Yeah, much better than the older sets. Those weren't bad, but had a harder time competing at the same price point. But still a struggle for KZ and Moondrop to put out sets in such a competitive area.
Right, that super linear DD has been consistently solid so far. As I said, my one nitpick was too much bass, but its fine outside. At my desk, I eq'id down one day and sounds even better for quiet indoor use.
Their recent releases have been quite good, as per feedback from reviewers, and from my own personal experience- after vowing to stay away from KZ(and their sub-brands), hell finally froze over, and i decided to pull the trigger on the CCA Rhapsody. And you know what? It's damn good. I have their AS16(original version) and the ZAS(after getting the ZAS, and with all the unnecessary drama and bs that keeps coming up with KZ, that's when i decided to steer clear of them) and the Rhapsody is heads and shoulders above those two(with other reviewers even saying that the Rhapsody is better than some 150$-200$ IEMs). So yeah, right now, KZ's got my attention again. With regards to their TWS, my wife got the KZ Z3(at the same time i got my AS16). And the sound was ok, but the fit, not so much. I think it's because of the nozzle stem length. Compared to this one, the Xtra, the Z3(and i guess most of their TWS from that era) had shorter nozzle stems. Looking at the nozzle stem length of the Xtra. it looks very much like the same nozzle stem as with the Rhapsody, and i think most of their recent IEMs. And the Rhapsody, despite its bulk, fits quite well(for me at least); you can really push it in deep which helps to give it a secure fit and a good seal, as well. But the more serious issue we got with the Z3 was one side, the leftside, just stopped working after only almost 2 years(didn't even make it to 2 years). So, i'm gonna chalk that one down to bad QC. It seems KZ has begun undergoing some changes; and it seems to be changes for the better. I've now seen most, most not all, of their recent releases from both their brands getting more positive feedbacks. If only KZ will be willing to listen to feedback, specially constructive criticisms, instead of being defensive and throwing subtle hissy-fits, they can be a real force to reckon with in this hobby. If only KZ will buckle down and get their act together, KZ can be the value-for-money king in this hobby; a real price tier disruptor. They hold so much potential, sooo much potential, to be a great brand that's to be taken seriously in this hobby(rather than being a "meme"). All they simply need to do is get rid of their habit of pulling the rug from beneath their own feet.
True, they adjust nozzles per set, but what I did notice on this one, the shell shape and the tips allow it to go quite deep. I had the original Z1 which was the grandfather of the Xun DD. Many people are saying what you said, the recent CCA releases are very good, Rhapsody, Hydro, Trio for instance. Hopefully they continue down the path.
Toss up, both are similar but my opinion is the mic and anc setup is better on Carol. Xtra still better at passive noise cancellation. Mic quality is tough though, regular tws companies have much more experience. KZ is better at playing music
Looks like a great budget ANC TWS, I was thinking about getting the Sony or Samsung high end models, but these look like they'll sound better for a fraction. Hopefully over time they release more TWS with improved ANC. A smaller/more compact case would be nice too.
Yes, the case is one they have used, but I am with you, I use Samsung and they have a tiny, pocketable case. I have a Samsung phone so there is nice integration with the Galaxy buds, but as I said, if you happen to have a non-Samsung that supports Apt X adaptive, that is surprisingly good.
@@PaulWasabii I was considering the buds pro 2 (£100) as it was half the price of the Sony wf1000xm5 (£200), but I don't have a Samsung phone so I'd only get standard AAC over Bluetooth. The KZ is half the price (£50) of the buds 2 pro, and looks like it has better audio quality as well as aptx, so I'll probably go with them! How is the ANC compared to your Samsung? Have you used them for travelling?
I have Buds Pro and have used them probably less than 5 times. They sound and fit like crap compared to all my wired budget and ultra budget IEMs. The app is great but does me no good if I don't like the sound and fit. I bought equally expensive Azla tips since the stock ones suck, didn't do much for sound. I've tried them on all my IEMs and they have zapped the bass on most of them, including the KB Rosefinch. The bore is huge and oval shaped. Anyone wanting to kill bass, give these a try. Funnily enough I just bought a $3 AK6 Pro which shockingly sounded pretty damn good out of box, worst sound with filters and sound pretty amazing with the Azlas. Go figure, $20 tips on a $3 IEM. But at least they are no longer collecting dust.
