Looks, Feels, Build Quality:
If you expect build quality on RHA T20-level, you might be somewhat disappointed – the LZ A5 just doesn’t fully feel like a >$200 product, to which the glue residue around the shells’ seam on the in-ear I received contributes, just as the cable that does its job fine and is flexible, but doesn’t appear like a premium accessory either due to its woven nylon-/cloth-like coating that is something that some people seem to like but isn’t very practical as it is likely to fray overtime and will absorb (body) fluids.
On the other hand, the threads seem to be nicely and precisely cut, which isn’t only true for the in-ear’s shells but also the very nice and deburred aluminium block they sit in. In addition, the MMCX connectors fit conveniently tight without swivelling unintentionally, and strain relief as well as the chin-slider on the cable are good.
On the shells, for whatever reason, it seems like LZ Audio decided to put on an engraved, reddish pink Honda logo. Upon closer inspection, one can see that the logo wasn’t just simply engraved and painted, but that there is a very fine line pattern on each “wing”, which looks really nice.
What I really appreciate about the in-ear is the vent placement – the in-ear shells don’t have any front cavity venting for the dynamic driver woofer (it is therefore safe to assume that the A5 will have an elevated, rather prominent sub-bass with good extension as a result of no front cavity vent due to the nature of how the tuning of dynamic driver in-ears’ bass output works), and instead of placing the rear cavity vent on the inside where it is likely to get blocked (which would usually result in a midbass and warmth decrease), they smartly placed it at the back.
Comfort, Isolation:
The shells that are made of metal, ergonomically shaped and appear rather similar to Shure’s and RHA’s models when it comes to ergonomics and fit. Most people should therefor get a very good, comfortable fit, which is also true for me with my large ears.
The cable has got memory wire ear guides and a chin-slider. Microphonics are still a bit present due to the cloth coating that also continues above the y-splitter, however it is kept at still rather reasonably low levels due to the over-ear cable fit.
Passive exterior noise isolation is surprisingly strong and higher than average, and just shy of fully closed in-ears.
Sound:
My main sources for listening were the iBasso DX200 (AMP1 module) as well as Cowon Plenue 2.
I only used the largest included silicone tips for listening and comparisons.
Tonality:
The order, from dark to bright, is red > grey > black (standard) > blue. Before describing the effect of the filters that allegedly work between 3 and 10 kHz within -2 to +2 dB changes (in reality it is much more, at least at 3 kHz), I will talk about the bass, root, lower midrange and central midrange since those areas aren’t affected by the filters.
Bass implementation is done really well on the A5 – just as assumed, the sub-bass is elevated and quite prominent, and the whole bottom-end presentation is rather centred around the sub-bass with a gradual increase from the lower root towards the sub-bass where we have the comparatively greatest elevation.
The bass elevation begins to climb reasonably low around 500 Hz and peaks way down low around 40 Hz, the real sub-bass, with a strong elevation of ca. 13 dB compared to an in-ear that is diffuse-field flat in the bass, such as the Etymotic ER4SR/S. Therefore you don’t get an unnaturally thick or warm lower midrange or bleed into the root but a very clean elevation that commendably stays out of the mids and fundamental range.
The lower midbass is on the strong side as well, with the upper bass already having audibly less quantity wherefore it isn’t intrusive or hammering but takes a step back compared to the lower midbass and sub-bass that really are the star of the show.
So despite being anything but shy, the bass doesn’t appear out of place since it mainly concentrates on the low bass. Well done.
The central and lower mids are quite linear and neutral. Starting from the central mids and mainly concerning the upper mids however, we will see some strong differences between the various filters.
While the grey and red ones only have a mild, tendentially neutral upper midrange lift towards 3 kHz and sound quite realistic with just a touch of presence range lift and upper midrange brightness, the black and blue nozzles show a really strong and bright upper midrange elevation that gives the impression of fantastic perceived clarity and openness, however at the cost of realism and a correct midrange timbre.
