Knowledge Zenith (KZ) X HBB: DQ6S

Overall Sig : Warm, mild v shape, balanced with an emphasis on bass


The reason I bought the DQ6s was simply for views, thinking that these would generate a lot of views on my video since it is a collab with a popular Youtuber. But then the shipment got delayed and I got my pair late and everyone has a review up on it already weeks before me. I bought these thinking that I would not like it, I love bright sounds, and the DQ6s is basically DQ6 but warmer. I wasn’t all that into the OG DQ6, it is great, but a little to warm and relaxed for me, so naturally the DQ6s was on my “Buy it, review it, sell it” list. But when it came in the mail and I listened to it… boy was I wrong.



BASS

This is a part where I am pleasantly surprised by. It has got more bass than the OG, which I thought the original one is already quite thick on the low end, but this one has better extension towards the sub bass and has a bit more impact on the midbass. What I really like the most about it is the texture, I always thought the original to be a little too relaxed and smooth, the DQ6s however isn’t. Bass has a lot more texture and nothing sounds dull or smoothed over, adding the subbass rumble, it becomes very immersive. The impact is very nice and quite snappy as well, doesn’t feel slow. It does bleed towards the midrange just like the OG.



MID

Thick and luscious. Thanks to the aforementioned bass bleed, the mid, especially the vocal sounds warm and full of emotions. What surprises me is the fact that it seems to not be as recessed as the original DQ6, it feels more intimate and forward. Jazz sounds amazing on these, especially the ones that incorporates breathy sounding instruments, such as brass, sax, woodwinds, accordion and of course vocal. Sublime is the word to describe it, and maybe also natural. Nothing sounds artificial or weird (boxiness, thin or muffled). It does lack a little bit of air and sparkle, but even for a bright sound lover like me, it is okay and I don’t mind it at all. The upper mid towards the treble still presents you with enough crispness to help you hear all the textures and details, just not at the level of clarity of brighter sounding IEMs.



TREBLE

Treble is tamed, no doubt about it. The DQ6 is brighter, not significantly but quite noticeable. But it is more pleasant to listen to and less fatiguing. The problems that the DQ6 possesses still exists but isn’t as prominent by quite a significant margin. There are still some occasional peaks on some more percussive tracks and some sibilance on more sibilance prone tracks, but nowhere near as painful and as prevalent as the older brother. The treble does provide a good amount of crispness and texture, but I do have to say that I am missing a little bit of air and openness to the sound. I am a bright sound lover after all.



STAGE and TECH

Soundstage is just okay for me. There isn’t anything good or bad to mention here, it is sufficient. There are some tracks that sounds wider than the others, but overall its just alright. Detail retrieval is pretty good especially in the mid to low region, not the most analytical pair by any means, but details still can be heard nicely. You may have to listen and look for it on the higher region of the FR though, as some higher pitched details may not be as easily heard. The overall sound has a very good resolution, it sounds quite clean, graininess can still be heard but overall it sounds pretty well defined and clear. Imaging is pretty good as well, center, left and right is more prominent and easily pin pointed compared to the ‘diagonals’, but with that being said the ‘diagonal’ placements are pretty clear and discernible. Not bad at all.



QC Problems

My pair has a wiring issue, or grounding? I don’t know what exactly is wrong with it but it shocked my ears. I literally have to put on sandals or put a box under my feet so they won’t touch the ground, otherwise I’ll get shocked.



VERDICT

There’s a high possibility that I’ll be keeping these in my collection, LOL. It is more expensive than the original DQ6, but for me it is worth it. If you’re thinking about switching to the new one somehow, I’d say go ahead. Now it will still sound like the OG obviously, but better, much better.

Thanks for reading guys. Visit my youtube channel for a full video reviews and follow my Facebook page for some cool images of IEMs that I reviewed for your wallpapers.



YOUTUBE : NOIS REVIEWS

Disclaimer:

I bought these with my own money from amazon to use them for my own use. This review will be as unbiased as possible and this review is not affected by any outside influences. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Price: $28.99 (The Amazon listing I purchased from)

Test Period: I have tested these Iem’s for 4 hours a day for about two weeks with jazz, funk, soul, and ost’s.

Specification:

Model: KZ DQ6S
Drivers:6MM single magnetic dynamic drivers+10MM dual magnetic dynamic drivers
Impedance: 25Ω
Sensitivity: 116dB/mW
Frequency range: 20-40000Hz
Plug: 3.5mm
Connector: 2Pin 0.75mm gold-plated
Cable Length: 1.25±0.05m
Weight: 30±3g
Color: Pink/Grey



Overview:

These are the predecessors to the KZ DQ6 with the same driver configuration and same she except maybe a small change to the nozzle angle and the nozzle lip. Besides that, the shell is the same. It is tuned differently than the KZ DQ6 and was tuned by HBB. I was kind of disappointed that the clear silver wasn’t a color option on this selection.

Unboxing:

The same casual KZ box with a different cable than the original KZ DQ6 which was the braided one and this one includes the same one the CCA NRA came with. A type of Starline tip comes in the box with a medium already pre-installed. Then at the bottom the little same old manual.



Build Quality:

The build quality feels nice and sturdy and the insides seem tidy. It is the same build as the past Kz DQ6 original besides a different nozzle lip which I didn’t notice a difference on tips. The cable is a flat 2 core cable with an L-shaped 3.5mm connector. There is a y splitter near the middle which is not adjustable.



Sound Equipment:

Cable: Stock cable

Source: Samsung Galaxy A51 5G, Spotify download highest quality setting

Stock medium tips



Sound:

Bass:

This iem is tuned towards bass heads but is still controlled like the original. Bass is strong, very prominent, and still has texture, control, and decent impact. It sometimes bleeds into the mids on occasion but still has control. It has the impact and deep enough rumble to reach that deep sub-bass too. Midbass in fast as well as the bass too.

Mids:

The mids are present here and are very controlled in the upper regions as well. The vocals are, smooth, detailed, and not sibilant. These are not sibilant in the mids for vocals that can reach high registers and can handle high pitches. Instruments are also strong and have the right amount of weight to them.

Highs:

The highs are what I was interested in the most since they were the main issue with the original DQ6. Here they are laid back and not nearly as sibilant as they were on the original. The tonality is as good as they were on the original because of the tuning and the use of dynamic drivers instead of a BA driver. Everything has a nice weight here too, especially cymbal hits and nice decay too.

Technicalities:

Here is where the original did better in my opinion. The stage has average width and space but lacking in depth. Separation is still very good though. The originals feel more open and less congested to my ears even though it has the same vents. Resolution is a little underwhelming probably because of less false detail as a result of not-so-intense highs. Speed is still the same but decay is a little slower than the DQ6 because of the increase in bass strength. Overall the technicalities are where this falls a little short of the original but are not a deal-breaker for me.



Comparisons:

I commonly compared the DQ6s to the original DQ6 because of it being a retuned version of it. I think it does a great job of fixing the issues with the original, while not many but still very big issues. The highs on the original were just too elevated and peaky even for someone like me who isn’t that treble sensitive. The bass is more elevated and the mids have more weight as a result on the DQ6s but technicalities suffer as a result.

Conclusion:

I normally EQ the bass down whenever I listen to jazz and it's good for all genres with some EQ. I am happy with the retuned version as my new daily driver replacing the old one. I fixed all issues while keeping the strengths of the original unaltered except for small technicalities being hindered. I think KZ and HBB did a great job on this one and glad they picked the DQ6 to be re-tuned. For the general public, I recommend this and everyone else except neural heads and people who really don’t like bass-centered iems.

KZ X HBB DQ6S​

FOREWORD

• This unit was sent directly from KZ for review purposes
• I have spent no less than 200 hours listening to my DQ6S at the time of this article
• I don’t use EQ
• The entirety of my impressions is focused on the usage of DQ6S with upgraded cable and tips. I have opted not to use the stock cable and silicone tips from the get-go
• My impressions are from a user perspective, I don’t do graphs. It is purely subjective from my POV and influenced heavily by my taste

Check out KZ X HBB DQ6S at:
https://kz-audio.com/kz-hbb-dq6s.html

THE BUILD​

KZ X HBB DQ6S is a 3 dynamic drivers’ array (6mm single magnetic dynamic drivers x2, 10mm dual magnetic dynamic drivers x1) rated at 22 Ohm and 116db of sensitivity.
The shell itself, elongated and moderately sized. Simplistic, spartan and pleasing to my eyes. It has solid feel to it despite being plastic/resin based. DQ6S is a very comfortable IEM to wear. It is lightweight as it is ergonomically compliant to my ears.

I would not touch much on the stock cable and tips. To me they just don’t do justice to this unit. The cable and tips are standard KZ issue commonly found with the budget range such as KZ EDX. Even my own EDX has been rigged with upgraded cables and tips, so it is natural for me to do the same with this DQ6S. Otherwise the packaging itself is very minimal, I believe KZ doing this to keep the price as reasonably affordable for the budget segment.

