- Disclaimer
- Recommended for people like this
- Overview of KZ ZAR
- Features of KZ ZAR
- package
- Build quality
- Fit
- Sound quality
- Sound quality features
- General comment
- Purchase link
Disclaimer
- This review is based on "private purchases" or "items rented for a consideration".
- No remuneration or compensation, such as a manuscript fee, has been received for publishing this, and it is an honest evaluation based on measurement data from personal testing and personal opinion.
- Please read the privacy policy of this website.
Recommended for people like this
- People who value a sense of heaviness
- People who like chic dark sound
- People who like rich, resonant sound
- People who are sensitive to high frequencies
- People who like warm sound
Overview of KZ ZAR
This review will give an overview of KZ ZAR. A complete review of this product can be found here.
audio-sound Score
- Total Score: 8.7 / 10.0
- Package: 7.5 / 10.0
- Build quality: 8.5 / 10.0
- Fitment: 8.5 / 10.0
- High range: 8.5 / 10.0
- Mid range: 9.5 / 10.0
- Low range: 10.0 / 10.0
- Less distortion: 8.5 / 10.0
- Want to see the score ranking? Click here!
Basic Specifications
- Frequency response: 20Hz to 40kHz
- Impedance: 16.5±3Ω
- Sensitivity: 109±3dB
- Connector: 0.75㎜ 2pin
Features of KZ ZAR
- Eight-Driver Hybrid IEMs(1DD+7BA).
- Traditional Combination of Dynamic & Balanced Armature Drivers.
- In-house Developed Low-Frequency Magnetic circuit Dynamic Driver.
- Seven High-Performance Balanced Armature Drivers for Mid and High-Frequency Bands.
- Precise Electronic Frequency Division.
- Clean, Precise Sound With Top-Class Resolution.
- Exquisitely Crafted Ear Shells.
- Ergonomic & Lightweight Design.
- Detachable 2-pin cable with Gold-Plated connectors.
- 8-Strands High-Purity Silver-Plated Stock Cable.
KZ ZAR is a brand new eight-driver hybrid set of in-ear monitors equipped with a self-developed dynamic driver and seven balanced armature drivers on each side. KZ has featured exquisitely designed ear cavities with lightweight, ergonomic design. The pair comes with a high-purity 8-core silver-plated stock cable. With precise electronic crossover and high-quality drivers, KZ ZAR promises excellent sound clarity with a rich tone and exceptional clarity for the price!!
Outstanding Sound With Sixteen Drivers Hybrid Setup
With eight precisely designed drivers on each side, the latest KZ ZAR packs a 16-total driver hybrid configuration. The drivers are arranged together in powerful acoustic hardware producing impressive sound with ultimate clarity and details. It houses an in-house developed dynamic driver unit paired with three 50024s Dual BA units and a 30019s BA unit on each side. The new 30019S balanced armature driver unit greatly enhances the ultra-high-frequency band and delivers outstanding clarity.
Professional Tuning Adjustments With Electronic Crossover
KZ has professionally adjusted the tuning of the ZAR with a precisely tuned electronic crossover. The Dynamic driver is tuned for a powerful lower end, delivering a high-quality bass response, and the BA drivers are tuned for a crisp midrange and treble response.
Excellent Craftsmanship
KZ ZAR has got a unique and new design with its exquisitely designed ear cavities. The shells are made up of high-quality skin-friendly resin material. They have stunning designer face covers that give the pair a unique and premium look.
Lightweight & Ergonomic Shells
The ear shells of KZ ZAR are made up of high-quality skin-friendly resin material. It’s lightweight and the pair has an ergonomic shape. This helps in getting a comfortable fit with the pair. KZ has also featured an ear hook design for an easy fit with around the ear wearing style.
High-Quality 8-Strand Silver-Plated Cable
KZ ZAR comes with a high-quality 8-strands silver-plated stock cable. It adopts high-quality gold-plated connectors. The cable is wear-resistant, pull-resistant, and won’t break off easily. It enables smooth signal transmission with complete protection from external interference.
package
The quality of the packaging meets the price standard. The usual KZ package is not enough for the price.
Package contents
- KZ ZAR
- Eartips
- Manuals
Build quality
Build quality meets the price standard.
Fit
The fit is good.