All filters take a slight step back around 4 and 5 kHz, just to come back to roughly neutral levels around 6 kHz (the black and blue ones more than the red and grey ones), with a narrow peak shortly before 8 kHz (it is not as strong on the grey and red nozzles and a bit stronger on the blue and black ones, I guess even almost bordering sharpness for most people with the latter two nozzles), and some other peaks around 12 and 14 kHz in the super treble.
Generally the differences between the grey and red respectively black and blue nozzles are rather small, with the red ones being a tad “darker” than the grey ones, and the blue ones a tad brighter and sharper than the black ones.
- - -
The bass, while powerful, is nicely integrated into the sound and doesn’t bleed into the root or midrange that is rather neutral and has got just a natural, very mild upper midrange lift with the grey and red nozzles.
The mids, with the grey nozzles, can be characterised as rather neutral, with a correct timbre, and just a touch of presence range elevation.
The highs are absolutely fine up to 7.x kHz. Above that however, even though it is the upper treble and super treble we are talking about, they are somewhat too uneven, resulting in sizzling cymbals that lack realism and appear rather unpleasant. So as long as there are no cymbals on the recording, timbre and realism are very good (using the red or grey nozzles). But when they kick in, cymbals lack some realism and sizzle too much, which is an unfortunate thing.
- - -
From now on and for the comparison, the grey nozzles were used.
Resolution:
The LZ A5 is probably very close to the idea of hybrid in-ear perfection some people have when it comes to technical ability – if you don’t like the (rather typically, but definitely not always) “clinically fast, tight Balanced Armature bass character” but don’t want a soft or muddy dynamic driver bass response, the A5 provides an excellent compromise: it delivers very high levels of control and no midrange interference, however it has got a some of that dynamic driver body that people seem to like, albeit without muddiness or appearing slow. It just has the right amount of attack and decay to sound what is often characterised as “natural”, yet it is basically actually on the tighter and faster side for dynamic driver standards, especially for having a powerful lower midrange and sub-bass elevation.
The mids convince with high levels of speech intelligibility as well as micro detail retrieval, and the distribution of the resolution appears even.
What is quite noticeable is that the LZ A5 is an in-ear with clean and precise note separation capabilities. This doesn’t fully help with the cymbals though that sizzle just somewhat too much and appear tendentially spread than to the point as a result of the tonal tuning.
Soundstage:
When it comes to soundstage, the A5 delivers a rather believable and realistic imaginary room that is tendentially more circular than oval and quite precise in terms of imaging.
To the sides, the soundstage is larger than average and leaves the base between my ears to some degree, with spatial depth that is about 75 to 80% as pronounced as the width.
Note separation between single instruments remains fairly clean even with busier recordings, and the staging and layering capabilities are quite convincing as well.
---------
In Comparison with the iBasso IT03:
The accessories, presentation, build quality and cable are of clearly higher quality on the IT03.
Comfort and fit are quite similar and will ultimately depend on one’s individual ear anatomy, however since the IT03’s shells are made of plastic they won’t feel as cold as the LZ’s. Both in-ears isolate very well and better than average for vented in-ears (the IT03 even slightly more so).
The A5 has actually got the somewhat stronger sub-bass and lower midbass lift, however the difference isn’t as apparent when listening to music since both in-ears have got more of a sub- and midbass than warmth-driven bass elevation and since the iBasso is slightly “fuller” in the lower mids and root in comparison to the LZ Audio in-ear.
Upper mids are a touch brighter on the iBasso while midrange timbre heads into a comparable direction with a bit of upper midrange and presence range lift.
In the middle highs around 5 kHz, it is the LZ that is a bit more relaxed in comparison.
While the iBasso only has one upper treble cymbal-highlighting peak, the LZ features several more upper and super treble peaks above its ~ 8 kHz peak (that is a bit more pronounced than the iBasso’s). As a result, cymbal crashes sizzle much more on the A5 and are sharper and more unpleasant in comparison, as well as less realistic or to the point.
