KZ ZS12 Pro 2

    Product links: https://kzmusicstore.com/products/n...f6Uti5KgegYdN8UpWJJExLOq0_wk6-sBFRB5ZtFNzsuSi Headfi.org: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/【k...m-type-c-sound-card-version-for-gamers.28709/

Preamble: The good folks at KeepHifi (Anna) have kindly sent out the KZ Zs12 PRO 2 iems for review with no expectations of a positive review – and that’s exactly what they’re getting. The ZS12 PRO 2s retail for $60 USD They employ 1 10mm Super Linear DD and 5 BAs (1 mid-high frequency and 2 ultra-high frequency). They have an impedance of 35 ohm and a sensitivity of 109 dB. I like to add on all my reviews – I’m listening with my ears, not yours. I’m listening with my gear, not yours. I’m listening with my love of audio, and not yours. YMMV….. Now let’s get our aural hands dirty! Gear: For the review, my portable gear consists of my trusty Fiio M23 DAP. My desktop gear will feature the xDuoo DP-10 Streaming transport (review - https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/xduoo-dp-10-streaming-transport.28869/reviews#review-40995) and XD05 PRO Dac/amp (review soon). Unboxing and first impressions: It’s KZ, it’s simple. A small white box with a picture of the iems opens(well, not magically, just figuratively) to discover the beasts themselves, and in another box, a very basic white 3.5mm cable (I’m not complaining as KeepHifi have already sent me out 2 lovely balanced cables of very good quality which makes a huge sonic difference when plugged into the 4.4mm socket of amps). A set of 3 pairs of tips and that’s it for accessories. I have no issue with this, as all the money (R&D) has gone into the iem, not the fancy packaging. Charge me $500 and I want fancy packaging as part of the experience, charge me $60 and I want quality iems. That’s it! I notice I didn’t get a BONUS packet of the SILICA lollies this time. Never mind I guess, they still taste bloody awful!!!!!! I will be using the Aureus cable the entire time (https://keephifi.com/collections/ea...ock-resistance-clearer-and-quieter-soundstage) The iems themselves look great in my opinion. They look quite premium to me with the gold accents and sharp lines. The fit is comfortable and the stock tips sound………well, sound really good, so I’ll leave them in! The Important Stuff: When I first put them on for casual listening, before the review, I thought “damn-these sound good!”. This was not knowing the price (I often don’t research anything before listening), or the album either. It was Stand My Ground by the band Symphony Of Sweden (highly recommend the album to anyone who loves melodic Swedish modern rock). I finished the album and thought I’d better test the stuff I know really well. Here goes…… Playing God first. Ok, so I wasn’t going mad. The ZS12 PRO 2s have great detail and resolution, smooth mids and really good bass. Review over……… Treble detail is amazing for $60. Staging is very good also, out wide left to right and separation is all around. We’re off to a surprisingly good start. Antecedent is next and again, the sound is snappy and as clean as Uncle Teddy’s whisky glass after he’s licked all the oak-influenced spirit from it………. This is so punchy without being in any way harsh or sibilant. It’s deep without being a bass-canon and the mids sit nicely smooth in the middle. It’s vibrant, and exciting. Separation is really, really good. I just reviewed the DUNU 242s (review - https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/dunu-dn242.28690/reviews#review-41201) and was honestly blown away by how clean, exciting and balanced (for my old ears) they were. These are a fraction of the cost and are doing something special. I will compare them later. Euphoria is exactly the same, and so is The Labyrinth Chronicles. Without comparing (yet), these sound like much more expensive iems. Clarity and resolution is excellent. Bass goes deep and is very tight and controlled, not sloppy or bleeding/bloated. Mids sit right in the middle, as is my preference for them. Staging is excellent and separation is one of the best I have heard of recent times. Colour me impressed!!!!! Over to the xDuoo setup. Ok, so we get a slightly more mature sound. Still clean as a whistle, deep as a dog’s buried bone and as wide as Cousin Bertie’s left…………..never mind. Separation is a real standout as is staging. Not holographic but really wide and well separated. Prelude/Angry Young Man sounds natural, lifelike, dynamic, and cohesive. A step-up with the xDuoo and the ZS12 PRO2s scale well. A fraction of the sparkle has gone but I actually prefer the sound now, and staging has slightly increased in width. Free Tibet starts mellow but wide and separated so well. When the beat drops, so does my jaw. I kid you not, the ZS12 PRO 2s sound amazing and handle EDM, metal and rock/pop with aplomb!! We finish with Chocolate Chip Trip. Staging, separation, vibrancy, balance, excitement, enjoyment – need I continue??? A quick comparison: Well now I have compare the recently reviewed DUNU 242s, which I LOVED! A bit unfair as they sell for $349 vs $60 but let’s see how the ZS12 PRO 2s stack up. Chocolate Chip Trip. The ZS12 PRO 2s sound fantastic. The DUNU 242s sound……….yeah, ok, better. Staging and separation has increased again and there’s an almost surreal swirling of sounds within my head, it’s wonderful (and a tad trippy). But the ZS 2s punch well above their financial weight. In terms of clarity and detail, bass control and depth, they hold their own, let me assure you. The 242s sound overall more mature I guess, a bit richer without being less detailed, a bit fuller maybe in the mids and separation and staging is wider and holographic also. The ZS 2s weren’t holographic, just wide. But with all seriousness, for the money, they are a damn good pair of iems.