Knowledge Zenith DQ6

About me
Hello, I am a 23 years old Argentinean audio enthusiast. I have been enjoying this hobby for quite some time (~5 years) and recently I started writing reviews about the products I own in order to bring insight of them. I speak spanish as my mother tongue so if you wish to read this review in spanish you can head to my wordpress blog.
Disclaimers:

• This product was purchased with my own money
• The review is based on 2-4hs listening sessions across 7 days - IEM used with stock tunning and accesories
• Favourite music genres: Heavy Metal, Classical, EDM
• Only lossless music from Qobuz
• Gear used: Fiio E10K

Introduction
This review will be about the Knowledge Zenith (KZ) DQ6, a triple dynamic driver IEM priced at $20.99 usd (found in Argentina for $41 usd)

Unboxing, build and accessories
The IEMs come in a small and simple box, in my opinion nothing to worrying giving the price point. At first sight, the IEMs are inserted into a hard foam to protect them from scratching. Under that foam, the cable and three pairs of extra eartips can be found.

The KZ DQ6 have a 3 dynamic driver configuration which are contained within an acrylic shell. The faceplate of the iem seems to be some kind of metal/aluminium and comes in to different colours: matte gray or silver. The cable that comes in the box is okay but the eartips can difficult the fit of the DQ6. If you have some preferred aftermarket tips, I recommend you use those instead.
Regarding comfort, the shape of them is perfect for my ears and I can use them for long listening sessions with some adjustements here and there.


Frequency Response Description

• Mild U shape (bass and treble boost)​
• Good extension under 100Hz​
• Recessed mids (1k region dip)​
• Good "air"/detail in the treble region (can be quite fatiguing for some)​

Subjective Sound Description
I divided this segment in two categories: gaming performance and musical performance.

Gaming
In this category I tried two kinds of different games: a Singleplayer game to test the level of immersion I get from this IEM and a Multiplayer game to test the imaging accuracy.

.Dying Light (Singleplayer)

• With a good fit they provide excellent isolation and make a pretty immersive experience
• Not a lot of spaciousness but you can infer the distance between each zombie on the streets
• The voice acting of NPCs sound natural with a good sense of right to left feeling
• Explosions during the campaign can sound a little bit harsh

.Apex Legends (Multiplayer)

• Footsteps coming from right/left are rather easy to hear so as is to discern when an enemy is running or jumping
• Gunshots can sound too strident for my liking
• Sense of spaciousness and imaging got better overtime. The first 10 matches it seemed kind of difficult to locate enemies inside buildings. When you get familiar with how this IEM sound it becomes much clearer.

Music
Starting of with Iron Maiden (Live at Long Beach Arena) the instruments sound and voices sound natural and organic. However, the presence of the bass guitar can feel a little too much due to the tunning of the DQ6. Imaging does good in songs like "2 Minutes To Midnight", to guitars up front with the singer and the drums further back.

"Vivere" by Bocelli sounds right, the voices sound natural but female vocals seem a bit more emphasized than male vocals. On the other hand, during "Spring" from The Four Seasons (directed by Fabio Biondi) I find a decent sense of clarity with the triple driver configuration offering good resolution.

EDM is a genre where this in ears shine. The bass sounds punchy and extends well into the sub-bass region. Can get a little congested in more complex tracks.

As mentioned, female vocals have more presence in the mid region. I find it quite pleasant to listen to songs from Adele and Amy Winehouse.

Lastly, Yosi Horikawa's work shows that the soundstage on the DQ6 is average at best. It also reveals good left to right imaging but the stage is neither deep nor wide.


Conclusion
KZ DQ6 offers a good value for the money. Is an IEM with good build quality and can shine in genres like EDM, Rap, Pop and Hip Hop. They are quite versatile as well, but the genres listed are the ones that favours the most. If you can get around some of the caveats like not a very attractive unboxing experience and the low quality eartips, I believe it is a great IEM to get into the audio rabbit hole.

At a Glance:

Overall Rating: S- (S+ to C-)

Category: D (0 -20 USD), MSRP: 19 USD, Acquired at: 0 USD (Review Unit)





Disclaimer:

A KZ ZEX and KZ DQ6 were sent to me by the KZ Official Team in exchange for a fair and honest review. I personally requested this unit of the DQ6 after positive feedback from some of my reviewer colleagues. This review is not sponsored, and no money was involved whatsoever. No external influences aside from my own will change the content of this review, and as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.



