KC Castor & CCA Pianist (Opinion/ Feedback)

[markanini]

I've been pretty much maining my Castor standard since getting it. To make it a tiny bit more crankable I added 200 mesh to the nozzles. It's the lightest grade mesh.

 

[otseiTiesto]

I've been pretty much maining my Castor standard since getting it. To make it a tiny bit more crankable I added 200 mesh to the nozzles. It's the lightest grade mesh.

Interesting, but what changes have you noticed? And from where did you get this mesh?

Today I found another video that corroborates its magnitude response, but I have no idea of what it tells.
I keep looking for more complete measurements (THD, impedance, real IR, multi-tone, etc) but I can't find anything anywhere.

 

[markanini]

Interesting, but what changes have you noticed? And from where did you get this mesh?

Today I found another video that corroborates its magnitude response, but I have no idea of what it tells.
I keep looking for more complete measurements (THD, impedance, real IR, multi-tone, etc) but I can't find anything anywhere.

I got the mesh from here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004092269560.html Some use foam as an alternative, the mesh is a little more convenient with it's standardized values 200-500.

The effects of the mesh are a bit more nuanced. Mostly it targets the upper mids and low treble. To me the effects of the lightest 200 mesh makes the mid range neutral. Without the mesh the stock response is very slightly shouty. I can't fully reproduce the effect with EQ, you need to hear it to appreciate what it does.

 

[otseiTiesto]

@markanini:

Thanks! I think I will try this modification, but I'm still waiting to receive my KZ Castor... Yes, I finally ordered one.

 

[otseiTiesto]

Finally I found a THD measurement (IEC-60318-4) for the "KZ Castor Std." (90dB @ 1Khz), source :

And I think the response was measured with silicone tips (green trace), but I'm not 100% sure:

KZ Castor Std. LR RMS Avr. (green trace) is the L/R RMS average, switches at "1100", and is taken from this graph.
Note that "Mult. Samples Avr." (orange-brown trace) is an average of multiple "KZ Castor Std." with foam tips, all set to "1100".

 

[muza_1]

After the honey moon period with the Zero:2 I started to play with the Castor Harman Edition (first 2 switches on) because I barely tried them (they arrived just a few days before the Zero:2), I am using a simple EQ based on the graph above (Multi. Samples Avr) plus a LF/105Hz/+1dB filter, after spending some time with them and to my surprise I am liking the Castor more than the all the Zeros (Zero:2, RED and Blue) and other IEMs, they might be my favorite now, they sound open, detailed and relaxed.

This is the EQ up to 3kHz, I like the highs as they are (I was using a mesh filter but I didn't like it in the end).

Preamp: -1.6 dB
Filter 1: ON LS Fc 110 Hz Gain 1.0 dB
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 38 Hz Gain 0.7 dB Q 1.5
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 170 Hz Gain -0.5 dB Q 0.7
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 550 Hz Gain 1.7 dB Q 1
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 1200 Hz Gain -1.4 dB Q 2
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 2150 Hz Gain 0.6 dB Q 2

 

[markanini]

@muza_1
Same as you I'm listening with two switches on. I still prefer an added mesh filter for extended listening, only the lightest grade 200 though. Not any more after revising my EQ.
My EQ is very light:

Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 175 Hz Gain -0.5 dB Q 0.47
Filter 2: ON HSC Fc 16000 Hz Gain -1.5 dB Q 0.33

The sound is not bad. A moderate amount of "Harman grit" in the mids, in between Zero blue and Zero Red. Bass levels more moderate like Zero Red. Conveys speciousness and vocal texture well enough to my liking.

 

[muza_1]

At first they sounded a bit bright as I was used to the Zero:2 but after a bit i took out the mesh (350) and it sounded a little bit more spacious and detailed, for me the RED was a bit bass shy and the blue too bright but in the end I had to stop using them, there was some some kind of resonance due to the design, both were causing me bad tinnitus flare-ups and for a time I was cautious of bright or mid forward IEMs but with the Castor I haven't had any problems nor find them overly bright.

For a long time I thought that the pinna gain of the Harman curve was too bright to me but after a long time experimenting with various curves, combination of curves and IEMs I just find out that a gradually reduced treble (+/- -2.5dB) from around 3kHz and on plus a 1dB or so of bass/mid-bass sound more open, balanced and natural to me.

I'm just going to try with some low-cost Harman IEMs to be sure and go from there.

 

[sharock]

I got the Castor Harman and Castor Bass for £17.86 total.

How is this not the budget king?

 

[muza_1]

I got the Castor Harman and Castor Bass for £17.86 total.

How is this not the budget king?

I got both for $22.00 they are an incredible value.
Also I ordered the CCA Polaris for $11.00 just to check it out.

 

[otseiTiesto]

I got both for $22.00 they are an incredible value.
Also I ordered the CCA Polaris for $11.00 just to check it out.

I have seen the KZ Castor (Harman/Silver/Std) as low as 7€ a few days ago. It cost me around 15€, and I wouldn't have bought it otherwise, since KZ has earned a bad reputation for itself. For this model KZ doesn't even specify its THD, just figure the reason...

