KZ ZNA Earphones Review – A Breath Of Fresh Air

First Impressions

I got the KZ ZNA first before the KZ DQ6 and KZ ZSA but I reviewed it last because I wanted to surprise myself with how good it sounds.

The ZNA came in a typical KZ white box packaging that shows an image of the IEM on the front side and the product specs on the back. 

Sliding the box reveals the IEM resting on a plastic tray with pre-installed medium ear tips and under it, you’ll find the rest of the packaging contents. It’s the usual stock ear tips, a 2-pin detachable cable, and some paperwork.

The KZ ZNA only comes in black and there aren’t any other color options but it has options for with and without microphone. I bought the one without a microphone as I don’t use IEMs for calls and gaming that much.

Build Quality

Speaking of build quality, I think the KZ ZNA passes the durability test. It may not have the best build quality but it’s still excellent for the price. It has a matte-metal faceplate with grooves that look similar to that of the KZ ZS10. On the edge of the faceplate are three air vents with gold-plated mesh. 

Also, the ZNA has a transparent black-tinted shell that shows the wirings and drivers inside. This shell terminates to a nozzle, which is a bit long but fits ergonomically. The seam between the shell and faceplate is smooth, with no rough edges and noticeable gaps. I’d commend the manufacturers for this level of detail on the ZNA.

Meanwhile, the cable feels cheap and doesn’t look good when attached to the ZNA because of the unmatching color combination. Still, it works decently. It’s also tangle-prone, which is my pet peeve as some cables get tangled easily especially when I’m out and about and doing a lot of movements.

Last would be the ear tips, which are KZ’s spiral silicone ear tips. They look so good with the blue accent on the inner part of the tips.

Fit and Comfort

Wearing the KZ ZNA for the first time has been delightful since it’s not too heavy and it fits perfectly in my ears. The IEMs that KZ releases don’t have much drastic change throughout the years. That’s why I think my ears got used to the usual KZ IEMs.

What’s different with the ZNA is the extended nozzles that kind of helped with the fit and improved the seal it gave to my ears. The nozzles just slide into my ear canal flawlessly without causing any discomfort or pain.

The spiral tips were also great as they give the earphones a nice stable fit and don’t feel like they’re falling off. As for the ear hooks, I think that they’re perfect and sit well above my ears. They’re not too tight or loose. They just follow your ear shape and size.

My comments on this are purely subjective as the fit and comfort of this IEM may still depend on the user’s ear shape and size.

Sound Quality

So far, I was impressed with the way the KZ ZNA sounded. I’d say that it’s a breath of fresh air from KZ’s typical V-shaped tuning with its neutral sound signature.

The ZNA benefits well from the combination of the balanced armature and dynamic driver, as it gives the IEM a balanced and safe tuning. It also keeps the ZNA from getting too bright or boomy.

The bass region of the ZNA has a noticeable boost with an emphasis on the sub-bass. The midrange has a neutral profile and is a bit recessed, which isn’t terrible as the vocals and instruments still sound full. However, I don’t like how the treble performs, which I’ll discuss more later.

Bass

The KZ ZNA’s bass has a noticeable elevation and good extension in the overall mix. It doesn’t get bloated like I expected. 

The sub-bass has good rumble but isn’t very well-controlled as it bleeds a little into the mids. It also has a nice texture and tightness to it. The mid-bass has a decent amount of presence as it’s punchy but very engaging. Plus, I also noticed the warmth in the mid-bass but it’s not as powerful. 

I found out that using wider tips brings the bass level of the ZNA lower, which helps if you don’t like the bass being too forward or prominent. This may not be most bass heads’ cup of tea but other listeners will get satisfaction from this bass performance.

Midrange

With the KZ ZNA’s midrange, it’s lean-sounding with some recession on some aspects.

The instruments in the midrange sound clear but a bit veiled by the overwhelming bass region. Instruments like guitars and pianos are slightly laid-back, but they have a decent timbre and good tone. However, violins and trumpets are affected by the veiled sound.

For the vocals, male vocals are more forward and authoritative than female ones. Male vocals have body and warmth with a lot of presence. On the other hand, female vocals still have an engaging personality with their presence but suffer from the recession in the midrange. They’re quite laid-back and lack the sparkle I usually look for.

The vocal positioning is also nice as they’re forward but not overly forward to avoid becoming too shouty.

Treble

For the ZNA’s treble, they’re nice but not really my preference. They’re more of a fun-sounding treble than being refined and detailed.

Some tracks showcase the elevated treble while some sound like the treble is non-existent at all. I think the dip at the 4k region makes the treble sound dark and also laid back, like the midrange.

Instruments like hi-hats are rendered with nice crisp and presence but, at the same time, they sound dark. Sibilance is also present in the treble region, especially with the female vocals, but they’re not that frequent.

Technicalities

Technicality-wise, the KZ ZNA falls under the average spectrum, which is somewhat but I really want more.

The sound staging has a good amount of width that I wonder if it has a limit because I can’t pinpoint where it ends. The height is also okay and tolerable. Meanwhile, the imaging could have been better but it’s not bad. 

What’s nice is that I can still feel the direction of the musical elements and their distance from each other.

The sound separation is decent as complex tracks don’t get muddy. For me, this is unexpected for a budget IEM. This is thanks to the balanced armature driver that pays attention to the micro details with every song.

Conclusion

With everything being said, the KZ ZNA might not be everyone’s preference but it has more to offer, from its stylish appearance to its sound quality. The technicalities are also remarkable, with decent sound staging, average separation, and imaging.

The ZNA works well with most genres but if you ask me, it’s more suitable for orchestral, pop, rock, and EDM types of music.

Priced at around $25 to $30, the KZ ZNA is a great choice if you like a neat bass presentation with average vocals and you’ve been wanting a break from KZ’s usual tuning with their older IEMs.

This post was last updated on 2025-01-10 / Some images from Amazon Product API & some links may be affiliate links which may earn us a commission from purchases.