Overview:

The DQ6 is perhaps one of the less known in the KZ lineup hiding in the shadow of more famous relatives like the ZSN or EDX. It features a 3 dynamic driver configuration with a single 10mm dual-magnetic “XUN” driver and two other 6mm single-magnetic dynamic drivers encased in a resin housing with a metal faceplate. It’s tuned to a fun v-shaped signature.




Inclusions: A

This IEM comes in the by now incredibly familiar white box that many budget Chi-Fi IEMs from different brands also come in. It’s a standard slide out box, the outside features a picture of the product with some extra info on the sides and back. Sliding it out reveals the IEMs nested in a cut foam platform which when removed reveals the new KZ 2-core cable that I first saw on the EDX Pro and 3 of KZ’s ultra-thin and soft tips which seem to be shaped like short nozzles R-Starlines. These are NOT the same tips that come with the ZEX, they are even thinner and flimsier, and I found them to be unusable for the purposes of this review.





The included cable is an excellent new addition to KZ’s budget products. It’s very soft and extremely resistant to tangles and kinks. The connectors are made of a transparent plastic whilst the 3.5mm jack and the splitter are made out of a hardened rubber material. The only gripe I have it that it has a fair amount of shape memory, however this is thankfully remedied by the softness of the cable, and for a budget IEM, this is one of the best I’ve seen rivaled only by the Moondrop SSX and FAAEAL Hibiscus stock cables.

Overall decent stock package. Tips need to be better but great cable





Build: A+

This IEM is built similarly to it’s brother the ZEX with a resin/plastic housing the bulk of the components like the drivers and a thick metal faceplate for heft and aesthetics. However, unlike the ZEX, the DQ6 adopts a much more molded resin shell design that resembles a CIEM more than a typical UIEM, it’s quite molded and this results in a rather snug and secure fit. However, do note that this IEM has a rather aggressive concha fin protrusion. It personally didn’t bother me but I have spoken to a fair few people who found it quite uncomfortable, so do note that if you have a shallow concha depression. There is a single vent facing the XUN main driver and another larger vent on the faceplate (which might be a reason for this IEM’s soundstage performance) However, despite the venting I still noticed some mild driver flex on this IEM. Additionally, the nozzle has the similar issue of a too-small nozzle, making it tricky to tip roll. Overall, the build quality and comfort of this IEM is quite good, with a few minor caveats to look out for.



Sound Review Conditions:

• Stock KZ 2-core QDC cable
• Final E, BeeNoise, AZLA SednaEarfit and Sony EP-EX11 Eartips
• JCALLY JM20, CX-PRO dongles, Topping L30, KGUSS GH-3 Desktop
• Deezer HiFi, Foobar 2000, Signalyst HQ Player

Sound:

Bass: S+

This IEM has bass that can be characterized as punchy, fast and clean. The presentation errs towards a more distinct, transient heavy sound with extremely prominent initial snap to all but the slowest and thumpiest of notes. The actual bass frequencies are quite balanced but with an emphasis on the subbass. The quality of the initial attack doesn’t quite carry over perfectly to the decay stage though because this IEM can occasionally be too fast for some tracks, lacking some of the thickness and lack of control that some tracks seem to like. However, for almost any track that’s well mastered this IEM performs exceptionally well with excellent impact and weight behind. Bass texture is very well done, thanks to a good frequency balance and driver control the subbass prominence doesn’t come at the cost of the midbass. Overall, the clarity and speed of the bass combined with the tonal balance mean that this IEM has fantastic bass that works well for almost any conceivable application and genre of music. For 20 $ this is the best bass I’ve heard in an IEM, thus, a provisional S+ rank here.



