Introduction

QKZ, or Quality Knowledge Zenith, is one of those outfits based in Asia that you don't really know much about. The initials that make up the brand, and even the full form of the initials, would lead one to think there is some affiliation to KZ—another Asian audio brand that is most known for its budget-friendly set of in-ear monitors. QKZ is best seen as whatever the people behind the brand need it to be. Sometimes its an OEM for other companies, at other times it puts out compelling products at different price points that are well worthy of consideration. One such occasion resulted in a collaboration with IEM influencer/reviewer HBB (BGGAR), whose inputs have led to products such as the excellent Olina SE which remains my top recommendation at the $100 price point, if not more.


The original QKZ x HBB used a single dynamic driver and targeted the $20 market that has had quite a few offerings recently, and the newer QKZ x HBB Khan ups the ante with two dynamic drivers. There have been a few other such entries and, arguably, some credit can be given to the Truthear x Crinacle ZERO that started this dual DD driver configuration at a reasonable cost too. With the new Khan, QKZ and HBB both aim to put out a set of IEMs offering a balanced tonality while still providing ample amounts of clean bass too. Thanks to Linsoul for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp as we begin our coverage of the QKZ x HBB Khan with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Packaging and Accessories

Packaging for the QKZ x HBB Khan employs a sleeve-over-box design that works quite well in providing a bunch of useful information to the end user. On the front is the brand logo in an iridescent finish as well as the product name itself to go with a render of the IEMs and a funny take on the Hi-Res Audio sticker everyone loves to use these days. I appreciate the factory frequency response on the back as well as the product specs and contact information for the registered company behind the QKZ brand. The acknowledgment to HBB for this collaboration is also neat to see. The inside cardboard box is black with a simple logo on the front and opening the lid reveals a souvenir metal coin that has both logos on it. The IEMs themselves are placed inside a protective cardboard sheet with machined cutouts and then we get the carry/storage case too—no paperwork of any kind to be seen here. This is a simple white hard plastic case with QKZ branding on the top and bottom and is small enough to easily fit in a pocket or be placed inside a bag. A latch keeps it closed on the front and I am personally a fan of this case in being different and functionally better—in my opinion—compared to what's typically provided in the price range these IEMs operate in.


Opening the case shows there is enough space to place the IEMs and cable inside, although a soft lining would have been nice. There are two separate plastic bags inside with the larger of the two containing the IEM cable itself and the other containing three sets of silicone ear tips in sizes S/M/L. Do try them all to see what works best for you among these, or grab aftermarket tips if you prefer. As far as stock tips go, these are on the better side of average in offering a medium bore size and decently stiff outer flange that doesn't buckle easily while still conforming to the ear canal well.

Closer Look

The cable that ships with the QKZ x HBB Khan looks and feels quite nice in person, so we are on a roll as far as the provided accessories go. This is a single-ended cable that has a 3.5 mm TRS plug on the source side with decent strain relief incorporated past the sizable housing it is fitted on to. The cable has four strands of oxygen-free copper conductor with a black sheath on top that is well braided to where I didn't experience any kinking in the way or much resistance to re-shaping either, let alone microphonics in use. The splitter is similarly executed as the rest of the hardware on the cable and then things will differ based on whether or not you have the mic or no mic version of the set. I have the latter here although the mic version comes with in-line microphone and controls on the right side cable as I understand. Then we get to my only gripe with the cable which is the highly stiff pre-formed ear hooks used here which necessitate a heat source to re-shape if the built-in curve doesn't conform to your ears well. The IEM connectors themselves use QDC-style 0.75 mm 2-pin recessed connectors with a sleeve over the actual pins. This adds some protection in use but does mean that the IEMs themselves won't easily take the more readily available 2-pin 0.78 mm cables. There is a red mark on the housing that corresponds to the right channel to help you identify them and the metal plugs are gold-plated for oxidation resistance.


The IEM shells themselves use DLP resin printing similar to a few others we've seen recently. The resin used is a dark black with some translucency allowing you to get a sneak peek at the drivers used inside. They do pick up finger oils and fingerprints to where I did find myself wiping them off every so often but not to the point of needing a microfiber cloth or remotely close to becoming a dealbreaker. The face plates themselves use a "dragon scale" motif with the QKZ and HBB logos in gold on the two sides. There's a polished metal cover around which helps glue the face plates to the shells and also contains the two vents at the bottom for airflow in and out the acoustic chamber. The top side has the product name and L/R markings if needed whereas the longer side shows the use of matching 0.75 mm cable connects that protrude outward. The shells are ergonomically designed to fit in the concha and are about average in size with a gentle slope heading down to the nozzle that is angled inward and on the longer and thicker side of average at ~6.2 mm at the widest spot. There is a defined end point and a retaining notch to help secure the ear tips which easily fit over the nozzle and remain there as seen above. A metal mesh filter at the end helps prevent contaminants from entering the acoustic chamber.


Installing the cable is simple enough with the pre-molded ear hooks that go over the ears and L/R indicators helping identify what goes where. Push the cable connectors into the IEM connectors as seen above until you see the external sleeve on the cable slide go over the IEM protrusions to form a more cohesive single unit.