KZ ZSN

Another day, another product from KZ. KZ releases so many earphones so rapidly that I have honestly lost track on what their latest offerings are. Today we’ll be looking at the KZ ZSN, which is not KZ’s flagship model, yet, is no pushover either. Coming in at just SG$25, I am thoroughly impressed with the ZSN.

Specifications:

Driver: 1 x Dynamic + 1 x Balanced Armature

Impedance: 25 ohms

Frequency response: 20 – 40,000 Hz

Sensitivity: 104 dB

Connector: 0.75 mm 2-pin

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with KZ in any way and do not benefit monetarily or in any other form for writing this review. I purchased this in-ear monitor with my own resources and I am simply giving my honest review of the product!

Review by: “Charlie” from The Little Audiophile

KZ ZSN Retail Price (at time of writing): S$25

TLA Score

Physical Attributes

Comfort: 8/10
Durability: 8/10
Ease of Wearing: 8/10
Noise Isolation: 7/10
Microphonics: 7/10
Value for Money: 10/10

Sonic Attributes

Bass: 8/10
Mids: 7/10
Trebles: 7/10
Sound Stage: 6/10
Separation & Imaging: 8/10
Source Matchability: 9/10

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THE BOX

The ZSN comes in the typical KZ white packaging with hasn’t changed since it’s earlier models. It provides some specifications on the back of the packaging and that’s pretty much it. For the price, I can’t fault KZ’s decision.

Inside, you’ll receive the earphone itself with one set of generic medium ear tips already attached followed by an array of S, M and L sized “Starline” ear tips. No carrying pouch or hard case is provided. The earpiece sits loosely inside the box, so do take some caution when unboxing them.

BUILD AND DESIGN

Housing

KZ has had many variations in their design – from the CIEM shaped ZS3 to the ZS5 and ZS6, which looks reminds me of an IEM from some other manufacturer, to the transparent ZS10 and AS10 which flaunts the earphone’s circuit board.

The ZSN’s design is disruptive, to say the least. It is housed in an attractive metal faceplate with a plastic inner face. The nozzle is made of copper or aluminum alloy, depending on your options. I personally dig more minimalistic designs, but this one is an exception. There is this youthfulness to the design which gels well with the sound signature. The ZSN is available in black, silver or cyan. The unit I am reviewing is in the gorgeous black color.

Going back to the nozzle, the bore is on the wider side, such that you might have some difficulty using hard-cored tips as they just wouldn’t stay on securely. I had a hard time fitting on the Final Audio Type E and Sony hybrid tips.

Surprise, surprise – KZ has once again changed their 2-pin connector system, bringing the revision to a version C. This is a welcomed improvement, as it makes the connector system feel more robust and durable. Connector wobble is virtually eliminated and would reduce wear on the connectors in the long run. Do note that the pin diameter is 0.75mm, so you’ll probably have to turn to KZ for replacement or upgrade cables. Apart from the smaller diameter, the cable polarity has to also be considered.

Lastly, this IEM would last you a few years or more if you take decent care of them. The addition of a removable cable can only work to its benefit.

Cable

The 1.2m cable that ships with the ZSN are a definite upgrade over the older KZ models. KZ has decided to lose the memory wire and has opted for a heat-shrink which to me, is much more comfortable than it’s predecessors. The cable is also not a tangle-fest, unlike the one on the ZSR which was a low-key anger management class every damn time I had to unravel it. Definitely, a thumbs up for me!

Good Bye Tangela!
Source: Wikipedia

One small gripe I have with the ZSN’s cable is just how low the Y-split sits. I don’t see how this is detrimental to the overall user experience, except that having two separate cables for such a length looks a tad bit messy. The split and jack is typical KZ stuff, so take it or leave it I guess.

COMFORT

The ZSN, like most other models from KZ, fit comfortably in the ear. The inner face of the ZSN is completely smooth and contours to my ear shape wonderfully. The bore length is average, while the width is above average. I have medium to slightly large ears and these fit me without any discomfort or whatsoever, even after hours of wearing them on end.

Hot spots or pressure points did not develop even after extended wearing.

I had no issues with noise isolation either. I was on the Mass-Rapid Transport (MRT) on a weekend with children playing and quite honestly screaming around the grab poles. Above the music (which I don’t listen loud by the way), I could not hear much of and be bothered by the chaos and anarchy that was raging on in front of me. Everything was muted to something of a whisper. Sometimes, ignorance is indeed bliss, get yourselves a ZSN for the commute!

SOUND QUALITY

Note: Sound Quality was tested mainly on my Huawei Nova 2i with AKM 4376A DAC

Out of KZ’s lineup, the ZSN impresses me the most in terms of sound quality. The sound that these earphone expels quite literally leaves me in awe everytime that I plug these in and hit the play button. I just cannot comprehend how these cost a mere SG$25.

