Synergy
Efficiency
It’s important to note that the CZ-10 Enhanced is rated at 75Ω so it is dependent on good voltage from amplification to achieve its full potential.
When powered directly by a laptop or portable amplifiers, it can sound hollow and boxy. However, when properly driven, especially with the 4.4mm upgrade cable, the CZ-10 Enhanced sounds much more balanced.
The vocal is smoothly rendered and stresses a bit on nasal tones when the headphones are underpowered. On the stock cable, the tonal balance with lighter, softer voices is better. Hoarse, darker voices may lack power and sound overshadowed by the bass.
Again, it is recommended to use the 4.4mm upgrade cable that could enhance the overall balance and clarity, giving the vocal more bite and penetration power and enhancing the treble’s brilliance.
Pairings
As mentioned in the sound impressions, the CZ-10 Enhanced requires quite a lot of power to open up properly. I mainly used the FiiO K19 to test them, which sounds balanced and doesn’t feel veiled or lacking transparency in the treble.
Powerful portable amplifiers like the xDuoo XD05 Pro may give it sufficient dynamics though the staging still sounds not as open as desktop amplification.
With the Hifiman EF500 that has 4.5W power in its output, the output is articulating well and sounds dense and airy.
The mid-lows get smoother and more relaxing, and the vocal peaks get a little smoothened out, which works very well with slow jazz and piano recordings as it sounds immersive but without stealing too much attention.
I also tried it on the K9 Pro ESS and the RME ADI-2 Pro. Both can power it to sound quite balanced and dynamic, though the K19 sounds more opened up, outlining the vocals with better clarity and cleaner decay.
Select Comparisons
Sennheiser HD 800s
Technical
The HD 800s is one of the most popular open-back, high-impedance designs rated at 300Ω in impedance and 102 dB@1mW in sensitivity.
The CZ-10 Enhanced is less demanding when compared to the HD 800s but still requires reasonable voltage to sound defined and balanced.
With a 75Ω impedance rating and 99 dB@1mW sensitivity, it may seem easier to drive on paper but in reality, it needs more swing to sound firm and balanced.
Design
The HD 800s has an open back design compared to the more closed cups design on the CZ-10 Enhanced which has vents on the side over the back chamber.
Both headphones are very comfortable, however, the thicker 3D fulcrum-shaped pads on the CZ-10 Enhanced feel slightly more comfortable to wear.
In terms of build quality, the made-in-Japan CZ-10 Enhanced feels more solid than the HD 800s. The metallic parts, such as the extendable headband also feel sturdier.
The stock cable doesn’t feel as premium as on the HD 800s, however, it can be plugged into either the left or right jack, and therefore there are no channel markings.
I would still consider the CZ-10 Enhanced as a well-built set of headphones with a nicely molded rigid plastic framework which might trick you into thinking it is metallic. Ironically, it weighs more than the HD 800s but feels equally as comfortable.
Performance
The HD 800s is more open-sounding and surprisingly easier to get a balanced performance throughout the audio spectrum from smaller amps such as the FiiO Q15 amplifier. However, stronger amplification can further open up the staging size and enhance dynamics.
The CZ-10 Enhanced is a step more demanding for power. When putting it on powerful DAP like the Shanling M5 Ultra, the M5 Ultra gets hot quickly and still struggles to sound clean and powerful, whereas the HD 800s sound more balanced and refined.
Comparing the bass quality on the Hifiman EF500, the HD 800s kicks deeper, firmer, and has a more agile attack with cleaner decay.
On the CZ-10 Enhanced, you will hear a more lively, textured, and layered bass that doesn’t sound as accurate but is denser and more elaborated. The bass also sounds slightly more intensive on the CZ-10 Enhanced compared to the HD 800s which is more balanced and neutral in tuning.
