and cause ear fatigue. For those who are sensitive to treble, I would strongly urge you to try the shockwave III first to see if it’s right for you. It really isn’t a treble monster and I don’t mean to paint it as such, but depending on your source it can be a source of contention.
 
I find the soundstage to be a strong point for the SIII. With the increased detail retrieval, positional cues are easily discernable, which helps paint a very big and believable soundstage. It has crazy good instrument separation and layering. Many headphones can separate out the different parts of a sound but it can sound disjointed. Not so with the SIII. Its like you are peering directly into a recording and every single element is crystal clear. In fact, you can easily pick out one instrument to follow in a song and easily do so beginning to end. The soundstage also has a certain holographic and 3D feeling to it that is perfect for live and acoustic recordings. With well-recorded orchestral pieces (especially video game tracks) are all too enjoyable to listen to. With your eyes closed you can easily imagine where the people are sitting in the orchestra.
 
The midrange can sound a bit thin and can sound nasally. Male voices lack the weight that you might find in a more mid focused iem. Female vocals however sound just sublime thanks in part to the treble focus. Personally I would have preferred a thicker and warmer midrange.
 
The bass has good rumble and texture. This is where its hybrid design shines through; the bass has really good punch weight, but good decay. Only comes out to play when its called for, with no mid bass bloat or bloom to speak off, and certainly no leakage into the midrange.
 
Despite having 5 drivers, the Shockwave III has a surprisingly cohesive sound with without sounding disjointed, which you might find with some poorly made hybrids.
 
 
LZ A3
To say that the A3 has been hotly anticipated would be a major understatement, and there has been a lot of excitement around its release. I would like to thank Teresa Liu from Shenzhen HCkexin Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. Who was kind enough to provide a review unit. When it arrived on my doorstep, the box looked to be packed to survive a nuclear apocalypse. It’s clear that they put a lot of effort into presentation and packing properly, going the extra mile to make sure it will survive the journey.
 
LZ A3 is a triple driver hybrid, consisting of 2 Balanced Armature drivers and 1 Dynamic Driver. The A3 packaging itself was highly impressive; clearly LZ is stepping up their game in the presentation department. It came with a myriad of accessories, lodged away in a compartment inside the box. An extra headphone case was also included, which is always a nice bonus for customers.
 
I am not a fan of the stock tips but to be fair, 99% of the time I chuck the stock tips and use my own anyway, so that’s not an issue. I found the following set of tips to give the most balanced sound. These set of tips allow some excess bass to escape and in a senses “brightens” up the sound signature. 
 

A3 with stock cable + Guide	AwesomeSauceTM Tips​	AwesomeSauceTM Tips​

 
 
Using stock tips I found the A3 midbass to be overbearing, often bleeding into the midrange, which I am obviously not a fan of in the least. So I will be describing how the A3 sounds using these tips henceforth. 
 
 
When pictures first appeared of the A3 housing, it was met with mixed reactions, and understandably so. It doesn’t immediately jump out as something that would be really comfortable in your ears. On the plus side, A3 has a removable cable (what the heck Shockwave III?), which is always welcome in my eyes. The stock cable is supple, doesn’t have memory and is easy to deal with on a daily basis. The added cable cinch is also much appreciated. Too bad the stock cable has 2 specific issues.
 
Because of the way the A3 is designed, when worn cable up, the stock cable doesn’t bear a lot of the weight of the housing, so the housing ends up slanting to the side, making it hard to get a seal at times. There is an easy remedy however! Just use the included cable guide when wearing the A3 cable up. This more evenly distributes the weight of the housing, lifting it up slightly. This allows the housing to sort of float there and rest in the ear, allowing a good seal each and every time. Of course that is if you use the stock cable, which I would highly advise against. 
 
