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KZ overwhelm

J.Wolf

J.Wolf

Supporting Member
Commercial User
Apr 29, 2003
9,077
9,798
Asheville, NC
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Disclosures
Contributor- Bass Musician Magazine | Marketing Manager- Trickfish Amplification
#1
Im currently using ZS10 Pro's with a silver upgraded cable and comply tips, and I like them a good bit. There are times I wish they sounded a little more detailed and punchy. When I google to see what the current KZ line is, the list is really long and confusing and there seems to be a lot of new stuff that I have no idea about but potentially looks higher end. Does anyone have any info about what might be better performing than the ZS10 Pro, as it pertains to use as an IEM for electric bass?
 
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#2
I've tried 8 or so chi-fi IEMs. For me, it's just to see for myself what some of the buzz is about, but at the end of the day, I don't choose to use any of them for playing out regularly. The only model among the buy-and-try IEMs that was meaningfully separated from the others for playing out was the KZ PR1 and PR1 Pro (I got both and to my ear, regardless of what the youtube reviewers say, they're about the same). I played at rehearsal and out with them a few times both with amp and ampless (full band twice, pub band and "acoustic" trio), and to me, they seemed the most natural, warm and smooth sounding complete replacement for an amp. What I mean by that is giving the feeling of not being sure if I'm actually hearing/feeling the amp if there's one there. The isolation for stage use seemed as good as any other universal I've tried.

Here's a post I made when I got them that you might find of some interest...you might not

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/kz-pr1-pro-planar-iem.1598265/#post-27295448

All that said, I believe that our hearing is such a subjective thing that neither I nor anyone else can necessarily tell how your hearing and preferences are going to find the results of what are technically/measurably marginal differences in various budget IEMs. You mention an "upgraded" cable...if you're someone who hears a difference between two properly working cables, while I can't argue about what you hear, you are hearing a difference that has no technical, measurable or testable reason behind it and is something that most other people don't hear. So, what "might be better performing than the ZS10 Pro"? Just about any other model might have potential. But not to say that you won't or don't hear a difference, in fine details of sound, you can't hear what someone else hears.

For me, rather than trying to take anyone's word as gospel, dropping $30 here or $60 there on these to be able to try for myself isn't really any skin off my nose, especially when I get on Amazon and find out I have enough points to cover some or even all of the cost.
 
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#3
I'm curious about this as well. And I'm curious as to how the best of the KZs compare to the Shure 535s for bassists. I know a number of people who are using the KZs and like them but none of them are bassists so I'm a bit wary of their praise for the KZs.
 
#8
FWIW, I've been using AS10s for a few years now, but my hearing is shot, so anything I might suggest can be taken with a grain of salt. I have the silver cable upgrade and Comply tips. So far the reliability has been great, no failures and sound good enough for me. I have another set of Asian buds, but they are metal and less comfortable than the KZs.
 
#9
I’ve been using these for over a year and have been super happy with them, they seal well and sound great.

6 driver
KZ ZSX 1DD+5BA Hybrid HiFi Stereo Noise Isolating Sport IEM
IMG_5093.jpeg


Cable
LINSOUL Tripowin Altea Upgraded 6N OCC Litz 4 Cores HiFi Earphone Cable, 26 AWG High-Purity Monocrystalline Copper Wires for in Ear Earphone (QDC-3.5mm, Altea)

Comply replacement tips
 
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#10
Barticus said:
I’ve been using these for over a year and have been super happy with them, they seal well and sound great.

6 driver
KZ ZSX 1DD+5BA Hybrid HiFi Stereo Noise Isolating Sport IEM
View attachment 5247699

Cable
LINSOUL Tripowin Altea Upgraded 6N OCC Litz 4 Cores HiFi Earphone Cable, 26 AWG High-Purity Monocrystalline Copper Wires for in Ear Earphone (QDC-3.5mm, Altea)

Comply replacement tips
Click to expand...
These^^
If you want a little more detail than the ZS10 Pro, the ZSX has it. That said, they have a contoured shell that may not sit as well in your ear as the ZS10 Pro. I wear the 10s regularly but keep the ZSX as a backup set.
 
