KZ X Crinacle CRN (ZEX Pro) wired IEM review

13 February 2022
Budget IEM done right.

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  • mlerp
  • gIP
  • 22 Jan 2023

Anonymous, 21 Jul 2022I haven't used mine a lot but I noticed that vocals on... morei had a similar issue with mine going quiet after some time, usually stronger in one ear than the other.

turns out its because their innter tips are much smaller than most other IEMs, they tend to slip deeper inside your ear, which makes them prone to getting clogged with earwax.

you can buy a 0.2% hydrogen peroxide solution at your local pharmacy for $1-2, and just put a couple of drop in each headphone until its stops foaming up, then leave them to dry after that. theyll sound like new again.

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    • Samie
    • XRI
    • 21 Jan 2023

    Hifihedgehog, 08 Mar 2022The thing about Crinacle’s lauded collabs is the frequency ... moreWhich one of the sennheiser & beyerdynamics headphones did you use to test? And which is better?

      • Z
      • Zako
      • spi
      • 14 Sep 2022

      Hifihedgehog, 04 Apr 2022Yeah, this reviewer didn't age well either. For the pr... moreWhat would some of those headphones be?

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • K7i
        • 21 Jul 2022

        I haven't used mine a lot but I noticed that vocals one side is quieter. I swapped out cables and the vocals on the right side is still softer. The vocals for some tracks sound a bit off centre veering to the left and it kind of bugs me. It could just be an issue with my pair though.

        This is just a personal preference, but I seem to have enjoyed the CCA C12s better overall. They're an okay set. Better than the ZSN Pro X but below the C12.

        Good for everyday use and fairly comfortable. My experience with IEMs are super limited and this is all just a matter if preference on the ones I do have.

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          • Hifihedgehog
          • 4bs
          • 04 Apr 2022

          Yeah, this reviewer didn't age well either. For the price, there are better earphones without the ultra high frequency cutoff and other nonsense. As usual, critics are pretty clueless compared to the target audience.

            Anonymous, 07 Mar 2022Yea this review didn't age wellThe review remains valid. It was always about how the earbuds sound for the price, not how many drivers they have.

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              • Hifihedgehog
              • 4bs
              • 08 Mar 2022

              The thing about Crinacle’s lauded collabs is the frequency curves are just not that consistent from brand to brand. My biggest complaint with this latest collab is the terrible drop off after 10 KHz that makes cymbals and vocal “air” lifeless and off. That combined with the Beyerdynamic 8 KHz peak of death makes for an interesting hodgepodge. It is peaky like a DT 880, combined with the bass of a DT 990, and finished off with the treble roll off of a Sennheiser in the topmost register. True, it also has a great midrange in between but there are already other KZ that do this too without flaws quite as extreme which Crinacle doesn’t admit. It is just another tuning that has its own flaws that negate the “one giant killer to rule them all” FOTM hype train fever that Crinacle’s rabid fan base caught and took, hook, line and sinker. The ZEX Pro is alright but KZ’s ZAX actually follows the response of his higher priced collabs better (with no upper treble roll off and no Beyer-like 8 KHz peak, for one!) and also happens to track closely to the frequency response of S tier Elysian Annihilator, which needs no introduction.

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • nx7
                • 07 Mar 2022

                Yea this review didn't age well

                  Chiare, 14 Feb 2022Do you hear the 8kHz peak? Has anyone applied Crin... moreYes, but it doesn't affect a lot to reduce the peaks. It only minimizes it by a small margin.

                    Overall it's a good IEM, but needs to work more on its treble peaks. Its treble is still slightly metallic and I have to tone it down by EQing it (I use the EQ value from Crinacle). However, it is still forgivable for me due to KZ first attempt to create a cheapo tribrid. Applaud to them although they have some strong contenders from Tripowin Lea and Tanchjim Ola.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • xq5
                      • 15 Feb 2022

                      Anonymous, 15 Feb 2022There are lots of it in $200 bracket tbh. Moondrop Kato:... moreThank you for information. Also are Shure and Fiio in ear monitors good?

