[teesui]

I think KZ realized how terrible the reception was when it comes to plastic seam on the ZS5, so they stepped it up a bit. There are some nice differences compared to Andromeda and they should have gone a lot further to differentiate themselves. Now the seam looks amazingly precise on the "KZ6", open back will probably give us better sound and less isolation, metal screw heads are a big NO from me, it's already way too similar to Andromeda, same goes for color (imagine this in dark red or orange).
Nice to have all of this info so early, including the price which looks to be phenomenal. A month from the release, these will cost around 25$, maybe even less.

These would look gorgeous in matte black. good contrast with the grille.

 

[jant71]

I love it! Go all the way! Screws and the color. We don't have to imagine in the red...

...cause red is still a Campfire color

 

[vladstef]

Didn't know about red CA iem. It's beautiful, less glare and more matte finish would be even better, perhaps even slightly darker. Oh well, the shape is perfect for so many colors, can't go wrong unless you do mustard yellow.

 

[HungryPanda]

The do look rather nice

 

[Saoshyant]

Managed to get any suggestions? Im curious myself, got a clone off taobao and they sound muddy, and just bad. Not sure which are the good ones out there. Hold on, Im not sure if talking about this here is legal. hmm

No response from @SomeGuyDude or @Vidal yet, but I do hope they offer some suggestions when they get a chance.

 

[Vidal]

not sure why they keep knocking off the andromeda design, which isn't particularly ergonomic or comfortable.

as an aside i just received the zse, which i must have drunk-ordered awhile ago and forgot about--first impressions are inessential but a lot of fun; sort of a smaller-scale zs3. will post detailed impressions on vidal's site.

I'm playing catch up since my holiday but will get the ZSE done next.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

Interesting, the IE800 is honestly about as close to my perfect sound sig in IEM form I've owned so far. It's also remarkably comfortable, probably the easiest for a proper fit/seal I've ever had too. My only complaint is lack of detachable cable. @SomeGuyDude @Vidal Would you two mind making a suggestion for your favorite IE800 clones? I'm kind of curious about the gap myself.

Augh, sorry man, I don't have any experience with 'em directly. I'm still looking for one to give a shot to, myself.

 

[Saoshyant]

I wonder if that rule would make earbuds quite difficult to deal with here given the tendency to use MX500, Yuin & similar shells.

 

[HungryPanda]

Got these today and am liking their sound: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/201...32821104494.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.y78EPT

 

[Holypal]

As lazy as the design can be, apparently naming is lazy too where KZ is gonna name it KZ ZS6 lol. I asked for detailed specs, but they kept it secret so it's unknown at the moment, but 1 thing for sure is it's also 2 DD + 2 BA, 4 drivers perside configuration. It's likely a metal reshell which KZ told me earlier this month. It's expected to be available by end of the month but take my word with a grain of salt coz last i said that about ZS5, it took even much longer than was expected (about a month i guess ?) So let's wait and see. If the grill at the faceplate is not cosmetic, it's likely the sound will be different. Not to mention the metallic shell affects the sound too in a certain way. It will be priced at 299yuan retail in China but you know gearbest always price KZ cheaply so i wonder how low it'll go..

They're lazy but they're smart tho. 1st the ZS5 looks like Andromeda so they changed the material to plastic and the colour. Now that it's green and metallic so they put the open back design. It's so so so lazy, but well it's gonna appeal to more lay people like me who can't afford an Andromeda even with a year's salary. 3rd world problem lol

Wow, very very interested. With metal shell, I hope they can design better inner structure, not just glue the 4 drivers inside.

 

[ryokun]

What's some good and cheap portable dac/amp to get for zs5? Using it on my android phone (oneplus 3)

 

[I2ecreate]

I just got a pair of KZ XS5's in the mail!

My previous iem's were Xiaomi Piston 2's. I owned them for about 2 years before one side started to die, which is damn long considering I abused the heck out of them. They impressed me due to the price and durability compared to American manufactures so I sought after another pair of chinese iem's - this time with a bit more sound quality attached. The KZ XS5's seem to fit the bill with what type of music I listen to (rock, rock and more rock) and had a detachable cable so I can replace them if they crap out.

First impressions are that the build quality is okay. Not as nice as the Piston 2's due to the plastic housing, but I'm going to be more careful with these anyways. Maybe it's a good thing these are plastic to reduce the weight... they're huge! My ear shape is a bit odd so comfort was a worry due to the XS5's odd shape, but after wearing them for an hour or so it hasn't been an issue. I also love the over the ear wires, feels more secure to my ears. Reviews were right in saying the included tips kind of suck. Are there any recommendations for what I should replace them with?

I'm waiting for my Benji X1's to come in the mail so I only have my Samsung Note 5 as a source, but I can definitely say the sound blows the Piston's out of the water. I'm not a hardcore audiophile by any means, I just love rock concerts so I try to chase what rock concerts would sound like at home on a stereo system and now iem's for portability. I can definitely say I'm addicted to cheap iem's as a poor college student though.

 

[vector84]

Reviews were right in saying the included tips kind of suck. Are there any recommendations for what I should replace them with?

The stock starlines start out pretty ridiculously stiff and uncomfortable straight out of the box but are quite wonderful with a bit of break-in. (and they sound quite nice imo)

Comply T400 / T500 are pretty popular for the ZS5 - tames the highs a bit iirc.
Spinfits and spiral dots come up occasionally.

And worth throwing out there — not a lot of love for Symbios on the ZS5 but I find them pretty handy when I need more isolation (not a fan of foams personally).

If you're looking for more options try searching the KZ thread

 

[CYoung234]

The stock starlines start out pretty ridiculously stiff and uncomfortable straight out of the box but are quite wonderful with a bit of break-in. (and they sound quite nice imo)

Comply T400 / T500 are pretty popular for the ZS5 - tames the highs a bit iirc.
Spinfits and spiral dots come up occasionally.

And worth throwing out there — not a lot of love for Symbios on the ZS5 but I find them pretty handy when I need more isolation (not a fan of foams personally).

If you're looking for more options try searching the KZ thread

I use and like Symbios W size small on mine, and personally feel I get the best sound so far using them.

 

[skeej]

Reviews were right in saying the included tips kind of suck. Are there any recommendations for what I should replace them with?

As long as they fit your ear canals you are fine. For me (and many others) the fit is terrible with the stock starlines. When I move my jaw I already lose a great amount of sealage and I have to readjust the ZS5s with my hands to get a proper seal again. For me T400 tips (memory foam) work and sound really great. They're a bit of a hassle to initially get in your ear, but that's a minor disadvantage that doesn't outweigh the positives. I just recently received my Spinfit tips and am trying those. They make putting the ZS5s in your ear way easier compared to the T400s. Seem to keep a seal pretty well too. I feel like I liked the sound better with the T400 tips, but it's a bit early to judge.