This review is not sponsored by KZ, any organization, or people. I have personally bought the KZ AM16 Balanced out of my own pocket for both review and personal enjoyment.

KZ AM16 Balanced

Bought at PHP1,934.00 ($33.24 USD) from FeiguAudio shop on the online app here in South East Asia, Shopee. (With both shop discounts, app discounts, and free shipping direct from China)

35% OFF: https://keephifi.com/discount/AM16-BLOG?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Fkz-am16-professional-hifi-earphones-8-unit-balanced-armature-in-ear-headphones-with-powerful-bass-and-high-fidelity-replaceable-cable-earbuds

• The IEMs
• 3 pairs of stock KZ Starline eartips (S, M, L)
• The "new" M2 stock cable, very similar to the old cable
• And a warranty and product info card (in one paper)
• And their black colored box for their higher end or newer IEMs

 

Terms of accessories and addons, this is the usual KZ thing. Basic amount of accessories one will need, anything beyond is basically bought separately. I would definitely love if they included their 784-core silver upgrade cable similar to the Sonata.

Build and Design

Its build is a resin body with a shiny darkish-grey metal alloy faceplate, very similar to few of KZ's previous IEMs (like the KZ Castor and Castor Pro Improved Bass). Design follows similarly-ish to the Zenith with the triangle holes on the faceplate with a mesh behind to give an "open back" feel. The white-silver AM16 name in an artistic font is written on the upper edge and a channel indicator at the upper side corner, near the QDC connector, and with a silver-colored, multi-pointed shaped screw with tiny concentric tactile rings on its front. (From others, the Bass version has gold-colored screw)

Internally, it has the following drivers

• New 22955 BA x 1 (Bass)
• 29869 BAs x 1 (Midrange)
• 31736 dual BA x 1 (Midrange and lower treble)
• 30019 BA x 4 (Upper treble)

All these drivers are connected with audio wave guides to guide the sound from the driver to the nozzle, similar to their newer-ish IEMs previously like the Castor or Sonata. No drivers located on the nozzle region. Cable is a silver-plated copper with the usual KZ 90° extruded 2-pin connector (QDC/Extruded 2-pin/C-Type) with the gold-plated pins.

• Frequency range: 5 Hz to 45 kHz (45,000 Hz)
• Sensitivity: 104 dB
• Impedance: 22Ω

Comfort

The IEM has the KZ Starline medium stock eartips pre-installed, using the medium works ok. Fit is comfortable with good passive noise isolation. Personally, either I use the stock small or in this case swapped to the KBear 07 red small tips (personal favorite tips) IEM itself is big and somewhat heavy, but does not protrude outside the ear that much.

Audio Quality

I personally have no other DACs other than a cheap CX31993 + MAX97220, and the other sound impressions will be from both directly from my Oppo A16 and Asus TUF Gaming A15 2022. (with the Dolby Atmos certified C-Media audio system, up to 24-bit 96 kHz on its 3.5mm audio jack)

Sound wise, its a v-shaped "fun" sound, classic KZ in-house tuning without the harshness and other issues with their older IEMs. Its tuning is a mix between the IEF Preference 2025 and Harman 2019v2 targets. It has both the hint of brightness and details, with the smooth DD-like but fast decaying bass.

But because this is an all-BA set, EQ is easy as 1-2-3. Responds to PEQ pretty well, both on mobile and on PC/Laptop.

BASS

Terms of bass, it sounds more like your traditional dynamic driver but with the attack and decay of a typical balanced armature, its like the best of both worlds. Boomy but not excessively boomy, bass with thump but punches fast, and definitely does not muddies up the lower midrange.

Mr FijiWiji feat. Openwater - Growing Up

The droning bass that starts at 13 seconds on the music, you could kinda feel the depth and speed of change of the changing bass frequencies. At 26 seconds, when the kick drums starts, the drums does not cause issues with the droning bass that much and you can definitely hear the separation between the sub-bass and kick drums nicely. Kick drums feels like kick drums with the speed of decay of its sound. Male vocals is not muddied up by the bass at all, and you can definitely hear Openwater here.


