KZ AS10 Pro

Thanks to KZ for providing this review unit, and to Sonic Mantra for the opportunity to test it. This review reflects my honest opinions.



The Knowledge Zenith AS10 Pro offers an impressive 5 balanced armatures per side, all wrapped up in a $60 package. That’s a remarkable setup at this price point, raising expectations for the kind of sound it can deliver. So, how does it stack up? Let’s dive into the details and see if it lives up to its potential.



Package Contents:

>> The IEMs
>> Cable
>> KZ Starline and foam tips
>> Paperwork

While the IEMs themselves feel premium, the rest of the packaging and accessories are quite basic, reminiscent of KZ's entry-level offerings. This isn’t a dealbreaker, but it does clash a bit with the IEMs' higher-end feel.





The KZ AS10 Pro is a chunky, bold design with a metal faceplate and a transparent inner shell, allowing a peek at the internals. A golden metal nozzle adds a bit of flair, and the faceplate’s glossy, mirror finish lends a sophisticated touch, reflecting light dynamically from different angles. The aesthetic is undeniably classy, and the overall build feels solid, with a moderate weight that balances durability with comfort. But that mirror finish means it can get scratched up easily and is a fingerprint magnet.
However, the included cable feels flimsy and basic. It’s a bit disappointing for a set that otherwise feels and looks like it’s punching above its price point.





Despite its larger shell, the AS10 Pro sits snugly and comfortably in the ear. I have average-sized ears, and I found the fit secure, with excellent passive isolation that minimizes outside noise effectively. One slight downside: it can create noticeable air pressure in the ear canal, which might cause some discomfort during extended use. But overall, it's comfortable enough for long listening sessions.





KZ’s signature V-shaped tuning makes an appearance here, though the sound leans unique due to the all-BA setup. Here’s how each range stacks up:

• Bass:
  The AS10 Pro’s bass performance is decent for a BA set. the sub-bass lacks depth and rumble, the mid-bass compensates with a satisfying, tactile slam that’s enjoyable across genres. The bass decays slowly, giving it a softer quality and less body than dynamic drivers. The bass feels soft at times, lacks extension and body. But it integrates well with the overall sound profile and rarely feels inadequate.
  
• Mid-range:
  The mid-range is distinctly colored, offering a playful, if somewhat artificial, vocal presentation. Male vocals are smooth yet lack a bit of weight, while female vocals sound lively and clean, although a bit hollow at times. The mids sit pleasantly recessed, balancing well within the V-shape tuning, making it a great fit for casual listening but perhaps less appealing to purists.
• Treble:
  Treble is undoubtedly a highlight of the AS10 Pro. The lower treble remains controlled, revealing details without veering into harshness, while the upper treble is airy and full of energy. This splashy, vibrant upper end complements the lower treble, making cymbals and other high-pitched instruments sparkle. Occasionally, there’s a touch of sibilance with certain tracks, but it’s rarely overwhelming, especially with a warm source.
• Technical Performance:
  The AS10 Pro performs admirably for its price. Its soundstage is broad, with a good sense of spaciousness, though it could benefit from more depth. Instrument separation is solid, handling busy tracks with ease, and imaging provides a decent sense of placement, even if it’s not laser-precise. The instrument presentation adds a sense of liveliness that enhances the overall experience.

The KZ AS10 Pro brings some commendable elements to the table, like punchy mid-bass and engaging treble, but it falls short in key areas that may leave discerning listeners wanting more., However, for those seeking a more refined, all-around experience, there are other options at this price point that may offer a fuller, more satisfying sound. The AS10 Pro stands as an affordable entry point into multi-BA IEMs, but it doesn’t quite break past "decent" into "great.", it will be good enough for the mainstream market.

This review unit of the KZ AS10 Pro was sent to me by Sonic Mantra. I want to express my gratitude to them for providing me the opportunity to test it.