Not only is the stock cable functionally deficient, it also sounds bad lol. When I was putting together this comparison I initially evaluated the A3 using stock cables, and to say that it sounded disappointing would be a massive understatement. In fact I even went on the record earlier saying the A3 feels over priced for its performance, but alas that was with the stock cable, which I honestly feel is holding back the A3 BIG TIME. Given that the A3 has a removable cable, it would be a shame not to play with different configurations to try and get the best sound possible. And hot dang did I ever! I used a balanced Sony Z5 cable I had lying around, with a balance to single end adapter, so it’s essentially acting as a single ended cable. But leaving the option of balanced with the quick change of an adapter.
 
Here are some pics to show what I mean:
 

 
 
The stock cable honestly makes the A3 sound more rolled off in the treble region and bloated. Using a different cable improved the sound and it didn’t sound rolled off anymore in the upper registers and bass sounded more controlled. So play around with spare cables to achieve best results
 
If you are interested at all in picking up the A3, do yourselves a favor and pick up a set of decent cables from Aliexpress as well, along with the tips I outlined earlier. If I didn’t believe the changes were huge I would not be advocating doing so. 
 
Furthermore, the A3 scales very well with gear, so the better your amp/dac is, better the A3 will sound. If you can pony up the cash to buy the A3, you owe it to yourself to feed it good quality sound! As the old adage goes, garbage in, garbage out!
 
LZ A3 (Sony cable + Single Ended adapter) Vs Shockwave III
I would characterize the A3 as having an L shaped sound signature, with an emphasis on sub and mid bass. With the aforementioned combination of aftermarket cable and tips, the treble of A3 is something that will please most people, myself included! The above combination makes treble more apparent and transparent, without making it sound emphasized as with the SIII. It strikes a perfect balance, having just the right amount of energy to make things lively but not enough to make things sound sound harsh or splashy. Unlike the SIII, the A3 treble sounds more natural, with cymbals sounding defined and very controlled and not splashy at all. Just enough treble to tickle my ears without making my ears ring after. So those of you who are allergic to treble emphasized headphones you can rejoice  The A3 treble is more in balance with the rest of the spectrum, not sounding as forward as the Shockwave.
 
All of this makes for a fatigue free listening experience, unlike with the Shockwave SIII, which thanks to its sizzle, made my ears ring after extended listening sessions. In fact, the A3 has become my go to iems for extended listening sessions and even daily use, thanks to its relaxing sound signature, which is very easy to listen to for hours on end, very much like its younger sibling, the A2. Unlike with the SIII, I can turn up the volume with the A3 and really enjoy my music. The A3 can also handle hotly mastered top 40 music better thanks to its more measured treble response. On that note, if a lot of your music revolves around treble centric genres such as acoustic, classical or Jazz, the A3 might not be the best choice for you.
 
The A3 somewhat lacks a sense of air that the shockwave exhibited, possessing a relatively smaller soundstage that sounds more full and dense, versus the SIII which is more spaced out and diffuse. You would be surprised just how much can get masked by bass. The tips I like, thanks to their shape and material, actually reduces the A3 bass making the overall sound brighter, unmasking a lot of the spectrum.  
 
As a result soundstage cues are much easier to discern and the soundstage feels more 3D, but not quite as large as that of Shockwave SIII. But the A3 soundstage is impressive in its own right, especially how it presents EDM and Pop music, ballooning out the different elements of a song so it floats around in your head. For this kind of music A3 reigns supreme whereas SIII would sound bright and edgy. 
 
 
 
Compared to SIII, A3’s instrument separation isn’t as etched or precise, but it is still impressive in its own right, which is backed up by fantastic layering. The different elements of a song aren’t as forward or in your face when listening with the A3, nonetheless the details are still here albeit with a softer presentation. Take your pick, it’s not about better or worse but preference at the end of the day.
 
The A3 has a seamless transition between its treble and midrange. In fact, I find its midrange to be its strongest attribute. It is lush, warm and full of texture. The A3 midrange is decidedly thicker and warmer than that of the Shockwave on direct comparison. Guitar heavy music is just GLORIOUS. The growl of distortion guitar sounds so guttural and chunky, making it so damn addicting. Even for rock songs with lots of cymbal crashes, the A3 never falters.   Male vocals have a very nice weight to them on the A3, as opposed to sounding thinner and somewhat nasal on the SIII. 
 
