- All right, so here we have the KZ x Crinacle CRN,
also known as these Zex Pro.
So this is a combination or, sorry,
a collaboration between KZ and well-renowned IEM reviewer,
Crinacle, also known as Crin.
So all right, let's jump straight into it.
So in the box,
you're gonna get the usual stuff that you would get,
so your IEMs would be sitting right here.
I've actually got them sitting over here.
Pop them open.
So you're going to get a cable.
Obviously, these are wired IEMs,
so they do come with a cable.
Now, mind you, these are budget IEMs.
They cost right about 35-ish, 40 bucks,
so don't expect the greatest cable or tips right in the box.
Just making that clear.
The tips and cable are aight at best.
So this is the cable that comes with the box.
I kinda didn't really like it.
It'll get the job done, but it's kind of thin,
a bit on the flimsy side, so not a huge fan of it.
It's better than some of the other ones that they used
to come with, but yeah, just not a huge fan of it,
and then they do have some tips.
They come with these white ear tips.
They're okay.
They're not super bad, like some of the older, rubber,
black silicone ones that you used to get before,
a little bit better,
but I went ahead and swapped these out as well.
So at least on mine, for my personal one,
I went ahead and swapped out the cable and the ear tips
for something a little bit better,
but that's basically what you get in the box
for the KZ CRN, and as you can see in here,
it actually says Zex pro.
So there is no difference.
Just want to make that as clear as possible
between the KZ CRN and the KZ Zex Pro,
there's no difference.
Just the name, that's it, so that's all it is,
same exact ones.
So yeah, so let's get right into these.
So basically, for my own sound testing, so as you can see,
I've swapped in my SpinFit CP100s right here.
There'll be links in the description for that,
and I use a Yingyu four core cable, not too expensive.
I think it's like 15 or 20 bucks.
I'll leave a link for that in the description as well.
So these are the IEMs themselves, the KZ CRN,
and they are using a two pin,
I believe it's a 0.078 connection on these guys,
so they do come in a couple of different colors as well,
but that's the guys right there, just pure IEM status.
Now, for testing,
I did use these with a THX Onyx on Apple Music Lossless,
and I also tested them with an IFI ZEN DAC V2
using Amazon Music HD,
so tested with both different options
to really get a good feel and a vibe
for what the KZ CRN actually have to offer.
So let's jump straight into the sound,
because when it comes IEMs, that's all it's about.
Overall, this is a very different sound compared
to previous KZ IEMs.
Now, KZ, just a little bit of history with me and KZ here,
KZ was actually the first set of IEMs I bought.
I believe it was the KZ ZSX or something along those lines
were my very first IEMs that I ever tried,
so we go ways back here,
and they've always been known for being big bass,
big V-shape, somewhat boomy,
so not the best tuned on the market, but if you love bass,
they really brought it.
This is a complete departure from that type
of sound quality.
So this tuning is completely different.
When people were reviewing these,
they were saying stuff like they don't even...
Are these even KZ?
Who even made these?
So the tuning is totally different,
which is still cool though, because it still brings it,
but in a different way.
So it's a much cleaner sound overall,
but it's not lacking low end,
but let's break it down a little bit.
So first up, let's talk about the bass.
Now, they do have a balanced bass response,
so you're still gonna get that punch when you need it,
and they have good sub-bass extension as well,
so that's that bass that you can feel
as much as you can hear, so really, really good.
If you want to see where that bass comes in,
check out a song by my boy, E-40,
and it's called "U and Dat."
If you know that song,
♪ You and that booty ♪
That's that song, but the bass response on that track,
the sub-bass, definitely a good test for these.
Now, moving over to the mid range on these.
So the mid range on these is smooth,
yet it's still energetic,
so it isn't like super recessed or super neutral.
It doesn't fall super flat.
It's actually pretty good.
There's excellent vocal clarity here.
Now, when it comes to stage with live recordings,
it's actually really, really good.
I was incredibly surprised by that,
for something that comes in at a price of around 35 bucks.
There's also very decent instrument separation,
so when you're listening to something like orchestras
or live bands, you can hear the different instruments
and they don't muddy into each other.
So I love hearing those differences between them.
If you want to hear a specific track to test these out with,
I would check out Silk Sonic, "Put On A Smile."
It's got excellent male vocals backed up with a live band,
and you really, really wanna check out that song.
It'll really let you hear what I'm listening to
and what I'm hearing here.
Now, moving over to the treble.
Now, the treble is very bright,
and possibly too bright for some people,
so treble's where these get into a little bit of trouble.
So I did have to dial it back a little bit in EEQ.
So the higher frequencies,
I had to push them back a little bit
to make it less fatiguing, because otherwise,
if I didn't make those adjustments,
after 15 to 30 minutes, it was a bit too much.
I would have to lower the volume,
then I couldn't really hear it.
So the treble was a little too peaky for me personally.
For some people who like treble, who like that,
it's going to be fine, but if you're treble sensitive,
either one, either one of two things,
either don't get these or be ready
to make some EQ adjustments,
'cause once you make those EQ adjustments,
then these can truly shine.
So that's what really makes it happen.
Once you dial them in, they're dialed in.
Strings, flutes, horns, they all sound lively and warm,
and they're not too in your face, but they're present,
and it's really nice.
If you wanna see or if you wanna check out a song that I use
for testing here,
I was using a live recording of the Los Angeles Philharmonic
doing "Waltz of the Flowers" from "The Nutcracker" ballet.
It is absolutely awesome using these, but as I said,
and just to reiterate,
if you're somebody who is sensitive to treble,
then you definitely might have to look elsewhere
if you're not willing to do some EQ adjustments,
but otherwise, the KZ CRNs,
for the low price of 35 to 40 bucks, these are an easy,
easy recommendation, easy recommendation,
so definitely check them out.
If you're interested, I will leave links to them
in the video description box down below, but yeah,
that's gonna do it for this.
I'm out.