TKZK Wave

An overview of TKZK Wave hybrid headphones, and a small life hack on how to smooth out the excessive brightness of the model.​

Hello friends! Those who have been in the topic of portable audio for a long time know how inexpensive hybrid and even dynamic headphones can sound extremely bright. Using the example of two models of headphones, the hybrid TKZK Wave and the dynamic Reecho SG-03 Star Gate, Maxim and I will show how you can smooth out the peaks at high mids and high frequencies by means of simple damping, but first I propose to talk a little about the hybrid model of the TKZK headphones wave.

Specifications:​

Driver type: dynamic, dual voice coil + custom balanced armature
Impedance: 22 ohm
Sensitivity: 110 dB/mW
Frequency response: 10Hz-40KHz
Body material: hypoallergenic resin
Connector: QDC 2Pin 0.75mm, 2pin
Plug: 3.5mm
Cable length: 1.2m±3cm
Cable material: high purity silver plated copper

Contents of delivery:​

The headphones come in a compact black cardboard box with a picture of the headphones, the manufacturer's logo and the model name. On the back of the package, we will see the technical characteristics of the model, the factory frequency response curve and the address of the company.

The delivery set of headphones for the budget is unpretentious and simple, it includes:

• Headphones with ear pads on
• Complete liquid and scary wire
• 3 pairs of spare wide nozzle soft silicone ear tips
• Velvet pouch for carrying headphones
• Paper documentation set

Headphone appearance:​

Headphones are a model made of hypoallergenic acrylic in the form of universal custom silver gray or blue. The face plates of the model copy those of FiiO armature headphones, and show something similar to waves.
The cases of the medium-sized model carry protruding 2Pin connectors on the top of the headphones, a long metal sound guide, and 2 compensation holes each, one of which is located directly above the sound guide, next to the channel markings on the inside of the headphone case, and the second is located at the bottom of the case devices.

Despite the very solid appearance of the protruding "fin" in the back of the model case, the headphones, thanks to the long sound guides, sit perfectly in my ears, and with prolonged use they practically do not cause a feeling of fatigue or discomfort.

Sound:​

To test the headphones, we used the Acmee MF02s player, the ES9318 portable DAC and the Meizu 16 smartphone.

In order to understand the essence of the necessary damping actions, I will first describe to you the sound of the TKZK Wave hybrid headphones in stock.

Despite the chamber used for the dynamic driver inside the headphone case, and the corresponding channel for sound output going from it to the sound duct, the reinforcing radiator, in turn, was placed directly inside the sound duct and inside this very sound channel, which naturally gave extremely strong distortions both at high- mid frequencies as well as high frequencies. The output sound is extremely bright, rough and unnatural. Low Frequencies, due to the specific and bright upper mids and high frequencies, are practically not felt. You don't hear or feel a kick of the bass drum, you practically don't hear the drum parts, not to mention any attacks and even decays. Mid Frequencies, calm, but only until the moment when the electric guitar plays, while listening to bright vocal parts is generally unbearable. In this case, it makes no sense at all to talk about any separation of instruments, separation. High Frequencies, in turn with an unnatural "metal ringing". Due to extremely sharp peaks at 4.5 - 8 kHz and beyond, you feel the whole spectrum of sibilants, dirt and other accompanying "pleasant" distortions.

What did Max and I do:

They removed the meshes from the sound ducts, and having found that the reinforcing radiator was almost flush with the edge of the sound duct, they glued one Tanchjim fabric filter from the inside of the mesh. Having put this design in place, we glued one more exactly the same fabric filter on top of the metal mesh.

In the end, we got already very listenable headphones, the graph of which with and without filters you can see above. I will try to tell you about the changes in the sound I hear:

In terms of sound, TKZK Wave has now become very similar to the hit CCA CRA budgets. Differences are more audible only at low frequencies, which are still larger and deeper in dynamic headphones.

Low Frequencies - after damping, they became not only audible, but acquired physicality, volume, and good speed with a very good elaboration. Now the bass of the headphones is punchy, biting and to some extent even textured.

Mid Frequencies - noticeably smoothed out, became calmer and more comfortable in the upper middle. Of course, the sibilants haven't gone away completely, no, no, they slip, but it happens more on low-quality recordings and can't be compared to what it was before the use of Tanchjim fabric filters.

High Frequencies - also noticeably smoothed out. The notorious peak at 8 kHz, of course, has not gone anywhere, but now this range is perceived not so sharply, the unnatural "metallic ringing" is also partially gone, and in general, high frequencies are perceived noticeably more comfortable and informative.

We did a slightly simpler damping (by gluing fabric filters only outside the sound guide mesh) with Reecho SG-03 Star Gate dynamic headphones, a review of which is on our channel.

Unfortunately, the graph of the amplitude-frequency characteristics of the headphones after damping has not been preserved, but I will try to briefly describe the changes in the sound of the model:

This is still quite emotional V-shaped sound, Low Frequencies are dense and massive with good working out in depth, but not very high speed. After applying fabric filters in this range, I did not hear any significant changes, but with the Mids, more obvious changes are already taking place, this is especially audible in the upper middle, which becomes much more comfortable, smoother and even, without sharp peaks, the notorious " dirt" and almost without sibilants. High frequencies are now also perceived as smoother, rounder and more natural.

Output:​

What is the result? Due to not entirely correct design solutions, in particular, the placement of a reinforcing radiator inside the sound duct of TKZK Wave hybrid headphones, and without proper damping, we get unbearably bright and sharp headphones at the output, which, without small dances with a tambourine, someone's mother and magic fabric Tanchjim filters are almost impossible to listen to. Almost the same can be said about Reecho SG-03 Star Gate dynamic headphones, and many other similar bright models.

You can buy TKZK Wave hybrid headphones and more in the great HiFiGo online store.

Buy Tanchjim Magic Cloth Filters from DD-Audio Store on AliExpress.

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