In terms of bass speed and tightness, the IT03 is one of the best hybrid in-ears. The A5 comes close but has got a bit more body. The iBasso has got the higher control in the sub-bass in comparison though, while the A5 has got just a slight edge over it when it comes to bass details.
Switching back and forth, the iBasso has got a slight advantage when it comes to midrange details. Both are really good here though and the difference is just minor.
Finding a difference in terms of treble details is difficult – ultimately I would say the A5 is slightly superior, however the IT03 sounds better focused with cymbals due to its much less uneven upper and super treble response.
Lastly, when it is about note separation, the A5 is ultimately slightly above the IT03 with fast and busy recordings.
Both in-ears have got comparable soundstage width (the A5’s is just a little wider) while the A5 portrays more spatial depth. Separation is ultimately slightly higher on the A5.
Conclusion:
On the technical level, the LZ A5 is a convincing in-ear. The same goes for its tuning from the sub-bass to the central mids, with a powerful sub- and lower midbass and relatively neutral lower and central midrange.
The black and blue tuning filters might be a bit debatable with a probably too strong upper midrange boost for some peoples’ tastes (although those two filters add loads of perceived clarity and air), and it would be nice to have some filters with a midrange tuning that is in-between those two filters’ bright and lean upper midrange and the other two filters’ tendentially neutral, just slightly elevated upper midrange response.
Not so nice is however the upper treble response (especially concerning cymbals) that should be more even and linear, since as it is now, cymbal crashes sizzle and sound artificially spread and thinned out, to the degree of becoming unnatural and unpleasant, which is a shame given that the rest of the sound spectrum is implemented rather well. At this price point, we can already expect better in the upper highs, and other models and manufacturers prove that a bright upper treble tuning doesn’t have to result in an unpleasant or unnatural tonality in the highs.
There is also some room left when it comes to build quality (glue residue around the housings’ seem), the accessories (probably more ear tips, and especially a different cable as the one that comes included looks quite cheap and is a bit more microphonic than others) and the presentation (maybe a printed sleeve around the plain black cardboard box).
If you expect build quality on RHA T20-level, you might be somewhat disappointed – the LZ A5 just doesn’t fully feel like a >$200 product, to which the glue residue around the shells’ seam on the in-ear I received contributes, just as the cable that does its job fine and is flexible, but doesn’t appear like a premium accessory either due to its woven nylon-/cloth-like coating that is something that some people seem to like but isn’t very practical as it is likely to fray overtime and will absorb (body) fluids.
On the other hand, the threads seem to be nicely and precisely cut, which isn’t only true for the in-ear’s shells but also the very nice and deburred aluminium block they sit in. In addition, the MMCX connectors fit conveniently tight without swivelling unintentionally, and strain relief as well as the chin-slider on the cable are good.
On the shells, for whatever reason, it seems like LZ Audio decided to put on an engraved, reddish pink Honda logo. Upon closer inspection, one can see that the logo wasn’t just simply engraved and painted, but that there is a very fine line pattern on each “wing”, which looks really nice.
What I really appreciate about the in-ear is the vent placement – the in-ear shells don’t have any front cavity venting for the dynamic driver woofer (it is therefore safe to assume that the A5 will have an elevated, rather prominent sub-bass with good extension as a result of no front cavity vent due to the nature of how the tuning of dynamic driver in-ears’ bass output works), and instead of placing the rear cavity vent on the inside where it is likely to get blocked (which would usually result in a midbass and warmth decrease), they smartly placed it at the back.
Comfort, Isolation:
The shells that are made of metal, ergonomically shaped and appear rather similar to Shure’s and RHA’s models when it comes to ergonomics and fit. Most people should therefor get a very good, comfortable fit, which is also true for me with my large ears.
The cable has got memory wire ear guides and a chin-slider. Microphonics are still a bit present due to the cloth coating that also continues above the y-splitter, however it is kept at still rather reasonably low levels due to the over-ear cable fit.
Passive exterior noise isolation is surprisingly strong and higher than average, and just shy of fully closed in-ears.
