>KZ EDC PRO STOCK; Azla Tips SS

~ Biases to address ~
I do not hate KZ products, only the incessant shilling done on /iemg/.

I am used to Warm/Dark signatures, think Penon Fan2 or E500 (both I would describe as more focused on reproducing accurate timbre in the midrange, sacrificing some slam and sparkle).

I don't use stock tips for KZ products

Impressions done before any personal measurement:

~ Songs used ~
Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun
Ryuichi Sakamoto - Rain
Rotteen - it's an EP!
Mayhem - fuzz; He pukes Based Shark
Liars - The Exact Color of Doubt
Beck - Earthquake Weather
Ringside - Tired of Being Sorry
South - Paint The Silence, Broken Heads I,II,III
OK Go - There's A Fire; 1000 Miles Per Hour; Invincible
Motorpsycho - The Nerve Tattoo, Sinful, Wind-Borne, "Drug Thing"
Kikuo - Ankyo / Screaming at the Darkness

~ Things that I like ~
Bass - Strong, but not distracting.

Midrange - Takes up a lot of the 'stage.'
details that normally, I feel can only be 'revealed' using EQ, are present within the stock sound. Every instrument that I love dearly shines through.

Design - Very shiny therefore very pretty

~ Things that could be improved ~
Treble - Not overly energetic, but comes off harsh at regular volumes. Air is overpronounced which gets very annoying very fast for EDM.

Accessories - If you've ever owned a KZ product before, you know that they're ass.

Connection type - "14?! Ridiculous! We need to develop one universal standard that covers everyone's use cases."

Shell - Way too bulky, and so it only mixes well with ear tips that seal with a shallow fit.

>TRUTHEAR GATO STOCK Final E Tips;

~ Biases to address ~
I have already owned (and measured) my Gates for about a month now.

~ Things that I like ~
Physical shape - Encourages deeper fits and use of smaller ear tips. More comfortable.

Bass - Just the right amount to make music sound warm.

~ Things that could be improved ~
Midrange - Though, properly centered, it does not come off as twinkly or as engaging as EDC Pro, which I largely prefer over a more "balanced" presentation. Definitely needs EQ to make it richer.

Treble - Some over pronunciation in air makes cymbals sound tizzy.

~ Conclusion ~
Sound-wise, though the EDC has much richer mids, it's poor handling of sibilance gets too much on my nerves. I would choose Gatos for longer listening sessions. EDC's ergonomics also aren't friendly to my ears and so longer listening sessions aren't really possible in the first place with them.