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Read more at updated linkReview since mods reminded me I can't post pictures without any elaboration.This is my first review so bear with any shortcomings please! I have had countless advice from many KZ owners that I can't fully keep track of, but I should definitely credit our common space the KZ thread.
I know that many people have different view on the same IEMs due to fit, preferences, production flukes etc so if there are different view I want to clarify I'm not rejecting them, just adding my own for everyone to consider and interpret:)First things first, my music preferences and purchase background:I listen to almost anything except heavy metal. Currently I favour pop with a EDM/house twist (Ellie Goulding, Flo Rida, Robin Schulz), vocals (Sara Bareilles, Jackie Evancho, Pixie Lott), jazz (Hiromi, Nikki Yanofsky, Steve Gadd, Keiko Matsui), musicals and soundtracks (even Frozen?!) and classical music.Given this range it is horrid finding good cheap earphones due to the wide gamut. Flat signatures are incredibly boring to listen to and sometimes do not do justice to the music anyway, while fun signature don't fit all my tastes. I was tiring of the one-dimensional, mid-centric approach (albeit smooth and singable vocals) my Aurvanas gave and wanted some of the kick of my Ultimate Ears models without the kind of boomy rubbish bass some expensive brands offer. Totally by chance, I stumbled on the KZ thread (link on top) and there it went!Testing was done primarily with my Fiio M3 playing primarily 320k MP3s and FLAC files, occasionally on my ThinkPad via MusicBee ASIO4ALL/WASAPI on stock sound card.
For now I will just summarise: ease to drive is about average (33% volume is about enough on the commute with the M3) and not too sensitive (so I won't get background hisses in a quiet room).Sound:Let's get to the elephant in the room, they sound really good! After UE discontinued cheap models like the 200-600 it was really difficult to get a fun yet controlled signature. But here we are! Written with about 20 hours of burn in (for those who believe in it but I'll get to that later).Bass - Not enough for a basshead, too much compared to things like Etymotics. I found them similar to my UE400/500, in that the presence is definitely strong.
Overall it is controlled but depending on some tracks, it can boom too much. I don't specifically look out for sub-bass as my ears only pick out notable things, but suffice to say sub-bass should be fine as I don't have issues of mids being drowned out. For me coming from my past earphones I have EQed down the bass just by one notch.Mids - Average but in a good way.
No smooth lushness of my Aurvana BAs but they do what they need to do. I wouldn't call it forward but they are more present than some more extreme v-signature IEMs. In orchestral string lines they aren't the lushest around, but it presented no unnatural elements (unlike cymbals) which allowed it to pass for listening.Treble - Extension is decent. Somehow manages to be sparkly without being sibilant, which I like.
My instrumental music cannot do with hiding treble just because of sibilance. One of the less grainy trebles compared to other KZs. Only criticism is that cymbals due to sparkliness sound a tad artificial. Funny thing is other than cymbals female vocalists etc. Sound fine to my ears. But this is really nit-picking and I have not heard natural cymbals from many IEMs that are not TOTL.Soundstage and signature - I have too few earphone tests to try out, but soundstage definitely wasn't offensive. It felt like the width was average but the instruments were playing from a small distance, definitely not a in-your-face approach.
Signature is v-shaped. Can't test the frequencies but a more pronounced bass boost than the treble (if at all). This leads to a generally warm feeling on stock cables.After a few days of listening I didn't detect major differences in sound. I personally believe that burn in is neither all-important not fiction.
There is burn in but not so much so you have to take extreme measures. I listened to my music, ran some pink/white noise back at home when free/remembered to, and just took care not to blast the volume too loud.
KZ recommends 5mins to multiples of 20hrs depending on which manual/product page you see so take it easy and chill:) These earphones are pretty detailed. Someone mentioned hearing singers' breath sounds but I didn't feel that big a difference. I did enjoy a little bit of added touches like drum brushes and other graduated actions which might not be obvious unless listening in a quiet place.Build quality, ergonomicsThese are cheap IEMs they are alright for the price. No fatal flaws for my set though some have sworn by buying multiple sets in case. The shell pieces could be joined more closely, but the only issue I had was a loose nozzle filter than threatened to drop into the sound tube. Thankfully it is only an issue when swapping earbud tips (will explain why below why so much swapping is needed.)Average is starting to become overused but for lack of a better word, the removable cable connectors are average.
Not loose but not the tightest/most secure around.Shape is like it or hate it. It is not a flush design and the shape doesn't fit all perfectly, although KZ's Chinese press kit claims they averaged out the ear dimensions of the general population.
They worked ok for me, but some had to take ages with tip swaps to achieve something decent. This shape also limited the sound isolation of the IEMs, slightly below average.All KZ cables (stock and upgrade) have a thin memory loop over the ears. Currently I find them irritating to mould but that's only because I came from Aurvanas without memory cables. Branded ones from other companies definitely are easier to mould and use than these, but all get the job done.
I iwill continue monitoring but I have noticed that in spite of the over-ear wearing there is still some microphonics. Adding a tie further up the y-split is what I'm doing to reduce it for now.I cannot emphasise more but trying different tips (compulsory for all IEMs anyway) is very important for the ZS3 to avoid messing up the sound signature and regarding it as a waste of cash. Really sensitive to fitting here.I am leaving out an unboxing section as the box is super small and super simple. IEMs, separate cable, separate tips, instruction cards. The box is around the size of cigarette case.Tweaks:As hinted by the sound signature and ergonomics, many users have had their tweaks. When writing this I haven't gotten much addons except the KZ silver-coated copper upgrade cable so I will share what I know.Most important change you should consider is getting the 10USD silver cable. Swapping it is easy due to the connectors, just look out for right and left.
