Greetings! Today we’re checking out a modern update to a classic KZ. The original ZST was a landmark product and KZ’s first foray into hybrid earphones. It inspired an entire segment of equally budget-friendly hybrid competitors, a market that today is alive and well, teeming with new models. Prior to the release of the ZST, fans of the brand had been relentlessly asking KZ to … Continue reading KZ ZST X: How To Update A Classic
Greetings! Today we’re going to drool over the DQ6, one of KZ’s most recent and most interesting (imo) releases in a while. The DQ6 is a triple dynamic earphone with one 10mm and two 6mm drivers working in tandem thanks to a tiny crossover. The clear acrylic inner body is composed of two parts neatly glued together with a lovely zinc-alloy faceplate rounding things out. … Continue reading KZ DQ6: Back On Top
Greetings! Today we’re checking out one of KZ’s newest releases, the ZAX. Knowledge Zenith, the mother of all budget brands, has been slowly but steadily moving themselves upscale ever since the release of their first hybrid, the ZST. The ZAX is part of their newest crop of X-branded releases and has some pretty eye-watering specs that we could never have imagined being present in a … Continue reading KZ ZAX: 8 Drivers For Under 100 Bucks?!
**IGNORE THIS EARPHONE. Get the DQ6 instead. You’re welcome.** Greetings! Today we’re checking out another new release from KZ, the ZSN Pro X. This newest lineup of releases from the brand finally seems intent on somewhat unifying the sporadic naming schemes of old, adding an X somewhere in the name; ZST X, ZSN Pro X, EDX, ZAX, etc. I’m all for this, especially if it … Continue reading KZ ZSN Pro X: Misled
Greetings, If you’ve been following my content over the years you’ll know that Knowledge Zenith (KZ) has played a big part in my journey from total newb to whatever I am now. I was around for their early models like the ANV, Micro Ring, and R3, and saw them finally break into the mainstream to set things alight with affordable hybrid iems like the ZST … Continue reading KZ S2: A Game Of Inches
Greetings, Today we’re checking out Knowledge Zenith’s (KZ) newest release to carry the title of brand flagship, the AS16. Ever since the release of the ZST a few short years ago, balanced armatures (BA) have been used in the vast majority of their products. With the release of 2018’s armature only AS10, they once again entered uncharted grounds for the brand. Instead of a simple … Continue reading KZ AS16: Looking Up
Greetings! Today we’re checking out one of KZ’s newest models, the ZSN Pro. During the last quarter of 2018, KZ dropped the ZSN which was more or less an updated ZST. Higher quality acrylics, a more capable signature, and other quality of life changes brought their original hybrid release into the modern age. I quite enjoyed the ZSN for a number of reasons, from the … Continue reading KZ ZSN Pro: Side Step
Greetings, Today we’re checking out another release from KZ, this time a Pro update to the venerable ZS10. The ZS10 was released around late-April/early-May in 2018 and was an exciting product. It brought to the budget market a driver packed setup with four balanced armatures (BA) and one dynamic driver (DD) per side. It also brought back the use of the crossover, something missing from … Continue reading KZ ZS10 Pro: Earns The “Pro” Moniker
Greetings, Today we’re checking out the AS06 from Knowledge Zenith (KZ), a new triple balanced armature (BA) offering from the budget friendly brand. KZ has done an amazing job of winning people over through the years by offering inexpensive earphones that, more often than not, provide a level of sound quality simply unthought of within the price range. A few short years ago they started … Continue reading KZ AS06: 3rd Time’s A Charm
Greetings, Today we’re checking out yet another hybrid in KZ’s ever expanding lineup, the ZS4. Back in 2016 KZ released the ZS3. It along with the ZST signalled a new era for the brand. While the ZS3 stuck with a single dynamic driver per side, it featured a much more complicated housing design heavily influenced by the Fit Ear Stagediver series, but more importantly, removable … Continue reading KZ ZS4: Having fun yet?
Greetings, Ever since Knowledge Zenith (KZ) dove into the hybrid market with the ZST, they’ve gone absolutely bonkers with their hybrid releases. The ED16 we’re checking out today is an especially weird one since it sounds like it was meant to be either a limited release, or possibly not even released at all. It also has a bit of an identity crisis being officially named … Continue reading KZ ED16: Identify Yourself!
Greetings! Welcome to the newest addition to my look through KZ’s crazy lineup of earphones. A couple years back, KZ released their first hybrid earphone, the ZST. This was a landmark for the brand and a product style that has taken over their lineup. However, KZ recently stepped into the world of balanced armature only earphones. I was originally quite skeptical of this since they … Continue reading Knowledge Zenith: A great place to begin your audiophile journey (Pt. 4)
Greetings! So, KZ’s newest armature-only earphone, the AS06, has arrived! Right off the bat I was pleased to see that one of my recommendations levied at the AS10 and BA10 has been addressed; the packaging. As you can see, it’s essentially the exact same thing, including the classy metal plaque, but smaller and less wasteful. It still makes the AS06 feel more special than lesser … Continue reading KZ AS06: Preview!
Greetings, Today we’re checking out the P4 Pro, a quad-balanced armature earphone from the folks at TENHZ. TENHZ you say? Another new brand, huh. Sort of, but not quite. You might recall Audbos, a spin off brand from Magaosi marketing primarily in the North American market. Back in early 2017 I reviewed the K3 and DB-02, both hybrids and competitive offerings in their respective price … Continue reading TENHZ P4 Pro: Midrange Master
Greetings! Today we’re reviewing the BOT1, a dynamic driver earphone from a new brand, bboooll. Questionable brand name aside, the BOT1 has shown itself over the last few weeks to be an interesting product worth the cost of entry. Awash in a sea of budget hybrids, the BOT1 attacks the market with a multi-dynamic setup that features three 6mm dynamic drivers, per side. The only … Continue reading bboooll BOT1: Triple Threat
The Contraptionist 