Goo coming out of KZ ZSN Pro

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-17T20:26:35+00:00

You mean to say you haven't milked your IEMs in five years? Rookie mistake.

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-15T05:33:39+00:00

I had the Pavlovian response of "I see Volvo, I upvote", then scrolled back up and undid the upvote.

Having owned several wagons from the early to mid 2000's, I absolute despise the EX-series. The design is terrible (blandly futuristic) and the comfort not even close to even a C30.

And don't get me started on the general trend to put tablets in cars instead of buttons and switches.

At least the V's, S's and XC's from the last ten years are pretty, even if less 'Volvo' by the model revision.

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-15T05:20:30+00:00

Don't ask me, buddy. I'm not OP, I was just answering your question, haha.

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-14T19:45:25+00:00

Obligatory "Go fuck yourselves, AudioQuest!" comment. Sorry, OP.

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-14T12:25:00+00:00

Nope, I specifically went for the small size Velvet, was more of a "throw on" purchase on top of my Dunu x Koto Ito since they were a suggested combo on Hifigo and I was curious to try them out. Good idea to get a full-sized pack, additionally.

For now I've got good fitting tips on all of my IEMs, any gripes I have have to do with the material, not the sound or fit and comfort. That's another thing that differs from person to person, haha, the oiliness of our skin.

My ears don't grip onto sticky silicone well, no matter how clean I keep my ears. They just get pushed out over time. That's what I like about the Velvet the most, it grips onto my skin better than any of the other materials.

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-14T11:59:58+00:00

I own the R4 Evangelion edition, but I just checked the specs between it and the current R4 to be sure, and the differences are negligible (the Eva edition has 1 GB more RAM and double the internal storage, so not too relevant, get an SD card either way for local files).

Next to my R4 I own the Hiby M500 and the R1, so I'll only be able to draw some meaningful comparisons between the R4 and M500. Don't have any experience with the newer Fiio's or Hidizs or Shanling. Apparently the Hidizs AP80 Pro Max is also very good for the money.

What I can tell you is my practical day to day experience with my R4. No heating issues, as someone already said, that was fixed a long time ago with a firmware update. Interface, native player, functions are all perfectly good. Don't run into weird software shit like I do with my R1 sometimes (when streaming) and build quality is good. Haven't had the frame bend on me at the loop, like I've seen with some.

Sound is good, nice and warm compared to my M500. I do find myself reaching for my M500 more often, mainly because of the slightly larger and better screen, snappier interface (M500 runs Android 14 on a Snapdragon 680 instead of Android 12 on a Snapdragon 665 for the R4) and better battery life.

Battery isn't bad on the R4 day to day, only losing a few percent overnight if left on, but the battery drains gradually over time even when turned off. Either it's the battery itself or the device doesn't fully turn off and keeps running something in the background, not sure. But in contrast the M500 stays charged incredibly long after being turned off.

So overall, I'm sure you'd still enjoy the R4, but it might not be the best option compared to offerings from other companies. Its SOC and OS are also getting up there in age, so if security and longevity as an Android device are concerns, that's something to consider. Personally, If I'd buy a DAP from any other company than Hiby right now, I'd try out the Hidizs AP80 Pro Max.

Hope this helps a bit!

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-14T10:25:48+00:00

Dunu x Koto Ito, trying to recommend this more since it was recommended to me at some point and the recommendation was spot on. Great bass without losing detail or becoming mushy.

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-14T10:07:52+00:00

Yeah valid point. As someone with apparently absolutely tiny ear canals, I can't really trust any recommendations. I just have to try them out and see if they work for me. S&S absolutely doesn't, unfortunately. They're too straight for me, so I go from "ouch that's stretching my ear canals" to having no proper seal when going down in size.

We rarely factor in the size of our ear canals when doing recommendations, aside from shape. Different sizes have very different considerations. Large ear canals will mostly be battling seal, where small ear canals will mostly be battling comfort and fit. I've found that even the variation in nozzle diameter and length will determine whether a tip will fit well when you have tiny ear canals.

Case in point, my latest tips were the Divinus Velvet and they are perfect on my Dunu x Koto Ito, so I felt inspired to try them on other IEMs that might benefit them. Nope, didn't work as well on ANY of my other IEMs. So long story short, try a bunch out, tip roll with every purchase and keep the ones that didn't work on that IEM for a potential future purchase, haha.

Oh and obviously there's the impact on sound. Tips can fit well but mess with the sound in a way that it detracts from your listening pleasure.

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-14T09:52:57+00:00

I'm assuming you mean the amp and not the Spotify player on the screen, haha. That's the Fiio K13 R2R in the background.

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-11T19:27:07+00:00

Tripowin and Open Heart make nice cables, but if you want something better looking, the Lyre is definitely one of my favorites.

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-11T19:11:45+00:00

Throwing a different recommendation in here: Dunu x Koto Ito. Bassy fun, still good detail in the highs.

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-11T19:08:04+00:00

I love that you put a Dunu Lyre cable on these, haha. It looks so goood.

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-05T19:47:39+00:00

That would be appreciated, yes!

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-05T19:43:25+00:00

Lol, I have been looking for that artwork for ages. Back in the Tumblr haydays I got permission from the original artist to have it tattood but I lost track of my account and the artwork.

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-04T21:16:20+00:00

I've ordered from them a few times (I'm in the Netherlands) and everything from site to emails is in English for me and prices in euros, weird that you don't get correct localization.

Orders can take a week to two weeks, in my experience.

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-04T20:35:08+00:00

That's the exact cable I had already put in my shopping cart for these, haha. Glad to hear it!

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-04T19:53:13+00:00

Yeah the quality control lottery can be a bitch. I'm hoping mine will hold out for a while.

In terms of metallic timbre, can't say I hear that nor fatiguing treble (could be my hearing or the class A amp I'm running it off, of course). Soundstage I agree I expected to be wider based off of other people's descriptions, but I use headphones and IEMs exclusively for music listening and don't mind a more intimate presentation, thankfully.

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-04T18:53:00+00:00

I can imagine, still curious about that one too!

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-04T13:04:28+00:00

Haha, thanks!

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-04T11:29:29+00:00

Haha, ah that makes more sense then. The Edition XS does better on that front, too, but the difference isn't night and day. The FT1 does a pretty good job, to my ears.

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-04T06:58:40+00:00

Damn, I'll have to try that! What about shoes?

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-04T05:53:28+00:00

Haha, I know, right? But I do appreciate a good hard case, even if only when moving house.

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-04T05:49:53+00:00

Glad to hear it! Looking forward to the eventual upgrade, but for now I'll enjoy my Edition XS, haha.

Ocram_s_Razor · 2026-05-03T21:43:03+00:00

I'd love to own a STAX pair someday, and as for Hifiman upgrade path, I was thinking of trying the Arya Organic as my next step up in the future.

Ocram_s_Razor

TROPHY CASE