KZ ZES : Bass Heavy Lightweight

Pros:

• Robust and lightweight build
• Good cable
• Powerful and energetic bass
• Good imaging in its price range

Cons:

• Upper mids and treble peaks
• Sibilance is evident on sibilant prone tracks
• Soundstage is average
• Barebone packaging

DISCLAIMER : This unit is provided by Jeff Yang of KZ for an honest review of the product. No money is involved before, during and after this review.

/ packaging /

KZ ZES package

Stock cable

For KZ ZES I expected the KZ ZES to have the black box that they have for premium IEMs since the looks and the cable of this unit takes after their premium lineups. Yet, we have the usual white KZ box. Inside the package we have the unit and the KZ Starline tips installed, 2 pair of silicone eartips, and a braided SPC cable that we see on black KZ boxes. Usual KZ barebone unboxing experience but the looks of the IEM makes up for it.

/ sound /

Tracks Used :
Senbonzakura - Ado
On Your Shore - Enya
Only Time - Enya
Chasing Pavements - Adele
The Days - Avicii
AM2:00 - Aimer
In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins
Living in Americs - James Brown

Lows 4/5
Sub-bass is heavily emphasized and boosted. Midbass is thick and energetic. Mid-bass occassionally bleeds across the mids. Personally, I have nothing good or bad to say on the amount of bass on this IEM, I mean there are times that I like it because the thump and slam of the sub-bass especially on EDM tracks are energetic and fun. However, this emphasis does not go well with other genres and sometimes feel low resolution or whatever you call it. This IEM is good for bassheads looking for energetic and strong sub-bass feels.

Mids 3/5
Mids are on the average level. Overall timbre sound warm but recessed. Instruments perform better with good, fast, attack and has richer texture than the vocals.

Highs 3/5
Treble is evidently extended especially on brighter tracks. Cons for the highs : Treble may be offensive on low quality files and would punish you with sibilance especially on sibilant prone tracks, occassionaly sounds unnatural. Positively, detail-retrieval is good, treble reproduction is airy, sparkly, and crisp. I have mixed opinions on the treble section but take these with a "grain of salt".

Soundstage and Imaging 3.5/5
Soundstage expansion is average, spacious enough to make room for vocals and instruments. Just imagine yourself in a small studio. Imaging is good, not the best but good enough to determine where vocals and instruments are placed.

Sources Used:
LG G8
Zishan U1
Abigail CX31993 Dongle

FINAL SCORE

KZ still continues to grow by the day improving their crafts. ZES is one of these units that KZ will continue to improve. I love the design approach overall. Well... maybe if they tried to approach this without using the ZSN-like design on the face I would love it even more. Nevertheless, it's overall build promises robustness pair that with the cable and you get a very magnificent IEM.

When it comes to sound, ZES is just another V-shaped IEM introduced in the market that would satisfy casual listeners. For critical listeners, they will have to pass on this one. I am somewhere between casual and critical, but most of the time I am a casual listener that tends to enjoy music rather than observing details all the time so KZ ZES is something that most will enjoy.