Bus Ride Impression

BUS RIDE IMPRESSION: KZ AS10

So KZ came out with a slew of new IEMs apparently to keep their fans peeled on what they have to offer next. Not really a very new strategy for KZ as of late; just keep those IEMs coming and let the fans decide which ones they will get to replace their older ones. Fortunately for KZ fans, the brand seems to be relentless.

Good thing too that KZ seems to have improved with their recent releases (I think I mentioned this in my review for the KZ ZSA how I disliked the ZS5 and ZS6). Yes, KZ seems to be keen on keeping their bassy or V-shaped house sound, but at the very least they are doing a far better job than before. May it be the case that KZ’s offers are a tad too bassy or warm for me, but at the very least the ones that I tried lately doesn’t have that funky, somewhat unnatural sound from the mentioned models.

BUS RIDE IMPRESSION: KZ ZSA

Posted by Marlowe Cruz

I am not a fan of KZ, or Knowledge Zenith for the more proper brand name. Back in the early days of KZ (I think it was about a couple of years ago, or so), I did remember when I was just starting in the hobby and they did have a couple of models that seems to be pretty successful, the KZ ATE and ED9. I liked both, albeit the bass of the ATE was slightly muddy while ED9’s build could have used a bit of improvement, but boy was I happy back then (ignorance is a bliss I guess) as the best I had back then was my old, trusty ATH IM70. KZ’s formula then was a success; these models may not necessarily be the best there is in the market but they are cheap and offers a much-improved tonality compared to those that I normally get from my phones’ packaging. Shortly after, KZ came up with the ZS3 and ZST which, admittedly, are a pretty good upgrade from the ATE (ZST having a good run even up to this point, being one of the most preferred choices in the entry-level category amongst enthusiasts these days).

Fast forward nowadays, I got quite disappointed with some of their offerings, particularly the ZS5 and ZS6 (ZS5 even got controversial at some point, while ZS6 was waaaaayyy too bass-heavy for my taste, leaving the mids dipped far too much) as I find them deviating a bit from their old style of offering a decent amount of details from their IEMs (my apologies to the ZS5 and ZS6 fans out there). It felt like KZ capitalized on the incorrect notion (in my opinion) that the sound quality is directly proportional to the number of drivers an IEM has.

BUS RIDE IMPRESSION: Senfer EN900

Posted by Marlowe Cruz

Welcome to another episode of Bus Ride Impression! Past couple of weeks has been quite crazy, perhaps crazier than the coming season as the team has been quite busy planning for a few stuff, among them primarily the future of BRI (oh boy, do we have a lot in store for you folks), plus a few events happening in the near future (we realized that the November HiFi Show reared its head), so we had to get rolling with this as this year’s event seems to be quite bigger than the last one. Thus the delay on the reviews.

BUT, excuses are worthless, so we will go ahead and publish yet another one for you before we get missed by you guys. Fortunately, I was able to land several more toys to review (again, mostly by my generous benefactor Lillian, thank you so much ma’am) and I promise that the website should be fully stocked in the next several weeks.

BUS RIDE IMPRESSION: Audiofly AF100

Posted by Marlowe Cruz

Audiofly has been in the in-ear monitor design industry since 2011, and while it has competitors that are in the industry way before that, Audiofly has somehow managed to create a niche in the market with its comfortable design and great signature. Considering its roots started in the land down under, I am pretty surprised that it is shadowed by other brands in the market today particularly in SE Asia.

BUS RIDE IMPRESSION: BGVP DX3s

Posted by Marlowe Cruz

After a few years in the hobby, having tried different stuff, I kinda got to the point where I equate quality of sound to be proportional to the price you paid for the gear. It kinda makes sense to some point really, thinking that expensive gears would require pricier components (rarer materials perhaps?) not to include the cost of R&D spent. It is pretty reasonable really, especially for brands that are quite known in the industry for some time.

However, for the past several years, an influx of affordable entry-level IEMs and earbuds arrived with China leading this sort of revolution wherein a few did create a niche in the market which eventually turned into favorites of the masses given their excellent build and great sound. Some of those went on to establish their brands and ended to become crowd favorites among the enthusiasts.

Recently, among these China brands, a relatively new player called BGVP released several new offers, one of which I received a review unit called the DX3s and this seems to offer quite an interesting build. As to the sound, I had to take the said earbud to at least 50 hours of burn-in, but my initial impression leads me to think that this might appeal a certain group of enthusiasts given its tonality.

Follow me then as I take this baby for a spin.

BUS RIDE IMPRESSION: TRN V80

Posted by Marlowe Cruz

Budget in-ear monitors are a dime a dozen. In the current hobby scene, you can see how they proliferate as new players come in left and right. Over the past couple of years, a horde of entry level IEMs have broken through the mainstream market; it’s is not exactly surprising as the appeal of budget level IEM’s with sound quality good enough to be considered “Hi-Fi” has been tickling the fancy of hobbyist since time immemorial. Decent sound can now be had without breaking your piggy bank. Indeed, some of these offerings are good enough to satiate the craving for a really decent audio setup – perhaps enough to be considered a poor man’s alternative to the likes of HUM and Campfire Audio.

Novice Viewpoint: Shanling M0

Posted by John Carlo Perucho

Introducing the newest addition to the Bus Ride Impression, “Novice Viewpoint”. This features impressions and feedback from the point of view of a neophyte in this hobby. This aims to present newbie friendly reviews and a much fun oriented discussion.

Disclaimer:

The Shanling M0 unit for this review did not come from the manufacturer. The written review is impartial and has no connections with the company. However I wish to thank Shanling for manufacturing these great budgets DAP (Digital Audio Player). Please bear with me as this is my “first review”.