Mids: A-

This IEM has a less balanced midrange response with an emphasis on upper range instruments and vocals and less forward lower mids. Despite having plenty of bass and especially weight and definition, this IEM’s male vocals could use some more warmth or thickness because the cleanliness of the bass region means that there is little midbass affecting the mids to thicken and mix with them resulting in a slightly hollow presentation. On the inverse hand, the upper midrange has been overcompensated for with what seems to be a rather sizable 2k peak, which results in shoutyness and sibilance in tracks that are susceptible to it at medium-high listening volumes. However, despite all the negative things I’ve said so far the actual listening situation isn’t too bad, in fact it’s still fairly good. Pairing these with a more musical and thick, warm amp resolves both the issues in one go and makes these sound much better. Regardless, as they are stock, these IEMs are about average for their midrange at best.



Treble: A

This IEM has the usual affair of budget IEMs, a focus on the lower treble and a rolloff at the mid treble with what can only ever be described as a chasm of death when looking for actual treble air and extension. It’s good but nothing special. Cymbal hits are decently snappy and provide the necessary brightness but they don’t have too much shimmer to them as you would expect. Treble air is just ok. False detail capabilities at mid treble are ok, nothing special. Extension isn’t here as you would expect from a budget IEM with no BA drivers. Overall treble performance isn’t too remarkable to me frankly.



Technicalities: S+

This IEM has a really good set of technicalities on it for it’s price. Firstly and perhaps it’s most attractive feature is a really wide, expansive soundstage that matches significantly more expensive IEMs in terms of sheer width. Now in terms of actual staging it’s not as impressive with less depth and front and back stage however, imaging is quite good and fairly finite on this IEM. Separation is well done the cleanliness of the frequency reproduction and the wide soundstage help pull things apart immersively without sounding forced or unnatural. Timbrical performance is very good, the fact that this is an all-DD IEM definitely shows it’s merits here. Detail retrieval is also good for the price, with this IEM able to resolve as well as comparable hybrids, perhaps due to the fact that it has those 2 extra micro-DDs. Overall technical performance is as good as it gets, and if you can get these IEMs at the SRP pricing of 19$ where I live, they stand head and shoulders above their competitors. Provisional S+ rank awarded here again.



Conclusion:

This IEM is so close to being great. It has the makings of a very well tuned IEM, and has the superb technicalities to back it up. It has none of the issues that plague it’s DD+BA brothers and most, if not all of those same benefits. I implore KZ to consider perhaps making a sonically upgraded version of this IEM that fixes it’s tuning missteps. Even so, as it is, this is a great all-rounder IEM for some clean bassy fun and it’s easily one of my favourite KZ models. Highly Recommended






Thank you very much to KZ for sending these out. When possible, do buy direct from them. It should save you from a headache if QC issues do arise.


Link (NON-AFFILIATE)


Shopee: KZ Earphone, Online Shop | Shopee Philippines

• Non-sound
• Sound
• Comparisons
• Conclusion

EDIT 2021-10-08: Found a better mod than my DIY foam mod, which is using the Tanchjim Oxygen (or Hana) filters on it.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/kno...essions-thread.698148/page-3785#post-16602418

Disclaimer: I bought this during the march sale on AliExpress at my own expense.

Price: 25 usd (was 21 usd during the sale)

Specifications:

Impedance: 24Ω

Earphone sensitivity: 112dB/mW

Frequency range: 20-40000Hz

Driver unit: 3DD (10mm dual magnetic dynamic unit *1 + 6mm single magnetic dynamic unit*2)


Accessories:

S/M/L silicone narrow bore tips


Cable: Better than KZ´s old brown cable, it works and at this price getting another cable isn’t that smart. (No measurements as I forgot about it and can’t find the cable anymore lol.)






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 (taping this vent will increase the bass but also increase pressure build up) 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 for me but people with very small ears can run into problems as this is bigger than KZ´s older iems.

Comfort: Good but could be better (my ears don’t like iems with a “wing”).

Isolation: Average isolation.

Setup: Schiit Asgard 3 (low-gain, volume around 8´o clock), Elecom EHP-CAP20 tips L, cable A3 4.4mm, DIY FOAM MOD (1/16 size)

Lows: Elevated bass with a sub-bass focus which makes it very fun but it is still clean due to it being fast and tight and is very well textured.

Mid-bass: Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), fast and tight and quantity is pretty decent, although struggles because of the separation, individual strikes aren’t very clean. The (02:55-03:01) section with the chopper is hearable but could be cleaner.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), elevated quantity makes it very fun but still clean due to the speed and tightness. Texture is also very good.

