Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
TFZ Series 5 & Series 5S IEM
01 / 08
TFZ Series 5 & Series 5S IEM
bookmark_border
Where's the price?
To negotiate the best possible price for our customers, we agree to hide prices prior to logging in.
2.6K requests
·
1.2k Sold
Product Description
The highest-end model in the TFZ series, the Series 5 IEMs have gained a following on Head-Fi, Reddit, and Super Best Audio Friends for delivering a seriously big bang for the buck. They have the same comfortable fit and dual-chamber dynamic driver design as their predecessors, plus improved sound clarity and an upgraded braided cable for better durability Read More
search
close
Sort by: Top Conversations
keyboard_arrow_downEmrys
25
Mar 26, 2017
Pilot G2 pen springs thread perfectly onto the stress reliever on the 3.5mm connector to add more stress relief.
Svstem
17
Jan 4, 2017
1. Most. But then again most good IEMs are above the S5's price. You can easily buy a good MMCX detachable cable for $10 from China.
2. This is Chi-Fi. There are $8 IEMs like the KZ ZS3 which have detachable cables. It's becoming a standard for cheap IEMs, look around. Auglamour R8, Tennmak Pro, Mee M6 Pro, Senfer 4in1. All have detachable cable systems. It's really cheap to implement this, but it seems like all the hype is making TFZ more confident and less prone to making such an improvement. TFZ B2 is $140. Want a detachable cable? Get the B2M for $200. That's silly, because it's still Chi-Fi at the end of the day. Their manufacturing/advertising/CS costs are minimal and their products simply shouldn't be priced this way.
3. The cable may be nice, but what if it breaks? Most people aren't too happy about pulling out the soldering iron. That's the main reason why detachable cables are a thing.
2. This is Chi-Fi. There are $8 IEMs like the KZ ZS3 which have detachable cables. It's becoming a standard for cheap IEMs, look around. Auglamour R8, Tennmak Pro, Mee M6 Pro, Senfer 4in1. All have detachable cable systems. It's really cheap to implement this, but it seems like all the hype is making TFZ more confident and less prone to making such an improvement. TFZ B2 is $140. Want a detachable cable? Get the B2M for $200. That's silly, because it's still Chi-Fi at the end of the day. Their manufacturing/advertising/CS costs are minimal and their products simply shouldn't be priced this way.
3. The cable may be nice, but what if it breaks? Most people aren't too happy about pulling out the soldering iron. That's the main reason why detachable cables are a thing.
jrmhng
13
Jan 5, 2017
SvstemI am going to take some time to respond to this because I feel the TFZ 1/3/5 and the corresponding S versions are the best, reasonably priced earphones you can get right now if you are a basshead. Note, I have no affiliation with TFZ, just a fan of their lower priced products.
I may not be able to change your view but I don't believe anyone else reading through the comments should be at all discouraged from the lack of detachable cables.
Trade-offs
All else being equal (Ceteris Paribus), more features is better than less features. But in reality, it is never Ceteris Paribus. The other two factors which are traded off are price, sound quality and build quality. The point here is that if you want detachable cables at this price, either sound or build quality suffers.
It is wrong to think that all 'Chi-fi' brands are of the same class or have the same quality control. I have had my share of 'Chi-fi' products. I have also interacted with a seller where I live who exclusively deals in 'Chi-fi' products both in his online and brick and mortar store. He provides a seller's warranty. You walk into his store and show him the product does not work - he replaces it or refunds you regardless of what happens between him and the manufacturer. So he is taking on the risk and will only stock brands which he can stand behind. Of all the brands mentioned so far, he stocks TFZ and Mee as he trusts their QC.
A more concrete case study is with Vsonic and the VSD range. The first batch of VSD 3 had detachable cables. The price and and sound quality (but not sound profile) are comparable with the lower end TFZs. The build quality was just rubbish. So much so that in their next revision, they changed to a non-detachable cable. Sound quality stayed the same (some argue they actually improved). Pricing stayed around the same. Trade-offs had to be made.
For the basshead, the lower end TFZs provide the best sound and build quality at this price range. Not having a detachable cable a more than acceptable trade-off.
Solving a problem no one has...
The main reason detachable cables exist is because cables are generally the first to break in an earphone. Nobody who breaks the cable their $10-30 earphones thinks to themselves "I should go buy another cable". They just replace the earphone. As such, having detachable cables for cheap earphones is solving a problem no one has.
