TWS true wireless earphones - under $100
THREE STARS - Okay, so there are four balanced armature drivers per side, but what does that mean? The KZ SA08 fails to convince.
KZ SA08 specs:
Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC codec
No waterproof rating given
4 hours listening on a full charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 3 times
Comes with 3 sizes ear-tips and USB-C cable
$60 on AliExpress (possibly cheaper here)
Below this KZ SA08 review, you will find comparisons between the KZ SA08 vs Fiil T1 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds+, and Shanling MTW100 Balanced Armature.
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Design, comfort and battery life
What a couple of years it must have been for KZ. Around the start of 2017, the Chinese manufacturer excelled in delivering high quality wired earphones for only a few dollars. KZ was the talk of the town in the small world of chifi (a love for cheap, Chinese hifi-alternatives to the big brands), which KZ boosted itself by releasing more and more new models. When it became clear that a new model didn't automatically mean 'better sound quality', KZ started popping in more and more drivers in their earphones - to, at least, build up hype for its impressive specs at a still reasonable price. Eight drivers per earpiece for $50 - nobody knows what they do but - woooow!
And here we are, at the end of 2020. Even simple, generic wireless earphones tend to sound better than less successful wired KZ-models. KZ must have been overwhelmed by the success of TWS true wireless earbuds. KZ's wireless answer so far has varied from decent - the KZ S1, S1D and S2 for example - to terrible, like the dreadful E10.
Skip to the end of 2020, and KZ tries a typical trick on their newest wireless earbuds, the KZ SA08. Between all TWS models that don't communicate one bit of their internals, KZ advertises with their SA08 as an 8-unit Balanced Armature TWS! Woooow!
Enough intro. How good is it?
Let's start with the build. The KZ SA08 uses the same round charging case as the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, this time with KZ-logo on top. Inside the case, the earbuds wobble a bit, and things don't feel too robust. Still, as the case and earbuds connect with four charging dots, charging goes without problems. Just be sure to wiggle the earpieces in until you see the charging lights on the buds. A single light on the case's inside shows the battery status of the case itself.
On the outside, the SA08 earbuds have the typical plectrum-shape seen on many more KZ earphones. The inside looks and feels like a custom mold for your ears. The earbuds are around a full centimeter deep and look very big. Happily, the inner part has all kinds of bumps to make the earbuds cling to your ears. Indeed - the SA08 stays well in your ears and is quite light and comfortable to carry. The asymmetrical KZ and SA08 prints are a nice touch, but the earbuds don't look very good, sticking out of your ears quite a bit.
Battery life on the KZ SA08 hasn't been advertised anywhere, and it's easy to see why. Reaching around 4 hours of playtime on a single charge isn't a very good score for this price. The case can recharge the buds three times fully before needing new power via USB-C.
Connectivity and controls
When controlling the touch panels of the KZ SA08, handle with care. The touch panels respond well to your touch, but some touch combinations can ruin the fun when activated.
Tap L or R once to play/ pause music
Tap R twice to skip the next song
Tap L twice to return to the previous song
Hold R or L to activate the voice assistant
Tap L or R three times to activate the Low latency mode
Tap L or R four times to clear pairing information and shut off the earbuds (!)
Hold L or R for six seconds to turn the earbuds off
There are no volume controls on the earbuds. Yet, you can delete your pairing settings by hitting the skip-controls twice in a row fast. That's not a very convenient tradeoff.
Happily, connectivity on the KZ SA08 is better than on previous models. While there can be some hiccups between the left and right earpiece after putting them in, the Bluetooth signal holds up to ten meters from your device. The signal remains stable in areas more crowded with wireless signals. You can also switch flawlessly between listening to one or two earbuds.
Calling and watching movies
The KZ SA08 has a low-latency mode, which activates by tapping the earbuds three times. It's a function you need to watch videos without delay in the sound. Otherwise, videos on the YouTube-app on both iPhone and Android will not be lipsync.
The low-latency mode doesn't work great for gaming, sadly. There's still a noticeable delay in sound effects when you're playing games. It's also possible to hear some distortions when the low-latency mode is activated.
Calling fares okay on the KZ SA08, but the other end of the line sometimes will hear their own echo. Of course, wind noise is very audible in outside environments, but other background sounds like people talking, and traffic sounds are reduced neatly. Brighter sounds can come with a peak before they're reduced well, however. When they are reduced, your voice also sounds softer. The call quality is fine indoors: your voice then is loud and clear enough.
Also read: The best wireless earbuds under $100
Sound quality of KZ SA08: Mids-a-plenty
Eight customized balanced armatures! 22955, 29689, and 31738 Balanced Armatures! Accurate Frecenqucy Division of 3-channel Acoustic Tube! KZ is all but shy about what's inside the SA08. And it can go extremely loud on both iPhone and Android as well. But how does it sound?