Personally, I wasn't a big fan of KZ's products. This IEM surprised me a bit and exceeded my expectations. I'm not a professional audiophile, so I hope you can overlook any small mistakes I made. Thanks!




Driver type: 5 balanced armature drivers hybrid configuration.
Each side weight: 9g.
Frequency: 20-40000Hz.
Impedance: 26Ω.
Sensitivity: 109dB.
Pin type: 0.75mm QDC.
Plug type: 3.5mm.
Cable type: Silver-plated cable.
Cable length: 120±5cm.



Tuning: V-shape with treble emphasis.

Bass: This IEM lacks the most in the bass section. Though this is a v-shape tuned IEM according to graph measurements, the bass doesn't feel much boosted. Sub-bass was there but doesn't have that much rumble and extension, which is pretty normal in only BA driver IEM. On positive notes, the bass is fast note definition is good. Bass has a certain punch and slam. The mid-bass feels recessed and texture-less. Overall, the bass is notably dry. These cons are quite normal because a BA driver won't provide as much physical impact of bass as a dynamic driver.
Midrange: Nothing special to say about the midrange. The midrange somewhat lacks body and note weight. The vocal sounds a bit harsh, unnatural, or artificial, and it feels thin and emotionless. It can be also defined as crisp. The positioning of male vocals is slightly backward, but it's not too excessive. Female vocals are slightly forward than male vocals and have extra energy. In certain tracks, I wasn't able to feel the actual emotion of the vocals.
Treble: The treble is the focal point of its audio capabilities. It has more than enough sparkle to enjoy music. The treble is not too sharp or sibilant in my opinion. The extension of the treble is excellent. Details, micro details retrieval was quite good. It effortlessly captures the subtle nuances of each note and displays good enough resolution. But the treble wasn't too much sibilant or sharp that will cause ringing effect in your ears.

The soundstage isn't anything exceptional. It's neither too wide nor too narrow, falling within the average range for IEMs in this price category. However, the imaging is quite good. You can easily locate the instruments without needing to close your eyes. Considering the price, I would say it's pretty decent.


This IEM is for those who want treble energy, good details and resolution, want clear sound, aren't concerned about the bass and who will remain satisfied with average mids. If you listen to music genres like classical, jazz, or any genre where high-frequency details are important, this IEM could be a moderate option for you.



!! The stock tips aren't that good in my testing. I've had better results using Final E Series black tips. Therefore, I recommend using the Final E Series black tips with this IEM.

Tested with:
- FiiO BTR5 DAC
- FiiO M3K DAP
- Final E Series Black Tips

As we are aware that Knowledge Zenith also known as KZ is an audio company that keeps churning out some models on an almost weekly basis that makes them formidable in the audio industry. And now, what I have here is their latest model (or not), The KZ AS10 PRO



KZ AS10 PRO is somewhat a direct successor of the KZ AS10 from 2018, and like its predecessor, it has an all balanced armature driver set-up for the whole frequency range. The balanced armature drivers that were implemented here are custom ones that somewhat correspond with the serial model scheme similar to Knowles series (I know that this is not a Knowles driver but rather from other sources, most likely E-Audio).



It uses a “22955” BA driver that handles the low frequency to have rich, deep and solid bass quality while on midrange part, it uses a “29689” midrange BA driver for clearer and cleaner sound for vocals and instruments, and then, it was supported by a “30019” tweeter BA for upper mids and high frequencies part for more vibrancy and high resolution quality. Aside from the BA drivers, KZ also implemented a tiny PCB that works as an electronic crossover as it filters some frequency bands for better separation while maintaining a cohesion of its overall sound.



The BA drivers were placed in a 3D-moulded acoustic bracket then encased in a rather large resin plastic shell structure with a metal alloy faceplate and brass nozzle. Like all KZ sets, it still uses a QDC-type 2-pin connector as its interlocking mechanism.