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                        • Anonymous
                        • sEF
                        • 15 Feb 2022

                        Anonymous, 14 Feb 2022Somebody suggest me good in ear monitors with big bass and ... moreThere are lots of it in $200 bracket tbh.

                        Moondrop Kato: Really good set for $180. Not much on bass but very detailed and revealing, a bit bright for some. Looks awesome too with metal polished body.
                        Tanchjim Hana 2021: Basically bassy version of Kato though as not as detailed. $180.
                        Ikko OH10: A bit old IEM so perhaps rather hard to find but one of the best bassy IEM for just $150. Full fat bass along with crisp treable with full metal built is awesome at this range.
                        SHUOER S12: Newest hype IEM. Good bass and treable with metal body and planar driver for around $130.

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                          • Chiare
                          • 0N%
                          • 14 Feb 2022

                          Do you hear the 8kHz peak?


                          Has anyone applied Crin's EQ?

                            Anonymous, 14 Feb 2022Thank you bro. I thought to buy Fiio FH3. But many complain... moreI love Fiio DAC's, but their IEM's are a bit hit or miss, or so I've heard. Some are great, others not so much.

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • xq5
                              • 14 Feb 2022

                              aReefer, 14 Feb 2022I'd get Moondrop Aria's or Starfields at that bud... moreThank you bro. I thought to buy Fiio FH3. But many complain about issues and problems.

                                Anonymous, 14 Feb 2022Somebody suggest me good in ear monitors with big bass and ... moreI'd get Moondrop Aria's or Starfields at that budget..

                                The Arias are probably the best value at around 75 dollars I think. The Starfields are around 100.

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • xq5
                                  • 14 Feb 2022

                                  Somebody suggest me good in ear monitors with big bass and good sound quality. Also good materials and good looks. Price under 200 dollars. Thanks.

                                    I have the KZ ZS10 Pro's. Initially I found them to be a bit too bright for me, and they lacked a touch of bass.

                                    I then sprung for some generic memory foam eartips - also from AliExpress - and they made the world of difference. Suddenly I have more of a warm bass tone, and the highs are still bright, but not as fatiguing as they were before. Also those tips improved the soundstage and made these way more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. I super recommend getting additional foam eartips for most IEM buyers (when they aren't included in the box).

                                    Considering what I spent, the value for money is astronomical. They even sound good off the built-in DAC in my POCO F3, but I prefer to use them via my Fiio BTR3K Headphone amp/DAC (over USB connection whenever possible, like an external sound card, but over BlueTooth LDAC / AptX HD it is also very nice).

                                    Basically the Fiio DAC + a set of KZ IEM's like mine or the ones in this article (apparently) is a really great route to get some very high quality sound, wherever you are listening to your music, for very little money. About $100 for the two of them, plus the foam tips, and I have zero regrets.

                                    Disclaimer: I think that for IEM's in general, the way they sit in your ears is absolutely critical for sound quality. If you have no seal, then you have no bass - but it's more than that. Every person's ear is shaped slightly differently, and because of this, what I hear using a specific IEM may not be what you hear using the same IEM in my opinion. I may swear that it sounds amazing, and you may think that I'm crazy because it sounds terrible in your ears. We may well both be right. Get ones that suit you, but these ones or the ones I bought are definitely a good starting point.

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                                      • JF
                                      • kuT
                                      • 14 Feb 2022

                                      Anonymous, 14 Feb 2022After I got CCA CRA, I don't think I would play on bud... moreWhile I had already gone up to Dusks before many of the new contenders for budget iems entered the ring this last year, from what ive heard among the discord communities the CCA CRA beats the KZ CRN, especially on the upper end tuning. Best wishes on your search, the $200 bracket seems to be heating up with several great options at the moment.

                                        • ?
                                        • Anonymous
                                        • tu2
                                        • 14 Feb 2022

                                        Anonymous, 13 Feb 2022how IEM use for regular earphone ? what difference?I can say after you use IEM, you no more satisfy with normal earphone

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