Great review Paul, KZ got a lot right on this set, had they have implemented some sort of EQ control to tame the bass shelf down some I would have given them a try, as they are now I think I’ll pass.
I think Air 4 Pro supports the full lossless so should be slightly better. Does Xtra sound better? the fit makes a big difference and Xtra is better there. I also think if you are a wired IEM user, the Xtra sound signature will be more appealing, even a bit bassier. I tend to EQ Soundpeats slightly to be closer to IEMs. And that is my only concern if you have Air 4 Pro, their app is quite good for adjusting sound EQ. No app for KZ yet.
Hard to say, I have Final tws tips and those well. KZ used shallow tips to get it to close so you won't have many to choose from. I use the stock tips though, just the large size.
I am not sure but KZ intentionally went overboard on the marketing to show you how much better it was over Space Traveler. Sound, KZ still has more bass and the treble is a bit different. The shell style is a big difference for some people who like an IEM shell
Hey Paul, I just recently ordered the CCA Trio since my KZ ZARs got stolen at a carwash. Do you think it would be worth it to upgrade to the CCA Hydro in the future? I'm the kind of person that has noticed the balanced driver "timbre" around the 2-4khz is a bit sharp and unatural for my taste, and the CCA's triple normal driver solution seems to be preferable, but since their a relatively "cheap" set, I still wanna upgrade to something else, I just ordered the Trios cause I don't wanna get stuck without IEMs until I decide what to get
Why not try the CCA Rhapsody first? I used to own the ZAS(the precursor to the ZAR- it is said that the ZAR was the implementation of the criticisms with the ZAS, such as too much bass and not enough treble, and can also get sibilant with certain tracks. But the thing is, it seems a lot of people as well as a couple of reviewers, still think the ZAS was "better" tuned than the ZAR.). And based on my personal experience, the Rhapsody is way better than all of the previous KZs i have(AS16-Original Version and ZAS). Compared to my two other KZ's, the Rhapsody is the only that does well with my Gangstagrass, Brass Against, and Movits playlist(lots of brass wind instruments). So, you might want to also look into the Rhapsody. You can also check the reviews done on the Rhapsody by Paul(Wasabii) here, and Tone Deaf Monk, and Akros(Akros also made comparisons between the Trio and Rhapsody, so you might be interested in checking that out too; and he also has a review of the Hydro with a side by side comparison to the ZS10 Pro 2, Rhapsody, Trio, NS10, Performer 8, and Mangird Top).
Yes, Hydro or Rhapsody. Both are good values and high sound quality. On the other hand, KZ has been hugging or popping over the Harman line at 2-4k lately. Hydro is better than Rhapsody in that respect.
Is there a noticeable white noise when no sound is playing with the ANC on or is it dead silent? And how is the battery life on these? This is a great alternative to asus cetra supernova(comes with 2.4g) for a fraction of the price (might need a usb to aptx transmitter tho w/ i already have for my pc)
As I said, for a few seconds, ANC will try to figure out what is going on with no music playing or when you first start. I wouldn't say there is background noise, but sometimes you notice its listening and adjusting. Different from a constant background noise. Battery life is 8 hours which is prob no ANC. Codecs and ANC typically knock a few off that.
I am going to say no as if it did, it would be in the marketing or controls. Most sets have a small section explaining how to use it if they support it.
I think KZ would say they have upgraded everything which is probably true. The kicker on Xtra is ANC. If you don't need that, continue on with VXS. I thought VXS was also tuned with DSP too.
@@PaulWasabii Oh fr? I thought they would just have saved that tuning in their database and can just plug it into a new set. Never knew about that, thanks for the info.
