I originally bought the KZ ZSN pro loved them I bought the KZ ZAS and the bass is fantastic on them. They really go well with my BTR7 and having the EQ setup the way I like it anyway.
Thanks for this very thorough review, Paul. While I did have the ZAS in my Ali cart for a couple of months; I took it out about 3 weeks ago. Honestly, I get so much satisfaction from both my ZAX and DQ6; I decided even before watching your review of the ZAS that I didn't need this. I'm wondering if you will be getting the Tripowin/BGGAR Mele in for review. Now that is a set I am very interested in. Since BGGAR has already said that he won't review a set he helped tune; I'd be highly interested to see how you find it, if you managed to acquire a set. BGGAR has mentioned your name in past vids; and like me; he thinks you have good ears. I like both you guys and my music tastes tend to lean towards both of your libraries, so I always seem to get some new/old music ideas from both of you. Thanks again so much, for listing the songs/artists you use for evaluating the gear you're reviewing. To me, this makes a world of difference and also helps me discover new music. In the end, that's what it's all about...the music.
Yes, the ZAS is an odd bird to me. I wish they just refined the ZAX. As I mentioned, EQ the bass down quite a bit and you get closer but no one wants to spend $65usd to EQ. This was my 2nd ZAS I ordered so I am late to the party but I think you sensed the trend a few weeks ago, not nearly as many ZAS reviews or impressions as ZAX. And yes, my Mele arrived today. I can't see myself not liking it. Of the group of us on Discord who have received it, the biggest complaint is a lower level of treble. For me, an upper range EQ bump opens it up
Best looking IEM for the price to date. As an EDX fanboy i think this will finally be my Upgrade after bl03, tin 2 pro, and HZSound heart disappointing me. But those nozzles a deal breaker damn it. My brothers ZEX has them and tips keep coming off
just received my ZAS’s …and 4 things you gotta do to get them to “work”. 1: These ABSOLUTELY need a great seal on the ear ..their designs great as it’s one of the nicest formed IEM’s I’ve seen from KZ .. If the seal isn’t perfect ..not only does the bass roll off but EVERYTHING goes muted. 2: Yes, they’re great if you’re a bass head..but not to the point of it being nothing but bass ..the 7 armatures do help a lot with bringing detail to both the midds and highs. 3 : If you’re listening to poorly mastered or recorded music IT WILL GET DULL AND MUDDY. Finally 4: Movie OST SOUND FANTASTIC. Great recordings sound awesome. This bodes well for watching movies and playing video games.🍻
Thank you for those thoughts on the ZAS. #1 goes for just about every set. The only reason I harped on the bass level is it is quite a bit over the ZAX and for KZ fans or ZAX fans looking for an upgrade, I wouldn't want someone to be unprepared for it. I probably EQ'd the bass down closer to the ZAX range to hear the great mids. As you said, there are great parts to this set, I just turned down the bass a bit to make it easier to hear the rest of it. Thank you
@@PaulWasabii Great advice ..what are you using for EQ…I’m think of the new gear from Schitt ..if I can get it all in BALANCED..matches the rest of my stack.🤣🍻
2:00 Man just use the tips came with the earphones, they're short/small and comfortable, form tips are kinda tall and they are meant to be used with the older style of KZ/CCA earphones, KZ should create a new foam for this type of short nozzle earphones.
Tips are hard recommendations. I ask a lot of people what tips they use and the answer is always something different. Some reviewers only use stock tips, some never use stock tips but always use a specific well fitting pair, and some tip roll until they find a sound they like.
It comes down to your tolerance for bass. Especially with jazz for me, you have a few players as equals and boosting the bass like ZAS, throws off the balance. For me, jazz is a tighter, faster, more neutral set than a typical KZ. Will it work? Sure, I would try it and if the bass bothers you, use Wavelet or another EQ application on Android to adjust it.
