The KZ ZSA Hybrid HiFi In-Ear Earphones is another budget-friendly earphones that’s trending on shopping stores. Unlike the KZ ZS10 we reviewed earlier, the ZSA isn’t as transparent as the ZS10. However, it’s more rugged and promises lots of features as well. The ZSA is new generation earphones that focuses on the young generation and their love for music.
The earphones has a hybrid technology mix drive powering it up. Talk about using science and technology to redefine the overall sound quality of an earphone. The KZ ZSA boasts of an 8mm Dynamic unit and newly upgraded balanced Armature unit. Of course, the balanced Armature unit has been greatly upgraded, while the efficiency of electroacoustic conversion has also skyrocketed.
With the balanced Armature unit taking a hike up, what changes in the earphones? The ZSA now delivers high frequency, rich resolution, instant details and clear vocals of course. The overall performance of the earphones and music output should be great. In this review, we will be looking at all the features of the KZ ZSA and what it has to offer.
KZ ZSA General Specification
- Brand – KZ
- Model – ZSA
- Type – In-Ear
- Plug type – 3.5mm
- Wearing type – In-Ear
- Function – Answering Phone, HiFi, Microphone, Song Switching
- Weight – 19g
- Cable length – 1.2 meters.
- Pin Type – 0.75mm
- Frequency range: 7Hz-40000Hz
- Impedance – 18Ω
- Sensitivity – 101dB/mW.
- Language – No
- Material – Metal
KZ ZSA Unboxing
The KZ ZSA Hybrid HiFi In-Ear Earphones comes in a white box that looks quite portable and stunning. The box doesn’t weigh much as well when you remove the cover, you will be graced by the earphones itself sitting on top a Black box that is Inside the package box as well. You will also see the “KZ Earphone” inscription underneath, as well as the KZ logo.
When you remove the box that has the KZ logo, you will see all the accessories it comes with. It comes with 3 pairs of ear tips, with 2 looking bigger than the other. The latest generation of KZ detachable cable is also present, we also saw this on the KZ ZS10. In fact, the presentation and details on the box look exactly the same as on the ZS10 except for the size of the earphones and the hole they sit in.
KZ ZSA Design
The KZ ZSA looks totally different from KZ ZS10, it’s not transparent but it looks more rugged and strong. The ZSA was made for tougher times and fitness trainers or those into sports. They are also very small compared to other hybrid earphones from KZ. The earphones are also made from Metal and boast of a miniaturized form factor. The KZ ZSA was crafted from High-end CNC metal with a cavity ear shell for safety.
With the use of full CNC technology and aluminum alloy, this is more premium than others made with plastic. It also boasts of a humanized pluggable design, this makes it fit comfortably in your ears. You can use the wire to connect to a device, or simply use Bluetooth and go wireless. Speaking of wires, the Copper Wire provides excellent sound quality and pulling, bending and scratch resistant.
The cable looks slightly thinner than that of the ZS10, which gives it a little weight lift to balance things up since the earphones are made of metals.
The wire has a 0.75mm gold-plated 2pin for pluggable structure. Nonetheless, they have smoother and less pointy edges compared to others as well. KZ had comfort in mind when they were making this, it fits superbly into all ear sizes and types. You can wear them for hours without feeling any itch or pain whatsoever. It measures just 13mm in thickness and has a dimension of 17.7 x 8 x 13 mm. It weighs 7.88g and 21.37g with the Copper Wire.
KZ ZSA – The Bass
The Bass is always important when shopping for new earphones and the ZSA has got you covered in that department. It offers rich, punchy and energetic bass for budget-friendly earphone. The mid-bass isn’t that powerful but its fun style is quite catchy and will get you hooked with time. While the sub-bass is very deep and powerful no doubt.
For an Earphone in this budget segment, you’ll feel the sub-bass immediately you turn on the first music. The sub-bass is so powerful, it covers absolutely every music genre with no bass-shortage whatsoever. When you apply an equalizer, you will notice a good amount of depth added to the sub-bass for your listening pleasure.
Overall, the mid-bass and sub-bass on the ZSA are quite impressive, it delivers a bass response that can reach a very mild rumble and impact. If you turn ON the bass boost and use a custom basshead equalizer, you will feel a 40% boost of the total bass quality on the ZSA. There will also be a mid-bass punch and sub-bass depth worthy enough for a basshead level impact.