An Amazon listing copied and pasted marketing jargon (I think from a pair of Raycon TWS) claiming IP66 resistance, but I doubt it's accurate considering KZ doesn't market this anywhere on their websites.
@PaulWasabii EDX Lite can be had for $2 if you ever want to test one for shts and giggles. I have it and after some tip rolling, it's a nice IEM. Especially for the price.
So here is the one issue. There is a lot of subbass actually but that is the first thing lost with bad fit. KZ used tws tips so you have pay close attention to what you are hearing and the fit.
@@PaulWasabii thanks for answering. that was my main concern with buying kz sets, they always had a noticeable noise floor, but if they fixed it with the current ones, i'll have to order a set. it seems trn discontinued their bt1, so now i'm looking for a new tws and i always liked the fit of the kz's. i have some sony wf-c500's on the way, if i don't like them, i'll order this one next
No, and I have never figured out what is limiting the volume on phones these days. I don't think my phone really allows super loud as other phones did in the past. Not just a KZ thing, but most TWS seem to be volume limited.
@@PaulWasabii Exactly.. I've been researching for months to get an earbuds that has a loud sound . I bought 6 or 7 tws and I think soundcore life p20i is not bad .. I'm going for an iem with a Bluetooth dac... 7hz legato or fiio fh15 ... fatfreq scarlet ..with wireless earhooks like new fiio utws5 (its coming soon I think this week ). ... cause there is no other way
Is it still worth getting these even if my phone doesn't support APTX? only AAC On the fence on getting these sometime or the new KZ Carol, tuning of the XTRA more suited to my preferences though
The problem with Xtra is it hits a price point that has a ton of competition and people expect a ton of features at that price point. Carol hits the price point better. After hearing the improvements in Carol, I'd wait on the next Xtra model or whatever it will be called. As I said, KZ is always refining.
Thanks for the response, I'll keep it in mind and wait on what KZ will cook up next ^^ Thankfully the price point problem isn't that much of an issue in my country (Philippines), the XTRA can be bought for 40 USD without any special sales, Carol at 29 USD. XTRA's tuning is SUPER close graph wise to my preferred tuning from the KZ Vader Balanced / CCA Trio's (UUUD). Only main issue for me is whether the sound quality drop from APTX to AAC codec is significant.
They have a normal mode? That is, with the ANC disabled? Because according to the website you can switch between ANC and transparency mode but it doesn't talk about a "normal" mode. Help me decide whether to buy it or not. Thanks
Interesting to see KZ attempt on stepping up their game for their TWS have turns out to be good.
Yeah, much better than the older sets. Those weren't bad, but had a harder time competing at the same price point. But still a struggle for KZ and Moondrop to put out sets in such a competitive area.
I’m very impressed with my KZ Xtra, sounds great and works well.😊 To be honest I was surprised by the quality of the sound.
Right, that super linear DD has been consistently solid so far. As I said, my one nitpick was too much bass, but its fine outside. At my desk, I eq'id down one day and sounds even better for quiet indoor use.
Their recent releases have been quite good, as per feedback from reviewers, and from my own personal experience- after vowing to stay away from KZ(and their sub-brands), hell finally froze over, and i decided to pull the trigger on the CCA Rhapsody. And you know what? It's damn good. I have their AS16(original version) and the ZAS(after getting the ZAS, and with all the unnecessary drama and bs that keeps coming up with KZ, that's when i decided to steer clear of them) and the Rhapsody is heads and shoulders above those two(with other reviewers even saying that the Rhapsody is better than some 150$-200$ IEMs). So yeah, right now, KZ's got my attention again.
With regards to their TWS, my wife got the KZ Z3(at the same time i got my AS16). And the sound was ok, but the fit, not so much. I think it's because of the nozzle stem length. Compared to this one, the Xtra, the Z3(and i guess most of their TWS from that era) had shorter nozzle stems. Looking at the nozzle stem length of the Xtra. it looks very much like the same nozzle stem as with the Rhapsody, and i think most of their recent IEMs. And the Rhapsody, despite its bulk, fits quite well(for me at least); you can really push it in deep which helps to give it a secure fit and a good seal, as well. But the more serious issue we got with the Z3 was one side, the leftside, just stopped working after only almost 2 years(didn't even make it to 2 years). So, i'm gonna chalk that one down to bad QC.