This has been a very helpful and top notch review, thanks! Would you still recommend them over the KZ ZS10 PRO? I have both of them in my cart and i dont know which one to buy
Really depends on your bass preference. ZS10Pro is more of a classic boosted V shape that I prefer. ZAS went a bit darker with more bass. I would probably go with the cheaper ZS10P for now and see how KZ refreshes their flagship in a few months
Hmmm, so this is a straight up basshead set? I already have the fiio fh3 and ikko oh10, which are already said to be bass heavy. But I wanted something more bassy, lol I was looking at the tingker tk300 for that, but they're not purchasable where I'm from. So I was wondering if this would do the job. Also, looking at your squigs, the graph doesnt look that bassy to me, especially compared to the blon 03, or doesnt it tell the whole story (doesnt seem like it does from your review)?
If your looking for basshead sets the TFZ No. 3 is pretty good, so are the Opera Factory OM1 (dark tuning) and OS1 (more of a big balanced V). If you enjoy TWS's the Tranya M10 has them both beat for bass quantity, and the JVC HA-XC90T XX has even more than that. I hope that helps you find your little bit of bass heaven.
If it wasn't for the disgraceful QC I'd say get a Geek Wold GK10. I've had 2 sets, both bassy AF after burn in, multiple sources, poked vents and tip rolled.. But I love them 😆 If any go second hand confirmed to work they're fun.
Bass head is hard to define. A 10mm driver has limits and chasing more bass is something I stopped doing a while back. The ZAS has about the same level of bass as the BL03 which is usually called a lot of bass or too much , but not typically basshead.
Quite a bit more bass on the ZAS and tuned down the treble. Really hard to say which is better, that is a change that will appeal to some and not others.
@@nitinthakur4407 I don't think I would buy the CA16 right now as the CA16 Pro was just released. If they dropped the lower treble like KZ did on the ZAS, I would take the Pro. Just no details on the CA16 Pro yet
Hey mr. Paul I am saving up to purchase an iem and the currency makes it quite hard for me. So i have one shot. I currently have zsn pro x and previously owned zsn pro. I think its quite nice for the price but treble is bit much for me and worse the sibilance hate that. My listening generally resolves around; indie pop, indie rock, (in general bad recording) hip hop and i like acoustic enstrument sounds. So my question is, Does zas upgrade in therms of technicalitys (from above mentioned iems) Do you think zas would treat me well at that genre's? Does zex or zas is better fit for this genre's (and is zex is a upgade or side grade for zsn's) One bonus is, do you think we can see a sort of "pro" versions of this iems before 11.11 sales (maybe CCA CA16 PRO will be the cure) Thank you so much, even if you only give your time to read this much appricated. ♤
So the ZAS fixed one of your problems, the treble level has been lowered. Plus a bit more bass and you end up with an easy on the ear treble compared to ZSN Pro X. So yes, there is an increase in technicalities as you now have 7 or 8 drivers instead of two. As I said in the review, the ZAS has a high level of bass so be aware of that. The ZAS vs ZEX is interesting. ZEX is mid focused, vocals are quite forward. ZAS is more traditional V-shaped where the vocals are a bit recessed. As I said in the review, the ZAX is close also, just less bass and cleaner for indie, pop, rock, acoustic. Bigger bass hip hop, might be better on ZAS. So you are right, there are a couple upcoming sets that might be better. Another idea is Tripowin's Mele. HBB tuned it with a non-fatiguing treble for long music listening sessions.
@@PaulWasabii thank you sir! If i get a nice deal on both i draw between zas and zax at 11.11 since zax is older that more likely to get better prices hmmmm. I don't think i am the mele's customer for what i learned so far! If zex pro comes before 11.11 I will keep eye on that set 👀
@@mizikacibalik just to be clear about ZAX, they're U-shaped (slightly less prominent V shape), which means the bass is slightly elevated and the high frequencies also, without a large amount of sibilance though. so they're fun but not boomy and don't pierce your ears at the same time
@@mizikacibalik and I also don't recommend waiting for their "pro" versions because recently KZ and their other companies went nuts with micro upgrading their IEM products, which means there's no innovation and no significant changes, it's just marketing
Great review 👍 Is it the best in this price range? Are they better than cca c16 or moondrop aria ? Please review KZ EDX PRO and CCA NRA. Already started hearing some good things about NRA. Eagerly waiting for your thoughts on the same.