EQUIPMENT USED​

• CEntrance DACport HD (4.1 Vrms)
• Cayin RU6 (2 Vrms)
• Abigail (1 Vrms)
• LG V50 ThinQ Quad
• iFi ZEN DAC V2 + Zen Can (15.1 Vrms)
• Foobar 2000 (PC)
• HiBy Music Player (USB Exclusive Mode Android)
• Kinera Leyding cable
• TACables Amber
• VE Standard DI Copper custom cable
• Misodiko MIX460 hybrid foam tips

The Sound​

TIMBRE, TONALITY AND DYNAMICS​

KZ X HBB DQ6S I would regard as a U curve sounding unit. Not quite V, simply because the Mids are not as recessed as when compared to the likes of KZ EDX, KZ ZEX and CCA CA16 Pro.
The overall signature is pleasantly organic and smooth, no hint of being metallic or dry. It is decidedly not a neutral sounding IEM, but it has ample balance to make it natural enough to not sounding outright euphonic. The emphasis of Dynamic range seems to tilt towards the lower frequencies – thus making this one more of a Bassheads IEM.
What is evident to me, DQ6s exhibited good maturity at being properly vibrant and musical. There’s great density to note weight and dynamic transients. It is smoothly fluid as it is clean.

MIDS​

For a KZ, Mids of DQ6S is pleasantly better pronounced than their normal tuning. The staging of Mids is more forward than the likes of ZEX Pro or ZEX. It has great depth and texture to it, making DQ6S suitable for Jazz and Folk music. The general theme of Mids being organic and lush, yet still natural enough with minimal hint of coloration. There’s good, natural tonality to instruments, polished roundedness that is free from any artificial sounding attack or decays.
Vocals wise, I find DQ6S being very pleasant with all type of vocals, especially Soprano and Contralto type. Even with peaky singers like Alison Krauss, DQ6S appeared to be free of edgy upper Mids sibilance. With Diana Krall and Sinne Eeg, the presentation is lush and velvety smooth - chesty vocals with good sense of intimacy. It would not be too extreme for me to say that DQ6S probably has the best Mids so far from all the KZ and CCA that I have tried. I really like the overall Mids theme.

TREBLE​

On the higher registers, DQ6S thankfully is not too bright for my taste. There’s ample sparkle and air to make things exciting. Nothing being unnaturally extended. But perhaps from the perspective of Treble lovers, DQ6S would be perceived as rolled off. The extensions would appear subtle and reined in. However, to my ears, especially when driven with great sources, DQ6S has all the Treble performance that I consider as proper. What is more important, the presentation of Treble remained smooth, never sibilant, or edgy. This reminded me a lot to comparison with the original KZ ZEX, another unit which I like a lot. Both being highly organic and refined with high frequencies. But when compared to CCA CRA or ZEX Pro, it is quite apparent those two are more euphonic bright and edgy.
DQ6S also exhibited ample texture and details, perhaps the depth of Treble density not as rich as how I would prefer it, for example I am so used to Treble performances from the likes of Etymotic ER4SR, ER2XR, TRN VX Pro and Shure KSE1500, in contrast DQ6S still lacked that outright richness in Treble textures and details – but hey those IEMs are also a LOT more expensive.

BASS​

Now, this is where DQ6S will appeal a lot to Bass lovers. Especially after tuning it with matching cables and tips, driven with very competent sources, DQ6S is definitely the best sounding Basshead IEM from KZ, I like it even more than CCA CA16 Pro. CA16 Pro being the stronger, more commanding, and more dominant Basshead IEM, DQ6S offers a bit more of subtleties for those preferring maturity and finesse to Bass performances.
Mid-Bass has strong and solid attack, with equally commanding presence that remained disciplined enough to not bleed into lower Mids, mostly. But I did observe that on some tracks the Mid-Bass does have very minimal tendency to bleed into lower Mids, at least not glaringly offensive to make it outright bloated – just that the output would then appear slightly warmer and thick than what is neutral. Not a deal breaker for me, really.
Sub-Bass on the other hand, seems to be well presented and offers believable sense of seismic sensations with smooth decays. More on smoothness, less crispness. Pronounced enough to not feel outright rolled off.
I must also commend DQ6S for being good at presenting Bass texture and details. There’s rich density and note weight to make it highly pleasurable. Bass details being great as well, but highly dependent on the competencies of the source driving it.

TECHNICALITIES​

DQ6S soundstage appears moderately wide to my ears. I wish it could have been wider with better sense of spacing. The biggest observation that I am hearing audibly, DQ6S is focused more on traditional Stereo type of spatial staging – which means it is not as holographic, it is more of Left/Right sort of spread to the spectrum of sound. The height of soundstage also seems slightly less than what I am used to, perhaps due to this traditional Stereo thingy. The way I see it, DQ6S will not be suitable for gaming.
Imaging and resolution are actually very good with DQ6S. It has ample sharpness and precision to resolve clean and coherent sound with well defined separation lines. But of course, it is not as surgically analytical has how some highly technical IEMs would have it. But then perhaps this is also a good thing for DQ6S, which seems to focus more on smoothness rather than crispy and edgy signature.
Details retrieval is good as well, I don’t feel that I am missing anything much if I am not comparing it side by side with my regular favorites. Macro details being resolved cleanly, yet subtle, even more so for Micro Details.
Last but not least, the most important part perhaps, DQ6S exhibited good speed. It is fast enough to avoid being outright muddy or congested. There’s great coherence between the three DDs to work in unison and harmony, being able to fluidly respond to complex or outright fast paced passages.

SCALABILITY​

Despite being a highly sensitive IEM with very low impedance, DQ6S is a great unit that scales better with more power. Sounds amazing when driven with my 15.1 Vrms ZEN Stacks, Cayin RU6 and 4.1 Vrms DACport HD. Unlike some other IEMs, DQ6S does not get edgy or shouty in these conditions. For example, the ZEX Pro and CA16 Pro just would just be overly euphonic and annoying when subjected to these powerful sources. Despite all that, DQ6S will still sound amazing with my 1 Vrms Abigail, perhaps not as technically competent, more musical.

Final Words​

All in all, I find KZ X HBB DQ6S being quite an enjoyable IEM that exhibited good sense of balance despite being Bass heavy. It is amply musical as it is technical. Technicalities improve with better sources. But then it must be considered that I am not describing my DQ6S on stock setup. The cable and tips pairing does impart huge influence on my listening impressions, so does my driving sources.

When I reflect on it, I concluded that among all the KZs and CCAs that I have tried so far, DQ6S definitely tops my list. Alongside the modded ZEX (non-Pro). Both being highly organic and smooth sounding. Again, to draw comparisons, I personally find CCA CRA and ZEX Pro being too bright for my taste. However, ZEX Pro does have better balance at being closer to neutral sound.

Click to expand...

HBB DQ6S ultimately proved that KZ tenacity in making better IEMs are paying off handsomely. Here we have a fairly priced IEM that I believe succeeded in delivering value above the asking price. The sort of quality I am hearing from DQ6S is practically comparable to more expensive units I have tested so far, or close enough. Any which way, DQ6S gets my two thumbs up.

KZ Online Store in Shopee:
https://my.xiapibuy.com/kzearphone.my?categoryId=100535&itemId=15058001989

Disclaimer: I received this review unit for free from KZ. Thank you very much.

Price: 32 usd

Specifications:

IMPEDANCE: 24Ω

SENSITIVITY: 112dB

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz - 40KHz


Accessories:

S/M/L silicone tips



Cable: 2-core cable, plastic divider/connectors. It’s the same cable as on the CRA with a different color.






Build: Metal faceplate with resin body, average size. Looks very high quality but the resin doesn’t feel as good as some other (a lot more expensive) resin iems. There is an inner-vent and vent on the faceplate to alleviate pressure. Nozzle is metal and has a lip and the mesh is metal as well.

Fit: Works great and is secure.

Comfort: Not good for longer sessions as my ears hate the wing on it.

Isolation: Average, nothing special.

Setup: Schiit Asgard 3 (low-gain, volume around 7-8 o´clock), Elecom EHP-CAP20 tips L, stock (mic) cable 3.5mm

Lows: Elevated sub and mid-bass with a sub-bass focus. Pretty good texture and speed, but could be a bit tighter overall. Bass quantity itself isn’t what I call basshead, but due to the somewhat dark treble it does affect the perception of the bass so it sounds a lot more elevated than it would normally be with some more treble.

Mid-bass: Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), slightly bloated bass, could be a bit faster/tighter but has good texture. The (02:55-03:01) section with the chopper is hearable but not very clean, lacking clarity.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), a lot of quantity and good texture, good speed and tightness, lacking clarity overall though (due to the treble).

