The KZ ZS10 In-Ear Earphones are not only transparent but also one of the best affordable earphones trending right now. The Hybrid Earphone has been trending on shopping stores for a while now. The earphones boast of 5 drivers, there are one dynamic driver and four balanced amateur drivers. This creates an articulate sound stage and an unbelievable listening experience for users.
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The KZ ZS10 earphones is an upgrade to the KZ ZS6 that we reviewed earlier this year.
KZ ZS10 General Specification
- Brand – KZ
- Model – ZS10
- Type – In-Ear
- Plug type – 3.5mm
- Wearing type – In-Ear
- Function – Answering Phone, HiFi, Microphone, Song Switching
- Weight: 0.05 pounds
- Cable length – 1.2 meters.
- Pin Type – 0.75mm
- Frequency range: 7Hz-40000Hz
- Impedance – 32Ω
- Sensitivity – 104dB/mW.
- Language – No
- Material – Plastic
It sports a copper plated braided cable which delivers excellent quality and sounds straight to your ear. You can also remove and replace the cord wire with other Bluetooth cables. The ZS10 is known for being lightweight and sits comfortably in your ear without you feeling a thing compared to the ZS6 which is made of aluminum alloy. What else does the KZ ZS10 have to offer? We’ll find out in this in-depth review of the KZ ZS10.
KZ ZS10 Unboxing
The ZS10 In-Ear Earphones comes in a white rectangular box, this packaging reminds us of how Xiaomi packages its earphones as well. When you open the box, you’ll be graced with the earphones itself and the newer version of the bi-pin 0.75mm cable. This is also detachable and can be used on other Bluetooth earbuds. It also comes with 3 pairs of ear tips which you can change whenever you want.
KZ ZS10 Design
The earphones were designed with comfort in mind, even though it looks big at first glance and you might begin to wonder how on earth this will fit comfortably into your ears. However, it does fit and sits comfortably too, its comfort level is very surprising, no doubt. This might be due to the curvy tips and corners, it has no sharp edges whatsoever.
With this, you can wear the earphones for hours without feeling any discomfort. There’s also a memory cable section near the bi-pin connector that was created to sit perfectly behind and around the ears. This makes it more secure on your ear even when you’re running. We have to keep in mind that the bi-pin 0.75 mm connector on this baby is detachable just like all the latest generation of KZ headphones.
We also checked the weight to see how heavy it is, and it weighs just 10.64g without the cables. So when plugged to your ear, 10.64g wouldn’t weigh you down, right? When you plug in the cable, it weighs 24.64g, this means the cable it comes with is heavier than the earphones itself. Nevertheless, you can change it whenever you want.
KZ ZS10 – The Bass
One of the reasons we buy earphones has to be the bass, that low and deep quality sound that literally leaves us shaking our heads in excitement. The ZS10 comes ready in that department, it delivers a deep and punchy mid-bass that doesn’t get out of control. The bass rating on the earphone is balanced and classy as well, the energy in the bass will, of course, keep you begging for more.
KZ Integrated a nice and smooth equalizer with a mix of sub-bass, this delivers a unique bass that has an in-depth unique energy. Knowledge Zenith or popularly known as KZ is known for the bass quality of its earphones. The ZS10 didn’t disappoint in that aspect thanks to its energetic bass that will get you hooked no matter the song you’re listening to.
The bass on this earphones have obviously been highly refined by KZ and you will notice immediately you plug it in and okay your first music. Even though the bass has been highly refined it doesn’t give off an unrealistic vibe at all, it feels natural and catchy. The bass is strong but not too strong and invasive, it’s quite punchy and deep.
KZ ZS10 Vent Blocking Effect
The earphones comes with a vent blocking effect, this helps block the 3 vent holes and improves the bass as well. You’ll feel the energetic and impacting sound of both mid-bass and sub-bass just for your listening pleasure. This is another way to spice up the sounds coming out from the earphones without using an equalizer.
All you need to do is to block the vent holes, blocking the vent holes will definitely improve the bass level and the overall sound quality no doubt. When this is done, it will increase all the lower frequencies up to 300 Hz. This can also be done when you want to block out all the bad negativity from the world and enjoy your music.
