I was recently contacted by Justin from Status Audio who asked if I would be interested in providing an unbiased review of their newest Bluetooth in-ear monitor, the BT Transfer. This latest offering from the New York based company features Bluetooth 5.0 for superior range and improved connectivity as well as the AptX codec to provide
a SQ that rivals wired earphones along with 8 hours of play between charges. It also carries an IPX-5 water resistance rating. Have they succeeded? Let's take a look and a listen!





Packaging is not flashy but neatly contains a host of accessories to ensure the best fit and sonic performance.
The package includes the headphones, warranty card, instruction manual, a case that can hold not only the headphones but some tips and "wings", shirt clip, 3 pairs of silicone tips, and a short micro-usb charging cable.



Truly a complete package for a sub-$70 price.

Prior to discussing the actual performance of the Transfer, some construction details of interest include a dual-driver configuration with one 9 mm dynamic driver and one balance armature.




There are short stress-relief reinforcements at the earphone end as well as the microphone/switch. While the cables are somewhat thin, they should be more than adequate for the intended use. The microphone/switch has three buttons, labelled from top to bottom, +, O and -. The button labels are raised so it is quite easy to identify them by touch. The phones I received are gunmetal in color, however they are also available in a royal blue color.

Crucial to establishing a secure fit suitable for sports use are the included "wings". There are 7 pairs included of varying sizes and I quickly found a pair that fit the shape of my concha so well that it was impossible to dislodge the phones no matter how much I shook or twisted my head.





Status explains in their description of the BT Transfer that it is tuned differently than most of their competition at this price point in that they seek to put the emphasis on sub bass and low bass in the 20-100 hz range and avoid the mid-bass bloat that seems to be the more common tuning. This tuning does, in fact, provide a very solid foundation for the music and does eliminate the bloat that often intrudes into the vocal range.

On to the part that you have been awaiting! How do they sound? How solid is the connection? How easily do they pair?

I paired them with my FiiO M6, Shanling M0 and my HTC10 phone. In all cases, the phones showed up immediately as soon as I turned on my source Bluetooth and the phones. Pairing was immediate and I was able to move throughout my house without dropping a connection. One and sometimes 2 walls failed to effect a dropout.

The Transfer remembers the last paired device and reconnects immediately upon powering up the phones and is indicated by 2 beeps of rising tone. Tonally, I found the sound to be unfailingly excellent as my connections were always via AptX. Bass tuning did appear to be as stated by Status, with no mid-bass bloat noted with any of my musical selections.

Vocals were well-presented with both male and female sounding very believable, imaging was accurate and treble seemed to be quite well presented, not overly bright nor prematurely rolled off. I did try a variety of different genres, including acoustic, classical, and both male and female vocal. Pianos had weight, strings displayed accurate timbre and I noticed no sibilance or congestion in busy passages. Overall, I quite liked the overall SQ and found it to be much better than I had anticipated at this price point. Given the secure but yet comfortable fit provided by the "wings" and the very light weight, I could easily wear them for an extended period of time without fatigue, either sonic or physical.

I only made a few calls but everyone said my voice sounded no different than when I am using my cellphone.

Although I didn't time the charging, it seems to be very fast, certainly well less than an hour. I am surprised at the progress of Bluetooth technology, especially in such small devices as the BT Transfer.

I would have rated them higher than 4 stars except for the fact that I experienced some driver flex upon insertion of the left earpiece but none while playing and the fact that they still have a cable of sorts, with the microphone/switch hanging a few inches below my right ear.

If Status can bring to market a totally wireless Bluetooth IEM with this SQ that can play for at least 6 hours between charges, I will be the first in line!

If you are considering a Bluetooth IEM that stays securely in place, has a great SQ and 8 hours of play time and has an IPX-5 water resistance rating, the Status Audio BT Transfer should be on your short list!

For further information on other Status models as well as more detailed technical information, please visit their website: https://www.status.co/pages/shop

I received the ZS7 as a review sample of the latest offering by Knowledge Zenith. There were no implications that I should present anything but my unbiased impressions. This was an interesting listen for me as I have, in the past, owned a number of inexpensive Asian in-ear monitors but never one from KZ.

As there have been numerous unboxing photos posted in previous reviews of this phone, and also due to the fact that I am not the greatest photographer, I will forgo duplicating the item by item unboxing shots!

All listening impressions and opinions were garnered over the course of a week on and off sessions. All music was lossless, either FLAC or WAV.

Source equipment varied between the following gear, in no particular order.
Samsung Galaxy S5 using UAPP music player.
FiiO M6 DAP
iBasso DX50 DAP
iBasso DX200/Amp5
Pre Box S2 Digital DAC
Periodic Audio Nickel Amp

Overall packaging was appropriate for gear in this price range and comparable to that of other under $50 phones. Items were neatly arranged and presented an overall positive first impression.

Prior to first listen, I did try to find a suitable pair of tips from the included 3 pairs of silicon tips (S-M-L). Unfortunately, none of the 3 sizes yielded a secure fit with the necessary seal. I did resort to using tips from my stash that worked well with other phones of this general design.

Although the ZS7 is shaped and sized much like the CA Andromeda, I found myself having to adjust the positioning of the phones frequently. I am not sure why, as the Andromeda presented no fitment issues. I suspect that the metal housing might have the majority of their weight on the faceplate side as my movements seemed to loosen them depite my best-fitting tips. Although I began my tests using the included cable, I quick swapped it for several of my own cables as I intensely dislike memory wire! While different cables varied in their comfort, I could tell little difference, if any, in the audio performance.