The fundamental vocal frequencies do not stand out as much on the CZ-10 Enhanced. The vocal is as clear due to sufficient energy in the upper mids. However, the CZ-10 Enhanced has a more rounded and sweeter vocal timbre compared to the transparent and penetrating vocal performance on the HD 800s.
I am surprised to find the CZ-10 Enhanced more engaging and intimate as the bass fills the rendered space with stronger sustained and layering. This is possibly due to the multiple drivers accentuating parts of the fundamental bass frequencies.
This makes smaller assembles and choirs, sound more engaging and livelier than listening on the HD 800s which is less colored and more loyal to the recording.
MOONDROP COSMO
Technical
The COSMO opened-back planar headphones have a 100mm planar driver with an etched pure silver thin film circuit.
The COSMO has a fairly low impedance value of 15Ω±15% (@1kHz) and a sensitivity rating of 100 dB/Vrms (@1kHz).
I find both headphones equally demanding with the COSMO pickier on source synergy whereas the CZ-10 Enhanced relies more on sheer power to open up and sound optimal.
Design
The CZ-10 Enhanced is built mainly with plastic whereas the COSMO uses metal materials to withstand the strong power exerted by the planar driver.
They are styled very differently but if you look at the details and build quality it is hard to beat the Japanese quality, except the unadorned stock cable that looks too plain.
The thicker pads on the CZ-10, enhanced by its special hinge system, are more comfortable on my ears.
The COSMO may feel heavier and more closed when using the stock pads, so I would recommend swapping it out with more breathable ones not just for comfort as it will help enhance the performance.
Performance
The COSMO is at a similar price bracket, and just like the dynamic driver-based HD 800s, it presents the tracks completely differently when compared to the CZ-10 Enhanced.
The multiple drivers on the CZ-10 Enhanced reimage the space rendered and create a more distinctive, mids-focused coloring.
Due to the fast response of the driver, the texture and compression in the bass may come close to a planar magnetic driver tuning, i.e. a firm and dense-sounding attacking even at higher volume levels.
The COSMO has a stronger sense of precision and sharpness, you can separate each element in the mix without much need to focus on a particular instrument or the vocal and you can hear panning effects more clearly.
Even though the CZ-10 manages to capture as much texture and give the vocal the same degree of penetration power in the upper mids, it sounds less dynamic.
The mid-range gets much more attention, sounding richer with the same track on the CZ-10 Enhanced. Instruments have a more 3-dimensional body, sounding airier and more holographic without feeling too dispersed.
Listening to EDM on the COSMO, the large driver diameter gives it a clear advantage in delivering deeper bass and typical planar speed for the mids and highs.
It doesn’t feel like listening to the same recording when listening to the CZ-10 Enhanced. It renders the bass much fuller sounding and adds more surround-like dimension to the recordings.
The CZ-10 doesn’t sound as balanced or intricate in detail, but it breathes life into every recording sounding more immersive.
The COSMO has a better balance over the elements presented in the mix, with the positioning being more distinct. It sounds much more controlled when more instruments come to the fore.
My Verdict
The Crosszone CZ-10 Enhanced headphones deliver an immersive soundscape, with a well-defined and agile tuning. It also lives up to that Japan build quality moniker as well as providing excellent comfort.
To be honest, I didn’t expect I would enjoy these headphones this much. The brand has redesigned the way a track sounds, yielding a holographic and dynamic performance with decent resolution.
If you are seeking an unintrusive, gently compressed, midrange-focused tuning with a bit of grit in the vocal or wishing your music to sound more layered and rich in harmonics, give the dark horse CZ-10 Enhanced a demo, you may be surprised at how well it performs.
Crosszone CZ-10 Enhanced Technical Specifications
- Type: Closed type
- Frequency Range: 20Hz-40kHz
- Sensitivity: 99dB
- Impedance: 75Ω
- Weight: 385g（Body only）
- Accessories: Specific cables 1.5m（Φ3.5mm mini plug ), 3.5m（Φ6.3mm standard plug )
