At first, I thought the KZ Zenith was just another 1DD model from KZ, but after looking into the new driver information, I found it quite interesting. I hope you'll do a full review for KZ Zenith.
@@PaulWasabii I don't understand why BLON would try to reinvent (/adjust) the wheel, when the original essentially changed the IEM world to the betterment for us all. Lightning usually doesn't strike twice-just saying...
Merry Christmas to all! Comparing your video (approx. 40th sec.) with my original BL03 set, it is obvious beyond any doubt that the version II has significantly longer nozzles than the original one. This fact probably escaped your attention. Even this lengthening doesn't improve their seating comfort when directly compared?
Wished they omitted the switches or gave the option without them. This seems like the one 1DD set they put out that had actual driver innovation paired with a tuning that matches it perfectly. I mean, I actually genuinely like this direction they're taking with this one. A little hopeful but, would like them do a more premium $85-100 metal-shelled warm, smooth, resolving larger-diameter 1DD set w/o switches; i.e. their version of a 2-pinned FD15 😁
hey Paul review The Tanchjim Bunny also measure the frequency graph with the vent closed & also opened meshfilter of nozzle, i want to see the frequency response difference 9:52
they do track pretty closely generally, could be just a coupler/setup difference. same general reduction in bass/lower mids, and then a significant peak in the upper treble that wasn't in the original bl03. Also just checked some other graphs from PW and HBB and HBB's graphs do show that rise in the upper treble sometimes that isn't present in PW's graphs. Could be coupler resonance is higher up in HBB's setup.
Good question, I am not sure KZ has tweaked the shell. I am just not sure if D-Fi was the same as Polaris, just all metal. I also don't have my D-Fi handy.
how is the soundstage of KZ Zenith, and how big of a difference is between the soundstage of KZ Zenith and KZ Sonata(I know it's almost triple the price) but I still want to know this to decide if it's worth going directly for the Sonata or not? Soundstage is my biggest priority, next is detail retrieval. Or if there's something else you'd suggest me for sounstage or detail retail around 150ish dollars?
Most of the recent KZ sets stage similarly as they have similar treble shapes and removed the peaks. You can buy EDC Pro and try it. The one that always got me on stage was Hype 2. I am sure Hype 4 is a bit better, but Hype 2 stages quite large.
@@PaulWasabii that's great. When you review it let us know how big of a difference there is in the overall bass quality and quantity. How much finally it changed. The difference in driver quality. Good stuff.
Which iem currently has the best dynamic driver irrespective of price? Is there currently a better dynamic driver in the market that is not implemented in any of the mainstream iems but available to DIYers?
Most of the time, I agree. The mid-upper switches don't do much in-ear. On Zenith where you just get 3 subbass levels, that will appeal more to people who want to try a bit less bass than Harman. Some chance they will offer a no switch version also. They have done that a few times.
Excellent explanation. 👌 Zenith looks very similar to the way I EQ EA500. Are they side grades in terms of techs? Or is Zenith the next step in driver technology? Thanks
If I was EQ'ing, I might take EA500LM over EA500. With no EQ, I would take Zenith and use the switches. My gut says EA500LM is closer to Zenith but I tend to like KZ's bass more. That isn't Simgot's thing. I just think EA500LM driver was a bit better than EA500, but also a chance that EA500 EQs better.
I haven't heard ZVX Pro yet but I would also say that ZVX had a similar BLON BL03 II treble peak/resonance that bothered me more than other people. For a while, KZ was doing exactly what I said, leaving the upper treble quite boosted and it eventually fatigues me. I also think ZVX Pro if it was tuned by the same folks who did recent sets, Pro will work better for me.
I wonder how the Zenith compares to ZVX Pro? Or even Saga Balanced? The ZVX pro is an astounding upgrade to the original… very detailed and cleaner in the mids and treble, but compared to the Saga Bal, it can sound dry. The Saga is so musical in a .. liquid way. Wonder if the Zenith is the best of both worlds?
That is going to be a tough one. Most the KZ recent sets have been tuned really well, but I think KZ held this driver for Zenith. I don't know for sure. As I said, not everyone will be willing to pay for Zenith, they will be perfectly happy with ZVX Pro or other recent one.
It seems KZ finally realized that multi-BA drivers can't compete with the dynamic drivers they'd made with much care. So they changed the price tag now.
