KZ ZSE

I bought 2 of these since my first pair is defective (right side have its 8mm dangling), so that's an instant point off for QC

even though they are vented, these IEMs build up pressure when inserting them, my solution is to make lots of tiny holes in the eartips using a needle

Packaging

There are 2 different packaging, one with the transparent box & the small box (both comes with the standard accessories)



Sound

the sound signature is V shaped, i compared this to the ZS6 and there are some noticeable differences

Lows : the bass & sub bass is where this thing shines, and they are good, they are not the clearest or the most "wow" bass, but you can feel it the most at the 45hz range, giving a nice rumble when you want it, although sometimes it drowns the mids & high

Mids: they're alright, but there will be times that lower vocals will get slightly drowned by the bass,

Highs: they're clear but its not as "sparkly" as i like it, cymbals are there but could be drowned by the bass, on the upside there is no sibilance problem & no ear piercing moments

Soundstage: they feel wide, a bit dispersed & a slight open hall-like effect, some may like it some may not, I'm okay with it personally

Isolation: for the sound leak there is a fair amount of it, but sound isolation is a different story, its better than the ZS6 for comparison

Comfort: once i fixed the pressure issue, its pretty comfortable, light & fits fine & doesn't fall off easily & still comfortable when I'm laying down on the side

in a nutshell this IEM have a slightly dark sound signature, with the focus is in the bass, while keeping the mids & high clear enough but sacrificing the fine details
however the volume in this thing is lower than my other earphones, my phone & pc requires some amount of pre-amp to keep me happy , but my mp3 player powers it just fine (higher volume level though)

I'd say the ZSE is a ZS6 without the ear piercing highs with a slightly deeper & tighter bass but a lower amount of fine detail, and for the price, its a good one (if you didn't get a defective pair like me)

After I bought these on Amazon, **** reimbursed me for them in return for a review. This is as objective as I can be. Actually, there's not much to dislike about the KZ ZSE earphones. They are inexpensive and they sound excellent, price notwithstanding!

These are all-day, everyday, catch the bus, bass monsters, that have a decent high end and a serviceable mid range. In short, they would be great in the school cafeteria, on the subway or in a crowd anywhere... These will do away with the outside world, so be careful crossing streets! They worked very well with my iPhone 6S+, providing clear two-way communication. I did not test the mic in a crowd or a wind tunnel, though.

The V-shaped sound signature is great for most genres of music, from EDM to Pop to Toby Keith! Unless you're a Mozart fanboy, these should serve you well. And if you happen to snag the wire on something or they are stomped into oblivion on the train, you're only out the cost of a Starbuck's latte, or so.

I'm thinking stocking stuffers for my grandkids, here! If you're looking for budget-fi IEMs to knock around with, these may be the ones you really want.

The previous KZ iem I reviewed was the very acknowledged ZS5, which was supposed to be good and well known. But today I’m gonna write about a little less known and cheaper KZ product, the KZ ZSE. We have dual dynamic drivers in the inside with some vents for under 10$ and we know that KZ can do well done dynamic IEM, such as the KZ ATE. But are the ZSE good enough to be remembered? That is what I’m going to show you.

YouTube



Technical Data


Talking about technical data and specifications, nothing like using the specifications provided by amazon:

Connectivity : Wired

Application: Apple iOS and Android

Sensitivity: 100dB

Impedance: 16ohms

Frequency range: 20Hz-45000Hz

Microphone: option(with mic or without mic)

Cable Length: 120cm

Audio Jack: 3.5mm

Color: clear

All in all some interesting specs, but the lack of official specifications may mean you should look somewhere else for legit info.


Packaging



The packaging used here is the same used in the compact version of the ZS5. We got a simple package with a clear window that allows for the ZSE to be seen. Other than that, we got the ZSE name on the package.



The backside of the ZSE is the exact same as the one from the ZS5 since both versions are mic versions. This allows for KZ to have lower costs due to uniform packaging.


Build Quality and overall look



These are the KZ ZSE, a pair of IEM that are available in this clear casing with vents on the back. The dynamic drivers that are included are of 8mm and 6.8mm respectively and can be seen through the shell. The vents allow for the drivers to breathe and also help reducing the driver flex.



In this picture we can take a closer looks at the drivers on the casing.



Without the included tip we see the included paper filter on the tip to prevent earwax reaching the drivers.



Going down to the cable, we find a 90 degree angled TTRS gold plated 3.5 jack. We also have a microphone and single button controls that allow you to skip tracks, pause music and answer calls. The cable used is the rubbery one that KZ headphone owners already know, which is relatively durable.



