The KZ ZS10s ($43) just arrived. Here are my initial impressions after 1 hour of listening time.
Setup: I use IEMs in mobile settings only. I always choose regular headphones unless weight and space are primary considerations. Apple device Bluetooth -> FiiO Q5 DAC/Amp -> ZS10.
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Out of box experience not great, as the inner plastic cover is nearly impossible to remove. KZ – use thumb tabs or cutouts!
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Factory cable is split half way down (e.g., about 2 feet, by design). I used the twist-tie to link the split portion together closer to my chin.
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Broken English in the user manual, but has interesting content.
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As expected, very tip dependent for bass response. The factory default tips (medium silicone) had zero bass and fell out of my ears, so I swapped them for the factory large silicone. Bass improved but they made hot spots. So, I’ve done most of my listening with medium to large closed cell foam tips.
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The memory wire ear hooks are easy to adjust and effective.
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Extremely clear and detailed, non sibilant, and not fatiguing so far. These easily outclass my Massdrop Noble Universal IEMs ($250; 2 BA drivers) for range, and compete with my Sennheiser HD-600s ($300) in quality and profile. They are not a threat to full range headphones (Focal Elex, $700).
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Cold, precise, and analytical, absolutely not warm, thick, or rich. With very large tips this may change; pending further experimentation. The ZS10s emphasize the upper mids, and the bass rolls off pretty fast. They remain cold even with bass boost on the Q5.
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They require a surprisingly large amount of power (i.e., same volume setting as the gigantic Elex).
Preliminary conclusion: These are great value for the money, and high end vendors (e.g., Noble) should be very scared.
More to come, but probably a few weeks away due to other obligations.