You said, 'for all BA sets,' AS24'.. Not the AS24 pro? Not the Sonata? I need an all BA set. Thanks. Btw I am ordering this Zenith now, I have bought ZVX pro and PRX, and they are grand, looking forward to see what KZ will give us for a $50 single DD.. Autocoherence! Yippee!
AS24, AS24 Pro, Sonata are mainly tuning preferences, I don't know if there are any design changes as they are all using the 3d printing tubes. That was the big change from the previous all BA.
@PaulWasabii Right, ok, Thanks.. Ya they had that sort of monobloc with all the BA's stuck in it..is there any difference in these BA's, really, with the black ones with the 's' suffix they were using for a while?
KZ has come quite a long way from where they were just 2-3 years ago. What i find fascinating is, while most brands focus more on new materials tech(Lithium, Beryllium, Aluminum-Magnesium, DLC, etc...) on their DD diaphragm, KZ seems to focus more on the engineering of the physical structure of the DD itself rather than the composition of the materials used. Which is also, i think, part of the reason how they are able to keep the price affordable or "bang for your buck".
@notenjoying666 It was mediocre at best, a couple years back. But considering the price, most are willing to look past that. But it has improved recently though. Chifi qc is what it is; it's like taking a roll of the dice. Now, if you want really terrible qc for the price their asking for their IEMs, Moondrop has taken this distinction in the last 2 years. Almost every Moondrop release in the last 2 years, including their totl sets, would have some serious qc issue popping up just a couple months after the release. There's even an expression now, whenever another qc issue with a Moondrop set comes up, "It's just Moondrop being Moondrop." Hehehe...
KZ does do material work but they focus more on measurable performance characteristics or design. The Zenith marketing has more of that than previous models. I think they stay out of the material game because they know that is a very variable marketing idea. Which CNT has more carbon.
@@PaulWasabii Agree. KZ always highlights their IEM's performance. I guess, in the end, that's what really matters. What's the use of having the latest in materials tech innovation if the IEM sounds crappy at best.
Guys hear me out for a sec. I just saw this video and wanted to share that i really hope that they managed to keep the timbre what many of us thinks makes the BL03 so special and different to other iems regardless of price for years. I owned or listened many headphone and iem some of them are like considered to be high end end game stuff including HD800S, HD600, HD660S, IE900, IE200, DT1990 Pro, DT990 Pro and countless of chi-fi iems like Fiio FH3, Moondrop Aria, Tin T2 & T3+ but in the end i sold most of them because the technicality doesn't guarantee that you will not just like but "love" the timbre and sound of an iem or headphone. What i'm keeping in my collection today includes Shure KSE1500 (which i recently bought and stopped the iem game, it's a real end-game technical performance which is just not comparable to any other high end in ear stuff no matter the price), Timeless AE (good price to performance with fast driver and a well tuned overall balance but needs some EQ to sound natural), Hzsound Heart Mirro (not the Pro, the OG one which has the same dynamic driver Blon BL03 uses so the timbre is just as natural and lively) and of course i have 2 Blon BL03 (i had 3 but traded one of them recently) one gunmetal color which i've been using since 2020 for literally everyday and it's still perfectly working other than it's paint chipped because of the drops on the hard surface many times and a purple BL03 as my backup set today. 2020 production has a bit warmer bass so better note weight compared to other ones i bought recently but has the same magical "something" in their tuning which i can not get from ANY OTHER iem nor headphone... They just can not give you the magical, emotional, natural feeling of what BL03 gives even with some heavy a..s EQ experiments on different iems and headphones. I managed to get almost identical tunings with heavy EQing on different stuff just to hope i may get a better technical performance with a better iem while keeping that naturality BL03 offers but i just can not get that what does BL03 the BL03... It still is my daily iem for casual use like watching something, playing game, talking in discord etc. It's just have that perfect effortless natural sound. And i want to also share that it's easily the most comfortable iem i've ever used in my life even when compared to the stuff which gets praises by being comfortable like the IE900 or this Shure iems... BL03 has a shell which is almost like a custom molded shell for my ears idk... And after seeing it with a black coating in it's revision 2, i don't have any other chance but buying a pair lol... If there anyone else thinking the same things like me, please share what other stuff you tried and find just as natural and "emotional" sounding like the BL03 if you ever find any. My hands still goes grabs my BL03s from the drawer, not the KSE1500, not the Timeless AE, and definitely wouldn't grab the overpriced IE900 too because i just don't want nor need to hear every miniscule detail in the music with those highly technical sets. That doesn't really attracts me to be able to hear the song with a microscope like my KSE1500s, if i don't enjoy the sound and getting that goosebumps everytime my favorite band hits that punch line in the song (i'm looking at you Nirvana the man who sold the world, or R.E.M Losing my religion...) So having a highly technical set does offer you a "high quality" sound and time to time i go grab those iems and listen to things but that still doesn't make me find myself with my hands, feets or my head holding rythm of what i'm listening at that moment like i do with my BL03s... Thanks for the review Paul, i really appreciated for the sharing.
