KZ PR1 PRO Planar IEM

Got this as my first planar since I was curious to see how it sounded like. At first, I wanted the PR2 V1 (which was freaking awesome for the price) but since that black mesh fiasco, I decided to get the PR1 Pro. When I tried it for the first time (using with my phone and a good dongle) it sounded like total garbage, the treble was crap, couldn't bear it. Immediate regret.

With a nice DAC and after a little bit of EQ tweaking, it actually surprised me. Would I recommend it at its price range? Probably not. Cheaper stuff are on the same level (if not better) and they don't need any tweak to sound good. But hey, if i'm being honest, it's still a decent entry level planar. That being said, it's the first and probably the last item that i'll ever buy from KZ. For the price, I think you'll be much better off an ZS10 Pro X, that's one of the only respectable KZ's that I know.

Before I even start this review, let me first say sorry for my broken English and grammatical mistakes.
The KZ PR1 Pro is directly sent by KZ in exchange for my honest review,

Just in case you're interested on this IEMs after reading this review, you can get it here
Aliexpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004965009239.html
Lazada: https://www.lazada.co.id/products/i...863640.table_online_product.19.114f4edfzbTmeM

Unboxing
Unboxing experience is pretty simple generic typical your KZ IEMs with simple packaging
Inside the packaging you get :

• SML Foam Tips
• 8 Strands Upgraded SPC Cable 3.5mm
• IEM itself

Build Quality
Lets start with the shell, faceplate is made from glossy metal, backside of the IEM I believe is made from transparent acrylic / plastic? also for the mesh / grill, I don't know if its for tuning purpose designed like that or only for aesthetic.
Not the most premium built IEM ever, but it works.


For the cable, it comes with upgraded 8 strand KZ SPC Cable, its supple and soft, for the connector, i believe it use 0.75 type c KZ connector / QDC
As for the foam, I don't really know what brand do KZ use for the PR1 Pro, it doesn't look like the one that KZ usually sells.



Fitting
The fitting on PR1 Pro is very comfortable, no wonky shape like other planar IEMs, pretty straight forward plug it to your ears then boom, great sound! (more on that later) I can easily wear the PR1 Pro for long hours without any discomfort on my ears.

SOUND
Sound Tested Using :
Redmi Note 9 Pro, FiiO K7, Moondrop Click, Stock Foam and Final Type E Eartips, Stock Cable
Apple Music Lossless, and offline FLAC files
Genre : J-Pop, J-Rock, Anisong, Jazz, EDM, Rap, Metal
Such as : Ado, nZk (Sawano Hiroyuki), LiSA, Aimer, Misia, Adieu, Yoasobi, Tielle, SennaRin, Hoshimachi Suisei, Ellegarden, One Ok Rock, Polkadot Stingray, Survive Said the Prophet, indigo la End, Reol, Tiesto, 2Pac, Biggie, Trivium, Plini, and much more

As for eartips, I personally dislike using foam tips, but I do try both foam and tip rolling, the sound on stock foam tips I do found it somehow has a bit bloated bass and harsher upper treble, so I use the Final Type E eartips for more comfort and the rest of the review.


Tonality in General : I'd say the PR1 Pro is Neutral with bass boost, balanced, very dynamic sounding, heavy slamming bass, not overly forward mids, and zero peaks forward treble but not presented in the usual v-shaped manner.

Bass : Boosted sub – mid bass, tight, punchy, thumpy.
IMO the PR1 Pro has really good bass quality, you can feel the heavy slams, rumble but at the same time, the bass is well controlled, speedy, and tight.
Sub bass is deep, has good rumble, mid bass slams hard and full bodied, it also has great sense of physicality, you can feel the bass moves air to your ear canal.

I remember the exact day this unit arrived, out of the box trying the PR1 Pro for the first time, when the music starts and bass slams, I instantly smiles and nod my head, “whoa, this set has really good bass”.

Mids : I love the mids on this sets, tested on song such as “Lady Funky – Misia “ It sounds full, has good note weight, a bit warm, vocal sounds right, not shouty, not sibilant, inviting but kept at a distance.
Mids on this set is very musical, instrument such as trumpet sounds correct, if planar usually present mids on analytical manner, the PR1 Pro has more musicality on it.

Treble : No peak at all, very good extension, airy, has good clarity, forward but smooth at the same time, never tiring for long listening.

Timbre : Yep it has that planar sheen because it is a real planar unit.


Technicality :

Detail Retrieval & Resolution: On par with sets like dioko, which means it has great details for its price, tho some might say dioko has better details due to its unnatural peak on the 8khz region forcing the treble to stands out like a sore thumb.