However, when you intentionally block the venting holes, the frequencies will obviously decrease. Sometimes, you might also mistakenly be blocking most of the vent holes with your ear’s surface. This might disrupt the sound quality and deliver cracky bass. Overall, you could get more congested and unflattering sound when you mistakenly block the vent holes.
KZ ZS10 – The Vocals
Imagine buying an In-Ear earphones just to listen to bass? That doesn’t sound cool. The mids and vocals are important and the ZS10 didn’t disappoint in that department. We have to keep in mind that this is a budget-friendly earphone and the mids were clear and enjoyable. The vocals were also vibrant and alive as well as sharp, it was really impressive.
From male to female vocals range, you could feel his/her voice right in your soul. There were no problems whatsoever when it comes to transmitting the vocals, miss as well as the sounds. The sub-bass doesn’t take over the mids, both are totally different and can be heard and felt differently with KZ ZS10 In-Ear earphones, but they do blend together for the overall sound.
Most times, earphones makers always try as much as possible to make a bass sound thin by simulating a pseudo-audiophile sound signature. This is done so the mids and vocals can be heard, you can’t blame them though, many listeners think strong bass equals to bad sound. How? that’s not true, they all have to be moderate to create a more professional-level audio and sound quality.
KZ ZS10 – The Treble
The ZS10 has one of the best trebles for a budget-friendly smartphone, the highs are also bright and have enough quality detail. You won’t find it difficult to notice the cymbals, violin’s and harp’s higher notes. The sound peaks is also impressive, no detail is left unnoticed. The highs isn’t that deep, you’ll feel the sound and it’s not too forward too.
The piercing peaks and high notes in the treble range is also brilliant. Even when you’re in a noisy environment, you’ll feel every detail without any disturbance. There’s no struggle whatsoever to identify the high and deep sounds. Even when you do, you can use the equalizer we mentioned earlier to tone and scale it down a bit.
Nonetheless, the EQ can also apply an increase in the upper treble region, so it has to be moderate if you want to enjoy the standard and tuned sounds. The ZS10 boasts of higher volume output compared to previous KZ earphones. The price is also on the low which is another good advantage of this In-Ear earphones.
KZ ZS10 – Overall Sound Quality
The overall sound quality of the ZS10 is quite impressive for its price, talk about giving value for money. The sound is great, even though there are a few sound leaks here and there, it’s in total control and other people including you won’t notice it that much.
Even when you increase the volume to the highest, other people around you won’t be able to listen or hear the song that’s playing. This is important when making private and secure calls and you don’t want people around to hear what the person on phone is telling you.
Furthermore, the noise cancellation and isolation of other sounds outside the earphones is great but not totally great though. Even when you increase the volume, the outside sounds might get in the way, this might let you be at alert to sounds around you. Even though the sound isolation is pretty standard, it’s not as strong as other noise-canceling earphones.
KZ ZS10 Pros and Cons
I would totally recommend this In-Ear earphones, this isn’t just about the affordability. It has crisp highs and sensationally balanced lower frequencies. The sounds are also too punchy and deep, this is done without the sound getting too boosted. The male and female vocals are also clear enough. It’s efficient to respond to EQ and custom fine-tuning is quite impressive.
Sub-bass reached extreme depth, while middle reached high peaks. This is the cheapest hybrid earphones with 5-drivers, one dynamic driver, and four balanced amateur drivers. It also fits comfortably into your ears without an itch, boasts of detachable cables and you can also turn them into Bluetooth headphones. The only con is the higher output capacity which delivers extreme volume harshness.
KZ ZS10 Price and Availability
The KZ ZS10 HiFi Hybrid Earphone with Mic is very affordable and cheap for all its features. It’s available on Aliexpress right now for just $44.00 and also on Amazon for $57.90.
Buy KZ ZS10 HiFi Hybrid Earphone with Mic on Aliexpress
KZ ZS10 HiFi Hybrid Earphone with Mic on Amazon
In the case your budget is not up to that, you can go for the KZ ZSA Hybrid HiFi In-Ear Earphones that cost less.
Conclusion
The KZ ZS10 is an impressive in-ear headphone, its performance will definitely surprise you. It boasts premium features and high-end configuration for just a little money. It’s known to be the cheapest 5-driver hybrid headphone ever created, now that alone speaks volume.