Sub-bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), rumbles a lot and extends pretty low. Punch quantity is high and has good texture, could be a bit tighter though but decent speed.

Will Sparks – Sick like that (03:08-03:22), a lot of quantity, decent speed but could be tighter and more textured.

Mids: Both male and female vocals are recessed, more so with male vocals though but they are more tonally correct (warmth) while female vocals tend to lack some brightness. Good timbre, but could be cleaner overall.

Female-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocal tonality lacks a bit of brightness and could be more forward as it is a bit recessed, timbre and clarity are pretty good. Instrument tonality and timbre are good, could be cleaner though.

Yuki Hayashi – MightU (01:58-02:55), vocal and instrument tonality needs to be brighter and cleaner, good timbre though.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), non-shouty vocals and non-peaky treble.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Crescent (02:07-02:26), non-shouty vocals and non-peaky treble.

Male-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality are pretty good as well as timbre, but vocals are a bit recessed and could be cleaner.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), very good vocal and instrument tonality, good timbre, could be cleaner though and more forward vocals.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars aren’t sharp at all and has pretty good tonality and timbre.

Deuce – America (03:03-03:16), not fatiguing but a bit chaotic due to the separation/imaging.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, texture and timbre are pretty good, but could be cleaner. Violin tonality, timbre, treble-extension and clarity could be better.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), tonality is decent, although lacking air in the treble and could be cleaner, timbre is decent at least.

Soundstage: Pretty good width and it has some depth as well.

Tonality: L-shaped, bassy, recessed mids and dark treble. Note-weight is a bit on the thicker side, versatile for my library and with good timbre overall.

Details: Macro-details are average, below average with micro-details.

Instrument Separation: separation and imaging are average, does struggle a bit with busier tracks though.

Songs that highlight the IEM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=offvqocFb-E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IH8tNQAzSs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RiQDCWsk-U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjVkXlxsO8Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DelhLppPSxY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y2a2GEREC8

Good genres: EDM, R&B, Hip-Hop, Rock/metal

Bad genres: Classical, OST, Acoustic/vocal

Comparisons:

IEM: KZ DQ6 (High-Density Tuning Foams), Elecom EHP-CAP20 tips L, cable A3 4.4mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extension is similar but rumbles more on the DQ6S. Punch quantity is higher on the DQ6S but tighter, faster and more textured on the DQ6. Tonality is a bit more accurate and also better timbre on the DQ6S.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), slightly more quantity on the DQ6S, but tighter, faster and more textured on the DQ6. More tonally correct on the DQ6 but slightly better timbre on the DQ6S.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), cleaner on the DQ6 due to the slightly tighter and faster bass (along with more treble). Similar quantity and texture.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), Slightly more forward vocals on the DQ6 with better tonality, clarity and slightly more detailed but better timbre on the DQ6S. Instrument tonality and timbre are better on the DQ6S but cleaner and more detailed on the DQ6.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), vocals are slightly shoutier on the DQ6 and peakier treble.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality and timbre are better on the DQ6S, but cleaner and more detailed on the DQ6.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars tonality is a bit better on the DQ6 and cleaner, but timbre is slightly better on the DQ6S and less sharp.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality and timbre are a bit better on the DQ6S but more textured, cleaner and more detailed on the DQ6. Violin tonality, treble-extension, detail and clarity are better on the DQ6, slightly better timbre on the DQ6S.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), better tonality, airier and cleaner on the DQ6. Slightly better timbre on the DQ6S.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), wider and airier on the DQ6, similar depth. Imaging is similar but better separation and detail on the DQ6. Timbre is better on the DQ6S.

Overall: The DQ6 is more technical and the better iem for my library (Hiroyuki Sawano and trance mainly), although the DQ6S is doing a better job with rock/metal, hip-hop and R&B than the DQ6. The DQ6S has better timbre and is the safer rec and a better option if you don’t want to mod the DQ6 with the tuning foams.



IEM: Blon BL-03 (mesh mod), Radius Deep Mount Tips L, cable B3 4.4mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends a bit lower and a bit more rumble on the DQ6S. A bit more punch quantity on the DQ6S, but a bit more textured, faster and tighter on the 03. A bit better tonality on the DQ6S but better timbre on the 03.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), more mid-bass on the DQ6S and more textured, cleaner due to the faster and tighter bass on the 03 though. More tonally correct and better timbre on the 03.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), cleaner on the 03, a bit lower quantity on it but a bit faster/tighter bass, similar texture.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), A bit more forward vocals as well as more tonally correct and better timbre on the 03, similar detail. Instrument tonality is a bit better on the 03, much cleaner and better timbre as well.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), shoutier vocals and peakier treble on the 03.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality are a bit better on the 03, cleaner (slightly bloated on the DQ6S in comparison) as well as better timbre and a bit more forward vocal.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are brighter and a bit more fatiguing on the 03 but more tonally correct and with better timbre.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, timbre and clarity are better on the 03 but similar detail and better texture on the DQ6S. Violin tonality, timbre and clarity are better on the 03 but similar detail and a bit better treble-extension on the DQ6S.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), better tonality, timbre and cleaner on the 03.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), wider and a bit deeper stage on the DQ6S. Imaging is a bit better on the DQ6S, similar separation and detail though. Timbre is better on the 03.

Overall: They are technically quite close and somewhat similar in their tonality, although the 03 (mesh mod) has more treble and air, so it sounds more balanced and better for my library.



IEM: CCA CRA (500 mesh + Sony General Foam), stock tips L, stock cable 3.5mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), Extends a bit lower on the CRA, similar rumble but cleaner on the CRA. Punch quantity is similar but much tighter/faster, cleaner and more textured on the CRA. More tonally correct on the DQ6S and a bit better timbre.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), more quantity on the DQ6S, looser and slower bass. More textured, cleaner and more detailed on the CRA. More tonally correct on the CRA but better timbre on the DQ6S.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), much cleaner on the CRA due to the tighter and faster bass, more quantity on the DQ6S, similar texture.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocals are more tonally correct, cleaner, more detailed and a bit more forward on the CRA, timbre is a bit better on the DQ6S. Instrument tonality is a bit better on the DQ6S as well as timbre, although a lot cleaner and more detailed on the CRA.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), vocals are similar non-shouty but peakier and much more fatiguing treble on the CRA.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Vocal and instrument tonality and timbre are better on the DQ6S, but cleaner and more detailed on the CRA, similar vocal quantity.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are sharper on the CRA, although better tonality and timbre on it as well as cleaner and more detailed.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, texture, detail and clarity are better on the CRA but better timbre on the DQ6S. Violin tonality, texture, detail, clarity and treble-extension are a lot better on the CRA but better timbre on the DQ6S.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), Better tonality, detail and clarity on the CRA, timbre is better on the DQ6S.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), stage is wider on the CRA but deeper on the DQ6S. Separation, detail and imaging are a lot better on the CRA. Better timbre on the DQ6S.

Overall: They are quite different where the DQ6S is the warmer/relaxing set, the CRA is more energetic and more technical.





Conclusion: The DQ6S is a very different set from the regular DQ6, where it goes for a much safer, warmer and relaxing but bassier tuning. If you listen to rock/metal this is my current default rec in this price range for them. But if you have a library more similar to mine (Sawano and trance), then the regular DQ6 (+mods) is a lot better.



Also, if you have the regular unmodded DQ6 and want to “demo” the DQ6S, here is the PEQ preset for that:

Low-shelf: 55hz, Q: 1.0, gain: 2db

Peak: 200hz, Q: 1.4, gain: -0.7db

Peak: 2000hz, Q: 3.0, gain: -3.2db

Peak: 5100hz, Q: 5, gain: -5db

Peak: 8000hz, Q: 3, gain: -3db

Peak 10 000hz, Q: 4, gain: -9db

Preamp: -2db

(Still a bit airier and cleaner bass and more energetic treble on the DQ6, but is pretty close otherwise.)

Graph:



Cable source:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...zTm4ei7HEfP8AI1zxswrMw2ho/edit#gid=1801072063

Reference/test songs:

Summary

Sound signature is mild V-shaped leaning to warmth, very good for hip-hop, rock, rap, indie and electronic dance music. DQ6s has the best bass presentation from KZ to date, bass digs deep with proper texture and control beating their old models ZAS/CA16 Pro. Even with the quantity and enthusiasm of the bass on the entire frequency spectrum, the midrange stays clear and clean with instances of midbass bleed in heavy bass tracks. Male vocals have that nice raspiness and weight to them and is reminiscent to the Blon BL-03, female vocals on the other hand may sound a bit boxy depending on the track and lacks that angelic/sparkly tone that their recent offerings (CRA and ZEX Pro) offer. Treble presentation on the DQ6s can be classified as “safe” as the overall signature leans towards warmth, and treble is somehow subdued specially on the air/brilliance region.