At first, I thought the KZ Zenith was just another 1DD model from KZ, but after looking into the new driver information, I found it quite interesting. I hope you'll do a full review for KZ Zenith.
The Zenith does look like a flagship, nicely designed.
I just received the PRX, and I really like it. Should I buy a Zenith as well? How are they different?
Yes I remember the fit issue wished they fixed it this time like the cable connection
The Legend BLON is back
Amazing 👏
Indeed. I never thought they would put out a BL03 v2
@@PaulWasabii
I don't understand why BLON would try to reinvent (/adjust) the wheel, when the original essentially changed the IEM world to the betterment for us all. Lightning usually doesn't strike twice-just saying...
Merry Christmas to all! Comparing your video (approx. 40th sec.) with my original BL03 set, it is obvious beyond any doubt that the version II has significantly longer nozzles than the original one. This fact probably escaped your attention. Even this lengthening doesn't improve their seating comfort when directly compared?
this thing is price right below EW300,
hows the sound compared to the tribid? bass amount, vocal thickness, and resolusion?
Wished they omitted the switches or gave the option without them. This seems like the one 1DD set they put out that had actual driver innovation paired with a tuning that matches it perfectly. I mean, I actually genuinely like this direction they're taking with this one.
A little hopeful but, would like them do a more premium $85-100 metal-shelled warm, smooth, resolving larger-diameter 1DD set w/o switches; i.e. their version of a 2-pinned FD15 😁
That Zenith sounds right up my alley, if I didn’t already have my FD15 lol. Glad people can enjoy such an experience at affordable prices tho
Yeah, FD15 is super nice
hey Paul review The Tanchjim Bunny also measure the frequency graph with the vent closed & also opened meshfilter of nozzle, i want to see the frequency response difference 9:52
Im completely confused vs HBBs graph. Looks like 2 entirely different iems to me.
HBB graph has treble for days, PW graph looks like unit variation of original 03.
they do track pretty closely generally, could be just a coupler/setup difference. same general reduction in bass/lower mids, and then a significant peak in the upper treble that wasn't in the original bl03. Also just checked some other graphs from PW and HBB and HBB's graphs do show that rise in the upper treble sometimes that isn't present in PW's graphs. Could be coupler resonance is higher up in HBB's setup.
Me too
It has been around a year and half I don't trust HBB !
No idea, but I'll check later.
Klean or Zenith?
That upper treble in the Zenith looks amazing. Do you think this Zenith shell is the same or different from the D-fi?
Good question, I am not sure KZ has tweaked the shell. I am just not sure if D-Fi was the same as Polaris, just all metal. I also don't have my D-Fi handy.
how is the soundstage of KZ Zenith, and how big of a difference is between the soundstage of KZ Zenith and KZ Sonata(I know it's almost triple the price) but I still want to know this to decide if it's worth going directly for the Sonata or not?
Soundstage is my biggest priority, next is detail retrieval.
Or if there's something else you'd suggest me for sounstage or detail retail around 150ish dollars?
Most of the recent KZ sets stage similarly as they have similar treble shapes and removed the peaks. You can buy EDC Pro and try it. The one that always got me on stage was Hype 2. I am sure Hype 4 is a bit better, but Hype 2 stages quite large.
I'm excited. I wanted a bass set like the original Blon.
I have the original and can't look at anything else...
_but I haven't tried anything else_
The original still sounds bassier but the II kept most of it.