I ordered the EDX Pro and have the CCA NRA which is very good. The NRA is going to be very popular. The ZAS is the best at a high level of bass so if that is your thing, then yes it is very good. As I mentioned, it is a change from the more balanced ZAX which is a better choice for people who do not prefer that much bass.
Can anyone share with me the tune or equalizer settings for better bass? I have this one but the bass nowhere better than my cheap headphones despite being way cheaper than this IEM. The sound quality on vanilla sounds way worse to my cheaper QKZ x HBB Khan and BLON-BL03 and sounds similar with some bass boosting EQ. Don't feel the bass at all on stock and all I can hear is the blaring treble and it's terrible to my ears. What do? I feel like scammed that people on the internet labelled this as the "best" IEM for bassheads. No it's not. It's terrible for bass. I should have trust my instinct and go for Anker Soundcore Q30 instead than this IEM.
@@PaulWasabii I have tested bunch of equalizer apps and none are as good as Flat Equalizer. The bass booster in this app are phenomenal. I don't know what recipe they use but it sounds boomy and great. Even BoomFX can't beat those results though. Funny thing is that even my cheap QKZ VK4 sounds better than KZ ZAS after tuned with bass. Does that mean the number of drivers dozen matter?
Well . Different opinions. With the bass maybe 5 db less would be perfect. Mids maybe 2 db up on the 400 to 500hz. But the treble is fine because I listen on high volume. I had the zax and I returned it ,because at low volumes was ok. But high volumes the highs was to high. Very important at what volume we heard the music and that the audience should know. Foe the price is a perfect set. Better than this at this price. Mmmmm don't know. Maybe the venture ve Pro. But for a 8 drivers. At this price. Is great. I listen to rock. So hight volume yes a bit less bass. More low mids and the high is perfect .of they want a bit less then the ast. Because of balance driver for bass. Faster and cleaner and the mids are better. But you pay 80 bucks more
Yeah sure, rock is a bit easier. I like it with some EQ but generally the bass level is up there. That is either going to appeal to some and turn off others. I am not a low volume listener and if I mention it is a low volume set, usually because the treble is too much. I have mixed feelings on this one, by the time I got my hands on it, it seemed like people had already stopped talking about it. I am not sure the new treble level which I like as well is going to attract people compared to the bass level which turned people away. As you said, it has a lot of good qualities for the price and people will probably find it again if they decide to drop the price a bit. Thank you for the comments all the time. I see you commenting all over the place and people really do appreciate it.
@@PaulWasabii thanks buddy. Yes. I am a hifi freak. The ast kz is a better option for most people's. Clean and fast bass and a better treble and more dollars. Lol. Still missing the thickening of voice mids between 300 and 700hz . I think sony iem are a master on that .
I originally bought the KZ ZSN pro loved them I bought the KZ ZAS and the bass is fantastic on them. They really go well with my BTR7 and having the EQ setup the way I like it anyway.
A lot says these are the set for bass. Very nice review.
Yes, it is a high level of bass and it is of decent quality for such a high level.
Thanks for this very thorough review, Paul. While I did have the ZAS in my Ali cart for a couple of months; I took it out about 3 weeks ago. Honestly, I get so much satisfaction from both my ZAX and DQ6; I decided even before watching your review of the ZAS that I didn't need this. I'm wondering if you will be getting the Tripowin/BGGAR Mele in for review. Now that is a set I am very interested in. Since BGGAR has already said that he won't review a set he helped tune; I'd be highly interested to see how you find it, if you managed to acquire a set. BGGAR has mentioned your name in past vids; and like me; he thinks you have good ears. I like both you guys and my music tastes tend to lean towards both of your libraries, so I always seem to get some new/old music ideas from both of you. Thanks again so much, for listing the songs/artists you use for evaluating the gear you're reviewing. To me, this makes a world of difference and also helps me discover new music. In the end, that's what it's all about...the music.
