KZ T10

Hi all! Friends, do you know that very hardworking people work at KZ? Day and night, they work tirelessly to please us, music lovers from all over the world with high-quality and affordable sound. Even if the manufacturer doesn’t always succeed as we would like, and it often seems that the guys are marking time, releasing another new model of headphones, which differs from dozens of others only in the design of face plates, but sometimes, among all this variety of the model range, they come across for real interesting, high-quality, and to some extent unique devices for the KZ company. Today, I would like to tell you about such a unique product for the company as full-size wireless headphones. The model stands out among the entire model range of the manufacturer not only for its form factor, but also attracts attention with its excellent assembly of high-quality materials, the presence of active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency mode (Ambient), which are often characteristic of flagship wireless headphones. The name of the heroes of today's review is KZ T10 ANC, and these are the first wireless full-size headphones from Knowledge Zenit.

Specifications:

• Emitter: dynamic, 40 mm in diameter with titanium-coated diaphragm
• Squelch range: 50 - 800 kHz
• Noise Reduction Depth: 25dB
• Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 5.0
• Charging Port: USB Type C
• Bluetooth signal transmission distance: more than 10m
• Frequency range: 20Hz - 20kHz
• Impedance: 32Ω
• Sensitivity: 101 dB
• Codecs: SBC/AAC
• Built-in battery capacity: 800 mAh
• Built-in battery charging time: 2 hours
• Battery life: up to 38 hours
• Standby time: up to 60 hours

Packing and scope of delivery:

The headphones come in a large black cardboard box, on the front side of which one of the sides of the headphones and the model name are shown in a schematic form.



On the ends of the box of the device, you can see and read about the main features of the heroes of the review, and find the address of the company in Chinese and English.




On the back of the box in a schematic form and almost life-size, there is an image of headphones.



Opening the box, we find a tight zippered case with a company logo, trimmed with a coarse fabric.



Inside the cover are:

• Headphones
• Detachable cable with 3.5 mm plugs on both sides, for wired use of the device
• Charging cable
• Manual
• A memo with a decoding of the key features of device management

The appearance of the headphones and controls:

Before us is a classic-looking full-size headphones, the main moving parts of which and the fastening elements are made of aluminum, which, as it were, inspires confidence in the reliability of the design of the headphones. The bowls of the device are also metallized and bear the company logos.




Soft ear pads and headband are sheathed on the inside with protein or eco-leather with a memory effect. The ear cups are large and deep enough to fit a small or medium ear without difficulty.



The marking of the headphone channels is applied to the plastic parts, next to the massive metal headband fastening pins.




All the main controls for the device are located on the right earcup. The most interesting and, in my opinion, a very successful solution is the plastic ribbed volume control wheel -1). Immediately on the bowl are: 2) A small LED to indicate the status of the headphones; 3) Next comes the multifunctional button, which in the music playback mode is responsible for the play / pause function, and in the incoming call mode, you can use it to answer the call or hang up; 4) Next is the on / off lever for the Bluetooth function, for wireless use of headphones; 5) Then we will find a pair of microphone holes and a 3.5mm plug hole, allowing you to use the headphones in a wired connection to the sound source; 6) Next is a USB Type C output for charging headphones; 7) The last control element is a multifunction button responsible for the functions of rewinding and switching tracks during music playback, and also alternately allows you to turn on and off by long pressing and holding the button the noise reduction (ANC) and transparency mode (Ambient).





Experience using and testing microphones:

The manufacturer installed a battery with a capacity of 800 mAh in the headphones, which, according to the company, should be enough for 38 hours of using the headphones in a wireless version, but KZ prudently made a note that such indicators were achieved in laboratory conditions. In fact, using the headphones for two work shifts of 12 hours, I could not completely plant them. In the wireless version, the headphones use AAC or SBC codecs, the quality of which, in my opinion, is quite enough for wireless use of the device. I also note that when using the noise reduction (ANC) function, when playing music, the bass sags noticeably, and the sound becomes somehow more clamped. At the same time, the noise reduction depth of 25 dB does not impress (many budget TWS headphones often have more), and all this, even in the amount of passive noise reduction provided by dense and soft ear cushions, does not cut off the noise of the same monotonous equipment well enough. But the transparency mode (Ambient), on the contrary, does not worsen the sound of the headphones, but suffers from landing, which is why the built-in microphones, although they try to convey the environment, but in order to hear what is happening around you, you have to lower the music volume to 50-60%. If there is no charge left in the built-in battery of the headphones, you can use a wired connection. In this case, the sound of the headphones will have the best quality, but you can fully listen in this mode only by connecting the headphones to a powerful high-end player or amplifier, since the headphones are very tight in the wired version, and a normal 3.5 mm smartphone output or an inexpensive portable DAC won't be enough.