I began my exploration of this inexpensive IEM with some sine sweeps. The overall profile seemed to indicate that the sub-bass and bass would be the star of the show. The mid-range frequencies seemed to be somewhat recessed in comparison to the bass, with a rise in the upper mids, close to where the female vocals would be heard. This was somewhat forward and when listening to several female vocalists did, in fact, tend toward some sibilance. Higher treble frequencies gradually rolled off making the ZS7 exhibit a moderate v-shaped tonal signature.

Moving on to music from my different sources, I found that my Galaxy S5 was more than capable of delivering satisfying levels of music. The enhanced bass of the ZS7 was, in fact, an asset as typically the early Samsung Galaxy phones were not noted for their bass performance.

I didn't notice a great deal of difference tonally as I moved through my various sources although the sound-stage was most expansive when paired with my DX200. No surprise there. Emphasis on bass does tend to narrow the soundstage as bass and sub-bass frequencies are far less directional than the higher audio frequencies. Given the ability to perform very well without additional amplification, the ZS7 makes a fine daily driver when out and about. The added bass emphasis helps overcome outside sounds making it great for commuting on buses or trains. Not so great for commuting via your bicycle!

I played a number of my favorite test files, including male and female vocals, acoustic, classical and electronic compositions. Although I don't listen to much rock, I always include the ubiquitous "Hotel California" by the Eagles.

Somewhat surprisingly, the ZS7 sounded best to me with orchestral and classical selections. The prominent sub-bass and bass lent a sense of weight to the music which I hear during live performances in a hall. Vocals seemed to be rather hit or miss as the emphasis on sub-bass and bass at times distracted from the vocalist. As the heart of most music typically resides in the mid frequencies, I would have preferred the mids to be more balanced. Maybe a touch less bass. Of course much of the apparent overemphasis of the bass can be the result of less than optimum mastering.

My only other Chinese IEM that I currently own and compared to the ZS7 is the CCA C10. Both are 5 driver hybrids, containing one dynamic driver and 4 balanced armature drivers. They are very different, both in build and in performance. The ZS7 is an all metal, very ruggedly built IEM with a prominent sub-bass and bass emphasis whereas the C10 has a lighter weight mostly acrylic build with a well-balanced SQ that serves as a great all-arounder. If one enjoys hard hitting but accurate bass and sub-bass, the ZS7 is the clear winner. If ones musical preferences lean more toward the acoustic or vocal genres, the C10 would likely prove more satisfying.

Overall, I am always amazed at the performance capabilities of the current crop of sub-$50 IEM's when compared to the performance of more expensive mainstream IEM's of only a few years past.

I happened across the Moondrop Kanas Pro while viewing some of the later offerings from the Asian IEM marketplace. The Kanas Pro captured my attention due to both the eye-catching finish as well as the fact that it contained a DLC (diamond-like carbon) dynamic driver similar to that used in the Campfire Audio Atlas.

While Moondrop is quite highly regarded in the Chi-Fi marketplace, I could find very little information on this model, only one review by a highly-regarded German audio reviewer. His comments were very flattering to the build and tuning and in fact, he ended up purchasing one. Given this impetus along with my lack of willpower, I placed my order through Aliexpress which at the time, was the only source for purchase. It now also available through Amazon.

As I mentioned in the description, there is a "lesser" model of the Kanas which has a brushed finish and a less reference tuning, with a noticeable increase in the bass frequencies. As I appreciate an uncolored SQ, I was not attracted to the Kanas, but went with the Pro, much to my ultimate satisfaction.

Delivery took about 2 weeks and arrived safely. Initial unboxing left me a bit underwhelmed as the box was a simple black cardboard box with several tips, none of which provided me with a suitable seal, a clip and a drawstring pouch, which, IMO, was not of a quality commensurate with that of the Kanas Pro. The 2-pin cable, however, is a very nice copper/spc braid which is quite soft and supple. There are no earhooks nor are they needed. The only thing I found missing was the lack of a chin slider.

Soundwise, I found this type of driver to require some hours of break-in to reach its full potential of smoothness and balance.
I typically use about the same handful of lossless files for my evaluations.
Female vocal
Male vocal
Solo piano
Full orchestra
Various acoustical favorites
Binaural Nature recordings
+ several other binaural recodings.

As I seldom listen to metal, hard rock or rap, I include none of those genres, as I am only interested in pleasing my ears.

My sources are DX200/Amp5, Nuansa P1/A1 combination and DX200 line-out to my Scherzo Andante transportable amp.

I found the Kanas Pro to have a very neutral overall sound but with excellent sub-bass where present. There is absolutely no warming coloration to male vocals and female vocals are rendered smoothly without sibilance.

Musical details are easily heard, even those so subtle that they are often missed in some of my other IEMs.

Soundstage is notable for its depth. Music is always in front rather than in the head. My most notable impression is that the overall performance is quite realistic, certainly suitable for monitoring if desired. Within a very short period of time, I completely forget that I am listening to IEM's, which is a high compliment indeed.

Isolation is good, but not at Ety level. I have head no driver flex at all. While they can best be described as a fairly good-sized IEM, the contoured shape should fit all but the smallest ears.

I consider them to be one of my favorites, which is flattering as I also own a custom MG5Pro along with the new CA Andromeda S.

Truly a remarkable device for $180 USD!