KZ ZES: Pretty Average
Oi mates,
welcome to my another IEM review and what I have here is another product from Knowledge
Zenith also known as KZ, The KZ ZES. I’ll already
review many KZ products so I’ll cut the chase on the introduction of their
company.
KZ ZES is one of the latest product that
is part of new generation of hybrid drivers line-up with a magnetostatic
driver. I’ve done some reviews on other KZ's with the similar
implementation such as KZ ZEX and KZ ZEX Pro/ KZ
CRN and I find them as an improvement over most of previous products.
Once again, KZ try to put something new ideas when it regards of the implementation on their KZ ZES as they replaced the typical 10mm dynamic driver with a newer and larger 12mm one along with the proven magnetostatic driver. These drivers then encapsulated on an inner polycarbonate shell with an outer metal shell.
The overall
aesthetics of KZ ZES reminds me of their previous products like KZ
ZSNs and KZ ZS10 pros. The size of the shell are on the
larger side but they still give a good fitting and snug properly in my lug
holes as don’t feel any discomfort and soreness in my cochlea and tragus part
of my ears. As expected, they still implemented a QDC-type connector on this
one.
Another noticeable improvement on KZ ZES was the inclusion of a stock cable (mine has with mic version on it). It is an 8-core SPC cable which is a quite a contrast to a typical KZ cable that we are familiar with. Good job, KZ!
The
packaging box of KZ ZES is still similar to most current releases of KZ
products. It retains a small white square box with a simple illustration of the
product at the front and some basic specification at the back.
Here are
the following included contents and accessories:
·
KZ ZES IEM
shells
·
8-core
SPC cable in a 3.5mm termination plug
·
Three (3) pairs of white-coloured ear tips of
different sizes.
·
Instruction
manual.
On scalability to its source, Like most KZ products, they are easy to drive as decent power is enough to give a proper required amplification to powered this set. Laptops, tablets and smartphones has a sufficient power to drive the KZ ZES but a better sources like dedicated DAPs, smartphones like LG G and V series and Desktop amps will make listening experience even better as they put a a cleaner output and a more fuller dynamic sounding.
As for
tonality, like most its predecessor, it still follow a typical KZ sound
signature that we are familiar with. A V-shape tuning as it has more prominent
bass and treble with a scooped midrange.
Here are
some of my observations on how I describe its character of each frequency range
region.
LOWS/BASS:
When it comes to bass profile, it is punchy
on a side with good impact. Certainly not the most articulate lows that I’ve heard
but it done its job decently.
For its sub
bass quality, It has a good presence of rumble if some tracks like EDM and
other modern genre demands to provide it. Its does fairly reach the sub bass
depth. As for its mid bass, it has sufficient texture to give a weighty note on
some instruments like bass guitar, bass kicks and some male vocals.
My gripe on
the bass quality was its some instances of bass bleeds towards mids as it
didn’t control it properly but in general it is still acceptable and probably you
can give it a pass despite on this issue.
MIDS:
Like most KZ products, the midrange is
always scooped and recessed as a
midcentric like myself, it is always my concern on KZ’s tuning as I find
it less refined and need more fine-tuning . Of all things that I said, it has
warmth, a sufficient texture and dense that it give more prominence on male
vocals and snares over female guitars and some percussive instruments. Male
vocals is more deep and has stronger emphasis while female vocals is less
energetic and clarity is just an average.
As for instruments, guitars like rhythm and acoustics
are more on a balanced to dark sounding that it has this more emphasis more on
a lows rather than treble as it has a meager of crispness and shimmer that I
want. Piano tone is more on warmer and prolific sounding while snare strikes is
more on shuffling and a tad dry. And as for
woodwinds like flute and clarinet and brass like saxophone, trumpets and horns,
the former instruments that I’ve mention were being sound being tad dull and
hollow that make its more profuse sounding while the latter were more on leaning
to be more darker timbre but it gives more a fuller sound.
HIGHS/TREBLE:
Even the treble is secondly emphasis on the
overall audio frequency spectrum after the bass. I find it treble quality is
sufficient. Its registers a slight peak upper mids/lower treble that I hear a
discernable sibilance un some sibilant tracks despite of a more calmer and smoother
deliver on treble.
