What comes in its package?
The IEMs themselves, the tuning switches guide and warranty card, the tuning tool, the usual KZ silver plated free-oxygen copper cable with a 3.5 mm single ended plug (a cable with mic is also available), a set of the well-known KZ starline eartips (SML sizes, M size installed in the IEMs), and a pair of foam-type eartips (mine came incomplete in the package, but anyway).
Its cable has a simple yet functional design and seems to be sturdily constructed, is the usual KZ cable included in almost all of their sets, I think you can use it as it is, but for us audiophiles who like to match the cables with the shells and also who like to use a balanced connection is recommended to change it to the cable of your taste (compatible with qdc and 0.78 mm 2 pin connections).
The shells are made of ABS resin with a metal faceplate, so well-constructed, with a beautiful designed faceplate in which you can see the ZA12 and the driver config in white, and a mark of the side of the earphone. The housing is in the mid-size, and it’s very ergonomic and comfortable to use in long sessions, for $65 max you are expecting a quality product to last. The nozzle fits my mid-sized ears (with its 6 mm of diameter) exceptionally well, but I recommend checking it is fitted for yourself, as it leans toward a medium-to-large size compared to other sets.
How the KZ ZA12 sounds:
The KZ ZA12 with its 2 DD + 4 BA drivers per side config offers a neutral-bright tuning, a nicely natural sound with a noticeable subbass boost and midbass incidence with a nice extension into the lower and high frequencies (depending on the version you got, because the standard version (0000 position on the version with tuning switches) have the subbass rolled off), with plenty of technicalities, punching above its weight, offering a quality and enough quantity of bass, exceptional mids, full of macro and microdetails, configuring an all-rounder who offers an immersive, natural, musical, and fun presentation of sound.
In the soundstage department it is remarkable, the resolution, imaging and layering of instruments are very remarkable, this is a very attractive option for its price IMHO.
For this review, my unit is the version with tuning switches in the 1100 position (subbass and midbass +2 dB). I changed the stock cable for the CVJ K24 modular cable with the 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm jacks, finding a perfect match aesthetically, and giving me the possibility to interchange it between my sources. I also changed the included starline eartips for the TRN T eartips, finding a synergy in fit and a good seal. (Thanks to Hi-End Portable for the graph).
BASS: The KZ ZA12 is very enjoyable in this portion of the frequency range, with an enough bass shelf, with a notable quality and quantity of subbass punch and midbass knocking, it is very clean, fast and resolving, well extended into the lower frequencies, very enjoyable, with plenty of weight and a good decay, it sounds so natural, it bleeds slightly into the lower mids without muddying them. In songs like “Ghost Entry” by Ulver you can feel the quality of the bass guitar and drum kicks in a delightful and engaging presentation, in “All the Way” by Hundredth from his last album Faded Splendor (an Indie rock delight), the KZ ZA12 shows an enough and very enjoyable bass delivery thanks to its 10 mm + 8 mm DD config doing a perfect job in this set.
MIDS: The KZ ZA12 strong part is in this portion of the FR. As I said before, there’s a bit of bleeding from the bass, but as a neutral tuned IEM the male vocals are forwarded, never veiled nor shouty. The mids take a nice elevation until its forwarded smoothly and enters the pinna gain with a remarkable cleanness and presence, with plenty of resolution, a nice 3 kHz peak as the JM-1 target is, and a 5 Khz peak to add to the feel of those plates and cymbals, female vocals are forwarded as well, turning to being slightly sibilant and fatiguing if you are using the ZA12 with high volumes, that’s why I recommend using this set at mid-high volumes mostly.
In songs like “Cellar Door” by Spiritbox you can feel the vocals very well presented with an impressive quality (clean and growls), the neutral/natural tuning of the KZ ZA12 makes you feel the vibe in the guitars and drum work. Jonas Renkse's vocals in “Wind of No Change” by Katatonia, combined with the delivery of sound in the guitars and drums, create an immersive journey into the music.
TREBLE: In this region of the frequencies, the KZ ZA12 derives in a very nice presence and cleanness, it is very crisp and sharp without too much harshness, handling the sibilance nicely (And I have a mild treble tolerance). In songs like “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” by Iron Maiden is shown all the excellent job in its drums, all the details and colorations in the production of the song with an enjoyable quality. In “Get Out My Face AKA Bad Kitty” by Garbage you can just put the KZ ZA12 in your ears, and just move your body to the music of this legendary band.
TECHNICALITIES: The upper treble of the KZ ZA12 extends beautifully, delivering an airy and spacious sound. The soundstage feels expansive enough, with an ample depth. In songs like “7mpest” by Tool you can enjoy the journey, all the arrangements playing with the excellent work of Danny Carey, a total display of those macro and microdetails. The KZ ZA12 has a more than average resolving presentation of sound with an imaging and layering of instruments who punches above its weight, so, with complicated and busy tracks like “The Fire in Which We Burn” by …And Oceans there’s zero congestion, all the display of voices instruments in the song are shown without missing anything from the start to the end of the track.
Closing thoughts and conclusions:
The KZ ZA12 stances as an imposing offering and practically one the best options to buy in the under 60 USD segment, its very neutral/natural sound presentation, it’s immersive and charming tuning, its quality and quantity of bass, and its extension into the lows and highs put it as an overall brilliant all-rounder with a technical, delightful and musical character, making it ideal for mature and newbie audiophiles and KZ fanboys who want a very high-quality audio experience at an affordable cost. Is one of their best Hybrid sets, and for its price is a set who sets a precedent as an exceptional option in a very competitive market.
The KZ ZA12 with its 103 dB sensitivity is kind of easy to drive, even with a low powered device, but it is benefited of a decent source, with a clean and uncolored source like the Hi.dizs S9 pro plus ‘Martha’ dongle is a pleasant synergy of sound, with my Fosi K7 desktop DAC/Amp also glosses, and it scales well with powerful sources.
Can I recommend it? Of course, YES! The KZ ZA12 is one of the best options for its price segment and offers a sound you find in more expensive sets, with the KZ successful approach to the JM-1 (new-Meta) target and seal of quality, it's a valued addition to my collection, and I have no plans to part with it anytime soon.
Once again, I appreciate KEEPHIFI for providing me with this IEM, allowing me to test it, enjoy, and gather the insights needed to confidently recommend it as a product that truly lives up to its hype and deserves even greater recognition. So, thank you, the reader, for visiting my review, and happy listening!
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