 
 
The way the difference elements of a song are blended together, all the while maintaining immense coherency and texture, is all too enjoyable. Given that Top 40 music has traditionally mastered hot, rather than making those genres of music sound like a hot mess, A3 makes them sound mellow and full. LZ A3 has less midrange resolution when compared directly with the SIII, and very even from top to bottom, which can be good or bad depending on your preferences. More isn't always better
 
Now moving on to the bass. As I said before, A3 has an L shaped sound signature with an emphasis on mid and sub bass. It is noticeably bassier than the Shockwave SIII, which sounds airier and lighter in comparison. The A3 bass is full, bombastic and very well textured with good rumble. While not as quick as Shockwave III’s bass, A3's bass is definitely punchier with good presence. The A3 bass has nice distinct reverberations that make EDM and Pop music a joy to listen to.  Take the intro to Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson for example, my god that sub bass! I can literally feel it in my chest :O You can feel each and every reverberation in bass lines.
 

 
 
 
 
I feel that with set of tips I highlighted, and using a different set of cables, the LZ A3 is a headphone that very few people will dislike, and will certainly blow the minds of bassheads everywhere!
 
 
LZ A3 Vs LZ A2

 
 
When the A2 arrived on the scene last year, it blew people’s minds. A triple hybrid at <$100? A triple hybrid <$100 that actually sounds good? I am of the opinion that the A2 is in fact pretty damn good.
 
So, is it worth upgrading to the A3? Lets explore that shall we?
 
Hardware wise its no contest, the A3 spanks the A2 with its fancier presentation, expanded accessory set and removable cable option. Part of my wishes the A3 had stayed true to the A2 design and reiterated on that, as the A2 is one of the most comfortable earphones I have used to date. That is not to say the A3 is uncomfortable outright, but it doesn’t disappear while you are wearing it to the degree that the A2 does.
 
To my ears the A3 sounds somewhat darker than the A2, with a less "open" sounding treble. I do wish that that it retained the treble presence of A2, however the increased treble resolution is very much welcomed. A3 also has noticeably better cohesion between the treble, midrange and bass along with much better resolution in those aforementioned areas.
 
The A2 would sometimes sound smeared and all jumbled up when it came to complicated music tracks with lots of things going on. This thankfully is not the case with A3, which handles complicated tracks without breaking a sweat, exhibiting  none of the smearing or blurring that plagued the A2, which I think is helped by an increase in overall resolution and improved instrumental separation and layering.
 
The LZ A2 has very few weaknesses, but detail retrieval and resolution would be at the top of this list. The A3 definitely addresses this complaint, but again in a way that that doesn't go overboard or fully analytical, striking a fine balance.
 
The A3 midrange sounds thicker, more textured and more detailed than that of A2, thanks in part to the increase in sonic resolution. The A2 midrange sounds more “open”and light in comparison. Male vocals have more weight and authority when heard through the A3 vs A2.
 
When it comes to bass, LZ A3 has the A2 beat, in terms of both quality and quantity, along with possessing stronger bass, rumble, and presence. In fact the A3 sub-bass is quite a bit better than that of the A2, which makes it a treat for tracks such as “Dirty Diana” by Michael Jackson or “Before I sleep” by Joy Williams. 
 
I can’t emphasize enough how incompatible the stock A3 tips and cable are, a little bit of work on your part can really bring out what the A3 is truly capable of and give your sonic senses a treat!
 
I also can’t wait to see what the revamped A2 has in store for us 

  
 
 
In Conclusion
Since finding the sweet spot for the LZ A3 in terms of set up, they have fast become my most used in ear headphones. They have this tube or analogue like sound that I find so relaxing and easy to listen to for hours on end with no fatigue. Best of all, it sounds good with all my music, not just a specific subset.
 