@@PaulWasabii that's great. When you review it let us know how big of a difference there is in the overall bass quality and quantity. How much finally it changed. The difference in driver quality. Good stuff.
Which iem currently has the best dynamic driver irrespective of price?
Is there currently a better dynamic driver in the market that is not implemented in any of the mainstream iems but available to DIYers?
Why do they declare 128 decibels (KZ Zenith) if it says 110 decibels on the box???
But why all those damn switches!! Hate tunning switches, and all these for a single DD!?! Just tune them properly and shrink those bulky shells…
You nailed it! I can do with one switch that turns to 2 positions. But for a single DD at that price, really why though 😂
@@k.w5804Obviously for marketing
Most of the time, I agree. The mid-upper switches don't do much in-ear. On Zenith where you just get 3 subbass levels, that will appeal more to people who want to try a bit less bass than Harman. Some chance they will offer a no switch version also. They have done that a few times.
@@PaulWasabiiyes they sell cheaper with no switches😊
The castor bass had switches and were small. Switches can be good, they just need to be well implemented
Excellent explanation. 👌
Zenith looks very similar to the way I EQ EA500. Are they side grades in terms of techs? Or is Zenith the next step in driver technology?
Thanks
If I was EQ'ing, I might take EA500LM over EA500. With no EQ, I would take Zenith and use the switches. My gut says EA500LM is closer to Zenith but I tend to like KZ's bass more. That isn't Simgot's thing. I just think EA500LM driver was a bit better than EA500, but also a chance that EA500 EQs better.
Thanks 🙏
Like the new color but definitely wish it had a less weird form factor
Yes, that is the grail, the original BL03 sound in a different shell
Compared to the KZ Sonata, is the Zenith as detailed and technically capable?
Not quite, but most people will prefer Zenith tuning and DD timbre. Just the way it is. All BA sets typically attract people looking for all BA,.
Hi Paul knowing you dislike the ZVX but I own the ZVX og n waiting for your ZVX Pro review.
I haven't heard ZVX Pro yet but I would also say that ZVX had a similar BLON BL03 II treble peak/resonance that bothered me more than other people. For a while, KZ was doing exactly what I said, leaving the upper treble quite boosted and it eventually fatigues me. I also think ZVX Pro if it was tuned by the same folks who did recent sets, Pro will work better for me.
FR for kz zenith hasn't appeared on Squiqlink yet?
I wonder how the Zenith compares to ZVX Pro? Or even Saga Balanced? The ZVX pro is an astounding upgrade to the original… very detailed and cleaner in the mids and treble, but compared to the Saga Bal, it can sound dry. The Saga is so musical in a .. liquid way. Wonder if the Zenith is the best of both worlds?
That is going to be a tough one. Most the KZ recent sets have been tuned really well, but I think KZ held this driver for Zenith. I don't know for sure. As I said, not everyone will be willing to pay for Zenith, they will be perfectly happy with ZVX Pro or other recent one.
It seems KZ finally realized that multi-BA drivers can't compete with the dynamic drivers they'd made with much care.
So they changed the price tag now.
Doesn't KZ mean Knowledge Zenith? It's Knowledge Zenith Zenith.
Why does everyone hate switches? I think switches are a good factor to help with natural tuning. Is there any harm with the existence of switches?
You said, 'for all BA sets,' AS24'.. Not the AS24 pro? Not the Sonata? I need an all BA set. Thanks. Btw I am ordering this Zenith now, I have bought ZVX pro and PRX, and they are grand, looking forward to see what KZ will give us for a $50 single DD.. Autocoherence! Yippee!
AS24, AS24 Pro, Sonata are mainly tuning preferences, I don't know if there are any design changes as they are all using the 3d printing tubes. That was the big change from the previous all BA.
@PaulWasabii Right, ok, Thanks.. Ya they had that sort of monobloc with all the BA's stuck in it..is there any difference in these BA's, really, with the black ones with the 's' suffix they were using for a while?
oh, the naming. It's KZ Zenith to nobody can google it, I guess.
KZ has come quite a long way from where they were just 2-3 years ago.
What i find fascinating is, while most brands focus more on new materials tech(Lithium, Beryllium, Aluminum-Magnesium, DLC, etc...) on their DD diaphragm, KZ seems to focus more on the engineering of the physical structure of the DD itself rather than the composition of the materials used. Which is also, i think, part of the reason how they are able to keep the price affordable or "bang for your buck".