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#11
I used the KZ ZST for a while and found them the to be pretty decent. Early this year I decided to upgrade to the AS10. I find they have more a bump in the low end that sounds better for bass to me. I bought KZ’s Bluetooth adapter for the ZST and now use them for casual listening.
 
#12
I’ve used KZ10 Pros for a little over two years in live ampless settings.

The key is to get some molded earplugs for them. The seal is incredible and your skull turns into your bass cab. There’s plenty of videos on you tube that shows how to do it and it’s relatively cheap. Here’s what they look like.
IMG_1909.jpeg
 
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#13
J.Wolf said:
Im currently using ZS10 Pro's with a silver upgraded cable and comply tips, and I like them a good bit. There are times I wish they sounded a little more detailed and punchy. When I google to see what the current KZ line is, the list is really long and confusing and there seems to be a lot of new stuff that I have no idea about but potentially looks higher end. Does anyone have any info about what might be better performing than the ZS10 Pro, as it pertains to use as an IEM for electric bass?
Click to expand...
I use the CCA C12s while playing bass and it sounds great! You should try them.
 
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#14
J.Wolf said:
Im currently using ZS10 Pro's with a silver upgraded cable and comply tips, and I like them a good bit. There are times I wish they sounded a little more detailed and punchy. When I google to see what the current KZ line is, the list is really long and confusing and there seems to be a lot of new stuff that I have no idea about but potentially looks higher end. Does anyone have any info about what might be better performing than the ZS10 Pro, as it pertains to use as an IEM for electric bass?
Click to expand...

I'm currently using the KZ Zas and I highly recomend those.
 
#15
I have one of those KZ Pro10 -- I just jog with them. I did not know they were big deal IEM. For critical listening I have 7Hz Timeless and Moondrop Crinacle planar magnetics. Makes the KZ sound like cheap headphones - although they really are not. The planar magnetics IEM are something else with bass, not boomy and detailed. 210 and 99 respectively.

That's good to know that's what folks are using. I may get another pair. You do need longer cables or if going wireless a cinch for these, so they don't dangle upfront. That's what I did. Again I jog or ride my mountain bike with these.
 
#16
I also ran through a good pile of chifi iems until I eventually got some molded iems and called it a day for my main band. I got by just fine on my cca12 and kz crin buds for a while, then used the moondrop arias and shuoer s12’s. I’ve since sold most all of my chifi, with the shuoer s12 being my best pair and the rest being too cheap to be worth selling. The s12’s are planar drivers which I definitely bought into the hype of as they hit the market. Sounds punchy and clear to me. I miss my moondrop arias sometimes, but I can’t hoard basses AND iems. That’s where the invisible line is for now.

If you’re open to non KZ iems, the cca cra are pretty fun and would definitely have more punch with their extreme tuning. The moondrop chus sound good too if you can deal with the shape. The tin hifi c2 and c3 I remember being good deals as well. The list gets way longer if your budget is above $50. Truthear has a lot of hits around or below $50

I found that with universal iems, the shape of the shell has a big role on if it fits your specific ear shape and whether or not the tuning will work for you. Some of the better tuned sets have larger shells or nozzles and don’t work for everyone. I sure had fun experimenting while I found my preferences and it’s hard to knock a hobby that encourages you to critically listen to music
 
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#18
FronTowardEnemy said:
I’ve used KZ10 Pros for a little over two years in live ampless settings.

The key is to get some molded earplugs for them. The seal is incredible and your skull turns into your bass cab. There’s plenty of videos on you tube that shows how to do it and it’s relatively cheap. Here’s what they look like.
View attachment 5247778
Click to expand...

I tried this with 2 kits and couldn’t nail it, need to try it again with some help in getting the tube centered in the mold
 
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#20
Everyone seems to use kz, probably for a good reason. However I am on my third model from CCA, and I'm a huge fan. I have the CCA CA-16 pros currently. The ca10's are my everyday listening buds, my wife has commandeered my C12's for iem's.

Don't hesitate to look at CCA.
 
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