Sound quality
REW Frequency Response
audio status
Sound quality description
In this review, I use the standard eartips size L and drive it with the FiiO M15.
KZ ZAR has an almost neutral sound balance with a little more low frequency adjustment.
Please see here for detailed reviews on sound quality.
Lows / Bass
The low frequencies extend quite deep.
Bass drums sound heavy and impactful enough to rumble well enough.
The electric bass is also sufficiently black and expansive to give a definite sense of contrast at the bottom of the music.
It will be able to satisfy bass lovers to a great extent. Even heavy bass fanatics will be fully satisfied. The sense of balance with the midrange is not bad, but the low frequency tends to be a little too strong. The amount of low frequency is a little excessive, especially for those who usually listen to loud music.
Mids
The midrange of the KZ ZAR is almost completely neutral; it is a hybrid model that also has 8 drivers, but the midrange is quite low distortion.
The structure of the midrange is slightly concave in the center, which emphasizes the sense of depth a bit. The midrange is heard in a slightly darker position, and vocals sound a bit mature and brooding. The edginess is quite restrained, and the midrange is adjusted to sound mellow. Guitars are a bit subdued in coloration, and the snare can easily be heard as a bit lacking in sharpness. The contours are rounded and the midrange seems to lack a bit of separation, but the atmosphere is instead harmonious, warm, and peaceful. Also, the ultra-high frequencies are quite closed, giving the midrange a richness. For some, it may sound masculine and sturdy, receptive, nostalgic, and reassuring.
I feel that the midrange, which sounds a little tinged with resonance and has a full, nostalgic feel, is not bad for enjoying songs like Yorushika's Hana ni Borei or Hakoniwa Lily's Kyorikan with comfortable feelings, nostalgic atmosphere, for example. However, I think the sense of detail is not bad, but it would be easy to feel a little lacking.
Highs / Treble
The high frequencies are tuned for definition, but the extension is quite lacking.
The sense of detail is probably adequate, but a bit lacking for some people. Subtlety also seems a bit lacking.
The overall energy of the high frequency range is tuned quite weakly, so it is quite safe even for those who are sensitive to high frequencies, but those who like analytical sounds will probably find it rather lacking.
Sound quality general comment
- Original Sound Fidelity: A
- Recommendation: A
- Personal preference: S+
Despite being a hybrid model combining a fairly large number of BA drivers (1DD+7BA), the distortion rate of the KZ ZAR is quite low and the damping characteristics are quite consistent. The effect of impedance on frequency response is less than that of the KZ ZNA (1DD+1BA).
This suggests that KZ may have used a tuning technique in which a single dynamic driver is used as the main axis in the ZAR, with the sound of the BA driver added gradually in localized areas. Another possibility is that they have developed a damping characteristic tuning technique on par with 64Audio (Linear Impedance Design).
In terms of sound quality, ZAR belongs to the lineage of typical recent KZ signature models such as KZ ZNA, KZ DQS, and CCA CXS, which, along with DQS, are closer to the lower frequencies.
It is the most expensive model of them, but for most people the difference in sound quality will not really be enough to justify the price difference (although it may sound the classiest to many due to its rich resonance, big-boned bass, and dense midrange). Therefore, purchasing the CCA CXS, which has the most universal suitability of them and has the expected sound balance and acoustic characteristics, is likely to be closer to the best solution for most people.
If I leave the reviewer's position and speak from personal preference, I like the sound of ZAR a lot.
Sound quality features
Pros
- Superior texture
- Elegant and chic
- Good original sound fidelity
- Deep and profound low frequency range
- Mellow sound that is soft on the ear
- Rich sound with dense midrange
- Rich resonance
- Speaker-like forward localization
Cons
- Lacks high frequency extension
- Lacks subtlety
- Lacks a sense of structure
- Dark midrange
- Existence of more cost-effective siblings such as CCA CXS
General comment
The KZ ZAR is a model that delivers a mellow neutral sound with a heavy and dense low-frequency leaning. It is probably one of the more quirky of the recent KZ models, so it is not for everyone, but if you want to listen with a particular emphasis on the low frequency range, it is a highly recommended model. However, in general, its cheaper siblings are superior in terms of cost performance, so there is little need to buy this one.
Purchase link
