KZ EDX Review – Back To The Roots
Pros — Fast driver: good imaging and staging, clarity and transparency; organic, coherent, dynamic sound; easy to drive; value.
Cons — “Hot” upper midrange; repetitive design.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The KZ EDX is another V-shaped single dynamic-driver earphone that impresses by its speed, imaging and staging, but offer the classic Chi-Fi (marginally) hot upper midrange that may be fatiguing for some.
INTRODUCTION
The KZ EDX is the company’s latest offering at their very low end. In 2014, KZ started with $5 single dynamic-driver earphones of remarkable quality…such as the EDR1 and EDR2, later the ATE and ATR….just to name a few. With the start of the “driver war” in early 2017, KZ neglected the single-dynamic driver altogether and focused on more and more drivers stuffed into their earpieces. What this and other Chi-Fi companies had not taken into consideration was the customers’ re-surfacing longing to the more organic coherent sound of a dynamic driver earphone. While the competition such as Moondrop and Tanchjim also developed premium single DDs. KZ has yet to deliver such a design. Instead, they put their single DD offerings always at the bottom of their selection. But although the KZ EDX is cheap, it is nevertheless quite good, actually surprisingly good…and surprisingly useful.
SPECIFICATIONS
Driver: Φ10mm composite magnetic dynamic
Impedance: 23 Ω
Sensitivity: 112 dB/mW
Frequency Range: 20 – 20,000 Hz
Cable/Connector: 2 pin 0.75 mm
Tested at: $7
Purchase Link: OPA Audio Store
PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY
“Unboxing” a KZ model is a repetitive procedure: earpieces, cable, eartips, paperwork. The earpieces follow a standard design without fancy faceplates. Basic but sturdy build. Tips are KZ’s standard “Starline” model, and the tightly braided cable is ok. I find it haptically more appealing than the cables in Blon’s and KBEAR’s $50 segment. Everything works out of the box.
TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES
My tonal preference and testing practice
Equipment used: iPhone SE (1st generation 2016); stock cable and eartips.
To my big surprise, the KZ EDX earphone does not sound cheap at all. Sure, it offers the classic KZ V-shape but the dynamic driver is fast and this is reflected throughout the frequency range. Imaging and staging are more than acceptable.
First, the bass is really good: tight, fast, not too punchy but just of the right magnitude. Not thumpy or boomy. Extension into the sub-bass is decent. the low end harmonizes well with the somewhat recessed lower midrange but keeps largely out of it. Vocals are well sculptured, but a bit pointy with excess energy from the upper midrange….and, most importantly, they sound natural. Midrange has a lean (but not too lean) note weight and good clarity and transparency.
A “pinna gain” of 15 dB into the upper midrange is not quite modest even for a KZ earphone. Sure, it can make the vocals a bit nasal and overly lean in some tracks through that added energy, but not overly so. It adds life to the sound but can be piercing for sensitive ears. I am sensitive to 2-4 kHz elevations and the EDX’s is borderline to my ears.
Treble is all over the place with the upper treble dominating the lower one. This results in some tizziness in otherwise recessed cymbals, for example, and in some added perceived midrange clarity and resolution (that may not exit in reality).
Another surprise is the soundstage: quite wide and tall with depth lagging a bit. Impressive. There is nothing in the tonality that squeezes it. The fast driver makes for decent separation, layering, and resolution.
KZ EDX COMPARED
There is not much to compare the KZ EDX to at $10. And you will likely will not find anything better in that ballpark either. Next up are the $20-30 1DD +1 BA models of various companies that may be technically more filigree but lack the EDX’s organic sound.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
Please hit me with a stick but I prefer the KZ EDX at $10 over the $100 KZ ASX. Good sound, good value. And not only that: I also like using it. I just may stick a bit of micropore tape over the nozzle screen. But that’s ok at this price. KZ, why don’t you produce an upscale single DD model for us instead of barraging us with driver numbers. And it you had decreased that pinna gain in the KZ EDX, you would have earned your first star with me.
Until next time…keep on listening!
DISCLAIMER
The KZ EDX were provided unsolicited from OPA Audio store and I thank them for that.
Get it from the OPA Audio Store
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