Sub-bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends low and rumbles a lot. Punch quantity is pretty high as well but is still tight, fast and well textured. Tonality is very good as well.

Will Sparks – Sick like that (03:08-03:22), a lot of quantity (and well textured) which makes it very fun but it is still clean due to it being on the faster side as well as tight.

Mids: Vocal balancing isn’t that good due to the male vocals being recessed while female vocals are more neutral. Quality is good due to the natural timbre and bass doesn’t bleed into the mids either. But this is not a good recommendation to people that prioritizes vocals (due to the V-shaped tonality).

Female-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), excellent vocal and instrument tonality/timbre, although vocals could be a little bit more forward. Detail and clarity are excellent as well.

Yuki Hayashi – MightU (01:58-02:55), vocal tonality needs to be brighter as well as more forward but timbre is very good. Instrument tonality and timbre are very good.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), not shouty.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Crescent (02:07-02:26), shouty and a bit chaotic due to the instrument separation.

Male-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality/timbre are very good but vocals are recessed.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), instrument tonality and timbre are very good but vocal tonality needs to be warmer as well as more forward (it is recessed), timbre is good though.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars aren’t sharp while tonality is very good.

Deuce – America (03:03-03:16), not shouty but instrument separation can’t keep up and it is chaotic.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, timbre, texture and detail are very good. Violin timbre and detail are very good but tonality could be brighter, treble extension is good.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), very good tonality and timbre as well as clean.

Soundstage: Extremely big soundstage in both width and depth, holographic.

Tonality: V-shaped with a tonality that doesn’t lean too much towards warmth/brightness and is well balanced. Timbre is very good and it is coherent.

Details: Very good macro-details but pretty average micro-details.

Instrument Separation: Separation and imaging are good for the price but it does struggle with fast and busy tracks (nothing I would complain at this price though).

Songs that highlight the IEM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7Grto8dtDI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=214V1oaOpjM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkID8_gnTxw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wp5jBgOcKo

Good genres: Rock/Metal, Trance, EDM, Pop, Kpop, Hiroyuki Sawano, Linkin Park

Bad genres: Very versatile for my library, but hip-hop, R&B and vocal music are the weaker genres.



Comparisons:

IEM: Blon BL-03 (mesh mod), Radius deep mount tips L, cable B3 4.4mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), similar extension but more rumble on the 03. Punch quantity is a bit higher on the 03 but tighter, faster and more textured on the DQ6. Tonality is a bit better on the 03 but cleaner on the DQ6.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), similar quantity but cleaner on the DQ6 due to it being a bit faster and tighter. Similar texture and overall tonality are quite similar.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), cleaner on the DQ6 due to the faster and tighter bass and tonality is slightly brighter on it. While it is warmer and more bloated on the 03.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocals have similar quantity (and tonality) but is cleaner and more detailed on the DQ6, timbre is better on the 03 but still very natural on the DQ6. Instrument tonality and timbre are better on the 03, although the mid-bass on the 03 has some slight bleed compared to the cleaner DQ6.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), a bit peakier on the 03 but similarly relaxing.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), vocals a bit more forward on the 03 and better timbre but similar tonality while detail and clarity are a bit better on the DQ6.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are a bit brighter on the DQ6 and more tonally correct but better timbre on the 03.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality and timbre are better on the 03 but better clarity and texture on the DQ6. Violin tonality, timbre and texture are similar but better clarity and treble-extension on the DQ6.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), a bit better tonality on the DQ6 and cleaner. Timbre is a bit better on the 03.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), soundstage is a LOT wider and also deeper on the DQ6 and is holographic on it. Detail, instrument separation and imaging are better on the DQ6. Timbre is better on the 03.

Overall: They are both my top 2 budget iems (during this review at least) but the DQ6 is a step above the 03 for my library, mostly due to the cleaner bass and bigger soundstage.



