The Very Best Cheap Guitars for Working Musicians Reviews

: Except the treble, it is a very well tuned iem
Corking female vocals
Very good bass-shelf
Separation/imaging
Wide soundstage

(PEQ can fix most of the cons)

: Sibilant treble (8k peak is real!), fatiguing
Male vocals lack warmth
Unnatural timbre
Like technicalities as lower priced KZ´s

Disclaimer: I received this review unit for complimentary from KZ (https://www.kztws.com/ ), thank you very much.

Cost: 33 usd (CRN = 36 usd)

Specifications:

Impedance: 25ohm

Sensitivity: 104dB

Frequency: 20-40 0000Hz

Accessories:

S/One thousand/L Clear Starline tips

Cable: 2-core cablevision, plastic connectors/dividers. No chin-slider. No microphonics.

Build: Metal faceplate + plastic shell, nozzle is besides metal and has a lip and a filter. Average size.

Fit: Very proficient.

Condolement: Not that skilful for longer sessions since it has a wing that my ears don't similar.

Isolation: Pretty skillful, every bit the shell does embrace my entire ears.

Setup: Schiit Asgard 3 (low-gain, volume around viii-nine o´clock),

Lows:

Very clean bass shelf, low mid-bass and has some elevated sub-bass. Doesn't rumble or extend that much and texture is decent. Is pretty fast/tight though. Not for bassheads, but people that like flatter bass will enjoy this.

Mid-bass: Metallica – fight burn down with burn down (01:11-01:52), very clean due to the fast/tight and low quantity bass, texture is decent. The (02:55-03:01) section with the chopper is very clean and hearable.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), very clean due to the fast/tight bass just lacking some quantity, decent texture.

Sub-bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:xv-01:xxx), Doesn't extend or rumble that much. Punch quantity is lacking and not a lot of texture, it is fast/tight though.

Will Sparks – Sick like that (03:08-03:22), lacking quantity and texture, pretty fast/tight though.

Mids: Vocals, particularly female vocals are great, they are really not recessed and a bit frontwards, very clean as well and tonality is very proficient. Very different the usual KZ mids. Male vocals on the other hand lacks warmth. Timbre is not that good though.

Female-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), Vocal tonality is quite skillful, quantity is a scrap forward (although it could exist more than frontwards), clean but timbre is a bit off. Instrument tonality lacks warmth and timbre is non that good, is clean though.

Yuki Hayashi – MightU (01:58-02:55), song tonality is very good, a bit forward, make clean and with decent timbre. Instrument tonality is very good, clean but timbre is a bit off.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), vocals aren't shouty, merely the treble is sibilant.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Crescent (02:07-02:26), shouty vocals and very sibilant treble.

Male person-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (00:57-01:17), vocal and musical instrument tonality lacks a bit of warmth, make clean though but timbre is non that proficient.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Both vocal and musical instrument tonality needs to be warmer and timbre is not good, is clean though.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are precipitous and fatiguing. Timbre is not that skilful.

Deuce – America (03:03-03:16), sibilant treble, very fatiguing and chaotic. Nearly unlistenable.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (cord version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality lacks warmth and timbre is not that good is textured and clean though. Violin tonality is quite expert and make clean, but timbre is non that good and treble-extension could be amend.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:xviii-02:57), tonality is too bright, timbre is a bit off merely is clean.

Soundstage: wide soundstage, boilerplate depth for this toll range though.

Tonality: U-shaped, timbre is not that good though although the coherency is pretty decent. Note-weight is a scrap on the thinner side.

Details: Macro-item is skilful but not a lot of micro-details.

Instrument Separation: Separation is pretty good (helped by tuning), imaging is average.

Songs that highlight the IEM: https://www.youtube.com/picket?v=QtXNvoPfO84 https://world wide web.youtube.com/watch?v=L17S9SYRzQY

Good genres:

Acoustic/vocal, OST

Bad genres: EDM, Hip-hop, Trance, Rock/metal, (avoid badly mastered tracks!)

Comparisons:

IEM: KZ DQ6 (high-density tuning foams), Elecom EHP-CAP20 tips 50, cable A3 4.4mm

graph (21).png

Bass: Djuro – Drib that bass (01:xv-01:thirty), extends lower and rumbles more on the DQ6. Dial quantity is higher and more textured, a scrap faster/tighter on the ZP. More tonally correct and better timbre on the DQ6.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), quantity is college on the DQ6 and more textured, cleaner (faster/tighter) on the ZP but lacks quantity in comparison. More tonally right and improve timbre on the DQ6.

Metallica – fight fire with burn (01:11-01:52), Cleaner on the ZP considering of the lower bass quantity and faster/tighter bass, but more than textured on the DQ6.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocal tonality is improve on the ZP and more than forward, similarly clean and detailed simply amend timbre on the DQ6. Instrument tonality and timbre are better on the DQ6, like detail.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:eighteen-01:35), a bit shoutier on the DQ6 but sibilant treble on the ZP.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Vocal and instrument tonality are a lot better on the DQ6 too as more natural timbre, like detail but cleaner on the ZP.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are sharper on the ZP, better timbre on the DQ6.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, timbre and texture are a lot meliorate on the DQ6, similarly detailed but cleaner on the ZP. Violin tonality and clarity are ameliorate on the ZP but similar treble-extension and item while timbre is better on the DQ6.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:eighteen-02:57), more tonally correct on the DQ6 also as ameliorate timbre, cleaner on the ZP merely similar detail.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years state of war (02:24-02:57), a bit wider and a lot deeper on the DQ6. Detail is similar just better separation and imaging on the ZP. Timbre is better on the DQ6.

