TWS true wireless earphones - under $50
FOUR STARS - For its fifth wireless earphones, KZ initiates a crowdfunding project on Indiegogo. The product, however, is already finished - and while good, it doesn't add much to previous KZ offerings.
Specs of the KZ S2 TWS:
Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC codec
IPX5 water proof (sweat and rain resistant)
3 hours listening on a full charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 3 times
Comes with 2 sets of ear tips and USB-C cable
Below this KZ S2 review, you can find a comparisons of the KZ S2 vs KZ S1D Dynamic, KZ S1 Hybrid, SoundPEATS TrueDot and Fiil T1X.
The headline above this article is a direct response to several YouTubers. Sigh - these are NOT the best sounding wireless earbuds under $50.
Design, comfort and battery life
The earpieces of the KZ S2 have a triangular shape on the inside, with a slight bulb on the most upper-part, helping to achieve a tighter fit in your ears. Due to the smooth plastic of the earpieces and the rubber ear tip itself, however, the S2 is a bit slippery in your ears. It's not recommended to go out sporting with these, although it might do if you don't sweat too much.
On the outside, the earpieces have the typical ear-like shape of most KZ earphones, both wired and wireless. The round part houses a touch-sensitive button rather than a button you can press. The microphone is placed on the lowest part of the ears. The earpieces don't stick out your ears too much. Not do the lights blink when you're listening to them.
The KZ S2 has a medium-sized charging case with a USB-C connector at the bottom. Its 500mAh capacity can recharge the earpieces three times, feeding them with only 3 hours playtime per charge. That's an outdated score. Both the earpieces and the case are decently designed, but nothing spectacular.
Connectivity and controls
The touch controls on the KZ S2 respond well to your touches. A single tap plays/pauses the music, with two taps on the right bud you skip a track, with two taps on the left one, you return a song. You can activate the voice assistant on your smartphone with a long press on both of the earpieces.
With three presses, you can activate a low-latency Gaming Mode, just like on the predecessor KZ S1 hybrid. It should lower the delay in audio when playing games. Still, because both the activation and the deactivation of the gaming mode have the same single beep, you have to fiddle and really discover when you have the mode activated or deactivated. There are better design choices to be made here.
Unfortunately, it's not possible to change the volume on the earpieces.
The connectivity of the KZ S1 is reliable. It holds a stable Bluetooth 5.0 connection up to ten meters, also when there are (thin) walls between you and your device. It's also possible to swap rapidly between one and two earpieces.
Calling and watching movies with KZ S2
While the KZ S2 states to have a high-performance Gaming Mode, it's hard to discover changes with the function activated or deactivated, when playing a reaction-based game like Subway Surfers.
The KZ S2 handles video playback mediocre as well. While the sound synchronizes with the video on Android and video services like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime, the S2 doesn't sync audio and video well on the YouTube-app on iPhone.
Inside, call quality is decent. Your voice comes through clear above other voices, although you sound a bit robot-like. On both sides of the line, the sound shifts from left to right in the ears. Strange.
It doesn't come recommended to take a call with the KZ S2 outside. Wind noises sound like fireworks, and like overactive autofocus on a camera, the KZ S2 keeps searching for which sound to pick up - resulting in sudden shifts from nearby vehicles and your voice - and back.
Also read: The best true wireless earphones under $50
Sound quality of KZ S2: good, nothing special
The S2 is the fifth wireless earphone from KZ and comes after the T1, E10, S1 Hybrid and S1D Dynamic, and is priced between all those models, at around 30 dollars. How good is it?
Sound quality-wise, it's also placed in the middle of KZ's wireless lineup. It's not as excessively heavy in the treble as the E10; it's less dull in the lows than the T1, it's more dynamic than the flat S1 Hybrid and less bassy than the S1 Dynamic.
The KZ S2 delivers a friendly approach to a V-shape sound. Both the bass and vocals are slightly boosted over the other frequencies, but not so much that it feels aggressive. The bass has a gentle thump, but doesn't go very deep - the sub-bass doesn't rumble in your ears, and overall, the bass doesn't reach the darkest notes it can on some other earphones. And while the voices are indeed a bit more forward than instruments and electronic layers in the music, they only do so by a slight margin.
Highs on the S2 are extended far enough to give vocals and violins their presence and nuances but rolled-off early enough to sound smooth. However, on higher volumes cymbals and 'slaps' can seem a bit thin and harsh.
The soundstage is decent, with decent left-right separation is decent, with effects and instruments coming from your sides. Don't expect the most precise instrument placement, however. All in all, the sound is rather flat for a dynamic profile - somewhere in between the S1 and S1 Dynamic.
With its friendly and balanced sound, the KZ S2 does its job for many music genres. However, it can also sound a bit dull on songs without many highs, and a bit too sharp on songs with more than average highs. It's not bad, but not favorable either.
comparisons
KS S2 vs KZ S1D Dynamic
Comparing the KZ S1 Dynamic to the S2, the increased emphasis on the bass and upper-mids vocals, make music sound more engaging and alive on the S1D. Highs can be harsher on the S1D, as the S2 rolls them off earlier - although the S2 too has problems keeping them in tone sometimes. Vocals in the mids have more body on the S2. While the S2 has a Gaming Mode and should both perform better on audio-video synchronization, both earphones deliver the same performance here. You could do with the cheaper S1D instead of the S2.
KZ S2 vs KZ S1 Hybrid
The KZ S2 has a more dynamic sound than the KZ S1 Hybrid, which is perhaps the flattest sounding wireless earphones little money can buy. The low-latency Gaming Mode on the S1 Hybrid works better than on the S2, however - and watching videos also fares better on the predecessor. While the flat sound signature of the S1 Hybrid may not be your cup of tea, it is a better allrounder than the KZ S2.
KZ S2 vs SoundPEATS TrueDot
The brilliant $25 SoundPEATS TrueDot has a fatter, deeper, more layered bass - and it gives more presence and details in the lower-mids and vocals, too. It's easier to place instruments in the soundstage, and even in the less-emphasized mids, it has a better tonality than the KZ's. The TrueDot also has volume controls on the sides and better audio-video synchronization.
KZ S2 vs Fiil T1X
If the actual price of the KZ S2 will indeed be $50 instead of $30, stated on Indiegodo, it's a direct competitor to the current best wireless earphone under $100. The Fiil T1X has more prominent mids than the S2, which put instruments through with a more natural tonality and more detail. The bass has a more engaging thump than the S2, and highs are better kept in tone. It also performs better in calls, has volume controls, and comes with sport wings to serve you during workouts.
Verdict
With its friendly sound, the KZ S2 is a safe choice to make for a pair of wireless earphones. Unfortunately, it doesn't outclass the competition in a single aspect - there are better choices you can make.
Four stars - very good
Buy KZ S2 TWS/ check current price:
I received the KZ S2 TWS from Linsoul for testing and review purposes. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
Consider buying this earphone? I'd really appreciate it if you use the links in this article. It won't cost you extra, yet it will financially support me a bit in my ongoing quest for great affordable audio. <3
Also read:
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