But kz qc is 🗑️🔥
😆👍
@notenjoying666 It was mediocre at best, a couple years back. But considering the price, most are willing to look past that. But it has improved recently though.
Chifi qc is what it is; it's like taking a roll of the dice.
Now, if you want really terrible qc for the price their asking for their IEMs, Moondrop has taken this distinction in the last 2 years.
Almost every Moondrop release in the last 2 years, including their totl sets, would have some serious qc issue popping up just a couple months after the release.
There's even an expression now, whenever another qc issue with a Moondrop set comes up,
"It's just Moondrop being Moondrop."
Hehehe...
KZ does do material work but they focus more on measurable performance characteristics or design. The Zenith marketing has more of that than previous models. I think they stay out of the material game because they know that is a very variable marketing idea. Which CNT has more carbon.
@@PaulWasabii Agree. KZ always highlights their IEM's performance. I guess, in the end, that's what really matters. What's the use of having the latest in materials tech innovation if the IEM sounds crappy at best.
@@TheRebelLion13
Imagine if KZ had the EM6L where the nozzles fell off constantly or broke in half.
Guys hear me out for a sec. I just saw this video and wanted to share that i really hope that they managed to keep the timbre what many of us thinks makes the BL03 so special and different to other iems regardless of price for years.
I owned or listened many headphone and iem some of them are like considered to be high end end game stuff including HD800S, HD600, HD660S, IE900, IE200, DT1990 Pro, DT990 Pro and countless of chi-fi iems like Fiio FH3, Moondrop Aria, Tin T2 & T3+ but in the end i sold most of them because the technicality doesn't guarantee that you will not just like but "love" the timbre and sound of an iem or headphone. What i'm keeping in my collection today includes Shure KSE1500 (which i recently bought and stopped the iem game, it's a real end-game technical performance which is just not comparable to any other high end in ear stuff no matter the price), Timeless AE (good price to performance with fast driver and a well tuned overall balance but needs some EQ to sound natural), Hzsound Heart Mirro (not the Pro, the OG one which has the same dynamic driver Blon BL03 uses so the timbre is just as natural and lively) and of course i have 2 Blon BL03 (i had 3 but traded one of them recently) one gunmetal color which i've been using since 2020 for literally everyday and it's still perfectly working other than it's paint chipped because of the drops on the hard surface many times and a purple BL03 as my backup set today. 2020 production has a bit warmer bass so better note weight compared to other ones i bought recently but has the same magical "something" in their tuning which i can not get from ANY OTHER iem nor headphone... They just can not give you the magical, emotional, natural feeling of what BL03 gives even with some heavy a..s EQ experiments on different iems and headphones. I managed to get almost identical tunings with heavy EQing on different stuff just to hope i may get a better technical performance with a better iem while keeping that naturality BL03 offers but i just can not get that what does BL03 the BL03... It still is my daily iem for casual use like watching something, playing game, talking in discord etc. It's just have that perfect effortless natural sound. And i want to also share that it's easily the most comfortable iem i've ever used in my life even when compared to the stuff which gets praises by being comfortable like the IE900 or this Shure iems... BL03 has a shell which is almost like a custom molded shell for my ears idk... And after seeing it with a black coating in it's revision 2, i don't have any other chance but buying a pair lol... If there anyone else thinking the same things like me, please share what other stuff you tried and find just as natural and "emotional" sounding like the BL03 if you ever find any. My hands still goes grabs my BL03s from the drawer, not the KSE1500, not the Timeless AE, and definitely wouldn't grab the overpriced IE900 too because i just don't want nor need to hear every miniscule detail in the music with those highly technical sets. That doesn't really attracts me to be able to hear the song with a microscope like my KSE1500s, if i don't enjoy the sound and getting that goosebumps everytime my favorite band hits that punch line in the song (i'm looking at you Nirvana the man who sold the world, or R.E.M Losing my religion...) So having a highly technical set does offer you a "high quality" sound and time to time i go grab those iems and listen to things but that still doesn't make me find myself with my hands, feets or my head holding rythm of what i'm listening at that moment like i do with my BL03s... Thanks for the review Paul, i really appreciated for the sharing.
D: the same damn bore size.... ughhh!!
Yeah, it brought back memories