[Nimweth]

You know what is better than a weekly sidegrade Pokemon release?

A Star Wars Pokemon.

Presenting the KZ Vader.



The evil empire strikes back yes.

Tuning switches yes. Comes with 2 versions yes.




$34 USD

https://www.kztws.com/products/kz-vader

Click to expand...

Order it now and it will be with you on May the 4th!

 

[atlatl]

Gotta Catch ’Em All! haha

 

[grogg]

I really want to see a comparison between the ZS10 Pro 2 and the Trio now.

I was interested in the Hydro but at this point they will probably release a cheaper version in a few months

 

[tassardar]

Did a unboxing and initial impression of the KZ ZS10 Pro 2



So in the video my issue was it was quite bright to me even with the treble switch down. Did some tip rolling after the video. I find final audio e tips and Senda xelastic 2 to work out for me. Especially the second one made the whole experience a lot better. I still do feel there’s something missing in the lower mids which can make vocals at times on the light towards hollow side, overall I do find it very enjoyable with female vocals and good alternative for people who enjoy the brighter signature.

 

[jbfps116]

Did a unboxing and initial impression of the KZ ZS10 Pro 2



So in the video my issue was it was quite bright to me even with the treble switch down. Did some tip rolling after the video. I find final audio e tips and Senda xelastic 2 to work out for me. Especially the second one made the whole experience a lot better. I still do feel there’s something missing in the lower mids which can make vocals at times on the light towards hollow side, overall I do find it very enjoyable with female vocals and good alternative for people who enjoy the brighter signature.

I agree… it really is like a ZS10 2.0 but even with the bass switches all boosted it still sounds like the 6 has more bass… but the 10 2 still sounds amazing and I like the treble energy as it’s usually not too sibilant.

 

[jbfps116]

This isn't even funny anymore. Vader balanced is absolutely the same as CCA Trio (compare the company graphs). Not only is the same hardware used, but they didn't even want to mess with the tuning anymore. So if you want it more expensive, buy it as a KZ and if you want it cheaper, buy it as a CCA. At first I thought they had completely lost their minds. Then I realised that they know very well what they are doing and that this primitive business model works well for them. Not all buyers are as discerning as the participants in headphone forums...

EDIT: And to be complete and objective, I consider the CCA Trio to be very good budget IEMs.

How is it the same tuning when the Vader has two tuning styles to choose from?

 

[4ceratops]

How is it the same tuning when the Vader has two tuning styles to choose from?

I wrote about Vader Balanced. That's just a repackaged Trio priced $1 more. The Vader High-Res is a different tuning for $34 with a reduced bass curve, but I didn't mention those .

 

[losber]

The KZ 784 cable with SE 3.5 can easily be modded to balanced 4.4 with this jack https://aliexpress.com/item/1005003630325689.html (AF4.4TQ-W TRRRS / AF4.4TQ-B TRRRS). You actually may left the stock fittings, and only replace the jack - the soft coupling and furniture tube may remains original.
Just unscrew the original tube fittings, then you need to unsolder L+/R+, the common twist, unravel the common ground twist, and divide it into L- and R- with multimeter test check.

Spoiler: KZ QDC Pinout

Spoiler: 4.4 Jack pinout

Spoiler: After replacement

Spoiler: Done

 

[tassardar]

I agree… it really is like a ZS10 2.0 but even with the bass switches all boosted it still sounds like the 6 has more bass… but the 10 2 still sounds amazing and I like the treble energy as it’s usually not too sibilant.

It's amazing as long as you like the brighter signature ahah. For me I just had to turn the switch off and use a tip to further cut it slightly and all is good. I can listen to this for hours without much issue.

Though I wonder if there are tips that can increase mids and reduce highs. Wanna try rolling more tips in the near future for this.

 

[OceanOfLight]

It's amazing as long as you like the brighter signature ahah. For me I just had to turn the switch off and use a tip to further cut it slightly and all is good. I can listen to this for hours without much issue.

Though I wonder if there are tips that can increase mids and reduce highs. Wanna try rolling more tips in the near future for this.

Compared to other tips, foam tips tend to boost frequencies in the 3k to 5.5k range while reducing peaks in the 6k to 9k area. Personally, I’m not a big fan of foam tips due to their fit, but they should achieve exactly what you’re looking for.

An image for reference from MD Jacques’s video on the ZS10 PRO 2:

Here's the link if you want to check the review (English subtitles are available):

Spoiler

 

[r31ya]

It's amazing as long as you like the brighter signature ahah. For me I just had to turn the switch off and use a tip to further cut it slightly and all is good. I can listen to this for hours without much issue.

Though I wonder if there are tips that can increase mids and reduce highs. Wanna try rolling more tips in the near future for this.

usually i use Final-E eartips to increase mid and reduce high

 

[tassardar]

Compared to other tips, foam tips tend to boost frequencies in the 3k to 5.5k range while reducing peaks in the 6k to 9k area. Personally, I’m not a big fan of foam tips due to their fit, but they should achieve exactly what you’re looking for.

An image for reference from MD Jacques’s video on the ZS10 PRO 2:


Here's the link if you want to check the review (English subtitles are available):

Spoiler

Foam tips do

usually i use Final-E eartips to increase mid and reduce high

yup I use final audio E tips. I think Xelastics are better since final audio do make it a touch dull after reducing the upper mid frequencies