Headphones, due to the abundant use of metal in their design, weigh almost 300 grams. A lot or a little, everyone will decide for himself. On my big head, the headphones sit well and comfortably, but after about half an hour or an hour, the ears begin to get tired of a rather tight pressure. As a result, for me, the whole structure looks something like this:




Testing the built-in microphones of the KZ T10 ANC wireless over-ear headphones

Sound:

The headphones were tested with the QLS QA361 player and the Samsung Galaxy S20 Fe smartphone.

For the sound of the headphones, dynamic emitters with a diameter of 40 mm, with a titanium-coated diaphragm, are responsible. It would be correct to say that we have before us, first of all, a great device for music lovers, as well as a great option for using headphones for home, sports and on long trips or business trips. Headphones have a slightly softened and bass sound, which performs well on the street, and in a rather noisy environment. Low frequencies, even in motion, do not noticeably sag and allow you to fully enjoy the music. In a wired connection from a high-quality source, the sound is of course richer, the headphones sound sharper at high frequencies, but still with good bass depth, a noticeable pumping of the lower mids and a slight softening in the lower register. Headphones build a deep and voluminous stage with a good separation of instruments in virtual space and positioning. The device perfectly reveals electronics, classical, hard rock and various modern pop music, and surprisingly, it even copes quite well with some meaty genres.


Conclusion:

What is the result? The first full-size headphones from Knowledge Zenit came out very successful in my opinion. The device turned out to be balanced, made of quality materials, while the headphones sound good and do not cost prohibitive money. Of course, the headphones are not perfect, and they have their drawbacks, but in their price category and based on the possibilities, this is an excellent candidate for purchasing not only for your loved one, but also a great option for a gift to relatives and friends.

You can purchase KZ T10 ANC Wireless Over-Ear Headphones from Knowledge Zenit, KZ Acoustics Official Online Store, and KZ Official Store on AliExpress.





Thank you all for your attention.

Introduction:
Knowledge Zenith, or KZ, is company from China that is known for producing budget in-ear monitors. In case you didn't know, the T10 is actually KZ's second headphone. The first headphone they released was the LP5, 4-5 years ago, and it didn't gain much popularity for some reason. This year, KZ tried again, and this time they included active noise cancelling and ambient mode. The T10 currently retails for 99 USD, and was provided to me for free by KZ in exchange for this review.

International purchase link

Specifications:
Driver unit: 40 mm dynamic
Impedance: 32 ohms
Sensitivity: 101 dB
Frequency response range: 20 Hz - 20 kHz
Noise reduction range: 50 Hz - 800 kHz
Bluetooth version: 5.0
Battery capacity: 800 mAh (up to 20 hours playtime)

Source:
Poco X3 paired with FiiO KA3, iBasso DC03, Shanling UA1, Tempotec Sonata E35 and Zishan U1

Test tracks:
Africano - Earth Wind and Fire
Dark Necessities - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Gurenge - Lisa
The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
Monsters - All Time Low
Ours - Taylor Swift
Stay - Mayday Parade
Snuff - Slipknot
Yesterday Once More - Carpenters
So Slow - Freestyle
Aurora Sunrise - Franco
Attention - Pentatonix
Blue Bird - Ikimono-gakari
You're Still The One - Shania Twain
Anyone Who Knows What Love Is(Will Understand) - Irma Thomas
Salamin - Slapshock
AOV - Slipknot
Hey Jude - The Beatles
The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson
...and a lot more.

Unboxing and Accessories:
The sample of the T10 I received does not come with the retail box yet as it was not yet officially released when KZ sent it to me. It only came in a cardboard box and bubble wrapped like someone's life depended on it.

