In my opinion, KZ's core manufacturing policy has always been to deliver the best possible audio performance for the lowest possible price. They will compromise on almost everything else just to ensure the sound quality remains high, even within the ultra-budget IEM segment.

Today's review subject inherits this exact policy to the letter.

Before diving in, I want to establish a crucial context that many reviewers overlook - my personal listening preferences and perspective. I am not a basshead, nor am I a fan of a warm, relaxed sound signature. I prioritize clarity, transparency, forward vocals, and a moderate, well-controlled, punchy bass. I currently use these IEMs as my daily drivers for my PC setup, primarily for gaming or listening to ambient background music while working.

TL;DR: Should you buy them and who are they for?

If your budget is around $23 and you want to extract the absolute maximum audio quality for that amount, these are for you. If you already own a primary pair of IEMs for dedicated music listening and are looking for a budget-friendly secondary pair for gaming, competitive shooters, or background listening while working, these are an excellent fit. Furthermore, they can accommodate almost any sound preference, thanks to the tuning switches available on the tunable version. But it is more recommended for lovers of neutral sounds, slightly warm, or more expressive; they may not be suitable for strong bass heads. Never buy them for walks or something similar (read below 👇)

Full Review

These earphones provide solid, versatile sound at a very reasonable price point. They won't blow your mind, after all, we are talking about a $23 set, but they more than excel in the role of a secondary pair.

Build Quality: It's classic KZ in a worst way possible. They feature a rudimentary QDC connector, which, for the record, started wobbling on my unit by the fourth day, forcing me to secure it with resin. The acrylic shell looks okay, but it is far from a design masterpiece. The plastic nozzle mesh just does its job without any complaints. And now for the icing on the cake, brace yourselves, the brilliant engineers at KZ placed a ventilation hole on the front of the shell, right near the connector. As a result, when you walk, air blows directly into it, creating a distinct and annoying wind howl. I discovered this while taking them out for a walk. It is quite an unpleasant design flaw.

Fit and Comfort: This is where things get problematic. The shells are quite bulky, and they can occasionally fall out, especially if you have smaller ears. They sat relatively well in my medium-to-large ears for almost five months, but recently they started causing pressure pain in my left concha. While the discomfort subsided after two weeks, it was still an unpleasant experience. Overall, these are far from being ergonomically friendly IEMs.

Sound Performance:

Soundstage: It is reasonably wide, though not particularly deep, which is completely acceptable for the price. Footsteps in games are easily distinguishable and pinpointed.

Bass: With my specific tuning configuration (lowered bass), it becomes quite moderate and punchy. However, at higher volumes, it can still feel a bit overwhelming for my taste. That said, it definitely carries adequate weight and texture.

Mids: They simply sound decent. There is a slight scoop, which actually enhances instrument separation. Everything within this frequency range sounds natural, not muddy or muffled, and there is no bass bleed into the vocals.

Treble: It does an almost benchmark-level job of providing expressiveness without crossing into harsh, fatiguing peaks. They are comfortable for extended listening sessions, even considering that I boosted the upper mids and treble using the tuning switches.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a very capable model in terms of sound, but not in terms of build quality. I wouldn't call it an "endgame" for its price bracket, but these are IEMs that simply do their job well.

Thank you for reading, I hope this review helps someone out there. I intentionally kept it straightforward and avoided overly deep technical analysis, as I believe this format is much more convenient for the majority of readers who just want a quick and clear understanding of what these IEMs are all about.

How do you like my creation? Yes, it looks a bit crooked in places, but I'm not a professional sewer anyway.

It has a vertical clip, unlike the horizontal one from the official manufacturer, makes it easier to press buttons. There's a pocket for a screen protector in front of the screen for safety, I make the "glasses" out of plastic. There's a rubber band underneath to hold the wire, so it doesn't dangle when the long length isn't needed.

Yeah, it's not the epitome of beauty, but I love this thing like my own damn child.

How do you like my creation? Yes, it looks a bit crooked in places, but I'm not a professional sewer anyway.

It has a vertical clip, unlike the horizontal one from the official manufacturer, makes it easier to press buttons. There's a pocket for a screen protector in front of the screen for safety, I make the "glasses" out of plastic. There's a rubber band underneath to hold the wire, so it doesn't dangle when the long length isn't needed.

Also It's washable, so it won't turn black like leatherette.

Yeah, it's not the epitome of beauty, but I love this thing like my own damn child.

Hello, friends! I'm thinking of upgrading, but my budget is about $45.

I want good "temporary endgame" headphones that will cover the need for an upgrade for a couple of years.

I like a clean and transparent sound with a moderate bass response. I don't like a very warm sound, but I also don't want to hurt my ears with too much analytical sound.

I live in a humid climate, 68-84% from summer to winter. And unfortunately, most of the options I found were in a metal housing, which is not very good for humidity. I have a lot of silica gel btw.

My main source is Fiio snowsky retro nano

Of the options I found, is:

1. Kefine Klean SV(good in accessories, but little harsh in sound and metal housing)

2. Sivga SM100(good design, and perfect sound profile, but metal housing)

3. Kiwi ears candenza 2(sound I may like, and kinda fine at everything) - favorite for now

4. Simgot EW200(I'll have to eq bass down a little bit, and metal housing)

I would be really glad if you can help, by telling some opinion on options higher, or if you can suggest different models that would be good.

Thanks in advance!

If there are people here who use, or have ever tried Sivga sm100, It would be interesting to hear your opinion about them.

I want to make an affordable update, and I'm looking at them.

I love a clean, transparent sound with moderate bass. I'm definitely not a bass head, and I don't like when the sound is too warm and muddy. The frequency response shows that the Sivga has moderate bass and a boost in the upper mids, Which, in principle, should sound the way I like it.

Other option is Kefine Klean SV, but I saw a lot complaints about their harshness, and although I can EQ to fix it, but I wouldn't want to.

So, What can you say about Sm100 sound?

P.S. Sorry for image quality, noticed only when switched from phone to PC

I have a pretty limited budget (poor student), and The $54 it'll cost me - is a lot of money. Has anyone had any experience using it? Can this be considered a device that will last for years, and one that definitely worth buying for that cost?

I used TWS modules for a long time, but now i fell tired of them, they have their own shortcomings.