KZ VXS Pro TWS Review – No Games, All Business
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KZ Acoustics was my gateway brand into the world of Chi-Fi remaining firmly planted in the affordable segment of constantly recommended IEMs, and now they bring us the KZ VXS Pro TWS. The “Pro” indicates a second iteration as the first was actually the VXS, and they have had a few TWS models over the years.
The KZ VXS Pro is aimed at the active crowd and more specifically the gaming crowd. While I am not their target consumer, these TWS are great for kicking around the house or out and about with a comfy familiar V or Harman tuning. Pricing is more mid-level budget at $58, so twice as costly as entry level and also one of Jürgen’s suggestions of the Moondrop Space Travel.
While my sampling size of budget TWS is small, I previously tried out the Fiitii Air 2, Fiitii Hifidots, and the Tinhifi Tin Buds 3. The bulk of my experience is more mid-tier with the Sony WF-1000W3, Moondrop Alice, and Drop Axel Grell TWS, all different beasts with go-to features that are a mixed bag.
SOUND
KZ VXS Pro bass is warm and thick if not on the punchy side followed by a recessed midrange. I can appreciate these are not shouty in any way or forward sounding. Vocals are flat sounding without portraying much space. Bass guitars have grunt behind them, and electric guitars come on heavy and present, while delivering a sculpted tone. I find this rather enjoyable with rock.
Treble is tuned safely with nothing offensive, but definitely lifted in comparison to the Moondrop Space Travel. The presence region is tilted downward so things such as a snare and horns are not overpowering, perhaps tame. There is a treble lift around the 8-10khz mark that allow cymbals to exhibit crunchy and tizzy tendencies, but I would consider the quality in line with the price.
The KZ VXS Pro sounds rather closed in most of the time, and not a lot of front to back differentiation. Instrument separation is above average however the closed in staging does make it feel crowded. It can handle busy tracks without much fanfare, but there is one excellent star feature.
Volume output on the KZ VXS Pro is top notch. It may have something to do with the Qualcomm 5171 chipset which boasts a SNR at 105dB. Other bluetooth chipsets are rated around 95dB in the Signal-to-Noise Ratio department. While KZ is employing this chipset, there is nothing stopping others from also using this (captain) obviously.
Part of this chipset and most others as well is that DSP can be applied to tune the earphone, specifically a 10 band parametric EQ. This is exactly how the powered studio monitors have morphed over the years as well. Engineers apply a complex parametric EQ to tune the monitors as desired to hit a flat target.
This is one area TWS will have a leg up on wired earphones that are only tuned acoustically. At some point TWS might crossover from consumer mainstream also into the professional audiophile realm making the EQ dirty little secret just part of everyday life.
Evidence for this exists in the KZ VSX Pro marketing, normally brands like to point out magnet structures, driver counts, fancy diaphragm materials, etc. Instead KZ focuses solely on the chipset and DSP technology. They are not relying completely on the parametric EQ and instead complementing the acoustic tuning methods.
Keep in mind that KZ did not utilize any ANC using the DSP only relying on the passive noise attenuation of the shell. I also do not want to discount that starting with good drive units, and proper acoustic tuning should come first.
If we put the KZ VXS Pro up against the Moondrop Space Travel TWS, I would say the midrange is on equal footing. The Space Travel has a fuller lower midrange and a mellow treble region that gives a more relaxed listening experience. The KZ VXS is more fun, and probably fits the genres of my music collection better. Cymbals and guitars are more pumped up.
OTHER STUFF
So there is no ANC on the KZ VXS Pro like there is on the Moondrop Space Travel, which is barely enough to call it ANC. Instead the KZ VXS Pro has a “high performance mode” activated by pressing on the right or left earpiece 3 times. This is for lower latency gaming and also movie watching.
I have no idea what the typical latency is on most TWS, but it can be a problem if drastic. I know 100-200ms or more I can usually detect some weirdness when watching movies. The KZ VXS Pro limits latency to 58ms. The vocal announcements are in English on the Kz VXS Pro, albeit the “high performance” is easier for me to understand than the “standard mode”. As long as I can tell though, no big deal.
For charging the KZ VXS Pro, the case has a 400ma battery. Battery life is a touted 8 hours which is pretty good, I never found them running out of juice. The clear cover provides an indication on the earpieces themselves it is charging, vs the case displaying that.
There is a second LED in the case that is activated by charging or by pressing the button. Different colors indicate charge level, cool idea but unless you commit it to memory a multi-segment light would be preferred. Unfortunately, wireless charging is absent.
The clear plastic window has me concerned about the longevity of the case for rough users, mine is already scratched up. At least it has a cover unlike the Moondrop Space Travel. I do like the case better than the TinHifi Tin Buds 3 with its loosely rotating cover that easily swung open making it prone to ear pieces becoming dislodged.
Taking calls on the KZ VS Pro was relatively easy. Call quality was an oddity and I do not know why. I spoke for a long time in one call without issues, but a few other calls had the sound cutting out and making weird background white noise. Once it transferred the call to the Iphone itself, I was able to hear the caller. I do not know if the trouble was on my end or theirs, but concerning none the less.
Fitment and comfort conform well to my ears, the shell design on the KZ VXS Pro is something that is found on many of their model lineup. This is how KZ keeps costs low, by reusing old molds/designs. Controls are easy to use, and are duplicated on both sides.
CLOSING TIME
KZ VXS Pro was an enjoyable TWS that I found myself digging the bass guitar slap and strum. Treble reproduction quantity was desirable, and quality of it met expectations. Value-wise for a TWS, they sit in the middle of the road. They are double in price over the entry level affair, yet get close to the used market pricing on well known models that offer lots of features and good sound.
I think you are better served buying this TWS model over a budget wired model from KZ since you are not going to get exceptional sound from their low budget tiers anyway. Good enough for government work, just be wary of making calls with them.
Disclaimer: KZ Shipsed these to me accidentally instead of Jürgen. Thank you KZ for making that mistake, they make walking the dog more enjoyable.
Get it from the KZ Store or ALIEXPRESS.
KZ VXS PRO SPECIFICATIONS
- Bluetooth Version: 5.3
- Bluetooth Chip: QCC5171
- Transmission range: Approximately 15 meters
- Earphones battery life: Approximately 8 hours
- Earphones battery capacity: 48mAh
- Charging case battery capacity: 400mAh
- Charging case recharge cycles: Approximately 4 times
- Charging interface: Type-C
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