Build:
The T10's body is a mixture of metal and plastic. The headband is made of plastic, with metal inserts for the size adjustment. The upper portion of the headband that touches the head has a rubber cushion for added comfort. The hinges the hold the earcups to the headband are made of metal, as well as the outer portion of the earcups. On the right earcup, there is a built-in dial for volume control. There is also a button labeled "M" for multifunction which acts as play/pause and answer/hang up a call. There is also an on/off/pairing mode switch, 3.5 mm jack for auxiliary connection, a USB C port for charging, and another button for next/previous tracks and for switching to ANC on, off, and ambient mode.

ANC and Ambient Mode:
The ANC mode is actually pretty decent. It can block most noises especially the sound of an air conditioning unit, low humming noises, and even people talking. But when this mode is turned on, it seriously messes up the sound. Everything becomes pushed back, the lows loses body, the mids become very thin, the already distant sounding highs sound even more distant. Meanwhile, the ambient mode is also good. It let's in a sufficient amount of sounds in the background without altering the sound of the headphone.

Now let's get to the sound.

Lows:
The lows are simply relentless. It has the biggest presence out of all the frequencies. Subbass has a major boost with serious amounts of rumble. The reach is just average but the decay and loudness of it are through the roof. Midbass sounds really thick, boomy, and oppressively bloated.

Overall, the lows feel like they are scattered everywhere. The lows are so boosted that, on some parts of some tracks where you expect a soft whisper, or a cymbal crash, you will feel a soft rumble behind it that should not even be there while using the T10.

Mids:
The mids have a hard time emerging through all the bass. The mids are also partially pushed back, vocals are really thick and sound like they are muffled. Guitars, pianos, and other acoustic instruments sound blurry.

Overall, KZ seems to really like recessed mids for some reason. And that alongside lows that are overpowering is never a good combination. It just takes away a lot of flavor especially in vocal focused tracks.

Highs:
The highs are missing in action. Treble reach is below average, partnered with a good amount of decay that can only be heard by focusing hard on it. Cymbals sound like they are crumpled together with the upper mids and all other instruments in this section barely have any presence.

Overall, the highs need the most improvement in the T10. There are a lot of details in every track that can't be appreciated because first, the highs lack that upper reach and second, the lows are just utterly dominant.

Soundstage and Imaging:
The soundstage redeems the T10's sound a bit. It has a slightly above average expansion for a headphone, focusing more on the width than the height. But all other technicalities, the T10 falls short. Imaging has subpar clarity, layering and separation of the instruments are both below average, and congestion can be felt on most tracks.

Conclusion:
KZ seem to have rushed the release of the T10. Build quality feels adequate, but that's just about it for this headphone. In terms of features, the T10 doesn't have much to show for in the competitive price range it got introduced to. To top it all off, the T10 has more misses than hits in its sound, which is the most important thing.

KZ T10 – ANC Indulgence


Foreword

• I never use EQ on any of my audio equipment
• This unit was sent to me by KZ for impressions and reviews. I received my T10 not in retail packaging, so the final retail unit sent to buyers will include proper accessories including USB and AUX cable. Mine didn’t even have a box
• At the time of this writing, my T10 unit has undergone no less than 72 hours of aging. With 45% of actual usage time and the remaining 55%, I left it powered on in ANC mode – playing Pink Noise track on repeat

The Build & Wear
Being the very first ANC headphone by KZ, I am impressed with the build quality. Overall construction feels solid and convincing. Yet it remained lightweight enough for a full-fledged ANC headphone. With my larger than average head, I have to pull the headband extension to the max. Once set, wearing T10 is pleasantly comfortable. The clamp force is just about right and does not induce fatigue even after over 2 hours of continuous usage. However worth to note that at the interval of 30 minutes it is a good idea to shift the pads a bit to ensure continuous comfort.

The pads are nothing short of amazing. Seemingly made of genuine soft leathers. It reminded me a lot of my Meze 99 Classics pads. Oval and fully circum-aural. The gentle texture is so very flush and comfortable to the skin. The pads itself being able to adapt to the contours at both sides of my head. What this T10 does better than Meze 99 Classics, Monolith M565c, Sennheiser HD400s and Fostex T40RP MK3 (all of them being oval shaped pads), the inner dimension is surprisingly spacious enough that my somewhat “elvish” ear tips are not touching the topside of the inner circumference. I recalled being utterly annoyed with the pain I get on ear tips after 1 hour of usage with those three, but none of this issue with T10. After 3-4 hours of continued usage, I did not feel any pain to my ears.