Soundstage : Huge, grand, symmetric in size (width and depth) tracks like Nier Automata OST, Genshin Impact OST is really enjoyable to listen on this set.

Imaging : Very great for the price, i dare say it “almost” sounds holographic, you can easily visualize the instruments and vocalist on their place.

Positioning & Separation : You can easily pinpoint any instrument / foot steps if you're into gaming (tested on Valorant) with this set.
Separation is also very good, remembering that this set has heavy bass, even on busy tracks such as Love (feat. pH-1) – indigo la end, the sound is not congested at all, you can discern what sound is playing on the background easily.

Transient & Decay : It has speedy and snappy transient thanks to the planar unit, as for decay its a bit on the shorter side.

Pairing :
PR1 Pro for a planar set is not very heavy to drive, you can just plug it to your phone and enjoy, but it does scale if you use better gear.
For me, the PR1 Pro has more synergies with warmer source.

Comparison :

Moondrop Stellaris :
Overal presentation of the Stellaris is more analytical, bright, but with better detail retrieval and resolution if compared directly with the PR1 Pro.
Stellaris has more neutral but wonky sound signature, it has less overall bass, peak on 2khz making the vocal sounds nassaly and instrument more specificaly electric guitar too intense.
Treble on Stellaris is also peaky, especially the peak around 8khz making vocal sounds sharp and unnatural, fitting on Stellaris is also more challenging because it affects directly how the Stellaris sounds (check my review for more detail on that matter)

7Hz Salnotes Dioko
Dioko to my ears is a lean sounding set, more or less same bass quantity as Stellaris and has weird 8khz peak that make edge of every notes sound sharp.
Mids presentation on Dioko is pushed back compared to the PR1 Pro (if your Dioko come with the correct filter that is)
Treble on Dioko to my ears sounds unnatural and forced because of the peak around 8khz, sure it might affect the perception of detail retrieval, but in a forced manner like throwing it to your face.
Technicality wise Dioko win only on detail retrieval that is also because of how forced the treble is presented on that set.

The PR1 Pro replaced both Stellaris and Dioko as my portable EDC planar IEM for me.

HiFiMan Sundara
Just for the sake of overall planar comparison, the PR1 Pro if compared to full sized headphone such as Sundara, it has the exact same planar characteristics, nothing is lost on the PR1 Pro, just different tuning and different price point and different form factor.

Sundara has HRTF / Diffuse field-ish tuning compared to the PR1 Pro bass boosted profile.
Bass on Sundara is clearly FLAT but still has that punchy planar bass.
Mids on Sundara is more forward compared to the PR1 Pro and overal sound presentation of the Sundara is more focused around mids area / mid-centric.
As for the treble Both Sundara and PR1 Pro treble is well extended without any weird peak, both has good clarity and brighness to it but the PR1 Pro is a bit smoother to my ears.

Technicality wise Sundara easily beats the PR1 Pro on all aspects, but i found myself picking up the PR1 Pro more often than my Sundara because of how fun and dynamic sounding the PR1 Pro is.

Conclusion / TLDR ;
IMHO, I can't find a fault or a reason on not to recommending the PR1 Pro especially at this price besides wishing it comes with a pouch for carrying the IEM, but for the sake helping the community :

The KZ PR1 Pro is recommended for individual who :

• Wants a Planar IEM
• Wants Allrounder Dynamic and Fun Sound
• Prefer More Musicality Presentation
• Is On a Tight Budget

The KZ PR1 Pro is NOT recommended for individual who :

• Prioritize ultimate detail retrieval (get Stellaris)
• Wants More Premium Build Quality
• Is Allergic to Bassy IEMs

thats all from me, thanks for reading and again, forgive my weird English and grammatical mistakes.
*note : I might edit this later for correcting the English / Better Picture


-littlenezt

Disclaimer: I bought this with my own money from KZ. Thank you KZ for giving me the 50% discount back when this was first release. Everything I said in this review is my opinion only. Hope you guys enjoy



Packaging

Like many other KZ iem nowadays, the PR1 Pro comes in a small box, in which has the iem itself, a SPC cable with QDC terminal, a few pair of tips with no iem case or pouch

Theoretically, the PR1 Pro should have come with 3 pair of foam tips, yet in my case there was only one pair of M size foam tips with two pair of S and L size whirlwind silicone tips. No biggie, as I only use the M size foam tips anyway.

I contacted Judy on kztws and she said it was fault on their part and they will do their best to prevent it from happening again in the future. They offered to send me another set of foam tips, but I told them it’s okay as it’s not worth the hassle.