Mainly, the KZ SA08 is about the mid-tones. You could even say it's entirely about the mids. The SA08 delivers astonishingly clear sounding mids, flirting heavily with the highs. Switch to any other of the 180 wireless earphones previously tested on Scarbir.com, and it will likely sound recessed. Acoustic guitars sound natural, piano play comes with the hitting of keys, and even background sounds in the mids of classical recordings - like breaths, gasps, a pianist moving on his or her stool, you can hear them all.
The KZ SA08 displays these mids and highs in an impressively wide soundstage. There's a strong openness, airiness to the sound. Instruments aren't just separated well from each other; no, they're placed all the way to your left and right, with vocalists often remaining in the center.
While this may seem like an exercise in mids for many other wireless earphones, it comes with some noticeable problems.
Both female and higher-pitched male vocals are often pushed to their limits and don't sound natural anymore. In Back to Black, Amy Winehouse sounds tinny and overly nasal. Vocals can also bear some sibilance - an emphasis on the sss's.
Furthermore, while the mids flow into the highs easily, they don't do so towards the lower frequencies. As clear as vocals, piano play, guitars, and snare drums may be - they don't come with depth, with their dark edge in the sound. The KZ SA08 doesn't have enough weight in the lower frequencies. Basses, cellos, bass guitars, and electronic basses can show some darkness, but they miss out on depth and impact. The mid-bass has next to no punching power, and don't expect the sub-bass to rumble. There's just so much emphasis on the mids that the four-drivers-per-side KZ SA08 lacks dynamics. It can sound thin, even plain bad in more modern pop, dance, and electronic songs.
Normally, it could help to switch between all sizes and kind of rubber ear tips to alter the sound a bit, but it doesn't seem to save the lows on the SA08.
And then there's another factor threatening your enjoyment of these buds. There's an incredible amount of white noise underneath the music. You can hear it loudly around the 'Connected' and 'Paired' voice prompts, and you can still hear it clearly underneath all music you're playing on the SA08, especially if you play on low volume. There's always this very present hiss - not just on the background - almost as part of the music.
Background white noise is not uncommon on wireless earphones. Here, however, it's just too annoying. In classical pieces, easier-going songs, or calm & focused music, you can't even hear rests in the music anymore - there's always this loud hissing. Heck, the hiss can even distort!
The clarity and abundance of mids is a sensation on the KZ SA08. But it doesn't result in a TWS you can enjoy often - it can even sound plain bad in more modern genres, attacked by loud white noise on top.
KZ SA08 TWS comparisons
KZ SA08 vs Shanling MTW100 Balanced Armature
Earphones with a convincing soundstage, outstanding instrument separation, light bass, and big emphasis on mids - we've seen it before. The Shanling MTW100 Balanced Armature soundstage is more intimate than the KZ, and it has the same tendency of vocals sounding tinny sometimes. Still, mids tend towards the lows much better on the Shanling, giving instruments a more dynamic character and a little more bass-oomph. Vocals sound more upfront, and the lack of white noise makes music sound more natural and pleasant on the Shanling. With the compact earpieces' added comfort, the Shanling is a better choice for acoustic and classical music lovers.
KZ SA08 vs Samsung Galaxy Buds+
Available for around $90 now and then, the mid-focused Samsung Galaxy Buds+ can also be an alternative to the KZ SA08. They don't have the same amount of annoying white noise as the KZ - and Samsungs battery life and build quality are better too. The KZ has a wider soundstage and sounds less congested in the upper-mids, yet the Samsung offers better dynamics, with more microdetail in the mids and slightly more emphasis on the lower frequencies.
No Samsung Galaxy Buds+ review (yet), buy on Amazon US, Amazon Germany or from other Amazon countries
KZ SA08 vs Fiil T1 Pro
The body and depth the KZ SA08 lacks in the lower tones become evident immediately when you switch over to the Fiil T1 Pro. The Fiil also has elevated upper-mids and can even sound a little harsh in these frequencies, but individual instruments - no, the entire music - sounds much more balanced and dynamic on the T1 Pro. Bass guitars hit their deep notes; electronic music comes with a stronger bass thump and more sub-bass rumble. The KZ SA08 has a wider soundstage, yet the Fiil has more accurate detail within it. Where the SA08 can drown some details in its white noise, the T1 Pro gives them plenty of space.
—> See all TWS reviews and ratings here
Verdict
Eight balanced armature drivers... and yet the KZ SA08 sounds overly focused on the mids. It's sometimes impressive, sometimes plain bad. The SA08 isn't saved by its short battery life and its big size either.
Three stars - worth considering
Buy KZ SA08/ check price:
Buy KZ SA08 on AliExpress (possibly cheaper link)
I bought the KZ SA08 to test and review myself. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
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