KZ ZEX Pro x Crinacle CRN Review: Return of the K(Z)ing?

To be clear, the ZEX Pro is a good sounding IEM and almost certainly the best tuned product KZ has ever released. With a bass leaning balanced signature that ... 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Fc-Construct In-EarHeadphoneReviews 9minuteread Reviewwrittenby@Fc-Construct ReviewunitsprovidedbyLinsoulandKZ Introduction IfthereisabrandthatissynonymouswithChiFi,itwouldbeKZ.ThoughnowlargelyovershadowedbynewcompetitorslikeMoonDroporTinHiFi,itisnoexaggerationtosaythatKZishistoricallyresponsibleforthenegativeperceptionthataccompaniesChineseaudiobrandsofcheap,lowquality,overhyped,flavor-of-the-monthproductsreleasedatabreakneckpace.Yetdespitetheirpoorreputation,KZhaslegitimatelydoneaserviceforthosewhosimplycannotaffordtospendmorethanthepriceofanicemealonaudio.Infact,you’dbesurprisedathowmanylivebandshaveadoptedKZ’sIEMsforstageusegiventhattheycostamerefractionoftheoutdatedbutvenerableShureSE215s.WhileKZmaybeseenasablightbymanyself-professedaudiophiles,Idosalutetheircontributiontothehobby. Introductorymusingsaside,theobjectoftoday’sreviewisthe$35KZZEXProthatsportsahybrid1DD+1BA+1ESTsetup.ThisIEMisalsoknownastheKZxCrinacleCRNafteranannouncementrevealingthatitwasacollaborationproductwithwellknownreviewerCrinacleprovidingthetuning.Ibelievethereasoningforthisratherconfusingnamingsituationwastogaugethecommunity’sreactiontotheKZZEXProbeforeandaftertherevealgivenKZ’spoorreputationandCrinacle’srespectedname.Butforthepurposeofthisreview,thestoriedbackgroundoftheZEXPro’screationisirrelevant.WhatmattersisitsperformanceandifthiscollaborationwillfinallybringKZtimebackintothespotlight. What’sintheBox? ItseemslikeKZ’spackagingisthesameasever:aplainwhiteboxwithnothingbuttheIEM,thecable,and3pairsofgenericwhitesilicontips.ItseemsthistimethatKZhasprovidedasilvercablethatusestheirQDC-styleinverted2-pinjacks.Thiscableisactuallyprettygoodwithlittlecablenoiseormemory. ThebodyoftheZEXProismadeofatranslucentresinsimilartomanycheapIEMsonthemarkettoday.ThefaceplateisafairlyattractivezincalloythatfeaturestheKZlogo.IhavetheseIEMsinbothrosegoldandblackversions.TheCrinacleCRNversionissamewiththeexceptionofCrinacle’slogoontheshell. ThefitoftheZEXProissurprisinglyuncomfortable.Thoughitseemstobeergonomicandslotsintomyeareasilyenough,there’sabulgetotheshellthatprotrudestowardsthebackofmyear.Itseemslikethisextrabulkisneededtoaccommodatethedynamicdriver.Thismaybeadealbreaker.Atfirstitonlyirritatedmebutnow,Ican’twearitformorethananhouratatimebeforestartingtogetuncomfortableorsore.Ofcourse,yourmileagemightvarybutdespitehowgoodtheZEXPromaysound,Ilikelywon’tbeusingitmuchbeyondthisreview. Sound IhadratherhighexpectationsfortheKZZEXProcomingingivenitsfrequencyresponsegraphthatIhadseenandCrinacle’scollaboration.Butsimplyput,it’snotthegamechangerthatsomemighthavebeenhopingfor.Tobeclear,theZEXProisagoodsoundingIEMandalmostcertainlythebesttunedproductKZhaseverreleased.Withabassleaningbalancedsignaturethatwillfeelathomeformostpeopleandapricetagof$35,it’saforegoneconclusionthattheZEXProisworththemoney.Withthatinmind,letmegothroughsomeofthenitpicksI’mlessthrilledwithabouttheZEXPro. FrequencyresponseoftheKZZEXProandCrinacleCRN.MeasurementtakenwithanIEC-711clonemicrophone.Comparisonscanonlybemadetoothermeasurementstakenbythisspecificmicrophone.Apeakatabout8–10kHzislikelyanartifactofthemicrophone.Itlikelydoesnotactuallyexistasdepictedhere. Lookingatthegraph,there’stwowaysyoucaninterpretthis.ThefirstisthattheZEXProandCrinacleCRNareidenticalIEMsbuthaveaminorproductvariance.TheotherwayistotaketheneuroticrouteandsaythattheyaredifferentIEMsorhavesomehowundergoneso-calledsilentrevisions.Personallyspeaking,I’dstickwiththeformer. Bass