
KZ - AM16
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Based on 1 year's data from Feb 15, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
16
0
"After appling the eq to the am16s and listening to a few reference tracks. The sound quality actually exceeded my B2s... ... The am16 use lower quality BA drivers but when tuned right, they can almost resolve ad much detail."
"Before that I got the AM16 which is a fantastic IEM, paid around $20 on it and it sounds like a $200 set easily. ... I sold the P7 after I got the AM16. It's definitely in the $200 range."
"Before that I got the AM16 which is a fantastic IEM, paid around $20 on it and it sounds like a $200 set easily."
15
0
"Bigger bass presence equaled by a nice treble contrast. ... the bass is tighter, punchy, and fantastic for balanced armature drivers. ... KZ actually created their brand new bass driver (22955) which really does mimic a DD very well. The only obvious difference is that the KZ driver has a tighter decay, less atmospheric, but very well defined. ... Bass is very good, deep, palpable, textured and tight. Close to DD style bass."
"amazing bass you wont believe its coming from BA ... textured and slams hard and you can EQ even more if you want!!"
"Am16 bass is the one for you ..."
4
2
"they are very versatile when EQ'ing. ... I EQed mine like this ... Mostly by ear. Reduced it's bass, brought the mids back just a bit and gave it just enough air to my likings. To this day I feel it to be the best eq I've made."
"amazing bass you wont believe its coming from BA ... textured and slams hard and you can EQ even more if you want!!"
"With the AM16 and PEQ, I am definitely enjoying it. ... with my preference PEQs, AM16 Balanced is roughly at 80-90% there, anything beyond is definitely outside KZ."
5
0
"You may want the AM16 over the PRX if you want sound separation and soundstage. This is from the music listening standpoint, not from gaming."
"if soundstage and separation are your main thing, I'd actually recommend the KZ AM16... It has 8 drivers in each, so each instrument sounds very individual and clear."
"Better terms of detail retrieval, instrument separation, and "soundstage" vs the Castors (even if I EQ them to a similar preference EQ I like)"
1
1
"The comfort for 'me' comes from the short nozzle and resin material on the am16, compared to the nozzle length of ks zs10 pro which have been a bother to my ears since i am nozzle length sensitive."
"It is full on comfort with resin nozzle."
Disliked most:
5
4
"The vocals sounded thin and sucked out."
"EQ is tricky as the low frequency BA driver is easy to boost , mids not so much."
"If you prefer a "no EQ" rule, then AM16 is out of the question"
1
1
"The vocals sounded thin and sucked out."
0
3
"although I don't find them very comfortable."
"The downside of the AM16 is it is a large IEM so you may consider that when choosing."
"the shell size is big and weighs a bit more"
0
1
"Also if your PC (I assume you are gaming on PC) is not grounded then the AM16 will give you those electric tingles (PRX won't)."
0
1
"Of course the cable"
i'd consider kz am16 balanced. high value set, nicely detailed and technical set nice for pinpointing footsets but has a nice amount of bass for immersive games and your music genres which tend to like some bass boost if those are out of budget tripowin vivace are a nice set for fps and should do everything else pretty well too
if you want v-shape (actual v-shape not mild v-shape) then juzear clear are very good. excellent bass extension + quality and you get alot of it. bonus points for the very good included cable if you want something fun but still technical then kz am16 bass version
I got the AM16 Bass edition, however I like my T10 Pro a lot better. Voices sound "unnatural" on the AM16 and the treble sometimes hurts. with some EQ though its sounds reasonably good for the price point.
I listen to all those genres. Xenns Mangird Tea Pros are my daily drivers (and they play those genres and anything else I've thrown at them really well) and are highly recommended by others for gaming too. If you want to do it on a shoe string, I'd recommend the KZ AM16 Balanced, although I don't find them very comfortable. Don't expect the sort of bass from either of them that you'd find in a pair of Soundcore buds, but you can always learn how to EQ bass in if you need more. Sound stage is adequate with both those models (IEMs aren't really about soundstage, compared to a set of open-back over ears (I have a set of Hififman HE400se and the soundstage on them is miles better than any IEM I've tried), imaging much better with the Tea Pros. What headphones do you use at the moment?
