KZ ZSX Terminator Review – More Fun In The New World
KZ ZSX Terminator—I haven’t quite fathomed KZ’s plan for world dominance, not only because they keep churning out innumerable, barely-differentiated new models but because their more upmarket offerings (AS16 etc.) haven’t necessarily been a big sonic upgrade from their venerable budget models. That said, they seemed to have found a comfortable niche in the $40 segment, as their recent ZS7 and CCA C10 are really credible, high value phones.
Enter the KZ ZSX Terminator, which retains the basic signature of the well-regarded ZS10 Pro—generally balanced, with emphasis on a very extended high end—while refining the quality of the low end. Packaging and accessories are standard-issue KZ, which is to say nothing special except for the inclusion of a (somewhat gratuitous) silver nameplate, which I would have happily traded for a carrying case. Large headshells resemble the CCAs, with an alloy top fused to an acrylic bottom; cheap-but serviceable cable is identical to the ZS7/ZS10P. Fit and comfort are good; isolation trails the ZS3/ZS4 but is nonetheless above-average. I got best results with Spinfit-type silicons; foams tend to blunt the low end. Easily driven form my LG V30, I did not discern significant improvement from a desktop amp.
These KZ ZSX Terminator immediately register as a big-sounding, forward IEM which present a great deal of microdetail; to use the old cliché, on familiar recordings I found myself hearing little nuances for the first time. Tonality is just north of neutral, with a fair amount of brightness and crispness at the high end, and note texture is quite thick. Subbass isn’t seismic, but has more depth and quantity than the ZS7 and noticeably less emphasis and better control than the ZS10P, although compared to something like the BQEYZ BQ3 it retains a slightly syrupy quality and midbass can bleed a bit on denser material.
Lower mids are forward and full bodied; male voices and guitars in particular are front-stage and gutsy; there’s a bit of a dip in the upper mids which makes female voices and wind instruments sound just a little bit thinner. Treble, as noted, is very, very revealing (the warmer ZS7 or CCA10 sound a bit hazy in comparison); drums and cymbals in particular have a lot of snap and very quick attack. Unlike other hyper-revealing phones like the ZS5, NX7 or TRN V80, they aren’t particularly “hot” or fatiguing and overall these lack the high-end stridency of earlier KZ hybrids. However, the KZ ZSX Terminator can get brittle or digital-sounding at higher volumes.
Compared to say, the ZS5 or ZSR, the soundstage of the KZ ZSX Terminator is smallish but well-rounded, with decent width and depth and an enveloping quality; layering is accurate but imaging is (uncharacteristically for KZ) a bit muddled and I had some difficulty discerning the precise location of certain instruments. Considering its multiple drivers the ZSX is quite coherent, if not as seamless as good single DDs like the 9Tail or CNT1.
So where do these ZSX Terminator fit into the KZ pantheon? Well, they’re incrementally better than the ZS10 Pro, with better bass control and coherence. They present considerably more high end information than the ZS7 and are more refined overall than the party-hearty ZSN. That said, I currently rank the ZSX a notch below the ZS7 or CCA10, which trade transparency and microdetail for a more analogue quality, while the irrepressible $10 ED9 is simpler but less synthetic-sounding than either. In the broader Chifi universe, KZ is still in search of the inalienable “naturalness” that peers like Moondrop, Blon or BQEYZ have found—to use a crude analogy, KZ seems to prioritize putting more horsepower under the hood over enhancing the passenger experience. Which, of course, doesn’t make them less appealing, and if you’re a fan of the house sound, this is the latest, greatest and best value.
Disclaimer: Jessie from Yinyoo sent me these for review; I’ll send ‘em on to Durwood or Slater for a second opinion.
Product link: Yinyoo Amazon Store