The ZSN sports a dual driver configuration – one dynamic driver for the lower frequencies and a balanced armature driver for the higher frequencies. After putting the ZSN through its paces, the changes in sound were either too little for me to discern or there was simply no changes after burn-in, and thus I’d consider burn-in unnecessary. Despite the relatively high sensitivity of 104 dB/mW, I did not notice any hiss even when plugged into the smartphone.

Soundstage, Separation and Imaging

To start off, the soundstage is just average. It is smaller than that found on the ZSR that I reviewed previously and in the limited soundstage. There is more width than depth to the soundstage and layering is fairly good.  Imaging and separation are commendable and I found that the positions of vocalists and instruments to be very precise.

Sound Signature

The ZSN carries a V-shape sound signature with a fantastic balance of bass and treble quantities. The ZSN presents a great amount of detail without sounding artificial or overly boosted in the upper regions, which is unlike some other chi-fi earphones in the same price category. The mid and upper mid-range takes the foreground while the bass takes a step or two to the rear in terms forwardness, which is quite a unique experience, considering it is a V-shaped earphone. This overall makes for an intimate-sounding earphone which I rarely see on earphones in this price category.

Bass

The bass region on the ZSN is thick and visceral. This is paired with a fantastic sub-bass extension and presence which never leaves you wanting more if you are listening to pop or other bass-heavy genres. There is a greater emphasis on mid-bass than sub-bass which I can appreciate – too much sub-bass would devolve into becoming unnatural and quite nauseating for me.

There is, however, a general lack of resolution in the bass. The bass is a little loose and decay isn’t quick. Some transient smearing can translate into a loss of details in the bass region. That said, the slow decay isn’t too prominent, but is noticeable. No doubt, I love my bass, and the ZSN does not disappoint, especially for the price.

Mids

The mids on the ZSN is sweet as honey and is not muddied by the wholesome bass response. For some weird reason, I found that the vocals on the ZSN to be very intimate, especially when using shorter ear tips. Vocals are wonderfully articulate and organic with a hint of graininess. Vocals at no point sound thin or “telephonic”, due to the elevated bass presentation. Take the track “Mixed Signals” by Ruth B. from the album “Safe Haven” for example. The ZSN is able to convey her emotions and voice beautifully.

In other instruments (and most noticeably in guitars), however, does not have the same magic that works for the vocals. In comparison to the vocals, instruments seem to sound a little veiled and less intimate, although in no way a deal-breaker for me.

The biggest gripe I have regarding the mid-range is the upper-mids sibilance which does show itself on certain tracks. On the ZSN, I found that female vocals tend to be much more prone to this effect. Take “Havana” by Camila Cabello for example. If you are listening on slightly higher volume, the parts where she goes “oooOOooOOOo” displays some of this, and can sound somewhat harsh.

Trebles

The ZSN’s treble is well defined and pretty resolving. I found that I was able to pick out micro-details, although it isn’t especially crisp or clear. The treble, however, has this airiness and separation from the rest of the frequencies that enables it to stand out. This region is quite smooth with no severe peaks that make for a non-fatiguing listen overall. Treble attack and decay are very quick, as the drivers employed here are balanced armatures. Overall, a very resolving treble region.

PAIRING

Select Alternative Ear tips

Though this review was done with the stock KZ “Starline” tips, I did tip roll a little and found that it ear tips did change the sound of the earphone noticeably. I found the KZ ZSN to pair especially well with the iBasso short ear tips. It improved the overall clarity of the ZSN and I have been using it with this earphone ever since.

Just look at the difference!

I have not found any other ear tip that improved the sound signature of the ZSN while being able to retain its grip on the nozzle.

CONCLUSION

The ZSN embodies the phrase “bang for your buck”. I was pleasantly taken aback when I first put these on. If I had no frame of reference, I probably would have guessed that these earphones cost 80 dollars, or possibly even slightly north of 80. Good isolation and ergonomics, paired with a commendable build and sound quality make the ZSN a no-brainer decision if you are looking for an earphone for under 50 dollars. In my opinion, this earphone can stand up to the Audio Technica ATH-LS50iS in terms of both build and sound quality, no problem.

The energetic, fun sound signature is great for an EDC earphone that you can chug into your bag (just an expression, but please don’t do that) and get along your daily business. The ZSN is also easily drivable with a smartphone, so no problems with matchability here.

I am truly impressed with the ZSN and I hope that KZ would recognize its success with the ZSN move in this direction and improve on the ZSN in future releases while finding a design language that becomes the symbol of KZ earphone. I’m very satisfied and I look forward to what else KZ has to offer in the future!