IEM: GS Audio GD3A, Elecom EHP-CAP20 tips L, cable A6 4.4mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), lower extension and more rumble on the DQ6. Punch quantity is also higher on the DQ6 but tighter, faster and a bit more textured on the GD3A. Tonality is more accurate on the DQ6.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), more quantity on the DQ6 but cleaner on the GD3A due to the faster and tighter bass along with more texture.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), DQ6 is bloated in comparison due to it having slower/ looser bass and poorer instrument separation.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocals are a lot cleaner and detailed on the GD3A as well as having better tonality and timbre, a little bit more forward as well. Instrument tonality is a bit better on the DQ6 (although unclean in comparison) while timbre is similar.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), peakier and more fatiguing on the GD3A.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), a little bit more forward vocals on the GD3A while it is also cleaner and more detailed. Tonality for both vocals and instruments are a bit better on the DQ6, while timbre is similar.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are more tonally correct on the GD3A but sharper.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality and texture are better on the DQ6 but similar timbre while it is cleaner on the GD3A. Violin tonality, texture, detail, clarity and treble-extension are a lot better on the GD3A while timbre is better on the DQ6.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), better tonality on the DQ6 but a lot cleaner on the GD3A and similar timbre.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), wider on the DQ6 but deeper and more holographic on the GD3A. Detail, imaging and instrument separation are a lot better on the GD3A. Timbre is a little bit better on the DQ6.

Overall: The GD3A is the better iem here and both are V-shaped iems, so the GD3A could be called the upgrade to the DQ6 (although their tonality is still different so its not a “true” upgrade).



IEM: Fiio FD5, Elecom EHP-CAP20 tips L, stock cable 4.4mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends a bit lower on the FD5 but similar rumble. Punch quantity is very similar, but tighter, faster and more textured on the FD5. Tonality is very similar.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), a little bit more quantity on the DQ6 but cleaner on the FD5 due to it being tighter, faster and more textured.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), cleaner on the FD5 due to the faster and tighter bass. (But treble is sharper here on the FD5.)

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), a bit more forward vocals on the FD5 and better tonality as well, similar timbre though. Instrument tonality is better on the DQ6 but a bit better timbre on the FD5. Cleaner and more detailed on the FD5.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), more fatiguing and sharper on the FD5.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), similar vocal quantity but cleaner and more natural (timbre) on the FD5. Although tonality is better on the DQ6.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), a little bit sharper and more fatiguing on the FD5.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality is a little bit better (warmer) on the DQ6 but similar timbre while detail, clarity and texture are better on the FD5. Violin tonality is similar but better timbre, detail and treble-extension on the FD5.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), a little bit better tonality on the DQ6 with similar timbre, more detailed and cleaner on the FD5.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), soundstage is a bit wider (and airier) on the FD5 but with similar depth. Detail, imaging and instrument separation are a lot better on the FD5. Timbre is a bit better on the FD5 as well.

Overall: They are somewhat similar but the DQ6 is the more relaxing and fatigue free iem with a warmer tonality, while the FD5 is brighter and more technical. Although the DQ6 in its stock form is actually extremely similar to the FD5, so in the DQ6 stock form the FD5 is a true upgrade over the DQ6.



Conclusion: Highly recommended, with this mod, TOTL tuning to me. In stock form It is good but can be a problem for treble sensitive people as it is quite peaky. Thanks for reading.

Graph:

(Reviewed using the “1dividedby16 foam” mod)

Cable source:

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

Reference/test songs:

Disclaimer:

I would like to thank KZ Official Store for providing a review unit of the DQ6. Check out their store on Lazada (Shop at KZ Official Store | lazada.com.ph). Rest assured that my impressions written in this review are my own personal thoughts and opinions and in no way influenced by outside parties.

I am not an expert in this hobby nor claim to be an audiophile. I just love listening to music and am fond of writing articles.


Introduction:

Knowledge Zenith – the man, the myth, the legend. Arguably one of the most important figures of the Chi-Fi world, at least one of the companies that brought it to its glorious state in present times. Straying from their usual offerings, but still sharing similarities with their other products, they release the KZ DQ6 – a 3-DD IEM that uses “XUN” drivers, all for under 20 USD, with a choice of either silver or black. This driver configuration is something that is rarely seen on budget offerings, often times only available for “mid-fi” and up. With a sensitivity of 112 dB and an impedance of 24 ohms, these will be fine with a phone. They have been critiqued by the community for their previous participation/s in the “driver nuclear race” and will the DQ6 just be another brick on the wall, or will it become the mythical KZ that made people love them in the past?