So far I've seen 3 review/impressions. Contrasting, to say the most. 1 says is really good, 2 says its average and not an upgrade to the BLON 03.
Yes, the ZAS is an odd bird to me. I wish they just refined the ZAX. As I mentioned, EQ the bass down quite a bit and you get closer but no one wants to spend $65usd to EQ. This was my 2nd ZAS I ordered so I am late to the party but I think you sensed the trend a few weeks ago, not nearly as many ZAS reviews or impressions as ZAX.
And yes, my Mele arrived today. I can't see myself not liking it. Of the group of us on Discord who have received it, the biggest complaint is a lower level of treble. For me, an upper range EQ bump opens it up
I would wait on the Mele unless you like a very polite treble. It bothers me but obviously others are good with it
Very good review. Thank you so much.
Thank you
Best looking IEM for the price to date. As an EDX fanboy i think this will finally be my Upgrade after bl03, tin 2 pro, and HZSound heart disappointing me. But those nozzles a deal breaker damn it. My brothers ZEX has them and tips keep coming off
I would be tempted to wait a bit and see if KZ refreshes their flagship hybrid over the next few months.
Just ordered 🥳
just received my ZAS’s …and 4 things you gotta do to get them to “work”.
1: These ABSOLUTELY need a great seal on the ear ..their designs great as it’s one of the nicest formed IEM’s I’ve seen from KZ ..
If the seal isn’t perfect ..not only does the bass roll off but EVERYTHING goes muted.
2: Yes, they’re great if you’re a bass head..but not to the point of it being nothing but bass ..the 7 armatures do help a lot with bringing detail to both the midds and highs.
3 : If you’re listening to poorly mastered or recorded music IT WILL GET DULL AND MUDDY.
Finally 4: Movie OST SOUND FANTASTIC.
Great recordings sound awesome.
This bodes well for watching movies and playing video games.🍻
Thank you for those thoughts on the ZAS. #1 goes for just about every set. The only reason I harped on the bass level is it is quite a bit over the ZAX and for KZ fans or ZAX fans looking for an upgrade, I wouldn't want someone to be unprepared for it. I probably EQ'd the bass down closer to the ZAX range to hear the great mids. As you said, there are great parts to this set, I just turned down the bass a bit to make it easier to hear the rest of it. Thank you
@@PaulWasabii Great advice ..what are you using for EQ…I’m think of the new gear from Schitt ..if I can get it all in BALANCED..matches the rest of my stack.🤣🍻
2:00 Man just use the tips came with the earphones, they're short/small and comfortable,
form tips are kinda tall and they are meant to be used with the older style of KZ/CCA earphones,
KZ should create a new foam for this type of short nozzle earphones.
Tips are hard recommendations. I ask a lot of people what tips they use and the answer is always something different. Some reviewers only use stock tips, some never use stock tips but always use a specific well fitting pair, and some tip roll until they find a sound they like.
Thanks man❣✌
You're welcome 😊
where did you buy your wires? and what is it called?
Usually from XINHS Audio store on Aliexpress
zax or zas overall
If you like more bass, then ZAS. Otherwise ZAX
Hi, I usually listen to orchestra and smooth jazz. I wonder which type of personality I am? Thanks
It comes down to your tolerance for bass. Especially with jazz for me, you have a few players as equals and boosting the bass like ZAS, throws off the balance. For me, jazz is a tighter, faster, more neutral set than a typical KZ. Will it work? Sure, I would try it and if the bass bothers you, use Wavelet or another EQ application on Android to adjust it.
Jazz you need bassy iem cuz its smooth music and guitars are humbuckers mostly. Go for TFZ NO3, Blon bl03, EDX, OR this ZAS
This has been a very helpful and top notch review, thanks! Would you still recommend them over the KZ ZS10 PRO? I have both of them in my cart and i dont know which one to buy
Really depends on your bass preference. ZS10Pro is more of a classic boosted V shape that I prefer. ZAS went a bit darker with more bass. I would probably go with the cheaper ZS10P for now and see how KZ refreshes their flagship in a few months
@@PaulWasabii thanks for the response! Do you recommend the wait? If so, do you know how much time? I'm not in a rush anyway
Kz really step up their design very beautiful iem.
