I have both Kima 2 and Zenith. Zenith is more dynamic and balanced, and Kima 2 is more laid back and musical. It’s hard to say which one I prefer, but I think I would take Kima 2 for the slower music and Zenith for stuff like rock or metal.
@@Ratchet98 I noticed some slight sibilance on my Kima 2. I suppose most people would call that texture but I'm particularly sensitive. How does the Zenith compare in that regard?
If you noticed it on Kima 2, I might avoid KZ in general. KZ in general has more energy in 7-8k range so if you are really sensitive to it, probably going to notice it. I will say Zenith is very good, but there is a slight peak in that area even on KZ's graph. You should try isolating and EQ'ing the area that annoys you. Its probably around that 7-8k area.
TNX Paul; your analysis made me order it in fact. I am thrilled, curious about hearing details in songs but also still a bit anxious about bass, lets see what happens in the end, at least probably better details retrieval than CCA Trio/KZ Saga bass...about 2 weeks until cargo.
This and the PRX are my go-to's for listening now. In my ears no 8k peak. Big big big Grand Canyon ear canals. Just different flavours of awesome. Maybe PRX for classical/acoustic/jazz kind of thing, Zenith for the less artsy stuff, but they both do everything very very well.
I just got the PRX recently and paired it to a 4.4 balanced cable and a budget balanced dongle and love its sound! Interestingly enough, I really like how it sounds on my chill electronic music, but it also sounds good on everything else too! Acoustic guitars are where it really seems to shine!Just a joy to listen with. Zenith looks like another great option and it sounds like you would agree 🙂
@@philipm.4738Yeah completely agree, and I use budget dongles as well, they cover the entire audible spectrum (and more..) with minimal distortion or noise, so they are perfectly fine if you just get one with enough power. My favourite minidongle is the Jcally JM20 Max. Feels like my teeth will fall out if I boost the sub bass..
@@attemarttinen I got the Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini with the balanced output because the extra power was recommended by a You Tube guy and it has helped me really enjoy the PRXs. I think it cost about $35 so didn't break the bank.
There's a feeling of change in the air for KZ with Zenith. They really dialed in that tuning very well; some might say it's boring, I personally think it was a welcome change. I totally agree, refined tuning paired to a more capable, more competent driver really does wonders. Wished it came with a switchless and/or 4.4mm option but as it is right now, it's a huge step up from KZ and I applaud them for it and for the great insight & review, Paul👏👏👏
I'll take safe on most days. What was the set that got the most safe and boring tag last year? I think Cadenza4. Also a great set for people who listen to music, not as much for people who just do reviews.
Maybe, but it will be normalized down to UUUD. It basically acts like a small gain boost across the whole range. I typically never enable it as it is for lower powered devices that just need a slight boost.
I am thinking of getting this as a replacement for my ZSN pro X Will this be good for traveling? Since i need that blocks noise from my environment well enough for me to think
For me, stage is a lot about balance and Zenith nails that. Its not artificially wide or high due to treble boosting. When KZ started smoothing treble peaks, the staging almost always got better.
So that is the $60 question, and I think Zenith is the biggest competitor to PRX. Being a planar fanboy and having bigger amps, PRX is better. For the majority of people, Zenith is a much better choice. Most people will take a nice 1DD set over any planar. If you don't know, the answer is Zenith. The tuning of Zenith is really well done.
IEMs like this kind of highlight why hybrids don’t really improve the sound as much as it just gives you a different flavor of sound. I have the KZ Libra X and the Saga and there’s something so coherent and smooth about them with a superbly balanced freq response. They are magical to my ears. And when I go back to my various hybrids (the Thieaudio Hype 4 with its dual DD, and 4 Sonion BAs for one), I hear distinct flavors of these drivers. They’re all very good but it has a tuning that doesn’t give you quite the smoothness of a well-tuned, high-quality DD. Even other hybrid IEMs I have have a unique sound but it’s like I’m hearing the best that these drivers can do but they’re all still different. I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with KZ but it’s really leaning to love with these new gen of single drivers and smooth tunings. I’m just not sure if adding other drivers are going to make it “better”.
Honestly, huge props to KZ with this super-linear driver! Still will poke to how they market it though 😅 Would this be better than KZ Saga or Saga Bass?