By the way, it took a long time to arrive, and I'm still waiting for the mesh.

I got the Castor Harman and Castor Bass for £17.86 total.

How is this not the budget king?

Maybe because KZ is not reliable, and around 20€ you have better alternatives.

Edit: A budget king, maybe, if they charged 7-10 € for it...

 

[muza_1]

I have seen the KZ Castor (Harman/Silver/Std) as low as 7€ a few days ago. It cost me around 15€, and I wouldn't have bought it otherwise, since KZ has earned a bad reputation for itself. For this model KZ doesn't even specify its THD, just figure the reason...

By the way, it took a long time to arrive, and I'm still waiting for the mesh.

In a way the bad reputation is to be expected, their offerings are way cheaper than the competence (there is a lot of drama in the IEM industry). Personally all KZ products I have received have not suffered from bad quality control issues not any other brand for that matter, I have been lucky.

Mine arrived in about 15 days.

 

[markanini]

I have seen the KZ Castor (Harman/Silver/Std) as low as 7€ a few days ago. It cost me around 15€, and I wouldn't have bought it otherwise, since KZ has earned a bad reputation for itself. For this model KZ doesn't even specify its THD, just figure the reason...

By the way, it took a long time to arrive, and I'm still waiting for the mesh.


Maybe because KZ is not reliable, and around 20€ you have better alternatives.

Edit: A budget king, maybe, if they charged 7-10 € for it...

Don't worry too much about the mesh. It's mostly useful if you want to listen with a lower than average bass level, and need to balance out the upper mids for it. Lately I've enjoyed more bass and removed the added mesh on mine.

 

[otseiTiesto]

For a long time I thought that the pinna gain of the Harman curve was too bright to me but after a long time experimenting with various curves, combination of curves and IEMs I just find out that a gradually reduced treble (+/- -2.5dB) from around 3kHz and on plus a 1dB or so of bass/mid-bass sound more open, balanced and natural to me.

It makes sense, you're just like tweaking the tilt, take a look at the following graph (all Truthear xCrinacle Zero:Red with narrow tips) :

It is difficult to see, but there are two groups very peculiar (in this regard ):

Perhaps you are just adjusting its "misalignment" with respect to Harman, without a measurement it is difficult to know.

 

[otseiTiesto]

Don't worry too much about the mesh. It's mostly useful if you want to listen with a lower than average bass level, and need to balance out the upper mids for it. Lately I've enjoyed more bass and removed the added mesh on mine.

Thank you very much for the comment, the truth is that I have been trying them (without mesh) and I like them quite a lot, but with high volume I notice something weird, I would like to see a multi-tone test at 90 or 94 dBSPL.

- Green: Zero:RED.
- Violet: Etymotic ER4SR.

 

[markanini]

but with high volume I notice something weird

Something a bit harsh in the treble?

 

[muza_1]

It makes sense, you're just like tweaking the tilt, take a look at the following graph (all Truthear xCrinacle Zero:Red with narrow tips) :

View attachment 340289

It is difficult to see, but there are two groups very peculiar (in this regard ):

View attachment 340292

Perhaps you are just adjusting its "misalignment" with respect to Harman, without a measurement it is difficult to know.

It makes sense, the same happened with the Zero Blue too much unit to unit variation.

 

[OnLyTNT]

I got Castor Harman (silver one), Krila and D-Fi (no tuning version) on sale, especially Castor was dirt cheap. To my ears Castor (DDDD) >= Krila > D-Fi as tonality and seriously D-Fi is the worst in the bunch. Castor is fine as it is and the price is incredible. On the other hand, although D-Fi is fine with EQ I don't recommend it at all, since there are many many good options for the price range. They all share similar outer shell design, so fit comfort is almost the same.

By the way, normally I use middle tips for my IEMs, but interestingly the colored tips come with D-Fi didn't fit into my ears. I swapped them with L ones and viola! Perfect fit! Those colored tips are actually pretty good and if I can buy them in bulk I might consider chaging the tips of all the IEM's I have.

Finally, I'm totaly done with KZ.

 

[markanini]

I got Castor Harman (silver one), Krila and D-Fi (no tuning version) on sale, especially Castor was dirt cheap. To my ears Castor (DDDD) >= Krila > D-Fi as tonality and seriously D-Fi is the worst in the bunch. Castor is fine as it is and the price is incredible. On the other hand, although D-Fi is fine with EQ I don't recommend it at all, since there are many many good options for the price range. They all share similar outer shell design, so fit comfort is almost the same.

By the way, normally I use middle tips for my IEMs, but interestingly the colored tips come with D-Fi didn't fit into my ears. I swapped them with L ones and viola! Perfect fit! Those colored tips are actually pretty good and if I can buy them in bulk I might consider chaging the tips of all the IEM's I have.

Finally, I'm totaly done with KZ.

D-Fi was unimpressive to me. Castor Standard is the only KZ worth getting probably.

 

[otseiTiesto]

Something a bit harsh in the treble?

No, it's more in the mid / upper mid range, I guess it's distortion.