KZ AS16 Pro

disclaimer:   I was provided the AS16 Pro by a KZ representative for purposes of this review.  I have no financial interest in KZ or any of its subsidiaries or distributors.    To purchase the AS16 Pro or to learn more, see KZ’s official store.

 

Unboxing / Packaging:

The KZ AS16 pro uses the more upscale style packaging first seen with the Zs7 which uses a matte black book-fold style box with the earpieces and a small plaque nestled in the foam surround and the cable and tips hiding beneath.  The kit is fairly spartan as it comes with the earpieces, three sets of tips and the cable.  No carrying case or foams are provided as part of the kit.   With the price drop between the original and the new Pro, I am not surprised to see the kit stay fairly slimmed down and am quite glad to see a bit more effort put into the provided cable.   Overall this is a welcome trade off to me as I have too many carrying cases as it is.  Those new to the hobby may wish to purchase a case to protect their AS16 pro when not in use.

 

Build/Fit:

The body is mostly resin construction with a metal accent ring around the outer face and a brass nozzle.   The faceted face-plate has an almost honeycomb like appearance but doesn’t call attention to itself from a distance.     There is a single vent hole on the under-side near the rear of the unit which is somewhat unexpected in an all balanced armature design and presumably more to equalize pressure in the ear canal than to vent the drivers.   Size is medium-large and those with smaller ears may find the AS16 pro a bit on the large side so an audition before purchase is recommended for those with smaller  than average ears.  For me, I had no trouble with discomfort and found the Pro a welcome improvement over the original version in both shape and size.    The connectors used the raised bi-pin style and are completely housed in the inner shell rather than being at the junction of the face and shell as is typically seen.   This has to complicate the manufacturing process as they either have to be cast into the resin or slid into a port in the shell and glued either of which requires some hand-fitting and extra effort.

 

Internals:

Internally the AS16Pro seems to have changed little from the original AS16 as it still uses the pair of 22955 balanced armatures for the lows, a pair of 29689 balanced armatures for the mids, and a quartet of 31376 balanced armatures for highs along with a 3-way crossover board that rests at the rear of the unit.  The wave guide has been reshaped and the driver orientations within the shell are slightly different due to the slightly smaller confines of the new shell.   The real difference in the two models becomes apparent when looking at the impedance and sensitivity.  The original AS16 had a nominal impedance of 15Ω and a sensitivity of 105 dB/mW while the new AS16 Pro slightly raises nominal impedance to 18Ω but dramatically shifts the sensitivity to 114 dB/mW.  This makes the AS16 Pro very easy to drive and more potent systems will bring out some hiss due to that high sensitivity.   In my own testing I didn’t find it quite reached 114 dB but it still hovered around 110-111 dB which is a highly sensitive in ear.    The plus is about anything will drive it, the downside is hiss can become an issue.

 

Cable:

The provided cable is also the newer style clear coated version with silver-plated copper strands visible through the casing.  The 3.5mm jack is of the 90° variety that I prefer with a good strain relief at the exit and two parallel strands running from the jack to the splitter.  The splitter is a simple clear plastic barrel and the strands go their separate ways above that point with no chin slider present.    The splitter is still a bit low on the cable but thankfully seems to be moving northward with each successive generation so my hope is by 2040 or so they will be just slightly below the chin where most would prefer them.    The north end of the cable terminates with ear-hooks (no memory wires) and hooded bi-pin connectors.

Sound:

Bass:

Many have grown to expect that an all balanced armature in-ear means fast, clean mid-bass at the expense of sub-bass presence and overall impact and in some respects the AS16 Pro fits this mold while in others it does not.   There is still less sub-bass than a lot of the hybrids deliver but what is present has better impact than expected and as a result the low-end of the AS16 Pro does not sound light or weak.    There is some roll-off below about 40Hz but timpani strikes still carry enough potency to get your attention.   The elevation in the sub-bass peaks at about 80Hz and then gradually drops back as we move through the mid-bass and lower-mids.    Mid-bass has reasonable slam as well but retains that quick snap we expect from a BA driver and is overall a very clean presentation.    There is a bit of warmth imparted by the mid-bass and lower-mids that adds some weight and thickness to the sound without veiling it.

 

Mids:

As a lover of good mids, I am happy to report the AS16 Pro delivers in this regard.   While the lower-mids are part of the gradual slope from sub-bass to true mids, they carry enough energy to give lower vocals good note weight and thickness and guitars a nice crisp growl when called for.   I am impressed with the timbre of lower vocals here as they come across with good realism and thickness while still maintaining good clarity and definition.    True-mids are the bottom of the slope but don’t come across as recessed so much as not artificially inflated.   Strings have good tonality although the upper strings would benefit with a bit more treble presence to sound completely real.      There is a push in the upper-mids and lower treble that brings higher vocals forward in the mix and they do stand in front of lower voices but not so much so that they sound out of place.     The upside of the quick spike at around 3kHz is that it adds energy without adding nasal or harsh tones to higher voices.     Overall the mids are well done for a budget in-ear and the AS16 Pro makes a good listen for string quartet and orchestral pieces where the mids are the focal point.

 

Treble:

The treble starts off with a spike in the 3kHz range but drops back above that so quickly that it sounds a bit more like an upper-mid lift than a treble spike to my ear.  Above that point the treble drops back and is enough behind the mid-bass/lower-mid emphasis that the AS16 Pro takes on an overall warmer thicker sound.   Some will like this treble as it is quite polite and shouldn’t bother even the particularly treble sensitive.  Others like myself would love to see a bit more energy in the 5kHz and up range where the lack of energy here limits the air and sparkle and prevents cymbals from sounding realistic.   What treble is present has enough speed to keep things crisp but somehow the details are not as pronounced and on display as they would be with a bit more energy in this range.

 

Soundstage / Imaging:

Most times when treble extension is limited, soundstage rides right along with it so the AS16 pro is a bit of an anomaly as it manages good stage dimensions without having great treble extension to back it.   Dimensions are well proportioned with good depth and width and enough height to present a realistic image.   Seating the orchestra is straight forward with no big gaps or overlaps and overall positions are as they should be.   The all balanced armature arrangement contributes above average instrument separation which helps in this respect.   The imaging is reasonably good but not quite as precise as some others in the price range.   Movements are easily tracked through space but absolute positions are not defined as tightly as some.   This may be where the lesser treble extension shows itself.    There is no discernible compression as tracks get busier so the bass does not get thicker as tracks get faster and more complex.

 

Thoughts / Conclusion:

I think the AS16 Pro shows that KZ has been learning along the way and have to commend them on a more cohesive sounding in-ear than the original version.  The AS16 pro has good balance and blending of the drivers and it can be difficult to pick out the transition points between drivers (particularly the low/mid transition).   This wasn’t always the case as several earlier models including the original AS16 had very audible transitions.    I also like the new warmer tuning that marks a large departure from the earlier generation products that nearly always seemed to have too much energy in the 8-10kHz range.   The treble sensitive will appreciate this new tuning and depending on the genre being listened to, I find it quite good at times too.   There are times I wish it had a bit more top end and think that maybe the new tuning took away a touch too much of the treble energy at times.   Overall, the AS16 pro is a clear step above the original AS16 which was already one of KZ’s better efforts.     This is a very listenable in-ear and at the price point delivers more than should be expected.     The community has asked KZ to tone back the treble for years it seems and the AS16 pro is a step in the right direction and shows they are making clear progress.