I have the Saga Bass and I found it quite bad in the treble and overbearing on the bass that muddied up the mids. So nothing really worked. Personally I find it is not in the same league as the Zenith. This is just my personal experience of course. I am sure there are a lot of Saga Bass lovers who will give me hell for this😂
Wonderful review. 💪 Not inclined to spend $50 on another 1DD set, but it sounds like a good set for someone starting out. It did piqued my interest enough to order EDC Pro. :) For less than $6 seems like a no brainier. Picked mine for $2.60. 🎉 Almost bought Klean, that was on sale for $36, but passed for the same reason. I will auto EQ EA500 for now. I think I'm getting new headphones next. Are you going to review the Kiwi Ears Division? That one and also the Fiio models recently released seem really interesting. Thanks
KZ needs to improve their QC. I got a KZ EDC PRO with Channel imbalance, replacement is on the way, hoping to get a good set without any QC problems. It's a good set but not at the level of Blon Bl03 in my short 2 days listening,before sending it for replacement.
Well to be honest, all of this is cheap chinese consumer gear, you will occasionally have a dud. I have about 15 sets of KZ and I've had one included cable DOA, otherwise they all work perfectly. Just saying so that once you get your replacement, you can have reasonable confidence it'll most likely be fine for a long time.
Owning several of the popular DDs this year, I would say nothing sounds quite like the driver in the 500lm. Not to say it's superior but it has a very distinct characteristic, almost buttery to my ears while still being bright.
Yes but the tuning is very different. EA500LM is a great driver too but too bright for most people, almost too technical. Zenith is more of a balance of musical and technical.
Depends on who you are, most people who prefer a technical well tuned 1DD over most hybrids. Ironically Zenith's biggest competition is KZ PRX for that reason. Hydro is really for people who want a DD+BA hybrid set. Everyone else will be happy with a Zenith.
Come on, KZ! Give us a better cable. The Zenith costs more than the Kefine Klean, but the Klean comes with a far superior cable, easily 50 times better than KZ cable!
Excellent review. They have advertised that the voice coil is much wider, 6.5mm, I think. KZ needs to burn in, always. I don't care if people get angry. I have ears. Very good ones.
@@justarandomguy2126 dms? Ok. What set did they use? Some need it some don't, it's NOT CONSISTENT. It's very easy for me to pick out any number of sets that are great right out of the box.
I thought about that. You are going to have to look at $100+ 1DD sets and that will come down to tuning. Zenith technically competes, just a matter of which tuning matches your preferences. KZ fans, the folks probably who will buy Zenith, are not weighing Zenith or Oxygen. Reverse is true too, no one says I was about to pick up Oxygen but went with Zenith. So I understand the curiosity, how good is it, but realistically people want to know if it's worth $30 more than another KZ set. .
Where are comparisons to competitors from other companies. Where is description of limitations compared to more expensive iems? If you just replaced kz with thieaudio everywhere it could easily be a thieaudio iem review. There is nothing to make of this review.
Why would this be a Thieauduo review. This is a KZ review. If you are trying to compare it to Thieaudio, it would be insufficient because Thieaudio does not sell any sub $100 iems besides some discontinued ones from years ago.
Paul talked in the review about how KZ released a single dynamic driver IEM that can show you what other $100 + single dynamic driver IEM’s from other companies can do. Another takeaway from this review is that more expensive single dynamic driver IEM’s can perform like hybrid IEM’s with balanced armatures, so take these things into consideration when you’re looking at how the Zenith might stack up against more expensive competition.
Sort of the point in your comment, the limitation is tuning, not technical. If you prefer U-shaped tuning, those $100+ DD sets will sound more revealing and thinner. Prefer the upper mids peaks on Oxygen for female vocals, Zenith flattened those and works on a lot more genres. That is the point though, you can't outright dismiss Zenith based on some other set is more resolving, but the tuning might be a better fit on another set. I remember all the people who said Falcon Ultra was better than Oxygen, that was nearly 100% tuning and preferences but I understand that people just want a simple answer.
@@NewDarkKnight Zenith is less V shaped, smoother and has less treble. Because of that, it sounds more balanced and right to me. Zenith also scales better with volume. When I would turn EA 1000 up, the treble started to get piercing.
Excellent review Paul. Very, very interesting set. KZ just keep getting better and braver.
Great review, thanks 👍. Excited about the new driver. KZ is stepping up the competition. A win for us consumers, looking forward into 2025.
Great review, thanks! These look very cool and I bet they sound great. Was thinking about ordering the Kima 2 but...
