QKZ AK6 Pro Earphones Review – A Worthy Upgrade Without Breaking the Bank

First Impressions 

The unboxing experience of the QKZ AK6 Pro was similar to when I was unboxing the original model. There was nothing spectacular about it.

The IEMs and the accessories came in a simple standard box with just the model name on the outside and some product description. I’m not really complaining, given its price, but I’m just mentioning how the unboxing part is unremarkable.

Upon first listening to these IEMs, I didn’t pick up anything besides the fact that I liked how they sound. 

I didn’t test the AK6 series chronologically, so testing this set and comparing it with the original version of the AK6 resulted in an instant wow.

I liked how these IEMs didn’t digress too much from the original version’s tuning while still improving it to a significant degree that I would notice. 

All in all, the only thing that happened was a jump up in its sonic features across the frequency range. 

Build Quality

When it comes to the build of the QKZ AK6 Pro, it remains to be roughly the same but somehow they feel sturdier and slightly heavier to the touch compared to the AK6.

That isn’t to say that there’s now a green light to use them carelessly. I still feel that they’re almost as fragile as the original model.

I do like the braided cable of the Pros. I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t sport the same speaker cable setup that the rest of the AK6 lineup has. It’s the most different cable among the whole lineup.

Fit and Comfort

I’m happy to report that this model, like the previous one, has a nice and snug fit inside my ears. The stock tips gave me a pretty solid seal and that’s always a good thing. 

Larger ear sizes may have to size up or even change the tips completely to match their ear contour because the stock ones are firmer than normal.

Sound Quality

The QKZ AK6 Pro has the same likable warm signature as the AK6, but significant revisions to the bass and the treble are noticeable. 

The AK6 Pro still has that V-shape tuning and I can see why they opted to not have the mids altered.

To be fair, the mids on the original AK6 never presented any problems except for having a pretty relaxed lower midrange which rendered most songs as a relaxed listening experience, for better or slightly worse results. 

The stage remains to be a confined experience but the transient response has improved by a big margin. Sonic-wise, the improvements on this unit can deem the unit worthy of having Pro at the end of its name.

Bass 

The sub-bass on the original AK6 had a big presence but lacked texture. The mid-bass was also rounded off and it lacked slam. 

On the Pro version, they improved both. 

The sub-bass now has more control and better texture to it. The mid-bass now has a satisfying level of slam and it no longer sounds muted. 

On a further note, the bass amount will still bleed into the mids but much like the previous AK6, this does no detriment but just heavily colors the mids. 

Mids

The midrange remains unchanged. Or is it? 

Due to the changes done to the bass, there’s slightly more clarity in the midrange, which is sweet. 

Although I have the same personal gripe about the relaxed lower mids energy, the slight boost in clarity is well-appreciated. This can make the vocals in some tracks sound forward.

Treble

The treble improvement comes in the form of details. The details are more fleshed out and can be more easily picked up in playback, which is great. 

Apart from that, the muted transients the AK6 had back then are completely non-existent in the Pro version. The cymbal strikes and snare hits are now livelier and give nice crispy feedback. 

This aspect was probably a big element that shaped the AK6’s overall tuning signature into a relaxed one, but hey, let bygones be bygones, eh? 

Overall, the treble on the QKZ AK6 Pro has held its end of the job perfectly.

Test Tracks

These are a few tracks that highlight the improvements of the QKZ AK6 Pro over the previous model.

• Mr. Brightside by The Killers (Alternative Rock) – The strings at the start of the song plus the drums that come right after are good indicators of the good synergy achieved by the mids and the improved treble. The tone and the weight of the guitar sound full and mellow. The transients are snappy and have a great splash to them. Percussions and vocals dominate the verses and chorus throughout the song playing back and forth with rhythm and lead. 
• Where Did The Party Go by Fallout Boy (Rock) – The kick drum at the start is a huge flag of improvement as it had great slam and texture. There’s a mid-bass glow-up that’s made more satisfying because this track has that kick drum from the start until the end. The vocals and the drums were also done very well. The cohesion on this track is rendered nicely by the QKZ AK6 Pro.
• Bones by Imagine Dragons (Alternative/Indie) – The vocal clarity and reverb are done well, but what makes this track especially good is the amount of bass used and I’m all for it. The improved texture on the bass is satisfying and goes a long way in making you enjoy the music a little bit more. The transients are crispy and you could hear the drumsticks hitting the side of the snare drum.
• Feel Good Inc by Gorillaz (Alternative/Indie) – This track has a part that caught me off-guard. It was just light tapping noises and I thought they were coming from behind me in real life. I know this unit doesn’t have any height or width to its stage just like the previous model, but it can perform feats like this when obliged by the mix itself, which is an interesting thing to note. The rest of the song is comprised of a big and fun bass sequence and a rap verse. 
• Light Switch by Charlie Puth (Pop) – This song is perfect. It has a good amount of dynamic transients and bass. The vocals are sweet, and the bass and the rhythm carve out that groove for the song to keep on unfolding. This track is just really good. It has everything you would want to enjoy in a pop song and the AK6 Pro does this song well.

Conclusion

The QKZ AK6 Pro is a great upgrade to the AK6. It has a warm sound signature with a little more controlled bass, clear vocals, and great detail retrieval. 

It shares a lot of the previous model’s shortcomings, such as the fast decay and treble air, but it doesn’t take away from what the AK6 Pro manages to achieve in terms of improvements. 

Is it worth the upgrade? 

Of course! And the best thing about it is that you don’t need to spend a fortune to upgrade from the previous model. 

The AK6 Pro is priced between $3 to $10, depending on where you buy, and I was able to get mine under $4. That isn’t much in terms of how much you’ll be needing to shell out for an upgrade. 

With sonic improvements, better cable, and a low price threshold, the QKZ AK6 Pro is destined to overthrow its predecessor. Although some folks still love that laid-back sound, the Pro gives you more engagement and fun listening with upgraded sonic quality from across the board.

This post was last updated on 2024-11-19 / Some images from Amazon Product API & some links may be affiliate links which may earn us a commission from purchases.