Wired headphones in 2022 seem like an anachronism, like a rotary telephone or audio cassettes.
However, wait a minute: it seems that audio cassettes not only refused to disappear, but are also storming the shelves again, following behind vinyl, overtaking sales of other physical media.
Is it any wonder that real fans of good sound still prefer cable? Although that's not the point at all.
Have you seen the design of common TWS? Well, a 6mm speaker, even with a bunch of enhancements, cannot sound better than a good 10mm one.
What can we say if we use hybrid headphones that combine membrane and armature speakers? Even AirPods are becoming a shame.
In addition, KZ ZST Pro can be connected wirelessly. And even so they sound much more expensive than their price.
Of course, their progenitor from the States costs 25 times more!
What kind of KZ are they? Who is this?
You can’t tell from the design that they’re really good.
Although the name is more like a no-name, KZ is really a fairly common brand of Chinese headphones that has been actively sold on AliExpress for many years.
The basis of their “business” was the cloning of small-scale acoustics and the development of their own models based on “audiphile concepts”.
To translate into Russian: KZ engineers take the acoustic design and layout of very cool “ears” as a basis, launch similar electronics at home and assemble a kind of Frankenstein.
Characteristics are honest
It turns out a wild biodesign, lots of speakers. Replaceable cables, of course, like the most expensive brands.
And all this at an extremely low price. True, they don’t always get it: not only are everyone’s ears different, but it’s not always possible to create a complete copy of expensive speakers in another country.
Therefore, after the successful KZ ES4 and KZ ZST, they did not return to the iPhones pages - the new models had too many questions.
But times change, upgrades appear. ZST Pro for a thousand rubles turned out to be successful. I want to talk about them, especially when they were so at stake.
The story is painfully simple: the TWS headphones died, and the same wired KZ ones were found in the table. After a couple of hours I didn’t want to go back to more comfortable headphones.
Knowledge Zenith ZST (KZ ZST) | Hybrid headphones review
Remax 100H. Headset review.
Adept Bluetooth. According to requests from readers or what will happen if you buy cheap bluetooth headphones.
Publication date: 15.11.2016
This review was written as part of the project “Skladchina”, which you can read about on this page. The kings of the budget sector - Knowledge Zenith are back in action. Although, if you think about it, they never left it. There were short-term lulls, but they did not last long and invariably ended with a flurry of new interesting models. After another such break, the company released KZ ZST , designed according to a new design for it. These are two-driver hybrids for little money. The model costs only $18, but such a price tag will not surprise anyone now, because there are, for example, Urbanfans similar in ideology. Maybe the listener will be amazed by the sound? Let's listen. You can buy KZ ZST headphones here → Technical characteristics of KZ ZST headphones → Knowledge Zenith is a controversial company; it has tried to work in different form factors, but focuses mainly on in-ear models, which are very different in sound quality. From the brilliant KZ ED9, to the disgusting KZ EDR2. The only thing that definitely cannot be taken away from KZ is the quality of workmanship and materials used. Not premium, of course, but everything is at a very high level, far exceeding the cost. In the case of the KZ ZST model, a new bar has been taken. The box in which the headphones are supplied is small in size, even small, but it looks great and presents the model itself in an ideal way. I think that if someone takes this case in his hand in some offline store, it will be very difficult for him to put it back on the shelf. The style is obvious, the designers are great.
Inside the box we find: the headphones themselves, disconnected from the wire; naturally wire; a small instruction manual and two pairs of additional attachments of different sizes and unusual designs, but more on that later.
The headphone housings are made of translucent plastic and have a pronounced anatomical shape. But you shouldn’t be afraid of this decision; the model will suit almost everyone. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that this is the only possible way of wearing it behind the ear. You definitely won't be able to wear them any other way.
The materials and workmanship are very good. Again, the designer’s work is visible in everything. Both the visual and user components deserve respect. The wire divider, with flexible leads, as well as the body of the L-shaped gold-plated plug are made of rubber-like plastic. The weights are also covered with the same material, which helps the wires fit more tightly behind the ears and not puff up when worn. By the way, I think the solution with weights is much more correct than earhooks, rigid wire or heat shrink.
