KZ HDS1

ø6mm Dynamic Driver

$10~$15
4.0/5.0

Tiny but damn surprising. The KZ HDS1 sound crisp on the highs, but quite mediocre on the mids. The bass is punchy but don't expect any amazing bass, or sub-bass, from these. One important point - the loudness of these earphones is insufficient, even on amplified sources.

Pros

  • The sound is surprisingly good, considering the small driver.
  • A nice looking tiny housing.
  • Extremely comfortable to wear.

Cons

  • The highs tend to be too bright.
  • The sub-bass is slighly distored at times.
  • The same gut-like cable KZ uses for their products.
  • The splitter is way lower than chest-level and makes the cable wiggly and hard to control.

Package & Accessories

Package:

Corrugated fiberboard

Ear Tips - Single-Flange:

S+M+L, black (translucent), ø4mm bores

Build & Materials

Housings:

Metal (painted), extra-small, semi-open-back, ø4mm nozzles, rigid strain reliefs

Y-Split:

TPE, no strain reliefs

Cable:

Silicone (grippy), 120cm, soft, straight

Plug:

TPE, 90° angled, short, soft strain relief

Comfort & Fit

I had to use the L-size tips to get a good seal. Overall, these earphones are really comfortable, and you basically forget that they are in your ears.

Lows / Bass

Quite unbelievable bass for such tiny drivers, yet the sub-bass bare exists in these earphones, and the mid-bass isn't quite enough.

Mids / Vocals

The vocals are precise but sound muffled compared to the lows and highs, like they are being deprioritized in the highs' favor. The maximum loudness isn't sufficient.

Highs / Treble

The highs are very crisp and precise, pure enjoyment. Could be overwhelming sometimes though.

Frequency Response

Published on 2015-10-27 01:22:31 (GMT)
AS06 ATE BTE C56R DT5 ED2/EDR1 ED3 Youth Version ED4 ED9 ED10 ED11 ED16 EDR2 ES3 GR
HDS1
HDS2 HDS3 IE80 RX S3 ZS1 ZS5 (V1) ZS6 ZS7 ZS10 ZS10 PRO ZSA ZSE ZSN ZSR ZST