I have both Kima 2 and Zenith. Zenith is more dynamic and balanced, and Kima 2 is more laid back and musical. It’s hard to say which one I prefer, but I think I would take Kima 2 for the slower music and Zenith for stuff like rock or metal.
@@Ratchet98 I noticed some slight sibilance on my Kima 2. I suppose most people would call that texture but I'm particularly sensitive. How does the Zenith compare in that regard?
If you noticed it on Kima 2, I might avoid KZ in general. KZ in general has more energy in 7-8k range so if you are really sensitive to it, probably going to notice it. I will say Zenith is very good, but there is a slight peak in that area even on KZ's graph. You should try isolating and EQ'ing the area that annoys you. Its probably around that 7-8k area.
Just ordered KZ prx and fiio ka11 thanks for everything Paul I think this will be my end game set🤞
PRX is nice. Even with all the complaints on planars, they are still an amazing experience. Just push your vol + up a few clicks
TNX Paul; your analysis made me order it in fact.
I am thrilled, curious about hearing details in songs but also still a bit anxious about bass, lets see what happens in the end, at least probably better details retrieval than CCA Trio/KZ Saga bass...about 2 weeks until cargo.
From Trio, more of a gap because the tuning had changed too. Saga is closer. Those are nice sets for the price, Zenith is a different level.
This and the PRX are my go-to's for listening now. In my ears no 8k peak. Big big big Grand Canyon ear canals.
Just different flavours of awesome. Maybe PRX for classical/acoustic/jazz kind of thing, Zenith for the less artsy stuff, but they both do everything very very well.
I just got the PRX recently and paired it to a 4.4 balanced cable and a budget balanced dongle and love its sound! Interestingly enough, I really like how it sounds on my chill electronic music, but it also sounds good on everything else too! Acoustic guitars are where it really seems to shine!Just a joy to listen with. Zenith looks like another great option and it sounds like you would agree 🙂
@@philipm.4738Yeah completely agree, and I use budget dongles as well, they cover the entire audible spectrum (and more..) with minimal distortion or noise, so they are perfectly fine if you just get one with enough power.
My favourite minidongle is the Jcally JM20 Max. Feels like my teeth will fall out if I boost the sub bass..
@@attemarttinen I got the Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini with the balanced output because the extra power was recommended by a You Tube guy and it has helped me really enjoy the PRXs. I think it cost about $35 so didn't break the bank.
@@philipm.4738 It's probably perfectly fine :)
@@attemarttinen Yes and I'm older so probably my ears are less demanding in general 🙂
Thanks for the chat!
Well done kz
There's a feeling of change in the air for KZ with Zenith. They really dialed in that tuning very well; some might say it's boring, I personally think it was a welcome change. I totally agree, refined tuning paired to a more capable, more competent driver really does wonders. Wished it came with a switchless and/or 4.4mm option but as it is right now, it's a huge step up from KZ and I applaud them for it and for the great insight & review, Paul👏👏👏
I'll take safe on most days. What was the set that got the most safe and boring tag last year? I think Cadenza4. Also a great set for people who listen to music, not as much for people who just do reviews.
thanks paul.
Awesome review 👍
That thing is a tank for a 1dd. Could you upload UUUU setting on your squig if possible?
Maybe, but it will be normalized down to UUUD. It basically acts like a small gain boost across the whole range. I typically never enable it as it is for lower powered devices that just need a slight boost.
The upgrade cable is very nice indeed. Just got ot it on sale for $6. It pairs really well with the ZS12 Pro X, but even better on my CCA CRA.
Yep, I have a few of the blue/silver. I have one of the gold which they have yet to include on promotion or include.
@PaulWasabii I don't understand why KZ doesn't offer to bundle it with their sets for a few dollars more. It's leaving money on the table.
I am thinking of getting this as a replacement for my ZSN pro X
Will this be good for traveling? Since i need that blocks noise from my environment well enough for me to think
How is the Zenith's soundstage compared to Kefine Klanar, Truthear Hexa and Hidiz MP145?
Crazy how hexa is still pretty much relevant after all these releases, for a chifi that's impressive
For me, stage is a lot about balance and Zenith nails that. Its not artificially wide or high due to treble boosting. When KZ started smoothing treble peaks, the staging almost always got better.
I ordered it im very curious to hear it
Would you say that this is better than KZ PRX? Thanks!