What about the sound, and does it justify the price? Now I’ll try to answer the question that was posed at the beginning of the review. As mentioned earlier, KZ ZST are made according to a hybrid design, i.e. Each earphone contains one dynamic emitter and one reinforcing one. It seems that the bass in them should be decent, and the highs should be decent, because it is to achieve this effect that multi-driver is used. In practice, both are of average quality. Don't get me wrong, the headphones sound good, but there was no point in equipping them with several emitters, and even different types. A similar sound can easily be achieved using a single dynamic driver. Good, but one. Moreover, the installed drivers clearly interfere with each other. There is “soap” in the middle part of the reproduced frequency range. A clear sign of inconsistency. If low-quality components had simply been used, then we would either have gotten cloudy lows, or blocked highs, or even all at once. Here the bass, although not excellent, is quite defined and begins to swim only if it gets too close to the lower middle. The high ones, in turn, at the very top are no longer transparent and airy enough, and when they descend a little, an unpleasant “triple” effect even appears. In a nutshell, the sound is neutral, washed out and extremely boring. Even after prolonged warming up. The KZ ZST model is not terrible, but today it is bad enough to recommend it for purchase. My assessment will not be devastating, but due to the presence on the market of a huge number of competitors made according to the same design and having a similar price, it is better to take a closer look at another model. You can buy KZ ZST headphones here →
We recommend reading: - Sony XBA-BT75 - Fischer Audio Silver Bullet. Review 8 years late.
Comments: #1 Dmitry , 11/15/2016, 12:28 Thank you for the prompt and high-quality review! Despite the not great successes of KZ or the same Xiaomi in terms of sound quality, there is always a glimmer of hope that maybe in the new model they will finally “be able” not only in design. Well, another time
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#2 Sublbaby , 11/15/2016, 12:31 Dmitry, please. With efficiency, however, the problem came out. It took them an amazingly long time to get to me; I already thought they wouldn’t get there.
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#3 Dmitry , 11/15/2016, 12:33 Well, I counted from the unboxing video - it turned out quite quickly)
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#4 Kir , 11/15/2016, 12:45 Thank you for the review. There was a bit of hope for this model. But after kz edr2 I was generally disappointed in kz. Despite the fact that I really like the kz zs1.
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#5 das504 , 11/15/2016, 01:25 pm they sang surprisingly well with the first Samsung laptop, so it should sound good with a man. but the DAC-X6 is not very good...
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#6 das504 , 11/15/2016, 01:28 pm this is the same situation with Qian25
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#7 lerov , 11/15/2016, 01:44 pm I wonder if the problem is in the quality of the components (drivers) used, or did the layout also contribute? I had the idea to “fix” install drivers for example from the same UrbanFun Hi-Fi in KZ ZST cases. p.s. Unfortunately, I don’t have the opportunity to implement this myself (.
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#8 Alexey M. , 11/15/2016, 1:50 pm The designation of left and right headphones is poorly made, you can’t immediately tell which is which. I liked the sound. In my opinion, there are too many highs, but the lows and mids are quite enough. The weights for behind-the-ear wear could be made heavier, the wire does not microphone, but since... It's silicone, it kind of sticks to itself, and generally doesn't unravel very well.
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#9 Romus , 11/15/2016, 5:55 pm The review is a little late.... (already on their way), I didn’t expect such a low rating, to be honest I’m upset... PS in the first sentence of the last paragraph, you probably need to remove the “not” before recommending.
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#10 Sublbaby , 11/15/2016, 7:04 pm Romus, don’t get upset ahead of time, maybe you’ll like them. Everyone's ears are different. Thanks for pointing out the typo, I corrected it.
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#11 Allary , 11/15/2016, 7:40 pm Eh, I don’t share the conclusions of the review. In my opinion, the headphones turned out to be excellent, I read about the dregs and gluing of drivers and do not hear this, they sound integral to me and there is nothing to complain about. I hope tomorrow I will finally receive my Urbans and compare them head-on. But I repeat, I do not share the negative conclusions about this model. Apparently I’m the one with different ears, I posted on the forum in the profile topic. One can only find fault with gigantomania; the cases are too large, although anatomical, but they fit well in the ears. Plus for the review.