ThebassoftheZEXProisclearlyelevatedbutnottothepointthatitoverpowersthesound.ItmakestheZEXProabassyIEMwithquiteabitofmidbassandmoderatesubbassrumble.Bassnotesarehoweverfairlysoftandblunted.CleannotedefinitionandtightpunchisnottheZEXPro’sforte.There’saslightbloominessandbassbleedintothemidsaswell.Thoughthereissomelevelofbasstexturehere,itfeelsstrangelydirtytomyears.Despitethesegripesaboutthebass,IdothinkitdoesthejobwellenoughwhilemanagingtoavoidsoundinggenericorbloatedlikemanyotherIEMs.IthinkI’dpreferareductionof1–2dBacrosstheboardtocleanitupabitbutthat’saboutit. Mids Themidstonalbalanceiswelldone.There’splentyoflowermidsontheZEXProthattakecenterstageofitsperformance.InstrumentsgenerallysoundgoodandIhavenoparticularcomplainthere.VocalsarewheretheZEXProfalters.Thereisalowlevelofthesibilanceandharshnesstothevocals.Traditionalsibilanceischaracterizedbyahard,sharpinitialSsssound.WhilethisispresentontheZEXPro,what’smoreprevalentisaminorbutharshspikeonthebackendofcertainnotes.Mycomplainthoweverisvocaltimbre.Itsoundsstrangelyofftome,likelyaresultoftheupwardsslopingresponseanddeadenedtreble.It'smostnoticeablewhenIcompareittoabenchmarkIEMliketheMoonDropAria.There,it’sfairlycleartomethatvocalsontheZEXProaren’tnearlyassmoothorpleasant.Tobeclear,itseasilybetterthanyouraverageIEM.Buttocallvocalsgreatwouldbeoversellingit. Treble WhilethetrebleoftheZEXProdoesn’tdoanythingoffensive,itisn’texactlyamazingeither.Thelowertrebletransitionsfromtheuppermids,taperingoffbythemidtrebleandfallingoffintheupper.TheZEXProisnotadarkIEMbyanymeansnorisitnecessarilymajorlylackingintreblegain.However,thetoneisblandandthereisnoshineorbrilliancetoit.Thoughthehatsandcymbalsarebalancedinthesensethatthereisn’taparticularemphasisoneithertheattackordecay,theysoundlikeanafterthoughtinthemix.ThislackofenergymakestheZEXProsoundmediocreinthetreble. Presentation SoundstageandimagingareaverageforIEMs,nothingoutstanding.AsusualwithlowertierIEMs,there’slittledepthorlayering.Resolutionandseparationaregoodforthebudgetclassbutnotground-breakinggiventheproliferationofotherverygoodIEMsintherecentyearorso.IdofindthattheZEXProdoesstrugglealittlewithbusiersongs,particularlyinthetreblewhereitcanstartsoundingincoherent.Thatsaid,Idon’tthinkthedifferingdrivertechnologiesclashagainsteachotherandareseamlessenoughduringtransitionsbetweenthebass,mids,andtreble.Asawhole,theZEXPro’stechnicalperformanceishighlycompetitiveforthepricebutdoesn’tpunchmuchaboveitsclass.IEMsliketheMoonDropAriaorTinHiFiT3PlusarestillonestepabovetheZEXPro. ComparisontoBLONBL03andTinHiFiT2 Undoubtedly,thebiggestadvantagethattheZEXProhasovercontemporaryIEMsisitstuning.ItcleansupthebloatandslightmudintheBL03andT2’slowermidsrespectively.TheuppermidsandlowertrebleregionontheZEXProisalsosuperiortobothasitavoidsmajordipsandpeaks.ThoughthevocaltimbreontheZEXProiswonky,theBL03orT2'svocalsaren'tmuchbetter.Fromatechnicalperspective,theZEXProalsotakesthecrownbyasmallmarginintermsofresolutionandclarity.ButifyoualreadyhappilyowntheBL03orT2,Iwouldn’trushouttobuytheZEXPrountilyouhavearealitchtotrysomethingnew.Andinthatcase,I’dpointyoutowardstheMoonDropAriainsteadforamoresubstantialupgrade. ShouldYouBuyIt? Yes,ifyouarealimitedbudget.IknowIcomplainedalotduringthisarticlebutthat’sthenatureofreviews.RegardlessofiftheKZZEXProwas$30or$300,Iwouldhavethesamenitpicks.WheretheZEXProbringsvalueisinitsprice.At$35,itfurtherpushesdownthepricebarrierfortarget-curvebasedtuningsonlyfoundinIEMsofahighertier.Whiletheabsolutepricedifferenceof$30orsotothenextpricebracketfortheMoonDropAriadoesn’tseemlikemuch,I’dliketoreferbacktotheopeningparagraph.DespiteCrinacle’scollaborationwithKZ,theZEXProisnotsomesortofChiFimessiahthatsomepeoplemayhaveexpected.Butwhattheyhavedoneiscreatedagenuinelygoodproductatahighlyaffordablepricepoint.I’mcertainthatformanybuddingstagemusiciansorcuriousaudiophiles-to-be,theKZZEXProwillservethemwellastheirfirstsetofIEMs.Justbecarefulofthefitinyourears. -Fc-Construct «BacktoBlog RelatedArticles KZAZ09ProReview:FundamentallyGoodbutFatallyFlawed 8minuteread CCACRAReview:TheBestDealinAudio 8minuteread LETSHUOERS12-The$150TechnicalChampion 8minuteread Hey!Lookslikeyou'vechangedyourthemeandnowDropInBlog'scodeneedstobere-addedtoyourthemefiles. 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