• Jan 27, 2026
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KZ Castor-A Budget Beast?

Reviewed by PROTOTYPE XSI

Pros

- Exceptional build quality for the price
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Simple bass with good sub-bass extension
- Neutral, detailed mids
- Smooth, warm detailed non-fatiguing treble
-Great for gaming
-Great for rock music
- Customizable tuning switches
- Great value for money

Cons

- Stock cable and ear tips is worse lmao [as usual KZ stock]
- Not for bassheads
- Slight muddiness in male vocals specially on rock metal
- No audio playback control on NO-MIC varient

Hi, i am a heavy gamer and an audiophile {may not be expert like others} we all know KZ for its budget friendly iem which provides more than its budget... well i got the chance to get my hands on KZ Castor [Herman Tunning Edition]! here is my take on it!

Unboxing : You get the same experience like every other KZ products 
[You have to buy FT01 separately, it was a gift]

 

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Usage time : 12 days
gears used : KZ FT01 Ear tips

 

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Dvice used : realme 9 SE [supports 24 bit/192khz high-res audio]

Playlsit :


DragonForce
Through The Fire And The Flames
Heroes Of Our Time
Trail Of the Broken hearts
Cry Thunder


Metallica
Enter Sandman
Fade to Black
One
Unforgiven, [i,ii,iii]
Nothing Else Matters


Disturbed
Sound of Silence
Sons of Plunder
Monster
Prayer
Decadence


Linkin Park
In the End
Numb
Somewhere i belong
what i've done
Dont stay
From the inside
New Divide

Hans Zimmer

Why Do We Fall
Molossus
A silent gurdian
Can you hear the music

Genesis

Land of confusion
Poets of the fall
Carnival of rust
Lift
False kings

 

Games i play :

1> Arkham Knight
2> World of Tanks
3> Minecraft
4> war thunder
5> Warhammer 40k Space Marine 2
6> PUBG
7> Call of duty mobile
8> world of tanks blitz
9> Delta Force
10> Arena Breakout Infinite
11> clash of Clans
12> Need For Speed Heat
13> Need For Speed Payback
14> Dead Cells
15> Crashlands
16> World of Warships Legends

 

Comfort :

Even though i have medium/mid-big ears, well in my experience it is one of the most compfy iem i ever used, the build quality is awesome! the fitting is perfect the weight is very light it is like not even there! so its obviously good!


[Note : i used the KZ provided FT01 ear tips]

the stock ear tips is like every other average KZ eartips nothing special about it so i did not used it instead i used the FT01 tips. which is great in my experience! it is kind of like having active noise cancelling ! it cuts off 60% of the external noises!


SOUND QUALITY :


I am going to say in this budget it offers more than its price! specially under 20$! here is more about thesound quality!

Bass :


Well this version of the Castor is not biased for bass enthusiast but i will say its well balanced and well controlled, not overhelming ... it does not provide skull crushing bass. after enabling switch 1 and 2 the bass increases slightly, sadly i did not used it much! but in space marine the foot step and grenade explosion is replaced with bass which i did not liked!

MID :


The mids/vocal, offers a good level of details. male vocals are sharp but sometime thick in my opinion... Female vocals, on the other hand, are sharp and detailed, making them a joy to listen to. There were no issues in the gaming section : the vocal sound separation is really good! in World of Tanks, PUBG, Delta Force, World of Warships Legends. In Dragonforce and Linikn park the vocal [ Zp. theart {Dragonforce} and Chester benington {Linkin Park}] was a bit thicker than usual. Female Vocal are sharpy



Treble/Highs :


This is the best part about this iem, it provides crystal clear highs, has depth and bright sound signature. The sound separation quality is great.
In dragonforce the guitar solos are greatly well controlled and separated, in the "through the fire and the flames"
there was a slight muddiness in the end of the solo of herman lee but it is not a deal breaker,
the piano chords in sound of silence is covered [disturbed] is perfectly produced. hence i enjoyed listening to other musics! Specially when you play World of Tanks most of budget iem replaces track effects with sub-bass but in this iem it is rock solid highs. In fps gaming the foot steps in grass which most iem replaces with kind of bass i do not like, gun fire sound is also covered by bass which did not happen in the case of Carol! the gunshots and grass steps sound is crispy !

 

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Final Verdict


The KZ Castor Harman is a fantastic budget IEM that punches above its weight. It’s not perfect or godlike, but for under $30, it’s hard to complain. Whether you’re a casual listener, a gamer, or someone dipping their toes into the world of audiophile gear, this IEM is a great choice. It’s comfortable, versatile, and delivers a sound quality that goes with its price tag. Also its great for mobile and pc gaming If you’re looking for an affordable all-rounder, the Castor Harman is for you!

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