Reviewed by Terravine
HZSound Ginkgo DD + PZT IEM - It's Ceramic, Baby!
:
-Interchangeable nozzles. Love this option and they really do change the sound.
-Stock cable is usable and pretty good. Case is also nice.
-Good build quality on the shell and faceplate.
-Detailed treble without being too harsh or sibilant.
-Great with vinyl records.
-Good noise isolation
:
-Bass/lower midrange could be just a little higher for my tastes. However, it pairs well with a warm source.
-Some extra energy in the upper mids might be too much for some.
~Introduction~
The HZSound Ginkgo is a 10mm dome PVD-coated ceramic composite diaphragm DD + 9mm piezoelectric ceramic driver IEM. It features a metal faceplate with a gorgeous abalone shell-looking design in the center. It comes with a black zipper case, 3 different tuning nozzles, 6 sets of ear tips (3 balanced and 3 narrow bore), A 2-core braided 3.5mm cable, extra filters/mesh/orings for nozzles, and the Ginkgos themselves. Pretty nice unboxing experience and accessories for the price. There's also a 3.5mm+Mic, and Type-C+Mic option as well.
The Ginkgo was sent to me by KeepHiFi for review and I thank them very much for the opportunity to try out a new and fairly unique set.
Ginkgo can be purchased for $49.00 at KeepHifi using one of the following links:
HZSOUND COLLECTION
HZSOUND GINKGO
~Interchangeable Nozzles~
So, as mentioned, the Ginkgo comes with 3 different sets of swappable nozzles. The pink nozzles have the lowest mids and treble, green boosts mids and treble, and black is more balanced and in between the other 2. I was using green for a bit, but switched to the black ring nozzles as the treble was up just a tiny amount too high with the greens. I'm currently using Faaeal H570 latex tips as I usually prefer these with a lot of my sets and they worked very well with this one. In terms of fit and size, it's pretty similar to Tangzu Wan'er 2 but with longer and smaller nozzles. I also upgraded the cable because why not, I had it already.
~Bass~
The Ginkgo's bass is not boosted very high. It's a quality bass that isn't overbearing, and shouldn't offend anyone. A little more punch and rumble would be nice, but with a warm source like the SA500 DAC, I am plenty satisfied considering how good the rest of the sound is. I don't find myself wanting to boost it or anything, it's perfectly enjoyable to me.
~Midrange~
Both male and female vocals sound natural and I'm not really sensing any harshness, veiling, or anything sounding recessed. Saxophone jazz was beautiful. Another one I tried was Slaughter To Prevail - Behelit. The guttural screaming voice of Alex The Terrible can be a little hard to pick up clearly and hear the lyrics. Ginkgo also handled this wonderfully, with clear vocals, not too much bass overpowering anything, and still not harsh. I listen to a lot of acoustic music, and it performed well with that too, sounding very natural and pleasant.
~Treble~
My absolute favorite part about the Ginkgo, is that there's barely any sibilance. I could listen to this set all day, which I basically did the first day I got it in the mail. I'm not sure if I would call the treble "smooth", but it sounds pretty smooth at least. One track that gives me issues on at least several of my IEMs, is Disturbed - Voices. The "S" sounds and cymbal crashes can be harsh, but not on Ginkgo. I was able to hear the whole song at a fairly high volume and it wasn't overbearing. Good vocals while still maintaining detailed treble and bass.
~Technicals~
While I am getting a good sense of stage with the Ginkgo, it's not extreme. I listened to a Florence + The Machine live album, and it was an incredibly enjoyable experience. Nice detail and not harsh whatsoever, and I could tell it was recorded in a larger area. Also tried the Star Wars (Main Theme) from Empire Strikes Back. Instrument separation was very good, resolution seems up to par, and again, stage feels decently wide and open. I honestly have no complaints about the technical performance of this set for the price.
~Vinyl Performance~
This is another one of my favorite sets for listening to vinyl records. I have my turntable plugged into a Fosi Audio Box X4 tube pre-amp, and then that plugged into the line-in port on my computer. I then use VoiceMeeter to listen to line-in/vinyl, which has a built in, easy to use EQ for audio input. Ginkgo takes some of the least amount of EQ to sound correct and not harsh. I played Sleep Token - Even In Arcadia vinyl as well as Fleetwood Mac - Rumours and both sounded excellent. This also might be the best experience I've had so far with the record Architects - For Those That Wish To Exist. Metal on vinyl is a different beast with IEMs, and this handles it like a cake walk. It's not piercing, and I'm not noticing the smaller crackles and pops as much as some other sets.
~Conclusion~
I am a fan of this new IEM. The HZSound Ginkgo is a genuinely good set that I enjoy. Anyone wanting a well-made, more balanced IEM for around $50 should consider this set. The way it handles sibilance makes it another one of my favorites for vinyl records. It's great to see a new IEM be competitive in this market full of choices. I also connected the Ginkgo to KZ AN01, and had great results. It adds a little bit of warmth and AN01 has enough power to drive the IEMs to a fairly high volume. Also no issues getting them to stay put in the case, they sit nice and flush.
