Yes, it sounds wonderful. Yes, the difference between R3II and R8II is easily detected even with ultra sensitive IEMs like those two on the table. Yes, I think it sounds better than my DX300. More vibrant with more refined transient response in class AB amp mode, and more expansive imaging in class A mode.
Haven't tried R3 II but let's say I enjoyed the R6 III more than R3 Saber 2022.
And then liked the R6 Pro II more than R6 III.
And now the R8 II even more than R6 Pro II, and this time I find it the hardest to go back to previous one. Words coming to mind is that R6P2 sounds less dynamic and more digital sounding, R8 II is on the neutral side but sound more pleasing and vibrant than the previous ones.
And yes price is a big step up, is it worth it? Yes for me, will be fun to see what I think after some months time. Had a session 1 week ago against N7 and DX320 max, and preffered the R8II.
I have been listening to these two tracks on the CCA Trio. Check out the bass drum on the Steinar Lund piece and the soundstage and layering in the Deuter track. Excellent! Switch setting 0000.
Hi! I need your impressions!!
Could you Talk about Doscinco? Any comparison with well iems as Timeless/S12, Quintet, Hype 2/4, a Moondrop or any other iem sub400€
How is the Ziigaat Doscinco? People raving about its bass quality on a different forum. We have three options - TSMR X, Hype4, Doscinco - for basshead level iem. X should be the most technical of three and Doscinco, the best value for money.
Hmm... Even those who are more tolerant and frequently review and are happy with KZ weren't happy with ZAT. so, not sure, if it's all down to the stigma.
Akros for eg.
From the description of the iem on his review channel: "It's not that it's bad , but it isn't exactly great either. Bass is shy and a little over delicate , while the mids, are fine at lower volume levels but forget about turning up the heat.As for extension and that sense of space and air.....hmmm there ain't much of that..... things sound closed in and a little bland.I guess you could make an argument that this was done to avoid the BA timbre , the fake sense of soundstage, but honestly there is nothing in the ZATs performance that makes up for that lack of sparkle. noCompared to other offerings I need not go too far, CCA HM20 is still in my books the best hybrid from KZ / CCA , while the KZ ZAX or ZS10PRO X are more satisfying.The KZ AS24 , the TOTL all BA set , also walks all over the ZAT, and even the likes of KZ ZVX, Dfi are all more coherent and musical.I wish that what I had to say about the ZAT was more positive , but when the Castor Harman at 15 USD outperforms the ZAT at 90usd , there's not much that can be said!" End quote.
Good to know!
I do not watch youtube in general (a degrading genre rewarding procreation of populists and hypers, IMO) and the only review of ZAT here is of the mass reviewer... and I have negative correlation between my satisfaction with IEMs and average opinions of serial reviewers' opinions... (I was lucky not reading any reviews before getting AS10 to start my rabbit-hole journey here....)
Anyhow, I was onto hybrids a bit more lately, after being content with AS24, T800 and AS16 being nicely sufficient.
I was longing quite for some time for ZAX with the better bass (tighter, and more supporting than leading) for my specific/limited preferences.
Now, ZS10 pro X are an improvement on good old KZ "V" and of a different genre than departing from ZS10 pro - ZSX, ZAX, ZAS, HM20 (I opted not to get the latter two).
ZAT delivered the great tightness of bass, but the bass/treble balance was way too much on the bass side for me, so I found the goodness only in an extreme of 0011 switches with the nozzle mesh removed. I shared my opinion on ZAT briefly - its greatness and its limitations - and enjoyed it to the best of my limited taste - totally not getting "not enough bass", but OK, perceptions/tastes can be different...
Yet, if Rhapsody is touted as a great IEM (!), then both treble and bass of ZAT are so much better, IMO, and there is hardly any consistency to me in "reviewers' opinions".
It makes some sense that mediocre but gentler sounding $35-$40 IEM can get hyped by "serial reviewers" (these two words fit somehow together) more than $85 IEM. This hype may serve well for the next hyped IEM to surely beat Rhapsody in several aspects: for instance, Trio. Trio can be agreed to be better a bit and costing a bit less... Then some quad/penta creations of Penon can be nicely contrasted, and many more things can be sold to good trusty hobbists raving for Trifecta... Ending this line of thoughts here...
I compared briefly ZAT and my other hybrid IEMs of recent: 1More Penta, Celest Phoenixcall & Plutus, and Simgot E6ML.
The Simgot is the most mediocre of all to me - can be called a good improvement on CCA C10 (if one remembers, not recent CA10; CCA totally screwed up their "nomenclature").
ZAT bass is in between of that of E6ML and Plutus to me, with ZAT projecting most spaciousness and great impression of stage of all (that makes sense for the large-shell multidrivers in my experience).
Phoenixcall and Penta are quite unique on their own and harder to compare directly. (Perhaps I should try to "burn" Penta to help with improving of its tubby DLC bass...)
Bass BCD from Plutus and mid/treble drivers of Penta would make a mighty IEM, while ZAT is a very good real-life IEM at that for me to enjoy now. Harman-tuned ZAT (Castor analogy) would be my "simple dream" IEM.
P. S. I use wide-bore TRI Clarion tips on most of my IEMs - these tips fit my ear anatomy amazingly well for a good seal and enhanced resonance throughout all tge range. I did order tecently few more tips from Dunu and Penon to carefully explore the tip dimension in another iteration (tips clearly matter the most of all other accessories, quite similar to clarinet barrels, if you know what I mean).
I wanted to like the Nova so much but it just didn't work for me. I was in love with the look and the matching cable but man that cable SUCKS! Biggest disappointment of 2023 for me after hearing all the positive impressions from CanJam.
I remarked last year that if any IEM “hype” would be carried over into 2024 it would be the Kiwi ears Quintet! That one will not soon be forgotten! Cheers!
I've spent quite a few hours now with the CCA Trio. I have been mind blown by their detail retrieval abilities. Now personally, and some might disagree, but I think they lag behind the Simgot EW200 and even the OD200 in mids and treble resolution, and timbral accuracy, but that's truly a nitpick, because in most other ways, they are superior to the EW200 and every other sub $100 "budget" IEM I own or have owned. They have a special sauce about them, and this came to light last night while listening to a very little known but amazing hard rock album by the band Cinder called Break Your Silence, and particularly a song on the album called Please God. During the chorus, while the singer delivers the chorus, there's a guide vocal that he sings simultaneously with the chorus. It's mixed a bit undeneath the main chorus, and for years, with many of my earphones and headphones, and this includes some of my best, it was always hard to pick out exactly what he was saying in that vocal just underneath the mix.
The CCA Trio revealed all. I was able, for potentially the first time, make out clearly and distinctly what was said in that vocal, and I could have sworn I was using the OD200, EA1000, Aures, or Wu Zetian. Nope. It was the Trio. Uncanny detail retrieval and layering ability. If only it had top ranked resolution, these could very well be considered giant killers in the budget realm, but alas, the resolution is just average, so they are budget price to performance busters for certain, and with the switches, allows for tuning variations, making them an easy rec from me. For dailys, workouts, and beaters? YOU CAN'T BEAT THESE.
I've spent quite a few hours now with the CCA Trio. I have been mind blown by their detail retrieval abilities. Now personally, and some might disagree, but I think they lag behind the Simgot EW200 and even the OD200 in mids and treble resolution, and timbral accuracy, but that's truly a nitpick, because in most other ways, they are superior to the EW200 and every other sub $100 "budget" IEM I own or have owned. They have a special sauce about them, and this came to light last night while listening to a very little known but amazing hard rock album by the band Cinder called Break Your Silence, and particularly a song on the album called Please God. During the chorus, while the singer delivers the chorus, there's a guide vocal that he sings simultaneously with the chorus. It's mixed a bit undeneath the main chorus, and for years, with many of my earphones and headphones, and this includes some of my best, it was always hard to pick out exactly what he was saying in that vocal just underneath the mix.
The CCA Trio revealed all. I was able, for potentially the first time, make out clearly and distinctly what was said in that vocal, and I could have sworn I was using the OD200, EA1000, Aures, or Wu Zetian. Nope. It was the Trio. Uncanny detail retrieval and layering ability. If only it had top ranked resolution, these could very well be considered giant killers in the budget realm, but alas, the resolution is just average, so they are budget price to performance busters for certain, and with the switches, allows for tuning variations, making them an easy rec from me. For dailys, workouts, and beaters? YOU CAN'T BEAT THESE.
I can relate to this observation. This IEM can pull out some unexpected details in the mix sometimes, even though in resolution it is slightly behind another IEM I am reviewing, the Yvain.
Just for fun, I run trio from R8ii with all bells and whistles on. It’s interesting to see how far it can be pushed, and how it ultimately bottlenecks the chain. Still, an impressive $30-$40 IEM. Highly recommend (the exact unit, exact batch, not sure about future batches)
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