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#12 Andrey , 11/15/2016, 20:14 Good afternoon. Let me add an interesting point: at work, my colleagues and I ordered 2 sets. One came with a defect and the seller sent another one. As a result, we compared three pieces head-to-head on the same devices and the same material. And here is the revelation, each one sounds absolutely different. The first ones are more even in sound, with a slight dip in the midrange and slightly muddy but powerful lows. But the latter are distinguished by increased detail in the upper range, slightly softer lows and no middle. We were very surprised. Therefore, here too, owners have different opinions. With KZ, apparently the quality and assembly are very inconsistent, so don’t expect the same sound. I like my Vots QT100 much better - the sound is cleaner and more balanced, although they are also hybrids and also inexpensive.
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#13 Konstrictor , 15.11.2016, 20:19 Sublbaby Thanks for the review. I have the same impressions. I’ll add a little: KZ tips are also distinguished by an elongated (compared to others) seating tube, which makes it difficult to fit the headphones more tightly into the ears .I got better fit with tips from Rock Zirkon, and these will go well with headphones with short sound guides. Sound: it so happened that the ZST came at the same time as the KZ ZS3 (from Zhirbest for 8-something $) If I didn’t know in advance, would I say that the ZS3 are hybrid? they are much more detailed and the tall ones are cleaner. IMHO.
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#14 Arvel , 11/16/2016, 10:50 Sublbaby, thanks for the review. The thought of purchasing it crossed my mind, but now I don’t see the point. Since there are many other suitable models.
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#15 Allary , 11/16/2016, 12:28 pm ZS3 I’m waiting for them to arrive and compare them. There is nothing to talk about for now. But I got Urbans. I listened to it on the way from the post office. With the stock nozzles, I didn’t understand why everyone was singing their praises... I didn’t like the wire, it’s hard, it remembers the shape. The sound is dull on vocals, the ZSTs play more smoothly and so far I like them better. Let's assume that I came across a good copy of the FTA. The ZSTs have the advantage over the Urbans in terms of bass and there is no feeling of muffledness, I put earbuds from the ZSTs on the Urbans, damn, I can’t put headphones in my ear with them, but the sound seems to be better, but there is a problem with how to keep it in my ear... in general, there is still more disappointment from the Urbans than joy. I've been driving them for a couple of days, I won't draw any conclusions yet, I just described them as they are.
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#16 ^_^, 11/16/2016, 1:00 p.m. The problem with these headphones is that they implement the arrangement of the armature driver in a clumsy, careless way, and they didn’t bother to make a separate sound guide for it.
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#17 iLev , 11/19/2016, 4:49 pm I was also waiting for this review and was also surprised by the verdict. I may have found the right one, so I consider the ZST to be the best KZ have done to date. ZS3 and ATR came to me first. ATR surprised me with the sound quality for the ridiculous money I paid for them. ZS3 got me twice as expensive and the sound was also more expensive than in ATR, but of course not twice. When I got ZST, having put them on after ZS3, I thought that I had mixed up which one had the armature :), it was so big difference in the level of highs. After listening to ZST for some time, I realized that there are not a few high ones here, but as many as there should be, and they are as they should be! The only thing I could find fault with was the quality and quantity of sub-bass, but continuing to listen to them for 3-4 days everything fell into place, and after a week I was already enjoying it PS I really like the ED9 and they have been my favorites in the KZ line for quite a long time, but now their place has been deservedly taken away by ZST.
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#18 Allary , 11/19/2016, 07:15 pm The reinforcement driver in them, as in most hybrids, is located in the sound duct, this is actually a standard, for the same Urbans the reinforcement is not in the sound duct, but they have a wagon and a small cart. , which is not observed in KZ ZST. Still, the Urbans will be worse for my hearing.
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#19 Konstrictor , 11/19/2016, 8:27 pm Today I received my second KZ ZST. The second because the first ones arrived defective, the left ear did not work. The seller acted nobly, without offering to send them back, he immediately sent others, also sealed with the same set, although I wrote to him that I did not need the packaging. I bought it from Izi, honor and praise to him. Everyone would be like that. I opened the first headphones and soldered the torn cable, now they work. So here’s what’s interesting: these two pairs sound completely different. The first has less highs, and the upper mids are too ringing. Secondly, there is no such thing and the top is cleaner and softer (albeit without warming up, if I warm it up I can write again) Hence the conclusion: KZ in its repertoire, different quality, maybe in the first the fittings are not soldered at all, or something else. Hence the different reviews here.