These were plugged to my iPhone 5s for the review.






Build and Comfort: Resin body with a metal faceplate in a matte finish. Quite an attractive shell if you ask me. It has a protrusion that allows for better hold but I can see this being an issue with other people. One concern I have is that the resin part is two-piece. Only time will tell how well it’ll hold up. The cable it comes with is the standard KZ biz – SPC cable, 3.5 jack and ends with a 0.75mm QDC connection. Usable, but it does tangle.




Now, onto sound:


For this review, the IEM was left in stock mode, without mods other than using the MH750 tips (fits nozzle perfectly) as the DQ6 stock tips don’t work for me.

----------

Bass – I LOVE IT. This is now my preferred “basshead” IEM, quality-wise. It isn’t bloated at all/doesn’t bleed, and leans more toward a sub-bass rather than mid-bass emphasis. Partnered with the excellent control, tightness and texture, even if quite elevated (still a V), it avoids drowning the midrange and treble. I rarely use this phrase, but I can say that the DQ6 plays in the same field as IEMs 6x more expensive.

Midrange – slightly recessed than what I would’ve liked (I prefer forward vocals) but it is still distinct, clear and doesn’t get lost in the mix. Not thick/warm sounding but may be slightly thin for some (particularly in male vocals). Personally speaking? quite natural, I would say. I like how they didn’t emphasize the upper midrange too much which tends to make IEMs aggressive/rough/grainy-sounding. I prefer this laid-back presentation of the vocals the DQ6 offers. Together with the excellent bass quality, the DQ6 gives a pleasant midrange that allows you to listen to music for hours on end. It’s a nice change from my previous IEMs which were more forward in the upper midrange. There are instances of sibilance to note on badly-recorded tracks.

Treble – It has peaks that can get you from time-to-time and has enough quantity to not become dark-sounding. One thing that stands out is the control and airyness of the treble region, not expeected in this ultra-budget range.

----------
Timbre – quite natural. No metallic timbre, whatsoever. KZ really did a great job with implementing the 3-DD setup (coherent-sounding also as I didn’t notice any difference from my single-DD IEMs).

Soundstage – closest to earbuds, width-wise that I’ve heard. I would’ve wanted more depth and better layering because it barely has enough to give a 3-D presentation.

Imaging – does its job. Won’t blow your mind but it’s decent.

Separation – sufficient. You’ll survive with any genre, IMO.

Detail-retrieval – surprising. I didn’t expect it to render detail due to the rather laid-back tuning (read: smooth-ish). Don’t get me wrong, it’s not distinct/defined, but it is nice to hear detail sometimes showing when listening to music.




Conclusion:

The DQ6 is a wonderful experience coming from the EDX. I was betting on these to save me from avoiding KZ products, and it did so with flying colors. It’s just more natural across the whole spectrum, with a better-looking and more upscale design and excellent fit for my ears. Granted, it’s 2-3 times the price of the EDX but I can say that the DQ6’s performance justifies that. If you want a tuning that you can relax to and one that offers quality bass, natural midrange, and airy treble, then this one’s for you. If KZ refines the tuning of the midrange and treble, utilize a better-fitting nozzle and more premium shell, then we might have ourselves a serious contender as the "best value IEM."

Rating: 7.5
Sound: 7.3

Intro​

After the two ("expensive") full-BA models (ASF & ASX) that were clearly behind expectations, KZ is getting back to the price segment and market they have always been able to dominate and hold their own in in an impressive way. Even if their model policy and especially its variance is questionable, they always manage to bring good budget IEMs to the market and satisfy the average music consumer with a strong price-performance ratio.

The DQ6 is now supposed to strike in the same notch as well. What is certainly special here is the return to the company's origins through the exclusive use of dynamic drivers (3). This lets us hope for good tonality and, in the best case, better technical characteristics than with the EDX. Let's see

Handling​

The KZ DQ6 has quite good ergonomics and seems very robust. However, I don't like the modular cabinet design, which consists of at least 3 parts including the sound outlet, as this results in more gaps than with 2-piece units (body and faceplate). This system was already used in the ASX du ASF, which are much wider and clunkier than the DQ6. This one is comfortable to wear and the isolation is also very good. I also like to use the supplied transparent silicone tips for other IEMs, since they fit me (at least the medium size) excellent and seal properly.

