KZ To Release Their 1200th Earphone Model
KZ, or Knowledge Zenith, or Dongguan Yuanze Acoustic Technology Company Ltd., have been flooding the western markets with earphones since 2014 (and the domestic market probably much earlier).
We may remember the early ED1 and ED2 that came in plain blue boxes and cost $5, including shipping from China. These were actually quite decent iems. KZ briefly built on their early success with some more sophisticated dynamic-driver models like the popular ED9.
When balanced armature drivers became affordable at around 2017, KZ were one of the first players to catch on and cash in on a grand scale. I quickly purchased and/or reviewed 22 of their models but stopped when they started to overflow and jam the lowest drawer of my office desk. KZ exacerbated this effect by producing bigger and bigger models such as the ZS10 or the BA10.
Their first multi driver models had a V-shaped sound characterized by vocals buried behind the soundstage, like the ED16. But they were cheap, most of them sold for below $25. Their next generation was characterized by an exaggerated upper midrange that produced a sharp and shouty sound. Examples are the EDX and ZSN Pro X.
But KZ did not give up and, in collaboration with the Comical Research Interference Network (C.R.I.N.), they fabricated at least one model with mostly decorative drivers (which they may have taken over from Campfire Audio): only some in each model actually “fired”…which did not play a role as some professional YouTubers did not notice it, possibly owing to too much decorative makeup around their ears. Decorative drivers helped keeping the price down, and YouTubers are mainly decoration, too, albeit annoying ones (for adults).
KZ play the game and they play it well: cashing in on obsessive-compulsive buyers who need their weekly fix…or mail call, as they call it on Facebook. These are eternal sidegraders. Such buyers spend cumulatively way more money on their countless budget models than on a decent earphone such as the Sennheiser IE 600, which would stand the test of time.
KZ must have a sign in their conference room: Many a little makes a mickle!
Finally, the KZ AS24 is a good earphone. It is model 1199. Yes, there are slightly more KZ models than Bruce Lee karate movies, and way more than words spoken by Sylvester Stallone in his Rocky francise. Number 1200 will be released soon. Congratulations!
Until next time…keep on listening!
My first KZ experience was the forgotten RX, and soon after, the ZS … wait for it… 1. Yes, the ZS1. Dual drivers was fascinating for me, and to this day, that old set was one of them most comfortable KZ model ever made. I got a perfect seal every time, but the treble wasn’t that great despite the set having two drivers. upgrading to the ZS5 and later ZS6 was like discovering new levels of Heaven, and after that, I bought a few cheaper sets like the ZS4 and ES4, then decided to be content with that I had. Bought one of KZ’s first gen TWS sets which were bad and had no bass, but the SKS came out and it was fairly fantastic in comparison. I used those light blue wireless earbuds for years and the battery life never degraded. Got back into the purchasing KZ when I decided to try their new AZ20 bluetooth adaptor. Got the EDX PRO X because they were the latest and greatest 11$ set, and they fell flat. my EDX sounds better still. Then I splurged and the the Symphony, which, after lots of listening and burning in, blew my mind. I still think they have just a tad too much bass, and kick drums literally feel like someone kicking my ear (on the AZ20 with full power mode on) which gets annoying, but let’s just say my first experience with a planar driver has me fairly obsessed. Music just sounds so much more…musical, especially intense music. I’m still interested in some sets like the D-fi, Krilla, and AS24, but I really don’t need any more earbuds. As it is, I have like 6 old KZ sets I tested against the best ones I have and decided I don’t need!