The economics start changing as the earphones get more expansive. However for the reason I list on point 1 below, at $50-60, it still does not make economic sense (for me at least).
Responding to our original points
1 - The $10 cables are a bit hit and miss in terms of build quality. If you get a good one, they are great. But if you get a bad one, it will take upwards of 3 months plus with Aliexpress sellers and their slow shipping to get it resolved. So to me, a $10 cable just isn't worth the risk and wait. You may be OK with that though. A $25+ cable from a local seller resolves this issue but then at that price, the economics don't make sense as you are betting the earphone body/innards lasts 4 times as long as the cable.
2 - See my point on trade-offs above and the case study with Vsonic in particular. While per unit cost of adding detachable cables may not be high, it increases complexity which also implications for quality control. I have worked with manufacturing companies and the cost of QC rises exponentially with complexity. As both I and the seller I mentioned before believe that TFZ has decent QC, I can't imagine the total cost of adding in detachable cables is very low when you consider the all-in-cost. Don't take my word for it, do some reading on Vsonic and their VSD range and see how this bears out in reality.
3 - By good cable I mean that it appears to be durable with decent strain relief. I will obviously have to see how well they hold up but if and when they do break, I can imagine that I would have had the earphones for a long time. I would not be cursing at TFZ for not making the cables detachable. I would just buy another pair...
I may not be able to change your view but I don't believe anyone else reading through the comments should be at all discouraged from the lack of detachable cables.
Trade-offs
All else being equal (Ceteris Paribus), more features is better than less features. But in reality, it is never Ceteris Paribus. The other two factors which are traded off are price, sound quality and build quality. The point here is that if you want detachable cables at this price, either sound or build quality suffers.
It is wrong to think that all 'Chi-fi' brands are of the same class or have the same quality control. I have had my share of 'Chi-fi' products. I have also interacted with a seller where I live who exclusively deals in 'Chi-fi' products both in his online and brick and mortar store. He provides a seller's warranty. You walk into his store and show him the product does not work - he replaces it or refunds you regardless of what happens between him and the manufacturer. So he is taking on the risk and will only stock brands which he can stand behind. Of all the brands mentioned so far, he stocks TFZ and Mee as he trusts their QC.
A more concrete case study is with Vsonic and the VSD range. The first batch of VSD 3 had detachable cables. The price and and sound quality (but not sound profile) are comparable with the lower end TFZs. The build quality was just rubbish. So much so that in their next revision, they changed to a non-detachable cable. Sound quality stayed the same (some argue they actually improved). Pricing stayed around the same. Trade-offs had to be made.
For the basshead, the lower end TFZs provide the best sound and build quality at this price range. Not having a detachable cable a more than acceptable trade-off.
Solving a problem no one has...
The main reason detachable cables exist is because cables are generally the first to break in an earphone. Nobody who breaks the cable their $10-30 earphones thinks to themselves "I should go buy another cable". They just replace the earphone. As such, having detachable cables for cheap earphones is solving a problem no one has.
The economics start changing as the earphones get more expansive. However for the reason I list on point 1 below, at $50-60, it still does not make economic sense (for me at least).
Responding to our original points
1 - The $10 cables are a bit hit and miss in terms of build quality. If you get a good one, they are great. But if you get a bad one, it will take upwards of 3 months plus with Aliexpress sellers and their slow shipping to get it resolved. So to me, a $10 cable just isn't worth the risk and wait. You may be OK with that though. A $25+ cable from a local seller resolves this issue but then at that price, the economics don't make sense as you are betting the earphone body/innards lasts 4 times as long as the cable.
2 - See my point on trade-offs above and the case study with Vsonic in particular. While per unit cost of adding detachable cables may not be high, it increases complexity which also implications for quality control. I have worked with manufacturing companies and the cost of QC rises exponentially with complexity. As both I and the seller I mentioned before believe that TFZ has decent QC, I can't imagine the total cost of adding in detachable cables is very low when you consider the all-in-cost. Don't take my word for it, do some reading on Vsonic and their VSD range and see how this bears out in reality.
3 - By good cable I mean that it appears to be durable with decent strain relief. I will obviously have to see how well they hold up but if and when they do break, I can imagine that I would have had the earphones for a long time. I would not be cursing at TFZ for not making the cables detachable. I would just buy another pair...
andypak01
430
Jul 27, 2016
Recently got the Sennheiser IE800. In my opinion, it costs less by getting TOTL from well known brand as supposed to get multiple mid to low end products. I, too, have a collection of budget IEMs that I don't use and they add up to substantial amount.