About the accessories is KZ-typically few words to lose. Except for the silicone tips which I see as an enrichment of my collection, we still get an average cable that serves its purpose.

Sound​

You can hear immediately that the DQ6 does not have a BA driver under the hood, because it does not have the metallic basic timbre of many KZ/CCA models, which I find on the one hand as a positive, but I still lose something technically. Not quite as drastically as the EDX, which admittedly belongs together with the DQ6 to the tonally better KZ-IEMs, but technically just does not act on a particularly good level. This destroys a lot, because a good tonality alone is not enough, even if it already makes a lot of difference. The DQ6 sounds a bit like a good UE boombox, where it's more about punchy bass, with recessed mids and from time to time a bit unpleasant in the highs, especially when you turn it up.

The bass is of the punchy variety but unfortunately not the fastest, which then becomes quite noticeable. That makes it not particularly precise and somewhat opaque, since I can't follow bass notes exactly, but rather get a bass ground mass in front of me. Still, I find it a fun alternation for bass-hungry tracks. I also like the physicality, which I appreciate in a good V-signature. Lots of steam behind it, but sometimes a bit out of control, unfortunately.

The mids are a bit more of a problem for me, they are not bad tonally at all, but lack transparency and detail. They are set back a good amount, which makes voices slightly fade into the background. In addition, they sound a bit dull and warmed up by the bass. As with the EDX, I have a bit of a feeling of consuming a jumble of music rather than making out a clear delineation of instruments.

The treble doesn't have the basic metallic timbre of many KZ models and sounds much more natural and not artificially boosted, but sibilants still annoy me from time to time and I would wish for more brilliance. The trebles did a solid job, but didn't stand out in a positive or negative way. Although, it does stick out to a moderate extent, which can diminish the audibility.

Technically, the DQ6 is not a total failure, but here it falls a bit short and one longs for the KZ-BAs, which do not always sound completely accurate, but can contribute openness and transparency. As well as more detail, a wider stage or a more differentiated imaging (of course there are negative exceptions - ASF/ASX) . You shouldn't expect more than good average from the DQ6.

Outro​

The DQ6 does what it is supposed to do: Deliver music to our ears. It does this with solid tonality, but completely lacks technical features that make the music interesting and lively. The comparison of a good Bluetooth speaker with emphasized bass reproduction is not that wrong. The bottom line is that the DQ6 is an average IEM with a good level of comfort, but it does not play above its price range and is certainly not made for detail fanatics and music virtuosos. Therefore, it clearly lacks speed and precision. In the gym, or as background sound, but quite suitable.


___________________________________________________________
More reviews: CHI-FIEAR
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CHIFIEAR/

Greetings!

Today we're going to drool over the DQ6, one of KZ's most recent and most interesting (imo) releases in a while.


The DQ6 is a triple dynamic earphone with one 10mm and two 6mm drivers working in tandem thanks to a tiny crossover. The clear acrylic inner body is composed of two parts neatly glued together with a lovely zinc-alloy faceplate rounding things out. Along with KZ's snazzy new(ish) logo brandishing the face plate is a slender 4mm long vent. It's not just for show either since you can see clear through it and into the shell. Also 4mm is the width of the gold coloured nozzles, widening to 5mm at the lip which does a great job of holding tips in place. Ergonomics and isolation are both strong points of this shell which does a good job of keeping outside noise from bleeding in and remains secure and stable even under the most intense head movements.

The cable is another strong point in my opinion. As with a number of new releases from the brand like the ZST X, ZAX, and ZSN Pro X, to name a few, they've included with the DQ6 the thicker, more plush and premium feeling silver plated cable that makes their old cables feel out of date. Unfortunately the old-school VSonic inspired hardware remains. While it looks cool, especially in white, strain relief is poor and the blocky design tends to catch on things. Plus, they still aren't including a chin cinch.


