KZ ZSN Review – Good Cheap Fun for Philistines
Very likeable $15 hybrid really does justify most of the gushing praise, with a rich, bright tonality and a lot of PRAT. Aesthetics are improved over prior models, with nice-looking metal face and a good quality braided cable; headshells are large and heavy but sleekly designed and comfort is much better than the bulbous ZS5/ZSR/ZS10.
Isolation is good if not as exceptional as the ZS3/ZS4.
Very sensitive and loud; V-shaped with voluminous, impactful bass which can bleed over and thump a bit, tho in a pleasant way. Mids are thick textured and less forward, which makes vocals and keyboards sound farther back while treble is sparkly and clear, though not especially detailed—there’s nothing analytical about these.
Instruments are well separated and stage is wide but not noticeably high or deep; effect is like listening in a large, low-cielinged hall. Like KZ’s other hybrids, these are not paragons of accuracy; high end can sound metallic or harsh on certain material.
I prefer the more neutral tuning of the ZSR, and the ZS5/ZS6 presents more information, especially at the high end, but the ZSN is livelier than either and preferable for rock and jazz. Stepping up in price, the TRN V80 or BQEYZ BQ3 are more refined, with significantly better-tuned bass, but the ZSN is more coherent and less fatiguing than the V80 and more user-friendly than the fiddly BQ3. Viscerally very pleasing overall and something of a benchmark at this price point.
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