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Disclaimer

• I like to thank KZ/CCA for providing me a review unit of KZ x HBB DQ6s.
• Jeff from KZ sent this unit for my honest opinion and assessment.
• This review will somehow be biased towards my taste in music and my target sound signature.
• As always, since our ears have different shapes and resonances, your mileage may always vary.
• You can check My IEM Rankings for better visualization and shortened comparison to my other IEMs.
• As always don't forget to take my review with salt and always cross reference

Preliminary

• I’ve used the DQ6s for 3 days with different sources and tips, played different tracks ranging from pop to bossa nova (except Metal).
• I've especifically reviewed the KZ DQ6s with stock cable and eartips, and with Abigail as the source. Other notes about source and eartips rolling can be seen at the Mods Section.

My Specific Library
I mostly listen to this artists/group of artists, arranged from frequently to least played:

ShibayanRecords, Mitsukiyo, Nagi Yanagi, Yorushika, Kenshi Yonezu, Yoasobi, Ito Kashitaro, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Sawano Hiroyuki, ChouCho, Weaver, Turnover, The Script and Hoyo-Mix.

I also love to listen to symphonic tracks or tracks with relaxing/magical/nostalgic vibe to it.

My Target Sound Signature
My target sound signature is crinacle’s IEF neutral with sub-bass boost or Harman 2019 v2 with reduced upper mids gain. However, V-shaped or U-shaped will also work as long as there are sufficient technicalities. Congestion, bass bloat, and muddiness are a big no for me.

Equipment

• CX-31993
• Avani (ALC-5686)
• Abigail (CX-31993) “Main Source”
• LG V20
• Xiaomi Mi 4

Thy Frequency Spectrum

When I heard about the collaboration of KZ with Habibi, my first thought was that the DQ6s would not suit my library that well compared to ZEX Pro, which fits my library like a buttered glove. To my surprise, the mid-bass bleed that I was expecting from the get go is almost not an issue, and the bass of the DQ6s is just beautiful, this is the bass I was expecting from the BL-03, textured, clean, and tight. The DQ6s' overall sound signature is reminiscent of the BL-03, but with tighter, cleaner, and textured bass and improved technicalities (particularly in the imaging department).

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Bass: 5/5
Textured, clean, full-bodied, tight, and impactful. These are the adjectives that describe the DQ6s bass, like what the fudge is this bass? Even my CA16 Pro, a KZ/CCA top of the line model, becomes shy. The sub-bass of the DQ6s just digs deep and will definitely satisfy the bass heads out there. The mid-bass is also full-bodied and avoids bleeding to the midrange/vocals as much as possible. Instruments such as drums and bass guitar have that nice impact and kick to them. Additionally, the quantity of the mid-bass also gives that nice lushness and forwardness to the male vocals and is very nice with rock and rap, which have a male vocal lead.

Midrange: 4/5
Vocals are leaning towards warmth with the DQ6s. Male vocals have that very nice lushness to them, making them a bit emotional at times. Female vocals, however, may lack that angelic/sparkly tone (which I quite crave in some of my tracks). The lack of 3kHz energy makes alto and soprano singers sound a bit muted. Fans of Jpop/Jrock that has a female lead may find the DQ6s a bit lacking for their taste, but fans of western rock/rap/hip-hop will find the mid-range of the DQ6s quite enjoyable. Percussion, strings, and wind instruments have that nice definition and are nicely weighted, but like the issue with the female vocals, it may sound boxy at times.

Treble: 4.75/5
Organic, palatable, and safe. The lower treble is tuned so well that any harshness that may occur, especially with electric guitars, is reduced significantly. Additionally, instruments like piano, percussion and strings are not that bright like on ZEX Pro, but they are lush and weighty which some people will really enjoy. The air and brilliance regions are somewhat subdued, and some people who are accustomed to neutral-bright signatures may find the overall sound lacking a bit air and sparkle. Wide-bore and foam tips significantly help in this area.

Technicalities

• The coherency between the three dynamic drivers is excellent; I can’t quite point out any timbre issues. The overall presentation of bass, midrange, and treble is smooth and free of any driver texture inconsistencies (BA metallic sheen, magnetostat fast decay, etc.).
• The soundstage is more in your head rather than being wide and spacious. With average width and height and above average depth. (the stage is narrower than ZEX Pro and Heart Mirror, same studio feel, with DQ6s being more intimate). Imaging is also on average side, instruments may sound too close depending on the track. It is also more of a left-center-right staging, unlike ZEX Pro, which stages instruments in 360 (see Figure A).
• Instrument separation is average, and instruments may sound too smooth at times (rare, but noticeable in Jazz). Unlike ZEX Pro, DQ6's portrayal of the instrument feels a bit 2D-ish. Drums and bass guitars mostly have that nice realism/physical feel to them. Pianos , guitars, and wind instruments, on the other hand, may sometimes sound boxy or 2D-ish.
• Driver speed is adequate; note attack and decay feel organic and are never too fast; it's just "right." The drivers also handle complex tracks without breaking a sweat, but midbass bleed may occur in some heavy-bass tracks.

The Radar Chart

The charts below show how DQ6s performs, this is still a subjective approach but the chart can give you a bigger picture of what you're trying to purchase. Moreover, the chart only takes into consideration all of the IEMs I have tried so far which is around the price range of $10 to $80. If you want to see a comparison to higher priced gears kindly check other reviews.

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Music Analysis

Kindly, click the title of the section to listen to the tracks

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1. Hamu Test “Multiple tracks arranged by Hamu” (Played in HibyMusic)

The tracks in this section, will test the IEM ability to naturally replay and stage musical instruments like piano, guitar, violin and drums. This section will also test imaging, detail retrieval and separation. So far, the only IEM I have that masterfully replay this section are ZEX Pro and Heart Mirror with rating of Superb. Most of the tracks here also hates V-shaped IEMs.

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What I’ve observed in these tracks is that the bass hits quite hard, the instrument fundamental notes are still clean and meaty, but the bass just comes way too forward for my taste. ZEX Pro and Heart Mirror play the bass of these tracks at the back of my head and never take the front stage. DQ6s does the opposite, which to be honest, I don’t quite like. Harmonics and microdetails are also well represented and audible, but it lacks that sparkle and space on the stage (I always crave these things for my Bossa Nova playlist).
The air and brilliance regions are also somewhat subdued, making the whole atmosphere a bit cramped and lacking a bit of wideness. Imaging is also average as I can only locate the instruments in stereo (left-center-right). It lacks the holographic effect that Heart Mirror and ZEX Pro are known for.

Replay Rating: Below Average



2. Daydream by Kenshi Yonezu (Played in HibyMusic)

Male Vocals, Staging, Bass and Imaging

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The portrayal of the starry night background at the start is organic and somewhat realistic; it does not sound congested or compressed at all. The stage feels a bit narrow, but that is offset by how organic sounding it is. Kenshi's voice is lush, weighted, and emotional; quite enjoyable. The cowbells and piano are also quite clean and detailed. The bass, yeah, the bass is quite visceral, it just rumbles very cleanly, very punchy and the texturing is just unreal for a KZ. The bass may come off as too forward, especially at the chorus part, but yeah, I think most people will just forgive it because it’s just clean and it never feels bloated or too boomy. Finally, microdetails are subdued, like at 01:11, the cowbell is near being inaudible due to the bass focus throughout the song.

Replay Rating: Average (Superb for BASS)



3. Hello Euphoria by Turnover (Played in HibyMusic)

Timbre, Male Vocals, Mids Quality, Driver Speed

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What the fudge is this, it’s simply beautiful, the timbre is much better than KZ ZEX (which I praised in my review), I can't. The little nuances in the drums and the overall nostalgic vibe are just excellently portrayed by the DQ6s, it feels like I’ve been returned to my childhood days. The harmony between the guitars, vocals, and drums is just euphoric with DQ6s. I can't describe what I'm hearing...If you like Turnover or any band that’s like them, buy the DQ6s and let the swallowtail of rock and roll take care of you.

Replay Rating: Superb



4. Make it Rain by Ed Sheeran (Played in Tidal Masters)

Male Vocals, Stage, Guitars and Treble Quality

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Woah, the guitar at the start sounds so realistic (what the fudge). I can also somehow feel the atmosphere that the track wants to convey. It’s comforting and nostalgic, I can’t quite explain it. Ed Sheeran’s voice is warm, clean, emotional, and lovely; it never feels lean or lacking. The staging of this track is also excellent; it feels like I’m in the studio where Ed is singing in front of me while the instruments are on my left and right side. The bite of the guitar and cymbals is also delicious. It sounds so organic and never approaches the harsh or peaky territory. It somehow gives definition to this track. Amazing

Replay Rating: Superb



5. God of Ink by SawanoHiroyuki feat mpi (Played in HibyMusic)

Guitar Timbre, Male Vocals, Treble Quality, Staging

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Another track where the DQ6s shows its prowess, this track needs a tamed-down lower treble and needs some energy in the lower frequencies to make drums snappy and male vocals raspy, and amazingly, DQ6s provide that with no reservations. However, the only nitpick I have is that the stage is a bit cramped, it lacks the openness that their cheap model CRA wonderfully provides. If you like SawanoHiroyuki or tracks with the same vibe/genre I quite recommend the DQ6s (if you find the CRA vocals a bit brittle then DQ6s is a very good alternative.)

