The word "zero" is quite common in the headphone circle, and many brands will use it as the product name of the entry-level headphones, and the "zero" of Astell&Kern's launch price of 5299 is very high, of course, the meaning is different, it is more like a thorough implementation of the "original sound". At the same time, it is also one of the models with its own "stereotype", which is extremely difficult to drive and biased towards the two labels of classical, and it is destined to be a niche model. Now ZERO has also been updated to ZERO2, with an offer price of 7999, which is much higher than the price of the first generation. When it was first released last year, this thing was still a little hot, and the super flagship Aura that was popular at the time was also considered a product in the same period, although it was not a price point, but it couldn't escape a comparison, many people combined with the performance of zero2, and then look at **, they will shout the word "true fragrance". Personally, I also think that this is a headset that can support a long time in the fast-paced market with "style and quality", and the overall is very stable.
zero2 has two big advantages, one is the quality of the best, and the other is the stability of the style this time. First of all, in the case of relatively casual driving conditions, it can also obtain a sharp resolution of an ear, even if you don't use a small tail with a clear hierarchy like HC4, you can grab a colorful M1, Questyle M15 and other warm and thick portable devices, zero2The kind of tough and textured sound frame can also stand out (I even think that giving too much thrust will be stiff). What are the benefits of these? I think,For a high-end earbuds priced below 10,000 yuan,We may not have to worry too much about the front-end level,It's more "easy" to enjoy,This is slightly opposite to the current "necessary conditions" of high-end earbuds,Although it's not as outrageous and easy to push as the previous evaluation of ve10,But zero2It's also a calm and easy-going one。
In terms of style, it is still unique to the AK system and balanced. Mainly, this guy has made a relatively durable balance in the state of "not fat and not thick", and the adaptability is quite wide, and he will not be overly irritating and cold when he listens to anything, and he also has that kind of brightness. In the two skill points of transient or dynamic, the zero2 point is more transient, the transient is very clean and thorough, and the dynamic is relatively convergent, but because it is a multi-unit architecture, it is sensitive to the expression of dynamics; But it's not surging, so this time it's not so "deep" in the low-frequency area, nor is it particularly plump, and it's more like an athlete with a clear muscle outline, strong and responsive.
Comes with 44. Balance the wire and 35. Single-ended wire, two wires, I personally prefer to use 35, I don't think zero2 needs to use a balanced interface to open the level separation, because it itself is a headphone that can carry the level very clearly. After all, a miniature flat plate unit, 4 moving irons, a 10mm moving coil and piezoelectric transducer are enough to handle the details of each frequency band in place. In the knot position, there is no sign of "squeezing" or "making up", the instrumental music distribution is relatively generous and natural, and the scale of the sound field is also moderately large, if it is not for pure classical music, then 3The sound of 5 strokes is more suitable for everyday listening, while the clear midrange will also have a little more polish. Burners who are obsessed with clear lip-syncing and slightly bright vocals, then they should like zero2 very much, if you want to moisten it on this basis? Then the original cover doesn't seem like a good choice, unless you wear a sponge cover. In addition, the stability of the pair is also better, and the low-frequency release is naturally more fully absorbed.
Here I have to mention the cavity of zero2, the angular outside is not so easy to wear, in fact, it is OK to wear, the comfort is good, but it is only in the feeling of "okay", for example, it can't do "shake the head and not fall off", which can be judged from the inner cavity structure. In addition, the overall design can be scored high, very three-dimensional and textured, but this prototype in the hand may have been coiled N times, and the edge has slightly lost paint, which seems to be a common problem of angular design.
Continuing to talk about sound, the core of zero2 is:"It can easily achieve a good timbre without any signs of deviation." Especially for users who often listen to strings, female voices, and folk songs, it is very suitable, in the middle and high frequency bands under the corresponding tracks, the "micro flat unit" in the 7-unit architecture is a little tight and tough, and the response is fast, but there is no "miniature" feeling in the knot and lines, but it is more like a large-size flat unit, and the texture of the lines seems to have enough thickness, and the feeling of extending it is also loose and reasonable. This is very important,Directly and positively improve the whole sense of hearing"Squeeze resistance",From this level alone,The second generation is more recommendable than the first generation,Not to mention that it is much better to drive。
As mentioned earlier, the mid-frequency is slightly brighter,In the low-frequency area, in order to cater to the middle and high frequencies,It is also more important to pay more attention to texture and density,The "divergence" of the low frequency is not very obvious,The energy is closer to the middle,The sense of volume around a circle is not very much,Obviouslyzero2It is not the kind of fleshy、Fierce thick low frequency,But lean low frequency,It is characterized by fast response、Good elasticity,The most important thing is that there is no slightest masking effect and dragging,It's quite suitable when listening to brisk electronic music。 The entire high-frequency area,At the same time, there is a "benign" metallic smell in the appropriate proportions,In the array of multi-unit earbuds,Zero2This kind of ear-pleasing and controllable high frequency is still a little rare,High-frequency distribution and slenderness are "regular",Not brainless piling。
At the collocation level, I tried to use a warm voice ** device like SR35, and also tried a more neutral hc4 small tail, in fact, the effect is very good, and the plug itself can be matched at will. But in the end, I prefer the Kann Ultra Zero2 for the simple reason that Kann Ultra seems to be able to stretch out the scale of the ZERO2's sound field more happily, and I think it will be a little more atmospheric! Wild stopper Wild ** device when switching unknown tracks. It seems to have become more confident.
Over and over again, zero2As a flagship with a combination of multiple different types of units, it can be regarded as a perfect solution to the obstacles that are easy to appear such as "poor connection" and "stiff hearing".In the article, I also repeatedly emphasized that it is the kind of thing that sounds very clear and catches the ear; But I can't find a flawed hard goods. The vivid sound it builds is quite natural, and with the relaxed driving conditions, it feels like "being taught a lesson by a big manufacturer".If you want to get into their headphones in AK's huge system, and you happen to want to get "good quality" and "good reference", then this Zero2, which has a sound price ratio, is worth paying attention to.