So that is the $60 question, and I think Zenith is the biggest competitor to PRX. Being a planar fanboy and having bigger amps, PRX is better. For the majority of people, Zenith is a much better choice. Most people will take a nice 1DD set over any planar. If you don't know, the answer is Zenith. The tuning of Zenith is really well done.
@@PaulWasabii which has bigger shell? fit & comfort wise between prx & zenith? thanks
Waiting for their more complex, hybrid sets that hopefully use this driver ❤
Yep, not sure if they will do that or not yet.
@@PaulWasabii check for the new ZA12 Paul 2DD + 4 BA, and a new 1DD + 1 planar (Symphony pro)
IEMs like this kind of highlight why hybrids don’t really improve the sound as much as it just gives you a different flavor of sound. I have the KZ Libra X and the Saga and there’s something so coherent and smooth about them with a superbly balanced freq response. They are magical to my ears.
And when I go back to my various hybrids (the Thieaudio Hype 4 with its dual DD, and 4 Sonion BAs for one), I hear distinct flavors of these drivers. They’re all very good but it has a tuning that doesn’t give you quite the smoothness of a well-tuned, high-quality DD. Even other hybrid IEMs I have have a unique sound but it’s like I’m hearing the best that these drivers can do but they’re all still different.
I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with KZ but it’s really leaning to love with these new gen of single drivers and smooth tunings. I’m just not sure if adding other drivers are going to make it “better”.
How it compares against kefine klean?
Because they both have metal build and tunable nature
Just my opinion, Zenith is better. Higher quality DD. I'd be ok with either, but I would grab Zenith every time over Klean.
Paul, thank you for another wonderful earphone review! 👌
Reverend Dr. Thomas,
✝️ The Vegan Vicar 🌱
Honestly, huge props to KZ with this super-linear driver! Still will poke to how they market it though 😅 Would this be better than KZ Saga or Saga Bass?
I have the Saga Bass and I found it quite bad in the treble and overbearing on the bass that muddied up the mids. So nothing really worked. Personally I find it is not in the same league as the Zenith.
This is just my personal experience of course. I am sure there are a lot of Saga Bass lovers who will give me hell for this😂
@attemarttinen Thanks for this! I myself have the SagaB, but it took me like two weeks to like it for what it is. Looking forward to the Zenith!
Saga Bass is a specialist, big bass curve. Zenith is balance and driver is much better.
Now i want this dd with updated ba it would be crazy 😂
Finding a 1ba that improves it without causing more problems will be tough.
Wonderful review. 💪
Not inclined to spend $50 on another 1DD set, but it sounds like a good set for someone starting out.
It did piqued my interest enough to order EDC Pro. :) For less than $6 seems like a no brainier. Picked mine for $2.60. 🎉
Almost bought Klean, that was on sale for $36, but passed for the same reason. I will auto EQ EA500 for now.
I think I'm getting new headphones next.
Are you going to review the Kiwi Ears Division? That one and also the Fiio models recently released seem really interesting.
Thanks
Probably not reviewing Division. I am avoiding headphones for now, I like the expensive planars.
@@PaulWasabii 👍
@@PaulWasabii thanks. Do you mean like Sundara 2020 or something more expensive?
Which budget do you recommend for full size planar?
KZ needs to improve their QC. I got a KZ EDC PRO with Channel imbalance, replacement is on the way, hoping to get a good set without any QC problems. It's a good set but not at the level of Blon Bl03 in my short 2 days listening,before sending it for replacement.
Well to be honest, all of this is cheap chinese consumer gear, you will occasionally have a dud.
I have about 15 sets of KZ and I've had one included cable DOA, otherwise they all work perfectly. Just saying so that once you get your replacement, you can have reasonable confidence it'll most likely be fine for a long time.
You say it's the set that show us the 100$ DD sound, so the driver is the same level as EA500LM?
Owning several of the popular DDs this year, I would say nothing sounds quite like the driver in the 500lm. Not to say it's superior but it has a very distinct characteristic, almost buttery to my ears while still being bright.
Yes but the tuning is very different. EA500LM is a great driver too but too bright for most people, almost too technical. Zenith is more of a balance of musical and technical.
I'm still out on KZ. Been a couple of years.
That's fair
Kz released some great IEMs last year. The problem is they release a new IEM every week it's easy to feel lost in the model names.