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#20 RAM111 , 11/21/2016, 09:40 I received the ZST the other day, I really liked the sound, wide stage, pleasant highs and bass, I liked the ZST almost as much as the urbans. Maybe there really is a large number of defects
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#21 just a passerby , 11/21/2016, 10:43 pm I apologize that this may be off topic, but bosshifi b3/b3s are the best budget headphones and this is a fact determined empirically. Therefore, if you want a really cool sound for a reasonable price, don’t bother a lot, wasting little things left and right, but take them.
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#22 19vik71 , 11/22/2016, 04:41 #21 just a passerby Do you have both models: B3 and B3s? How would you describe the difference in sound? Is she even there?
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#23 Vlad , 11/28/2016, 04:11 I was one of the first to order them without waiting for a review, so the opinion of the author of the article is identical to mine. I haven’t heard such a strange sound for a long time, the middle was walking as if restless, then it was in the foreground, in all its glory, then it seemed that the highs and lows had begun a harsh persecution of the midrange. I also do not recommend this model; I do not recommend playing the lottery. I bought a ZS3 and it’s a completely different matter, a very comfortable fit, and quite adequate sound without obvious blockages. Advice to those who have already purchased or just ordered ZST, the supplied attachments are disgusting and absolutely do not suit this model. Tips from tennmak are ideal for them; the point is that the gap between the tip and the sound guide is minimal, that is, it should be almost on the surface of the ear pad.
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#24 Allary , 11/28/2016, 07:07 There’s no need to use new KZh tips, good tips, definitely better than the old ones, but they won’t suit every headphone, there are some. Urban people, for example, are contraindicated.
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#25 Romus , 11/30/2016, 12:52 pm I received my pair today and, to be honest, I don’t agree with the review at all - as the owner of ED9/ZS1/ZS3 and other headphones from this company. These headphones perform at least as well as ed9. Maybe the sound quality is greatly affected by the reversal of the plug (as the respected RA111 noted in his review on Muska), because the last photo shows incorrectly installed contacts... Your site is read by many, and with your assessments you form a general opinion about a particular product - I wouldn’t want that Due to a reviewer’s mistake, a good product was “abandoned.”
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#26 Sublbaby , 11/30/2016, 01:12 pm Romus, what do you see in the first one?
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#27 Romus , 11/30/2016, 6:15 pm here the question is what the situation was in the audition….
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#28 Sublbaby , 12/01/2016, 05:05 Romus, try to guess. Try inserting the headphones into your ears with the cable connected incorrectly - this will help you decide.
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#29 Mikhail , 12/10/2016, 10:30 I just received my headphones, an excellent model and I still listen with the standard cable, and I also ordered a replacement upgraded one
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#30 Legus , 12/15/2016, 07:59 I received my ZST, it took 40 days to arrive from Ali. I listened to it together with Dexp symphony. I really liked the sound, the highs and mids are great. I listen to various technical metal, such as Vektor, Havok. Complex compositions sound good and don’t turn into mush. The last Santana sounded great too. The main disadvantage is that there is not enough bass, I would like a little more. I'm thinking of playing with the attachments. Urbans and ingping x60 should arrive soon, I’ll compare them and report back. Before that there were senkhs cx200, they’re not even lying around with ZST.
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#31 Marat , 12/26/2016, 9:00 pm There are so many different opinions, some are very bad, some are very good) I still can’t decide whether to take them or not. Everyone recommends urbans, but they are very captivated by their appearance
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#32 Marat , 12/26/2016, 9:00 pm There are so many different opinions, some are very bad, some are very good) I still can’t decide whether to take them or not. Everyone recommends urbans, but they are very captivated by their appearance
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#33 Legus , 12/27/2016, 05:35 Marat, I think it’s worth taking, on fatbest they sell it for 800 now. I couldn’t resist and ordered the second ones for myself, with an even improved cable for them.
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#34 Mikhail , 12.29.2016, 14:40 They came to me too KZ ZST. I read this review while they were driving, I was upset that I had time to order. I listened. They play well in my opinion. I can’t say that some frequencies were “not transparent and airy enough” (the ears, unfortunately, do not have a built-in transparency sensor), but they sound approximately at the level of the Xiaomi Piston 2. It was not possible to determine the winner between them, since my sister took the pistons :). I didn’t like the attachments, they were kind of hard, my ears hurt - I put on silicone ones from the caps, they fit so well.