Replay Rating: Excellent



5. Kakera by Itowokashi (Played in HibyMusic)

Guitar Timbre, Male Vocals, Sibilance Test, Lo-fi Test

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This track is just played organically with the DQ6s it greatly reminds me of how BL-03 plays this track. The imperfections in the chorus are somehow smoothed out by the DQ6s which makes it a delight to listen to, since electric guitars are not that strident. Ito Kashitaro’s voice is a bit strident in this track but replayed with weight, control and raspiness by the DQ6s, it let me enjoy Ito Kashitaro tracks again truth to be told. With this I can assume that DQ6s is very-forgiving to poorly mastered tracks or tracks with lots of rock elements to it.

Replay Rating: Superb

Comparison

ZEX Pro vs DQ6s
DQ6's tonal balance and organic nature are truly to be praised, but it lacks the technicalities that ZEX Pro easily provides. Even if there’s a treble grain in some songs with ZEX Pro, how I can easily locate and imagine the instruments physically within my headspace, just like you’re in a studio, is easily a plus thing for me. DQ6s, unfortunately, does not have that niche.
Plus, I’m one of the people that really enjoyed the vocal presentation in ZEX Pro. It’s just right for my taste, it’s clean and not too colored, unlike the DQ6s' "warmish vocal presentation" (the warm coloration is not good for my Toho Bossa Nova/Mitsukiyo tracks imho). What ZEX Pro really needs to improve is the treble area, and I think DQ6s is not the fix that people are waiting for. It’s all together a different sound signature that works in some genres but not for all. If you came from a V-shaped signature or you are an avid KZ IEM collector, then DQ6s will not disappoint you. DQ6s is the most refined V-shaped tuning they’ve done so far, in my opinion. The tuning is just "right" for the drivers. However, if you are like me, who prefer technicalities over tonality, then you might enjoy the ZEX Pro more than the DQ6s.
Since I’m biased toward the niche studio like staging of ZEX Pro. ZEX Pro wins, however DQ6s not bad.

CRA vs DQ6s
These two have different signatures, so I can’t quite assure you that one is better than the other. Let’s just say that CRA is brighter, more sparkly, and has a wider stage, but it suffers from a lack of organic-ness/warmth in the vocals and electric guitars, most of the time, sounding too sharp. CRA is good for tracks that need a brighter tonality and more treble energy (e.g SawanoHiroyuki, Yoasobi, etc.). If you like rock, rap, or hip-hop and want that lushness in your vocals, DQ6s are a better option. Tie.

CA16 Pro vs DQ6s
Yeah, sadly, the DQ6s somehow made the CA16 Pro obsolete. As such, the DQ6s just take the bass of the CA16 Pro and refine it even further. The new XUN driver of the DQ6s produces bass with texture, cleanliness, and punch. The CA16 Pro bass, on the other hand, is somehow bloomy, making the texture smooth/undefined rather than textured. Additionally, the vocal reproduction in DQ6s is more palatable and emotional compared to CA16 Pro. I think what CA16 Pro wins is the technicalities. CA16 Pro still has an upper hand when it comes to detail retrieval and how you can catch those little nuances in the track. DQ6s is somehow polite in microdetail retrieval. However, since DQ6s do not have the treble harshness that CA16 Pro has at higher volumes, DQ6s take the win this time. DQ6s win.

Blon BL-03 vs DQ6s
If you like the organic nature of BL-03 but you want the bass to be a bit tighter and imaging to be more accurate, then DQ6s will be up your alley, like DQ6s is just a BL-03 but with better technicalities and cleaner bass presentation. Folks who like that analogish sound that BL-03 provides will surely enjoy how the DQ6s sound. DQ6s wins

Heart Mirror vs DQ6s
Different signatures, HM is bright-neutral and is excellent for acoustic, bossa nova, jazz and female vocals centric tracks, while DQ6s is mild-v shaped and is excellent for rap, hip-hop, edm, male vocals centric tracks, indie and alternatives. I loved to use both of them depending on my mood soo… Tie

KZ ZEX vs DQ6s
ZEX bass is bleeding more to the midrange which makes vocals warm and raspy however instrument fundamentals are bloated significantly making nuances in piano and guitars muted compared to DQ6s. ZEX bass is also sloppier than the DQ6s clean, visceral and tight bass. Vocals on the two are almost the same with ZEX being brighter by a small margin. ZEX treble presentation may also approach harshness territory in some tracks, however DQ6s is so safely tuned in the treble region that any harshness is subdued, making old rock songs to be replayed smoothly. Due to the bass presentation and cleaner midrange of DQ6s. DQ6s wins

Mods
Stock cable and eartips will work fine for the KZ DQ6s, however there’s also some noticeable improvement when using different eartips. Cable upgrade is not required.

1. Stock Starline Tips (a.k.a KZ Starlines Reborn)
The just “right” eartips for the DQ6s, it just works, tonal balance is unaffected in anyway in these eartips, plus the treble harshness that the old starlines have is greatly reduced in this reiteration. One of the best eartips for DQ6s no cap.

2. Sony EP-EX11
Recommended, but may make the DQ6s warmer than stock. Treble is also more subdued.

3. Spinfits CP145
Recommended! Will make your DQ6s more open and wider, however vocals may be perceived as too recessed especially female vocals. Bass is also reduced when using these tips, making details in the midrange pop out more. Somehow improves the imaging of the DQ6s.

4. Foam Tips
Recommended too! Like the CP145, but more organic sounding. Vocals are not that recessed like the CP145. Microdetails are also more noticeable in these eartips, however the warmish coloration in the vocals is greatly reduced, making the vocals somehow neutralish.

Tested Synergies

Warmth and Immersion Set
(Avani + DQ6s with foam tips and stock cable)
Excellent pairing, foams will make the sound wider, while Avani will make sure that details on the mid-range are properly nuanced while treble and bass are kept at check. Not for basshead! As this synergy focuses more on balancing the tonality of the DQ6s to a more neutral signature and making the vocals more forward. Recommended for those people who think that DQ6s bass is too much in some tracks, my default daily set.

Feel the Impact Set
(Avani + DQ6s with stock tips and stock cable)
Nice pairing specially for bass heads! The bass is more punchy, crispy and rumbly in this synergy compared to the later one. Vocals on the other hand is recessed (especially female vocals). This synergy also feels more narrower than the other sets. Highly recommended for folks who like their DQ6s sound by default or are accustomed to KZ house sound signature.

Balanced “As all things should be”
(Abigail + DQ6s with stock eartips and cable)
Balanced, Abigail will extract some air with the DQ6s making it more open and spacious. Bass still retains its punchiness and rumble but not that impactful compared to the Feel the Impact Set. Vocals still recessed, and instruments still lacks that physicality on the stage which the first set had. Sound is also narrower than the first set, but wider than the second set.

Details Extraction
(OG CX-31993 + DQ6s with stock eartips and cable)
Too bright, however microdetails are more audible in this synergy, albeit sounding narrower than the other sets. Not a good synergy in my opinion, stick with Avani or Abigail.

Technical Aspects
Shown in this section are the frequency response of the DQ6s. The measurements are taken by a Dayton IMM-6 Mic with a DIY Tube Coupler, so assume that this measurements are not that accurate compared to the graphs released by the reviewers who have an IEC-711 coupler. Suggestions about this section are always welcome.

CSD Plot Parameters and Analysis are based on this blog:
https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/tutorials/how-to-interpret-graphs/csdwaterfall-spectrum/​

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Recommend Tracks/Genres
Rock, Modern Pop, Old Pop, RnB, Trance / EDM, Hip-hop, Rap, BGGAR Library, Some Japanese Music (Sawano Hiroyuki, King Gnu, Eve, etc.)

“Not that good” Tracks
Bossa Nova ☹ (Bass too enthusiastic and punchy, female vocals are too recessed, instrument fundamentals are most of the time masked by the bass, some instrument are also too close to me. However, Warmth and Immersion Set somehow fixed those issues), Orchestra (Somewhat narrow sounding), Live (Same with Orchestra), Jazz (Same with Bossa Nova)

Non-affiliate Links
KZ Official Website：KZ DQ6s
Aliexpress :https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003822593243.html

Overall Rating
S (Relative to my IEMs) (Superseding CA16 Pro)
A (Relative to Price)
Recommended!

