KZ Sheen (Bass Improved Edition)

Disclaimer

The KZ Sheen has been sent by KZ Acoustics, I really appreciate their support to bring you content about their products.

All of my opinions are my own; I do not receive any payment to promote any product in an unethical manner. And this case was no exception.

My video review:

You can buy them directly on AliExpress:

KZ Sheen Bass Edition - Normal price $20-25 USD

Pros

• Punchy and dynamic bass

• Detailed treble whitout being harsh

• Excelent sub bass extension

• Comfortable and lightweight

Cons

• Lack of Accesories/eartips

• Vocals sounds a little thin

Accessories

KZ Sheen IEMs

120cm USB-C DSP cable

2 pair of eartips

Technical specifications:

Model name: KZ Sheen Bass Improved Edition

Transducer Type: 2 Dynamic Drivers

Frequency response: 20 - 40Khz

Sensitivity: 104 dB/mW @1kHz; Nominal Impedance: 20-25Ω

Connectivity: 0.78mm

Sound - How I perceive it?

To my ears, their sound signature is a very pronounced “V.” The bass (especially the sub-bass) is very present, the mids are somewhat restrained, and the highs have good detail.

You know how they sound to me? It’s as if you’d flip the first, third, and fourth switches on the Castor Bass.

They lack just a little bit of bass to match the Castor in volume, but they sound cleaner and have a bit more rumble.

Bass

As for the bass, there’s a noticeable improvement compared to the Duonic and the Castor Bass. It still has a more pronounced presence in the sub-bass than in the punch—I wouldn’t call it “basshead.” They sound cleaner to me than the Castor Bass, though not as much as the Duonic. Overall, I do think it has a higher-quality driver, while maintaining a price point quite similar to those two models.

Midrange

The vocals can get a little lost amid the bass and treble; they sound somewhat thin even though the bass is present. This is because the bass is stronger in that range and not as strong in this range, which normally helps the vocals sound more robust. They do have clarity and detail, but for my taste, a couple of dB more would have made them perfect.

Treble

The highs are a bit on the bright side. I thought that, since this is the version with enhanced bass, the highs would sound a bit muffled and dark, but they don’t. They have great detail; to me, they sound similar to those of the latest KZ VibeX models. They don’t sound sibilant to me, but if the vocals in a track are sibilant, these earbuds won’t tone them down. Overall, they aren’t annoying.

DAC/AMPs used:

Fosi K7

Fiio KA13

Arturia Audiofuse

Macbook Air M1 3.5mm jack

PS5 Dualsense 3.5mm jack

iPod Touch 5th Gen

Design

The design is slightly longer than that of the Castor and Duonic models, and the interior is cleaner compared to those two models.

The faceplate features an eye-catching blue design, with the IEM’s name, “Sheen,” in white and a textured background.

Overall, I think it’s a nice design with a comfortable fit for long gaming or music sessions.

Power requeriment:

As for amplification, they already sound good to me when plugged directly into my phone with the 3.5mm cable. I ordered them with the USB-C cable. I noticed they’d changed the material and wanted to see if the slightly higher-pitched sound of their previous models had changed, but it hasn’t.

They still sound just like the M02 or their other similar models—they emphasize the highs a bit more. They have good volume with this cable, but if you want to use them with a DAC dongle, I recommend buying them with the 3.5mm cable instead.

I recommend pairing them with a neutral or slightly warm sound signature to avoid further emphasizing the treble, since they can end up sounding a bit harsh.

They work for gaming, but they aren’t very precise for positioning. However, I do think they might be a better option compared to the SZ10 Pro and SZ12 Pro, which are the ones I see streamers using the most.

KZ Sheen Bass Edition VS KZ Castor Bass & Duonic With Switches

They don't have switches like the Castors and Duonics, which is exactly why I think that if you're happy with the Castor or Duonic bass models, you might find yourself missing some bass and want the option to adjust the EQ directly from the headphones.

If you order them with the USB-C cable, the last preset makes them sound very similar to the Castors.

You know how they sound to me? It's like if you turned up the first, third, and fourth switches on the Castor Bass, but better quality sound.

They're missing a little bit of bass to match the Castors in volume, but they sound cleaner and have a bit more rumble.

So yeah, I think they're better than any of the Castor, I also like them better than this version of the Duonic—the one with switches, not the one with more bass.

Soundstage

The soundstage does seem a little wider than the Castors'—very similar to the Duonics'. But in this regard, they didn't improve much, despite having very detailed highs.

The vocals are the ones that get a little lost, but overall, they did improve slightly.

Conclusion

If you already own any of those models, this might not be a must-have purchase or a very significant upgrade, but I liked them. If you want to buy them.

I recommend this version with improved bass, because—even though they’re missing just a tiny bit of bass to match the Castor—it’s really nothing.

The balanced version might sound a bit higher-pitched to you, and you might not like it as much. That’s why this version is the safer bet.