The A3 will continue to scale as you upgrade your gear, so it has the potential to grow with your collection. All that and I still haven’t even touched upon how the A3 sounds in balanced configuration but I will leave that for another day
 
The shockwave SIII is also a strong performer with strong technical merit. It is certainly no push over, and depending on your musical preferences it might be a better fit for you. However with its much higher price tag, non removable cable and treble centric sound signature (which at times can sound artificial and metallic to my ears) that is best suited for a specific subset of music, I feel it will not have the broad appeal of something like the A3 and IMHO the SIII offers less value compared to similar sounding headphones which cost a lot less. At times I would have to turn down the volume to listen comfortably as the SIII's treble would start give me a headache and ear fatigue. However, for those who crave a lighter and airier sound signature, with a more vivid midrange, the SIII might still be a good option. 
 
From a hardware perspective, a lack of removable cable coupled with less than adequate strain reliefs, concerns me with respect to its long term durability, even more so in light of its price.
 
So is the A3 worth getting if you have the A2? Before I answer that, I realize that having a review unit it might be very easy to carelessly answer this question, without putting myself in a buyer’s shoes. So Here is what I will say:
 
If you are willing to experiment with aftermarket tips and cables to get the most out of the A3, then yes it’s worth upgrading.
 
If you have a good neutral to bright source to feed the A3, then absolutely upgrade to the A3. Much like the A2, the A3 shines with neutral or brighter sounding sources. 
 
Oddly enough the LZ A3 (with the aftermarket cable and tips) sounds pretty darn good straight out of my cellphones and macbook, so its not as source dependant as something like Shockwave III, so in that regard, the A3 is quite mobile friendly.
 
Truth be told, straight out of the box I absolutely hated the A3. I am sure my friends can attest to that as I bitched about it quite a bit. A combination of aftermarket cables and optimized earths changed the A3 sound signature to such a degree, however, that it went from being hated to becoming my daily driver! I am not one to preach the virtues of replaceable or upgrade cables but in this case I feel it was absolutely essential.
 
Ymmv as we all have different preferences and ear anatomy, but I have tried my best to document what I have heard in an objective and unbiased manner. The only way to figure out whats best for you is to ultimately hear it for yourself! Happy listening 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*I reserve the right to change my opinion as time goes on. These are impressions and should be taken as much.*

 

[Carlsan]

I run my LZ A3 in balanced, out of my DP-X1, love the sound. 
You are right about the cables, they are crap. I have nice balanced cables attached, that cost more than the earphones, LOL!

 

[RedJohn456]

  I run my LZ A3 in balanced, out of my DP-X1, love the sound. 
You are right about the cables, they are crap. I have nice balanced cables attached, that cost more than the earphones, LOL!

 
High five!
 
Me too, I love how it sounds balanced 

 
And glad to hear that you concur about the cables. I am sure your cable is pretty boss compared to mine haha. I had an extra lying around from when I used to own the Sony XBA Z5 and had to get it repaired s I ended up with a surplus of a few of the accessories. Its pretty basic as far as cables go but definitely better than the stock cable thats for sure 

 

 

[Zerketi]

Thanks to RedJohn's review, now I want to try out a different cable for the LZ A3. My initial impressions out of the box basically lined up with RedJohn, not thinking it was worth for how much it cost. 

Right now though I am currently exchanging my pair since Teresa advised me to change out my pair entirely from the early batch, so I'm out on my A3 for a few weeks. This gives me time to possibly look into other cables and eartips setups as more and more people get their pairs in and play with it. 

 

[JacKallen]

  Thanks to RedJohn's review, now I want to try out a different cable for the LZ A3. My initial impressions out of the box basically lined up with RedJohn, not thinking it was worth for how much it cost. 

Right now though I am currently exchanging my pair since Teresa advised me to change out my pair entirely from the early batch, so I'm out on my A3 for a few weeks. This gives me time to possibly look into other cables and eartips setups as more and more people get their pairs in and play with it. 

What was the problem with the cables actually? Loose or...?

 

[duyu]

Thanks, RedJohn. Nice review and comparisons.
I second that LZ-A3 is very relaxing to listen. Thanks for explaining the reasons behind.

I don't have any other MMCX cable and not sure which one I should buy.
I hope people with (many) other MMCX cables can compare the A3's performance using different kinds of cables.
In the end, we can have a list of buying suggestions on this.