In addition to the earphones and cable, the DQ6 comes with new tips. Gone are the now legendary 'Starline' tips, replaced with the same single flange set I first saw on the S2 true wireless model. While I do like these tips, I find the silicone is a bit too soft and thin and as a result getting a reliable seal wasn't a sure thing like it was with the Starlines. Know what would be cool? If KZ included both types of tips with future releases. Hint hint, KZ

Moving past the visual and physical stuff, how does the DQ6 sound? Really quite good. Certainly better than I was expecting. I've tried a couple other triple dynamics in the past. The Geek Wold GK3 was the first and while it looked awesome, Geek Wold needed to spend more time cooking up a solid tune. Rolled off treble, weird timbre, hollow mids, and a tiny sound stage were some of the offending qualities. This was followed up with the unexpectedly great bboooll BOT1. The DZAT inspired design looked nice and was backed by lush, full mids, polite treble, and fairly punchy, well-controlled bass. It could have used more micro detail though, and the fixed cables were a deal breaker for some.


The DQ6 has a light v-shaped signature with impressive coherence between the three drivers within, particularly because this thing is so inexpensive. Treble extends well into the lower brilliance region, sloping off comfortably. This gives the DQ6 a reasonably airy feel with the roll off keeping it from becoming too harsh or irritating. That said, the mild bump at 7k could stand to be toned down a bit since I'm sure it'll probably bother treble sensitive listeners. While the dynamic drivers used fall behind KZ's armatures in terms of speed and overall clarity, they sound more natural and notes are presented with better control and tightness. I missed this presentation in a KZ.

The midrange is only slightly recessed with a lift in the upper mids giving them the presence needed to avoid being drowned out or underplayed by the other frequencies. Both male and female vocals are well represented with neither really having much of an advantage. If I were to side with one or the other, I'd give male vocals the nod since the DQ6's mids aren't overly thick or warm, qualities that to my ears are more beneficial to female vocalists. Clarity is excellent with good detail overall. Micro detail is a little smoother than those earphones that lean towards a more neutral, analytic presentation, and that's fine. Timbre is quite natural with just a hint of brightness to throw it off, similar in vein to the KB EAR Diamond.


Heading into the low end the DQ6 sounds more mature than a lot of other models in their lineup. Calling one out, the much more expensive ZAX could take a lesson from the DQ6 on punch and tightness because the low end here is just that; tight and punchy. The presentation is fairly linear too with a slight skew towards sub-bass and restrained mid-bass. The DQ6 doesn't issue a head-rattling rumble like the Dunu DM-480 and instead presents itself more like Moondrop's Starfield. You feel the deepest notes, but they don't take over. The reserved mid-bass region keeps the DQ6 from sounding bloated and adds just the right amount of warmth for my tastes. Notes hit hard and are well-controlled, backed by good texturing. I'd like a bit more grunge and crunch on the dirty notes from Tobacco, but as-is the DQ6's presentation is satisfying.

The sound stage on offer from the DQ6 is one of its more average qualities. Vocals fall just short of intimate having a default positioning just inside the outer ear. Sounds spread out cleanly from there with distancing stopping around shoulder width. The occasional effect with feel like it shoots off way further into the distance, but that's not the norm. I had low expectations , but imaging is excellent with channel-to-channel movements being easy to track. Instrument separation and track layering are also quite good. The DQ6 doesn't surround you with music like the Brainwavz B400 or some other multi-driver units, but it comes closer than I was expecting. It certainly outshines any single dynamic or 1+1 hybrid that I can think of within this price range.


Overall thoughts? This is one of the better products in this price range and easily one of the best earphones to come out of KZ in a while. Outside of that 7k rise, there is little I can think of to complain about. Tossing price back into the equation and my concerns are even less important. This feels like old-school KZ at their peak, and I love it.

Thanks for reading!

- B9

Disclaimer I purchased the DQ6 from the CCA Official Store shortly after it came up for sale for 35.42 CAD. I did not ask for a discount and they did not ask for a review, nor did I have any intention of writing one. The thoughts here are my subjective opinions and do not represent KZ, the CCA Official Store, or any other entity. If you want to buy a set, and I highly recommend doing so, you can scoop up your DQ6 here: www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001894623959.html

Specifications

• Frequency Response: 20-40,000Hz
• Impedance: 24ohms
• Sensitivity: 112dB
• Cable: 0.75mm 2-pin silver-plated
• Drivers: 10mm dynamic + 2x 6mm dynamic