ND ZR – Lovely Bass Quality For $25…But It Has An Issue

Disclaimer: The ND ZR was sent to me by ND Earphone for review.

Personal preferences in audio gear may vary. This review is based on my own subjective experience.

If you prefer to watch a video review you can watch mine here

Pros –

  • Low end is special, very nice attack and detail sounds full
  • No Issues Of Sibilance
  • Driver keeps up well and doesn’t get congested
  • Good Imaging for the price
  • Good Soundstage price

Cons –

  • Quite shouty
  • Cable is not good
  • Not a good all rounder
  • Bass quantity most likely wont satisfy bassheads
  • Extremely forward upper mids can make things sound wonky and possibly get fatiguing
  • Shouty x2

Gaming:

Pros –

  • Bass is nicely detailed and has good feel
  • Imaging is quite good especially in this price range
  •  Soundstage is fairly open

Cons –

  • Excessive mids can be overpowering and distracting

Build, Fit & Accessories:

The ND ZR coming in at $25 is a pretty standard affair for the build it feels solid, nothing over the top but it doesn’t feel weak or brittle at all. Comfort for me is quite good. I do appreciate its look and I am a sucker for translucent shells that let me see inside.

ND ZR is a fairly standard budget unboxing experience for the $25 range. It has decent tips, a not so great cable and the IEM it self. Nothing overly fancy, just enough to make it usable.

Equipment Used:

  • FiiO Q11 on Windows and Android
  • MusicBee on Windows 11 with FiiO ASIO drivers for local FLAC and DSD files
  • Spotify Music Streaming
  • Hidizs AP80 Pro Local FLAC and DSD

Test Tracks used:

Sound Quality:

The ND ZR uses a Diamond Diaphragm DD

ND seems to do more special tunings and don’t go for the generic Harman (thank you ND) and although I know this set wont be for everyone it does come across unique for me and a bit special. I don’t know how ND does it but the last IEM I tried from them the ND-001 also had similar bass to this set, there is a level of quality in the attack that I just don’t get with other sets until much higher up in price.

Bass:

Bass on this set is something special for me, especially at this price range. It does not have the biggest in your face quantity but it’s quality is comparable to sets worth many times its price. The note weight is good but could be a bit stronger. The bass stays in its area without overwhelming other regions, definitely not overdone. Simply put this is sharp well defined sounding bass with great detail, not the normal rounded or blunted bass that is just there like most budget sets.

Midrange:

Guitars, flutes and trumpets all come out sounding overly energetic and can be a bit too much at times, very in your face sounding and they get overpowered by vocals at times. I feel that if this section was a bit more balanced this set would be an easy recommendation but this section is one of the weaker aspects of this set.

Vocals:

Vocals, especially female vocals and higher pitched male vocals come across overly shouty and overpower some of the instruments at times. I find that it does good with baritone male vocals but this definitely isn’t a well rounded set for vocals unless you want them to be right in your face.

Treble:

I enjoy the treble on the ZR it is not too much for me or near my point of sibilance however It could be a bit smoother and more refined, I do think it does a pretty good job here being a budget set. But it doesn’t have the best detail or definition here.

Technicalities:

The ZR is fairly resolving and has decent clarity I assume the exaggerated upper mids have quite a bit to do with that. The driver is capable of standing up to very busy tracks unless there is a lot going on in the upper mids then it all blends a bit. Soundstage is pretty decent, it comes across more open than most budget sets and the imaging is quite solid as well.

Gaming Performance:

The excessive upper mids will most likely lead to some issues depending on the game you are playing and it is definitely something to watch out for if you are considering this set for gaming. But on the right game it does seem to do a good job and giving you any needed information and feeling immersive.

FPS Gaming:

Escape From Tarkov seemed to handle the excessive upper mids quite well and I didn’t find them overpowering here. The ZR did a good job at relaying all the needed information pretty accurately especially for a budget set although I am leery of those mids being an issue in other games they do a good job here.

Immersive Gaming:

Elden Ring felt good and was fairly immersive, overall a good experience. Decent soundstage and depth to everything but the upper mids were a little bit distracting at times and I feel took away from the experience a bit.

Comparisons:

Another new kid on the block that I have received recently was the ZiiGat Nuo priced at $29. Although it has more of a standard V tuning sound to it both the bass and treble sound much more lifeless compared to the ZR, very little detail and much more rounded sounding compared to the sharpness of the ZR, overall it can be quite boring directly compared to the ZR that is much more energetic in the upper mids. But that also becomes the flaw of the ZR, that upper mid range is going to me too much for most people and their library’s.

Conclusion:

The ND ZR is a weird one, it is a pretty niche tuning that does not work out as an all rounder due to the excessive mid range and amount of shout but still I find myself impressed when listening to more simple tracks or instrumentals. The bass quality and treble offer some really great moments that I normally don’t hear until we are going up quite a bit in budget. For $25 it is not a straight up recommendation due to the upper mid range but if you don’t mind shout or listen to a lot of instrumentals/orchestra I think this is a solid set to try as the bass for me is quite special.

Thanks for reading this review! Feel free to ask any questions if you have any. Also feel free to share your experience if you have been able to try ZR. 

If you are interested in the ND ZR it can be purchased at the links below.

Cheers!

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