T10 has been designed and built both as ANC BT and wired headphone. On top of dedicated ANC BT battery powered operations, T10 is fully capable of functioning as wired unit by simply turning off the BT module and connecting a 3.5mm to 3.5mm Stereo interconnect. For this review I will describe how does they differ in SQ presentation with the different modes

Another very useful feature of T10, there’s a circular Volume adjuster on the right side of the cup. Easy to overlook as it is fully integrated to the body. The circular volume adjuster working as intended when worn, providing superb convenience without the need to reach out to my phone or laptop to crank the volume up or down. However, this volume adjuster only works in BT mode.




Bluetooth Characteristics
It seems that my T10 will only recognize AAC Codec as the BT connection. Forcing it to use APTX HD does not work.

Pairing with KZ T10 is easy. Just switch on and then let the host discover it. I was able to establish multiple partnership with both my Xiaomi Redmi 10 and Laptop. Switching between the two was just a matter to activating the connection on the intended host (or just simply turn off BT on one of the devices).

KZ T10 does exhibited very impressive battery. After charging it to 100%, I recorded that with continuous playback on BT ANC mode with 60% volume – T10 will only consume 30% of battery at the mark of 12 hours. So, it will be at 30% remaining at 24 hours. And will totally run out of power at the approx. 40 hours. Amazing!

* I didn't even bothered to use the archaic SBC mode. AAC is the absolute minimum I would set my BT devices.

Timbre, Dynamics & Tonality
KZ T10 stayed faithful to KZ house sound. Which means this T10 is assuredly a V sounding unit with slightly more emphasis to the lower frequencies. In alignment with current KZ tuning, the upper frequencies are notably not as pronounced as would be expected from the tuning of KZ of old (read: the early generation of KZ EDX).

Timbral characteristics are warm and organic. No hint of being metallic. I am glad that at the very least this T10 does not sound dark as how I would get from Meze 99 Classics or Sennheiser HD400s (both being closed back headphones).

Tone wise, yet again much similar to the current KZ EDX signature, they are not exactly neutral sounding. It is well enough balanced and believable. Does not sound artificial. Dynamics are slightly vibrant despite the range not extended as how I would prefer it – but this does not mean T10 is a slacker. T10 was not designed to be a “HiFi” headphone, the Dynamics are geared for portable ANC usage. So, for critical listening, T10 is not something I would use – the same can be said of Meze 99 Classics and Sennheiser HD400s.

Now, how does the presentation differ in BT mode and Wired? Not surprising that T10 has better Dynamics density, resolution and precision when wired – especially when paired with powerful sources like my favorite dongles of Ovidius B1 or CEntrance DACport HD. On BT mode, admittedly the limitation of AAC codec will degrade the overall quality at approx. 10-15%. But then as mentioned above the intended purpose of T10 is not for critical listening and unless compared directly, that missing 10-15% is totally negligible. Another observation, when paired with highly neutral sources from my Ovidius B1 and DACport HD, the sound seems to be less V curved with the Mids being presented with better forwardness and clarity.

Mids
The Mids are not the best feature of T10. Being a native V sounding unit it means it lacks pronounced definition and forwardness. At the very least the tonality is natural enough with ample clarity, crispness, and bite – nothing spectacular and not underwhelming either. Female vocals sounded properly textured with slight hint of warmth. However, with male vocals it seems to be a bit more withdrawn especially for deep sounding Baritone type.

Instruments wise, the imaging is amply clean and audible – again perhaps lacking a bit of precision and resolution.

On the other hand, when driven in AUX wired mode, the Mids seems to improve with better resolution and forwardness – at least that’s what I am getting when paired with Ovidius B1 and DACport CEntrance HD, both of which are the kings of #donglemadness and more than capable to bring the best of many stubborn headphones.

Treble
The general tuning for T10 will not appeal to Trebleheads. It is audibly short on upper frequencies extension. So, there’s a sense of rolled-off presentation especially with Treble decays. There’s ample subtle sparkle and airiness to keep things fun and enjoyable, albeit lacking a bit of texture and details. But when compared against the likes of Beyerdynamic DT990, Grado SR225e or Alessandro MS1, then I realized how fleeting the sense of Treble roll-off. But then this will be an issue only if I choose to nitpick on it and compare them side by side. Otherwise for casual day to day use, T10 Treble will not induce Treble fatigue like the DT990, SR225e or MS1. In fact, Treble performance of T10 is pretty much very similar to what I get from Meze 99 Classics.