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#35 pnik87 , 02/05/2017, 06:33 I want to get foam ear pads for them, but I can’t find them on Ali, Tankin, or other stores.
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#36 19vik71 , 02/05/2017, 09:37 pnik87, choose. https://ru.aliexpress.com/af/earphone-foam-tips.html?ltype=wholesale&d=y&origin=n&isViewCP=y&catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20170205003613&SearchText=earphone+foam+tips&blanktest=0&tc=af
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#37 Anton , 04/12/2017, 2:48 pm Hello, tell me something with very powerful bass, like for extreme basshead, if possible by email [email protected]
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#38 StepanKMS , 05/29/2017, 01:04 Damn, my zst arrived with channel imbalance. Bad luck. Also, instead of weights on the cable, there is a drag, like the zs3. Strange.
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#39 WarhammerXV , 06/13/2017, 15:04 Extremely subjective opinion: I ordered it on Girbest, despite the negative review. Finally they arrived, instead of weights there was wire. I can’t say anything bad, I bent it just right and you’ll be happy, except that it’s not so convenient to take off and put on the headphones. As for the fit, I quickly got used to it, I played with different supplied ear pads and found my own. Sound: I didn’t notice any separation of drivers, it seems like the source is not bad and FLAC. The lows are not bad, the bass, I would say, is not as beautiful as that of the Tsyans25, but due to the isolation there is a thump in the head - depending on who you are. The most important thing is that low frequencies do not interrupt other frequencies where bass is needed, it is there. In my opinion, on average it’s somehow not very good. There is no immersion, as again with the Tsyans25. The high ones wobble a little, not very noticeably. In general, I was looking for Qiang25 with soundproofing. ZST is not up to par in terms of enjoyment, but it is suitable for noisy places. I compare only with the Qians, and then from memory, I haven’t listened to anything else good.
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#40 StepanKMS , 07.27.2017, 14:54 I fixed my imbalance across channels in KZ ZST. The reason was simply ridiculous - the Chinese simply dropped too much glue on the mesh and the sound of one earphone was muffled because of this. By the way, after removing the screens the sound became even clearer than before. The glue makes him sick.
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#41 Sanseee , 09.19.2017, 10:25 Comrades, I have a question: should I buy these particular ears, or should I look at something else in this price category because I don’t have a lot of money. Thank you
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#42 19vik71 , 09.19.2017, 20:11 Sanseee, I sell these. Only opened it to check. The price is two times lower than the one in the link + postage. In the sales thread on the forum, take a look at my announcement.
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#43 TrEX , 01/16/2018, 05:45 pm Guys, I specially registered to find out from you how they compare to Sennheiser 5.0G/i or Audio-Technica CKS55, is it worth looking at the new China at all?
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Only registered users can leave comments.
Luxury design from the USA in Chinese execution
Pay attention to the wire: the pure copper
of the KZ ZST Pro definitely brings to mind Campfire Audio , the American elite manufacturer of multi-driver “ears”. But still there is something of its own.
KZ AS16 for 5.5 thousand - an exact clone of Campfire Audio Andromeda for 124 thousand. Can the difference in sound correspond to the difference in price?
However, in fact, this “own” turns out to be a reference design for ergonomic monitors for musicians.
So it's not surprising that ZST Pro cases are made of 2 parts. The outer lining can be black or rainbow, the inner lining can only be transparent.
It fits very tightly, but only in cases where a person has a more or less standard ear.
The plug is large and very durable
For girls, children, and people with small shells, they simply do not fit, or they constantly fall out.
Massive sound guides and a voluminous body also require careful selection of ear pads. Otherwise, again, they will fall out.
Another borrowed element: a metal mesh of the sound guide, which is easy to clean.
Both speakers are visible to the naked eye
Since there is an armature driver inside, this must be done quite often; the headphones are very sensitive to dirt. The sound instantly changes for the worse.
The plastic is moderately soft, warm in the cold (there are no unpleasant sensations characteristic of some). There are no extra scratches or fingerprints left.
Even the colors don’t raise any questions: black or rainbow, everyone will choose their own. Even the bright performance does not seem ridiculous.