Agreed!
Hmmm, so this is a straight up basshead set?
I already have the fiio fh3 and ikko oh10, which are already said to be bass heavy.
But I wanted something more bassy, lol
I was looking at the tingker tk300 for that, but they're not purchasable where I'm from.
So I was wondering if this would do the job.
Also, looking at your squigs, the graph doesnt look that bassy to me, especially compared to the blon 03, or doesnt it tell the whole story (doesnt seem like it does from your review)?
If your looking for basshead sets the TFZ No. 3 is pretty good, so are the Opera Factory OM1 (dark tuning) and OS1 (more of a big balanced V). If you enjoy TWS's the Tranya M10 has them both beat for bass quantity, and the JVC HA-XC90T XX has even more than that. I hope that helps you find your little bit of bass heaven.
@@Loric1347 thanks for the suggestions
the no 3 is an interesting iem for bassheads, ive heard it mentioned quite a few times
@@magik97 The No.3 is a downgrade from both the OH10 and the FH3. Check out the Tri I3 Pro if you want a bassy but clean set.
If it wasn't for the disgraceful QC I'd say get a Geek Wold GK10. I've had 2 sets, both bassy AF after burn in, multiple sources, poked vents and tip rolled.. But I love them 😆 If any go second hand confirmed to work they're fun.
Bass head is hard to define. A 10mm driver has limits and chasing more bass is something I stopped doing a while back. The ZAS has about the same level of bass as the BL03 which is usually called a lot of bass or too much , but not typically basshead.
compared to zs 10 pro ? thanks
Quite a bit more bass on the ZAS and tuned down the treble. Really hard to say which is better, that is a change that will appeal to some and not others.
@@PaulWasabii zs10 pro still had the infamous kz metallic and shouty mids, making human voice sounding too bright and grainy, does zas fixed that ?
Kz zas vs cca ca16 which one is better sound quality plz plz reply
Of those two, I would still take the KZ ZAX unless you like a lot of bass, then the ZAS
@@PaulWasabii what about cca ca16
@@nitinthakur4407 I don't think I would buy the CA16 right now as the CA16 Pro was just released. If they dropped the lower treble like KZ did on the ZAS, I would take the Pro. Just no details on the CA16 Pro yet
@@PaulWasabii bro I'm from India plz let me inform when cca ca16 pro launched
Hey mr. Paul
I am saving up to purchase an iem and the currency makes it quite hard for me. So i have one shot. I currently have zsn pro x and previously owned zsn pro.
I think its quite nice for the price but treble is bit much for me and worse the sibilance hate that.
My listening generally resolves around; indie pop, indie rock, (in general bad recording) hip hop and i like acoustic enstrument sounds.
So my question is,
Does zas upgrade in therms of technicalitys (from above mentioned iems)
Do you think zas would treat me well at that genre's?
Does zex or zas is better fit for this genre's (and is zex is a upgade or side grade for zsn's)
One bonus is, do you think we can see a sort of "pro" versions of this iems before 11.11 sales (maybe CCA CA16 PRO will be the cure)
Thank you so much, even if you only give your time to read this much appricated. ♤
So the ZAS fixed one of your problems, the treble level has been lowered. Plus a bit more bass and you end up with an easy on the ear treble compared to ZSN Pro X. So yes, there is an increase in technicalities as you now have 7 or 8 drivers instead of two. As I said in the review, the ZAS has a high level of bass so be aware of that.
The ZAS vs ZEX is interesting. ZEX is mid focused, vocals are quite forward. ZAS is more traditional V-shaped where the vocals are a bit recessed. As I said in the review, the ZAX is close also, just less bass and cleaner for indie, pop, rock, acoustic. Bigger bass hip hop, might be better on ZAS.
So you are right, there are a couple upcoming sets that might be better.
Another idea is Tripowin's Mele. HBB tuned it with a non-fatiguing treble for long music listening sessions.