Bass
Now, this is what I really like about T10. Bass is FAST and punchy without being overly bassy or intrusive. Mid-Bass is deliciously commanding yet highly disciplined not to bleed and interfere with lower Mids or Sub-Bass. Even when played with Massive Attack “Angel” and Hans Zimmer “Mombasa”, Bass remained coherent. Mid-Bass exhibited admirable level of texture, depth, and details.
Sub-Bass on the other hand, while does not go as deep and textured as Fostex T40RP MK3, it is still totally enjoyable with subtle presence and decays.
Again, drawing comparison with Meze 99 Classics, that Meze has more Bass and also very prone to sounding outright bloaty and slow. Bass bleed will occur more often than not, but not with T10.

Technicalities
Now, I do not expect T10 to be an outright competent performer when it comes to technicalities. It is a fun sounding ANC unit after all. However, I must credit T10 for being speedy and this means it will have great resistance to being congested or compressed sounding. The 40mm Dynamic Driver did a great job at responding even to complex passages or even outright speedy music at over 200 Beats Per Minute (BPM). This mean T10 sounds at home with Speed Metal, Black Metal, Rock, Shoegazing, Indie, or any of the multi-layered complex music I throw at it. Sinne Eeg Jazz recordings for example offer lots of complexities and T10 handled that all with great finesse.

Soundstage is commendably wide and tall with great depth, for a closed back ANC that is. I also used my T10 for gaming and I played Fallout 76 quite extensively. What I observed is that, how great the staging is with spatial imaging and placement. I was able to pinpoint enemy footsteps direction even when they are on a different floor. Of course, I have had even more precise imaging from my Logitech G733 which is thoroughbred designed from the ground up for 7.1 gaming experience. But in the absence of G733 I can totally still use T10 for gaming purposes. I did not observe any latency issues with my T10 so I am happy with that.

Admittedly, details handling of T10 is not as great especially with Micro Details. This is largely attributed to the rolled-off nature of the Dynamic range on both ends. It does get better in AUX wired mode with more pronounced resolution and imaging. Yet again, the same can be said of Meze 99 Classic and Sennheiser HD400s.

Sound Modes, Comms and ANC
The highlight of T10 is the Ambient Noise Canceling. KZ claimed that in ANC mode the T10 can suppress up to -25db of ambient noise. And I will attest that this is working as intended. For a thorough test I have worn my T10 on a walkabout in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur (where I live). Ampang Point is a very busy hub with intersections of roads filled by heavy traffic. While traversing through the chaos of midday activities, the ANC of T10 was able to suppress enough sound allowing me to enjoy my music with relative serenity. Turning off the ANC and I immediately hear how noisily buzzing was the environment around me. However as noted, the definition of ANC is suppression of “ambient” noise. So, I will still hear pronounced high-pitched sound from noisy motorcycles or trucks without proper mufflers equipped.

In comparison, the only better noise isolation can only be obtained from Etymotic ER series IEMS, both my ER4SR and ER2XR being able to passively suppress in excess of -45db of ambient noise. The catch is these are deep inset IEMs ahaha.

The other mode offered by T10 is the Ambient mode. Now I honestly don’t like this mode at all. While it offers a better surround imaging and staging, it also sounded a bit artificial to my ears. So, I opted not to use it that much afterwards. Preferring either the ANC BT mode or fully wired when sitting in front of my laptop.

I also use my T10 for work. Doing conference calls etc. Nothing spectacular to report, I just needed my T10 to sound clear and clean and that’s enough. Even when used with WhatsApp call the microphone quality was already good despite WhatsApp notorious latency. So, no complaints here.



Verdict
All things considered; I believe KZ has done it right with this T10. Sure, it does have some quirks here and there, but they do not serve as a deal breaker. What’s more important is that T10 is able to serve its intended purposes as fun sounding ANC unit. Not intended for critical listening. Taking into consideration how T10 actually performing very much similar to Meze 99 Classics and outright better than Sennheiser HD400s, I would say that T10 delivers above the asking price. To my ears, the 99 Classics are just darker sounding and with slightly less articulation when compared to T10. As I conclude this writeup, I still have my T10 mounted on my head for the last 4 hours nonstop. No sign of wear or sound fatigue – and that’s why T10 is a winner in my eyes.

KZ T10 can be purchased here now:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003571884977.html