Final Words
I’d like to classify the Habibi collaboration IEM DQ6s as the swallowtail of rock and roll as it carries my old rock songs like a swallowtail, free but with control and direction. All of my Ito Kashitaro/The Oral Cigarettes/Gloc-9/Turnover songs just sounds so smooth and organic with the DQ6s I can’t really find any fault in its tuning when listening to the tracks those artists have made. It may lack the spice and technicalities that my baby ZEX Pro provides however the organic nature of the DQ6s is just hard to ignore. I also think that this IEM will be more palatable with the avid KZ listeners or V-shaped enjoyers more than the ZEX Pro. ZEX Pro is just a niche at this point and I can’t recommend them that much now compared to DQ6s (If you somehow came from earbuds or neutral-bright IEMs you’ll know why I really liked the ZEX Pro).

Finally, thanks for reaching this part! Hope you enjoy the read, even if it is pretty long.

Oi! mates, this is yours truly, a bloke that always providing a new IEM review content at monthly basis as yours truly will provide another product review article. What we have here is another collaboration project of In Ear Monitor product from Knowledge Zenith (KZ) as they partnered with this gent from Hawaii, HBB (Hawaiian Bad Boy).



As we all know that who HBB was, as he was one of the well-admired IEM reviewer in YouTube. We are also aware of his preferred tuning that he has his own reference curve that are usually more on “consumer-friendly” or majority of people’s preference on tonality who aren’t tuned for more advanced tonality like reference-neutrals and other sound signatures that most veteran audio enthusiasts’ favours. Another thing that HBB and me have almost the same taste of genres as we both fan of classic rock, metal and even old school hip-hop. But we have different preferred sound signature that I will pointing it out later.





Due to his popularity among audio enthusiasts and hobbyists alike, Knowledge Zenith (KZ) decided to partnered with HBB for a collaboration project and here it is the result of their effort, The KZ X HBB: DQ6S. The DQ6s is actually a variant of KZ DQ6 (which I didn’t test it out yet and doesn’t have them in my collection) with some rework like improvement of tuning and some newer DDs that they’ve implemented on this one.




Let me introduce the basic specifics on KZ DQ6S. KZ DQ6s is a multi-driver set-up IEM that is quite a contrast to their other products that were also multi-driver set-up, but mostly of hybrid implementation which was usually a mix of dynamic driver and balanced armature driver, and in a recent release new type of driver, a magnetostatic . It has three (3) dynamic drivers of different sizes that each of them will handle the different section of frequency range.





What I have here is a Dark Graphite colour version on its faceplate with an opaque grey-shaded polycarbonate cavity base. The aesthetics of the face plate is more on being a minimalist one which I somehow fond of it with a new KZ logo etched on it. It also has a vent hole in cavity base near on a metal alloy nozzle that will release some excess air pressure coming out from the dynamic drivers. The size of DQ6s is more on average to medium that they snugly fit well in most lug holes but here is the catch, it has protruding stabilizing fin that might give some unpleasant experience to some wearer and user of this IEM.





Inside of the KZ DQ6s has three kinds of dynamic drivers that you will look upon. Two of them are 6mm dynamic drivers and the other one is a 10mm that all them are dual magnetics with array-type clear diaphragms to provide a fuller and sustaining dynamic response.





Like most KZ products, the packaging of KZ DQ6s is a bit more of a spartan as they offer contents inside pretty basic a that they try trim down the price to be more affordable to their customers either new or their loyal ones.

Here are the included accessories:

• A pair of KZ DQ6S IEMs
• White 2-core parallel SPC cable with a L-shaped 3.5mm termination jack
• Three (3) pairs of a white silicon eartips of typical different sizes.
• An instruction manual.

When it comes to drivability and scalability on audio sources, DQ6S are really easy to drive and it will really shine to all multimedia device sources that has an ample power on it such as smartphones, tablets and DAPs. Dynamics are already fuller sounding on this set due to a high rating of sensitivity and an impedance value that needs only a sufficient power to scale these promising set of IEM.





To determine in what kind of tonality that KZ DQ6S has, like I say before that this kind of tuning was based on HBB’s preference as we all know that he prefers a warmer sound signature for his choices of selection of tracks and DQ6S has all of its aspect. It has a typical V-shaped sound signature with emphasis on both bass and treble while mids in on the notch.



I will describe each sound characteristics from each part of audio frequency spectrum.



LOWS/BASS:

This is actually the best part of the overall tuning of KZ DQ6S and it is the bass response, both qualitative and quantitative.

It has a tactile bass that it really sounds thumpy, punchy, sustaining and gravelly. Sub bass is noticeably present on the bass region it really reach the deepest part of low frequency range as you will the rumbling and reverberating sound when I tested on some synth-pop or new wave tracks which has electronic bass instruments like synthesizers and drum machine that I hear them very clearly.



Mid bass has a good and well-defined texture as it give a well bodied sound on bass kicks as more impacting and authoritative one (test out some John Bonham’s awesome bass kicks). The bass guitar will even benefited on a well-textured mid bass as it gives a more growl, resonant and a tad weighty as very plucking on its strings are so detailed that I hear it audibly. Bass-Baritone vocals sounds more fuller and guttural as this type of male voice as intended to sound like that naturally. In some tracks that I’ve tested, I hear a tad of bass bleeds but it won’t really ruin the overall listening experience.



Easy-peasy, I can really recommend this one to the most adherent bassheads out there that surely that they will be pleased on how the bass response on this one.



MIDS:

As I mentioned the V-shape tuning. It is indeed a recessed one as you expected. Despite of being a recessed in general frequency range, it has a warmth, a more linear and sufficient density to have a decent quality.

Male vocals are more prominent on this one rather than females ones. The reason I can assuredly say it is that male vocals are more define on clarity, closer to natural sound of being throaty and growly one especially on falsetto range singers and has stronger emphasis due to more dense note specifically on sopranos and alto vocals. Female vocals are bit subdued on this one as they have that lethargic and insufficient resolution in my opinion that I really want my female vocals to sound more opened, brimming with details and more energetic.



When it comes to musical instruments, strings like guitars has this kind of soulful and pleasantly rounded sound that it has lack of a crisp and brilliance in my liking, violins and cellos that has a lack of emotion that it has this wafting and less sparkling…perhaps a bit austere to my preferred sound which should be more lustrous and vibrant sounding. Piano tone sound more on a mellow and a bit dark. And lastly the snare drums, it is quite likeable as it has this sharp and penetrates well every the strikes I hear.



Lastly, for a perspective of a mid-centric head like me, despite of the perceived trough on mids, I still find it enjoyable and satisfying enough to listen these set.



HIGHS/TREBLE:

Verifiably, in my perception on the treble quality is more on smoother side of treble gamut. Despite of the smooth and relaxed delivery on it. It has noticeable some upper mid peak as it gives a very miniscule of hissing when I listened to some tracks that are prone to being sibilant but in most cases, it is insubstantial to be a major issue.



Resolution capability is just average as it is more concentrated on macro-detail retrieval rather than micro-details for its being engaging and physical aspect on its dynamic tuning.



When it comes to clarity and airiness, they are just sufficient and unexceptional as they are not my ideal treble quality as I want it to have it sounded even more with sparkle and a well-extended airiness. Cymbals and high/low hats sounds at least more natural with a lesser degree of being of that a shimmery and glistening while the hats with its muted and shorted sound characteristic is acceptable as good.



Overall, the quality of treble is justifiable on its price point as it is quite few on its contemporaries in similar price range that delivers a smooth and less fatiguing sound.



SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:

Certainly when I’m pinpointing out its technicalities. The perceived sound field on its staging is just average on its wideness, with better depth and a good height reach. And definitely they are not that most spacious sounding out there as if I put up separation and layering capabilities in the picture that it has just an ample gap and spacing between each placement of vocalists and musical instruments. Spatial panning is just more a typical left and right stereo distribution rather than being a holographic one. Just imagine that you are in a small recording studio.Despite of these inadequate aspects of technicalities, its discerningly have at least a decent proportion.



As for driver coherency, the triple DD driver system really performs very cohesively, nimble and resolving dynamics that distortion is non-existent. As for timbre, it is more on being organic with added warm.



To end my review and putting a concrete conclusion on my assessment of KZ DQ6s. If you are a type of listener who wants a more engaging, fun and lively sounding for long term listening leisure at extended hours then this unit is perfectly for you.



I give a brief recap of my review once again that KZ DQ6s was indeed a warm, v-shaped sound sig with more relax and smoother highs on it and this is a collaboration effort between KZ and HBB. Thank you for having your time to reading my article.



KZ X HBB: DQ6S is currently price at $32/£24 and it is readily available to be purchase in most e-commerce sites.



Please check out my other reviews on other Knowledge Zenith products:

• KZ EDX
• KZ ZEX
• KZ ZEX PRO
• KZ EDC

PROS:

• That bass quality and quantity that bass head’s want for.
• Clean and minimalist design choice on it faceplate's shell.
• Very cohesive sounding triple dynamic driver system.
• Certainly one of the well-tuned and balanced V-shape sounding IEMs out there on its price range.
• Scales well in all multimedia devices sources as they are very easy to powered up.
• Warm and smooth tonality.