Posh_Dev
12
Jul 28, 2016
PxORI can say though that source components matter the most. I went into Costco and got my tires changed. While waiting I went over to electronics and demoed a Marshall Monitor closed back headphone. It was $70 and on the demo unit it sounded like utter crap. I had my DacPort Slim, phone, and cable with me and I worked the plug free and put it in. OH MY FREAKING GOODNESS, that transformed the headphones right then and there. They went from tinny CRAP to having a well pronounced bass, slightly recessed mids with a slight peak, and a nice trebel reveal that did wonderful on guitar riffs and classic rock. I showed the manager and told them how to sell more. Will they do it? Prob no. Moral of the story...it isn't about the price. Phones I wouldn't pay $30 sounded better than some $300 phones I've heard. Hype or no hype, more $$$ does not equal more quality. There...I'll get off my enabler soapbox.
JacksonMZL
19
May 2, 2017
What is the diference between the 5 and the 5s? Also I know the kings were on here a bit ago, what was special about them?
JacksonMZL
19
May 3, 2017
JacksonMZLSo here is what someone on Head-Fi descibed the kings as "...TFZ King leans toward analytical, a bit of a clinical listen with lots of micro-details and a fast and tight bass..." Still waiting on a response about the 5 and the 5s.
Chir
5
Feb 1, 2017
Extremely dissapointed, these are either a complete joke or faulty (although they do not sound broken). Massive upper bass (and not detailed at that), recessed mids and no treble. From everyone in Head-Fi I figured they emphasize bass but aren't that bad. I figured from user reviews the bass reaches deep (which I appreciate a lot), but they do not, the bass is purely mid-bass, and it is extremely bloated and drowns out a fair bit of other frequencies. I can't imagine even a basshead finding this sound enjoyable, I've heard good bass heavy systems and headphones before and these are nothing of the sort.
These are maybe the worst pair of any IEM or in-ears I've heard. Comparing to the $10 pair of Sony EX-10, the Sonys are much more natural and balanced, they have less bass but at least they have some detail in them. For Chi-Fi budget IEM, KZ ZST are much, much more natural and nice sounding with deeper, more detailed bass extension without the ridiculous mid-bass bloat, and they only cost $20. Furhermore, the complimentary tips have a very rough seam in them, and are made of a relatively hard rubber mix that is extremely uncomfortable. The sound doesn't improve at all with nicer rubber tips that I enjoy with other IEM, or with Comply foam tips.
EDIT: If you EQ the 60-150Hz region down some massive -9dB, they become tolerable. Mids are still recessed, highs still don't exist. I don't believe in burn in, but will keep these playing for "shits and giggles". I'll be extremely surprised if the burn-in fixes a +9dB mid-bass emphasis. As is, they sound like how 12-year old CoD players like their Logitech subwoofers. And just the subwoofer, without the mains.
This is the last time I get aboard the hype train. Get the KZ ZST instead if you like anything towards natural sound with deep bass extension. Will update after "burn-in", I guess.
These are maybe the worst pair of any IEM or in-ears I've heard. Comparing to the $10 pair of Sony EX-10, the Sonys are much more natural and balanced, they have less bass but at least they have some detail in them. For Chi-Fi budget IEM, KZ ZST are much, much more natural and nice sounding with deeper, more detailed bass extension without the ridiculous mid-bass bloat, and they only cost $20. Furhermore, the complimentary tips have a very rough seam in them, and are made of a relatively hard rubber mix that is extremely uncomfortable. The sound doesn't improve at all with nicer rubber tips that I enjoy with other IEM, or with Comply foam tips.
EDIT: If you EQ the 60-150Hz region down some massive -9dB, they become tolerable. Mids are still recessed, highs still don't exist. I don't believe in burn in, but will keep these playing for "shits and giggles". I'll be extremely surprised if the burn-in fixes a +9dB mid-bass emphasis. As is, they sound like how 12-year old CoD players like their Logitech subwoofers. And just the subwoofer, without the mains.
This is the last time I get aboard the hype train. Get the KZ ZST instead if you like anything towards natural sound with deep bass extension. Will update after "burn-in", I guess.
aerou
10
Feb 6, 2017
Sorry to hear that it didn't work out for you with these IEMs. But at least you found something else to be satisfied with?
JDrag0n
1
Sep 6, 2016
Being my first pair of over-ear IEMs, does wearing glasses affect the comfort of these at all? Do the wires bug people wearing glasses?