Overall: Become the DQ6 if your library is similar to mine. Get the ZEX Pro if you want a more than counterbalanced tonality but be enlightened of the 8k peak (fixable with EQ but not with physical mods).

	ZEX Pro	DQ6 (loftier-density tuning cream)
Sub-bass	-	+
Mid-bass	-	+
Lower-mids	-	+
Upper-mids	+	-
Treble	-	+
Upper-treble	=	=
Soundstage	-	+
Imaging	+	-
Separation	+	-
Macro-detail	=	=
Micro-detail	=	=
Timbre	-	+

IEM: Blon BL-03 (mesh mod), Radius Deep Mount tips Fifty, cable B3 four.4mm

graph (23).png

Bass: Djuro – Driblet that bass (01:15-01:xxx), extends lower and rumbles more on the 03. Punch quantity is college, like texture but cleaner due to the faster/tighter bass on the ZP. More tonally correct and better timbre on the 03.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), cleaner on the ZP due to the lower bass quantity and much faster/tighter bass, similar texture. More tonally correct on the 03 and better timbre.

Metallica – fight burn with burn down (01:11-01:52), much cleaner on the ZP due to the much faster/tighter bass along with a lot less quantity, a scrap better texture on the 03.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocal tonality is similar simply much better timbre on the 03, a bit more forward on the ZP, cleaner and a chip more detailed on the ZP. Instrument tonality and timbre are a lot better on the 03, but cleaner and more detailed on the ZP.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), a fleck shoutier vocals on the 03, just sibilant treble on the ZP.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Vocal and instrument tonality and timbre are a lot meliorate on the 03, cleaner and more detailed on the ZP though.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are sharper on the ZP, better timbre and more than tonally correct on the 03.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, texture and timbre are meliorate on the 03 but cleaner and a bit more detailed on the ZP. Violin tonality is a bit meliorate on the ZP with better clarity and treble-extension but much amend timbre on the 03.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), more tonally correct and better timbre on the 03, only cleaner and more detailed on the ZP.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), a lot wider on the ZP but deeper on the 03. Imaging, separation and detail are improve on the ZP. Much amend timbre on the 03.

Overall: The ZP is the more technical iem, while the 03 has better timbre. Become the 03 if you have a library similar to mine or the ZP if yous desire something more balanced.

	ZEX Pro	BL-03 (mesh modernistic)
Sub-bass	-	+
Mid-bass	-	+
Lower-mids	-	+
Upper-mids	=	=
Treble	-	+
Upper-treble	+	-
Soundstage	+	-
Imaging	+	-
Separation	+	-
Macro-particular	+	-
Micro-item	+	-
Timbre	-	+

IEM: CCA NRA, Sony EP-EX11 tips Fifty, stock cable three.5mm
Bass:

Djuro – Drop that bass (01:xv-01:30), like extension but more than rumble on the NRA. Punch quantity is higher on the NRA like texture but a bit tighter/faster on the ZP. A bit more tonally right and slightly better timbre on the NRA.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), more quantity and slightly more than textured on the NRA, faster/tighter on the ZP. More tonally right on the NRA and better timbre on it.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), cleaner on the ZP due to the lower bass quantity and tighter/faster bass.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocal tonality is a flake better, cleaner and ameliorate timbre on the ZP every bit well as a flake more forward. Instrument tonality is meliorate on the NRA only ameliorate timbre and cleaner on the ZP. Similar item.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), more than treble sibilant on the ZP, but slightly shoutier vocals on the NRA.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality are improve on the NRA, like detail and timbre though just cleaner on the ZP.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the 24-hour interval (03:24-03:42), electrical guitars are brighter and more fatiguing on the ZP, a chip ameliorate timbre on the NRA.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (cord version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, texture and timbre are better on the NRA similar detail but a fleck cleaner on the ZP. Violin tonality is amend on the ZP, like particular, treble-extension and detail.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), improve tonality and timbre on the NRA,

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), similar width but a bit deeper on the NRA. Imaging and detail are similar but better separation on the ZP. NRA has a scrap amend timbre.

Overall: They have similar technicalities, only the NRA is tuned better and with slightly ameliorate timbre to me.

	ZEX Pro	NRA
Sub-bass	-	+
Mid-bass	-	+
Lower-mids	-	+
Upper-mids	+	-
Treble	-	+
Upper-treble	=	=
Soundstage	-	+
Imaging	=	=
Separation	+	-
Macro-detail	=	=
Micro-item	=	=
Timbre	-	+

Decision:

I honestly can't really recommend this, the issues that the 8k area is causing is a big dealbreaker, timbre is off and upper-treble air is really lacking. Doesn't aid that the technicalities are on the same level as the cheaper KZ´s.

Of course, if you lot can use PEQ, pretty much all my issues with the tonality (and some of the timbre) is fixable. The rating with PEQ would instead be a 4.5/5:

Tiptop: 4200hz, Q: 2, proceeds: -3db
Acme: 7000hz, Q: 5, proceeds: -3db
Peak: 8000hz, Q: three, gain: -5db
High-shelf:11 000hz, Q: 0.seven, gain: 3db

Graph:

graph (33).png