One segment of audio that I don’t usually dabble in is the world of wireless products. But today, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on KZ’s entry into the TWS space with the Xtra! This $65 TWS is my first TWS from KZ, so my expectations are undefined so far. But as a stickler for convenience, I promise not to hold back with my impressions!
Firstly, let’s talk about unboxing. As you might expect from a TWS set, let alone a KZ set, you basically get no accessories in the package. You get the TWS inside their case, an instructional manual and a couple of eartips. I will give it to KZ for including TWS eartips instead of the usual eartips, but I’d still rather use my own non-TWS eartips as the ones included are thin and cheap-feeling.
As for the build and fit, the TWS themselves feel very lightweight and fit in the ear very well. The shape is reminiscent of larger, CIEM style in-ears like the Kiwi Ears Quartet and TinHiFi C3/T3+ but without the cable. This makes the Xtra’s fit basically perfect with the right pair of eartips and makes it the most snug fitting TWS I’ve ever worn. It’s not as comfy as stem style earbuds, but they’re more secure. They do feel a little cheap, but that’s to be expected for TWS earbuds anyways.
The case on the other hand is a little bit too big for my tastes. It’s not the most pocketable and I’ve had friends who broke off the lid of these kinds of cases. It would be fine if it wasn’t for the very weak magnet keeping the earbuds inside the case, so breaking the lid also means cursing yourself to a life of fear from losing your earbud without a lid. Thankfully, the case itself feel sturdy enough to handle a couple of drops.
Before I talk about sound, I wanna talk about a couple of features and specs that the Xtra has. The Xtra has the Qualcomm QCC3091 chip with ANC and Transparency modes, 32 hours of battery life with the case, 55ms latency, AAC, SBC, aptX adaptive and a DSP on their 10mm single dynamic driver. You can change tracks, pause and play, change transparency modes and switch between standard and high performance mode. The lack of a volume switcher was a little disappointing, but it makes up for one of the best ANC I’ve heard for the price.
Finally, let’s talk about the sound. If you’re familiar with the tuning trend that KZ has been implementing on their sets in the last few months, you would feel right at home with the Xtra. It’s a well-done Harman bass boost sound signature with a very clean midrange, superb vocal energy and great bass extension. This is genuinely one of the best tuned TWS I’ve heard that follows the Harman sound signature almost to a T with extra boost in the subbass to make it sound more engaging. The only issue that I have, which is mostly a TWS issue, is the somewhat lackluster technical ability and details. But with this kind of tuning at this price range, I couldn’t possibly ask for more in terms of sound.
For my first foray into KZ TWS, I have to say that I am very impressed with what they’ve made. It’s a very mature and well thought out device with a lot of good things going for it. If they had included a volume switcher and made the case more compact, this honestly would’ve been my favorite TWS of all time. But as it stands, it’s a great device and I’d love to share my full thoughts very soon!
Thank you for reading my full impressions on the KZ Xtra. If you would like to buy one, consider using the non-affiliated link below: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806950757775.html?aff_fcid=1c018acc75f64810b26c9fa9709976a2-1720929180613-06762-_DmN5zUR&tt=CPS_NORMAL&aff_fsk=_DmN5zUR&aff_platform=portals-tool&sk=_DmN5zUR&aff_trace_key=1c018acc75f64810b26c9fa9709976a2-1720929180613-06762-_DmN5zUR&terminal_id=4e626cd4bd19410db142f7e15fa0e38a&afSmartRedirect=y&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa
