Zero Audio - ZH-DX200 Carbo Tenore | ZH-DX210 Carbo Basso (Carbon & Aluminium IEM) thread
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sfwalcer
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luisdent
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Don't you worry.
I always put in a lot of listening first, as my initial impressions have been known to shift around. But these babies sound gooooood. I don't see much changing....
SilverEars
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FTFY!!! All better now!!!
I won't comment on the first thing that went though my mind when I saw this.
Don't you worry.
Enjoy those babies.
I went through the Zero Audio website and saw these guys.
SilverEars
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Dis new tech? Neber heard of dems. I would need to heard of dems after I purchase dems.
Lorspeaker
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i am a feeeling this Tenore is the real ride....
instead of the bigbirdAtrain, that Mo is pushing..lolz
instead of the bigbirdAtrain, that Mo is pushing..lolz
SilverEars
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I saw this on the Zero Audio website. Anybody know how to read Japanese here can translate this? I thought Zero Audio uses microdynamics. They posted these BA under their technology section.
luisdent
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O.k. if anyone is interested in my initial impressions, here we go...
First and foremost, yes. They are. You know it.
With that said, I started out just listening and then did a little comparison. The first thing I thought, the first time i listened to them at all, was that they sound really incredible. Very very much like the er4s in the overall neutrality, but with a weightier low end. Luckily no mid bass bloat at all on my set. In fact, no bloat anywhere. Everything just sounds awesome. Transparent (truly), clean, open, balanced, whatever you want to call it... these are the most of that I've heard so far.
After listening a while I compared them to the pfe112. The best way to describe the difference would be if you imagine the pfe112 as a silk blanket and you take that blanket, lay it out on a table and smooth out all of the wrinkles. Then add a more solid distinct sub bass region and less distortion. Essentially a smoothed out pfe112 that is cleaner and more open. Going from the pfe to the tenores, it sounds like things just become more clear but not really brighter in a sense. Just more open and real sounding. Metallic noises sound more naturally metallic. Bass sounds more grounded and controlled. Overall, they are almost like a nicely upgraded pfe112. Very nicely.
Compared with the er4s, this is a bit tough. With silicon tips on the er4s, I can have a hard time sometimes getting a good fit/seal, because of my ear size/canal shape. But when I do get the best possible sound from the er4s, the tenores sound extremely similar from bass to the highest treble, but just like the graph suggests, the bass is stronger and the treble is more extended. This is very noticeable in certain music like orchestrated soundtracks with guitars and strings. The air is more apparent. The bass is also more impactful, strong, deep, etc. but without being overbearing. It never sounds to me as though things are too bassy. It's almost exactly what I've been looking for since the first iem I ever bought... a match for a studio monitor speaker in terms of bass impression. I say impression, because bass is inevitably different on the two. However, while opinions may differ on what an earphone bass should sound like, I can say this; the bass sounds awesome. It sounds noticeable when needed, powerful if demanded, tight, clear, punchy and full. But it never masks any other region and fits in a very balanced way with the overall sound.
In acoustic music it adds to the fullness of things in a very natural way in that it actually reproduces what was recorded down low, but doesn't bring it out as a noticeable feature, it just allows the low frequencies to exist where they exist. Then you pump a bt song through them and the bass can kick it hard and damn awesome. Basically it does its job perfectly and stays out of the way of everything else doing everything else's job. That's my kind of bass. There when you need it as I like to say.
Listening to music with these is enveloping me. I feel like i'm deeper in the music. I feel the artist's emotions more with the nuances they portray and the full beauty of the instruments that are played. Things sound very well reproduced and realistic. Sounds are distinct and blend together in a believable sound field. The fit is easy and comfortable. I'm using the small stock silicon tips. I have smaller canals I think. I don't know. but I push the silicon tips up and in just a little past where they seal to get a good average fit and depth and they are very comfortable. They are light and easy to wear. I'm currently wearing them over the ear and cable noise it no problem at all. I don't find them that bad straight down either. But I prefer over the ear now for noise reduction as well as keeping the cables from hanging in an annoying way.
The build quality is yet to be determined. They seem pretty good. My re400 just started to fail brand new, and those felt a bit cheaper overall in "feel" and overall quality. The housings were nice, but the cable and stress relief seemed less than well designed in my opinion. These don't offer a lot of stress relief, however they also don't seem to have any blatantly poor areas of design. The housings seem nice. Perhaps titanium or aluminum? I'm not sure, but light and precisely made. The cable feels reasonably nice and very flexible. The cord lock is excellent. The re400 cord like was crap as it just slid back down anytime i tried to use it during listening. The tenore cord lock is easy to move but stays in place. Isolation is moderate. Nothing beats er4s in that regard, but these are a bit better than the pfe I think with silicon. Efficiency is decent. They aren't as loud at the same given volume as the re400, but they compare with the pfe and can easily be powered by an ipod or sansa player without question.
I'll stop there for now and post more when I get some more listening time under my belt.
Oh, did I mention I bought three more?
First and foremost, yes. They are. You know it.
With that said, I started out just listening and then did a little comparison. The first thing I thought, the first time i listened to them at all, was that they sound really incredible. Very very much like the er4s in the overall neutrality, but with a weightier low end. Luckily no mid bass bloat at all on my set. In fact, no bloat anywhere. Everything just sounds awesome. Transparent (truly), clean, open, balanced, whatever you want to call it... these are the most of that I've heard so far.
After listening a while I compared them to the pfe112. The best way to describe the difference would be if you imagine the pfe112 as a silk blanket and you take that blanket, lay it out on a table and smooth out all of the wrinkles. Then add a more solid distinct sub bass region and less distortion. Essentially a smoothed out pfe112 that is cleaner and more open. Going from the pfe to the tenores, it sounds like things just become more clear but not really brighter in a sense. Just more open and real sounding. Metallic noises sound more naturally metallic. Bass sounds more grounded and controlled. Overall, they are almost like a nicely upgraded pfe112. Very nicely.
Compared with the er4s, this is a bit tough. With silicon tips on the er4s, I can have a hard time sometimes getting a good fit/seal, because of my ear size/canal shape. But when I do get the best possible sound from the er4s, the tenores sound extremely similar from bass to the highest treble, but just like the graph suggests, the bass is stronger and the treble is more extended. This is very noticeable in certain music like orchestrated soundtracks with guitars and strings. The air is more apparent. The bass is also more impactful, strong, deep, etc. but without being overbearing. It never sounds to me as though things are too bassy. It's almost exactly what I've been looking for since the first iem I ever bought... a match for a studio monitor speaker in terms of bass impression. I say impression, because bass is inevitably different on the two. However, while opinions may differ on what an earphone bass should sound like, I can say this; the bass sounds awesome. It sounds noticeable when needed, powerful if demanded, tight, clear, punchy and full. But it never masks any other region and fits in a very balanced way with the overall sound.
In acoustic music it adds to the fullness of things in a very natural way in that it actually reproduces what was recorded down low, but doesn't bring it out as a noticeable feature, it just allows the low frequencies to exist where they exist. Then you pump a bt song through them and the bass can kick it hard and damn awesome. Basically it does its job perfectly and stays out of the way of everything else doing everything else's job. That's my kind of bass. There when you need it as I like to say.
Listening to music with these is enveloping me. I feel like i'm deeper in the music. I feel the artist's emotions more with the nuances they portray and the full beauty of the instruments that are played. Things sound very well reproduced and realistic. Sounds are distinct and blend together in a believable sound field. The fit is easy and comfortable. I'm using the small stock silicon tips. I have smaller canals I think. I don't know. but I push the silicon tips up and in just a little past where they seal to get a good average fit and depth and they are very comfortable. They are light and easy to wear. I'm currently wearing them over the ear and cable noise it no problem at all. I don't find them that bad straight down either. But I prefer over the ear now for noise reduction as well as keeping the cables from hanging in an annoying way.
The build quality is yet to be determined. They seem pretty good. My re400 just started to fail brand new, and those felt a bit cheaper overall in "feel" and overall quality. The housings were nice, but the cable and stress relief seemed less than well designed in my opinion. These don't offer a lot of stress relief, however they also don't seem to have any blatantly poor areas of design. The housings seem nice. Perhaps titanium or aluminum? I'm not sure, but light and precisely made. The cable feels reasonably nice and very flexible. The cord lock is excellent. The re400 cord like was crap as it just slid back down anytime i tried to use it during listening. The tenore cord lock is easy to move but stays in place. Isolation is moderate. Nothing beats er4s in that regard, but these are a bit better than the pfe I think with silicon. Efficiency is decent. They aren't as loud at the same given volume as the re400, but they compare with the pfe and can easily be powered by an ipod or sansa player without question.
I'll stop there for now and post more when I get some more listening time under my belt.
Oh, did I mention I bought three more?
SilverEars
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There is my ****in review! Thanks for the short review.
I like the terms, transparent, realistic, neutral, more bass than ER4(ok, this is not a term), tight.
What we need next to fuel this even further is sombody coming in here be be like, these are better than my $1k iems dog..
What we need next to fuel this even further is sombody coming in here be be like, these are better than my $1k iems dog..
luisdent
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There is my ****in review! Thanks for the short review.I like the terms, transparent, realistic, neutral, more bass than ER4(ok, this is not a term), tight.
What we need next to fuel this even further is sombody coming in here be be like, these are better than my $1k iems dog..
But they are.
On another note. The selling of my other iems has commenced...
gnarlsagan
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I've listened to the K3003, IE8, and UERM (in universal form), and I think the Tenore is overall much better than all three.
SilverEars
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Just ordered.
These better be good, or I will have no respect for yall again since it was such a significant monies risk(Hello? $46 big dollars). You guys will lose cool points from me. Believe me those points are prizzzzed.
mochill
Headphoneus Supremus
I'll see if they are anything compared to my kc06 brothers
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