It seems KZ has begun undergoing some changes; and it seems to be changes for the better. I've now seen most, most not all, of their recent releases from both their brands getting more positive feedbacks. If only KZ will be willing to listen to feedback, specially constructive criticisms, instead of being defensive and throwing subtle hissy-fits, they can be a real force to reckon with in this hobby.
If only KZ will buckle down and get their act together, KZ can be the value-for-money king in this hobby; a real price tier disruptor.
They hold so much potential, sooo much potential, to be a great brand that's to be taken seriously in this hobby(rather than being a "meme"). All they simply need to do is get rid of their habit of pulling the rug from beneath their own feet.
True, they adjust nozzles per set, but what I did notice on this one, the shell shape and the tips allow it to go quite deep. I had the original Z1 which was the grandfather of the Xun DD. Many people are saying what you said, the recent CCA releases are very good, Rhapsody, Hydro, Trio for instance. Hopefully they continue down the path.
Thanks for the review. contemplating take the xtra or carol .prefer vocals, pop music and good microphone quality. Which one is better?
Toss up, both are similar but my opinion is the mic and anc setup is better on Carol. Xtra still better at passive noise cancellation. Mic quality is tough though, regular tws companies have much more experience. KZ is better at playing music
Looks like a great budget ANC TWS, I was thinking about getting the Sony or Samsung high end models, but these look like they'll sound better for a fraction.
Hopefully over time they release more TWS with improved ANC. A smaller/more compact case would be nice too.
Yes, the case is one they have used, but I am with you, I use Samsung and they have a tiny, pocketable case. I have a Samsung phone so there is nice integration with the Galaxy buds, but as I said, if you happen to have a non-Samsung that supports Apt X adaptive, that is surprisingly good.
@@PaulWasabii I was considering the buds pro 2 (£100) as it was half the price of the Sony wf1000xm5 (£200), but I don't have a Samsung phone so I'd only get standard AAC over Bluetooth. The KZ is half the price (£50) of the buds 2 pro, and looks like it has better audio quality as well as aptx, so I'll probably go with them! How is the ANC compared to your Samsung? Have you used them for travelling?
I have Buds Pro and have used them probably less than 5 times. They sound and fit like crap compared to all my wired budget and ultra budget IEMs. The app is great but does me no good if I don't like the sound and fit. I bought equally expensive Azla tips since the stock ones suck, didn't do much for sound. I've tried them on all my IEMs and they have zapped the bass on most of them, including the KB Rosefinch. The bore is huge and oval shaped. Anyone wanting to kill bass, give these a try. Funnily enough I just bought a $3 AK6 Pro which shockingly sounded pretty damn good out of box, worst sound with filters and sound pretty amazing with the Azlas. Go figure, $20 tips on a $3 IEM. But at least they are no longer collecting dust.
Thanks for this
Great review Paul! Looks like kz got a lot of it right with this tws.
Great review Paul, KZ got a lot right on this set, had they have implemented some sort of EQ control to tame the bass shelf down some I would have given them a try, as they are now I think I’ll pass.
I actually did that in UAPP on my phone. Outdoors its fine, too much for indoors and sounds better with a bit less.
Do these sound better to your ears than the SOUNDPEATS Air4 Pro when using aptX Adaptive?
I think Air 4 Pro supports the full lossless so should be slightly better. Does Xtra sound better? the fit makes a big difference and Xtra is better there. I also think if you are a wired IEM user, the Xtra sound signature will be more appealing, even a bit bassier. I tend to EQ Soundpeats slightly to be closer to IEMs. And that is my only concern if you have Air 4 Pro, their app is quite good for adjusting sound EQ. No app for KZ yet.
how long do the buds last on a charge? and the case?
Earphones playing time: 8 hours
Total Battery Life: Approximately 32 hours
but ANC will affect those numbers.
