Known for their frugal IEMs KZ needs no introduction because I believe most of us have owned one or more products from them. They mostly make budget IEMs but make a few high quality hybrid and all BA IEMs too. I have owned their ZS4 and ZS5 back in the days and they offered superb bang for the bucks too. Since then, I hadn’t heard their hybrid IEMs but the ZS12 pro X left a positive impression on me and I had to try their Flagship hybrid IEM Hydro from their subsidiary brand CCA. Housing 10 drivers per side, Hydro is one of the most heavily equipped IEM under $120. Priced at $119 it comes in two versions, one with standard cable, priced at $115 and the version with upgraded silver & blue cable is priced at $120. I will compare this highly stacked IEM with Oriveti lowMaster and 7hz Five.
I will like to thank KZ TWS for this unit for review.
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This IEM ships in an exactly same type of box that we see with all KZ and CCA IEMs but this time around its all black instead of being white. Slide out the paper cover, lift the plastic cover and we have the IEMs stuffed in plastic. Lift the paper cover under it and we have 3 pair of tips, one pair of foam tips and a 3.5mm cable placed under it. I am slightly unhappy with the contents of this IEM, it would have been awesome if it at least had a draw string pouch. I opted for the upgraded cable and this is much better than the thin, flimsy, stiff and bouncy stock cable.
This 784 core SPC cable is much better with little to no memory issues and doesn’t feel bouncy either. Best thing is its aesthetics, it looks elegant and compliments the IEM. No microphonics to worry about either.
KZ CCA Hydro, housing loads of drivers has a totally different kind of crossover than most of most IEMs we see under $150. It houses 10 drivers in each earpiece and the crossovers are kind of odd. Unlike most IEMs where DDs handle the bass while the BA drivers handle mids and highs, Hydro doesn’t do that. It has an 8mm full range dynamic driver which nearly covers the whole spectrum. Nothing is wrong with that, Sony has done this many times but we usually don’t see this type of drivers in budget IEMs and these full range drivers are mostly BA but not this time. One 7mm dual magnetic, dual chamber “XUN” DD takes care of the lower end. It has 8BA drivers for highs and ultra highs.
This is not an easy to drive IEM especially for a mobile phone. It needs good amount of power and I suggest using a simple dongle for best performance. Anything with more than 80mw output is plenty good for this slightly demanding IEM.
Okay, I have had a lot of thoughts around these 4 switches. Let me be straightforward with this. 1-2 boost the mid bass by 1 and 2 db respectively while 3 and 4 boost the highs by 1 and 2 db respectively. If you want full sounding notes, this is the best option. It has slightly less sharper notes with a bit more dampening but does reduces the accuracy and clarity at the floor. If you want more bass.. you can definitely use the switches but don’t expect a lot of quality or quantity throughout the lower end.
If you want excellent highs though, these switches are happy to oblige. Push the 3 & 4 up and 1 & 2 down and Hydro will unleash excellent clarity and resolution without being sharp or piercing but yes, it can sound a bit dry and can be tiring.
BASS:
I was actually expecting plenty of bass rumble and punch but it seems like their new 7mm DD isn’t tuned for heft or meaty notes. It is tuned for better precision and accuracy. Quality over quantity it seems. Do I not like it? In reality, I like a lot because I am not critical about bass body or weight, I want control and clarity and this EM has it, it’s very good for someone like me, keeps the spectrum clean, less intrusive and sounds inexplicably balanced and detailed. Graphs tell a totally different story though. What I am not thrilled about are the switches, they mostly boost the mid bass, I don’t like extra heft there.
We get decent sub-bass extension and good amount of rumble, strangely it has less sub bass body and quantity than the ZS12 pro X which is odd but it is what it is. Mid bass is a bit on the forward side with very good body and punchy notes but instead of being wig with the area of impact, it is more concentrated and has comparatively faster decay. We do not miss out on the layered delivery or details and the dynamics are very good, it can hit variety of notes without much issues.