Packaging and equipment
The packaging is exactly the same as in KZ ZS3, a simple but beautiful black blister, which in addition to the headphones contains a connection cable, 2 pairs of spare tips and instructions. The nozzles in this model are of a slightly different type, with notches on the sound guide, which, according to the manufacturer, allow for better fit and sound insulation. In fact, I didn’t notice this; the attachments are oaky and fit just like regular ones.
Characteristics:
— Wire length 120 cm — Connector 3.5 mm — Sensitivity 106 dB — Hybrid driver (Dynamic + Armature) — Resistance 16 Ohm — Frequency range 20Hz-20000Hz — L-shaped plug
What does a replacement cable provide?
But the plug of each headphone is worth considering in more detail: this is a standard two-pin connector that can be purchased separately and replaced.
Thanks to this, the previous KZs lived with me for 2 years in completely indecent conditions, changing 3 laces.
The kit already contains an excellent twisted stranded wire. There are two options to choose from: with or without a microphone and button. Both are suitable for any device.
For smartphones that are not equipped with a mini-jack, the brand’s arsenal includes an active cable with a USB-C output and a built-in ADC.
Works with iOS and Android, tested.
Finally, aggressive fans of wireless audio can purchase a proprietary Bluetooth cord.
The basic version offers Bluetooth 4.2 and the usual set of codecs, the advanced version is complemented by aptX support and works for up to 8 hours after recharging.
The newest modification is equipped with support for Bluetooth 5.0 and aptX HD - an ideal option.
Conclusion
Overall, I am very pleased with the purchase of KZ ZST.
I would like to note that, despite some comments regarding the fit, they fit quite comfortably into small ears; I did not experience any discomfort.
In my opinion, these are one of the best headphones of this type. I've been using them for almost a year now and have no complaints about their performance. Over time, the speakers warmed up and began to play even better than the first time.
Still, to unlock their full potential, I advise you to take a silver cord; the huge difference in sound and the high-quality material from which it is made are worth the money spent.
Once again, I bought it on Aliexpress. For home full-size headphones with a headboard, I can recommend the simply superb Bluedio Vinyl Plus.
Four speakers per pair of headphones
Inside each ZTS Pro headphone there are 2 independent speakers: membrane and armature. There is no crossover: the sound is split during playback.
The main speaker reproduces frequencies from 5 Hz and above, passing the baton to the high and mid-range fittings at a level of 10 kHz.
The design is simple, the components are also not of the highest quality - but it works and does not fail for a long time.
There's simply nothing to break there.
Appearance and materials of manufacture
I must admit that KZ knows how to produce beautifully designed headphones and this model is no exception. The wire is of high quality, in silicone braiding, with very elastic joints and an excellent L-shaped plug; at a temperature of -5 the wire did not even think of tanning. The headphone body has an anatomical shape, which allows them to be securely fixed in the ear with the correct selection of tips. The body is made of translucent black plastic, through which you can see the drivers; on the front there is an abstract design and the name of the ZST model. The design is beyond praise. There is also a Colorful Edition solution, which features a brighter body color, greater sensitivity and higher impedance.
Great sound, but not everyone will like it
The hybrid design and lack of an active crossover are a warning: the sound may be problematic. And if we remember that KZ is a purely Chinese company, even more questions arise.
These are not their first hybrid headphones. They turned out very well, although not without questions.
Due to the air duct being closed by fittings, low frequencies are present in full, but they clearly lack “rollingness” and volume. It is strictly forbidden to listen to deep house in them.
But drumcore, on the contrary, can sparkle with new colors - although the drums sound a little dry, they receive very high detail. You can hear every knock.
When playing complex tracks, you may notice frequency overlap and sound artifacts. They are rare and appear mainly in electronics.
But the sub-highs and highs in the KZ ZST Pro are excellent. Detailing, accuracy - everything is as it should be.
In total, they are great for everyone except bassheads and people who cannot tolerate highs.
If you play with the equalizer, you can achieve even greater results: the sound becomes larger and richer. They play very lively.
Quality and convenience
ZST matched the characteristics perfectly. I made an order from the seller ZR World Store, on Aliexpress. The model is presented there in two variations - the regular and the PRO version, which I ultimately chose.
The latter differs from the usual black and gray in bright colors and slightly higher impedance (although later I had the opportunity to compare them live, and, to be honest, I didn’t notice the difference).
When purchasing, I had the opportunity to choose a package; I added a wired and Bluetooth headset to the headphones themselves, and also ordered a silver cable separately.
The parcel was delivered quickly, twenty days before St. Petersburg. The product was sent in a nice box, inside of which there was a standard cable, as well as a bag with additional ear pads of a special shape, which, according to the manufacturer, provides better noise insulation. Both headsets and the silver wire were placed separately.
Yes, exactly, I forgot to clarify, the design of the headphones allows you to disconnect the ears themselves from the wires, which is very convenient, because the wires often break, and this feature allows you to replace outdated cables and use different ones depending on the situation, which turned out to be very useful later!
The speakers are connected tightly and do not become loose, so losing them is unlikely.
The standard cord of the KZ ZST is identical in material quality to the supplied wired headset, soft, elastic, does not stiffen at all in the cold and is not damaged when bent, the performance is excellent!
The silver version is a little stiffer, but due to this it gets less tangled and behaves no worse in the cold. However, with a wired headset, everything turned out to be not so simple - unfortunately, either I came across such a copy, or something in the design was not finalized, but the playback of music and films by itself, without pressing a button, was periodically paused.
Therefore, it was put on the shelf, where it remains to this day.
Better than many even via Bluetooth
Of course, after a couple of weeks the wires had to be switched to a wireless connection , for which a native cord was purchased in advance.
With it, there are fewer highs - the strings sound a bit muffled, but more pleasant, the middle in the mix is a little closer to the lows, and the overall balance has leveled out.
Listening has become more pleasant, although detail has dropped noticeably due to Bluetooth 4.2.
Of course, if you choose correctly recorded tracks and compare the same material.
Something to keep in mind here: an old cord doesn't sound very good. The volume is lost, the highs are cut off - it turns out that the KZ sound no better than the average TWS.
The average price one, through which the listening was carried out, is based on a different chip and gives a completely different sound.
With an updated cable with Bluetooth 5.0 based on Qualcomm QCC3034 with aptX HD support it should be even better.
Moreover, even in cases where the sound source does not support aptX.
What is special about KZ headphones?
The KZ company appeared on the market in 2013. Despite such a small age, users from China and Russia quickly fell in love with it. And all because in the production of headphones the company pays attention not only to functionality, but also to design. Thus, the appearance of KZ headphones is futuristic, and the devices themselves are available in different colors. These headsets also offer monitoring capabilities.
The sound reproduction technology in KZ headphones also deserves attention. The manufacturer's product range includes dynamic, reinforced and hybrid models. The latter are the most popular because they combine both types of emitters. What is so good about it? Dynamic drivers are responsible for reproducing low frequencies and bass. Armature drivers produce detailed mids and high frequencies. Thanks to this, hybrid headphones reproduce natural sound in any musical genre, be it hard rock, vocals or even an orchestral composition. In other words, this is a universal solution for music lovers.
KZ ZSN PRO: Unboxing
It is difficult to find differences in the appearance of the KZ ZSN and ZSN PRO boxes, except for the abbreviation of the model name. This is a small white box, on the front there are headphones with the name of the model and company.
On the back of the box you can see the main technical specifications in English and Chinese.
Inside the ZSN PRO box, we didn't find anything surprising compared to the regular ZSN version. I found headphones, a separate cable with a 0.75mm push-pull connector, three pairs of ear pads and instructions in the box.
Everything is standard and it’s hard to expect more from a price of $20. Whatever one may say, these are budget headphones for everyday use. Now I would like to pay a little attention to the ergonomics of the headphones.
Which headphones are better from TRN or KZ: comparison
KZ company has a strong competitor in TRN. This brand also produces reinforced and hybrid models and has similar pricing.
If we make a comparison in terms of sound, then some KZ models will outperform TRN accessories. As users note, KZ headsets sound cleaner and more detailed. But in terms of ergonomics, the TRN and KZ headphones are equal to each other. Both manufacturers produce devices with a comfortable fit that do not create discomfort when worn for long periods of time.
Intro
Not so long ago, my main city headphones were KZ ZSN, which very soon got fed up with their flat, boring sound and were successfully gifted to the bass player of my group. Today I’m reviewing the PRO version of the mentioned hybrids, which sounds completely different. Read on for detailed feedback on the sound, usability and design of this model.
