QKZ SK8 Earphones Review – An Ultra-Budget Gem Or A Failed Attempt?

First Impressions

The QKZ SK8 comes in straightforward packaging and shies away from the typical white carton that’s commonly used by other Chi-fi brands. It came in a white carrying case that feels pretty cheap, in my opinion. 

The earphones themselves were pretty colorful and were made of a polycarbonate resin shell, although the resin used feels a lot lighter and cheaper compared to other IEMs in this price range. They also have a bold design which can be an acquired taste for some.

The set includes a few pairs of silicone ear tips, a pair of ear hooks that I opted not to use since they feel pretty awkward, and a shirt clip for the cable.

Build Quality

The QKZ SK8’s shell is made out of a polycarbonate resin shell which is common with many IEMs. However, its quality isn’t as good as that of more expensive sets and this is understandable as it was done to reduce production costs. 

The cable is non-detachable, which is problematic because you can’t replace it when it gets damaged. The detachable cable feature is available, though, on its Pro version.

The plastic carrying case is very low-quality and cheaply made but it’s still a welcome addition because it’s useful for storing the earphones. Also, the SK8 doesn’t cost a lot so the carrying was a nice little surprise. 

Additionally, the ear hooks are poorly made and feel awkward in the ears so I don’t recommend using them.

Fit and Comfort

The QKZ SK8 has a fairly standard shape and the shells are pretty lightweight, so I haven’t encountered any issues regarding the fit. The ear tips are of low quality but they still provide a good enough seal for the sound.

QKZ also included a pair of ear hooks that you can attach to the cable of the SK8 but I opted not to use them since they’re pretty uncomfortable due to their shape and size. 

Sound Quality

In terms of sound, the QKZ SK8 has a V-shaped sound signature with a bit more pronounced treble. It had all the typical characteristics of a V-shaped sound signature with its recessed mids, and elevated lows and highs. 

In terms of its technicalities, there’s nothing special with the SK8.

Bass

The bass is more mid-bass-focused with minimal sub-bass extension. I tried listening to various tracks to observe how its bass performs and it always comes out as lacking in note weight.

Although the midbass has a bit of body and punches on more bass-heavy tracks, it’s very subtle. There were also times when it lacks definition because it sounds muffled and muddy.

With the bass of the QKZ SK8, the sound presentation lacks details, depth, note weight, and clarity. On listenable volumes, there were instances when the SK8 produced some clipping which was very unpleasant to listen to.

Mids

Since the QKZ SK8 has a V-shape sound signature, the mids are recessed. In this case, I feel like the SK8 may have taken it a bit too far because, on some tracks, the vocals get crowded out by its top-end and low-end. 

The guitars and other instruments have a good amount of definition and clarity. However, it gets smeared by the midbass bleed sometimes, and this messes up its resolution resulting in a muddy presentation on the lower mids, affecting said instruments.

The upper midrange has a decent timbre, although they can sometimes get quite harsh or peaky. They also tend to sound thin at times which we can blame on their tuning.

Overall, I was unsatisfied with the SK8’s presentation on its mids.

Treble

THE QKZ SK8’s treble presentation is better than the other frequencies mentioned. It has a decent treble extension and a good timbre quality with no weird tonalities.

However, it’s still plagued by flaws. Like the mids, the treble is very thin and sounds like two pieces of paper rubbed against each other, which gets pretty irritating. I’ve had this issue from the get-go and was pretty annoyed. This can be very fatiguing in the ears, which is a huge deal

breaker for me as I use IEMs often.

Test Tracks

I’ve tested the QKZ SK8 on different genres of music to get a proper understanding of how they sound and here are my findings.

• Metal / Rock – When listening to the test tracks, the guitars lacked body and sounded disjointed from the tracks. There were a lot of harsh peaks all over the tracks, which got very fatiguing. However, the vocals were decent and could stand out even on busier tracks. Tracks used: I Don’t Love You (My Chemical Romance), All The Small Things (Blink 182), Ignorance (Paramore), Cold (Korn), Cliffs of Dover (Eric Johnson)
• Pop – The vocals were close to being on point but still lacked definition and needed refinement. The layering was average. The bottom end of the tracks was sometimes clouded and frequently lacked volume. The soundstage was average in width, but it caught up to some of the tracks’ demands. The performance of the QKZ SK8 for this genre is lukewarm since it failed to do anything special. Tracks used: Snooze (SZA), As It Was (Harry Styles), Yours (Maye)
• Hip-hop – The QKZ SK8 produced small amounts of rumble on the tracks I’ve listened to, which shows its lack of sub-bass extension. The mid-bass is much less prominent than I expected, although there were times when they bled through the vocals. The instruments on the top end also suffered from treble peaks, and the cymbal hits sounded too sharp at times. Tracks used: LOVE. (Kendrick Lamar, Zacari), sdp interlude (Travis Scott), I Wonder (Kanye West), Superhero (Metro Boomin & Future)
• R&B / Soul – This genre has two main highlighting components I often notice when testing earphones – it’s how well the vocals are presented and blend with the instrumentation. I must say, the QKZ SK8 did a pretty good job. The instruments were precise and well-controlled. The vocals had good clarity, although they suffered from some peaks in the frequencies. The same goes for the instruments, which can get sharp in presentation. Overall, the SK8 did a decent job in this genre. Tracks used: LA FAMA (Rosalia, The Weeknd), Blessed (Daniel Ceasar), Moonlight (Kali Uchis), Traingazing (Sam Wills ft. Honey Mooncie), Always (Daniel Ceasar)

Conclusion

The QKZ SK8 may be flawed but there were times when I enjoyed listening to them. Its relatively bright V-shaped tuning makes it stand out from other alternatives but sadly, this tuning isn’t implemented well.

Tons of treble peaks and harsh frequencies plagued me during testing, which took a toll on how I perceived these earphones. 

If you like this type of tuning, then you’d appreciate the TRN MT1 and QKZ VK4 as they’re far better choices. Their tuning is more refined, plus they have better build quality and detachable cables.

That said, even in the ultra-budget space, the QKZ SK8 isn’t good enough. It just has a lot of flaws that even its price can’t justify.

This post was last updated on 2024-11-14 / Some images from Amazon Product API & some links may be affiliate links which may earn us a commission from purchases.