Design/Build quality/Comfort

The KZ PR1 Pro’s housing is made from two clear acrylic pieces with an aluminum faceplate, all sandwiched into each other using glue. The durability of these type of construction is questionable, time will tell. However, as of right now, the iem seem to be sturdy enough. The cavity base part feels smooth with no rough edge to it.

I don’t know if the vents on the faceplate are for aesthetic only, or do they actually have some purpose regarding the tuning.

The fitting of the PR1 Pro is very good. I honestly though it was big (KZ AZ16 Pro kind of big) from the picture, but upon arrival, it’s only medium sized, slightly leaning on large. The contour of the housing fit my ear perfectly, like many other KZ iem.

The cable itself seems good. It’s not easy to become tangled. There’s little to no microphonic from it. The ear hooks are not too soft or too hard. Of all the cable that KZ is currently selling/shipping with iem, I’d say this is their best cable

Sound impression

Sound signature: I’d say the the PR1 Pro has a balance tuning with a hefty bass and treble boost. It’s not exactly pure V-shaped because I didn’t find the mids to be too recessed, but more on that later.

Bass:

This is my favourite part of the PR1 Pro. Growing up with dynamic driver headphone or iem, I’ve grown familiar with how DD’s bass sound or feel. This is different. The bass is tight, thumpy, heavy yet has very fast responsed and corrected. Subbass is well extended with a good sense of rumble. Midbass is well defined and full. I do find the midbass to be slightly muddy. Just slightly.

Kick drums, bass guitar, trumpet sounds fun with good body to it. I can easily pick up all the hits and slams, all the bass guitar strings being plucked. Although subtle, the way the air moves or the rumbling sensation that the planar brings feels different from typical DD’s bass

Not to mention, planar iem takes EQ like a champ. It doesn’t suffer from disortion or a sense of suffercate if you take DD’s bass to the extreme through EQ.

All in all, although it’s not in a true basshead territory, the KZ PR1 Pro brings a very satisfied bass profile.


Mids:

The mids sounds good enough. It feels slightly recess due to the elevated bass and treble, which in turn push the vocal into the background. Male vocal sounds rich with good body to it. There’s a slight sense of midbass bleed on some busier track, but it’s very forgiving. Female vocal sounds more emphasizeds compare to male vocal, but not by a lot. It doesn’t come across as too aggressive or to energetic. That being said, both male and female vocal sounds smooth and very well positioned. The PR1 Pro just doesn’t have that mid-centric type of tuning that some may searching for.


Treble:

Here’s where most of my nitpicks regarding the tuning of the PR1 Pro will be. It has an airy, sparkly, well extended treble. I can perceive all the micronuances that registered in the treble region. HOWEVER, it is simply a lot. It’s not like the treble is too bright or metallic by any means, the quantity of the treble here is a bit too much for my taste. It takes away my focus for the other region.

Cymbal strikes or hi hats sound overly pronounce, almost like it was in your face. The planar sheen didn’t help either. Altogether, the timbre of the instrument here sounds not as natural as I’d like.

BUT, there’re some saving graces for the treble. The treble’s overall presentation of the PR1 Pro is very smooth. There isn’t any weird dips or peak that makes the overall timbre sounds unnatural. Also, the high density foam tips that they provide seems to tame down the harshness of the treble, so it’s a good thing that they opted for foam tips.

Weirdly enough, as much as I complained about the treble, I didn’t get fatigue from it, even after using it for hours

Technicalities:

The soundstage is wide due to the sense of airiness brought by the treble. It has sufficient sense of depth and height to it. Imaging are good, you can easily pinpoint and visualize all the instruments here and there. Detail retrieval and resolution is also good. I have no complain regarding the technicalities of the PR1 Pro. It’s not the best I’ve heard, but for the price it is up there among the best.

Source:

Phone: Poco F3

Dongle: 7hz 71, Hiby FC4, Faaeal KT4099, Jcally JA03 passive dongle

I find the KZ PR1 Pro to be very easy to drive. Even when I use it with the passive dongle (dongle that has no dac chip in it), I can still easily reach enjoyable volume. But of course, the PR1 Pro benefits from a better source. Although I don’t have many dongles to test it with, I find the PR1 Pro to have good synergy with the 7hz 71 due to its smooth presentation. The Hiby FC4, as good as it is, makes the PR1 Pro a little bit too harsh or too analytical than it already is. It’s not a deal breaker nor it is something very noticeable, just something to note by.

Conclusion:

This is the best KZ’s iem I’ve ever heard. Plain and simple.

Who is this set NOT for? If you’re treble sensitive or if you like a more neutral type of tuning, this set is not for you. Or if you’re searching for something that has the most natural timbre or some mid-centric type of tuning, this set is also not for you.

Who is this set for? If you’re new to planar iem and you want to have a well tuned iem with out breaking the bank, this is it. It’s not perfect by any means. Even though there’re other contenders for planar iem under 100$ like the CCA PLA13 and the previous two PR1, the 7hz Dioko; the PR1 Pro is the best option in my opinion.

However, considering it has the price of 80$, you can opted for the S12 for around 20$ more on Aliexpress. The S12 has a full metal housing, an arguably better cable and a similar fun tuning. For 40$ when it was first release, the PR1 Pro was a must-buy. 60$ on sale, it’s still a must buy. But when the price is 80$, it’s not a straight answer anymore.

That being said, would I still recommend this set even if the price is 80$? Absolutely. However, I’ll have to point out that there’re many other options, not just planar iem, in the sub-100$ price to consider like the Olina SE, Truthear Hexa, Tangzu Wan’er, 7hz Zero, …

In short, this is the best KZ’s iem I’ve ever heard to date. Plain and simple. I'm looking forward to what KZ will bring to the table in the future.

Introduction
The best planar in-ear monitor from KZ yet! Period. Yes, meet the latest KZ PR1 Pro. It is loaded with well-tuned second generation 13.2mm dual-cavity planar unit. Supports 20 to 40,000 Hz frequency. Comes with standard 8-strand braided silver-plated cable and memory foam ear tips this round. Sound great? Let's find out together...

Special Thanks
This review is possible thanks to below companies. Be sure to check them out...

• KZ for this KZ PR1 Pro Planar Earphone and KZ PR1 HiFi
• Zorloo for Zorloo ZuperDAC Pro

Package Content & Design
KZ PR1 Pro comes in a simple white package. Well-protected as you can see. Once taken out KZ-PR1 Pro with medium size ear tips, there are user guide, additional 2 pairs of memory foam ear tips (S & L) and 120cm standard 8-strand braided silver-plated cable.



This cable is 8-strand, 200-core silver-plated. Comes with standard 3.5mm plug and is loaded with aluminum alloy splitter. Rest assures that it will shield signal interference, reduces distortion rate and ensures lossless transmission of sound quality. By the way, you can also opt for cable with high-sensitivity microphone. Just pick the one that you prefer will do.



Outstanding build quality yet stylish in design! PR1 Pro is loaded with lightweight alloy cover with see-through bottom shell. Again, rock-solid surely will protect the 13.2mm dual-cavity planar unit inside. As usual, it comes with 0.75mm standard gold-plated plug, widely applicable to 2 Pin cable. You can change the cable easily when needed. Or turn it into a Bluetooth earphones with KZ AZ15 Wireless Bluetooth Earhook.



Yeah... There is a free KZ Earphone Case included this round. It is compact and lightweight. Loaded with high quality PU leather fabric.



Perfect fit. Just put your KZ PR1 Pro inside the case. And carry it to any place that you prefer easily.



Fit, Comfort & Isolation
KZ PR1 Pro is designed to be worn over the ear. Yup, it is pleasant and comfortable to wear for long hours. Just pick the correct ear tips size that matches you will do. Memory foam ear tips never let me down. In addition, the ergonomic design helps to keep the earphones securely on my ears too. Besides, it has excellent passive isolation. It does block some of the environment noises. And you won't notice much microphonic from cable too.



Sound Quality
It is easy to drive KZ PR1 Pro with just 16Ω impedance. Most smartphone in the market should have enough power to drive it. Personally, I am using Zorloo ZuperDAC Pro USB-DAC with ESS Sabre 9281ACPRO. It is much better than smartphone built-in one. And manages to get more juice out of KZ PR1 Pro. FYI, it is slightly easier to drive than PR1 HiFi Edition.



Overall, KZ PR1 Pro has balanced with warm touch sound signature. As usual, it is dynamic and detailed. Soundstage is wide and imaging is excellent. Narrow than HiFi Edition but the depth in all direction is much better in return. Therefore, you can identify all the instruments' placement clearly. As usual, Arcason by Candido Camero and Oh by Dave Matthews surely perform well here too.



Warm and pleasant vocal is the star today. Yes, PR1 Pro performs the best on vocals no matter female or male. They sound comfy and lovely. Eyes on Me by Faye Wong, Tim McGraw by Taylor Swift surely give me the sweetness of their voices. That's the beauty of PR1 Pro brings. You will feel that HiFi Edition with bright sound signature sounds cold on the vocals.

