KZ Xtra TWS ANC IEM Review – Copy, Paste, Add New
INTRO
In a first for Knowledge Zenith (KZ) they finally give us a TWS with ANC called the KZ Xtra, but are extra late despite being the gateway drug brand for many Chi-fi fans. While many budget brands opt for an airpod style earbud design, KZ sticks to their universal shell roots to deliver us a semi-custom in-ear TWS with ANC that works well for rock and pop music for casual streaming listeners for ~$56.
FEATURE ATTRACTIONS
KZ advertised the Xtra with a 8 hour battery life, and based on my ultra scientific battery test of playing music with the earphones in standard mode proved that the 8 hour playtime is definitely realistic. Pairing occurs quickly although occasionally only one side would pair up despite taking both out of the case. This is so the Xtra can be used in mono mode if your heart desires.
There are 3 sound modes for the KZ Xtra- standard, ANC, and ambient with a voice in professional sounding English to denote the change by long pressing the left ear piece. I find the ambient mode gives them a semi-open feel while still maintaining bass levels. The ANC mode worked well with my lawnmower test, making it sound more like a jigsaw. Lucky for me I had a trip planned involving some airplane travel.
The airplane ANC test also worked well, while I could still hear announcements, it felt as if the passive noise was the only thing blocking voices. The roar of the engines was well masked with only a slight wind noise present. They performed much better than the Moondrop Golden and the Drop Grell TWS. The Sony WF-1000XM5 were still the ultimate in sound canceling, but I would give the KX Xtra a solid B/B+ in noise reduction.
There is also a low latency mode on the KZ Xtra that reduces it to a mere 55ms delay. I also tested this feature on my trip and found it works well enough for movies. It was indistinguishable when tracking dialog.
COMFORT
Comfort is typical of KZ offerings, the shell is large with a larger diameter nozzle. The fitment works well for me during daily dog walks, and the controls are responsive. The flat surface provides an easy target for finger touches. There are 3 pairs of U shaped eartips,
The round case is the same as the one found with the KZ VXS Pro I reviewed before. The clear window is a scratch magnet. The only way to charge the case is via USB-C no wireless charging. Charging case battery capacity is listed at 400mAh so expect 4 charges out of the case. A small USB-C cable is included, but no power adapter. Its a bit large as most mainstream brands such as Sony, Bose, JBL and Sennheiser have all been shrinking their case sizes, but it is not the worst I have seen.
SOUND
Not surprised here but the sound of the KZ Xtra is equivalent to the KZ VXS Pro. It is highly likely the 10mm driver is the same between both earphones, plus the shell is identical. Really the only change appears to be the Qualcomm chipset 5171 (VXS Pro) vs the 3091 on the KZ Xtra. The 3091 chipset utilizes the latest bluetooth 5.4 standard and improves SNR from 105dB to now a very respectable 120db.
Bass is full and boosted but feels capped off and compressed. However, this is standard for most bluetooth earphones I have tested, even the Sony WF-1000XM5 is similar in this regard. Wired earphones tend to deliver unconstrained bass in comparison.
Overall the whole staging feels tight and flat, there is not any major differentiation between front and back. Width is narrow, but in ambient mode it opens things up as semi-closed does in over ears.
Midrange is fine for casual listening, but if I were to pick a range that the KZ Xtra does well in would be middle treble. Saxophone, trumpets, woodwinds, sound the most lively, in other words there is good presence. Cymbals lack some decay and shimmer.
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
So there are features missing from the KZ Xtra, and whether that bothers you depends on if there is value in the feature. No multi-point support, connects to one device at a time only. Power shut off only occurs when they are put into the case. No app to change button controls, but that also keeps it simple to operate. Wireless charging is absent, no biggie but its worth mentioning again. LDAC missing from supported bluetooth codecs, but it at least covers up to APT-X HD and AAC.
WRAP UP
So why would someone want to purchase the KZ Xtra? I would say for casual listening where you want ear locking fitment, ANC that is 75-80% of the top performers, and full workday battery life. The KZ Xtra is not going to wallop your wallet, so value at $56-69 is middling, and not topping mainstream competition or wired earphones above $75. I liken them to a JBL bluetooth boombox, they get you portable music on the go, but are not going to replace a good two channel setup at home.
For me the fitment is what sets it apart for ANC TWS, and could be enough to be my go to lawn mowing ANC earbuds. When I am hot and sweaty, and there is massive background noise I get annoyed at having to push earphones back into place, especially ones that have controls. I am sure in 3 months I would not be surprised to see an Xtra Pro given KZ’s incremental release track record. For now Xtra is available.
Disclaimer: I thank KZ and graciously accepted these free of charge as I was genuinely interested why it took KZ so long to get in the ANC TWS game, it seems they were bothered by M**ndrop?
SPECIFICATION
- Bluetooth Version:5.4
- ANC depth:~55dB
- Bluetooth range:~15m
- Earhooks battery capacity:48mAh
- Charging case battery capacity:400mAh
- Earphone playing time:~8h
- Total Battery Life:~32h
- Charging interface:Type-C
DISCLAIMER
Get it from their Aliexpress Store or other distributors.
Our generic standard disclaimer.
