For practice, I created these 2 portaits, both are made from a sphere3d object. As u can see, the ear can hardly be sculpted well with it.
I swear next time I’d try the adaptive skin or the zsphere.
And I forgot the turn on the perspective view until everything is done. Give some C&C plz
Have happy Zbrushing! 
Pilou
if i remember well, with ZBrush 2.0 there’s a z script in wich Pixolator does a head from a 3d sphere actually u can do easrs and more. the prob is a sphere 3D has triangles at poles so u’ll find some difficulties in certain areas . rotating it in a way that these poles are on top and bottom of the initial sphere solves alot. remember u can further divide your sphere. however i think you’re right. the best way is to use z spheres, and adaptive skin and polymesh approach, because u have all quads with that. 
I’d say you can make a fairly decent ear out of a spherical shape, it’s just a matter of using the right tools to create the basic shape (mushroom type shape) and then forming it correctly… I’m used to sculpting with plasteline and I have to say all those skills translate perfectly into z-brush
I think that by introducing Zspheres and adaptive skin, there is no need to
create heads, or any other bodyparts, out of 3dSpheres !
Read the chapter from Rolhion in the Zb 2 manuel ,that is a great introduction
in head modeling Zsphere style
jantim
It surely is like that . z spheres are the way to go for most things in Z Brush.