So what's ur use scenario? My suggestion in general for whoever enter this hobby (it they care about gaming) is getting the Tripowin Vivace+ Azla asmr max tips (obbligatory with this iem) cus i think even up to 500 there is nothing (in game) that outperform by a huge margin this. So if u care about gaming u can choose this combo first and then also buy an iem where u can focus only on ur music preferences (+ having the Asmr max automatically open u the doors for every harsh treble iem, cus this can tame anything). And with 120 u can do something like: Vivace combo+ Kz Am16 bass (best Kz with Ba rn and pretty cheap on Ali, meanwhile the best DD from Kz is in their Kz Zenith that i put way above the Zero Red if the qc is good). Anyway my favorite iem under 50 are the Cadenza, i read someone above saying that the Zero red is overall better, but for me the Cadenza is way better than the Zero red (not in game) the timbre is of the Cadenza is better (Cadenza Berillium timbre is my favorite timbre even up to 300) and the bass hit more satisfing and that bump in the high give u an impression of high technicality and is pretty berable + they are way more comfortable (worst than the Red in gaming if u use the adapter and obv they have a worst final extension in the trebble as u can see in graphs) some people prefer the Kefine klean in this price range and overall can do more things (especially in gaming) but music wise i prefer Cadenza. So i covered the combos...now let's talk about the best all rounder/sets under 120 (sometimes with discount) Kiwi ears Airoso (incredible iem for music,for me the best, a direct upgrade from Cadenza, not the best in game but still usable) Kefine Delci Ae (great valuable iem) Simgot Ew300 (not great in game, but 🔥 music) Juzear Defiant (if the qc is good, pretty close level wise to the Airoso if not better for someone) Arti t10/t10 pro if u want to try planar Truthears Hexa (neutral and all rounder, exquisite, better than the Red, but can be boring) Simgot Em6L (great allrounder) Aful explorer (if u want to raise the volume, this is great, in game they kinda 🙃😅) Tanchjim Fission (best 1DD at this price) Idk if i forgot something but this should be pretty 😏. This is kinda it i think.
I have the Moondrop Arias as well and they were the best sounding IEMs I've ever had right up until one side randomly decided to be one-fifth of the volume of the other lmao. I've been using KZ AM16s I bought recently which certainly has great wub wub and oonse oonse, at least when I can get them to fit in my stupid asymmetric ear holes 😤 However all my opinions are worthless because my hearing has the sensitivity of a boomer comedian; 20-20,000Hz? Brother I can't hear anything above 14,000Hz 😅
KZ ZS12 Pro X is competent. Not a bass monster. Put some Tang Sancai Noble tips for better bass over stock tips. KZ AM16 is really good, fun set. My current favorite that I have.
KZ AM16 is a fun set.
https://mobileaudiophile.com/in-ear-earphones-iem-iems-reviews/kz-am16-review/?amp=1 KZ AM16 Review -8 balanced armature drivers per side Hello, at the link above is my full review of the KZ AM16. The AM16 is KZ's latest all-BA iem and from my perspective it is a solid purchase at the price of only $57. Honestly, for that cost this set is a no-brainer. That is, if you enjoy a more fun and dynamically expressive tuning. Bigger bass presence equaled by a nice treble contrast. There's a hair of a low-mids recession but the midrange generally comes through with very nice presence in the mix. The AM16 is a very good first all BA iem for anyone who simply wants to hear an all balanced armature set. I can tell you this, the sound is not bad by any stretch. You don't have those screaming bright highs like all-BA KZ sets from years ago. You don't have muddy bass. Instead the highs are just brilliant enough to offset the bass and the bass is tighter, punchy, and fantastic for balanced armature drivers. KZ actually created their brand new bass driver (22955) which really does mimic a DD very well. The only obvious difference is that the KZ driver has a tighter decay, less atmospheric, but very well defined. The sound is a good quality V-shaped sound for the price. Now, I am not saying that the AM16 will change your life, but I am saying that the AM16 is a fun set. I wouldn't have reveiwed it if I thought it was a bad set. At any rate, feel free to check out my thoughts on the AM16 if you'd like. If not, no biggie, just take good care and enjoy your tunes!! 🔥🔥🔥 AM16 Pros 🔥🔥🔥 -Price to performance -Build isn’t bad at all -Fully open-back design -Design is cool, even if we’ve seen similar KZ designs -Very fun and spirited sound -Bass is very good, deep, palpable, textured and tight. Close to DD style bass. -Nice mids for a V-shaped set, clarity, nice for vocalists, natural note weight -Detailed treble region, mostly non-offensive, very solid extension -Detail Retrieval -Big outward soundstage, multi-layered -Great imaging abilities for the cost 👎👎👎 AM16 Cons 👎👎👎 -Unboxing -Of course the cable -Slight unnatural timbre at times
AM16 is so underrated. Sounds very similar to quatio too
https://preview.redd.it/z4nkiur6ns4f1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2ab68be31f702fa1d22d1f456fb7d10210441f8a I bought them for 30$ waiting them to arrive. Expectations are high since I loved the PRX
I have these too, they're really great for the price (30usd) and they are very versatile when EQ'ing. Not hard to drive and in stock configuration despite having some recessed mids to my liking, is still a very fun sounding iem.
