Sound
The LZ A4 presents a
simple yet well done filter tuning system. It consists of 3 bass filters for
the dynamic driver placed at the rear/outer part of the shells, and 6 nozzles for the dual BA driver at the front/inner part for midrange and mainly treble tuning.
While the frontal filters are needed as a nozzle, the bass port can be used
without a rear filter as an extra tuning option. The main effect of the different
combinations of front and back filters is on the quantity of lows and highs,
with some changes on the midrange region, but in terms of quality and extension
the sound remains mostly unchanged. It’s difficult to describe the overall
signature of the A4 as it can go from a bassy (and a bit bass heavy) and smooth
sound, v-shaped, neutral and even slightly bright, lean and more open sound.
Lows
Regardless the rear
bass filter the bass extension on the A4 is great. It rather effortless and gets deep to the lower
sub-bass region, with strong impact and very good rumble
quality and layering. Mid-bass is well controlled, articulated and accurate with
good speed that matches well the fast BA counterpart. With the blue and even black
filters, the mid and upper bass has enough weight that still prevents the sound
from overshadowing the midrange; with red filters it can get a bit overboard,
however some tip rolling helps in this regard. Overall, it’s a well presented
bass that works well with all genres and doesn’t distract from the rest of the
music. Personally, I found the Blue filters to give the best balance, and even
though I’d prefer the no-filter setup for a cleanest bass quality.
Mids
Despite the change in sound with the different filters
combination, the midrange remains pretty much the same in terms of tonality,
quality and texture, and probably the best part to be found on the LZ A4. While
forwardness or recession can be changed deepening on the filter combo, the midrange remains well balanced with the rest of the frequencies. Quality is great giving
enough weight for any kind of instruments or vocals with a fairly natural texture
and almost free of grain or sibilance. Timbre is good, however not the best
part of the A4, which is not unexpected for a triple hybrid IEM with this dual Knowles BA (DTEC, apparently). The A4 can still be set up for a more mid-forward sound signature with
the right filter combination, but might lose the more open and wide
presentation. Regardless, the A4 doesn’t compromise with any kind of music genre.
Highs
Even with the red filters, the highs extension is very good and
gets much better when getting to blue ones. Overall it mixes very well a smooth
texture with good layering and rich details, getting above average level of
resolution which is almost free of harshness or sibilance. With the treble
filters, the dual BA drivers on the A4 are capable of bringing either a laid-back
smooth treble, a bit hot treble or simply a bright yet well controlled treble
at the user preference, without leaving the rich and musical presentation.
Stage and Presentation
Soundstage width and depth are quite good, without sounding unnatural,
and height is above average for an IEM at this price point. Airiness and 3D effect
are very good as well, just behind the DN-2000 (which I still consider an
excellent hybrid in-ear). Imaging suffers a bit from the wider soundstage but
positioning is still very coherent; the DN-2002 is also better in this
regard, but for the half price the A4 holds its ground really well. Even more complex tracks are not an issue for the LZ A4 and it handles very well the
coherence between both types of drivers.