MIDS:
Hydro has a decent mid range for a V shaped IEM, the biggest plus is there is no compression or lack of air in a mid range that doesn’t have a dedicated driver in this IEM with 10 drivers per side. This mid range is solely relying on the 8mm full range driver, it’s kind of baffling yet this driver doesn’t mess anything up. We get very good instrumental clarity and transparency with high quality definition at the finishing region. It is not smooth or blunt but isn’t sharp or piercing either. The only problem here is, mid range has lean note body and lacks a bit of texture which makes the notes sound a bit dry and less emotional. It does help with the decay and exhibit excellent air between instruments but loses some brownie points with cohesion and tonality.
On the other hand it has neutral tonality and timber with vocals and maintains very good accuracy and definition. It’s obvious that vocals are not forward but both male and female vocals maintain their natural pitch. They do lack a bit of texture and definition but doesn’t lack with resolution.
HIGHS:
I don’t know what happened to the tuning department, this IEM has 8 BA drivers just for the highs and ultra highs and it definitely pays off with excellent sparkle, superb extension and technicalities. Tere is no lack of energy even at the ultra highs. It can easily deliver one of the best micro details and with superb accuracy. We get a lot of details, superlative definition and resolution with a open sense of space which enhaces the whole experience. Another excellent aspect is the way it can have a background note slowly decaying while a newer note comes to the fourth. It shows it’s technical abilities, it has high quality layering and back to foreground contrast. Because of its ability of responding to the need of the tracks requirements Hydro is in a different when it comes to dynamis and control. I am mighty impressed.
Hydro has a big stage. Bigger than nearly everything under $150. There are a couple of planar IEMs from Hidizs and maybe one hybrid IEM from Oriveti can challenge but everything else just sounds smaller and less cleaner than this technically superior IEM which has excellent imaging capabilities. It creates a more stereo like projection, most of the instruments have sideways projection. Yet it has one of the best layering and separation and thanks to its 8 treble drivers, it can deliver one of the best Air between upper end instruments.
It has a well rounded stage which is slightly taller, nicely wide with decent Z-axis depth. We have most of the bass and vocal notes placed inside the head while mostly all of the instruments are placed out of the head.
Oh no, I am not insane but guess what, I thought this is an excellent comparison for the Hydro. Housing 8BA drivers and 2 DD, it should be able to handle the heat from a single DD IEM but can it?
The short answer is, it kind of can and kind of can’t. Ety is superior when it comes to balance and consistency. 2se has much better mid range clarity and definition. It’s more natural and effortless with the presentation. It has slightly fuller and marginally warmer vocals notes that sound more cohesive and organic. It still is crispy, which helps with the clarity and resolution. 2se has a less tall stage but has better Z-axis depth.
Hydro has much bigger bass punch and a lot of rumble but unlike the linear 2se it’s slightly more mid-bass inclined. Unexpectedly, Hydro is the clear winner when it comes to treble. It has better extension and air between instruments. Its imaging is well developed but 2se is better with contrast and clarity.
I am unable to recommend the 2se over the Hydro unless you are willing to sacrifice bass punch.
Both are V shaped but the ZS12 pro X has dedicated mid range drivers while the Hydro does away with an full range driver for the mid range and that makes a big impact on its overall balance and clarity. Hydro slightly lacks with the bass punch and body while the 12 pro X is better with sub-bass extension, weight behind the notes and has a bit more texture too. Dynamics are slightly better with the hydro. Treble is where the Hydro clearly pulls ahead with better extension and air between instruments, it has better accuracy and agile notes that deliver one of the best highs under $150 while the ZS12 pro X is good it doesn’t have the technical capabilities of the Hydro.
Hydro is an excellent IEM, it has the details and clarity which is hard to find at this price and doesn’t disappoint at any juncture. Its weakness lies in the bass but it’s still is not bad unless you want a lot of rumble and body. It’s highs are stupendous with excellent resolution and definition while the mid rage is very well defined with good details. Overall Hydro manages to deliver one of best clarity and transparency, without getting sharp or thin. It has impressive layering and remarkable separation, for just $120 this IEM sounds cleaner and more resolving than IEMs like Fiio FD15 and Oriveti OD200.
I won’t recommend this to bass heads though, this is an excellent IEM for the detail seekers.
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