Sound:
My main sources for listening were the iBasso DX200 (AMP1 module) as well as Cowon Plenue 2.
I only used the largest included silicone tips for listening and comparisons.
Tonality:
The order, from dark to bright, is red > grey > black (standard) > blue. Before describing the effect of the filters that allegedly work between 3 and 10 kHz within -2 to +2 dB changes (in reality it is much more, at least at 3 kHz), I will talk about the bass, root, lower midrange and central midrange since those areas aren’t affected by the filters.
Bass implementation is done really well on the A5 – just as assumed, the sub-bass is elevated and quite prominent, and the whole bottom-end presentation is rather centred around the sub-bass with a gradual increase from the lower root towards the sub-bass where we have the comparatively greatest elevation.
The bass elevation begins to climb reasonably low around 500 Hz and peaks way down low around 40 Hz, the real sub-bass, with a strong elevation of ca. 13 dB compared to an in-ear that is diffuse-field flat in the bass, such as the Etymotic ER4SR/S. Therefore you don’t get an unnaturally thick or warm lower midrange or bleed into the root but a very clean elevation that commendably stays out of the mids and fundamental range.
The lower midbass is on the strong side as well, with the upper bass already having audibly less quantity wherefore it isn’t intrusive or hammering but takes a step back compared to the lower midbass and sub-bass that really are the star of the show.
So despite being anything but shy, the bass doesn’t appear out of place since it mainly concentrates on the low bass. Well done.
The central and lower mids are quite linear and neutral. Starting from the central mids and mainly concerning the upper mids however, we will see some strong differences between the various filters.
While the grey and red ones only have a mild, tendentially neutral upper midrange lift towards 3 kHz and sound quite realistic with just a touch of presence range lift and upper midrange brightness, the black and blue nozzles show a really strong and bright upper midrange elevation that gives the impression of fantastic perceived clarity and openness, however at the cost of realism and a correct midrange timbre.
All filters take a slight step back around 4 and 5 kHz, just to come back to roughly neutral levels around 6 kHz (the black and blue ones more than the red and grey ones), with a narrow peak shortly before 8 kHz (it is not as strong on the grey and red nozzles and a bit stronger on the blue and black ones, I guess even almost bordering sharpness for most people with the latter two nozzles), and some other peaks around 12 and 14 kHz in the super treble.
Generally the differences between the grey and red respectively black and blue nozzles are rather small, with the red ones being a tad “darker” than the grey ones, and the blue ones a tad brighter and sharper than the black ones.
- - -
The bass, while powerful, is nicely integrated into the sound and doesn’t bleed into the root or midrange that is rather neutral and has got just a natural, very mild upper midrange lift with the grey and red nozzles.
The mids, with the grey nozzles, can be characterised as rather neutral, with a correct timbre, and just a touch of presence range elevation.
The highs are absolutely fine up to 7.x kHz. Above that however, even though it is the upper treble and super treble we are talking about, they are somewhat too uneven, resulting in sizzling cymbals that lack realism and appear rather unpleasant. So as long as there are no cymbals on the recording, timbre and realism are very good (using the red or grey nozzles). But when they kick in, cymbals lack some realism and sizzle too much, which is an unfortunate thing.
- - -
From now on and for the comparison, the grey nozzles were used.
Resolution:
The LZ A5 is probably very close to the idea of hybrid in-ear perfection some people have when it comes to technical ability – if you don’t like the (rather typically, but definitely not always) “clinically fast, tight Balanced Armature bass character” but don’t want a soft or muddy dynamic driver bass response, the A5 provides an excellent compromise: it delivers very high levels of control and no midrange interference, however it has got a some of that dynamic driver body that people seem to like, albeit without muddiness or appearing slow. It just has the right amount of attack and decay to sound what is often characterised as “natural”, yet it is basically actually on the tighter and faster side for dynamic driver standards, especially for having a powerful lower midrange and sub-bass elevation.