Yes, most people are 6 months to a year back. They will run across this video and the name Zenith a few months from now.
Is the shell as large as the Hydro?
No, its smaller like Polaris
very nice. this or cca hydro?
Depends on who you are, most people who prefer a technical well tuned 1DD over most hybrids. Ironically Zenith's biggest competition is KZ PRX for that reason. Hydro is really for people who want a DD+BA hybrid set. Everyone else will be happy with a Zenith.
Is there any other company that releases as many sets as KZ ? this one looks interesting =)
TRN in the past. Not as much now. KZ is around 1 or 2 in a month.
Come on, KZ! Give us a better cable. The Zenith costs more than the Kefine Klean, but the Klean comes with a far superior cable, easily 50 times better than KZ cable!
True, the cable is getting some hate but Zenith is still a bargain if you need to spend another $10 on a cable.
Excellent review. They have advertised that the voice coil is much wider, 6.5mm, I think. KZ needs to burn in, always. I don't care if people get angry. I have ears. Very good ones.
Funny. I literally just watched a vid on burn in. Very technical. Set up 3 drivers for 110 hours. Super tiny change. So burn in is a crock.
Oh all graphed as well
@@RKZX2 yeah that's true the guys from dms show the results
@@RKZX2 it's just ears and brain getting used to a specific pair of iems, that's it
@@justarandomguy2126 dms? Ok. What set did they use? Some need it some don't, it's NOT CONSISTENT. It's very easy for me to pick out any number of sets that are great right out of the box.
the review in isolation really tells us very little.You need to place it with the competition.
I thought about that. You are going to have to look at $100+ 1DD sets and that will come down to tuning. Zenith technically competes, just a matter of which tuning matches your preferences. KZ fans, the folks probably who will buy Zenith, are not weighing Zenith or Oxygen. Reverse is true too, no one says I was about to pick up Oxygen but went with Zenith. So I understand the curiosity, how good is it, but realistically people want to know if it's worth $30 more than another KZ set. .
they need to change the damn cable... Simgot EW300 got a better cable with a similar price. Kefine as well..
Yep, the old SPC cable is just that, old at this point.
Another KZ review??
Every few weeks
👍
Weird that they named it Zenith.
So it's Knowledge Zenith Zenith. Lol
You are correct
Where are comparisons to competitors from other companies. Where is description of limitations compared to more expensive iems? If you just replaced kz with thieaudio everywhere it could easily be a thieaudio iem review. There is nothing to make of this review.
Why would this be a Thieauduo review. This is a KZ review. If you are trying to compare it to Thieaudio, it would be insufficient because Thieaudio does not sell any sub $100 iems besides some discontinued ones from years ago.
Paul talked in the review about how KZ released a single dynamic driver IEM that can show you what other $100 + single dynamic driver IEM’s from other companies can do. Another takeaway from this review is that more expensive single dynamic driver IEM’s can perform like hybrid IEM’s with balanced armatures, so take these things into consideration when you’re looking at how the Zenith might stack up against more expensive competition.
I agree. the review in isolation really tells us very little.
Sort of the point in your comment, the limitation is tuning, not technical. If you prefer U-shaped tuning, those $100+ DD sets will sound more revealing and thinner. Prefer the upper mids peaks on Oxygen for female vocals, Zenith flattened those and works on a lot more genres. That is the point though, you can't outright dismiss Zenith based on some other set is more resolving, but the tuning might be a better fit on another set. I remember all the people who said Falcon Ultra was better than Oxygen, that was nearly 100% tuning and preferences but I understand that people just want a simple answer.
their cable still looks shit
Yeah, the people who got in on the promotion get the better one. But I agree, the packaging was step one, but they need a replacement stock cable now.
@@mago1585 the promo gift cable smells like poop if it's any consolation. I am not joking.
So it's the poor man's Simgot EA1000 ?
I have Zenith and listened to EA 1000, and to be honest I much prefer Zenith.
@@Ratchet98 can you give more details why you prefer zenith over ea1000?
@@NewDarkKnight Zenith is less V shaped, smoother and has less treble. Because of that, it sounds more balanced and right to me. Zenith also scales better with volume. When I would turn EA 1000 up, the treble started to get piercing.
@@melvinch on top of that, I think the driver in Zenith can go toe to toe with other single DDs that cost hundreds of dollars, like EA 1000.
@@Ratchet98 wow. Thanks.