The shell offers at least a good fitting to my medium-size Asian ears as it seals well that it gives good passive noise isolation to my lugholes from unwanted noises from the outside. The stock cable of the KZ AS10 PRO still has an OFC silver-plated copper in a parallel set-up with an angled 3.5mm single ended termination plug.



Like most KZ sets, the product packaging of this one is pretty basic with just a modest amount of accessories.




Here are the following contents inside of its packaging box:

• A pair of KZ AS10 PRO IEM transducers.
• Stock cable
• Pair of Memory foam ear tips.
• Spare silicone ear tips in different standard sizes.
• Paperwork like Q.C. stub and instruction manual.

The KZ AS10 PRO is moderately sensitive as it can be driven by a source device like smartphones and tablets with a 3.5mm headphone jack that can deliver a required power output. But this set apparently scales well with better power output and it is one of the few KZ sets that activates the high impedance mode of my LG phones as this set has some impedance swing over 50 ohms.


As to determine its tonality, the AS10 PRO's tonal profile is veering towards more of standard KZ tuning, a typical V-shaped sound signature in which low frequency and high frequencies are elevated on its overall frequency range.




LOWS/BASS:

For a woofer balanced armature driver, the bass response is quite punchy, impactful and has a firm slam. While it doesn't have that depth or rumble that a good quality dynamic driver could deliver, this one is fairly acceptable in my opinion that KZ is able to tune its bass quality.

As it has a rather faint sub bass presence as it barely reverberates from sub bass-focused instruments like synthesisers, drum machines and low tuned bass guitars, the mid bass apparently has a texture that gives more density on some instruments especially bass clef ones and also deep male vocals. Bass guitars have resonant sound, double bass have sombre yet mellow sounding and bass kick drums have those menacing and soft striking sounds at the same time. On deep male vocals like bass and bass-baritone, there's a noticeable rumbling sound on their voices but apparently I noticed that sense of hollowness and less darker tone on them.


MIDRANGE:

The midrange presentation of this one is definitely in a notch and depressed but it has a clear, energetic and transparency of its overall sound. The vocals and instruments are somewhat trying to sound more balanced but in my critical listening, the hollowness and wispiness is quite obvious on some vocal types, especially on baritones and contraltos but still retains some of its clarity and a decent warmth on it.

On male vocals, baritones have smooth vocals but it somehow lacks richness while tenors have a brassy and spiciness on their vocals, and then contraltos have a tenderness on their distinctive voices. As for female vocals, contraltos have that smoky characteristic but like my issue on baritones it has an inadequate lush and heft on it. Mezzo-sopranos have fiery and golden vocals, and then on sopranos, they sound shimmering with some metallic tone on their vocals.

Regarding on instruments, evidently that strings and woodwinds will sound more clearer, brighter and a tad open sounding as guitars have crisp and lingering sound, cellos have a incisive and open sound, violins have clear and brilliant sound, piccolos have clear and intense sound, concert flutes have clear and softness on their sound, and clarinets sounds reedy and some shrillness on it. On brass instruments, trumpets have brilliant and vivid sound, trombones have eruptive and metallic sound, and horns have clear yet distant sounding. The percussion instruments with likes of tom-toms, snares, field drums and kettledrums, they sound resonant, penetrating, sonorous and dry respectively, the pianos sound obviously towards a brighter tone with some brilliance and clearness on them.


HIGHS/TREBLE:

The treble response of this one is on the brighter side of tuning as it has an energy and intensity of its shimmering nature due to its elevated upper-mids and presence of the high frequency. That elevation gives some highlight on clarity and definition on vocals and instruments to sound more detailed and crisper but there's some caveats as it might sound a bit shrill and piercing. Sibilance on this one is quite mild especially if I play it on sibilant-laden tracks.

It has a moderate airy extension on its brilliance section with some intensity on its sparkle that affects the tonal colour of some instruments with treble-centric notations. The cymbals have a glistening and a tad piercing sound, hi-hats have a short buzzing sound with added sizzling on it, glockenspiels have a shimmery and shrill sound, and celestas have a glistening and thin sound.


SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:

The perceived sound field projection has an above-average on wideness, good height reach and depth as it gives me a moderately spacious head stage within my aural sphere. Stereo imaging on this one has a concave-like presentation in a rather middling layering with average separation of vocals and instruments. I am still able to locate the placements of vocals and instruments but definitely not the most accurate and I think that this one will somehow struggle on some complex multi-instrumental tracks as I hear some congestion and a tad disorganised of its sound.

Its multi-BA driver set-up seems to sound cohesive as they sound well with its competent transient speed response. This set also sounds quite resolving on its resolution capability as its micro-detail retrieval capability is able to capture some details and other subtleties from an audio track with a solid macro-dynamics on them.


PEER COMPARISONS:

KZ AS16 PRO

• It has a tad smaller shell size but it still has similar material composition.
• It has more balanced armature drivers that were implemented inside.
• It has similar product packaging and number of inclusions.
• The sound profile of this one is mild U-shaped that makes it more balanced sounding with some noticeable warmth on it.
• It has a more rounder and impactful bass response, less recessed and a tad warmer midrange and then, a smoother and a refined treble response.
• It has almost similar technical performance with the AS10 PRO but it has less height reach but more solid macro-dynamics.

CCA CA10

• Its shells have similar dimensions and also a number of BA drivers inside.
• Like all KZ and CCA sets, it still has a QDC-type 2-pin connector.
• It has similar product packaging and a quantified amount of inclusions inside.
• This one has a bright U/V-shaped sound signature which is quite comparable to AS10 PRO.
• It has a punchy yet hollow bass response, a leaner and less textured midrange presentation and an energetic and bright treble profile with more air but also tends to sound shrill and piercing in most cases.
• It has almost similar technical performance from sound/speaker staging up to resolution capabilities.

As I conclude on this product review, KZ again delivers a coloured, fun and engaging sound profile that most of us will probably enjoy casually. This set's tonal attributes shows some of its points that KZ is also capable of improving their tuning capabilities as we will also notice it on some of their recently released products given how competitive the portable audio market is right now. The KZ AS10 Pro is highly recommended if you enjoy certain music genres like rock, pop and reggae, and for an all BA driver configuration set, it has a punchy bass, clear midrange and bright treble that makes this set even more compelling to most casual type of listeners.


KZ AS10 PRO is now available at KZ OFFICIAL STORE, you can check the non-affiliated link below.

https://www.kztws.com/products/kz-as10-pro-with-innovative-10-balanced-armature-drivers-iem-earphone



For more KZ product reviews, just click the product links down.

■ KZ ESX

■ KZ ZES

■ KZ AS16 PRO

■ KZ PR1

■ KZ ZEX PRO

■ KZ EDCX

■ KZ EDC PRO

■ KZ EDC

■ KZ DQ6S

■ KZ LING LONG

■ KZ EDA

■ KZ EDX

■ KZ ZEX

■ KZ MERGA


SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: KZ AS10 PRO
IMPEDANCE: 26Ω
SENSITIVITY: 109dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz – 40KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2m
PIN TYPE: QDC-TYPE 2-PIN CONNECTOR (0.75MM)
PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm
DRIVER UNIT(S): (5) BALANCED ARMATURE DRIVERS


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 *'*
The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**
Suzanne Vega – Luka **
Lauren Christy – Steep *
Ottoman Mehter - Hucum Marsi *
Diana Damrau - Mozart: Die Zauberflöte*
Type O Negative - Black No.1 *
Felix Ayo - Vivaldi: Presto **
Three Tenors - Nessum Dorma *
Mercyful Fate - Witches' Dance *

P.S.

I am not affiliated to KZ 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 send my gratitude to TYVAN LAM of KZ/CCA for providing this review unit. I truly appreciate his generosity and trust towards me and other reviewers.