Hey Paul what other alternative eartips can be used on that KZ Xtra, which can also close the case?
Also, how good the sound technicalities on it? Like what price range of IEM can you compare of?
Hard to say, I have Final tws tips and those well. KZ used shallow tips to get it to close so you won't have many to choose from. I use the stock tips though, just the large size.
I have Spinfit Omni (XL) on mine and the case will close ...and stay closed.
How big of a step up from Space Travel these would be?
I am not sure but KZ intentionally went overboard on the marketing to show you how much better it was over Space Traveler. Sound, KZ still has more bass and the treble is a bit different. The shell style is a big difference for some people who like an IEM shell
Hey Paul, I just recently ordered the CCA Trio since my KZ ZARs got stolen at a carwash. Do you think it would be worth it to upgrade to the CCA Hydro in the future? I'm the kind of person that has noticed the balanced driver "timbre" around the 2-4khz is a bit sharp and unatural for my taste, and the CCA's triple normal driver solution seems to be preferable, but since their a relatively "cheap" set, I still wanna upgrade to something else, I just ordered the Trios cause I don't wanna get stuck without IEMs until I decide what to get
Why not try the CCA Rhapsody first? I used to own the ZAS(the precursor to the ZAR- it is said that the ZAR was the implementation of the criticisms with the ZAS, such as too much bass and not enough treble, and can also get sibilant with certain tracks. But the thing is, it seems a lot of people as well as a couple of reviewers, still think the ZAS was "better" tuned than the ZAR.).
And based on my personal experience, the Rhapsody is way better than all of the previous KZs i have(AS16-Original Version and ZAS). Compared to my two other KZ's, the Rhapsody is the only that does well with my Gangstagrass, Brass Against, and Movits playlist(lots of brass wind instruments). So, you might want to also look into the Rhapsody. You can also check the reviews done on the Rhapsody by Paul(Wasabii) here, and Tone Deaf Monk, and Akros(Akros also made comparisons between the Trio and Rhapsody, so you might be interested in checking that out too; and he also has a review of the Hydro with a side by side comparison to the ZS10 Pro 2, Rhapsody, Trio, NS10, Performer 8, and Mangird Top).
Yes, Hydro or Rhapsody. Both are good values and high sound quality. On the other hand, KZ has been hugging or popping over the Harman line at 2-4k lately. Hydro is better than Rhapsody in that respect.
@@PaulWasabii and that's the reason why i'm seriously mulling it over if i should also get the Hydro next; hehehe...
Is there a noticeable white noise when no sound is playing with the ANC on or is it dead silent?
And how is the battery life on these?
This is a great alternative to asus cetra supernova(comes with 2.4g) for a fraction of the price (might need a usb to aptx transmitter tho w/ i already have for my pc)
As I said, for a few seconds, ANC will try to figure out what is going on with no music playing or when you first start. I wouldn't say there is background noise, but sometimes you notice its listening and adjusting. Different from a constant background noise. Battery life is 8 hours which is prob no ANC. Codecs and ANC typically knock a few off that.
Thanks for review! How do these compare to VXS PRO? Which of them will have better sound quality? I dont need ANC.
I think they sound better, upgraded dsp, driver, and battery life iirc. But if you don't need ANC, not sure I would upgrade until VXS stops working.
@PaulWasabii Thank You 🤝
@@vados_79VXS very good for gaming
I can't find KZ Xtra graph on your Squiglink.
Yeah, I need to fox it
@@PaulWasabii It updated. Thanks Paul.
i wonder if KZ Xtra allow multiple connection?
I am going to say no as if it did, it would be in the marketing or controls. Most sets have a small section explaining how to use it if they support it.
How do these compare to the VXS? Is it worth it as an upgrade if I already own the latter?
I think KZ would say they have upgraded everything which is probably true. The kicker on Xtra is ANC. If you don't need that, continue on with VXS. I thought VXS was also tuned with DSP too.
