Two dynamic drivers per side.
Comes in a rather large plastic box (compared to the plastic shield-shaped Knowledge Zenith boxes at that time) but with no included storage box/pouch.
Several silicone ear tips, a cheap charging cable, two cable clips and silicone ear guides are included.
Typical Knowledge Zenith cable of that time - decent quality but somewhat supple.
No chin-slider.
The Y-splitter houses a rather huge and especially heavy amplifier and EQ module. I think that positioning it lower, closer to the 3.5 mm connector, would have been more convenient.
It's got a high quality screen that shows the battery level, volume, bass and treble setting. Each of the features (volume, treble, bass control) has got a dedicated pair of buttons, which is nice.
The in-ear can be used completely passively (switch off) or with enabled EQ/amp module (switch on).
Volume can be adjusted from 0 to 14, bass and treble as well. The default settings are 10 volume and 7 bass as well as 7 treble.
Definitely negative: loud pop/crack when turning on; beep when reaching volume 13 and 14; loud high frequency buzz at high treble EQ values; left and right channel are switched (quite common on older Knowledge Zenith models).
Somewhat negative: mild hiss in active mode; weak amplifier (merely 1 dB of gain at volume 14 compared to passive mode), clicks when adjusting volume above 10.
Slightly negative: mild click when turning off.
Volume can be adjusted from 0 to 14, bass and treble as well. The default settings are 10 volume and 7 bass as well as 7 treble.
Definitely negative: loud pop/crack when turning on; beep when reaching volume 13 and 14; loud high frequency buzz at high treble EQ values; left and right channel are switched (quite common on older Knowledge Zenith models).
Somewhat negative: mild hiss in active mode; weak amplifier (merely 1 dB of gain at volume 14 compared to passive mode), clicks when adjusting volume above 10.
Slightly negative: mild click when turning off.
Sound:
Largest included silicone tips, low impedance sources.
Tonality:
V- to w-shaped in passive mode.
Neutral central and upper midrange. 5 kHz elevation that does not appear intrusive. Bit of a recession around 7 kHz. Peak just past 10 kHz.
Not 100% perfect timbre, but mostly pleasant and quite natural.
Bass elevation starts around 750 Hz. Therefore lower mids on the warmer side but not intrusive. Warm/full low fundamentral range.
Peaks around 40 Hz in the sub-bass at about 13 dB above neutral. Therefore heavy sub-bass and mainly focused on the sub-bass in the lows, with warm, present midbass.
- - -
Mostly similar bass in default active mode (bass 7, treble 7), but brighter upper midrange and central treble around 5 kHz. Therefore more w-shaped with elevated but not unnatural upper mids.
The treble EQ affects the entire highs with an adjustable range of around 25 dB at 10 kHz and around 14 dB at 3 kHz. The upper mids sound quite muffled at 0 and are best at 3 to 5 (I prefer 4).
The bass EQ affects mainly the upper bass with an adjustable range of around 24 dB at 150 Hz, around 20 dB at 100 Hz and 8 dB at 50 Hz. The very low sub-bass at 20 Hz remains mostly similar, so there's always a sub-bass elevation.
With the strongest bass setting, there upper bass is a whopping 22 dB above diffuse-field neutral but also overshadows the mids that sound bad unless the treble is set to at least 7 or 8.
The most balanced setting is bass around 3 and the highs around 3 to my ears. That way, the mids sound the most correct, with some 5 kHz and 10 kHz brightness, only moderate warmth and an even increase towards the low sub-bass.
Neutral central and upper midrange. 5 kHz elevation that does not appear intrusive. Bit of a recession around 7 kHz. Peak just past 10 kHz.
Not 100% perfect timbre, but mostly pleasant and quite natural.
Bass elevation starts around 750 Hz. Therefore lower mids on the warmer side but not intrusive. Warm/full low fundamentral range.
Peaks around 40 Hz in the sub-bass at about 13 dB above neutral. Therefore heavy sub-bass and mainly focused on the sub-bass in the lows, with warm, present midbass.
- - -
Mostly similar bass in default active mode (bass 7, treble 7), but brighter upper midrange and central treble around 5 kHz. Therefore more w-shaped with elevated but not unnatural upper mids.
The treble EQ affects the entire highs with an adjustable range of around 25 dB at 10 kHz and around 14 dB at 3 kHz. The upper mids sound quite muffled at 0 and are best at 3 to 5 (I prefer 4).
The bass EQ affects mainly the upper bass with an adjustable range of around 24 dB at 150 Hz, around 20 dB at 100 Hz and 8 dB at 50 Hz. The very low sub-bass at 20 Hz remains mostly similar, so there's always a sub-bass elevation.
With the strongest bass setting, there upper bass is a whopping 22 dB above diffuse-field neutral but also overshadows the mids that sound bad unless the treble is set to at least 7 or 8.
The most balanced setting is bass around 3 and the highs around 3 to my ears. That way, the mids sound the most correct, with some 5 kHz and 10 kHz brightness, only moderate warmth and an even increase towards the low sub-bass.
Resolution:
Decent in passive mode.
Good control and note separation.
Lower mids slightly hazy, but not negatively so.
Sub-bass lacks bit of definition.
Bass generally soft and bit boomy but at still decent control (that saves it and gives it its rather "typical" dynamic driver character).
- - -
Sounds blunter and less detailed in active mode. Less resolving overall (likely due to cheap amp electronics that degrade the sound; also due to audible hiss in active mode).
Especially noticeable in the lows. Even blunter and even less detailed if the lows are set to values above 8/9.
Very hazy lower mids with bass settings above 8.
- - -
So yeah, decent resolution in passive mode but generally blunter and less detailed sounding in active mode, even when the bass and treble are set to 3.
Decent in passive mode.
Good control and note separation.
Lower mids slightly hazy, but not negatively so.
Sub-bass lacks bit of definition.
Bass generally soft and bit boomy but at still decent control (that saves it and gives it its rather "typical" dynamic driver character).
- - -
Sounds blunter and less detailed in active mode. Less resolving overall (likely due to cheap amp electronics that degrade the sound; also due to audible hiss in active mode).
Especially noticeable in the lows. Even blunter and even less detailed if the lows are set to values above 8/9.
Very hazy lower mids with bass settings above 8.
- - -
So yeah, decent resolution in passive mode but generally blunter and less detailed sounding in active mode, even when the bass and treble are set to 3.
Soundstage:
Stage appears quite large. Reaches at least to my shoulders (even a bit further than that). Decent front projection as well, although ultimately more oval than circular.
Decent imaging. Yes, indeed surprisingly clean and precise instrument placement.
Stage appears quite large. Reaches at least to my shoulders (even a bit further than that). Decent front projection as well, although ultimately more oval than circular.
Decent imaging. Yes, indeed surprisingly clean and precise instrument placement.
Conclusion:
Unusual but cool and unique product. I'm happy to own one (I bought it right when it became available).
Amp module degrades the sound quality in active mode (blunter, less detailed).
Bassy-warm lows and decent resolution and soundstage in passive mode.