@@PaulWasabii thank you sir!
If i get a nice deal on both i draw between zas and zax at 11.11 since zax is older that more likely to get better prices hmmmm.
I don't think i am the mele's customer for what i learned so far!
If zex pro comes before 11.11 I will keep eye on that set 👀
@@mizikacibalik guys from the headfi forum said 1 year ago to me: just buy ZAX, and they were right. I'm saying the same thing to you now
@@mizikacibalik just to be clear about ZAX, they're U-shaped (slightly less prominent V shape), which means the bass is slightly elevated and the high frequencies also, without a large amount of sibilance though. so they're fun but not boomy and don't pierce your ears at the same time
@@mizikacibalik and I also don't
recommend waiting for their "pro" versions because recently KZ and their other companies went nuts with micro upgrading their IEM products, which means there's no innovation and no significant changes, it's just marketing
Great review 👍
Is it the best in this price range?
Are they better than cca c16 or moondrop aria ?
Please review KZ EDX PRO and CCA NRA. Already started hearing some good things about NRA. Eagerly waiting for your thoughts on the same.
I ordered the EDX Pro and have the CCA NRA which is very good. The NRA is going to be very popular. The ZAS is the best at a high level of bass so if that is your thing, then yes it is very good. As I mentioned, it is a change from the more balanced ZAX which is a better choice for people who do not prefer that much bass.
@@PaulWasabii thanks for your response 👍
Looking forward for your NRA and EDX Pro reviews.
Can anyone share with me the tune or equalizer settings for better bass? I have this one but the bass nowhere better than my cheap headphones despite being way cheaper than this IEM. The sound quality on vanilla sounds way worse to my cheaper QKZ x HBB Khan and BLON-BL03 and sounds similar with some bass boosting EQ. Don't feel the bass at all on stock and all I can hear is the blaring treble and it's terrible to my ears. What do? I feel like scammed that people on the internet labelled this as the "best" IEM for bassheads. No it's not. It's terrible for bass. I should have trust my instinct and go for Anker Soundcore Q30 instead than this IEM.
I don't have an EQ, but Wavelet had a bass boost preset that was a good start and easy to change
@@PaulWasabii I have tested bunch of equalizer apps and none are as good as Flat Equalizer. The bass booster in this app are phenomenal. I don't know what recipe they use but it sounds boomy and great. Even BoomFX can't beat those results though. Funny thing is that even my cheap QKZ VK4 sounds better than KZ ZAS after tuned with bass. Does that mean the number of drivers dozen matter?
Well . Different opinions. With the bass maybe 5 db less would be perfect. Mids maybe 2 db up on the 400 to 500hz. But the treble is fine because I listen on high volume. I had the zax and I returned it ,because at low volumes was ok. But high volumes the highs was to high. Very important at what volume we heard the music and that the audience should know. Foe the price is a perfect set. Better than this at this price. Mmmmm don't know. Maybe the venture ve Pro. But for a 8 drivers. At this price. Is great. I listen to rock. So hight volume yes a bit less bass. More low mids and the high is perfect .of they want a bit less then the ast. Because of balance driver for bass. Faster and cleaner and the mids are better. But you pay 80 bucks more
Yeah sure, rock is a bit easier. I like it with some EQ but generally the bass level is up there. That is either going to appeal to some and turn off others. I am not a low volume listener and if I mention it is a low volume set, usually because the treble is too much. I have mixed feelings on this one, by the time I got my hands on it, it seemed like people had already stopped talking about it. I am not sure the new treble level which I like as well is going to attract people compared to the bass level which turned people away. As you said, it has a lot of good qualities for the price and people will probably find it again if they decide to drop the price a bit. Thank you for the comments all the time. I see you commenting all over the place and people really do appreciate it.
@@PaulWasabii thanks buddy. Yes. I am a hifi freak. The ast kz is a better option for most people's. Clean and fast bass and a better treble and more dollars. Lol. Still missing the thickening of voice mids between 300 and 700hz . I think sony iem are a master on that .