The mids convince with high levels of speech intelligibility as well as micro detail retrieval, and the distribution of the resolution appears even.
What is quite noticeable is that the LZ A5 is an in-ear with clean and precise note separation capabilities. This doesn’t fully help with the cymbals though that sizzle just somewhat too much and appear tendentially spread than to the point as a result of the tonal tuning.
Soundstage:
When it comes to soundstage, the A5 delivers a rather believable and realistic imaginary room that is tendentially more circular than oval and quite precise in terms of imaging.
To the sides, the soundstage is larger than average and leaves the base between my ears to some degree, with spatial depth that is about 75 to 80% as pronounced as the width.
Note separation between single instruments remains fairly clean even with busier recordings, and the staging and layering capabilities are quite convincing as well.
---------
In Comparison with the iBasso IT03:
The accessories, presentation, build quality and cable are of clearly higher quality on the IT03.
Comfort and fit are quite similar and will ultimately depend on one’s individual ear anatomy, however since the IT03’s shells are made of plastic they won’t feel as cold as the LZ’s. Both in-ears isolate very well and better than average for vented in-ears (the IT03 even slightly more so).
The A5 has actually got the somewhat stronger sub-bass and lower midbass lift, however the difference isn’t as apparent when listening to music since both in-ears have got more of a sub- and midbass than warmth-driven bass elevation and since the iBasso is slightly “fuller” in the lower mids and root in comparison to the LZ Audio in-ear.
Upper mids are a touch brighter on the iBasso while midrange timbre heads into a comparable direction with a bit of upper midrange and presence range lift.
In the middle highs around 5 kHz, it is the LZ that is a bit more relaxed in comparison.
While the iBasso only has one upper treble cymbal-highlighting peak, the LZ features several more upper and super treble peaks above its ~ 8 kHz peak (that is a bit more pronounced than the iBasso’s). As a result, cymbal crashes sizzle much more on the A5 and are sharper and more unpleasant in comparison, as well as less realistic or to the point.
In terms of bass speed and tightness, the IT03 is one of the best hybrid in-ears. The A5 comes close but has got a bit more body. The iBasso has got the higher control in the sub-bass in comparison though, while the A5 has got just a slight edge over it when it comes to bass details.
Switching back and forth, the iBasso has got a slight advantage when it comes to midrange details. Both are really good here though and the difference is just minor.
Finding a difference in terms of treble details is difficult – ultimately I would say the A5 is slightly superior, however the IT03 sounds better focused with cymbals due to its much less uneven upper and super treble response.
Lastly, when it is about note separation, the A5 is ultimately slightly above the IT03 with fast and busy recordings.
Both in-ears have got comparable soundstage width (the A5’s is just a little wider) while the A5 portrays more spatial depth. Separation is ultimately slightly higher on the A5.
Conclusion:
On the technical level, the LZ A5 is a convincing in-ear. The same goes for its tuning from the sub-bass to the central mids, with a powerful sub- and lower midbass and relatively neutral lower and central midrange.
The black and blue tuning filters might be a bit debatable with a probably too strong upper midrange boost for some peoples’ tastes (although those two filters add loads of perceived clarity and air), and it would be nice to have some filters with a midrange tuning that is in-between those two filters’ bright and lean upper midrange and the other two filters’ tendentially neutral, just slightly elevated upper midrange response.
Not so nice is however the upper treble response (especially concerning cymbals) that should be more even and linear, since as it is now, cymbal crashes sizzle and sound artificially spread and thinned out, to the degree of becoming unnatural and unpleasant, which is a shame given that the rest of the sound spectrum is implemented rather well. At this price point, we can already expect better in the upper highs, and other models and manufacturers prove that a bright upper treble tuning doesn’t have to result in an unpleasant or unnatural tonality in the highs.
There is also some room left when it comes to build quality (glue residue around the housings’ seem), the accessories (probably more ear tips, and especially a different cable as the one that comes included looks quite cheap and is a bit more microphonic than others) and the presentation (maybe a printed sleeve around the plain black cardboard box).