I bought the S12 Pro a while back. They quickly became my daily drivers. While (imo) they sound quite good without EQ, a few minor tweaks can make them even better (when isn’t that true?). I don’t see them mentioned here much at all, which is why I figured I‘d throw this out there. They’re certainly a step up from the Zero 2s price-wise, but I feel they were well worth the cost. Not dissing the zero2, though. For the price, they are practically unbeatable.
I can imagine that the S12 Pro would be definitely better sounding than the Zero 2. The possibilities of the planar magnetic technology, and in particular the way in which the use of multiple drivers is not essential to creating a great sound across all frequencies, is a breakthrough. I was stunned when I heard the ARTTI T10. Still am. I did a fairly extensive listening session a few hours ago, which involved the ARTTI T10 and the Zero 2, and while I can appreciate the Zero 2 as a good choice, for the budget conscious, we have to place the Zero 2 in context.
Zero 2, is likely to beat out the competition, especially those in its price bracket, and its also very well made and comes well packaged with many tips. One gripe I have is the 3.5mm plug end of the supplied cable is rather small to hold, and is the most difficult cable I own, and takes rather more delicacy and effort to plug it in, or remove it from my DAC dongle. Much easier to have something more substantial to hold, at that end of the cable. Any comparisons with any planar magnetic, in my opinion are unfair, there is just no chance that the Zero 2, and that goes for probably other single DD IEMs, to sound anywhere near as resolving as a planar magnetic IEM.
Of course these are opinions, my opinion based on what I have heard, from my single DD IEMs, vs the ARTTI T10.
One other minor gripe, but this is not peculiar to the Zero 2, is I think they are supplied with the wrong eartips. And this is my hypothesis.
1. When I paired the Zero 2 with a wider bore eartip, the Clarion TRI, for my ears the large option of this eartip, fit like a glove. Best fit of any eartip, so far. But this opens up the frequency response of the Zero 2, in both the highs and lows, making the V-Shaped Frequency response more discernible, and increasing some of the screechiness/harshness in the upper frequencies. One one hand the tip replacement improves the frequency response of the Zero 2, but it also reveals some weaknesses of the Zero 2.
For those who "live" by frequency measurement plots, while these can be a good attempt at an objective method of comparing different IEMs, in the abscence of any alternative comparison method, it also begs the question, what eartips were used for these measurements.
Furthermore I find that reviewers, whose opinions I respect, such as Akros on Youtube, do not use the stock eartips or stock cables in their reviews. And most likely also in their measurements.
So unwittingly, the end user experience may NOT line up with the opinions of reviews, including any opinions expressed on ASR, cos we have this very valid opportunity for divergence, based on inconsistencies in teh use of these IEMS, with different cables and moreso with different eartips.
2. It is possible that the makers of Zero 2 (and I find this applies to KZ), deliberately provide eartips which dampen the upper frequencies, to "hide" the anomalies in the higher frequencies, where I detect a certain "resonance", and by resonance I mean an excessiveness, that becomes fatiguing and unpleasant, a shrill overtone. The use of a wide bore eartip exposes this flaw in the Zero 2, the more, albeit the wider bore eartip, nevertheless improves the overall sound of the Zero 2, making it more open and revealing its full potential, albeit highlighting the flaws in the upper frequencies. Using the same eartip, the third party Clarion TRI, on the ARTTI T10, also makes the T10 sound more open in the top end, than the stock narrow bore eartips. The T10 is supplied with its own set of wide bore eartips, but in my early days of using this IEM, they, in my opinion reduced the bass, making the presentation thin, so I was not encouraged to use them. The Clarion TRI (or similar eartip with a wide bore) is one "mod" I would suggest anyone who owns a Zero 2, experiment with.
Further details of this eartip enhancement of the Zero 2 and other IEMs is shared at the link below. I did start a new thread, to discuss this, but it's been merged with another one established by someone else. Kind of heavy handed admin management by ASR, but well that's their prerogative.!! Have no issue with it being moved to another section of the site, but being completely merged with some other thread, that's a 1st for me. Never experienced that. Never knew that was possible. But we learn each day.. Only learnt about the change, when I was searching for a link to the thread, so I could share it here. Anyway the link below, links to the relocated 1st post I made.
Side note. A pox on any company that ships a cable with the l/r markings on the 2 pin connectors on the inside as its mounted on the iem. What are you thinking? Those little L/R markings on IEM's are one of my pet hates. Does your wife use nail polish? Dab a little of the red nail polish on...
audiosciencereview.com
