KZ ASX Unboxing & Quick review: 20 Driver IEMs!!

Knowledge Zenith commonly-known as KZ Acoustic to the audiophile community is a leading manufacturer of budget-friendly in-ear monitors in the market. They have a huge range of products including the AS10, ZS10, AS06, and more. Last month around they released their latest pair of in-ear monitors with a whopping 20 BA drivers(10 on each side), the KZ ASX. It is the first pair from KZ that touches the 100$ price barrier and is available for just 99$. But does more drivers mean better performance? Well, today we will find that out. So today I am gonna share my unboxing impressions and quick review of the latest ASX IEMs. So let’s begin.

Features of KZ ASX:-

>Whopping 10BA drivers on each side.

>Beautiful earpieces.

>Premium silver-plated cable.

>Ergonomic design.

>Very comfortable fit.

Unboxing Impressions:-

The KZ ASX comes in a very simple rectangular packaging. It is a black cardboard box with just the KZ logo on the front. Opening the packaging we get a direct glimpse at the first layer of the packaging. It holds our beautiful pair with a metal KZ ASX branding plate. Below this layer, the accessories are in poly packaging with a quick user guide. The unboxing is quite simple, there is just a bunch of necessary accessories. We expected some few extra pairs of ear tips and at least a carry case in the package, but sadly there wasn’t any, that’s actually a bummer.

Package Contents:-

>One pair of KZ ASX IEMs.

>One SPC cable with 3.5mm termination.

>Three pairs of silicone ear tips.

>Quick user guide.

Build & Fit:-

The earpieces in KZ ASX looks very good. They have an aluminum faceplate with a nice looking design. The inner cavity is semi-transparent and shows the neat and precise placement of drivers inside them. Earpieces are very lightweight and have an ergonomic design to them. They fit very comfortably for us completely sealing our ear canal and providing good levels of noise isolation. The pair has a 0.75mm connector type, so there will be a huge number of upgrade options in Bluetooth and wired cables. Overall it is a very nice looking pair with a strong and sturdy build.

Power Requirements:-

KZ ASX has a low impedance of 20Ohm with high sensitivity of 106dB/mW. It is fairly easy to power, We used it with our Huawei P30 Pro smartphone, FiiO M11 Pro, Hidizs AP80 Pro. It pairs well with the M11 Pro and AKM chips with a smoother output compared to the other two.

Sound Quality:-

The KZ ASX has a V-shaped sound signature with a boosted lower end. Yeah, the pair holds quite a thumpier punch in the lower end. It is fast, deep, boomy, and powerful, bassheads are going to have a good time with the ASX. Mid-frequencies are recessed including the upper mid-range taking the vocals deep onto the stage. On one hand, it gives a better sense of depth on the stage, on the other vocals feel distant. High-frequencies have an early roll-off, that makes the pair sound veiled or dark as some might say. There are no signs of sibilance or fatiguing in any instruments or high-pitched vocals. Ten drivers result in a high-resolution and ultimate clarity throughout the frequency range. The overall output is actually very crisp, there is no muddiness, though boomy bass might not suit everyone’s preferences.

Lower End:- 

The KZ ASX has a boomy lower end, it is powerful, it is fast, it is punchy, it show great extensions resulting in deep bass slams, Sub-bass has a powerful rumble and depth to it. It actually ticks all the boxes a basshead might be looking for in his next pair. The lower end feels so powerful that it gives life to genres like EDM, Hip-Hop, and more. Since it is boomy it sometimes leaks to the mid-frequencies, but that is not much noticeable with crisp detailing throughout the frequency range.

Mid-Frequencies:-

With a V-shaped signature, the mid-frequencies are a bit recessed. They have clarity to them but they have a distant feeling including the upper midrange. It gives a good sense of depth on the soundstage. Both the male and female vocals are smooth, rich, and crisp. They show no signs of fatiguing even at louder volumes. Acoustic guitars, Pianos sound very good with a natural timbre. The instruments or vocals don’t sound colored in any possible way.

High-Frequencies:-

KZ ASX has a dark high end. The treble portion rolls-off quite early taking away any chances of sibilance or fatiguing. There is no sparkly in the high-frequencies which makes the pair sound veiled and dark. Instruments like Electric Guitars, Violins show good detailing but lack the sense of depth on their strings. In my opinion, a little bit extra extension in the treble portion would have put some spark in the pair and made it a perfect IEM. Though I know some people are sensitive to bright or I must say sparkly treble, for them the KZ ASX is a good choice with powerful bass and crisp mids.

Soundstage & Imaging:-

The soundstage isn’t much wide, but it has a good sense of depth and height. It produces an ample headroom that makes different genres shine on the pair. With high-resolution clarity, instruments are well-detailed resulting in very good imaging capabilities from the pair.

Verdict:-

In our opinion, the KZ ASX is a pair that might sound very good to some, and not that good to others. Powerful, well-extended lower end produces a deep punchy bass complementing the recessed vocals and mid-frequencies. The treble portion makes the pair sound dark, which is actually a good thing for people sensitive to brighter pairs but bad for people who look for sparkle in their IEMs. For us, it is a very good sounding pair of in-ear monitors. We listen to artist like Daft Punk with punchy bass it is just amazing, Yao Si Ting & Damien Rice vocals sound brilliant with crisp high-resolution clarity, really good. The KZ ASX is priced at 99$, check out more details here.