KZ ZSA – The Vocals
The mids and vocals coming out of the ZSA are pretty crisp and clear enough. The mids are higher and tough, this is really impressive when you check the price tag of the earphones. The vocals were one of the things we had to check because this is mainly why people buy earphones. Furthermore, the male vocal was not that distant nor congested, the sounds were warm and inviting.
Although, you’ll experience some harshy peaks depending on each song. But they are not extremely pronounced, they are warm, muddy and clear enough while keeping in mind that it’s a budget-friendly earphone. At the end of the day, it’s all about using the equalizer correctly.
If you use the equalizer correctly, you’ll see an immediate response with the clearing up of lower mids and lower vocals. This should deliver more brilliant vocals no doubt, some boxy sounding mids would be noticed too. Nonetheless, you should keep in mind how higher mids are already very crisp, so you’re advised not to apply an equalizer, so they won’t get harsh.
KZ ZSA – The Treble
The ZSA has incredible highs and treble that will definitely surprise you. The highs in the KZ ZSA are bright and detailed, you might even get carried away with it. Although, it’s not as piercing and catchy like we expected, compared to others it was a bit of a letdown.
You will feel the frequency and strength of each singer and song you are listening to and you can easily connect with the song as well. Although some consonant sounds in words can create a whooshing or hissing sound. But that’s just a minor issue, you will hardly notice it.
Of course, an equalizer adds a huge increment of brightness to the highs no doubt, you’ll also experience a monumental increase in the detail of the treble. With an equalizer, the highs and treble should be relatively stronger and frequent with a little sibilance obviously.
KZ ZSA – Overall Sound Quality
The overall sound quality of the ZSA is pretty basic and depends on the music and how you wear the earphones. The sound leaking is brilliant, once you keep the volume at a moderate level people around you won’t be able to hear what you’re listening to. The earphone was built with an aesthetic detail and a semi-open back design. Its noise isolation is brilliant I must confess, of course, it’s not like most noise cancelling earphones but it gets the job done.
You don’t have to increase the volume on the KZ ZSA before reaching a nearly absolute isolation of the sounds and noise around you. Its response to an equalizer was absolutely amazing and impeccable. You will experience an increase in sub-bass depth and mid-bass punch. Lower vocals and mids were also cleared up, while the highs got a radically added brightness as well.
How To Wear The KZ ZSA
Wearing the KZ ZSA is very easy and practical, you have to choose if you want to connect through Bluetooth or via cable wire. It comes with a Metal memory wire ear hooks, this is also convenient to adjust the earphones as it hooks to the back of the ear.
If you are connecting with wire simply check the “L” and “R” inscription on the wire before fixing it in the earbuds. Plug it into your ear and make sure the wire goes through the back of the ear in a curvy position to perform a hook. You can press and hold the headset panel to adjust the seal.
KZ ZSA Pros and Cons
Overall the ZSA offers a super punchy and deep bass, it’s also very small and lightweight and doesn’t weigh you down at all compared to same metal earphones; KZ ZS6. The highs are bright and detailed with clear and crisp mids, while the vocals are simply amazing and beautiful. The design is also brilliant, an absolute stunner, the earphone was crafted on a beautiful day no doubt.
It’s super affordable and boasts of detachable cables which you can change anytime you want. If you use the KZ Bluetooth cables you can transform it into a wireless headphone. It’s response to EQ is also amazing, overall it offers great value for money. However, some sibilance were present, which didn’t sit well with me. It also has harshy peaks in mids and this can show up depending on each track.
KZ ZSA Price and Availability
The KZ ZSA HiFi Hybrid In-ear Earphones is very affordable and cheap for all its features. It’s available on Aliexpress and Amazon right now at a price starting from just $21.00 to $26.99 depending on where you are buying from.
Buy KZ ZSA HiFi Hybrid Earphone with Mic on Aliexpress
KZ ZSA HiFi Hybrid Earphone with Mic on Amazon BLACK
KZ ZSA HiFi Hybrid Earphone with Mic on Amazon GREY
Conclusion
The KZ ZSA is a beautiful earphone that has an attractive design, I really love the design, especially the semi-open back. It also has a hybrid multi-driver configuration and a metal housing. Another good thing is its affordability, for just a token you can own this beauty.