SVRGE & LUMINATE - Like That

The initial moog-like sub-bass is smooth, transitions between each note is clear and concise. As soon as the drops end and the dirtier bass starts, the new BA driver can definitely handle faster bass changes even with abit of dirty/noisy bass instruments and punches the bass in front of you. You can still hear the kick drums much better than the OG KZ Castor Bass or Tangzu Wan'er SG.

MIDS

Being this is a traditional V-shaped IEM, midrange especially lower midrange beyond 300 Hz is abit recessed. But details, projection, and specific regions especially vocals are definitely clear and concise, pinna is at 3k but its not shouty nor harsh.


Martin Garrix & Matisse & Sadko feat. Alex Aris - Mistaken (Club Mix)

Every effects, vocals, and other stuffs around the midrange region you can definitely hear, even on the times audio is very busy and clustered. You can definitely hear almost every single effects, micro-sounds, and vocals. Alex Aris, who is singing on the stanza and the adlib vocals on the chorus you can definitely hear them clearly separated from the other sounds in the same frequency region. Leads are as detailed as the vocals while not affecting the vocals itself.


Silque - Dial Tone

Female vocals is clear and detailed, but not shouty nor harsh and the trumpet-like leads are not affecting the vocals. The droning arpeggio at the stanzas are definitely audible without messing the vocals as well. It retains its fun feel while being analytical.

TREBLE

High frequencies are very detailed, clean, and defined, hinting of brightness. Sometimes it almost harsh but stayed away from really being causing issues at all, almost harsh but not really harsh. It kinda feels very close to a planar IEM, almost, almost.


HIIO feat. Danyka Nadeau - Otherside

This song personally is somewhat notorious on both shouty and harsh general sound experience with my KZ Castors or even my Tangzu Wan'er. With the AM16 Balanced, the level of shouty and harshness is abit less. There is now abit more detail and clarity with the music. Though its still overly shouty and harsh, most likely from the mastering of the music.


Hellberg - Slumber Party

The cocomphony of harmonies on the chorus tries to cause harshness on the treble, but because of the milder nature of treble of the AM16, it avoids the harshness all together.

SOUNDSTAGE & SEPARATION

Soundstage is large and spacious on both horizontal and vertical, almost holographic. With movies and TV series I watched both Dolby Atmos disabled and enabled, the sounds you can kinda know where they kinda come from.


Faux Tales - Dawn

The microdetails and effects used in this song is located on different sides of the channels. You can definitely hear the channels where they are placed by the producer, it gives the music more feel and emotion.

Personally I haven't tried any other all-BA IEMs other than the AM16, previous IEMs I owned are:

• KZ Castor Harman
• KZ Castor Improved Bass
• Tanzgu Wan'er SG
• KZ EDC Pro
• QKZ AK6 Pro

Closest to the AM16 is the Castor Improved Bass terms of bass feel, but AM16 would still hit better than the Castor Bass with its faster bass decay while feeling like DD bass.

Terms of its clarity, midrange, and treble Castor Harman is the closest, but obviously being this is an all-BA IEM, Castor would not be able to give the similar detail, clarity, and separation as the AM16.

CONCLUSION

KZ AM16 Balanced definitely one of the good steps for KZ to return back to their "glory" days, especially those who fond the classic KZ in-house tuning while not causing grief because of harshness and shouty feel. It sounds analytical but feels musical, like the best of both worlds.

Personally, the bass of the AM16 Balanced is abit above my liking but it does kinda feel the need for my bassy side. With the right EQ this is definitely a powerhouse of an IEM especially with its price vs other IEMs.

Recent KZ IEMs is definitely like the Castor, Vader, Sonata, PRX, and their CCA sisters like Hydro, Rhapsody, Polaris, and Trio are definitely slowly putting KZ back on the spotlight. AM16 is just one step for them to return, but will they be able. Obviously, only people and time will say, especially with many of the recent issues with KZ are still fresh in the minds of the community.

The only hope is for KZ to re-focus on good stuffs and give the people what they want, cheap, decent, and at least carefree music experience with a little pzazz sprinkled here and there. In the end its all just for having fun and listening to your favorite music.

KZ AM16 Balanced is definitely a recommended to people who are definitely starting their IEM journey or people who are already somewhere at the top and wanted a nice and cheap beater IEM while still retaining some essence of their more expensive sets.