VXS more better than Xtra in Gaming cause Xtra bit delay in gaming..but for music or movie the sound very very good
Dear KZ, use this tuning for an IEM 🔥🔥🔥🔥
That is hard due to the DSP. It would need to be a DSP cable style.
@@PaulWasabii Oh fr? I thought they would just have saved that tuning in their database and can just plug it into a new set. Never knew about that, thanks for the info.
Isn't water resistance not advertised in this IEM? I actually need a tws soon.
If not maybe I'll wait for a buds2 sale.
An Amazon listing copied and pasted marketing jargon (I think from a pair of Raycon TWS) claiming IP66 resistance, but I doubt it's accurate considering KZ doesn't market this anywhere on their websites.
I won't attempt to answer that, but I would email judy or Tyvan listed here and see if it does have any IP rating www.kztws.com/pages/contact-us-1
Thanks for the review, i think the first with linear driver was edx lite
Yeah, it was a set I didn't have, my first was ZSNP2. Solid DD either way.
@PaulWasabii EDX Lite can be had for $2 if you ever want to test one for shts and giggles. I have it and after some tip rolling, it's a nice IEM. Especially for the price.
How about the sub-bass?
So here is the one issue. There is a lot of subbass actually but that is the first thing lost with bad fit. KZ used tws tips so you have pay close attention to what you are hearing and the fit.
@@PaulWasabii so do you think KZ Z1 pro is better? Because I am hesitant
What wired KZ would you compare this to?
Less V-shaped Castor. Less bass, less treble
@@PaulWasabii I asked them said and they said it's comparable to AS24. Valid?
no white noise when idle?
3 years of using premium buds spoiled me
On this one you get ANC noise if you turn it on. It is listening and adjusting. KZ used to be bad with noise floor but worked it out on their earhooks
@@PaulWasabii thanks for answering. that was my main concern with buying kz sets, they always had a noticeable noise floor, but if they fixed it with the current ones, i'll have to order a set. it seems trn discontinued their bt1, so now i'm looking for a new tws and i always liked the fit of the kz's. i have some sony wf-c500's on the way, if i don't like them, i'll order this one next
Can I sleep on my side with it?
probably a bit big for that
@@PaulWasabii What wireless headphones are suitable for this?
is it loud ? I mean super loud
No, and I have never figured out what is limiting the volume on phones these days. I don't think my phone really allows super loud as other phones did in the past. Not just a KZ thing, but most TWS seem to be volume limited.
@@PaulWasabii Exactly.. I've been researching for months to get an earbuds that has a loud sound . I bought 6 or 7 tws and I think soundcore life p20i is not bad .. I'm going for an iem with a Bluetooth dac... 7hz legato or fiio fh15 ... fatfreq scarlet ..with wireless earhooks like new fiio utws5 (its coming soon I think this week ). ... cause there is no other way
@@PaulWasabii and one thing I forgot .. which iem and tws model you suggest for loudest sound and heavy bass ?
Is it still worth getting these even if my phone doesn't support APTX? only AAC
On the fence on getting these sometime or the new KZ Carol, tuning of the XTRA more suited to my preferences though
The problem with Xtra is it hits a price point that has a ton of competition and people expect a ton of features at that price point. Carol hits the price point better. After hearing the improvements in Carol, I'd wait on the next Xtra model or whatever it will be called. As I said, KZ is always refining.
Thanks for the response, I'll keep it in mind and wait on what KZ will cook up next ^^
Thankfully the price point problem isn't that much of an issue in my country (Philippines), the XTRA can be bought for 40 USD without any special sales, Carol at 29 USD.
XTRA's tuning is SUPER close graph wise to my preferred tuning from the KZ Vader Balanced / CCA Trio's (UUUD).
Only main issue for me is whether the sound quality drop from APTX to AAC codec is significant.
They have a normal mode? That is, with the ANC disabled? Because according to the website you can switch between ANC and transparency mode but it doesn't talk about a "normal" mode. Help me decide whether to buy it or not. Thanks
Even the manual mentions the two only, but in ear, it goes ANC, Transparency, and Standard modes.