Highs are detailed and clear. Not as bright as HiFi Edition. Toned down a bit but still able to give the crispness that it should. As for lows, they performs very well as the warmness continues to shine here. Yes, you can easily feel the bass bumping here and there. Deep and punchy yet well in control. Overall, both Pro and HiFi Edition are excellent planar IEM. Just pick the one that suits your taste. You can't go wrong with either one of them.

Advantages

• In love with the warm & comfy vocals
• Dynamic and detailed
• Clear imaging with deep depth
• Outstanding build quality
• Comfortable for long hours
• Excellent noise isolation

Limitations

• For the price, nope

Conclusion
Fall in love with the warm and comfy vocals! Enjoy dynamic and detailed music. Budget yet performing! Wait no more and get your KZ PR1 Pro now. Enjoy it!

Disclaimer: Thank you and kudos to KZ for arranging this review unit, all herewith are based on own observation with no affiliation nor obligation, noob observation - please enjoy.

Packaging / Presentation :

Packaging wise is standard small little white cardbox, IEMs are resin built with metal alloy faceplate. This package comes with 3 pairs of thermoplastic slow rebound foam tips in S M & L , stock cable is 8 core braided silver plated, feel is soft and flexible.

Equipment used / Music choices :

ASUS Laptop with Realtek Soundcard - xDuoo TA05 tube amp, FSA Beyond HD amp and Supplier HD Linear Supply
iMac - Linux - RPI4 8GB - Volumio Spotify Connect - Topping DX3PRO - L30
iMac - Linux - RPI4 8GB - Volumio Spotify Connect - ifi Zen Dac v2.0 - ifi Zen Can
Sony walkman A55 with Fiio A5 Portable Amplifier / Fiio M9 DAP 3.5mm SE, 2.5mm Bal
LG G7+ / Samsung Note8 / iPhone11 - Apple Dongle [UAPP / Tidal] 3.5mm SE, Samsung Dongle, X1, CXpro, Shangling UP5

Music Tracks - variety of EDM, pop, jazz, country, instrumentals, audiophile male/female, chinese / cantonese favourites.
Some of tracks used -
I'm Good - David Guetta and Bebe Rexha, Dancing in the Dark - LOLO, Charger [ft. Charli XCX] - ELIO, Islands in the Stream - Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, Dire Straits - Tunnel of Love, Billie Ellish - Happier Than Ever, Aha - Hunting High and Low, Camomile - Fields of Gold, Chicago - You are the Inspiration, Depeche Mode - Strange Love, Eagles - Hotel California, Ed Sheeran - I Don't Care, Fleetwood Mac - Big Love, Glass Tiger - Thin Red Line, etc..

Sound Impression :

Tonality and Timbre - sounds pretty neutral, balanced and smooth, not metallic nor sibilant.

Bass - this is perharps the strength of this set, good quantity and quality thus is thumpy and slamming, also due to planar driver, transient speed is fast and snappy. The bass is actually well controlled and accurate, kick drum and strikes are quite precise. Bass lovers will definitely like and enjoy this set. Eargasm......

Mids - female and male vocals are very enjoyable on this set, delivery is clean, clear and concise voice. Brightness and tonality is just right. female vocals will sound better for this set especially, on my preference for audiophile female singers.

Treble - instruments are clear and concise, accurate yet not sibilant, cymbals and high hats are good and can be heard in their respective area.

Soundstage is considered moderately wide in width, average wise in depth and height. Instruments seperation is done pretty well, will suffer slightly if it is a fast and busy track. Resolution and precision is above average.

Not a big fan of foam tips, will seal and isolate very well, however it sounds very close up and congested to me, change to wide bore voice tips increase the experience, more open and organic.

The 8 core braided silver plated cable seems to pair well with the IEM, feel on cable is soft and flexible, good to the touch.

Comparison to Letshuoer S12Pro

KZ PR1 Pro's MSRP at USD 80 is significantly lower than Letshuoer S12Pro at USD 169.

However, the overall package of S12Pro comes with a better built IEM fully metal alloy shell, modular changeable plug 2.5bal, 3.5SE and 4.4bal connectors, 3 foam tips and 6 silicon tips, and a hard shell carrying case.

Sonically, the bass of PR1pro can match the S12pro in terms of quantity and quality, transient speed of the planar drivers is as fast and accurate. The mids on PR1pro on itself is considered good, however when A/B with S12pro, will hear a midbass bleed which will give a slight veil. The same goes for the treble, S12pro will present a better clarity and resolution, even in fast and busy tracks.

Conclusion

I personally consider KZ has done a pretty good work on this KZ PR1Pro, developing their own planar driver and tuning to such a mature state. Congratulations and keep up the good work. KZ/CCA has been in market long history of producing budget affordable good products for the masses.