I EQed mine like this https://preview.redd.it/3eg5u9ytw4ef1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=834e27c38c0bae55229f70204577cee0b04c6dd6 Mostly by ear. Reduced it's bass, brought the mids back just a bit and gave it just enough air to my likings. To this day I feel it to be the best eq I've made. It took more eq than the PRX but nowhere near what the hexa needed to be perfect, just 1 filter.
Well it depends of course on your music preferences, finances and source of music. May I suggest you disclose a couple of tracks you absolutely adore and would want to sound brilliant with the new IEM. Based on the genres you're into, the recommendations will change. Also mention your budget. Second, unless you are monitoring recorded/ live studio music, analysing technicals, you are not going to enjoy flat tuned iems that people generally recomend. Most people prefer iems with overall good textured thumping bass and sub bass rumble, clean strong vocals and airy crispy treble with a wide soundstage. If you have the option to physically try out IEMs before buying them, you might be able to first time right on purchase. Else, start small and go for starter iems and accessories. Once you are sure about what you like, you'll be able to research and find your endgame iem. I am listing some starter iems based on my listening preferences: Single Drivers. 1. Truthear GATe - Good single 10mm Dynamic Driver, fun sound tuning. Nice bass and vocals , smooth treble. Can be Equlised to make it amazing. Cons. Cheap cable, plasticy, needs 8 core upgrade cable to improve music quality and eq above 4 db boost. 2. Kiwi Ears Cadenza - Good single 10mm DD , fun sound, nice bass , smooth vocals, smooth treble. Can handle EQ well. Looks great. EQ can boost bass and treble and vocals . Cons. Bass is good you will love iems with more thump. 3. 7Hz Crinacle Salnotes Dioko - Single planar driver 14.5 mm. Clean tuning , focus on mids and vocals. Great for vocals and classical music. Can EQ will to boost bass and treble to sound amazing. Good looking set and kit Cons. Can sound muddy with EDMs with out EQ. 4. ARTTI T10 . Good single planar driver 14.2 mm. Great tuning , good bass texture , mids and lows. Sounds amazing on female vocals and instrumental tracks. Good kit, ok looks . Cons. Looks, needs EQ to boost lower mids for male vocals . Tambre is very planar and may sound different to sensitive ears. I recommend Truthear GATe with a better cable or the Kiwi Ears Cadenza as is. Multiple drivers. 1. Kz Vader. 3, 8mm dd drivers. Good bass, mids and treble. Nice soundstage, can handle eq boosts well. Good sound stage. Cons. Need cable upgrade to 8 core (qkz t1 cheap will do) . 2. Kz AM16 bass edition- 8 driver all BA. Good bass, good vocals and treble. Great musicality and comparable to expensive DD iems. Cons. Need better cable 8 to 16 cores. EQ is tricky as the low frequency BA driver is easy to boost , mids not so much. 3. Kz Castor Pro. 2 10mm DD driver. Good bass , good mids and treble.. Can be Equalised to boost bass and treble to sound like endgame bass iems like Punch audio Martillo . Cheap and dynamic. Cons. Need a 8 or 16 core cable (qkz t1) . With EQ this can amaze people . 4. Letshuoer DZ4- three 6mm DDs with a passive radiator. Great sound, good bass and treble. Sounds nice without EQ. Mid focused and perfect for vocals . Good kit and cable. Cons. Looks. 6mm dds do not handle much EQ. Sound is not the best for EDM. I recommend the KZ Castor Pro bass version or the Letshuer DZ4. With EQ and new cable the KZ Castor Pro or Vader will sound better than others.
One event where the guy who reported it ended up retracting because it didn't happen that way. Glue was getting in the driver's consistently on one model. So based on that, you 'boycot', when there is now KZ Am16, Zenith, ZVX Pro, and a while bunch of really good iem's for very small money for what you get. Well, it's you missing out. If you were not probably 17 years old, I would suggest you were a big cheerleader for the Iraq War, and probably still don't know there were no WMDs. Simple logic should tell you, if you put the drivers in, you have paid for them, so there is less then zero reason to leave them unwired. The whole issue is stupidity, typical sheeple stuff.
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