RidevaDemocritus
360
Sep 6, 2016
JDrag0nI wear blue blocker glasses at work, which is where I wear my TFZ1's as well. The ear hook attachment and my thin glasses don't really cause me any issues.
DUN3
8
Oct 19, 2016
Don't buy if you live an active lifestyle. Have these from the last drop and they didn't last a month. I have handled them with care and always carried them around in the carrying bag that is provided. Just with usage the protective coating around the wire near the base of the splitter has worn off and I can no longer hear out of the right monitor.
JDrag0n
1
Dec 7, 2016
This seems redundant, but have you contracted the manufacturer (as you said it was your next step)? I have the same exact problem but I am having trouble finding contact information.
frankros91
11
May 15, 2017
JDrag0nI haven't. Got busy and sort of just forgot about these until now. I don't expect to get any kind of a refund at this point. Potential buyers, stay away!
dr150
50
Sep 18, 2016
OK, folks. I put 250 hrs "burn-in" on them, per instructions (though as i said previously, I don't believe in burn-in). And true to form, they didn't improve. It's a more bass (lower mid-bass specifically) and weak in the highs and mids in relation. Translation: not balanced at all! I have to heavily use the EQ to bring them to a level I can live with. I'm not asking the world here, folks--just "liveable" exercise IEMS for under $100, but these seriously(!) underperform other Asia "under $100" brands I've tried and gives me pause of concern to believe in certain too glowing reviews comparing these to much more expensive one. The Ostry's that I bought here is seriously better. It ain't even a competition actually (better quality sound from top to bottom--just "right" sounding without touching the EQ). I'm kind of done with Massdrop for IEMS as you can't return them and their prices aren't that much better than Amazon's, etc. IEMs is a subjective thing and reviews are dubious (i.e. paid) and they promise "the world" and give you nothing really better (and in my case, worse) than other products in its price range you may have tried. Just do your research (though I did my research and still got taken, haha). Buyer beware. (BTW, I own really expensive headphones and HT system and I like the audiophile hobby, but good sound is generally universal to most ears, and when it sounds great you know it, and these are nothing of that kind. As always, you get what you pay for. These TFZ5's shouldn't be worth more than $30 in my book--not the $70+ I paid here with tax). :<
D367ruc70
82
Sep 29, 2016
dr150Do you know of any that are worth it in the "under $100" range? I have these and I agree with your sentiments.
aerou
10
Feb 6, 2017
dr150I'm gonna reply the same as to someone else before complaining about VERY unbalanced sound, since despite the large bass presence, I find their mids and highs clear. Try this please:
One thing comes to my mind, which could cause such a unpleasant sound alteration, is IEM tip position, size / ear canal fit. Something like that happened to me with certain IEM housing designs. It also depends on tips used. Try different tips and also, while having the IEMs inserted in your ear, wiggle or slightly force the IEMs into different angles while playing music, if it clears up or unblocks it somehow, even if it's just briefly in a certain angle. Let me know if it helped. Cheers, J
One thing comes to my mind, which could cause such a unpleasant sound alteration, is IEM tip position, size / ear canal fit. Something like that happened to me with certain IEM housing designs. It also depends on tips used. Try different tips and also, while having the IEMs inserted in your ear, wiggle or slightly force the IEMs into different angles while playing music, if it clears up or unblocks it somehow, even if it's just briefly in a certain angle. Let me know if it helped. Cheers, J
JGunnz
33
Aug 3, 2016
I'm currently using the Shure SE125 as my daily driver earbuds, and I was wondering whether these would be a good buy to maybe replace them with. Most important factors would be whether or not the earbuds sound better as well as how the comfort of the two pairs compare. Should I jumped on these earbuds, and set my SE215s aside as my backups, or continue to use the 215s?
dr150
50
Sep 11, 2016
You should get yours warranteed. I heard they're good about such things. Like I said earlier, I own two Ostrys and both still going strong. One pair I thoroughly abuse in my hikes/jogs (i.e. lots of pulling the cable and sweat) which is why I got a 2nd one as a backup -- currently it's my longest surviving IEM of any "enthusiast" brand I purchased thus far. YMMV.
Showing 55 of 203
Recent Activity
Related Products
Drop Refurbished
Like-new products you can trustDrop Rewards
Get $5 for every 500 points you earn! Learn more
Drop Keyboard Club
Become a member and expand your keycap collectionCollaborate With Us
For Brands & DesignersFollow Drop