Maybe you could try @Rikudou_Goku 1 devided by 16 mod where you cut a foam from an Earbud to 1/16 of its size and put it into the eartip.
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Foams mostly affect the 2-4k range. The peak is at 8k.
It can help but not the ideal mod.
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The KZ CRN is a dramatic step forward for KZ, but the treble balance, timbre issues, and average technical performance keep the CRN from being an unqualified recommendation from me. These issues can be remedied with PEQ, but if you have access to PEQ the need for such a strong starting point in terms of base tuning is much less, and you might do better to pick something more technically proficient instead.
My full review, with measurements, a comparison with the Tanchjim Tanya, and additional images, is available on my blog:
KZ CRN (ZEX Pro) Review. A Mile Forward and a Yard Short | by Alec | Bedrock Reviews | Dec, 2021 | Medium
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If you like planars you should consider the 7Hz Timeless, more than $35 obviously but itās really good, I think the best IEM available around $200 and competes with stuff much more expensive. Great planar bass and sparkly and detailed in the treble without being fatiguing.
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I donāt get it. Why do they need fixing, if Crin tuned them? Werenāt the idea of the set that it has good tuning from the start?
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Iām with you. It may be the best that can be done with an incredibly affordable driver?
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I donāt like how they are tuned stock but Iāve had monoprice m350s for a couple years and with some heavy EQ theyāre pretty incredible. Iām a bit of a sucker for soundstage, imaging, and separation and Iāve heard the 7hz is pretty flat soundstage wise. If 7hz could make a properly tuned open back timeless I bet it would solve a lot of their staging issues.
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I think you need to look at it in the context of an IEM, and a $200 IEM at that. Itās not going to compete with open back over ears for soundstage. Few if any IEMs do. Almost all IEMs are closed back, open back IEMs are very niche.
Imaging and separation are particularly good on this IMO. Soundstage isnāt terrible either, itās average. If you like this and you like the Edition XS I think youād like the Timeless. Itās not perfect in every way but itās a huge step up from this IEM (which I think is good, for the price).
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This hobby is subjective
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I think heās right on this, the treble on these is a mess. Itās very KZ, huge peaks and dips. Itās very promising for me up to treble, but then it all goes wrong. I was initially impressed, and I still think they work for some genres, particularly electronic music, but the more I listen to them, the more problematic the harsh treble gets.
The recommended EQ [8kHz -5dB Q5 / 12kHz +10dB Q4] helps a lot, but that it exists at all and requires such huge 5-10db peak filters sort of indicates that the treble is wack stock. If you have easy access to PEQ though, it really helps, they sound far more natural, less metallic, less wrong. You can also boost the mid-bass if the āthinnessā concerns you but this concerns me less. I think though it ultimately doesnāt have the technicals to pull off this tuning.
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Try my preset:
Peak: 4200hz, Q: 2, gain: -3db
Peak: 7000hz, Q: 5, gain: -3db
Peak: 8000hz, Q: 3, gain: -5db
High-shelf: 11 000Q: 0.7, gain: 3db
I tried CrinĀ“s preset but I preferred mine.
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That is my take as well.
@Pokrog I always view IEMs as an option to closed back headphones. My reasons to take an IEM over a closed back are comfort, temperature, and portability or size. The portability aspect usually means that you want the sound isolation both for you and the other people around you, so open back rarely makes sense in this space.
That said, the Timeless has a wide stage for an IEM, and is wider than the SHP9500 open back headphones. There are ranges on these things, and they can overlap a bit. If you really want a wide open back, look at the AKG K612 Pro ( or K702 ).
IEMs tend to be my work solution, for me open backs are more for gaming and my down time. I spend more on IEMs, but only because it is easy to justify due to time spent with them in my ears.
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I wasnāt expecting much at that price point, but I figured the Crinacle tuning would be ābetter than thatā. The graph looks like everything above 6k is a mess. I am curious to hear them, and I will likely get my value out of them if they are comfortable, but who knows ( I should have them this week ).
I have to admit that the closer I get to receiving my Linsoul shipments, the less excited about this one, and the more excited about the T3+ I am.
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Yeah at the end of the day, itās still a ~35 USD set, and it wonāt compete with T3+ even with the tuning from a respected reviewer. I tried the ZEX Pro thinking Iād get a taste of a tribrid, but honestly I didnāt hear anything different to a hybrid. I think Iāll just go >200 USD bracket for the next tribrid.
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ā¦ and that was what put it on my radar in the first place was the budget tribrid. Crinacle being a collaborator likely raised my expectations as well.
I will be curious to see how it stacks up to the ZS10 Pro, which is probably one the better OG sets from KZ.
I got the ZEX Pro yesterday, and I want to say I put in some time, but good lord that wing is uncomfortable.
The tuning is pretty decent, a bit brighter that I was expecting, but overall not bad. I still think the ZS10 Pro sounds better to me, but that is personal preference.
My real takeaway is that KZ wrecked a decent set with that wing on the back edge. Even if it is a good deal, a lot of people are going to find this too painful IEM to wear, and this is 3 or 4 pairs in a row that were designed like this.
I avoided KZ for most of the year because they got more shouty with each set. They might have fixed that, but it seems like they just found a new thing to screw up with the wing on the case.
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I noticed the the wing is less an issue when you use shallow insertion depth. I went from M sized cp100s to L sized cp100.
The CRN isnāt built for deep insertion, it seems.
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Can you share the AutoEQ file? thanks
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That makes a huge difference, I tried a Spinfit CP240 double flange, and the CRN was much more comfortable. It makes it comically long too.
ā¦ and sort of magnificent for the Jeff Beck I was listening to ( There And Back ). The CP240 brings the highs down a bit, which was exactly what the CRN needed.