Tried them and noticed indeed the sound became clearer, slightly less warm and the signature leveled out. The bass was less strong and the trebles were a tad smoother. Of all these changes I must frankly admit the most obvious two are the clearer sound and the less strong bass.
This make the resolving detail another step better than the Shure SE215 I demoed and never liked for its muddiness despite good efforts for a smooth likeable sound. So long as the price is within budget go for it. Love professional look from the braided cable too (although some suggest getting the ATR instead with the same money, read the KZ thread).For the sceptics who do not believe in cable upgrades, I thank @CoiL for his measurements. They explain why I am hearing a difference. The issue is that the stock cable while durable is so meh that a simple cheap replacement will already improve sound, unlike branded cables with a much smaller improvement compared to each other.Next is earbuds. Many people have tried changing around for better fit and sound.
For me fit is not an issue but I have widebore tips and KZ star tips on order to hopefully dial in the bass a bit more for my mixed music collection and will update again.ComparisonsI had the fortune of demoing other KZ sets and one unlucky Senfer 4in1 from my local contact who brings them in for resale. Not sure about the burn in but I am sure they are accurate as they are roughly in line with others' comments.
All comparisons were done in stock form (tips and cables)ATR: Basically a lower-energy, more laid back approach to the ZS3. Other than less (but still prominent bass) it is similar to the ZS3 for mids and highs. Key difference is bass and soundstage. Bass is less but arguable a bit tighter than the ZS3.ATE/ATES: Don't bother, they are the predecessor of the 2016 ATR which tightened up the bass and smoothened the original's grainy treble.ED12: This Amazon review sums it up the best honestly so read it. Particularly the W signature which is effectively ATR with boosted mids and treble too.
Some have criticised the ED12 heavily, they may be right but I suspect it is again fit issues like the ZS3. The ED12 honestly was closest to my mid-centric Aurvanas but I decided on the ZS3 as overall the signature sounded more engaging for my music.ZST: ZST is a very difficult IEM to compare and review. I am waiting for my set to arrive but the one I demoed had a split personality. The bass was a bit boomier than the ZS3 yet treble was smooth and clean due to the BA, which affected coherence especially on instrumental jazz tracks.
The treble is definitely the best quality of the whole bunch just that the signature was just weird. Rumour has it they sound comparable or better than the ZS3 with burn in (urgh not again) and silver cables (urgh more money spent) so I have given in to temptation and ordered them for the 11/11 sale. Really appreciate treble that is present yet not irritating (that's why I play the viola not violin too HAHA)I think ZS3 has the widest soundstage then ATR and ED12 roughly the same. Don't quote me on soundstage as usually I pay more attention to sound in terms of what frequencies are emphasised. ZST is excluded as the split personality just messes with my head in stock form.Senfer 4in1: Too bad for Senfer the contact had one set on him.
So much more coherent than the ZST I didn't know how many BA/DDs there were. BUT the treble was a no-go. More grainy AND sibilant than the ATE (which is the grainiest KZ I heard). Barring fit and production flukes I wrote this on off.
Like ZST in stock form, no point having coherent signature 80% of the time but 20% keeps messing up your music you listen to.ConclusionOverall, the ZS3 is really good for the money. Most issues I had were resolvable, particularly in sound where there are mods available and the bass of the ZS3 appears to be responsive to some EQing. Other than a slightly unnatural/grainy treble (ONLY cymbals) which can't really be EQed (at least on my Fiio) and is really only a very small problem, it is an engaging signature to listen to music with. Build is also acceptable and allows you to get one of the cheapest over-ear IEMs with removable cables around. Surprising thing I enjoyed is despite being cheap and consumer oriented in sound they still let you be analytical when you wish (picking out cymbals and recording noises). A great replacement to the entry/mid level UE sound I have not heard as my UE earphones started dying from poor reliability.
Now they will probably last me till I make the jump to CIEMs or IEMs like the UE900s, which is praise enough.I spent very brief listening sessions and definitely they are more worth it than the Sennheiser Momentum In-ears, A-Jays, Mee M6Pro (too v-shaped and tip sensitive), Shure SE215 (MUDDY), Audio-Technica IM-70 (overhyped less muddy SE215). So far the only other appealing signatures I have heard are the Aurvanas I used to own (if you can accept less bass) and the Audio Technica ATH E-40 (great sound that is more balanced and controlled and extended than the ZS3, to me the best value in the entire ATH IEM range). So if you are on a low budget, stick with the ZS3s.
Kz Upgrade Cable Review
The only other exception I would have considered is getting the 100USD ATH-E40s if I had the money.Can't emphasise the importance of finding a good fit and not obsessing over burn in before judging earphones!! Learnt that the hard way with my Aurvanas where I only discovered its bass after 9 months and heard it only for 3 months. Also, average is not a bad thing.
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It is rare to have cheap earphones that give sound that you can't find fault with. Coherent overall signature makes particularly instrumental music sound much better than imbalanced sound (e.g. Good bass poor treble).