CONS:

• Definitely not for neutral heads.
• Some of occurrences of sibilance (usually on several sibilant-prone tracks)
• QDC-type connector as my always complain to most KZ’s and CCA’s product (Subjective)
• Starkly underwhelming technicalities aspect.

SPECIFICATIONS:

MODEL: KZ X HBB: DQ6S

IMPEDANCE: 25Ω

SENSITIVITY: 116dB

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz - 40KHz

CABLE LENGTH: 1.2M

PIN TYPE: QDC-TYPE 2-PIN CONNECTOR

PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm

DRIVER UNITS: (3) DYNAMIC DRIVERS



Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)



Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *

Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **

Mountain - Mississippi Queen *

Queen - Killer Queen **

Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*

Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'

Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'

Pearl Jam - Daughter **

Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *

Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*

Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *

New Order - Blue Monday *

The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *

Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *

The Madness- Buggy Trousers *

Metallica - Motorbreath **

Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *

Destiny's Child - Say My Name *

Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *

Mozart - Lacrimosa *

New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *

Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*

Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *

Exciter - Violence and Force *

Diana Krall - Stop This World **

Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*

Sister of Mercy - Lucretia My Reflection **

Eagles - Hotel California (MTV live) ‘*’



P.S.

I am not affiliated to Knowledge Zenith nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.



Once again, I would like to thank Jeff Yang for providing this review unit, I truly appreciate on his generosity towards me and other reviewers.





If you are interested this IEM product from Knowledge Zenith (KZ), Just check out the link below:

https://www.kztws.com/products/hbbxkzdq6s

KZ DQ6S
V-Shaped
Relaxed
All-Rounder

Disclaimer:
The test unit of this review was provided by KZ earphones in return for an honest review of the KZ DQ6s x HBB. All of the impressions on this review is mine alone. Take my impressions as a grain of salt as your experience with the iems may vary with the conditions you will subject it into.

Bass
Nice smooth bass, the midbass is presented as a tight thump. the sub bass is deep when subjected to tracks that need it. It is able to set atmosphere that I find in iems enjoyable. The bass is a well detailed and well controlled. It gives a well defined presentation and not once appeared boomy.
4.5/5

Mids
Mids are recessed, recessed but not bad. Instruments sound great, the mids don't sound dry and has ample ring to and body to each instrument it presents. Midbass bleed is present but not to the point of losing resolution.The male vocals sound thick. For female vocals there are times that the it sounds overwhelmed by the instruments making it sound more recessed than the male counterpart. At times depending on the track, the reverb can be emphasized. The overall profile of the mids sound relaxed with clear and well bodied vocals.
4/5

Treble
the Highs of this pair is in a way relaxed compared to their other products. The highs are in the just right area and has good body that it does not sound thin. There are a few tracks that may sound lacking energy or sparkle due to lesser treble if you are a treble head. I find sibilance with little to none at all. The detail retrieval is also good. Overall, most people will enjoy the clarity of DQ6s since this pair is really well rounded as a general use iem.
4/5

Sound stage
Ok sound stage and imaging. Soundstage is of average wideness similar to a studio or auditorium. Imaging is ok, sound layers are presented. It doesn't give you the impression of listening to a single sound wall. There is little to no congestion in my experience. Separation is great, you can hear individual instruments. The sounds are well placed that you can easily pin point them. The backup instrument sounds such as shakers and clickers are well separated.
4/5

Design and Price point
I like the simple design with a edged metal plate at top. I find the no frills design to my liking. This makes the DQ6S easy to pair with a colored wire giving me ideas on concepts incase I want to set a motif. The price of the pair sound wise is remarkable. The inclusions could be better since they only provide barebones accessories inside the box. But I won't complain much because these are good for its price.
4/5

Overall Verdict: 4.1/5

Interested?
https://ph.xiapibuy.com/product/345922933/14442655006

For International
https://www.kztws.com/products/hbbxkzdq6s

INTRODUCTION:



This is my 3rd review on KZ products and just for the sake of introduction I would like to quote what I stated before.



“I first heard heard of Knowledge Zenith or in short KZ from my fellow musicians from church. They are one of the companies that provided decent sounding IEMs for very affordable price range. The brand made a big impact on the community of musicians here in Philippines and almost everybody in my circle, have this as their go-to IEM for studying our roles in a band.”

In contrast to the ZEX PRO, this set is collaborated with BGGAR knows as Bad Guy Good Audio Reviews.

DISCLAIMER:

I would like to thank Jeff Yang again for providing this unit in exchange of an honest review. I do hope that what I say here, will help the company in their upcoming products. If there is one thing I can say for KZ, is they are doing right by listening and taking notes from their consumers.

My opinions here are completely my own. I am NOT in any way influenced of any form of incentive. This is purely my honest, subjective impressions and experience with the gear on hand. I cannot stress more that you should take this as a grain of salt for we have different perception to sound and what we hear. I always try my best to stick with the stock accessories that comes with the gear by default. You are free to try other methods such as tip rolling or cable rolling. Below are worth noting before concluding on what I say here:

• DAP (digital audio player, be it phone, laptop, mobile, or stationary setup)
• DAC or dongle or any external amp
• Tips
• Cables
• Source of audio file be it offline FLACS or streaming service like Deezer, Apple music, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify and the likes..

My reviews are more on how music sound on our ears. The technical stuff like frequency graphs and the physics behind the tech and drivers used, I leave to other reviewers.




SPECIFICATIONS:

Configuration: 2x 6mm single magnetic dynamic drivers, 1x 10mm dual magnetic dynamic driver
Impedance: 24ohms
Sensitivity: 116db
Freq response: 20hz-40khz

PACKAGING:

Packaging is still the same KZ we all have grown familiar with. And basic inclusions. I can’t complain here for its price point. Come on KZ, a pouch or a cable organizer would be nice. LOL

The package is identical to its predecessor the ZEX and ZEX PRO.

The packaging includes the following:

• IEM itself the DQ6S
• A white cable. 4 core SPC with 3.5mm configuration
• Ear tips, 3 pairs in S,M,L sizes
• A quality control card
• User guide or manual

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES:


The DQ6S is somewhere the same weight as its predeccesors. The faceplate is metallic, compare to ZEX PRO placticky material and gives a bit of weight, more or less. I got the black graphite color this time. The back plate is a smoky translucent, and you can see the drivers inside. Especially on direct light. Somehow it has a better fit and seal compare to ZEX PRO, or must I say, a deeper insertion.



Cable terminal yet again, is a QDC 2 pin. A minor con for me, and for those who plans to cable roll, this might be an issue.



Moving on to how it sounds..





LOWS:

The lows are the star of the show. It is elevated that’s for sure. And at times, it is almost on the borderline for me, especially on bass-oriented tracks. But I’m quite surprised on how controlled the lows here. Bass response is relaxed and smooth. Though not falling on my preference when it comes to punchiness and thump, I was not put off here. In fact, I found it quite appealing and enjoyable. Another trump card here is, the bleeds to mids is very minimal.

Lows are tonally correct and sounded natural and organic. Conclusively, the lows are clean, has lot of energy, and good extension to sub bass without affecting too much of neighboring frequencies.



MIDS:

I must say that out of the 3 KZ products I have reviewed, the mids of DQ6S is what I like the most. It is recessed on some tracks but most of the time, I almost cannot hear a big or noticeable recessed nature on the mids. Clean, well placed and tonally appealing to my ears. Guitars, pianos, organs, string sections, horns, and many more instruments, is well presented and is not deprived of details and nuances.


Vocals are somewhat favorable on male rather than female. The female vocals are almost consistent to a tad shy of recessed compare to male.


Conclusively, the mids are on the right track here. At least for me. again, as I always say, I’m mid centric, and I prefer my mids forward and aggressive. Though not as forward as I want it to be, the mids here appealed to me greatly.



TREBLES:

Trebles, has good sparkle here. Has a good sense of openness but not so much of airiness. The best part is I’ve tested sibilant tracks with DQ6S and it passed with flying colors. Sibilance free here! Micro details are there but not that prominent and forward, which honestly sometimes, I look for.


Nonetheless, what is important to me is it never felt fatiguing to listen to and KZ is finally abandoning their old ship on harshness and sharpness that we are all familiar with before.



FIT & ISOLATION


Fitting has a slight improvement here and I noticed an addition to insertion offering better seal and isolation. As always, DQ6S gave a desirable and pain free wear.


Isolation is also better because of what I mentioned above. Wearing this outside is not a problem and you can easily shut off the outside world without turning the volume up too much.

TECHINICALITIES:

I will change my format here as I will address topics of technicalities on bold letters as much as my knowledge can do.