To better understand why these are some durable in ear monitors (even though I would have liked to see some more durable stress reliefs on the housings), is the example of the Y-split which is sturdy and well built.



To finish with a single look on the ZSE, the housing is in pill shaped form, and we see that we have the side indicator on the strain relief.

While not shown, the accessories included are just 3 pairs of tips and an instruction manual which, like in the ZS5 case, is the bare minimum acceptable.


Comfort/Isolation

For a lot of folks that use their sound equipment for long durations during the day, comfort is rated pretty highly on their list, whenever they are looking for some new equipment. Since these are IEM’s, the things that should weigh the most would be the housing shape and weight, alongside the fit you can get with the tips compatible with them.

The KZ ZSE are honestly one of the most comfortable IEM I’ve used in the last year. The fact that they have a pill shaped form, means you can use them while on your side on your bed without much hassle. You can only use them cable down, but even then, if you don’t move much, the microphonics aren’t bad. The weight isn’t an issue as well, because the form of the IEM helps distributing it evenly across your ear. The included tips are the usual KZ silicone tips and they might slide out for some, making an upgrade to fake Hybrid tips a good upgrade route (foams muddy up the sound too much).

Regarding isolation, being vented, these don’t isolate as much as the ZS5, but put on a bit of music and you feel yourself isolated from the outside world. Even the leakage isn’t bad, so I’d advise these for everyday use more than the ZS5.


Sound

Source – HifimeDIY Sabre Dac amped with Objective 2 DIY, Vernee Thor

Files Used – 256 to 320 kbps and FLAC


As always, before using starting to review these, I let them play a variety of music for about 50 hours (having tried them when they first arrived). Nothing too much happened, just a bit of tightening over the lower frequencies and faster response.

We should start by describing their overall sound signature. The sound out of the ZSE is clearly dark with emphasis on the bass, making these a welcomed change from the V shaped sound of the ZS5.

Lets start with the low end. The fact that these are a dual dynamic driver IEM makes you think that most of the emphasis of the sound should be focused towards the lower frequencies… and behold you are right! While the ZSE are not the most responsive nor the most detailed bass producers out there, they can easily bring out some sexy rumble to your ears. The bass goes low, to about 30hz, while having the kick frequencies also emphasized. All in all, these make trap music sound really good, but quicker bass genres might be a tad too much if you want a fast bass decay.

The mids are just alright, since they are a bit recessed due to the overall darker tone of the ZSE. This means that while vocals sound alright, they are harmless and don’t leave you wanting a more intimate experience with the singer. You can listen to acoustic albums, but you will be left wanting that sweet touch of a warmer IEM.

Talking about the treble now, it is once again a bit recessed and harmless which means you can throw pretty much any record at the ZSE and you won’t be hurt due to improper mastering since these are very forgiving of lesser quality records. The cymbals are present but miss any crystalline spark to them, making the treble a “meh” for lack of expression.

Talking now about the soundstage, this is one of their good features, since the vented design allows you to have a sense of width being able to pinpoint the general direction of instruments.

The dual driver design of the ZSE makes them a bit tigher once amped but the overall sound you get out of them doesn’t really justify you carrying an amplifier.

The microphone and controls work pretty well on Android and I don’t have anything bad to say about them.

As for some songs that the KZ ZSE do really well I’ll leave two below:

Aero Chord - Surface – The bass in this song doesn’t really need any introductions and the ZSE pump it out nicely

Kavinsky – Nightcall – The overall slow rhythm of the song fits the ZSE well and the fact that the vocals also have the slow pace makes the ZSE a nice fit

Conclusion

Build Quality: 4/5

Accessories: 2/5

Comfort: 4/5

Isolation: 4/5

Sound Quality (bang for buck): 3.5/5

The ZSE are an excellent choice for this Christmas Bag for everyone around the world. The top down factor, non polarizing sound signature and elevated bass make these a pretty much guaranteed hit with everyone, especially those who listen to lower quality music with sources from YouTube and such, since they are so forgiving. Or you might want to grab these to listen to some audiobooks before bed, due to their amazing format. But if you are looking for purely best bang for your buck in a sound quality area, it just isn’t here. These are dark sounding IEM that you have a lot in this price bracket, but they fail to offer something special like the Monk or even the original ATE offered. These are pretty good to try out, since you can get them for under 10$ all the time. Make these your disposable IEM, I’m sure they will last a while and it doesn’t hurt trying them out!

References

Price: RRP (5.63€) on https://www.gearbest.com/earbud-headphones/pp_689565.html?wid=21&lkid=11752937

I would like to thank Gearbest for the opportunity to review and publish my unbiased opinion about these IEM, it has been a fantastic experience working with you.