Treble extension is just decent that it
deliver an enough airiness and sparkle on its harmonics. Cymbals strikes on
this one has this lack of glistening and
sizzling that I want but hi hats has that shorted soughing sound that I find it
passable.
Certainly that treble was handled by
magnetostatic driver of the KZ ZES which it performs very passable and likable
to some treble sensitives out there. Resolution capability is acceptable but
not my ideal when it comes to on such detail retrieval performance and clarity.
SOUNDSTAGE,
IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:
I’ll be straight and frank on this matter,
soundstage is overall pretty average. It gives more significant on wideness and
tallness rather than depth. It has an average soundstage width, a less depth
that feels a bit farther than ideal and more emphasis on height reach that I
find them has an odd proportion.
Imaging is pretty
much more of a two-dimensional that it gives a
typical stereo panning which left and right channel has an ample
sweeping and transition performance if the tracks demanded Separation is just an average as it gave
slight gap on each instruments and singers and layering of this one is decent but
in some tracks, they performs a bit congested and feels compact.
As for coherency
of drivers, it performs and match well as both DD and magnetostatic driver seems
to have this good compatibility that delivers a more rounded and moderate
transients. Timbre quality is more on balanced with a hint of warmth in
general.
To put a conclusion
on this review, where do I place the KZ ZES in my own category. Surely, that
I put this one as a slight improvement on KZ ZEX but I place it on a just average
level as believe that there still refinement needed when it regards on tuning
and overall tonality. Some listener will find this product as a pleasant
sounding due to its less fatiguing nature but in my opinion based on my
standard, it still need some rectification to make it sound even better.
KZ ZES is currently available at around $32-35/£25-27.
Just check it out on your preferred e-commerce sites and your trusted local audio
shops.
Checkout my
other reviews on other KZ products:
·
KZ EDX
·
KZ ZEX
·
KZ EDC
SPECIFICATION:
MODEL: KZ ZES
IMPEDANCE: 32Ω
SENSITIVITY: 113dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE:
10Hz - 40KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2M
PIN TYPE: QDC-TYPE 2-PIN CONNECTOR
PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm
DRIVER UNITS: (1) DYNAMIC DRIVER & (1) MAGNETOSTATIC
DRIVER.
PROS:
·
Good
quality and improved stock cable.
·
A sturdy and robust composite shells.
·
Non-fatiguing treble registry.
·
A slightly improvement over KZ ZEX.
·
Comfortable fitting.
CONS:
·
QDC-type 2 pin connector (as usual for KZ
products).
·
Overall technicalities needs more polish and
improvement.
·
Recessed
and underwhelming quality on female vocals.
Some Tracks Tested: ( * =
16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)
Alison
Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *
Jade
Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**
Led
Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **
Mountain
- Mississippi Queen *
Queen
- Killer Queen **
Guns
N' Roses - Patience *'*
Eric
Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'
Sergio
Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'
Pearl
Jam - Daughter **
Roselia
- Hidamari Rhodonite *
Assassin
- Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*
Celtic
Frost- Visual Aggression *
New
Order - Blue Monday *
The
Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *
Jimi
Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *
The
Madness- Buggy Trousers *
Metallica
- Motorbreath **
Mariah
Carey- Always Be My Baby *
Destiny's
Child - Say My Name *
Malice
Mizer- Au Revoir *
Mozart
- Lacrimosa *
New
York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New
World." *
Eva
Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*
Michael
Jackson - Give In To Me *
Exciter
- Violence and Force *
Diana
Krall - Stop This World **
Debbie
Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*
Lucretia
my Reflection – The Sisters of Mercy **
Suzanne
Vega – Luka **
P.S.
I
am not affiliated to KNOWLEDGE ZENITH(KZ) nor receive monetary
incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange
of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.
Once again, I would like to thank Jeffrey
Yang for providing this review unit, I truly appreciate on his
generosity towards me and other reviewers.
LINKS:
Shopee: https://ph.xiapibuy.com/product/345922933/17002163698
Lazada:
Main site:
Discount Coupon Code:KZEA001
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