Sound stage is somehow narrow to my ears. On one side, this is quite constructive for me when studying chords, harmonies, and my role as a keyboard player. On the contrary, this compromised the layering of elements which is another aspect of technicality.


Resolution and detail retrieval is quite ok and average. Micro details like fret noises, plucking of guitar, air noises from wind instruments is still audible.


Instrument definition/separation is below average to me, for sometimes I find it hard to hear two different instruments playing together for example a flute and a clarinet, which has similar tone, on the same notes, on the same platform in the stage. Which brings me to imaging. In this aspect, DQ6S is very decent. Placement of instrument is very commendable more so to extremely panned elements. But for the same placed elements, again, that shortcoming on separation kicks in. For example, the low end of a piano, playing the same notes with the bass player, gave me a hard time to distinguish the tonality of both said elements.


Speed of the drivers is not the quickest I have heard and on busy tracks, the DQ6S will struggle a bit. There are times that a drum kick suppose to sound “thump thump” will sound almost just one “thump”. I hope I am making sense. LOL


SOURCES AND GEARS:

• LG V30 hifi dac (high impedance mode)
• Hiby Music player
• UAPP app (USB Audio Player Pro)
• Tidal Masters subscription
• HIDIZS AP80pro
• And some offline FLACS

The AP80pro was mainly used for this review.



Here are some tracks I usually listen to when reviewing:



CASUAL LISTENING:

That’s the way of the World by EWF
Africa by TOTO
The Girl in the Other Room by Diana Kral
Balmorhea album All is wild, All is Silent
Sila by Sud
Smooth Escape by D’Sound
Never too Much by Luther Vandross
P.Y.T by Michael Jackson
Ain’t no Sunshine by Eva Cassidy
Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC
Another one bites the Dust by Queen
Good times bad times by Edie Brickell
Alice in Wonderland by Bill Evans
Ain’t it Fun by Paramore
Redefine by Incubus
Far Away by Nickelback
Lovesong by Adele
Lingus by Snarky Puppy
Harvest for the World by Vanessa Williams
Love Bites by Def Leppard
No Such Thing by John Mayer
As by Stevie Wonder
Whip Appeal by Babyface
Ain’t Nobody by Chaka Khan
Futures by Prep
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
Every Summertime by NIKI
SADE tracks
AC/DC tracks
Queen tracks

CRITICAL LISTENING:

Beat by Tingvall Trio
(piano,percussion and bass tone and timbre)

We’ve just begun by Sinne Eeg
(stage depth, layering and imaging, female vocals tone and timbre)

What a little moonlight can do by Molly Johnson
(female tone and timbre, piano tone, stage and layering)

Change the World by Eric Clapton
(Male tone and timbre, imaging, layering and placement)

Ecstasy of Gold by Yo Yo Ma
(natural tone and timbre)

Spem in Alium by Adam Baldych
(natural tone and timbre, note weight and density, percussive impact)

Stress by Pain of Salvation
(bass extension, natural tone and timbre, percussion balance)

When I fall in love by Michael Buble
(Male tone and timbre, dynamics, and soundstage)

Code Cool by Patrica Barber
(Sibilance check)

New new Orleans by Christian Scott
(sharpness, harshness,)

Chocolate Chip Trip by Tool
(imaging, precision, stage width, depth and layering)

Why So Serious by Hans Zimmer
(sub bass extension, bass punch and slam)

No Limit by Marcus Miller
(bass tone, timbre and control)

Believe by Cher
(Sibilance check, hot trebles)


I would like to give the credit and thanks to David Sylvia aka The Honest Audiophile for sharing me this tracks that he uses personally to review gears. I find it that we share a common taste in music and I am privileged, to be shared with his knowledge.

And many more… I always listen to High resolution format, being the least quality 16bit/44khz FLACS be it offline or online.

VERDICT:


The DQ6S is by far the winner for me ever since they released the ZEX line up. And even though shortcomings on the technical side is still present, the tonality and timbre really appealed to me. Even though, still the tuning is not my personal preference, I did not keep a close mind mentality, and trusted my ears. With all honesty, I did enjoy this set. Even though the lows are a bit too much to my liking, I am really impressed how the mids have improved here, and the sibilance free treble is much welcome.


I can see myself using this on my live streams, Netflix session, and for those days I’m in the mood for some bass thumping. The relaxed and warm nature is well executed here. This set reminded me of the early days, when I don’t care that much on details, instrument separation, sound stage, and other technicalities. When I was just enjoying the music and sound. It was a very nostalgic experience. KZ, keep it up! Keep them selling like pancakes! LOL

See you on the next one! Cheers!

Interested in purchasing the DQ6s? If you are in the Philippines here is a direct link:
https://shopee.ph/product/345922933/14442655006

Disclaimer:

• Sir Jeff Yang of KZ earphones sent me this unit in exchange for an honest review. Rest assured that this review will do its best to devoid from any biases.
• The following remarks and observations shall be made and owned only by me.
• No monetary compensation is/was involved before, during, and after the period of creation of this review.
• Your mileage may (and always, will) vary.

Burn-in time: 5-10 hours per day, 3 days.

Source/s used:

• Hidizs AP80
• Not-By-VE Avani Realtek Dongle
• Zishan U1 USB DAC (AK4490 Variant)
• Samsung Galaxy S3 (WM1811 DAC)
• Non-HiFi smartphone (realme 5i)
• Local Files via Foobar and Roon, YouTube Music, Deezer, and Qobuz with UAPP.

IEM and configuration: Stock grey medium ear tips, stock cable, any form of EQ or MSEB off, 40-60% volume, both high and low gain.
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Sound signature:

• Smooth V-shaped sound signature. Big, thick bass, recessed clear mids, slightly elevated highs. Can sound L-shaped on some sources and pairings.

Lows:

• Lows are definitely elevated, huge with very deep extension for its price. Subbass is a bit dominant compared to midbass. Subbass goes very deep whenever the track needed it to be. Decay is slightly on the slower side of the spectrum, but far from being too boomy. Overall, the lows are deep, fairly controlled, very good in presentation and will definitely satisfy most tracks, particularly bassy tracks whenever needed.

Mids:

• The mids are recessed with an acceptable amount midbass bleed to keep the lower mids hefty with a bit of warmth. Lower vocals exhibit good thickness and depth on male vocals and instruments. Upper mids are elevated with average clarity and air. Instances of peaks are present on sibilant prone tracks, but the level of those are very much alike of how the KZ ED16 and ZS7 has – it is very tolerable and not irritating. As a result, the mids are decent for its price. It isn’t drowned out by the bass despite the lows are being highlighted in this IEM.

Highs:

• The highs are slightly elevated but not as high when compared to the lows. The highs are smooth and well extended but not as extended compared to their brighter IEMs when compared. It is controlled but never lacking for most people. It also exhibits an average detail retrieval and amount of sparkle to keep the treble present. Overall, the treble on the dq6s is slightly elevated, fatigue-free, and won’t offend most ears.

Soundstage, Imaging, and separation:

• On my test, the soundstage is simply average, but it's neither too tight nor too broad, with a good amount of expansion. Separation is practically above average for the asking price, as I heard things more clearly on crowded tracks than with the other KZ IEMs I've used. However, there are still some cases of congestion on congested tracks. The imaging is average enough for the user to determine the spatial placement of vocals and instruments.

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Comparison/s:

VS DQ6:

• When compared, they still have the same sound signature, but the DQ6s is better in terms of bass management. It also has lesser midbass bleed and the sibilance is greatly cut off by a very significant margin. On the technical capabilities, both are nearly the same but the DQ6s take the edge on the separation.​

VS KZ X Crinacle CRN/ZEX Pro:

• Both have different sound signatures when compared. The CRN leans to a more “u/neutral-bright” sound signature while the DQ6s leans to a smooth and musical v-shaped sound signature. The lows are definitely much more elevated and extended on the DQ6s. The mids on the CRN are much more forward when compared but will sound thin at times. The DQ6s is a bit recessed when compared but exhibit a very good depth while not being drowned out. The highs are much more extended on the CRN but also introduce a splash and occasional pierce on sibilant prone tracks. Detail retrieval is also slightly better on the CRN, like a hair-thin difference. Their technicalities are nearly the same, but the DQ6s is a bit better on the separation.

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Pros:

• Big improvement over its sibling in terms of sound quality
• Smooth sound quality
• Huge, fun bass (subjective)
• Acceptable, clear mids for its asking price
• Fairly controlled upper mids peak compared to your usual KZ
• Non-fatiguing treble
• Competitive technicalities for its price
• Fit and isolation that will please most ears
• Very easy to be driven to its full potential.
  Much better included eartips

Cons:

• Instances of upper mids peaks are (only) present on very sibilant prone tracks
• Soundstage expansion could be better
• Basic accessories. A pouch or a cable winder might overall improve the packaging presentation.

Thank you for reading!

Additional Photos: