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KZ ZS10 Pro IEM Headphone Review – Do the Amazon reviews hold up?
Introduction
Time for another review on some gear outside the guitar world! I talk a lot about IEMs (In Ear Monitors) on this site, I love them! I think being able to hear yourself play and protecting your hearing is a huge thing! You will be able to play better if you can hear yourself better! However, when setting up an IEM rig, it can be hard to pick the perfect IEM headphones. Do you go super cheap? Mid-budget? With a name you know? Or something rouge? Well, the brand KZ crops up a lot in the IEM and headphone world, but are they any good?
I went onto Amazon and decided to grab a pair of the KZ ZS10 Pro! Why these ones? Well, the reviews were amazing for them, and I wanted to see if they held up when used daily for recording, gigging, and rehearsing! So I grabbed myself a pair and waited for them to be delivered!
I have been using them for a while now (using them while I type this article out) and have put all my thoughts together! Why don’t I run through what they are and the specs of them, then I will dive into my thoughts on the KZ ZS10 Pro IEM Headphones!
KZ ZS10 Pro IEM
The KZ ZS10 Pro are an entry-level IEM set that aims to punch above anything else in their price point! The main earpieces are made out of stainless steel and aluminium alloy, making the earpieces very sturdy and lightweight.
Inside the box, you will find a variety of silicone ear tips of varying sizes. This means you will be able to find the perfect fit for your ears! Allowing as much isolation as you can get from standard (non-moulded) IEMs.
What is inside the KZs? Well, opening one up, you will find four balanced armatures which will take care of the detail and high end, and then one dynamic driver to provide the punch and low end to the headphones. Combining all of these, you will get a sound that is clear, crips and able to handle whatever band mix you throw at it!
The KZ ZS10 Pro’s feature a two-pin connector, making it easy to swap out the cable for another one. Meaning you can repair any broken cables with a new one.
You can find the KZ ZS10 Pro’s on Amazon for £35-£40. They come in a variety of colours and styles and also cable types (with or without a microphone). Why don’t I take you through my thoughts?
The Video
If you want a closer look at the KZ ZS10 Pro IEMs, then you can check out the very short video below, which shows you a few close-ups and shots of the headphones! The main reason for this video is to give you more of a sense of what the headphones look and handle like!
I did swap the cable out halfway through filming for reasons which I will go over below. I also filmed the IEMs after the swap so you can see the difference! As mentioned above, this is only a short video clip and isn’t like my normal videos! If you want to see them, head over to the YouTube channel and check out some other, full-length videos!
What are my thoughts?
The Design
They arrive in a very compact box which is well packaged and presented! The cable and ear tips are hidden away under the cardboard. Once unpacked, they are easy to plug in and get started! Popping the ear pieces in, you will notice if they don’t feel right or snug. Swapping out the ear pieces will help with this.
The purple colour is lovely and really gives the headphones a nice pop of colour! However, they have several colours in the range from greys to blues! The pop of metal and chrome really makes them seem more expensive than they were, giving them a high-end kind of feel. I know weight isn’t a great indication of quality, but these have a nice weight to them and do feel well made!
I will talk more about my dislikes later, but I will mention that the cable design isn’t great! The ear hook is terrible and the connectors are like a hybrid-style connector! Other cables will fit (I know this as I did swap out my cable); however, the connectors are external and poke out. A weird design choice.
"The low end isn’t as punchy as I would have liked"
The Sounds
I will say that the KZ ZS10 Pro IEMs have amazing high-end clarity! Listening to podcasts using them, the vocals are so clear and moving. Over to some music, the symbols are so balanced! They are really comfortable to listen to in regards to the higher end! This is super useful for IEMs! When monitoring your mixes, you want a good range of frequencies; however, you want the high end to remain clear (as well as the low end).
The low end isn’t as punchy as I would have liked or expected while rehearsing! I know these are IEMs and you need them flat, but I have thought that if your IEMs aren’t moulded, then a bit of a bass boost is always welcome! Ignoring this, they sound nice and flat and are great headphones. What this does mean, as I mentioned briefly above, is that they are very flat and help you get a better mix when performing! They do have a nice mid to high hump around the 2k mark! Which brings out some clarity in a lot of instruments.
More on the Sounds
I ran the KZ ZS10 Pro’s through a headphone test and didn’t get any buzzing or noises. From the super lows to the extreme highs, the headphones remained solid and clear! I took the headphones down to about 25Hz with no rattles or shaking of any kind!
If you are planning to buy these as general listening headphones, then I think you would be better suited to something else. As I have said above ,they lack the low end boost and punch you would get out of a general pair of headphones. However, as a pair of headphones for using in an IEM rig, they are perfect! They are fairly balanced and level. I would say my ears hear a slight push in the top end.
The Drawbacks
I guess the biggest critique is that the KZ ZS10 Pro IEMs aren’t moulded! Hopefully, you know that, and for the price, you would know they aren’t. However, this does mean that you don’t get a full seal on them. They sound incredible, but they don’t block out sound fully! You will still get some leakage!
The over-ear hook in the cable kept falling off and causing the earphone to become loose in my ear. They are slightly better when you are using them stood up; however, the hook is still pretty loose over your ears. On any other headphones, you would fix this by sliding up the grip on the cable to make them tighter, but they didn’t put one on these IEMs. I can’t complain too much as the cable is most likely the compromise to bring these headphones in at the price they are.
Also, they are what I would call long-term comfy! I was wearing them to rehearsals, which was about 2.5 hours, and after about 2 hours, they started to irritate my ears. I found myself taking them out more when I wasn’t playing. This is to be expected from generic-fit IEMs but something to take into consideration. 2 hours of wear before having to remove them is still really good!
"had to remember how much these IEMs were! They are super affordable"
Final Thoughts
If you are diving into the world of IEMs and want to give them a go, then I don’t think there are any better options! If you are a complete beginner and want to try a set of IEMs out, then these are the ones. However, the really surprising part is that I also think they are perfect for anyone up to professional! I would be happy gigging these; in fact, I will be at my next gig and I will report back. Great main pair, great backup pair! For how much they cost and how professional they feel, you can’t beat them! Speaking of cost!
While writing this review, I had to remember how much these IEMs were! They are super affordable; I would argue they are cheap! I got mine on sale and paid £32 delivered! For the price, you won’t find a better pair of IEMs! I wouldn’t even say these are great for people starting out in IEMs; they are good for anyone! Even if you have a pair of high-end, moulded IEMs (like I do), then grabbing a pair of these and keeping them as spares or your rehearsal headphones is the perfect option!
Conclusion
That is my review of the KZ ZS10 Pro IEM Headphones. A super affordable pair of IEMs, perfect for everyone! They look great, sound great, and most importantly, are super comfy! If you want to grab a pair for yourself, you can grab a pair from Amazon! They have several models available, coming in at a range of prices! So have a look around and see what one offers!
Do you like me reviewing other gear that isn’t related to guitars? If so, let me know, and I will look to reviewing more studio and production gear if you would all like to see that! It was good fun checking out some other stuff!
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